The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-05-26, Page 5GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR; THURSDAY. MAY 26.;1
7
dave
Sykes
The taxpayers of Ontario will go to the
polls'on June 9, hopefully, to exercise
their democratic rights in the Provincial
election. But the majority of Ontario
citizens believe their democratic rights
have been over exercised and elections
have become as exciting as washing a
pair of gym shorts.
It may be generally agreed that a
good percentage of the voters fall into
three main election enthusiasm
categories: the bored, the mildly bored
and the final category of those already
snoring soundly. Voters may test their
own election enthusiasm by answering
the following questions.
1. If asked to give the names of the
candidates in your own riding could you
(a) at least take a stab at the parties
involved in' the election, (b) recall the
first name of the man who won in the last
election (c) give the name of a friend
who might be able„ to recall some last
names or (d) ask your spouse because he
or she shook a .candidate's hand at a
shopping centre.
2. If there were a candidates debate in
your town would you (a) leave town, (b)
invite your mother-in-law over -for the
evening (c) remove your hearing aid
and poead deafness or (d) decide that it
was finally tit+ne to start the addition on
the house that the better half has been
talking about for years.
3, When Ontario Premier William
Davis unveiled the Conservative Party's
Charter for Ontario last Thursday at a
rally in Brampton did you (a) think it
was a family economy flight to
Algonquin Provincial Park, (b) think it
was an elite club for retired members of
the Moose Lodge, (c) think that the
Premier revamped the Magna Carta for
the citizens of Ontario or (d) hope that it
was a declaration emancipating the
citizens from the clutches of inflation.
4. If the leaders of the three major
parties in Ontario were holding a debate
on television would you (a) feel the urge
to .leave the room and go to the
washroom, (v) immediately jump up
and switch the channel to Bowling for
Dollars, Gardening Tips or Mery Griffin,
(c) switch to a channel with a string of
deodorant and laundry soap com-
mercials or -(d) throw a beer can through
the screen of the television set and go to
the refrigerator for a new one.
•
5. If you were offered a prize to name
the issues of the election as presented by
the leaders of the parties would you (a)
ask for several leading hints, (b) quote
from the bible on the immorality of
gambling, (c) deny - having any
knowledge of politics or that an election
is in the offing or (d) suggest that the
enquirer be booked on a criminal charge
for bringing up any talk of an election or
a campaign.
6. If you were asked to, give detail. of
the issue that resulted in a vote of non `
confidence and the election would you
(a) declare that issues have always been
irrelevant in an election, (b) issues lead
to promises that eventually come back
to haunt politicians, (c) issues tend to
confuse politicians who in turn become
obliged to confuse the voters or (d)
refuse to become involved because you
already have a job and don't want to lose
it.
7. Would you as a voter be more in-
clined to vote on June 9 if (a) someone
came to your house with a'ballot, (b) if
they agreed to leave the hotels open and •
placed a ballot on each bar stool, (c) if
you could send the children out to do it or
(d) if they promised to have just one
name on a ballot to eliminate any
decision making.
Did you pass the test, zzzzzz.
THE WEEK
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ill soon begin on an erosion
he Lake Huron shoreline after
tion was received of a
1 grant for $80,000, which
075 percent of the project.
ower, Goderich representative
aitland Valley • Conservation
d the shoreline study could now
arly as this week. The contract
dy has been awarded to James
ren Ltd. environmental con-
tLondon.
oreline erosion problem has
r study by theMaitland Valley
tion Authority for ap-
ly two years: Ian Deslauriers,
onager for the MVCA, made
AFTER
INFORMATION, BACKGROUND AND OPINION
HERE IN HURON
an extensive analysis of the shoreline
between Bayfield and Ashfield Township
and approached the local councils to
consider backing a shoreline study.
The shoreline study is expected to be
completed this year and will examine
the erosion problems along a 20 mile
stretch from the Maitland Valley and
into Ashfield township in the north.
Twenty percent of the cost of the study
will be shared by the town of Goderich
and the communities of Goderich,
Colborne and Ashfield Townships. The
remaining five percent of the bill will be
picked up by the Maitland Valley Con-
servation Authority.
The results of the study are expected
to determine the extent of the erosion
problem along the shoreline, how far
back it exists from the shoreline and
ultimately make conclusions on the
causes of the erosion problem. Gower
said that a study group will be formed in
the area to conduct public hearings
allowing citizens to voice their opinions
on the issue.
Much of the erosion problem along the
20 mile stretch of shoreline has been
blamed on the high water level in the
area over the past decade. However,
some experts have indicated that the
problem may stem from areas removed
from the shoreline, especially along
Highway 21. But the erosion can be
related to a number of different factors
including a shortage of trees along the
shoreline, prevailing winds and water
runoff from the highway area.
Over the years the erosion problems
have cut steep banks along the lake and
many residents along the shoreline
continue to lose chunks of land and face
eventual fear of the erosion encroaching
upon their homes., and cottages. The
erosion problem is less evident in areas
to the south of Bayfield and north near
K incardine.
.Just north of our county in Kincardine
an interesting development' is being
proposed after, the Provincial govern-
ment took the first step to support a
project initiated by a Kincardine group
thae would lead to 700 ,acres ,.of
greenhouses to be located in Kincardine
Township. The greenhouses would be
heated from warm water emitted from
Bruce Generating Station A at Douglas
Point.
The project was unveiled at a news
conference in Toronto last Monday as
the Kincardine industrial- commission
approached the government with the
plan. If the project proceeds as planned,
the first greenhouses could be operating
by the fall of 1978 but the results of a
study will not be made public until
September.
Energy Minister James Taylor said
that a study will begin immediately to
look at the economic and engineering
details of the project and would be
subject to environmental approval.
Water from the Bruce GS station is .now
dumped .,into Lake Huron and Taylor
explained that it has the equivalent
energy of three million barrels of oil a
year. The water would be piped to the
greenhouse operations in Kincardine
Township and -then would be used to heat
fish ponds. -
election just two weeks away,
io Progressive Conservative
leading in popular support
IWP have also gained a solid
'tit the Liberals trailing.
11 that was taken to May 14,
e voters who have made up
43 per cent are going with
rvatives, the NDP has 35, per
the Liberals 20 per cent. The
aken since the Conservatives
ased their support to 40 per
tember 1976 and 44 per cent in
977.
eral support has, dropped
PROVINCIAL POINTS
drastically while the NDP have picked
up a percentage of that loss. The
Liberals had 34 per cent of the popular
vote in the 1975 election but have since
slipped to 30 percent in September 1976,
27 percent inp February and now 20
percent. The NDP support was steady
from the 1975 election, through to
February of this year at 29 percent but
since then has risen to 35 percent.
But the polls are only an opinion at a
specific point in time and now through
the campaign those opinions may have
changed. Especially with the emergence
g fire that threatened to
small mining town in northern
as brought under control after
s, leaving a mile of• burnt
is wake.
swept through a one mile
Cobalt, a small mining town,
epartments from Cobalt and
aided by fire bombers of the
f Natural Resources, fought
blaze Monday afternoon and
fore bringing it under control.
, which police suspect was
arson, was halted before it
of a' new campaign tactic by Premier
Davis called the Charter for Ontario.
The Charter for Ontario is an edict of
policies and committments by the
Conservative Party of Ontario and the
meat of, the statements is in the com-
mittments of the party, Davis has
committed a target of 100.000 new jobs
each .year for the next ten years; a
committment to the preservation. of
farmland; a committment to a target of
90,000 housing starts over the next ten
years; a commitment to the reduction of
the tax burden on senior citizens; a
commitment to reduce inflation and
goverhment spending and commitment government after the policy unveiling in
upon commitment to a total of 16. Brampton last Thursday.
Lewis claims the government would
have initiated many of the proposals
without opposition during the past 18
months of minority government if they
were sincere. He said that the 100,000
new jobs and 90,000 housing starts
promised were designed only to win
Naturally for the opposition parties
the Charter is nothing short of a
ludicrous joke, Liberal leader Stuart
Smith said it is nothing but a deathbed
repentance of the Conservatives and a
list of failures of the Conservative
government for the last 34 years.
Smith said the 16 point policy plan laid
out in the charter for the next decade is a
bad joke cooked up by Davis on the
eve of the election. NDP leader Stephen
Lewis questioned the sincerity of the
CANADA IN SEVEN
reached the main business district of the
town but several homes and business
firms were destroyed by the evening.
Between 60 and 70 homes, at least half a
dozen businesses and several apartment
buildings had been destroyed by the fire
only four hours after the blaze started in
a building being demolished. By 9 p.m.
with fire under control, telephone ser-
vice was restored to the town and
bulldozers were beginning to clear the
rubble.
Cobalt Mayor Bruce Lonsdale said he
would ask Ontario Premier William
Davis to declare the town a disaster
area. Lonsdale also lost his home in the
blaze. Several people were taken to
hospital for treatment but no deaths
were reported,
At the height of the fire flames and
clouds'"of smoke fanned by winds of 80
kilometres per hour could be seen as far
away as 20 miles. Firemen from
Haileybury, New Liskeard and Dymond
Township as well as Cobalt were on the
scene and at one pointjn the afternoon '
firemen had given up hope of ever
bringing the blaze under control,
Flames as high as 50 and 60 feet
swirled through the town and the intense
heat of the fire made it impossible for
firemen to get near the blaze. Telephone
service was cut off and the police
blocked off the town. '
Approximately 133 firefighters, a
water bomber with four ton capacity and
helicopters were used t� fight the fire.
There are also sev ral other forest fires
burning in Northern'bntario due to the
long hot, dry spell.
Hundreds of Cobalt residents lost their
homes in the fire and Lonsdale was
appealing to the citizens of Cobalt and
votes and would not likely materialize if
the Conservatives • were returned to
power. The charter indicates that the
Conservatives are anxious to achieve a
majority but Le ,cis believes that the
surrounding areas to° take in the
homeless and he also hoped to obtain
portable housing units.
The fire drew curious onlookers from
miles around and police made desperate
attempts to keep the people outside the
town limits but one section of town was
lined from end to the other with
onlookers. Hydro lines and telephone
wires had dropped everywhere on the
streets and the towrfs water pressure
was taxed heavily by firefighters. Some
residents who attempted to hose down
roofs found scarcely a trickle of water in
their hoses to wet down the shingles.
voters will be skeptical about it.
Following the introduction of the
Charter for Ontario, Davis said'he would
not explain how the government would
initiate the proposals but that the ex-
planations would unfold during the
campaign. Hemnay need darn good sales
pitch to sell it.
Smith maintains that if Davis wanted
to do anything about the areas convered
in the charter they could easily have
been done during his previous six years
as Premier. He concluded that Davis
must take the voters .of Ontario as
complete morons.
The area wipede out is part of the
original town of Cobalt and most of the
buildings were frame structtires. Cobalt
was once the most famous silver mining
town in the world that has lived through
its share of fires over the years.
As many as 3,000 Cobalt residents
were left homeless in a fire in July 190.
when a fire destroyed over., 200
residences and businesses. Then the
town's population was 10,000 and now it
has slumped to 2,000. In 1947 about 100
residents were left homeless when a fire
broke out in the noi-th section and
destroyed 15 buildings.
m summer like temperatures
rn conducive to hockey bathe
ains in the news weeks after
Y Cup championship as the two
rld leagues are prepared for
$ talks between the NHL and
announced On the weekend
any as eight World Hockey
teams may join the National
ague by July. The teams
the NHL if they' can obtain
freedom from the other clubs
of NHL governorfi said that
of the teams involVed are
WORLDWEEK
now trying to raise the $2.5 million NHL
expansion fees and if they are able to
clear themselves from the WHA will join
the NHL almost immediately. If aS
many as eight teams join the league then
the WHA will undoubtedly fold, a feat
that most sceptics predicted would occur
within the leagues first two seasons of
Four WHA franchises, Quebec,
Edmonton, Cincinnati and New England
are already prepared for the move to the
NHL and Houston, Winnipeg,
Indianapolis, Calgary, Birmingham and
Oe recently. ,transferred San Diego
Mariners are interested but unlikely to
raise the capital for the move. The deal rather than a merger of the two leagues.
was Broposed to the WHA owners last two leagues.
weeleby an NHL merger committee, The Naturally Eagleson will seek some
NHL committee told their hockey compensation from NHL owners for his
counterparts to straighten out their support of the expansion program'. He
internal affairs and be prepared to move indicated that players should have a
rather rapidly as talks between the two voice in both the scheduling of games
leagues begin next month. . ' and the size of the team rosters and
The NkIL's players association other minor concessions. It is likely that
agreement with the league signed two Eagleson will get anything he demands
years ago rules out any merger between for the players association in return for
I the two leagues but executive director his support. ,
Alan Eagleson said he would throw his
support behind the proposal and said the The NHL desperately needs the ex-
, move could be accommodated under tte
agreement if referred to as expansion pansion funds from the teams since
several clubs are experiencing financial
4.3
difticulty and owners in Atlanta, Pitt- in the 11,000 seat Colisee but talks have
, been held to - increase the seating
r capacity. Cincinnati and New England
another. But the WHA clubs ready to are the other clubs with -reasonable
make the jump have sufficient financing financial ability to make the jump.
to do so but wilfrun into snags appeasing'
considered as a major watering down
NHL expansion in 1967 to 12 teams was
term's then the NHL will 'likely expand
the other league clubs not able to make
the expansion. If the groups can agree to
expansion and the emergence of the
by four to eight teams !his summer.
deteriorated noticeably but the ad -
The Edmonton franchise is awned by a
teams should add some needed COM4A
Coliseum and the QUebec Nordiques,
also one of the stronger tranchises 1 10
Vancouver developer and is consideprid divisions.
a strong proposal with the 16,00 seat
mission of at least the four strongeit
petitiveness to the weaker ,141/1,.
45,