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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-12-10, Page 8PAGE 8—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1986 May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Ac , cessories, May's Decorative Accessories, May's Decorative Accessories. Our apologies May, for last week's inadvertent typographical error. The Goderick Signal -Star someone this Christmas! Dazzle your darling with diamonds! 3-D DIAMOND COLLECTION PENDENT EARRINGS �5 from 13495 from 6,„ For Your Convenience...Engraving and Giftwrapping FREE with every purchase 8 Albert St. ST ETT CLINTON A N 284 Main St. EXETER 26 Main StS. SEAFORTH . JEWELLERS Cv:fr 135 Queen St. East ST. MARYS 203 Durham St. E. WALKERTON 2 The Square GODERICH MEMBER AMERICAN GEM SOCIETY Police pro BY LOU -ANN HOPE Goderich town police will charge local stores that open illegally on Sunday, or holidays, Police Chief Patrick King said in an interview last week concerning Sunday openings and The Retail Business Holidays Act. TJ3e Retail Business Holidays Act, which came into force throughout Ontario on January 1, 1976, aims to provide common be days of rest on which retailingwould kept to a lluunaiufi ane t;;1,:= ty encouraged.. The act requires retail business establishments to close every Sunday, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Dominion Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. On these days, neither goods or services can be offered for sale or sold to the public and the public cannot be admitted to the place of business. The law is enforced by the police and, if a person or firm is charg- ed with illegally opening, a fine of up to $10,000 can be levied. Retail business establishments are defined in the law as premises where goods or, services are sold or offered by sale by retail. The premises may be in- doors, outdoors or both. Some provisions are made in the law which allows certain businesses to open Sundays. This will be discussed later. "If a store does violate the business act locally, we would lay a charge against the owner or owners," King said. King said that police departments across Ontario are under pressure from the Ministry of the Solicitor -General and the Ontario Police Commission to lay charges against store owners that illegally open their store for business on Sunday. "We would obey their wishes because it is against the law regardless or what peo- ple think," he said. "In a small town, such as Goderich, Sun- day openings are probably not tolerated by people as they would be persons living in the big cities," he added, citing this as another reason why the town police would become involved,- with illegally opened businesses. However, King noted that certain 10 roll 26" x 500" Xmas Paper 10 Sheet 2.99 Xmas Flat Wrap • 99 Large Assortment of Boxed Xmas Cards' 250/ OFF Cover Girl Professional Mascara or Lipsticks Cover Girl Nail Slicks 2.49 Smiles 'n Chuckles, 400 g. 1.59 Jovon Musk Oil Spray 65 ml. 4 Turtles Lifesaver Storybooks Cologne ftn .77 Old Spice, 12,5 ml. 6.49 2.59 Allan's, Box of 12 Candy Canes Kodak LT50 or T120 Video Tape .99 • Dominion, Regular or Magic Tape 9 .69 Humpty Dumpty 200 g. Potato Chips 1 19 Clairol Loving Care Hair 3 99 se charges if stores open businesses are allowed to remain open on Sundays as long as they follow the guidelines established within the Act. In a pamphlet concerning The Retail Business Holidays Act produced by the Ministry of Solicitor General and distributed to Ontario police departments In a pamphlet concerning The Retail Business Holidays Act produced by the Ministry of Solicitor General and distributed to Ontario police departments, tis¢im...ai.storesallowed to remain open on Sundays and regulations ciaai.ng ...�.r their opening is made. It states, "Some stores and establishments can remain open on a holiday if they meet cerrtaiRi.re- quirements as to. floor area • and the number of people 'serving the public. Other establishments are free to remain open regardless of size and the number of people working, depending on the types of . goods and services sold." Small stores which may open on Sunday or holidays include stores who have as their main business.the sale of one or more of the following: food, newspapers or periodicals, tobacco or articles required _for the use of tobacco, antiques and:han- dicrafts. To be open on Sunday and holidays, these stores must have no more ,than three people serving the public and the area of the store must not exceed 2,400 square feet. Other stores which are allowed to open on Sundays and holidays include .drug stores, service stations, car washes, plant nurseries and flower stores, fresh fruit and vegetable stands or stores, restaurants and take-outs, facilities licensed by the Li- quor Licence Board of Ontario, licensed tourist establishments, hotels and motels, Laundromats and other coin-operated ser- vices, boat and vehicle rentals and flea markets. King noted that the Act did allow provi- sions for Sunday openings only. "The Act says that a store may open on Sunday if it follows three regulations. First, it is closed Saturday for 24 con- secutive hours between 4 p.m. Friday and midnight Saturday; second, that no more than seven persons work in the store on Sunday; and third, that the shopping area is less than 5,000 square feet," King said, adding that businesses like The Met, Woolco, Eatpns, The Bay and Zehrs could not open because they would not be able to meet the three regulations. Town administrator, Larry McCabe, noted that Goderich businesses were allowed to open all holidays except for Christmas Day and Sundays due to a by- law passed by town council in 1978.by "The by-law, number 46, passed Goderich town council in 1978 says that all 71 tall-nnr{'>, rnn he open all holidays except Christmas Day and Suii- days in Goderich," McCabe said. King explained that the local by-law supercedes tha act because the act gives municipalities the right to set their own by- laws for exceptions to the act. When the by-law was put into effect, the area was declared a tourist area and that is why the by-law was passed, King said. "If it's not Christmas or Sunday, the businesses could be open," King said. King said Goderich police would charge any store that opens illegally on a Sunday. •He said they ( the police). would have to prove the store was open,on a holiday (this includes Sunday) and prove that people ' were working in the store. "It doesn't mean we have to see them sell something because people cannot go into the store under the act. Seeing people go in and out with -packages is better evidence," King said. , A $10,000 maximum fine is what store owners can expect if they open illegally on Sunday. '.For every day that they (the business I violated the law, they would be charged," King said. He said that the policy was that the ministry wanted enforcement of the act. He said that if the police ignored businesses that were open illegally, there would be local pressure. "We couldn't be like a little oasis when every other police department is following it." King said the Goderich. police have not yet had to lay a charge of illegal opening in Goderich under the Retail Business Holidays Act. Merchants against opening • from page 1 although final decisions on Sunday open- ings rest with the head company. Three store managers, Peter Rambouts of The Met, Brian Bazinet of Woolworth's, and Tom Fincher of Fincher's, did not want to comment. Peter Lane, president of the Shoppers Square Association, , said "none of the stores would be interested in doing it ( opening Sunday) to the best of my, knowledge. a, "Shoppers Square as.association is not necessarily behindl,Sun ay openings," Lane said. • "It is a government law pot to be . operated as a retail day and I feelit should be held forth as such," said Lane,, voicing his personal opinion.. He added that stores that open illegally should be charged because they are no different from anyone else who breaks the law. "You have to think of stores as specialty shops which offer expertise and knowledge but if they stay open :seven days a week then they are going to have to relys on part- time help and you won't have a specialty shop anymore," he said. Lane added that if businesses were to open Sunday, they would be breaking family relationships up. He explained that Sunday is usually the day which the family spends together and if a person is working Sunday, the family cannot be together. He added that it wouldn't matter if the employee had two days off during the week because work schedules of spouses would likely conflict as well as children being at school. This past Sunday was to have been the 5th Annual Christmas Open House for businesses located on Shoppers Square. The open house, which isnot sponsored by the Shoppers Square Association, is a . special one -day Christmas event designed to allow people more time for browzing. Scheduled to take part in the open house were Anstett Jewellers, May's Decorative Accessories, Rieck IDA Pharmacy, Fin- cher's, Radio Shack, Hotel Bedford, Car- man Cameras, Dixie's Flowers and Gifts, Campbell's Cameras and Rosemary's Ladies Wear. However, only Rieck IDA Pharmacy, Fincher's and the Hotel Bed- ford remained open. When contacted Monday regarding Sun- day's Open House, Dan Stringer of Rieck's Pharmacy said the other stores did not open because they were afraid of police prosecution. One of the store owners involved said the businesses decided not to open because of the possibility of charges under The Retail Business Holidays Act. Although a letter from local police, as well as a follow-up telephone conversation with the police chief gave approval to held the annual event, store owners, decided against opening. Sunday's Open House was designed as an opportunity to browze and enjoy the hospitality offered by the various stores partaking in the event, however, with the current concern about the law and Sunday openings, the stores felt it would be better to remain closed. Although hundred's of charges have been laid regarding illegal Sunday, open- ings, trials have been postponed pending a ruling, on the consitutional validity of The Retail Business Holidays Act. The Supreme Court of Canada is expected to rule on the constitutionality of the law on December 18. Former solicitor -general Ken Keyes was quoted last Tuesday as saying, "The On- tario government wants to stiffen fines and tighten up the law governing Sunday clos- ings if The Supreme Court of Canada rules th law is constitutional." He also noted that if the law is struck down, the govern- ment could go under the Labour Act to pro- tect people from working seven days a week. Attorney -General Ian Scott has said that employees are to call him if they are threatened with loss of a job for refusing to work in a store that opens Sunday. Aftershave Lotion 449CoIours Buxton Faberge Brpt 33 ' Gift, . Leather Sets A Wallets 13.99 TFIIP.NG LE DISCOUNT..... 172 71444tuo..ii:6cidortih; Mate Cbrrlor, Clinton; Mafh Co rnsr. eaiarth Needs stud required before Huronview expansion and renovation project gets go-ahead By Alan Rivett Two studies on the needs of senior citizens in Huron County will have to be completed before the proposed expansion and renovations to Huronview can go ahead, county officials were told at recent meeting with provincial government officials. Huronview Committee Chairman Clarence Rau told Huron County Council at their regular meeting on December 4 that new government recommendations include a ' needs study to determine the needs of all senior citizens in Huron Coun- ty. A second study, called a functional needs study, would show how to implement the needs of county seniors into the Huron - view project. Council authorized the Huronview Com- mittee to proceed with the two studies at the meeting. Also, the county hired Robert Ritz, and Stinson, Montgomery and Sisam Architects to carry out the two needs studies. The firm was hired by the county at a tender price of $375,000 in November to carry out the renovation work at Huron - view, the county -run home for the aged east of Clinton. Mr. Rau said the studies would delay the project until the spring of 1988 and would also carry a $70,000 price tag with the pro- vince and the county each contributing $35,000. The recommendations, said Mr. Rau, came out of a special meeting between Huronview committee members, the pro- ject architect and three officials from the Ministry of Community and Social Ser- vices (COMSOC) on November 20. staffing patterns which or ould preserve ve the level -of service; type such as private or semi -private and space required for rooms. a total From the functional study, schematic diagram would be completed for the whole building. He said the study would also indicate the beds required now and in 20 years. According to Mr. Ftau, the Huronview architects would hire two firms to do both studies. The firm of John Stevens and Associates was hired to do the needs study while Marius Shrift Ltd., Environmental Psychologists of Toronto, will complete the functional needs study for the Huron - view project. As for a current timetable for the renovation project, Mr. Rau said the two studies will be completed by late January and could be passed through the county level at their February meeting. Between May of 1987 to January of 1988, thenova- tion plans would be prepared an Nee tender documents would be finalized with construction beginning by the spring of 1988. Mr. Rau said there are a number of op- tions the county may follow when planning the project. The county may tell the Huronview Committee to renovate the whole building, or the renovations can pro- ceed in distinct phases over the next five or six years. Also, council may decide to stop at the $3.2 million limit previously set by - council. The new recommendations for Huron - view were viewed by council as a complete reversal from their original intentions for the project. The $3.3 million project was to At the meeting, Ministry officials recom- be phased over five years, with the county and the' province both contributing $1.6 mended the two studies as they would million. The project was set to go ahead allow Huron County Council to take an overall approach to Huronview and its this year, but at the county's June 5 meeting, the province announced funding many deficiencies with consideration to the services that the cbunty-run home for would not be forthcoming for the project in the aged would require in 10 to 15 years. 1986. Mr. Rau said the data collected ,in the The original renovations called for a county -wide needs study would be used in revamping of living areas, dining the functional needs Study of the Huron- facilities, as well as modernization to kit - view project to deterreiine the nursing and chen, dietary, laundry facilities and the personal care required by the residents; administration offices. Zurich Reeve Bob Fisher asked Mr. Rau why the county Were not told these studies were necessary when the project was in- itiated and passed by the county last year. Mr. Rau said he didn't have an answer to the question. However, Huronview Ad- ministrator Wayne Lester interjected that the switch in governments has resulted in a change of heart towards renovations to nursing homes. "John Sweeney ( Community, and Social Services Minister) changed direction because he seen the magnitude of the nurs- ing home situation across Ontario. They were all built at the same time and are all in the same predicament. ""He has delayed this program by re- questing this (the studies) . He's buying some time because there wasn't any money -left in the 1986 or 1987 budget," said Mr. Lester. Bayfield Reeve Dave Johnston asked council about the legality of hiring the same architects to do the needs studies. "It seems like we're going to be awar- ding a new contract to the old architect. We might have some kind of legal lawsuit if this contact is awarded to the original bidder. We don't want to put ourselves in a legal battle with the other biders. We didn't choose the lowest in the first place. I'm just concerned what they're going t6 say," said Mr. Johnston. Clerk -Treasurer Bill Hanley said council has already decided to hire the architect to do the renovation project at Huronview he doesn't foresee any legal problems with hiring the Same architect to do the needs studies. Huronview Administrator Wayne lester assured council that having the firth of Robert Ritz and Stinson, Mongomerty grid Sisam do the needs study in addition to the actual renovations. was the right naive .� s they are the best in renvations to nursi , g homes. "These architects have a different cln- cept.of renovations for the aged. They are the • 'nest. They have done work for h region of Niagara which has the most ` to -date nursing homes in Ontario,". s 't Mr. Lester.