HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1974-10-10, Page 1•
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death
of Wthghazn Police Chief Jim
Mil* were released this week
following almost five days of
rumor and conjecture about the
beefing accident which claixmd
his life.
Officials from Nfplgon, area.
hospital, where the chief and Ma'
two companiona were taken
following the accident, said
the three men were returning to
their base camp on Shillabeere
' Lake After a hunting outing when
their boat developed engine
tronble. As the men, tried to fix a
.011e9redPin in the engine the boat
capsized, throwing them into the
water. The Wingham man's two
companions managed to make
their way to shore. However, Jim
Milier stayed in the water and
managed to right the boat and
cliinb o it.
He remained in the half -flooded
boat for almost four hours in 30
degree temperatures until help
arrived. Chief Miller died in an
ambulance while en route to hos.
pitalf The cause of death was
exposure and was determined
following an autopsy performed
at the hospital.
Police Chief Ed Matheson of St,.
Marys, one of Jim's companions
was also hospitalized following
the accident, suffering from
exposure. -
James Miller was born in Owen
' Sound on April 29, 1924, a son of
the late Thomas Miller and his
wife, the former Kathleen Jones.
He attended elementary school in
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thateity and the Owen Sound Col-
legiate and Vocational Institute:
Hewas.ngag�dln police work
mast of his achilt ure, with the
exception of time spent oversees
following his enlistment with the
P110 Regiment in 1St- He
served overseas with the Royal
Canadian Engineers and the
Perth Regiment.
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He came t� Wingham in -1950
and in POI' became Vitinghain's
Chief of Police following the
death of Gordon Deyell. Hewes a
member pfSt. Andrew's Presby-
terian Church, Wingham; Wing.
ham Masonic Lodge No. 200, A.
F. 04 A. M,; .the Scottish Rite,
Guelph; and the 32nd Degree,
Hamilton,
Surviving are his wife, the
former Leona Osborne .Of 'Owen
Sound; whom he married in that
city on October 23,4040; one son,
George Miller of llamilten;, one.
daughter, CathY. Miller of
Wingham; and one 'grand-
daughter, Tiffany Miller, Ile is
also survived by two sisters, Mrs.
Ben (Kathleen) Pattison of Owen
Sound and Mrs, Andrew (Eva)
McDonald of Collingwood; and
two brothers, Lauchlaun Miller of
CollingwOnd and Joseph Miller of
Port Colborne.
The late Chief Miller rested at
the R. A. Currie and Son Funeral
Horne where services under the
auspices of Wingham Masonic
Lodge No. 286, A. F. & A. M.,
were held Friday evening at 7:30.
Removal was made Saturday to
St. Andrew's Presbyterian
Church where Rev. Robert H.
Armstrong conducted service at
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two o'cloleic.,
Active pallbearers were Chief
Patrick King of Goderich, Chief
Lloyd Westlake of Clinton, Chief
Arnie Vaughan of Seaforth, Chief
Ted Dayt Exeter, Chief Ted
Zimmer of Harriston, and Chief
Stewart Stark of Southampton.
Henorary pallbearers were
Elinor D. Bell, chairman of the
Police Conimission; members of
Ale. Royal Canadian Mounted
police, the Ontario and Municipal
Pollee; Inspector Crile ftwitwzr
of Police College, Aylmer; OPP
cpi, C. Croskill; OPP Con-
stables Ronald Bell, 'Harold Mc-
Kittlick Ken Balzer and Hebert
Wittig; Waite; Earl Wright-
son; Wingham PoliceSgt. 'Ron
Zimmer who carried Chief
Miller's medals; Wingham
COnSt, Douglas Foxton who
'Polled the chief's bat; Con-
. stables Ed Doer, TOM Creeden,
Sid Adams, Bill Steven0011, Craw-
ford Douglas and Ted Whitby;
members of the Ministry of
.Natural Resources; Mayor
DeWitt Miller; Donald Bateman;
William Renwick; Denis Lang -
ridge, William Harris and
Warren Callan.
An honor guard, comprising
provincial and municipal police
officers, more than 100 strong,
under the 'direction of Inspector
George Barber of Police College,
Aylmer, formed a procession
which marched to the Wingham
Cemetery Chapel, "Reveille"
was sounded at the conclusion of
the cemetery service. .
Burial took place later in
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Siri-
wack Township, Grey County.
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.AN HONOR GUARDof over 100 provincial and municipal police officers, and representa-
tives of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police attended. the funeral of Police Chief James
Miller on Saturday afternoon. The service was held at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. .
9 No decision on repair of
A letter to Wingham, town
council from the Maitland Valley
Conservation Authority con-
cerning the ownership of the
LOwer Town Dam touched off
and more debate about by whom
how the damaged structure will
be rebuilt.
The communication from the
MVCA stated that the dam was
below par in condition and the
MVCA offered to take ownership
of the dam and the reservoir only
if they would be allowed to con-
duct an engineering and cost
study to determine if the dam
could he repaired or if another
course of action should be pur-
Sued.
Wingham Mayor DeWitt Miller
told council that he had .visited
the Authority's new manager to
discuss the situation after the
town received the letter. He In-
dicatedi that the new manager.
and he had not seen "eye to eye"
on the matter. The mayor said it
was his belief that the people who
were controlling the water in the
MVCA watershed, that is those
municipalities with dams, are
being penalized. He said that
those municipalities are asked to
pay for the repair of the dams
while rural townships whose
drains flow into the river and also
benefit by water control are
exempt from responsibility.
At this point the mayor in-
formed council that a contractor
had offered to install an interim
structure for $10,000. However,
he added that the town would
have to pay the whole amount.
Mayor Miller continued, saying
that if the MVCA undertook their
study, at an estimated cost of
$17,000. the town could end up
with a new dam or spillway at the
site, Councillor Bill Harris tug-
gested that the town could also
end up with nothing at the site.
councillor Jack Gillespie ex-
pressed the fear that the conser-
vation authority might still take
the dam over if the town were to
spend the $10,000 to temporarily
fix it. The mayor declared that if
the -town repairs the dam then the
town would control it. However, if
the MVCA fixes it they should
own it. The Authority, he said,
must make up its mind
Councillor Marg Bennett in-
quired if half of the Lower Town
dam did not belong to Turnberry
Twp. and expressed the feeling
that if it did they should be asked
to help finance a re -building
ptojeet
kAunc i tor John Bo tesoii
wondered why other municipaN-
ties don't help pay because they
benefit 'from having water
motto! on the river.
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DEBBIE WELWOOD, Karen Whltbi, Annallouh, Debbie FOxtonand
Cathy Shiest& were horioradat Wingham and District HoS it I
day afternpOn When members of the Hospital Auxiliary -held a capping cere-
mony for -them. The girls were presented with caps, pins and stripes. Mlss
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In the wake of last week'kneWit
that the town council hid given
third reading to the proposed
zoning bylaw, one of many ex-
pected requests has beenn made to
have- a property spot re -zoned.
The first request came in a letter
from a resident and was heard at
Monday's council meeting,
'The local man informed council
.10,0 'Wine** *MOO amor"
olatnilsrdwolibigsolt but
when he had purchased the house
a' housekeeping apartment was
already part of the building. He
expressed the desire in his‘letter
that his home be zoned to allow -
the apartment to be used.
Mayor DeWitt Miller felt that
there would be no problemin this
instance. Councillor ,Bill Harris
suggested the home could be spot
zoned R2 to accommodate the
man. The mayor said the apart-
ment had been part of the house
for a niunber of years' and no
problems had arisen.
Councillor Harris then asked
Town Clerk Bill Renwick to keep
a file of all -such letters from
people asking about the new by-
law. Councillor Jack Gillespie
concurred, saying that if a file
was kept the council could review
all the requests at once and take
care of them.
A resolution from the Village of
Zurich asked council to support
their bid to have the Ministry of
Community and Social Services
provide larger grants for the up-
grading of arenas in the county to
meet a new ministry building
code.
Councillor Marg Bennett
wanted to know what difference a
larger grant would make to
Wingham. Councillor Tim Willis
explained that it would make no
difference now, but could be
significant if, in the future, the
town decided to expand the arena
facilities.
On the suggestion of Deputy -
Reeve Harold Wild council de-
cided to pass the matter on to the
Arena Board for consideration.
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,Sewage Problem
The town government listened
to it let* from Sewage Works
Operations Manager R. M. Bell
sWeIWg ellag'einfelettrntedicTicmulestatioilnthitt the
flendersonsiibdiiision is causing
problems. :Mr. Bell informed
council that a submersible pump
on loanfrom the Guelph area had
been mkedto, relieve the situation
10P4Nt.W. 'that at StiOatii*N1
6:7(4.
'1°1*41441144SHMthided '61
see if the station should be re-
illor Harris said he was
aware.that there have been prob-
lems with the station. However,
Mayor ',Miller told 'council that
Town Foreman Ted Whitby had
assured him that the system was
alright now.
Councillor John Bateson sug-
gested that the original planning
of the station
followed him up
by agreeing to the study.
Too Late
Councillor Gillespie, chairman
of the Day Care Committee,
labelled a proposal received from
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Gwendolyn Norris; newly.appoirderi director of patient Ore;
* Connell and Miss M. Wilson, members of the hospital's auxiliary, posed„
the girls after the ceremony. ' (Staff Photo)
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the Ministry of Coinnumity and
Social Services as "very interest-
ing, but a bit late". The proposal
suggests that the Ministry 'will
now: expand grants' to day care
centres from 00 per cent to 100
per cent of the capital gnat 'of
btlildieg a new facility/. 1110
Proviso on Haelirant bait &OM
liePirrTfthaildicaliPad .44111'"
litt#,-troln%10vflOoMP 100*A
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seheinrAt a ipeclai Mit* Mott
week- Wingham council decided
to apply for a grant to help rem-.
vete the second floor of the Day
Care Centre for the use of
mentally retarded children now
attending Silver Circle. A
previous project for the Wingham
Association for the Mentally
Retarded \ to have a develop-
mental centre built in town was
quashed recently by the
province.
Land Bank
The council decided to get more
information on a land banking
scheme proposed to the cotmcil.
The proposal which was sent
council informed them that $20
illation of provincial money has .
been set aside year for muni- Valance thairtilatt Margaret
Cipalities who wish to set up land t presented the moot*"
• banks for later development, Ithe payment..
money is given to the lnilni-
eipality to buy land and the**
;Mews for resale at a later date.
Councillor Gillespie feltthat such
money, could be uied la -solve
oca
SOTfle 01 thdevelopnienta1preb-
Iernsthetow!
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Thecouneil wakinade aware of
another funding scheme that
would help individual. citizens
make improvements n their
homes. The money will be made.
available through the Ontario
Housing Corporation from the
Ministry of Housing. Under the
renewal plan residents of low or
moderate income, under $12,500
annually, can apply to the town
for assistance. The 'own then
borrows the money from OHC
and lends the funds to the home-
owner. All the councillors agreed
thaethe plan was a good one and
felt that information on the pro-
gram should be publicized.
Hydro claims less problems
since land
Ontario Hydro officials who are
responsible for the acquisition of
farm lands for power corridor
sites, are convinced that they are
meeting with much less op-
position from property owners.
They cite the great number of
farmers who are granting early
access to their farms as proof of a
better understanding of Hydro's
policies.
At a press conference in
Walkerton last Thursday Neil
McMurtrie said "Expropriation
is no longer a dirty word. Most
farmers now understand that
Hydro is doing everything
Lower Town dam
Mayor Miller though the study
might be a good way to discover
what could or couldn't be done at
the site. Councillor Jack Hayes
added that the study might last
"for five years".
Councillor Bennett suggested
the town might be better off
trying to get the dam lilted for
110,000. The mayor said that it
might be necessary if the town
wants a pond in the area. Coun-
cillor Gillespie however, re-
iterated his fear that the town
might finance the project Only tA
have the MVCA take over owner-
ship once the job was finished.
Mayor Miller conceded that there
was gamble involved on that
point.
Several councillors wondered if
a system of spillways similar to
those new in Guelph's Riverside
Park might not be the answer.
Most of the cmin.eil felt those
structures, while not providing
flood control, might satisfy the
town's needs.
Councillor Harris suggested
that county and MVCA engineers
get together to study the
problem, after it was revealed
that the county is considering the
re -building of a nearby bridge in
Lower Wingham.
Councillor Gillespie felt the
MVCA wouldn't be ready to
undertake a $17,000 study and
then do nothing in the area.
Councillor Bennett said that
after past experience she doesn't
trust the MVCA and demanded
that council hold a special
Meeting next week to sit down
and discuss the matter with the
Authority's new manager. The
couneil agreed that a meeting
should be arranged for next
'uesday. Until then the situation
Still up in the air.
policy revised
possible to make its land acqui-
sitions completely fair."
The speaker, who is Hydro's
property director, said that 85 per
cent of the farmers in the
Wingham area have granted
early access, which they are not
forced to do under the conditions
of expropriation. Early access,
which might be as much as 90
days in advance of legal take-
over, has benefits for the land
owner since it advances the date
from which he will receive
monetary returns for his land.
Mr. McMurtrie said, "I don't
think there is any other utility
which is doing as much to co-
operate with the public. We had
to learn the hard way." Learning
the hard way, of course, was
a reference to the series of public
meetings at which area farmers
battled with Hydro for better bar-
gaining rights for land owners.
Those rights have been
recognized in an entirely new
land acquisition policy under
which the owner is given several
options, including outright pur-
chase, easement agreements
with either lump sum or annual
payments; plus payment for
injurious affection and other
entitlementi. (These land acqui-
sition programs were described
in detail in an article in this paper
two weeks ago, following a
similar meeting in Kitchener.)
At the Walkerton meeting. R. J.
Hawley, Hydro's manager of
appraisals, outlined the various
plans under which land is now
acquired. He also pointed out that
the land owner is not required to
make his decision about the plan
he prefers, or indeed the price he
will accept, until after all the evi-
dence has been presented at
public hearings. In fact, he has
the right of appeal to independent
boards even after he has ac-
cepted one of the plans
The Hydro officers answered
questions after the formal
presentation of the plan was
completed. Responding for
Hydro were M. R. Pask, manager
of acquisitions; A. D. Mosher,
senior right of way planning
engineer; B. J. Pierce, Walk-
erton area manager and Ross
Dundas, forestry foreman, Walk-
erton area.
Wingham Cable
should be ready
by early 1975
Wingham Cable TV announced
this week that the construction of -
their network services, which
began in early Septeniber, should
be completed by the beginning of
1975. The company hopes to begin
serving some subscribers even
earlier with the beginning of
December set as the target date.
The local company plans to
carry CKNX Wingham, CFPL
London, CHCH Hamilton, CKCO
Kitchener, CKGN Global, two
American networks and six FM
stations. In addition there will be
a local community channel
(channel 12).
Connection charge for cable in-
stallation will be $10 per year and
the company plans to charge $6
per month or $46 for a yearly con-
tract.
birate*liscecte.ntP°Unfro:0111m°i),Teteitite°
report• rnd of whicht
was;
that 7,0
so ..
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llsed.fer,..eettain 4ecoante didn't
appear • eit-tfie report because,
those monies were not received
until after the *Aug., 31 date the
report covers. . • .
However, some,,areas.sucb-ai
the budgets „fe,r the Industrial
Committee and the generate*.
ministration account did seem to
be somewhat over budget. The':
clerk said he would try and fiiid
out why or what had caused the
increase.
Acting Chief
Police' Coimnittee Chairman,
Bill . Harris told council -that
Wingham Police Sgt. Ron ' Zim-
mer' has been appointed acting..
chief until a replacement ' has
been found for the late 'Chief Jim
Miller. The- committee plans to
place advertisements in The
Advance -Times, The K -W ,
Record, The London Free Press
and The Toronto Globe' and Mail
for the position.
Council went on . record to
express sadness, at the death of
the late chief and the Councillors
are acutely aware that Chief
Miller would not easily be re-
placed.
Councillor Harris informed
council that the town hopes to
have all applications for the posi-
tion by October 31. He said that
duties are to commence en Janu-
ary 6. He also told council the
Ontario Police Commission
would provide a panel to screen
applicants and then the town
would be asked toinrerview those
recommended by the OPC. He
stressed, however, that the town
does have the final say in who is
hired.
In his Public Works report
Reeve Joe Kerr told the coun-
cillors that the snow plow has
been overhauled. He alio brought
up the matter of a grant which is
made yearly to the owner of the
airport near town. The town
followed its usual procedure and
passed a motion granting $500 to
the owner, Bill Cruikshank.
Council passed a motion to
reimburse Fire Chief Dave
Crothers for time he plans to
spend at a fire school in Novem-
ber. Fire Chairman Tim Willis
pointed out that the chief will be
attending from Nov. 14-18 and
recommended that the council
grant him 9175 for expenses.
Under recreation, Deputy
Reeve Harold Wild reported that
the panelling in the arena has
been completed and moat of the
ad panels have been 'told. He,
added that with money raise() in a
recent Roll-a-thon the manage-
ment is installing plexi -glass at
the south end of the rink, Some
councillors were unhappy with
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