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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-08-24, Page 12PIA 2 I)ERIC `SGNA -S "A1ii', A 11(G} Ism ; 97 Y , a $oi• sMpport s A recreation hall at one time, the budding was converted into a paint shop, This . is one, of the costly changes that contributed to the financial experiencing: t7 trouble "Sky Harbour is�now ity The :building on the left was bought by Manufacturing Co. in 1960. It is used as a storage building. In Goderich the foreground can be seen off the runway, The building Yd. privately owned aircraft parked on the right is the paint shop. Sky Harbour Airport, inaugurayed here in December of '1-939 Its a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan base of World War II, has -heeo ne ---a'n : integral, part of Goderich. •This struggling little airport has had trouble surviving in the past few years and°right now, its future is somewhat hazy. A book called "Airport and Community", published for the department' of Transport . in 1969 had the ,following tp, say in a section entitled, "The Final Disposition' of the Airport". "The issue or the airport's future status was raised by the Goderich' . a Industrial Commission in June of 1957. That body asked for plans of the buildings and grounds with a view to promoting the site for industrial use. The County also became. interested in the. possibility of further. industrial uses and ern Ltiries were _directed_ to the Department of Transport about tine, possibility of purchasink the federal portions of the field and the remaining structures. "'D.D.T. was mainly conterned °with guarantees of the. future of the airport, -and insisted that the flying field must be maintained for twenty- five years regardless of what other dispositions were made. It was also pointed out that the agency which must make tho' decision on property disposal was Crown War Assets. "In August of 1958 an assessment was made by D.D.T. On the strength of this survey 'a price of $62,565 was proposed for the land and buildings. At. that time,the County of Huron was leasig the entire complex for $1.00 per year, and letting one of the hangars for $100 per month. -In addition, Sky .Harbour Air • Services was allowed one third of its rental fee for the hangar for maintenance. Negotiations continued u 1960 when the"County of uron purchased all those portions of the airfield which it did not already own Goderich Manufacturing Company promptly purchased No. -2 Hangar ,:,the drill hall,and 5.56 64,16 114 'Tao acres of land. It was hoped that fir. Hopkinson _would_ .plAre4se,.: the remainder. 's"The actual disposition of the airport proper, No.1 Hangar. --andassociated=iaurldingsa +vas finally done by public tender. The sale was completed in October of 1961 to Mr. Hopkinson. The `selling price was $25,000 with the purchaser guaranteeing, to operate the airport for 25 years. If such perfor.ma nice was , not maintained the land- was to revert to the County. "The -sale of the 'airport to the.. County, 'and finally to .Mr. Hopkiynson, did not result imany drastic change ° in Sky Harbour .operation. Since 1961 the activities have continued much as they were conducted under the old arrangement." Mr. Hopkinson died in' a plane crash about nine years ago and his family secure,d operation_ of the .airport....:. m_._.. The Cruickshank family. from Wingham made a valid offer a few years ago to purchase Sky Harbour, but because of a litigation, Associates Finiince; a holder of the partial mortgage on the airport, didn't sell. John Cruickshank, one df the .family interests in the airport,. affirms that 'the business affairs are being run on a receivership basis, where a receiver manager represents' both parties: He declined to say who the receiyer manager is. Mr. Cruickshank says the offer to buy was -on grounds that it would be in their name and this, roughly, is the holdup. Partof the problem of not being ° able . to afford the continuation of the airport is the lack of financial help from the government.. A', costly runway was . put ' in ' with ° no grant received. Since that . time privately run airports cah qualify for, loans. .Brantford, Kitchener and Hamilton have all received grants for their rivately run airports. Other costly changes have also been made. One ' building, once a -recreation- hall, was changed into 'a paint shop. Now, painting aircraft is one of the airport's biggest businesses. The airport also sells new and used' aircraft, S' . ht,. .. .11 . gOillg-tours:. for -people are also still available. It also offers ' flying instruction, tier() engine and air`£`r-atme riYainen:a`nce; ' arid" aircraft upholstering. To contribute to the deteriorationof Sky Harbour are three fires within ;the past few years. In the. fall of- 1970 the main hangar was destroyed by fire that started in a furnace room.' Between ,$150,000 and. $200,000 of aircraft, offices and equipment were destroyed, Equipment of Pattison Radio Ltd, a' radio repair business, was included in the debris left after the destructive fire took its airport was here really►. helped e- rot," sa°id'Mr. ` Chisholm, Pegple who have been o working at the airport for a time . to � .wautnPmed:-..its rise _and. — fa'Il feel very strcingly about Sky . Harbour. toll A few years ago in the midst of a bad snowstorm'' a fire again destroyed Sky Harbour facilities. Then last fall a building was ruined •by fire. ' Lloyd Atfield, a chief engineer Dominion. -RroadE--Maehinery- Co,, comments, "The airport is what brought me to this town." He opened up an elementary flying :training school here. Mr. Atfield is not. the only person around who feels Sky Harbour is necessary to the community and to the whole county itself. Manager of Dearborn Steel Tubing Co., Gus Chisholm, feels the company'$ founder, Ralph.•, F Hotton, located here partly because Goderich had an airport.' 'know know 'the fact that the John Edward started at Sky Harbour in 1964, the year John Hopkinson's father died. He said fifteen people were working there when he started. Six of them were on an apprenticeship 0 program, learning mechanics. He remembers the place got so 'big that in 1966 the airport was declared the biggest Cessna aircraft dealer, He;,says sixty or seventy airplanes were sold that year. Then the financial difficulty began. Mr. Edward says now it has gone back to the way it was, with pot too much- action. Mr: Edward boasts that, people who have learned flying t Sky •, Harbour ka}ve°-gorieirito . - the air force, into their own aviation business, and some of them- are the best in Canada in their field. He says there is such a feeling of fellowship among men who have worked there that ,there • will always. be a Sky Harbour for that reason. It's not too late to save Sky Harbour from the clutches of death, Pegp.le. like John Edward, with loving, memories of the great little airport won't give up without a fight and a prayer. NOWOHEPEN T . GREENDOOR • ANTIQUES !.GORDON ERASER GREETING CARDS — TRAYS - INVITATIONS WRAPPING PAPER Available Now 79 HAMILTON ST. 524-6.66'1 rlrrtit at frf ir[R' .a!figinfil ..i ft Associates Finance Co. holds a partial mortgage on Sky. Harbour Airport, The Cruickshank family from Wingham made an offer a few years ago to buy the airport. The deal "still Country Club News BY SHELAGH SULLY At last summer arrives! It seems the•poor old cottagers and golfers have been doomed most of the summer " by the bad weather. ' Saturday, . however, was a beautiful day for the golf - dinner -dance. Winners of the golf event were as follows: 1st Low•' Gross, Chtick Jewell and Jean 'Rattly; 2nd Low Gross, Pete Graf and Maxine Martin; let Low Net,- Verna and Bud'i -TIps '. Harper and .Janet Gemmill; peeled for this event soon. most honest golfers, Shelagh The • men are reminded to and Joliet "'Sully:" have the first round of the Club ' Professional, Bob Martin Championship finished by this from _London, was on hand to weekend. ' give a sparkling demonstration Entries are coining in for the of various golf shots, and the Men's " Invitational on reasons for each shot. Wouldn't September 16. There are still a it. be wonderful to be able to get few early morning starting times up there and whack a ball out available. Be'" sure to'" contact ,luta where you planned? your sports committee. ' There were 23a•ladies out to This Saturday, is the.day for Ladies', Night last week. First the annual Couples flight winners were Verna Tournament. Even if you are :Jrtckaon (37), and Maxrne not, going to take part in this - Martin (38). Winner of the event, you are still invited to setettd flight wasp Verna Kane Join in the festivities afterward. .-. ( the L.hard flight dean gangling al aliAULQp.m.,._thtere. Haply took -the., Nation an �'Dvi11 be dancing and all kinds of .f011bwed by Dorothy Worgan fun. and Marilyn MAC(ay, Winner • gibe Hidden Role *as Shirley The ladies arse reminded to start Making plana 'for their • second 'round of the ' club championship, Men's bright: last Monday aw 44 men on the links, ''k The top six tilfera tlaf'.nightV'alai Palmer; Doug Hesk, Harald Walls, John MacKay, Ken Treitz and Bob Kinkead. The final Men's Inter. -club event was held here on Sunday. It was a: very .successful day. The final standings for this event.are Kincardine, Wingham, Walkerton and Goderich. The exciting team of Allen *and Gower will be flaying, the • gruesome twosome of Kane and Gould for the %ptch two -ball Accidents from work with wrenches show two main causes -practically every case, you can either get rid of the . hazards around the Job or set the job up in a way to avoid them. It • just takes a little planning, a little heldWork. and,. some_carofulne...- • hasn't been completed. Above is shown one of the. airport's • hangars. Harbor Activity remained steady at the Goderich waterfront during the past week 'with five boats ' docking in the local harbour. August 19 it was 'the Pic River, out of Quebec City, light, taking on 6,000 tons of salt. Later the same day the Parker Evan docked" out of Thorold, , light, and took on 12,850 tons of report salt. August' 20 the Algorail arrived light , out of Sarnia and took on 16,510 tons ' 'while the Barber took on 13,500 'tons August 21 when she arrived , light from Buffalo. At the grain .elevators one load was brought in this week. The Calgaddc put in on Friday. SUMMER CONTINUES -1 MORE WEEK Swim Suits Special Group 1/2. PRICE Flare Pants Washable Sizes 30, 32, 34, 36 1/2 'PRICE Tank Tops Tee Shirts, Stri es &Plain; Reg. Shall Reg. $4.50 s6.56 , to XL NOW $2.'8' "'NOW $3 9.8,. Phk;efl'&Compbell Ita. The Stere Cg1lTiitf`::00MICH 4INCARDINE• • We have bought thousands of dollars worth of new furniture at the Montreal Furniture Show. 'However, we don't have room for the many new styles that we will receive in the next few weeks, so we must clear our present stock of 'chesterfield..• suites. a DRASTIC REDUCTION.S ON BRAEMORE ' u SUITES fi •1 ;rr .;r