Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-08-31, Page 1In honor of being Goderich's 10,000th visitors this summer, the Todd family outist.mdvstry alive, in GQderich. BY • SHIRLEY J. KELLER It has been a good summer. A very good summer. The weather has been good. The holiday spirit has stayed in high gear. And the tourists have come by the thousands. The Goderich Welcome Centre last week greeted its 10,000th visitors. Since that time the staff has signed in 755 more making the total number to register arthritigetclig,r;-(71--'---- and August 10,755. Bert Squire of the Goderich Tourist Com- iiiittee said this week that only one person in the • party to call at the tourist booth sighs the register. He estimated that every signature represents an average of three people. At that rate, well over 30,000 people stopped by the tourist booth to ask questions about the area and get other information. "AO „that's just new tourists," observed Squire. "People who have been in Goderich before probably wouldn't stop into the tourist booth. There are lots more people on their way up north or to their cottage or to somewhere else who pass through Goderich and. maybe even stop here to spend some time and money." The provincial tourist association has estimated that a carload of tourists will spend of London were treated as special Tourists of the Week last week. Here, they on the average, $100 per day. Chances are that are presented with the keys to the town by Mayor Deb Shewfelt. They were one stop in a town like Goderich will cost the also presented with a tray sporting the town flag and a stuffed pillow tourist, on the average, $5 to $10. Even at15-fief-- compliments of Suz-A-Dor crafts. They were treated to lunch at the Can- ' car - and figuring on the basis of 10,755 cars that dlelight Restaurant, escorted to the Welcome Centre in a police cruiser and stopped at the tourist booth - that's well over taken on both a bus tour and airplane tour of the town. Left to right are Don, $50,000 in extra business for Goderich Andrew, Jason and Robin Todd. (Photo by Joanne Walters) businesses. MORE U.S.A. DOLLARS Squire, who operates a gift shop on Highway 21 south in Goderich says that his own business is up this, year. What's more, having talked to other businessmen in the town - restaurant people as well as other merchants throughout the community - it has been a profitable summer. The tourists are here and they are spending money. Perhaps one of the best indicators of tourism in the area is the motel business. This week, the Signal -Star talked to most of the motel managers around Goderich and found that the overnight tourist business is up considerably from previous years - and that lots of tourists are coming to the area and staying for a week or more at a time. Frank Johnston, proprietor of The Bluffs Motel just south of Goderich,said this summer has been one of the best summers for his business in a long time. He chalks up the season's success to two main factors - the rate of exchange favorable for the United States' dollar and no tax on motel rooms. "Trudeau took the tax off motel rooms for the summer months," said Johnston. He went on to say, that while The Bluffs always has plenty of •Bnitrnyt-s-mtrile AmericanstUSin the district. "Let's this Year has se_en many, "Let's face it. Fourteen cents on the dollar makes a heck of a difference," said Johnston, speaking about the exchange rate. Betty Wheeler at the Bluewater Motel, also ; south. of Goderich, agrees with Johnston that more visitors from the USA are In this part of Ontario. She has noticed that n st Of her guests are from Michigan. "It has been exceptionally busy," said Mrs. Wheeler who with her husband Jack manages the Bluewater Motel. "All through the week. Not just on the weekends." "•••18,,•••••••••P' • TURN FOLICS-AWAypX. At the Bedford Arms right in. Goderich; Marion Charters says that through the week this summer, she and her staff have had to turn people away. "We seem to fill up earlier this summer," said Mrs. Charters. She thinks business is up from previous years. Cedar Lodge Motel spokesman, Susie Zlogutro, is happy business hasbeen good. She thinks part of the reason may be that Cedar Lodge Motel now has more advertising than ever before. Cedar Lodge expanded last year and, the new units have been well worth the investment. "-We were busy last year and we're busier this year," said Ms. Zlogutro. The Dunlop Motel has a number of regular visitors who_ came and stay for -a- while. Mrs. Jim Clutton said she has been noticing a definite slow -down now as the summer season draws to a close. - "The American guests are quite pleased with Turn to page 2 • Champion name new executive Bruce A. Sully, President of Champion Road Machinery "Limited, has announced the ap- pointment of fain Bain as Corporate Group Vice -President, Industrial Relations and Administration, replacing Elmer G. Squires, who assumes the new assignment of Corporate Group Vice -President, Manufacturing. Before taking up his responsibilities on August 14 of this year, Mr: Bain worked with Dominion Cellulose Ltd., and Facelle Co. Ltd., both divisions of Canadian International Paper. During his nine years with. C.I.P., he held IAIN BAIN several positions in marketing, personnel, industrial relations and administration. Mr. Bain took his original engineering training at the Royal Technical ' College, in Glasgow, Scotland and later at Hillington Teacher Training College before coming to Canada in 1965 where he completed his Per- sonnel and. Manpower training at the University of Toronto.. After completion (Allis industrial engineering _assignment with Ingersoll Rand in Sherbrooke,. Quebec, he joined the staff of the Ontario Government's Industrial Training Branch where he was deeply involved in setting up the present apprenticeship program in this province. Mr. Bain and his wife, Irene, along with their teenage daughters, Gillian and Allison, are looking forward to setting up home in Goderich and hope to get to know the district well with cross country skiing in the winter and cycling in the summer. CE1:1;clerich 131 YEAR -35 THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1978 30 CENTS PER COPY ew subdivision promise for area BY JIM HAGARTY The Huron -Bruce Estates Shbdivision plan, which has been almost forgotten for four years, is being slowly revived. By next summer, the first of 97 lots could be ready for sale on a 30 -acre parcel of Goderich Township land just east of the Goderich town limits off Highway 8. Conklin Lumber representative Doug Lynds said in a telephone interview from London on Friday that his company hopes to begin development of the lots "very soon". Lynds added that Conklin is rapidly running out of available lots in Goderich and wants to complete the new subdivision as quickly as possible to capitalize on growing market demand. "I think Goderich is going to expand and we want to be ready when it does," Lynd,s said. The new subdivision will locate in a triangle "Of land between Highways 8 and 21 behind the VLA subdivision in( the vicinity of the Mustang Drive -In Theatre. In 1974, Conklin had a partial interest in the Huron -Bruce plan which sparked talks of an- nexation of the Goderich Township land by the town. The plan never went beyond the talking stage at that point, and two years ago, Conklin purchased full interest in the land. This time, the subdivision proposal is back, apparently without the annexation con- troversy, and now the town and township are talking about co-operating on -supplying water and sewage removal services to the lots. DECISION BY SEPTEMBER At the end of, Tune, a meeting was held in Goderich to discuss the possibility of the town extending its services to the subdivision and Goderich council promised to decide by the end of September whether or not it will agree on principle to entering into any such joint -project with Goderich Township. Representatives from the two municipalities attended that meeting along with Lynds and Neil McMullen, a representative from the ministry of the environment. Fifteen apply for job -BY JOANNE:WALTERS Fifteen people have applied for- the- job of airport co-ordinator at Sky Harbour Airport and' six or seven of these applicants will be interviewed on Friday, says Town Clerk Larry McCabe. The town has been looking for a new co- ordinator since it was learned recently that present co-ordinator, Terry Meriam, would hot continue with the job. Closing date for ap- plications for'the position was Monday. Duties of the co-ordinator are to include complete operation and maintenance of the airport in winter as well as summer. The co-ordinator has to be a sort of jack-of- all-trades, explains Airport Committee chairman Dick Wright. • "It takes—a- certain talent," says Wright "There are so many different aspects to the job --operating heavy equipment, doing minor repairs, being a public relations man and even an accountant in Pi Small way.". Wright says he will be sorry to see Meriam go. "Personally I think Terry did a hen of a good job. I think in time he would have been a real asset to the a irport." ' Wright says the Airport Committee will have to look at the whole situation at the airport very carefully. With the many visitors who come into the airport, he says, it is important that a good co-ordinator be hired. "We can't afford to take chances," he says. Ken Hunter, Commissioner of Works, who supervises the co-ordinator's job, Says Meriam was quite capable and doing very well at his - work. He would not speculate as to why he wanted to quit. Meriam himself was unable to be ecintacted by press time for comment. Don Wheeler, a member of the Airport Committee, says a co-ordinator is definitely needed tomeet the commitments of main- taining the airport It is understood that Meriam, who has been Torii to age 15 The:ministry recakynerided that a "hard and fast" agreement for ititure extension of ser- vices by the Town of Goderich into the township be formulated and suggested that a timetable for services be determined. Such an arrangement is considered preferable by the ministry to any plan which would see a central well and septic tank in- stalled to service the subdivision. Goderich Township Reeve Gerry Ginn told the Signal -Star on Friday that any such agreement is going to take "a lot of hammering out of details." Ginn also said that it's pretty well up to the town now to decide what it wants to see done. Goderich Reeve Bill Clifford seems hopeful that the two municipalities will be able to work something out, and suggested that the ex- tension of services may proceed on -some sort of cost-sharing basis. " Clifford added, hoyeVer, that the town has only agreed to look into whether or not it will study the feasibility of such an extension. Everything hinges on that decision, with suitable financial arrangements coming later on. He estimated it could take up to five years ' before any final agreement is fully worked out. WILL PROCEED ANYWAY As for the Conklin Company it intends to proceed with the subdivision whether or not a full agreement between town and township ever materializes. Lynds speculated that a centralized septic tank system and a dug well would service the lots if no hook-up with the town's systems is forthcoming. And annexation talk seems all but dead. Ginn strongly opposes the idea of Goderich simply taking over the township land and Clifford is sympathetic to that View. "How would we feel if Goderich; Township ; annexed a part of us?" he asked on Friday. Clifford added that in recent years, there's been much more comradeship between the town and the surrounding townships than in the past. Landfill,sharing, -recreational facilities, a., fire agreement and sharing of: some capital costs have all become working parts of their relationships. Clifford is certain that to -raise annexation again would undo all the good that's been done over the years. The question of annexation doesn't concern Conklin Lumber. It plans 97 single-family lots of varying sizes and will be selling both to developers and to individuals. Figuring -3.5 persons per new dwelling, the subdivision will provide room for 340 people. Two Bluewater Centre residents, oite staff itiernber, and the two Welsh ponies pictured above are shown in the period dress they will wear when they ride in September's Plowing Math parade near Wingham. The group will travel In the turn-of-thi3-century Democrat to the parade route on each day of the Match. Driving -theiltd-rig is Lermis Bedard of the Bluetrater staff while residents Earl Schwltzer and Frances Papernick ride along. The six-year- old ponies are named Snowball, left, and Snpw.flake. (Photo by Jim Hagarty) 4 6