HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-02-10, Page 1Clinton, Ontario
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Area digs out
Life is back to near normal this week
as the area continue 's to dig its way out of
The worst blizzard in 50 years that
brought life to a near standstill in Huron
County.
After nearly two weeks of snow
blocked roads, cancelled school and no
mail delivery, area people were busy
this week cleaning up nature's wrath,
and trying to get back to ,norrnal.
Nearly all roads were open in the area
•by late last week, with the exception of a
few county roads . and some heavily
drifted stretches. of township roads,
which weren't opened until late Tuesday
night,
Highway, co.unty, and townshin road
crews aided by hired farmers running
4
isw
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bulldozers and tractor mounted
snowblower, worked almost around the
clock to get at least a path down many of
the roads but many fear that if another
blow comes up, some roads would
remain blocked, until spring, as banks
now ranged up to 20 feet deep.
But the clean-up job is proving to be
the most expensive snow clearing
project in history, with some townships
spending more in the month of January
alone, then they did in the whole winter
of 1974-75:
County roads engineer Jim Britnell
said this week that the county's entire
budget for 1977 will be spent in the early
part of the year, with no money left for
snow removal in later months.
P41 LO
FEBRUARY
23 - 15 28 4
2 24 11 12 -3
3 28 17 16 0
4 24 1 25 13
.5 16 2 19 5
6 13 45-' 18 -2
7 15 21 14
Snow 10" Snow 5"
record winter
Many townships have nearly spent
their entire roads budgets, and fear
there will be little left for road im-
provements and dust control this
summer.
Both local members of the Ontario
Legislature, Jack Riddell and Murray
Gaunt, have called on Premier_ William
Davis to give aid to the area
municipalities, in the form of increased
road subsidies, to help pay the massive
bills.
So far, over ten feet of snow has been
dumped on the area since this winter
began, with some areas receiving up to
12 feet. There has been snow, ranging
from a few flakes to 12 inches, every day
since December 13 - 59 days straight.
Complicating the problem is the fact
that the temperature has failed to get
above freezing since December 20, a
distance of 51 days, so nearly all the
snow that has fallen is still on the
ground.
Wat Webster, a resident of the area for
his entire life, says i&the worst winter
he can remember. Before retiring to
Clinton, Mr. Webster AVed on the
Bannockburn Line near Varna • for 50
years, and he said he couldn't remember
seeing as much snow, up to the telephone
wire in some places.
While most roads are open, many are
still only a single lane including parts of
Highway 4, where one lane of traffic
drives on the wrong lane, while the other
lane must drive on the gravel shoulder.
Highway ,crews continue to try and
push or blow the banks back and are
hoping that no more 'snow comes this
winter. Much of the equipment is
broken.
Things weren't much easier for. the
CNR train crews either, as the Tnain line
from Clinton to Goderich was blocked
for nearly two weeks. Even with six
diesels, with a total of 11,000 horsepower
and a 40 -ton plow, they failed to break
tfrough at—theiToncessiOn
Goderich township, and 24 CNR em-
ployees had to dig the train out by hand,
working in three levels at the 20 -foot
drift. A giant snowblower finally ate a
hole through,. a daily freight service
returned to normal on Tuesday.
Burned out plant
seeks new building
The local members of the Union of the
International Machine and Aerospace
Workers expect to learn the fate of
Huron Acoustic Industries Ltd., within
the next day or two following a union
meeting, Monday.
An early morning fire .destroyed
Huron Acoustics, Vanastra, about two
weeks ago.
A union spokesman said its contract
has been extended a year to May 1979,
and, that the company's management
were negotiating a place to operate out
of until a new building could be erected.
As of presstime Wednesday, the
spokesman said, the 40 union members,
75 percent of which are women, are still
unsure of when they would be returning
to work.
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With schools closed for nearly two weeks, these three youngsters were out last
Friday looking at the massive snowbanks left after the clean-up. One typical
bank in front of Londesboro United Church was almost high enough for, top
down, Bruce, Ron, and Robbie, sons of Clare Vincent Jr. to touch the telephone
wires. Ontario Hydro warns, however, not to go near power lines. (News -
Record photo)
Tuckersmith,
1
s 1• Co u in n
By Jim Fitzgerald
. Finally,. things, are getting back to
normal in the area, and its about time.
Meetings are being held again, hockey
• games resume, and the kids are back in
school.-
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Unfortunately, the bad weather was
hard on several events including the
bantam tournament which was can-
celled completely, and, the crippled
children', ,. .snowarama, . which was
postponed until February 27th.
+++
Yours truly had a chance to ride one of
the snowplows last week down nighway
4 and back a trip of two hours, and let me
tell you, those guys sure earn their pay.
One thing though, as a local sage told
us about all the snow, "The good Lord
giveth; and the good Lord will take it all.
'Wayagain."
+++
Varna residents aren't fighting the
weather though, as they're having their
Ice Carnival this weekend in the Village,
at one of the few natural ice arenas left
• U Southern Ontar O. Festivities get
underway Saturday night.
++±
The News -Record has received an
,unsigned letter to the editor on the.state
of soccer In town, but because no one
signed if, we can't print it.
Our weekly piece, of wisdom this Week
tames from the Clinton Kinsmen
'4,1Kyott work, by the lith, and'
talk by the mile, ,YOU should be raised by
the foot."
As well as the expensive snow removal
bills, homeowners are now getting fuel
bills and electric bills, and the cost is
proving very expensive, with energy
consumption up 30 percent over a, nor-
mal winter.
With some rural schools closed up to
two -weeks, the fluron County board of
education will decide next Monday if the
school year will be extended.
There was one bright spot, however,
the weatherman was predicting the
temperature may get above freezing on
Wednesday or Thursday, but the
prospects of a quick thaw are already
bothering the local conservation
authorities, who say there is a—tyigger
potential flood threat this year than at
any time since 1957.
Nominations open
for mayor's seat
Council goes home to mother
By Wilma Oke
Blizzards spell hardships with blocked
roads.
But most farmers who live in the
snowbelt area can handle these in-
conviences. Thus the farmers who form
the Tuckersmith Township Council were
not deterred when they wanted to hold
their regular session last week.
After cancelling the meeting Tuesday
night (Feb. 1) they called it for Wed-
nesday afternoon. Their usual meeting
place - Huron Centennial School in
Stanley ToWnship-- was buried behind a
wall of snow.
Reeve Ervin Sillery had the answer.
He invited council to gather at the
recently vacated house owned, by his
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mother, Mrs.. Sam McCurd, right in
Brucefield.
It marked the second time in about 30
years council had actually met • in
Tuckersmith.
The reeve arrived on his snowmobile
with Councillor Frank Falconer as did
Councillor Bob Fotheringham and clerk -
treasurer James McIntosh. Deput-reeve
Bob Bell and Councillor Bob Drummond
arrived by car.
Road superintendent Allan Nicholson
couldn't attend to give his report on
snowplowing township roads - he was
busy snowplowing blocked township
toads.
Council will ask the Huron Planning
continued on page3
Frozen pipes cause problems
sm4-4,
Clinton and area, tlike other places
caught in the icy, grip of the coldest
winter in five decades, are facing a new
problem.
Because of the excessively cold
weather, frost in some -places has
reached down nearly five feet, freezing
water pipet to homes.
Clinton Public Utilities manager Guss
Boussey said on Tuesday that the PUC
has had more frozen water lines in town
in January this year alone, than the total
of his last 15 years with the Commission.
, The problem is mostly with house
serviaesthat have low water con-
sumption, and, hence little Water
• moVemenetbfOugh they
The PVC has askedholi-who believed.
they -use -little ivater tO cent* hitt-and
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r r
he will advise thew whether to leave a
tap running slowly or not.
• He stressed that anyone who 'has to
leave a tap on will not pay extra water or
sewage rates, but they must contact him
first.
General Foreman Albert Valketiburg
said it was worth it for the town to give
away free water at this point, as "it costs
us an average of $125 a -tall tathatv out a
frozen service."
The PUC has also had two water main
breaks • to contend with, including a
break last Saturday in the main six-inch
pipe that serves rdsidents south of town,
Huronview, and Vanastra.
,Portunately, with the help of highway
Crew 4, the Pile boys were able to bore
through the three feet of frost and repair
the only titohours:
Nominations for the office of Mayor of
Clinton open next Monday, February 14
and close Thursday, February 17, and
according to town clerk Cam Proctor, no
nomination papers have yet been picked
up.
"All nominees will have until 5 o'clock
Friday afternoon, February 18 to with-
draw their names for the mayor's
position.
If more than ,one omination is
received, an election cound be called for
March 7th.
Reeve Royce' Macaulay has been
acting mayor since the death of mayor:
elect Don Kay, December 15th, 1976.
It may be the wort winter in 50 years, but spring has already arrived at
Cooke's greenhouse in town, with tulips and daffodils in full bloom. Here
George Yeats looks over a colorful -bed of mums while a blizzard rages outside
the glass. (News -Record photo)
Timbrell new health minister
11
A new energy in the form of
Dennis -Timbrell has entered
the Health Ministry; a
hearing to decide the
province's right to close
Clinton, Public Hospital has
been postponed until May
2nd; and Hospital
Administrator Doug
Coventry is gaining fuel for
his optimism that the Clinton
hospital will remain open.
Mr. Coventry told the
News -Record Wednesday
that last Thursday's cabinet
shuffle, which 'moved Frank
Miller from the health
ministry to the ministry of
natural resources, insured
Mr. Miller would. remain in
the cabinet.
"It, (the shuffle), was a
way of keeping him (Miller)
in the cabinet," Mr. Coventry
said... "He— probably would
have' resigned if he hadn't got
the backing of the cabinet."
Mr. Miller had announced
earlier thathe would resign if
the cabinet did not back him
in a stand that would, give the
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health minister theauthority
to close hospitals.
Mr. Coventry also said that
he did not think things have
changed much with the ap-
pointment of 30 -year-old
Dennis Timbrell as Health
Minister. Mr. Timbrell was
moved from the energy
portfolio.
"We don't know Timbrell
and he hasn't made any
statements on what he plans
to do, (about hospital
closings)," • Mr.,Coventry
said. He feels however, that
things have changed since
last February, when Mr.
Miller came to Clinton to
announce the closing of the
Clinton Public Hospital.
With the postponement in
'the government's, appeal
from Tuesday, to May .2nd
Mr. Coventry said the
government must be looking
at things a little differently
than before.
He also said that the
postponement seemed to be
dragging things out 'a bit.
When the appeal date does
come around though, Mr.
Coventry hopes the hospital's
lawyers will be armed with
statistics on the' vital role the
hospital played during the
recent snowstorms that
paralyzed the area Pr about
six days.
"We admitted some
patients that just couldn't
have been admitted
elsewhere and there were
times when no ambulance
could get through to them,"
he said. "People had to be
brought to the hospital with
their own cars."
He said he felt as optimistic
as ever that things were going
to come out all right for the
hospital.
"I really can't 'see them,
(the government), closing
it," Mr. Coventry said.
Meanwhile, the new Health
Minister'', the MPP from Don
_Mills, steps into a portfolio
that the 49 -year-old Mr.
Miller saw through some very
tough months. He imposed
e
massive hospital bed and
,staff cutbacks and ' even
closed some hospitals. He felt
the wrath of communities
who were losing their
hospitals and bore the
criticism when his res.tra* t
program last year achiev d
only half of the plann d
savings.
He left the Ministry em-
broiled in a court case over
the closing of four hospitals,
Clinton, Chesley, Durham,
and Doctors' Hospital,
Toronto, and suffered -a heart
attack at the height of the
controversy surrounding
health-care spending cuts.
Mr. Miller, who was ap-
pointed health minister in
197,4,-was'a little reluctant to
leave his old post, saddened
to think that he would not be
on hand to see the results of
.the actions he had put in'
motion.
Of the -health post he was
leaving,, Mr. Miller said that
any man in the job would
never have an easy time of it.
As If there wasn't enough to do just keeping roads and
driveways clear of the, over ten feet of snow that has
smothered the area this, winter, area residents fouitd
themselves up to their hips clearing off their roofs,
(News -Record photo)
Engineers have warned that some, cottages may hi In'
danger of collapse if the snow isn't cleared Oft beiore a thaw
and rain. Mete Dave Bartliff cleats Off the root of Royce
Macaulay on Orange Street. Royce, right, supervises,
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