HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1967-12-14, Page 2777
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The :erich Signal -Star, Thursday, Dec. 14, 1967
thin ice
a Councillor Ray Robinson seemed
to be skating- on dangerously. thin ice"
when he took aslapshot at fellow coun- '
cilman Bruce Erskine at last Thursday's
council meeting.
The charge of misuse of public
office for private gain is a serious one
which has led to the disintegration of
more than one political career.
n 'Coun. Robinson's case, for his.own
sake, had better_ be a solid one, based
on evidence more tangible than hear-
say reports. of.what Coun. Erskine might
have,said in. defence of his company's
brief while the finance committee .4'as
deliberating on proposals for ,insurance
coverage for town employees.
No one will dispute either the
validity of the principle for which Robin-
son was arguing, or his responsibility
to sound the alarm if -he felt the com-
mittee ..was not acting in the best in-
terests of the taxpayers or the. muni-
cipal employees invo red.
Certainly, conflict of interest
should be routed out wherever it ap-
fact at council -on Feb. 16 of this year delineation of what his position had
when he disqualified his own firm from been in the committee's deliberations,
doing business with the town while he seems unwarranted and ill-timed.
remains a councillor. Coun. Erskine had followedro er
I?' p
But where was. Robinson's voice procedure by seeking council approval
when council decided to entertain a bid before submitting a bid, and by re-
framing from voting when the various
from the company represented locally
by Coun. Erskine?M proposals came to a. choice in the fi-
Where was his voice- when the nance committee.
matter' was subsequently referred to The time to have him disqualified
the finance committee of which Coun. would have been before the matter,
reached committee, not after the choice.
was made. A protest at this stage, if one
We fjnd it difficult to understand is needed, should be confined to the
t _efull weight of Coun. Robinson's committee and not -to the individual.
tirade of Thursda eveningin light Y 9 It seems to come down to a goes=
of his earlier silence when the matter tion of barn doors and horses, Councillor
was being discussed in full council. Robinson.
What quarrel can there be that
representatives of the other firms sub-
mitting proposals should hamq, been
given equal time to present their cases
to the finance committee?
But this term should have been
insisted upon before the matter was re-
ferred to.committee.
If, as Coun. Robinson suggests, the
bid' from LoncI n Life was substantially
• higher than that from another bidder,
and all other factors were equal the
,,finance committee should be required
to explain clearly the basis for its de-
cision.
If the committee were subsequent-
ly unable to prove it had not been
unduly influenced by Coun. Erskine's
position as a representative' of London
Life, or by whatever he might shave said
in committee in defence of his com-
pany's bid, Coun. Robinson would be
remiss in his own obligation to the tax-
payers if he did not express want of
confidence in the finance committee.
But to attack the individual, as a
councillor and a'member of the finance
Erskine is a member?
not a _panacea
News ,frorrr the Ontario Develop-
ment` Corporation that Goderich's ap-.
p,{ etJQu rr,; . ncial assistance to in-
coming or expanding industries has
• . been .approved is indeed welcome.
However, the ODC assistance alone
is not a panacea.
It remaiTis the burden of town
council, existing industry and res_ idents
who are concerned about the future '
of their community to thump the town's
tub'abroad, to persuade or coerce indus-
tries to examine the advantages of -set
tling here:
Council's alacrity in recommending
that the Industrial Commission proceed_
post haste with installation of services'
rand a service road in the Industrial .Park
is a commendable first step,,;
morale
Goderich has long enjoyed the
reputation of -being a real hockey town.
It comes as quite a surprise, there-
fore, to learn that average attendance
at .the home games of the Siftds, the
town's Junior B ambassadors in the
hockey world, has been a mere 400
spectators this season.
Surely there must be more than
400 hockey -minded individuals in
Goderich. If not, it seems strange to
conceive of the town sponsoring
"Young Canada 'Week", or having a
Junior B club at all, for that matter.
Perhaps the answer lies in thil fact
that home games have to compete with
late -shopping night and/or attractive
television programming.
Whatever the reason, the results
are very disappointing.
The Siftos play an excellent brand
of hockey; the fast -skating, cldse-check-
ing brand that makes the game exciting.
Then, there is the additional factor
of the amount of business they bring
Hopefully, the move will be re-
warded by an early announcement from
some firm that it intends to put down
stakes in Goderich.
But the work on the local scene
must not stop here.
Several other communities; some
a mere stone's, throw away, have also
received a pledge of ODC assistance, so
From the Imperial Oil Collection
The fur trade formed the advancing frontier
of F'.iropean civilization AS it swept across the -
inorthern half of the continent to the Pacific.
Ultimately, the fur trade also represented a
retreating frontier for the civilization of the, and the high cost of transporting heavytrade
Indians, who had more furs than they could gg
use;-: they eagerly . exchanged them for goods and supplies up the rivers of the eastern
European goods such as guns and metal tools. Canadian drainage basins. Theseproblemswere
The fur trade led to cultural and racial in. conquered with an organization based on tough
terchange' as well as commodity exchange. central authority and fortified outposts. The
French traders and coureurs de bois married trading posts aimed to dominate their terra.
Indian women along the St. Lawrence River, tories completely. They discouraged the en.
around the Great -Lakes and across the north. croachment of settlers on the wilderness,
west, wherever they were trading. English and except in areas where the trading posts wanted
Scottish traders were not permanently -posted agricultural support for themselves.
•
to Canada and did not live. away from their These autocratic outposts strengthened their
posts to the same extent as the French traders. rule over the wilderness when the two rival
Even so, many of them intermarried with the fur -trading companies merged, but eventually-,'
Indians, of the Hudson Bay area, the prairies and slowly and grudgingly they yielded their grip
the far west. But many,' of them left their °as. thee• fur supply dwindled and the frontiers
children behind to be raised as India7ns. Trad• of heavy scttlenent moved westward. Indust.,
ing , ,,.n,iliaes•,t
nc; ;_Qrmedz _and -broke, eke., among,.1r len followred,•.qurckened by' gold rualiii
Indian tribes and between Iodises and whites. the advent of steam dowered transportation, and -
Wars were fought over 'tee Iucrati'7e fur trade -the formation of strong central government
as the rivalry grew between English andF rench provided by the Act of Union and Confederation.
between white and Indian, between the Hudson's
Bay Co. and the North-west Co.
The organization of the Air trade reflects
this -bitter political and corporate competition.
It also relects the harsh living conditions
I®►Ow.n ,Nl,eraary, Labe
55 YEARS AGO, 1912 tour by Miss Hilda pinta', hos.
Municipal nominations will be Pita] siuperintenderlt, P
held Monday evening, December TEN YEARS AGO 57.
30, in the .town hall, fora mayor The Goderieh winter fleet this
reeve, deputy -.reeve and six year—nutnbers 19 boats, Last
councillors. Also to be nomina. freighter to arrive at ate har.
ted are one water and light com. hour was the S,asl doc which
• missioner and four public steamed into port about 7:30
school trustees. The retiring a.m., Saturday with graintrom
" trustees are . Gallaw, R.A, the Lakehenad. - -
iCutt,, GJ*,, Parsons prand H.E. Epnrolmet at Goderich public
llodgens. • schools has reached'an ail -•time
Goderich 'will again have an high, .reports Principal 11. M.
intermediate hockey team this Shackleton. The increase is not
year. The team, will be in group attributed to any single . cause •.
l0 with Clinton; Seaforth and but is duta► moeR A
St. Marys. personnel
AarBY bringieng threir Pani•
The C:lub's dito Goderich to .
formanceDrama' at Victoria Operaper. Jameses Lodge, of KnoxlivePres• °
House Thursday eveningdemon•, byterian Church's Third Troop
strated that Goderich possesses Boy Scouts, was presented with, w
theatrical talent of a highorder his Queen's Scout Badge, Sun«
among her young people. The day, by the Rev. -R,. G. Mac.
program included two one -act Millan. He isIliet*elfthQueens
plays, a two -character sketch Scout in that troop. `
4.
and a bit of musical comedy
Ken Hodgkinsori, a Wingham_
from "Floradora." boy,, spear -headed the Goderich
The. steamer.Renvoyle arriv. Sailors 4-3 upset victory. over
ed in port Saturday with a car• the highly rated St. Marys .Lin.
go of wheat and flax for the colns•Baturday night..The OHA.
Goderich Elevator and Transit Junior B contest was watched
Company. TheRenvoyle encoun• by more than 500 fabs.
tered stormy weather in Lake More than 225 were present
Superior and hopes for her when the annual Family Night,
safety dwindled. However, she sponsored by Goderich Lions
managed to combat the waves Club, was held Thursday night
and arrived here safely. It in the Knox Church auditorium.
was found necessary though, to Arrival of Santa Claus, and the
unload some -damaged grain by distribution of gifts was the
means of wheelbarrows. highlight of the evening for
Arrangements for a series Lions, their wives andfamilies.
of horse markets, such as have The program was opened .by
'been held here during .the last Lions President, Glen Gardiner '
three years, are in progress. , and grace was announced,by the
muinwAcommittee expects to b.egin.the "" ' R G• .MacMillan. Chair.
m,4b4ra for the event was George
15 YEARS` AGO, 1952 ONE YEAR AGO, 1966
The 1952 commencement ex.•
The campaign for the building
ercises at the Goderich District
Collegiate Institute were both fund at Alexandra Marine and
colorful and impressive Friday General Hospital has gone $63,
night. The ceremony began with 751 past its objective. The ob-
officials to the stage. Guest
a procession of graduates and jective was - $109,214 but
campaign funds reached a total
speaker for the event was Prin. of $174,965,
cipal Donald Scott, of the Strat. ` Bruce Howlett retained his
ford Collegiate; seat on . Goderich town council
A gigantic family Christmas Tuesday following a recountbe.
party of employees, with their fore County Judge 1 . S. Hether.
wives and children, numbering lepton. The recount boosted
between 750 and 800, was held r --elect Howlett's total
at the Goderich pavilion Tues. ' to 774 and decreased•Councillor
day night; by Dominion' Road James Johnston, who applied for
Machinery Company and its ,de+ Councillothe recount, to 769, a one -vote
fence Production division. J. A. drop.
Sully was the genial chairman Goderich will be among 92
and extended a welcome to all. Ontario cities and towns which
"Music Night" presented by will be visited by major per.
Goderich Blue Water Band forming art groups next year
under the direction of E. H. as part of Ontario's. Centennial
Close, provided a rare musical celebrations, r -
treat in band music for an ap• • Goderich's Junior C hockey
preciative audience at the GDCI team, the' Siftos, roared from
auditorium Monday evening, behind a 5-2' deficit to tie El.
• The annual election of God. mica 5-5. The beginning of the
erich RacingAssociation execu. game was delayed 40 minutes
tive took place Friday evening• because the Elmira team was
Ben Goldthorpe was named as delayed by fogaoridii�, .,� .ti};the
highway. ri,,
president. He sucpeeds Bill "�r GOderi 6�
-.:: dardine`r-Whd f1a.s' ileld the poli. ' :,...a,
tion since 1948. couples marked golden weddi
A group of 51 girl students anniversaries recently. Th
from the Goderich collegiate were Mr. and Mrs. Rod John.
visiteV Alexandra Marine and ston, of 97 Lighthouse Street,
General Hospital, Friday. They town, and Mr. and Mrs. Reg
were taken on the . inspection Ryan, of Nile.
111111111111111111111111111,
Letter To. The.Editor
ago stated that objections were
to "be fil ed with the deputy
registrar of the Liquor Licence
Board. There was no mention
of objections being filed with
Goderich town council
Every resident of the town of
Goderich has the right to
reasonaL-a peace and quiet. The
operation of the HarbourllteInn,
even without benefit of
sanctioned liquor, has not per.
matted reasonable peace and
quiet during some of itszrs
"events". The I#arbourlite Inn
is in a zone marked "resi.
°dential" and should not be al.
lowed to expand its activities
in any way.
the competition can be expected to fly
Sir: At a luncheon meeting
its colours high as well. of the Goderich Businessmen's
With plans for a Chamber of Com- Association held on WednesdayNovember 22, the decision to
melte in town now relegated to File 13, dissolve the__ Association was
made. A steering committee
it is hoped that representatives of exist- consisting oeerin chaefer, Ray «Bible.
As citizens and businessmen
in the Town of Goderich, we
have done everything possible to
organize a Chamber of Como
merce. However, without some
co-operation, this is not pos.
ing businsses, either as concerned in- Robinson and Fred Salter was Therefore, theorganizational
dividuals or thi-ough some new associa appointed to investigate thefea• mieting of the Goderich Cham.
tion, will pledge their co-operation to sibility of the Tormattion of a- ber of Commerce scheduled
p g p Chamber of Co3rfmurce in the for December 27 has been can.
the Industrial Commission and the dour- Town of Goderich, celled andthere will be no
ist Promotion Committee to ensure that A meeting was calledonMon• ChaTbe?'f Commerce in God.
.the town presents an open gate in '68. day, November 27 at which re. , erich. fours truly,
presentatives of the Industrial
Comm; ssion, Tourist Promo. Fred Salter.
tion Committee and the steer. * * * *
booster ing com_ntttee met with a re. •
presentative of the Ontario Six's I am enclosing $5 for
Chamber of Commerce to dis. renewal of my subscription to
to the community. Out-of-town players cuss the formation of a Cham. October 31, 1968 or at least
bring room and board money, as well as ber in Goderich. As a result for the coming year.
y I had hoped to revisit the
of this meeting it was agreed '
the ordinary purchasing power of young that, a general membership old town in this Centennial
men into their adopted hockey town.meeting be called forWednes. Year and am much disappoin•
day December 27 and the mayor ted that I could not make it.
Club officials estimate it takes an be, asked to chair this meeting, My best wishes go to my
avers a of 600 spectatorspergame old friends there, to my special
g p When asked to act as chair. school and to "thy old° friend,
to meet the $20,000 per year cost Of man for this meeting, the re. W. E. Elliott, a fellow journ.
having a Junior B club in the commun- quest was declinedby the mayor alist and a contemporary whose
and as a result a meeting of progress in our mutual pro.
ity. the special comnitteewas cal. fession I had Watchedwithpride
The community will have an ex- led to draft a resolution tocoun.• and satisfaction.
cellent opportunity this Fridayeveningcil requesting the rescinding May I congratulate you on .
pp y of by-laws No. 15/67, No 18/67 ' your competent handling of the
to show how much of a hockey town and No. 26/67. This resolution Signal - Star and especially
Goderich really is, when the St. Thomas was referred to the' finance the abundance and high quality
committee for study at.the of the pictorial content. Few
Barons stage their first return to God- council meeting of Novemyer 11 any of the Canadian weekly
erich since the 1962.playoffs. 30. papers can match you in this
•
-respect, and I'm sure none of
Attendance for the last encounter The recommendation of the them excel you,
between the Barons and the Siftos was finance committee presented to With kind regards,
a stn2 300 a record turn= t council on Thursday, Decem. t .Victor Lauriston.-
g g ber 7 was that the operation
for the. local arena. • of the Tourist Promotion Corti:+ . * * * *
Half that number on Friday night mittee be transferred to the Sir: Statements made rena,-
•
Chamber of Commerce, but not bourrite Inn licensing, as re.
would show the old spark is still there, the Industrial Commission. ported and ,editorialized in the
and would be a tremendous morale After discussion, this recom. Signal -Star, November 30 can:
booster to the people who Work' mendation was withdrawn and not remain unchallenged.
ork' long a motion to retain both the In. Town council has overlooked
Wand hard bringing good sport to the dustrial Commission and the the fact that residents in the
community. Tourist Promotion Committee Harrourlite Inn area already.
within council was passed. know what to expect if a liquor
licence is granted to the Inn.
• As a result of this action, The arguments used by the
there is no purpose foraCham. group opposinglicensing,arenot
ber of Commerce in Goderich. based on emotion, they are
Without a purpose, there can based on fact, unfortunately an
be no Chamber of Conunerce. assessment of past experience.
If council had accepted the Town council says it has`re•
recommendation of the finance. ' ceived no complaints re.the
Ia-
comm'ttee; the operation and during the past year. How con~-.
budget of the Tourist Pro• venient that the Haxbuuriite
ni tion Committee would have wasn't . too . active last year,
been turned over to the c: ham. partict 1arly during the warm
ber of Commerce. Sufficient weather months when it is ERY
fluids to at least make a pre.• offensive.
sentation of Goderich as a po. Town council says it
tential site for new industry to no opposition until it
the Ontario Chamber of Com. approval to the 1-lar'beu mite's
a. plication for a licence. The
merce could have been derived , notice of application appearing
from membership fees. . - in the Signal.Star some weeks
itdablidled
1.4 01 be (6obtritt #
...O.. The County Two itilrw.rspor .f nom -Oa-
I babaci at GodKich, Ontario .wry Thursday morning by
Ei9n.1$tar "Publt.hirq Limited
ROBIRi° •: $I*IER
Pr 4411 N rod Puibllshor
120th Yost wr1
pebl1cstto�
KENNETH C. scaTOA
Msnogtng /wilts►
iMinber Bbl' C.W.N°A., O:W.N.A., and A.B.C.
Bolliiiedittlio itlaf.o $1 r Toot .6 TO VIA., $ t o sekeeesi
Authetkita' as Stood dal* Moll, Post Offioa
it tfiiWI end for vivotent of Postago ie Cirh
Yours truly,
Robert W. Smith
memo .FROM THE e itor.
Received a letter from Herbert James Davidson, a Huron Old
Boy now living in Seattle, Washington. He encloses •a coloured
postcard which unfortunately 'defies reprinting, of Miss Eloise
Skimmings, "Poetess of Lake Huron." No date is on the picture
but Mr. Davidson reports he has had it for many years. He sends
it as a reminer of the old times in Goderich, and wonders how •
many present residents still remember Miss Skimmings.
T. PRYDE & SON
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