Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-09-09, Page 1rvthei 139 YEAR — 36 GODERICH ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1987 60 CENTS PER COPY Free tra e slammed at meeting Former. Federal Agriculture Minister Eugene Whalen was the featured speaker at a meeting on "Supply Management After Free Trade," at the Holmesville Township Hall, on Sept. 3 The meeting, organized by the Huron -Perth Supply -Managed Commodities Commit- tee, also featured Provincial Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell and Nelson Coyle, Informa- tion officer of the Canadian Chicken Marketing Agency, as panelists. Huron NDP and Con- servative Candidates Paul Klopp and Nico Peters also addressed the gathering of about 200 people. The evening was designed as a means for area farmers to obtain information on the current free trade negotiations between Canada and the United States, particularly as they pertain to. agriculture. About people attended the meeting, whichconcluded with a question period. (photo by Dave Sykes) A "grail especially is on :fret David o and suj Emmitt ` e and Peter ustxyfer ifr� lisp osltions alb roe lrriy s>otgax; tfufi'Jtt^,li �atiragen e `nxar'c eras [array C `org`' t rtch on Hill rs' stands concernedSouthwestern Ontario residents, ament Hill in Ottawa in support of the stand iture Minister John Wise and Ontario Premier r announced the plan at the meeting on free trade ry the Huron -Perth Supply -Hanged Commodities announced they do not intend to let the Canadian agriculture ade deal with the United States. The group plans to support Lister Brian) Mulroney not to deal away'our future," writing letters. But, it's getting to be time that bout,1,000 people for the march, on' Sept. 14. Interested ler, (519) 323-4953. 's is hops contact ;l BY PATRICK RAFTIS "If we had true free trade with the Americans on everything, then we could turn Canada into a great big national park for them to play in," former federal Minister of Agriculture Eugene Whalen told over 200 people at a meeting organized by • a group of Huron and Perth County agricultural producers at Holmesville Township Hall, on Aug. 3. ' "Supply Management After Free Trade?" was the topic of the three-hour panel discussion organized by the Huron - Perth Supply Managed Commodities Com- mittee. The panel included Whalen, Pro- vincial Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell and Nelson Coyle, information officer for the Canadian Chicken Marketing Agency. Dr. Harry Brightwell, Member of Parliament for Perth riding and Lambton MP Sid Fraleigh were also invited to par- ticipate, but withdrew their acceptance after learning who the other panel members would be. Fraleigh and Brightwell, both federal Progressive Con- servatives, sent letters explaining their decision to be read at the meeting. Both indicated they did not wish to be drawn into partisian politics with the Liberal members of the panel so close to the upcoming provincial election. Brightwell said such an encounter could prove "to the detriment of the candidates, including the one from my own party". Both stated they would be pleased to par- ticipate in discussions on free trade with area farmers at any time after the Sept. 10 election. OCTOBER DEADLINE Also controversial, was the organizers' decision not to include Riddell's fellow Huron Riding candidates on the panel. "We didn't want to turn this into an all - candidates meeting," explained chairman Bill Jongegan, adding the October deadline on the "fast -tracking," of the free trade talks between Canada and the United States was the reason for holding the meeting .at this time. Ultimately, Huron NDP candidate Paul Klopp and Conservative hopeful Nico Peters were each given -five minutes, after the panel members had delivered their ad- dresses, to give their views on the topic: Whalen, a former minister in the Pierre Trudeau Liberal government, is now presi- dent of Agricultural International Development Association of Canada. He told the audience the Americans view free trade as an opportunity to "export their chaos," and "mismanagement," into the Canadian market. The flamboyant former minister said farmers must speak up now, to prevent their supply management systems from being eroded in the proposed dealings with the Americans. "I don't know why in heaven's name, you're not doing more ( speaking out) as farmers – you're supply -managed system will disappear," he warned. "No matter how efficient you are – and you are at the most efficient now that you've ever been – you can't compete," with the Americans without supply management, he explained. Whalen suggested it would be unfair of the federal government to consumate a deal that would jeopardize the existing marketing systems. "We built a system – we, the producers, the provinces and the federal government, working together in the true spirit of Con- federation. When they suggest you can't have any more supply -managed products, that's against the Charter of Rights." Whalen said supply management in such sectors as the dairy, poultry_ and egg in- dustries, has made Canadian farmers more efficient, not less -so, as some detrators have suggested. He said free- enterprise agricultural systems, which leave producers free to produce more goods than the market can absorb are a "waste of energy, com- modities and resources – when you know what the market can consume and you can control it." NO SECTOR SAFE Beef and pork farmers, &any of whom favor a free trade arrangement with the USA, would also stand to lose by an agree- ment, said Whalen. "Do you think for a minute, that they would let you keep Tri -partite Stabiliza- tion," he asked? - American farmers, said Whalen, envy Turn to page 8 • Council receives directories Members of Huron County Council have been presented with copies of, the new coun- ty information directory. Copies of the 340 page booklet, prepared by the Hurn County Community Services Council (HCCSC), were received by members of council at their regular September session in Goderich. The presen- tation was made by HCCSC Chairman Dave Overboe. Mr. Overboe told council the directory is the product of the co-operation of three levels of government. On the whole, he said, he considers the book to be the most com- plete directory of its kind. The new directory is an update of the ver- sion prepared in 1979 by the Huron Informa- tion and Multi -Service Centre and contains an extensive list of the many services available to residents of Huron County. Primarily organized geographically by municipality for easy access of information, the directory also contains two other geographical -municipal sections to assist the user. The Huron County section contains information on agencies which service the entire county, while the regional offices sec- tion lists information on agencies located outside the county, but which service Huron as well. Agencies contributing to the directory in- clude: Goderich Canada Employment Cen- tre, Women Today, Huron County Social Services Department, Huron County Department of Planning and Development, and the Huron County Emergency Plan- ner's office. Funding was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food's Farmers in Transition program through the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and by Employment and Immigration Canada through a Summer Employment Ex- perience Development grant. Catching a tourist is not as easy as it sounds BY LOU -ANN DE BRUYN Godeiich is well known as a tourist town, especially during the summer months, so you would think it would be easy to spot a tourist driving around town. It is. But catching one is another story. On Friday afternoon, I was sent to the Goderich Tourist Information Booth to take a "tourist of the season" picture. Just another routine picture, or so I thought. When I arrived at the booth I was met by Goderich tourism co-ordinator Robin Stuart and counsellor Lori Jane Lamb. As I asked Robin a few questions about the booth, I was informed that we were going out to find a tourist. As he said this, a Goderich Police cruiser pulled up outside the booth. Yes, Robin and myself were going to get into that yellow car and ride around town with a Goderich police officer in an at- tempt to locate, stop, and `arr',st' a tourist. As we made our way outside, each of us agreed that it shouldn't take long to find a tourist in Goderich. Once at the car, I took the front seat with Constable Peter Masoh while Robin sat locked in the back seat. Yes, we did do our seatbelts up. We were off. But, you ask, what is a `tourist car'? Constable Mason explained to us he would try and find a car with two or more persons in it and then run a license check on the car to see whom it was registered to and where it was from. We were going to try and find an Ontario tourist. From the tourist booth, we made our way to the Suncoast Mall, where Constable Mason thought we could sit and watch for a tourist -y looking car. Wouldn't you know it, there really weren't any. Once car which was registered out of town did go by but they pulled into McDonald's. Lori Jane Lamb, a counsellor at the information booth, discusses points of interest in and around Goderich with Bill and Loretta Reddish, of Metamora, Michigan. The Reddish's were stopped at the corner of Britannia and Bayfield Road by Constable Peter Mason in an effort to find Goderich's tourist of the season. (photo by Lou -Ann DeBruyn) From Suncoast Mall we moved over to Picton Street at Toronto Street. Again we waited, this time with a little more suc- cess. evo pick-ups towing trailers went by. "We'll get the second one," Constable Mason said. We did but he was following the first trailer and they had a scheduled check-in time at a campground further up north so we let him go. Back to the drawing board. "I'll get you a tourist in five minutes," Constable Mason said. And he did. We made our way to Moffatt and Powell's where Constable Mason stopped the car. Within two minutes we had a tourist. I guess you could say we took the easy way out. We stopped a grey, four-doored Cadillac with Michigan license plates. Robin and I waited in the car while Con- stable Mason walked up to the car. As he approached the car the driver got out, leaving the passenger in the car. "What have I done officer? Did I go through some lights?" the driver asked. "No sir. This is yodr lucky day," Con- stable Mason responded. "What? I suppose you're going to tell me I'm the 1,000 tourist of the week?" the driver said. "Well, something like that, yes," Con- stable Mason replied. He then explained what we were doing stopping his car and asked him to follow the police car to the tourist booth where he would receive a gift. Once at the tourist booth, we learned our tourists were Bill and Loretta Reddish, of Metamora, Michigan. At the booth, they were presented with a $50 dinner gift certificate by Robin and Jim Hayter, chairman of the Business Im- provement Association (BIA), for being Goderich's tourist of the season. The Reddish's, who "haven't won anything in 33 years of marriage", were quite happy with being stopped in Goderich. "We just drive wherever. We took a left off the 402 from Sarnia and ended up here. This is our first time in Goderich," Mr. Reddish explained. Other trips to Ontario have taken them to the areas of London and Niagara Falls. The Reddish's were looking for a place to stay when Constable Mason stopped them. With help from tourist counsellor Lori Jane Lamb, the Reddish's were able to find a place to stay for the night. "We didn't expect Goderich to be booked up this weekend," they said, although they admit they had heard something about a fastball tournament in the town. In spite of their unusual welcome to "The Prettiest Town in Canada", the Red - dish's say they will be back to visit Goderich again in the future. And me? Well, I've discovered it's not all that easy to catch a tourist in such a tourist -y town. Heart Fund's revenue grows Campaign revenues for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario are growing in Huron County. Stan Connelly, president of Huron County Chapter, announced that final figures for the year ending June 30, 1987 show an increase of $7,400 over last year with a total collected of $56,825. In addition, $32,000 was raised in Huron County schools through the Jump Rope For Heart program. During National Fitness Week, the first ever -`-=Danee For Heart" was held at the Seafoiihl-Co `r ra cily-CentB , organized by- Drusilla Leitch. Participants worked with six area fitness instructors and raised $2,310 Campaign Chairman was Barney Goldsmith and his successor for the 1988 campaign will be Chuck Rowland, a super- visor with the Huron County Board of Education. Two Heart to Heart programs are scheduled for the Fall. These programs, to be held at the Wingham and Clinton hospitals, are designed to benefit those people and their spouses who have had a recent heart attack or heart surgery. Brussels reeve joins council Brussels Reeve Gordon Workman is the newest member of Huron County Council and was officially welcomed by council at its regular September session in Goderich. Mr. Workman succeeds former reeve Hank TenPas who has resigned for reasons of health. Mr. Workman; a member of Brussels .Council, moved up to the reeve's chair, following the resignation. In addition to his regular seat on county council, Mr. Workman will also assume Mr. TenPas' position on council's committee of management for Huronview. Mr. TenPas also attended the September session to bid farewell to his county council colleagues. Funding request is not approved Huron County Council has approved the recommendation of its management com- mittee and turned down two requests for grants made by Community Living -Central Huron, formerly known as the Goderich and District Association for the Mentally Retarded. In the first of its two requests, the associa- tion was seeking financial support to, among other items, send children to. camp at $510 each. The second grand request 'sought financial assistance to help the association meet its requirement of 13 per cent of operating costs for the Lady Diana Nursery School. Tuckersmith Township Reeve Bob Bell, in presenting the management committee report, told members of council the requests were the second and third from the associa- tion this year. He pointed out council' had already paid a grant of $350 to the associa- tion- as -provided-in the _1985. county.. budget.. Council • also' accepted the committee's recommendation to deny a grant request from the Canadian Council on Social Development. The, group was seeking a grant of $500 or more to be used toward a two-part project to inquire into the situation of homelessness in Canada. Council and its management committee, however, were not locked into just refusing grant requests. On the recommendation of the committee, council approved grants for: Huron West Women's 'Institute, $15; Huron South Women's Institute, $15; and Clinton Branch 140 Royal Canadian Legion, $150 to be used for First World War veterans. INSIDE THE SIGNAL_ STAR Fastball tourney The Goderich Labour Day Fastball Tournament was held this past weekend with a number of teams participating. Winners of the A championship was the Orangeville Dairy team while the Goderich Orioles took the B champion- ship. For pictures and story, see the front page of the 'Community section as well as the Sports section. Huron candidates With the provincial election only one day away, there's not much time left for decisions to be made on who to vote for. The Goderich Signal -Star has provided an inside, in-depth look at the three I:aron riding candidates: Jack Riddell (Liberal), Nico Peters (P.C.) and Paul Klopp (N.D.P.). For stories on these three men, see inside this section.