HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-11-11, Page 1BY DAVE.SYKES
The town of Goderich may face :some
crucial financial decisions .in the coming
years, attempting to provide needed
services for potential industrial' and
residential growth.,
Over the past two' years finance
chairman Bill Clifford has commended
•Born=mittee chairmen and council.
-members in trimming their committee
budgets to the limit. In that 1975 budget
taxpayers faced a milt rate increase of
approximately 18, mills• and council
managed to trim that to 19 mills for the
ratepayers.
' Assessment rose in that year ' by
$775,585 as the County Board of
• Education share rose to $558,000 and the
County share was $351,00 which boosted
expendi lyres to $2.7 - million and ad-
vanced the taxation to $1.88 million.
Clifford said that pending future ex
Some dispute
uncial
penditures that loony large for the town,
this. council has an obligation to report
on the financial .stability. cin the town and
its future direction. He said his concern
was not that imminent since the town•
wo.uld,retire some debentures in the near
future.
Several projects' are now in the offing,
to upgradethe industrial park, widen
Highway 21, improve water and treat-
meat facilities .including storm sewers,
Square improvement a"nd beautification,
the Neighbourhood Improvement
Program (NIP); and the extension of
Suncoast Drive to Highway 8.
The. upgrading of services , to
Industrial Park have become immediate
under the terms of the Borg-Warner
agreement in which the town would be
required to construct an extension Qf
Suncoast Drive through the Industrial
Park complete -with ;sewer and Water -
main installations.
Council accepts
new bunting.
A recorded vote • of town some _of the- spectators ex -
council Monday evening pressed their sentiments
showed that Councillor Elsa about the flag. One -woman
Haydon and: Councillor Jim` commented; "I guessetwe're
Peters were opposed to the stuck with it."
design of the new flag. which The flag is royal blue with
was hanging in the council• three white wavy lines
chambers for all to. view. depicting the waters of Lake
Still, the new flag• was ap- Huron, and a large octagon
proved by five members. The representing The Square.
• mayor and Councillor Frank Insiee the octagon is a red,
Walkom were absent. yellow,' black . and white
"Council. asked for a crown which •denotes the
stylized • crown," stated influence. the British
Councillor Peters. "That is . government -has had on the
not a stylized crown. If 1 town's development. from •
order a suit of clothes and it founding to present day.
arrives with the lapel's '-too The crown is a realistic
wide, I send it back and have likeness' when council had
it made right. The same expressly asked for stylized
should be done with this flag. design
It is not right." , in keeping with the rest of the
Councillor Elsa Haydon __ flag. No- explanation was •
claimed the- octagon on the given for the error in ,the
flag was. too large and should crown.
be made smaller. "Itis an affront to council,
•`I move we approve the. Councillor Peters said at the
flag," said Councillor Leroy close . of the :debate; °'The
Harrison. committee' did not follow
"1 second, that motion;" .--celiac il's direction.",
saidCouncil'lor Bob Allen. In other business, . council
'
ter.
•
letw
Other -expenditures requuired for future
development Of residential and com-
mercial base are the ' updating of
facilities at the sewage treatment plant
in conjunction' with' the sewer' system
needed in the industrial park. The price
'tag on the Highway 21 widening was
estimated at $2QO;060•. following the
Ministry of Transpdrtation and Com-
munications share. Plans have not been
finalized in the S'quare:.improv-ement,
scheme "that could Bost the town $70,000
,and the town's share in the. NIP
program, if it is pursued, would mean an
additional $200,000.
Many of the projects would be subject
to government subsidation and the town
has established a •, reserve fund for
possible sewage plant expansion. The
expenditures to provide these services
can be recovered in some cases through
impost and service charges and possibly
land sales..
129 YEAR -46
a
The Ontario Munieipal Board has with three year's payments totaling
limited a debenture load to $1 million as $64,000; the airport will be carried until
a saf+ty factor; -butiriterest payments on 1989; and the $160,000 debenture on the
debentures are not considered in the South Street storm stewer in 1985. _
town's debt load and must be recovered The interest payments over the next
through tax dollars. • three years.on the -debentures are' $98,00.0,
• ,� in;1977, $88;185 in 1978 and $fi8,200 in 1979.''
In the next year the town will retire a.7 ` 'her total inoiple payments an ;all
debenture on the hospital and a second, ,,debenturesr, 'total $149,000 for `1977;
fox local improvement. In 1979 two'otherN.U1:48i161 for">a'9.7:Sand $155,384 for 1979.
debentures; will. be retired; one fin; the*o, '
high ..school and the second a local im- The e ,:Qnditures are . necessary t t
F
rovementdebenture. provid1 , industrial and residential
;,•••growth in the town. The services are
Other outstanding debentures include essential for the growth aspect algid the
one fora public schoo- to be paid up in expenditures are a necessary evil, and a
i983 the.secondary school debenture will costly one.
be •Complete in 1987 with the next three
year'S payment totaling 896,000, the
sewage . treatment plant *debenture •
retires in 1987 with costs over the next
three years amounting to 64,000:
The arena debenture will. retire in 1980
1•
The town cannot expect to recover any
expenditures from the .widening of High-
way 21. Expenditures from the in-
dustrial park sewer installation could be
recovered over long term impost
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1976
.McGee lot back in the. news
r;;
charges and other possible residential. •
tap ins to the line.
There is also the possibility that. with ,
the extension of Suncoast Drive' through
the Industrial Park some : of the ex- „
penditures could be recovered.through
land sales, if. the, . council has „ any .
residential aspirations for the area. The,
possibility may have to be considered,
Town, clerk Harold Walls .explained
that the ideal:tax base situation is 60
percent commercial _ and . 4Q percent - -
residential, an idealistic . base that.
council is now working, towards in:
considering the,expenditures.
Goderich residents f ace a heavy tax
base since the situation is reversed in
that the rate is ;,assessed on 60 percent-.
residential and 40 percent commercial.
Clifford hopes to • present a clear
. financial picture before the present term
'of council expires. '
SINGLE COPY 25c
Building inspector
laims use contr �venes municipal bylaw
The former. Colborne House
is. gone and in its place'is a lot
full of trucks, property of
modernistic McGee Motors According to
Mayor ° Deb Shewfelt,
"Anything parkedon there.
would look better than what
was on there before." •-
But appearances alone may
not .suffice. Building in-
spector Roy Breckenridge
told council by way of written
brief Monday evening, that
the use, of the property. at the
corner of Hamilton and
Newgate Streets . "con-
travenes zoning bylaw 29 of
1972 as amended".
"Presently the said
property is b.,,' g
"The crown is not: as we approved development of yet
asked for it," said Councillor another -stage of the housing.
Dave Gower, "and I thought ., subdivision known as Sun -
it was to have two lines, not coast Estates to the south of.
three. But the flags are here. Suncoast Drive. Plans are for
It • would be bad taste to 9.9 single - family homes, and•
discuss design change at this . a 24 -unit apartment building.
time." , Council also has received
Councillor' Allen further word from Marathon' Realty -
reported that the flag pole is Co. Ltd., that 1.86 acres •
in.position in front of the town • parcel of land at the beach,
hall,, andthe new flag willformerly occupied by
be •. the
• .r .m .
officially dedicated at a Esso fuel tanks,. is. for sale to
ceremony . planned for
Wednesday, December 1. -
Reeve . Stan Profit who.
chaired the meeting . in the
absence of Mayor• Deb
Shewfelt who was., attending
other municipal meetings in
town, said he was opposed,to
the original design of the flag.
the town for $20,000. The 'o
matter was tabled for 'ne.
week.
Council also learned that a
survey to determine the
' possible need for. Home `Day
Care in Goderich is being
conducted by the Day Nur-
sery Committee. Mrs. Pat
approved by council in Wheeler was . at .council's
September, but admitted it meeting to report to members
was too late to start "fiddling. ':on.a workshop' she attended in
around". - Stratford regarding such a
Following the meeting, program,
cin used as a
sales parking lot," Mr.
Breckenridge wrote. "No
,applicationhas been made:.
for re -zoning said land,.
therefore it is required that
council' take legal action
against owners,: under bylaw
29 of, 19.72, Section 19 Sub
Section 3, Certificate of
Occupancy." -
The section reads: "No
change may be made in the
type of use of any lot'Cavefed'
by.• this bylaw or of any
Will -ding or structure on any
such lot or of any -part of such
lot, building or structure,
until • a,. Certificate ` pf
Occupancy bas been issued
by the building inspector or
zoning administrator to ;the
effect that the proposed. use
complies with this bylaw.
Mayor. Deb Shewfelt asked,
"Isn':t it a non -conforming
use-? Were not cars parked.
there before?"
;The mayor suggested that
the recommendation of Mr.
Breckenridge be sent to the
solicitor for a legal opinion.
"We should see exactly
where we stand" .legally,"
suggested the•mayor.
Reeve Stan Profit asked.if.
the McGees have been in-
formed that there is a
question concerning the .use
to which the lot hasbeen•put.
One member :of that fiirm,
Ken .McGee, is a member of
the. Goderich and Area
PPtz�osting' Board and council
has agreed to refer the
matter to that board.
The McGee property has
been in: the news. since the
Architectural Advisory ,
Committee of Council' asked
that a.dernolition permit. for ••
the former Colborne House be -
temporarily suspended, so
that' the use of the land could
be clearly established.
Council denied that request.
The Achitectural • Advisory
Committee, appointed by
council earlier this year, is of
the opinion that the "vista
corner" in question' should' be
protected from becoming a
parking lot. A vista corner is
one which is Zlearly seen
from' The Square . `and .ac-
cording to the, committee,,
should have, a use in .keeping.'
with the architecture and
natural beauty of the
•
surrounding landscape.
The' -corner is also within
the boundaries of the core
area surrounded by Nelson•
Street on the north, Victoria
Street on, the east, Elgin
Avenue on the' south and.
Waterloo Street on the west,
which the committee . Would
like. to have desig'�nated for
• architectural preservation.
out of work due to layoffs
' The general world and
national economicslowdown
will be making itself felt in
Goderich, over the winter as
at least 75 men will be oat 0
work due to layoffs
Effective this Friday 60
employees at the Dominion
Road Machinery • Company
plant will be laid . off due to
what: General Manager John:
Cook terms "general
economic conditions". The
layoffs will effect both hourly
and salaried employees.
Mr. Cook said that the men
would be called back to work
when orders pick. up for the
company.,He said
managemet expected things
Practiced medicine for 50 years
lorman Jackson dead nt 73
Rev. G. L. Royal conducted the Kildonen, Manitoba, to Alfred Jackson member of the . Canadian Medical
funeral service on Tuesday for the late and the former. Martha Vodden, he.. Association, the Ontario Medical
Norman Clifford"Jlackson, M.D., graduated in ,. medicine from the Association; the Huron County Medical
F.RnC.S.(C) who died Saturday, University- of Manitoba in 1926, ,Dr. Society and • the American Medical
November 6 at the age of 73 after more Jackson served his internship at Moose Association.
than half a century in medical practice. Jaw General Hospital from May until One of Dr, :Jackson's goals in life was
Born on September 24, 1903 at East December of 1925. to practice medicine for 50 years, a goal,.
From December 1925.until 1928 he was-. he achieved last May.
attached to the :Winnipeg General He is survived by his wife, the former
Hospital. Marjorie Young Ohlis, whorirtTe married
He- trained in Orthopedic Surgery at at Toronto on December 2,. 1970. He
Lincoln, Nebraska during 1929 and was was predeceased by his 'first wife, the
appointed to the faculty of the university former Annabelle Elizabeth McArthur,
thereat the same time. From 1930 to 1933 who died in August of 1970. -
he studied Traumatic Surgery in Kansas. • also surviving , are a son, James
City u ' s s ri, 'Norman • of; Galesburg, Illinois; a
r. Jackson returned to Canada and- daughter Mrs. John, (Martha) Archbold
fined the staff of Alexandra Marifie and of Mississauga, and six grandchildren,
General Hospital -at Goderich in 1934, Jefinifer, Thomas and Steven Jackson
where he worked until.his death. He was and Jeffrey, Julie and Ian Archbold. Dr.
Chief 0 Surgery there from 1934 until Jackson is also survived by three sisters,
1973 and Chief of Staff from 1953 to 1973.' Mrs. Hazel Marchant arid Mrs. Olive
Dr. Jackson also .served as Huron Neville, both 0 Winnipeg and Mrs. Ivy
County Coroner from 1953 until 1973. McCaskill, Scarborough. • . .
In that year he bought a hoine at ' Funeral services were conducted from`
Melbourne Beach, Florida , and spent the. McCallum Funeral Home' with in-,
four and one half months there each term'ent . in Maitland »Cemetery at
winter returning to Goderich in mid- 'Goderich.
April• to do surgery during the summer • Pallbearers were Len McGee, Dr.
_and fall, allowing younger surgeons to Miclfael Watts, Dr. Harry Cieslar,
take their summer vacations. Robert Alexander, Ed Giesbrecht and
Dr. Jackson served on the Goderich Earl Young. Honorary bearers were Ken
High School Board from 1953 to 1961, was Dunn, Dr. W. Crawford, Dr. J. A.
'a ntember of the local Lions Club and Addison, Dr. 3', W. Wallace, E. A. Blliott,
active at the 1Vlaitland Golf and Country James Kinkead; William Cochrane and
Club,especially with curling. He Was a Frank Donnelly.
Dry Norm abaft
to pick up over the next four
months but 'declined to say
exactly when the men would
be aisle to return to their jobs.
"DR1VCo,:' he said, "has
ore
actually -been enjoying• m.
success than some of its
competitors marketing." -
Normally the company -a,
employs about 875 persons.
Last week:. the Dearborn
Steel Tubing Company laid
off three production - workers
according to Manager Don .
Siemon. 'T?iege layoffs
followed those of six
production workers : and six
welders about three weeks '
ago_ bringing the total of
Dearborn employees out of
work to 15.
Mr. Siemo:n said on
Tuesday that he hoped to call
at least some of those men
back by January but ad-
mitted that "things are
slow".
Dearbdrn had d 'staff of 65
before the layoffs.
Two weeks ago 30 - peopld
lost their jobs when the, local
Textral plant was forced to
close down completely due -to
poor economic conditions in
general and ever increasing
competition from,. offshore
producers of synthetic fibres.
At both DOMTAR Chemical
Company operations in
Goderich, the Sifto Salt Mine
and the Sifto Evaporator
Plant, things continue to look
good. Mine Manager Bill manager of the Evaporator at GEARCosaid things were
Coughlan said there were no operation, said there were no. .going ;"great.guns" and there
layoffs ' in sight for. mine "foreseeable layoffs will be no .layoffs, at least
workers and '.Jack Brady, Plant Manager Dave Smith "not immediately.
andidates 4o get
iublie exposure
As the closing date •for
nominations 'draws near,
plans -are being made to give
candidates for the December
6 election • plenty of public
exposure. -
•
Women'•s Day Out_..m.em-
bers have. invited all 'can-
didates to a question, and
answer .•session Wednesday,
November 24; the Lions Club.
will put the candidates on the
Plot seat Thursday, November
25; and The Rotary Club will
stage its popular. candidates'
forum on Channel 12
Decenibe.r 1 and December 2.
A'letter from th'elGoderich
Lions Club to council Monday
evening brought sharp
criticism 'fro -tri Councillor Jim
Peters who will not be a
candidate for re=election:.
According • to. Peters, the
Lions' invitation should not
have come to the council
table, but to .the individuals
who are allowing their names
to stand for-•public'office.
The Lions'. letter clearly
indicated that all individuals
•• seeking election would be
invited to attend, with each to
have the privilege of speaking
thre.e minutes and later
fielding questions from the
floor.
The correspondence was
addressed Ito the town's ad-
ministrator, Harold Walls,
who was asked to discuss the
date and' the format with
council: to determine i -s -such
an evening - would. `be of in-
terest. Allmembers of
council who are seeking re-
election indicated they would
attend the Lions Nominees
• Night.
Queen might present
carat of .arms herself
A long letter. from Rick Banks who is assisting
Goderich."with plans for its giant celebration in 1977,
noted that Her Royal. Highness Queen Elizabeth -II will
have a "sound and .valid•reason to visit the town" now
that council has agreed to seek an official coat of arms
from the Royal College 0 Arms in England.,
"Since the Duke of Norfolk, Senior Herald of the
College; is also a Royal protpcal officer, it seems likely.
that he could exert leverage to facilitate the visit," wrote
Mr. Banks. . -
The Queen has been invited to Goderich for next year's
celebrations. She will be in Ottawa next summer and
according to Mr. Banks, may he pursuaded to put
Goderich on her itinerary insirder to present the,coat,of
arms personally.
•
No•mi'nation • for all
municipal - posts will be ac-
cepted at the town clerk's
office up. until 5 p.m. next
Monday, • November 15.
Persons: seeking..noinination
must pick up their papers at
the townhall and find ten
persons who will attach the'
signatures to the sheet: The
papers must then be
returned to the town hall by 5
p.m. on Monday.
Nominations will he .ac-
cepted for all town council
positions; PUC seats and
board 0 education posts.
The electionwill take place
exactly three' weeks later, on
Monday, December 6. . '
laitiia !'`
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An explosive election campaign seems
to be "shaping up in Seaforth over
• disagreements between - the P.U.C.
management and chairman, and Mayor
'Betty Cardno. The situation has led to
the resignation of both the .commission
chairman and manager g -
Recent moves to establish guidelines
in, Alberta and Quebec for . the ad-
ministration of such pyschiatri,c'
treatments as shock treatment and
psychosurgery have led to a call for
similar safeguards in Ontario.
Grants totalling $163,500 have been
"awarded to a University of Western
Ontario professor for a project designed
to give one • group of Indian people
control over primary and elethentary
education in their own community. -
Why •should Canada open its doors to
white Rhodesian immigrants and why
should Canadians contribute to the
compensation fund .proposediby Britain's
Because, to paraphrase. the old ex-
pression, `Fie who calls the tune. - pays
thepiper:'
•