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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-06-13, Page 28cy 4_ PAGE 12A—GODERICH' SIiGnNAL-STAR, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1974 Housing Ontario „ '74 Will curb local home prices Another In -Depth Article BY BILL `bIMMIC1K People buying 'houses in Goderich*I ave yet to feel the ef- "'fects of a report"tabled in the Ontario` legislature Mav 27. The report, titled Housing Ontario 1974, makes five general recommendations for curbing rising prices of houses in the province. Goderich cannot ,be treated so generally in this report as a -buyer here faces a different market than his counterpart in Toronto Still, some ideas, if implemented coetld help curb prices in this area. Lo al developers • maintain that *t e Goderich market offers house at prices ;, more reasonable than in areas such 'as Toronto or even Kincardine. These same £'levelopers suggest land costs, which average $7,000 per lot, can be maintained at a reasonable level if availability and com- petition remain. This thinking is parallel to the government report's first .recommendation that serviced land must be put On the market to* keep. -artificial shortages from boosting prices. Local realtor Bert Alexander • said- in a Signal -Star story two months ago that modestly' priced houses in the $20.000 to $25,000' price range are in big demand. They 'are sold almost as soon as they are. listed. The report say existing housing ., can be renovated to meet demands of buyers who'• want good housing but can't af- ford new homes. Such buyers can indeed remodel these houses,,, to suit. their own needs. Goderich seems to have been aware of that suggestion before !! it was made. The town has an absence of land speculators holding vast tracts suitable for housing' con- struction. The three major local developers agreed, in a Signal-. Star story April 25, that most available land is owned or con- trolled by • companies which construct serviced lots and build houses on them: The report recommends that the provincial government should discourage land speculators. This. action is now in force as heavy taxes were • levied on speculators in the recent provincial budget. Goderich may soon go into the developing business as a town. Such 'a move, if made soon enough, would .discourage speculators from trying to manipulate land prices. "Some members of town coun- cil have broadly hinted that the possibility of making more lots available is being studied seriously. 'Dave Gower,' town Councillor and chairman of the planning board, has been more specific. ' r,1 During questioning about possible provincial grants to municipalities which made ser- viced lots available to the public, he said such lots would be an alternative to land con- trol4ed by the three major developers' here. Mr. Gower and other knowledgeable sou , hav suggested town -owned land in the Industrial park could be rezoned for this purpose. The repot -to rges municipalities to begin these projects as an amendment to the •Housing Development Act will enable councils to buy and hold land within town boun- dories for housing develop- ments. ' Private developers, who have' long complained of government inefficiency, should' be delighted, that the report recommends simplifying gover- nment approval of sub- , divisions. At least 40 provincial and municipal offices have to ap- prove subdivisions , now. This takes time, at least a year, and often more. Reduced approval time would save money,, as developers usually have to pay interest on rnoney they have in- vested in land. Costs are passed to buyers. A major . cause' of high housing cost is avgided in the government report. Costs of building materials have been rising steadily in the last year. The provincial government has no authority, however, to curb them, Ron Crown, manager of Glenmark Lumber in Goderich, explained. Contractors are unable to tell customers how much houses will cost until they are built. There has been a leveling of prices for some materials but Tourist organization .Huron County involved A. Time.. research ,and con- siderable hard work creates progress. This is exactly what the ministry of industry and tourism of Ontario has accom- plished to improve the Tourist Development Program for On- tario: One of the first of 12 Associations to be off'and run- ning is the Southwestern On- tario Travel Association, covering the eight counties of Elgin, ,Essex, Huron, . Kent,' Lambton, Middlesex; Oxford, and Perth. . This Association for South- . western Ontariois going to' take the ministry's example of time, research and hard work to develop our area into one of the -prime tourist regions in On- tario. You"witl be seeinea lot of us in the near , future....on television..„on posters.....in brochures....on, r•adio....in' newspapers, or anywhere we can promote tourism, See You! You won't end our ocean cruises listed in newspaper travel sections. Sure we got() some places you may dream Of Seung some r13y Thr r,arihtjean Europe the Pac.if,r, This ran becorne a realit ✓ fr,r 'nti as vols are trained to he part of a tearnr,n'a r;ar dra'r Fnrces Destroy4r or Submarine on exert tsPS or ori operatiorn,31 rnisSiOns it S Nhat r( tkeS the Pr,rr,es such a very special team of highl ✓ trained nahaciians wfi,rkinq together to help Canada ,anti the World There s a plane fr,r this tearn nrlht nrm See,..your military career counsellor Goderich Canada Manpower 3rd Tuespy. of each month next visit June 18', 1974 open fro noon to 5:00 p.m. (,r GET. INVOLVED WITH THE 4 ARMED AN FORCES. steel and roofing materials con- tinue to become more expen-.. sive. Shingle prices, for -example. were increased ,May 1, Mav 15, June 1, and will go , up again . June 17, Mr. Crown noted that ccn- struction. industry •officcial 'ex- pect stabilization of material costs by September. Stabilization combined with effective use of the Housing On- tario '74 report ,would not• lower housing costs but it could keep them within reach of the middle and lower income buyers. Developers will • have to cooperate to make this possible. The resort was the building in- dustry has tended to concen- trate on luxury family homes and small -unit highrise apart- ments` While apartments and big houses are built here, the three- bedroom brick bungalow is still available. Goderich does not have 'a housing short.age. 'To continue this trend here, and perhaps start it elsewhere, the report urges all levels of government, private companies 'and the general public to form a partnership to meet 'housing needs. BE A • BLOOD MIN DONOR a Grad, Mitch Moore, ion of Eve Moore, graduated recently from Mohawk College majoring in- Business Ad- ministration has accepted a position with the Royal Bank, Toronto. ' CAL I CO l 2CHOOL.HOU8E 1 mile north of Kintail on Highway 21 tit CRAFTS-AN''TlQUES JUNEMOURS: FRIDAY TO MONDAY 12 NOON TO 6 P.M. ESQUIRE RE$ TA URA NT ON THE SQUARE, GODERICH SPECIALIZING IN EXCELLENT *CANADIAN And * . CHINESE DISHES Can 524,;-2-242 For Takeout CANADIANA QUALITY. HOMES Huron County Rbpresentative P.S.. MacEwan - 524-9531 Goderich • - ' 'AANADIANA MODULAR. HOMES LIMITED lir 10 Main Street South? P.O.. ox 650 Woterdown, Ont Tel (416) 689.6687 ' ONLY, $500 Down Erected on your foundotiop in one day, finished in, a week. ALL HOMES complete with u-• plumbing, heating, wiring, broadloom etc. Write fos illu- • strated catalogue (enclose $-1.00 for postage dnd han- dling)'. NAME ADDRESS PHONE 1 OWN A LOT Y,ES. H NO L Please send information on your fully serviced subdivision and model homes at Mitchell, Ontario, (Near. Strotford) YES ,fl NO L_J GSS 915 OA VI,SI'T Canadian Forces Unit 520 Wellington Street L'Ondon, Ontario 679-5110 v° .Weekdays 8 a.m. - 4 pm. Thursdays 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ELECTHOHOME I11 .4 Croyden 23”'' Block it White BRETON 23" BLACK & WHITE SIGNET PORTABLE All new,. and aII Solid state, and all ready to go ,where you go, from A.C. home outlet to a D.C. source, such as a .car or boat. GRANGER'S TY SALES & -SERVICE 92 SOUTH ST. Ik- GODERICH PHONE 524-8925 U Gaunt says Ontario 9government games make farmers' lot difficult. M iiriberal ,*Agriculture ' Critic 'rav Gaunt (M.P.P., Huron - Bruce). t day accused the Provincial Minister of Agriculture of playing political. games and blaming the Federal Governrrient for the . problems of Ontario's farmers. "Our farmers need 'some assurance that increased liroduction will not lead to short • term surpluses;; .which ruin prices and \force them into bankruptcy", said Mr. Gaunt. "The Minister cif Agriculture has a great tendency to wash his hands of the farrrters' problems, putting the blame on Ottawa. This kind of political' buck -passing game' has been a favourite with the Ontario Government for far too long.' The problems of our agriculture industry can only be `solved if the federal and provincial governments co- operate with lone another, regardless of political af- filiations." . "Farmers will, not continue ONLY /S WHAT WE E, US`FROM F/NEST WIRE TO ELECTRICAL FUSE BUDD KUEHL at HURON PINES ELECTRIC 86 Kinp St. Clinton Phone 482-7901 • /to invest money in new machinery, more land, and other expensive inputs necessary to increase vital food production, if they have no protection against today's un- certain prices, he said. "Some form of income stabilization scheme for the agriculture in- dustry is urgently needed. Programmes to stabilize actual prices have not proved suc- cessful in the past. We need an effective income stabilization scheme on a nation-wide basis, with farmer', provincial gover- nments contribute also, but the Provincial Minister of Agriculture ., continues to remain strangely silent on this subject", he said. "This is not the time for sitting on the fence. Tlie Minister should indicate without delay whether he -is ac- tively supporting such a scheme. If he' thinks income stabilization for the agriculture industry is not the answer to the problems of Ontario's far- mers, what alternative solution does he have in mind?" Residential Lighting Misplay Oxidic Malting "INDUSTRIAL -- COMMERCIAL" RESIDENTIAL -- WiRING CUSTOM TRENCHING GRAHAM ELECTRIC 62 CAMBRIA RD. N GODERICH - 524-8670 Stay where you're to, till I see's whore you're at. •r, THE If you want Newfie products Cortise to where it's at! VILLAGE 'STQRE- , RR 4, GODERICH (SALTFORD) HWY. ,421 - TURN AT BRIDGE Salt Cod, Fresh Cod, S ltmeat Candy, Biscuits, Seal meat. Salt Pork, etc. It's some good! The Coffee Cart Now Under New Management • If we can help • you with coffee, snacks, etc. call Harold Leddy 524-7237 SHOPPE GODERICH OPEN FRIDAY NIGHT TH. 9 I.M.