HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-06-29, Page 11
The Canadian National station house at the end of East Street
will be closed officially to the public, but contrary to ex-
pectations, it will not be abandoned by C. N. Operations in
Goderich but will remain at the current level. Only the
designation of the station will change, despite the fact that
A&P may
be open Sat.
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
The A&P food store in Suncoast Mall
probablywill be open to shoppers on Saturday,
July 1. Goderich town council met in special
session Wednesday afternoon (after press
tine) to consider a bylaw that would permit
A&P to conduct business as usual on Dominion
Day.
Earlier on Wednesday, indications were that
the majority of town councillors agreed that
either both major food stores in the Goderich
area should remain closed - or both should be
open. Zehrs store in Goderich Township will be
open Saturday, July 1 under a bylaw passed in
September 1977.
It is that same bylaw which was considered
Wednesday by town council. The bylaw gets its
authority from Chapter 9, Section 4, Subsection
2 of the Retail Business Holidays Act of Ontario
which allows municipal exceptions to act i•h
places where it is essential for the "main-
tenance and development" of a tourist area.
The special bylaw, according to Clerk Larry
McCabe, could apply to as many stores as
council wishes to include.
Many other businesses in Goderich are
already covered fora July 1 opening under the
Act. Section 3 gives authority for food stores,
newspaper, magazine, and tobacco stores,
'antique shops and handicraft stores- less than
2,400 square feet to be open. Special con-
sideration "is also given in the Act to garages,
plant nurseries, fresh fruit and vegetable
stands and drug stores where prescriptions are
sold.
A&P managerrient approached the clerk
earlier this week seeking approval for the
bylaw. The store pays heavy taxes annually to
the town and management felt the town should
accommodate the store in this matter.
McCabe said this Saturday's holiday is an
unusual one and there won't be another one like
it, perhaps, for years.
The clerk also said that if the bylaw had not
been presented at a special meeting this week it
would have been on council's work schedule
within two months.
Unity twin
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
Unity, Canada. It could be a slogan for
: Canada Week but it isn't. It is the name of the
town in Saskatchewan with which Goderich is
twinned for Canada Week.
Unity, Saskatchewan's slogan is "A good
town in a good district".
"But we just call it Unity, Canada," said
Kevin Hamm, publisher of the North-West
Herald in Unity on Tuesday morning. "That
seems to say it all these days."
Unity has a population of 2,509 people. The
area around the town is much like the area
around Goderich - it's mixed farming country
with an emphasis on wheat and other grains
and rapeseed being a prime crop. Beef cattle
and poultry are also becoming important in the
Unity district.
Located 125 miles west of Saskatoon and 45
miles east of the Alberta border in the north-
west Federal Riding of Kindersley-
Lloydminster, Unity is the home of a Domtar
chemical salt plant which employs about 80
people. While some salt for commercial use is
produced, for the most part it is table salt which
is Unity's main industry.
Leonard 13oxe11 is the mayor of Unity, in-
corporated in 1912 with its early beginnings in
1906. Unity now has a hospital and two
railways...including passenger service.
Hamm said the town isn't planning much in
the way of Canada Day celebrations this year,
although the town is decked out in the
customary red and white for the occasion. The
holiday weekend draws people away from
Unity. }Lanni said, and Canada ray events are
poorlyIto) elect .
rxi,/d
council did not concur with CN'srequest for municipal ap-
proval. CN officials said,. Tuesday in Goderich the matter
would go to the Canadian Transport Commission with or
without council approval. (staff photo )
1
Won't a an • on
Goderich station
By SHIRLEY J.
KELLER
The fear of Goderich Town Council that
Canadian Natiopal Railway had decided to
abandon its station house in the municipality
was found groundless on Tuesday at a special
meeting of council, CN officals Bob Doty and
Ron Wingrove told council nothing would
change in the town if council decided to concur
with CN's request to apply to the Canadian
Transport Commission to re-classify the
Goderich operation and withdraw the station
agent from here.
"There will be no change at all in the level of
service on the CN rail side," Doty told council.
"We hope to keep marginally improving it as
time goes on."
hope to keep marginally improving it as time
goes on." •
Several interested citizens who attended the
special meeting to present briefs concerning
possible uses for the station house at the end of
East Street, left the meeting silently. There
was no purpose now to their presentations.
Doty explained that the present agent -
operator at the station, N.B. McEwan, would
still be.on CN's payroll as operator and would
be in charge of train orders. The telecom-
munications equipment would remain in the
station house; the premises would still be used
On occasion as a bunk house; and the main-
tenance workers will still utilize space in the
building, and the freight shed would probably
be leased to an interested party.
"This is just'a formality," Doty said. "There
is no public activity at the station at the present
time, and we waft to officially re-classify and
eliminate the station classification."
Still town councillors voted against the CN
proposal. In a recorded vote, only Councillor
John Doherty, Councillor Dave Gower and
Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer voted in favor of a
motion to concur with CN's suggestion. The
three other councillors who were present, Elsa
Haydon, Bob Allen and Don Wheeler, voted
against the motion. The tie vote resulted in an
automatic loss of the motion.
_GIVE REASONS
Councillor Don Wheeler said he was voting
against the motion because he felt he was
"protecting" the possibility of restored
passenger service in Goderich,
"We don't gain anything by concurring with
CN," said Whe$ier, "and there is a possibility
we are protecting something if we do not
concur.'
Councillor Elsa Haydon said she was "ex-
tremely disappointed" that CN appeared to be
shutting the doors to the promise of passenger
service in this area at some time in the future.
"It isn't very encouraging," said Haydon.
Councillor Bob Allen agreed with Wheeler
and Haydon. He said there were weeds growing
on the railway tracks all over the area, and he
Turn to page 20 •
131 YEAR -26
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1978
3O CENTS PER COPY
Union launches
action against
While workers at Fleck Manufacturing,. in
Huron, Park 'continueto strike against 'the
company, a United Auto Worker Union lawyer
announced that the union will proceed with a
libel and slarfa'er suit against Jack Riddell,
Huron -Middlesex Liberal MPP.
Union lawyer, Lennox MacLean, told the
procedural affairs committee of the
Legislature last week that a writ of summons
had been issued in the Ontario Supreme Court
but had not been served.
Riddell lodged a' complaint with the
procedural affairs committee in April stating
that his privileges as an MPP had been violated
when the UAW served him with notice of intent
to sue under the Libel and Slander Act. The...
UAW also applied to the Ontarjio 'Labor
Relations Board, seeking consent to"prosecute
Riddell under the Labor Relations Act.
The Legislature's procedural affairs com-
mittee has . been holding hearings into the
allegations by Riddell that his privileges as an
MPP were breached by the union.
In an appearance before the committee,
MacLean said that action has been started
against Riddell and the writ claims "actual
"consequential and punitive ,damages on behalf
of the union, four of its officers and Local 1620".
The writ claims that the Huron -Middlesex MPP
issued defamatory and false statements to the
press and news media.
The writ states that statements issued by
Riddell were intended to mean or could be
interpreted to mean or imply that the union
used illegal, deceitful, fraudulent and in-
timidatory methods and means to ohtaih
membership cards from employees of Fleck
Manufacturing Co. and that it used the cards to
obtain bargaining rights for the workers.
The writ also makes allegations that Rid-,
dell's statements.. were intended to mean or
imply or would be so interpreted that the
plaintiffs', as officers and organizers of the
union "used illegal threats and physical in-
timidation and' illegal means" to convince
Fleck employees to strike and that the union
wasn't '`a credible organization" and didn't
represent the interest of the employees.
The writ also( alleges that the statements by
Riddell interfered with and caused serious
prejudice to the position of the union as
bargaining agent, interfered with collective
bargaining and contributed to prolonging the
strike.
In a 66 -page defence on the issue of privilege,
MacLean told the Legislature committee that
the law on parliamentary privilege was not
intended to give MPPs immunity from civil
action and that the scope and extent of the
privilege is finite. MacLean further argued that
if the committee ruled in favor of Riddell's °
privilege and granted immunity then it would
deprive citizens for right to take action against
MPPs. i
Th ion had six weeks to send a notice of
intent .,ue to Riddell and an additional three
months to start the action. MacLean said the
writ was issued on the eve of the expiry date.
James Bullbrook representing Riddell,
claimed that the legallimitation period
wouldn't begin until the 21st day after the house
rose so as not to deprive a citizen of his legal
rights. He added that if the committee
disagreed with that interpretation then the law
should be altered to protect those rights.
ark carefully
Because of Founders' Day festivities today,
June 29, Police Chief Pat King has announced
some changes in the normal traffic routine on
The Square.
At certain times of the early afternoon, the
inside of The Square from Colborne to West
Streets, and from Montreal to Kingston Streets,
will be no parking areas. This will facilitate the
children's birthday party and the senior
citizens' social hours.
Chief King said an area will .he left open to
permit senior citizens to he transported to The
Square and dropped off clow to their activities.
The area adjacent to the children's party is
being cleared to ensure maximum safety for
the childron. 1 he .cloct said I,uuu youngsters
are expected at The Square and police do not
want them running out from between parked
cars into traffic flow.
Three other spots from time to time during
the day will he no parking zones to allow
preparations for the festivities. Signs will he
posted by police, and motorists are urged to
watch for them and obey them.
From 7 p.m. to midnight on the outside of The
Square from West' to Montreal streets, and
' from Hamilton to Fast streets', no parking will
he allowed due to street dancing. '
Chief Ring points out that the entire Square
will he closed to traffic after 9 p.m.
ee-ee!
Beating the heat at the beach. Young Jennifer
Robinson, 18 months, appears to be poised for a
dive into the cool waters of Lake Huron despite
the fact her back is turned to the water. The
young lady, like hundreds of other area resident,
flocked to local be -aches during the current heat
wave. (Photo by Dave Sykes)