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
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