Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-15, Page 1orsell to receive award for service Goderich Reeve Harry Worsell will be among 3,100 Ontario reciepents of a Volunteer Service Award from the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture. Worsell was nominated for the award by the Huron County Historical Society, an organization which he has been involved for 22 years including a five-year term as • president. He was instrumental/ in the society's'search for suitable quarters for, the county archives within the Huron County Library. A former mayor and present reeve of Goderich, Worsell is aiso a member of the Goderich Laketown Band and has served the community in many other capacities. Worsell will be presented with a trillium - shaped goldtone lapel pin, recognizing over 15 years of service to volunteer organizations,. by the Minister of Citizen- ship and Culture Dr. Lily Munro, at a ceremony in Owen Sound on May 6. "The Volunteer Service Awards recognize the selfless devotion, of volunteers to making Ontario a better place in which to live," said Munro, in a ministry press release. "The work of these valuable citizens enriches and energizes the very heart of our communities and our province. Too often, we forget to simply say thank you." .The awards program is in its third year of operation. Ceremonies will be held in 20, locations across the province between late April and the end of May. 'Harry Worsell 139 YEAR - 15 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1987 60 CENTS PER COPY hampion 1 unches p1 Up to 150 jobs createti by $10 million project Mike' Sully, Champions executive vice-president of mwrrufacturing talks with Huron - Bruce MP Murray Cardiff after,the signing otan agreement with the federal government through which Champion will receive a $4.6 million repayable loan to pursue the military grader market. The company will invest in engineering, design and manufacturing over the next three years to produce a grader for the military market. (photo by Dave Sykes 1 BY DAVE SYKES Champion Road Machinery Ltd. took to the offensive Monday as it launched its plans to become more competitive in the lucrative militar v market. The Goderich based manufacturer of Champion road graders announced Mon- day it would invest $9.6 million over the next five years to design, develop and manufacture • a new generation of motor grader for the export military market. Dubbed 'Project 800', the investment is designed to make Champion more conte petitive in the military market which ac- counts for as much as 20 per cent of the total grader market. Success of the project could translate into a total sales increase of $70 million over the next five years and an additional 120 to 150 jobs in Goderich. The project is a joint effort with the federal government which has provided $4.6 million or about 50 per cent of the total investment, in interest-free repayable loans through the Department of Regional Industrial Expansion (DRIE 1 and its Defence Industry Productivity' Program, which aims to develop and,maintain strong defence-related industriesoacross Canada. Mike Sully, executive vice-president of •manufacturing said the 'company's and government's commitment to the program simply represents a starting point. "The announcement of this program is, only the beginning and from here we have to make it work;" he explained at a Mon- day morning press conference in the corn • pany's training and technology centre. The military contract is a bidding game and typically the lowest , bid wins. Our target is to offer a unique product that is competitively priced." . Estimating the company will spend three years developing the product and manufacturing technology~ Sully said that engineering and product.development have practical application for its commer- cial grader. And' it will also mean the - gradual development of the company's labour force over the five-year period. "Most of the jobs from this development will be based in Goderich but we were in a position where we had to look for increased markets or pare back out engineering ef- forts," Sully explained. "It could mean 125-150 jobs within Champion and will create employment with our suppliers in southwestern Ontario." The company is working to a target date of 1990 to introduce the. 800 series model ,which will be a lighter, more productive road grader that. can meet exacting military standards, including air drop capability. To , meet design targets of enhanced power to. weight ratios, operating systems and operator. environment, the company will invest m new, computerized systems, and manufacturing equipment. Sully said the company has remained competitive in the market because of its ' commitment' to engineering, product development and testing. This latest in- vestment will include an expansion of the company's ,computer,-aicled design and. computer aided. manufacturing technology. . ' The major rnarlfet for the military .g;rider is the United States but Sully in- dicated that other. units have also been sold to Egypt,. Turkey and South American countries. '`We're in a competitive • situation now but we want to enhance it," Sully offered. • "We see an opportunity to strengthen our position and increase our share of the market. Champion has established an enviable share of •the domestic market and also sells its product in 88 countries around the world. While it has often secured large , military contracts, it has never been at sustained levels: Huron -Bruce MP Murray Cardiff made the announcement of the federal loan on behalf of Michel Cote, Minister of Regional Industrial ,Expansion. and lauded Chani nion for taking the initiative to seucre a Turn to page 2- Bikea4hon for dancer Participants have fun, raise funds Lotal c'ylists who began scraping the winter rust off the old twuay'lIeeler with the first melting of the snow, will soon get ari opportunity to put their bicycles to use for a good cause. The annuhl Bike-a-thon for Cancer, will be held in Goderich on 'Sunday, April 26, beginning at 2 p.m. The route will be 20 kilometres in length with the starting point at the Livery, on South Street. In case of in- clement weather, the event will he held on May 10. . Registration will he from 1:30 to 2 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Goderich Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs • for the Goderich Branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, All proceeds go toward cancer research. Sponsor sheets are available at all hanks, National Trust, the Credit Union, Zehrs, A and P, variety stores, Kirkey's ('are Care and Woolworths. • Riders line up sponsors for so much per kilometre. Income tax receipts will be issued by the Cancer Society for all pledgs over $2 unless otherwise requested. Prizes will be awarded for most pledges, and most original rider (best costume or best decorated bike t, Family participation is encouraged, but children under 12 -years -old must be ac- companied by an adult. Care and caution should be excercised during the ride. It is not a race! Participate at your own risk, If involve- ment could endanger your health, you are asked to withdraw. If you need help, therie will be 'a follow-up vehicle. Rest stops will he set up along the route and refreshments will be available- to all riders. A A total of 51 residents became Canadian citizens Monday at special citizenship court ceremonies in the auditorium of GDCI. After taking the oath, Beth Dottere.r (middle I ., takes a glance at the audience. The citizenship court was. brought to Goderich through the efforts of th Maple Leaf Chapter of the !ODE. Monday was also the first day of Citizenship Week in Canada. (photo by Dave Sykes Goderich welcomes new C acli s in ceremony The Canadian Citizenship Act may he 40 years old hut for over 50 immigrants who recieved citizenship' status in a special ceremony here Monday, their first day, as Canadians was a euphoric one. Monday was the beginning of Citizenship Week in Canada and it got ',off to 'an auspicious debut as the first Citizenship Court held in Goderich in over 10 years, un- folded in ceremolIlnus style in the GD'I'I auditorium. A total of 51 Goderich and area residents took the oath of citizenship before ,fudge Barba'ra McKenna and another six people reaffirmed their Canadian citizenship. The oath -and declaration represented the third and final step in the process for the new citizens. The citizenship court was brought to Goderich through the diligent efforts of the Maple Leaf Chapter of the iODE, aleroup which promotes and espouses the ideals of citizenship. Catherine Roddy, Regent. and ,lean Schaefer, the club's citizenship chair- man were instrumental in setting up the day's activities. Court clerk Ann Hurley, manager of the London and area which encompasses seven counties, said regional changes necessitated moving citizenship court. It is held in Kincardine and London. Several civic, municipal, and federal policiticians as well as representatives of the education system were on hand to welcome the country's newest. citizens. Murray Cardiff, Huron -Bruce MP, spoke nn behalf of Minister of State, David Crom- hie and welcomed the new citizens and guests. He said that over three million im- migrants have attained Canadian citizen- ship since the Art was proclaimed 40 years ago. Green 1i _ht given fr traffic signal The Ministry of 'Transportation and ('unununicatrons has given the g , signal fur the 'town of l;oderic'h to install new traffic lights un Hayfield road this, summer. "The lights should be in by this .urniuer. in time for the busy season," said Work, and Property Conunittee Chairman ,gnu Searls. The lights will be installed at the corner of Suncoast Drive and Hayfield Road, now that ministry funding has bee•orne available in the form of a 90 per eel it grant on the project, which is expected to cost around $50,000. Searls said the committee now awaits only the formality of the ministry signing the approval papers. Earlier efforts to obtain ministry fury- + ding for a traffic light at the Bennett Street corner failed because ministry . studies concluded traffic at the corner did not war- ( rant ar- rant it. With increased traffic at the Sun - coast corner, the road now meets ministry ! criterion for funding. • Searls also said the corner of Sunc•u<ist and Bayfield will be widened this r ''so that trucks will be able to make the turn better". Once the new lights are installed, the flashing beacon now at the corner of Bayfield and Bennett will be removed. Development for mall settled. The development of an industrial mall in Goderich will soon be underway, after town council passed by-laws authorizing a development agreement and sale of in- dustrial land to Fisher Glass and Mirror 1.irnited, at the April 13 meeting of council. Local businessman Jeff Fisher, of Fisher Glass ,and Mirror and Rob Sher- wood, of ,Sherwood Express Bus Lines, partners in:th'e venture, plan to construct an industrial mall with the capacity to in- itially house at least six business, at the corner of Suncoast and MacEwan Drives. The developers convinced council to sell them the lot, which. had been slated as a site for -the town's proposed new fire''hall, which will now be built on an adjacent lot which was redesigned to ,give access on both Suncoast and MacEwan. The developers paid the town $;38,000 for the serviced lot on which the mall Is to be • built. The funds from the safe will be plac- ed in the Suncoast Extension reserve fund. Peterso - will visit Clam. This could easily be considered Cham- pion Week in 'Goderich., Earlier this week, the company an- nounced plans for an ambitious $10 million investment program. to develop and manufacture. graders for the military _'market. The program, financed in part with the help of a $4.6 million interest free loan from the fecltral government,. will help Champion make inroads , in the lucrative military export market, Also, the initiative will create as many as 150 jobs at Champion over the next five years. Tomorrow, ( Thursday twith the help of Ontario.'s Premier David Peterson, ('ham-. pion will unveil .its robotics unit which is employed in the welding department. The premier will officially engage the new unit following a brief tour of the plant. Premier Peterson will also address the employees during a brief shutdown before. being transported from. the Maitland Road plant in a Champion road grader. The premier will leave Champion by 11:15 a.m, and head to Seaforth where he will speak at a BIA luncheon. NS9®F-- THE S G'NA STAP Lions in town The i,ions convention '87 roared through town on the weekend as approximately 500 Lions and Lionesses came to Goderich for, the activities. One of the events was Satur- day's parade. For pictures, see the Com- munity front. Track and field The GDCI track and field team has bare- ly started their season and they are already' under added pressure to win their fourth leensecutive Huron -Perth chain pionship. The team is competing today at' 'he l,owiun Westminster Invitational ex- hibition meet in London. For story and pictures, see the Sports section, Rotary celebrates "A -reason to celebrate" was the theme of the Goderich Rotary Club's 25th ;in niversary celebration held Jast Tuesil.l} evening at St. Georges parish hall. Goderich Rotarians Howard Aitken and Mac Campbell were honored with Paul Harris Fellowships. For story and pic- tures, see the ('nmm.unity front.