HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-12-20, Page 1err:x'7.07 IS:
McKinley retires after 14 years
There will be a new member of parliament
for Huron -Bruce after the February 18 federal
election, as R.E. Bob McKinley announced on
Wednesday morning, December 19, that he
won't seek his sixth term.
The announcernnt caught Progressive
Conservative organizers off guard, ' as Mr.
McKinley had announced earlier this week that
he would run again.
Mr. McKinley said in an radio interview on
CKNX radio on Wednesday, morning that he
had been thinking about stepping down for the
"last two months.
"I don't like a winter election, and we might
end up with another minority government and
another election soon," he said.
"I've looked after the riding for 14 years and
have run in five elections. I think it's time for
someone else," he told the radio station.
McKinley was first elected to Parliament in
1965, and has been relected in every election
since.
Mr. McKinley, who at one time was pifrty
whip for the PC's when they were in opposition,
was completely passed over when Prime
Minister Clark formed his new cabinet.
The Huron -Bruce Liberals, meanwhile, have
already set their nomination night for January
3, and last May's defeated candidate, Graham
Craig. a 32-year.old beef farmer from Walton
said on Wednesday morning that he will seek
the Liberal nod.
The New Democrats have not set a
nomination date yet.
McDonald's may locate here next spring
BY JEFF SEDDON
McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd.,
may be opening a Goderich outlet in the spring
of 1980 if market surveys done here by the firm
prove favorable.
Jack Baskerville, director of real estate for
McDonald's, said Tuesday the restaurant chain
had completed preliminary market studies in
the Goderich area and had "been looking at
some property" here.
Baskerville said Goderich was a "pretty
small market" for McDonald's but conceded
the firm was "looking serious" at the area.
He said the firm usually considers a town
with a population of 10,000 and a trade area
population of between 22,000 and 26,000 the
smallest it will consider for an outlet.
But other factors the firm considers may
prompt a decision to locate here according to
Baskerville. He said the market study done by
McDonald's takes newspaper circulations, the
iv qtri
number of banks, the retail business done in
Goderich and the population of the county into
account.
He said retail business done in Goderich
compared to the population of the town gives a
good indication of how many people from other
areas come to Goderich to shop. He said in-
formation gained from those studies may be
enough to warrant establishing here.
Another factor that could be a key is the
summer traffic according to the real estate
director. Cottagers swell the population of the
Goderich area during -.the summer and also
greatly increase the traffic through the town.
Baskerville said the firm has taken out an
option on a piece of property located on the
south side of the Suncoast Mall. He said the
option won't be exercised until all necessary
building permits are issued and those have not
been applied for.
He said if the decision to build here was made
132 YEAR -51
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1979
One year could cost $1 million
BY JEFF SEDDON
A one year delay in the $1 million upgrading
of the water supply system in Goderich could
cost the town well over .$600,000 according to a
lengthy engineer's report given council
recently,.
The report, prepared by M.M. Dillon Ltd., of
London, outlines the work needed to bring the
town's water supply system up to par for
domestic, industrial and fire protection uses.
Engineers working on the report offered
several alternatives the town could pursue to
bring the water system to the required stan-
dards, all of which cost over $1 million.
The Goderich Public Utilities Commission
had the report prepared working with council
through a joint committee of commissioners
and council members. PUC chairman Herb
Murphy told council when he presented the
report that the committee and M.M. Dillon
attempted to satisfy the needs of the town for
the next 20 years when doing the study.
Murphy told council the report represented a
"very large and very important project" that
could determine the growth of the town for the
next two decades. He pointed out to council that
the expansion and upgrading of the water
supply system could not be avoided.
The report was commissioned when it
became obvious to both the PUC and council
that the town's present water supply system
was inadequate.
Council learned that it could not supply Borg-
Warner, which is considering locating in
Goderich in the future, the amount of water it
needed for its production without increasing
supply rates at the water pumping station and
storage tower.
The PUC received bad news through a fire
insurance underwriters study of the town's
supply system that said the town was unable to
meet fire flow demands in some emergency
situations.
Murphy told council the town already had
problems meeting water supply needs and
would have "real problems and disorders" if
future growth came sooner than expected. He
told council the next step to be taken was to
contact the province to determine what cost
sharing and grants was available to the town if
it proceeded with expansion.
The report indicated the town may not have
long to make up its mind about expanding the
system. Provincial grant structures are based
on population and change dramatically when
the population of a town exceed 7,500.
For towns with a population of less than 7,500
people the province will pick up 75 percent of
the costs of expansion. For towns with more
than 7,500 'people that share drops to just 15
percent.
The report indicates Goderich could exceed
7,500 in 1980 and is certain to go over that limit
by 1981.
Government grants for water system
modifications do not make allowance for
staging works according to the report. The
grants require that all work be done in four
years and offer no advantage for shorter or
longer periods of phasing.
The report says the town's ability to come up
with its share of the costs maybe what
determines any staging. The town's share could
be 'in the neighborhood of $250,0010 $300,000 and
to spend that kind of money may require
several years budgeting.
If the town chooses staging the report
recommends a list of priorities. Fire protection
is given as the number one.concern and the
report suggests the elevated storage tank and
fire pump be installed first. Increased pumping
capacity at the water treatment plant would be
the next work followed by water treatment
plant expansion, automation of the supply
Town not uninformed... just uninvolved
BY JEFF SEDDON
Goderich town council was told recently it
was not informed of plans to expand Alexandra
Marine and General Hospital because it would
not be involved in that expansion.
Gord Crabb, chairman of the AM&G hospital
board and the town's representative on that
board, told council there was no specific need to
keep the town informed on the project for that
reason.
Crabb was questioned by reeve Eileen
Palmer, who was upset the board chose not to
inform council of its proceedings, and asked
why he did not make an attempt to keep the
town abreast of hospital affairs.
,Crabb said the expansion at the hospital was
hospital board business not the town's. He said
the board did not intend to come to the town for
financial assistance and thus did not seek
council's endorsement of the project.
"Do you wish to go on record as saying that?"
asked Palmer. -"You (the board) not only came
to us for money for your last project you came
to us for additional funding."
Crabb , said the request from the hospital
board the last time stemmed from a number of
circumstances the board could do nothing
about. He said the board at that time was
financially strapped due to administration
problems and ministry of health cutbacks it
could do nothing about. He added the estimates
for the project were over and the board could
not make up the difference.'
He said this project, a third floor at the
Goderich hospital to house a 20 bed psychiatric`
unit now operating at the Bluewater Centre for
the Developmentally Handicapped, was being
done for several reasons. He said the province
told the AM&G board it wanted to make other
uses of Ole area housing the psych unit at
Bluewater ind wanted the unit rinoved to town.
He added the facility in Goderich would
"enhance" services at AM&G.
Crabb pointed out that the change in
provincial thinking may have been caused by
the discovery it was wrong to close the
psychiatric unit on Highway 21. He added it was
not a hospital board decision to move the psych
unit to town and he could not comment on it.
Palmer suggested Crabb was reluctant to
report matters to town council because of his
position as chairman of the hospital board. She
said his chairmanship of the board may be a
type of conflict of interest.
The reeve added she was not questioning the
need or right of the hospital board's decisions
just the right of Goderich council to be in-
formed.
Crabb said the town's appointment to the
hospital board was "up to council" adding he
was not meeting with council as chairman of
the hospital board but rather as the town's
representative. He said his intention was to
advise council of the board's business.
Councillor Elsa Haydon objected to Palmer's
comments concerning conflict of interest.
Haydon said the town's representative on the
board, whether they were chairman or not,
would keep the hospital's interest first. She said
that person will also defend hospital board
decisions.
Crabb pointed out that anything he told
council about the hospital expansion would
have betrayed a trust to the board. He said the
matter was discussed in committee of the
whole and until the board released the •in-
formation he could not discuss it with council.
Police station tender let
Goderich town council accepted the tender of
Wedlock and Dunlop Ltd. to handle long
awaited renovations of the town's police of-
fices.
The Goderich firm, with a bid of $12,500, had
the lowest of four bids received for the work
which will be completed early in 1980.
The renovations will expand the office space
available to police and will provide new cell
space for overnight guests at the station.
Property committee chairman James Magee
told council the bid by Wedlock and Dunlop
included all carpentry work, work necessary
for the moving of the cells and all water, hydro
and carpeting.
The police have been after the town for over a
year to renovate their cramped quarters and
provide them with space necessary to operate
properly. The station was already crowded
before the county communication system
headquarters located at the Goderich facility
making a bad situation worse.
The two new cells, replacing antiquated cells
that are rarely used, will be supplied by
Envirosound, a Goderich firm. Magee said he
had investigated prices from conventional
security systems and received a quote of
$8,410.07 from Chub Securities for the cells and
a bid of $3,350 from Envirosound.
Wedlock's quote of $12,500 was the lowest of
bids submitted by D.H. Schloendorf for
$12',666.68, Fisher Custom Builders for
$15,289.91 and J.A.M. Construction for $16,708.
The expansion will complete the renovations
to the town owned building housing the police
station. The recreation 'department offices
recently moved from the building and that
space was taken over by the fire department.
Commissioner of works Ken Hunter moved out
of space in the building and 'that space was
claimed by the pollee department.
the firm would begin construction in the spring
to allow opening the restaurant for summer
business.
Heritage
plan gets nod
from council
BY JEFF SEDDON
Goderich town council sent the town's
heritage district plan to the province for final
approval recently bringing the bylaw one step
closer to reality.
A last minute effor, by one property owner
affected by the heritage district plan and
several members of council opposed to the ,
bylaw failed to stop passage of it at the last
council session.
Council voted 5-4 in favor of the bylaw with
reeve Eileen Palmer and councillors Jim
Searls, Stan Profit and Brian Knights opposed.
Palmer continued her efforts to stop the
bylaw telling council it was "unacceptable".
She said the town already had a number of
heritage homes that would be architecturally
preserved but noted those homes were
protected with "permission of the owners'.'.
She said the heritage district plan designated
an 1.8 block area of the town.
"I'm beginning to wonder where democracy
went when a property, owner has to come to
council for permission to do something, with his
business," said Palmer.
'She claimed the plan was a "violation of
individual rights.''—adding . she --.could -"see- it
challengedin`
"court".
nci for Elsa Hayd i said council telling
35 CENTS PER COPY people what to do with their property .was
nothing new. She said earlier this month the
plant, a booster pump to supply Goderich
township lands that will probably be developed
in the next few years and finally expansion to
provide plant capacity for proposed industry.
The PUC has prepared for the water system
expansion through the creation of a reserve
fund for a proposed standpipe in the southeast
section of town. The reserve should provide
enough capital to take the sting out of the
project and enable the town to proceed with
most of the work in' the next few years.
Council has offered commitments to
developers for water supply in the next year
and is also in the .process of negotiating with
Goderich township for services for township
lands east of Goderich.
Every indication is that the work will be done
early in the '80s. What is left for council and the
PUC to decide is how much work is done and
how soon.
town told Wedlock and Dunlop Ltd., what to do
with its property and no one complained.
The Goderich construction firm applied to the
town Jor rezoning of its property on Britannia
Road and had that application turned back. The
firm wanted . the property changed from
residentialto commercial.
The decision by council means •the bylaw,
complete with written objections from Alvin
McGee, J.P. (Bus) Brown and Bill Clements
will be sent to- the provincial ministry of
housing for final approval.
Brown approached council to comment on the
plan conceding his comments "may be losing
cause".
"I'm not against heritage but_those that want
it can • have it and those that don't want it
shouldn't be forced to have it," said Brown.
He added that as a property owner in the area
designated by the district heritage plan he felt
he could "no longer do as I wish with my
property". He asked if it was possible to send
the heritage plan to property owners in the core
area for a yes or no vote.
The town will now begin the ' process of
preparing the final draft of the heritage plan
which will be done in public sessions in 1980.
Ho hum. Beteg a present in the school presentation. The school's Chrlsttnasr concert
Christmas play isp't all that great and this was presented Wednesday evening. (photo by
youngster from Robertson School boringly Dave Sykes)
tapped his finggrs on his face ' during the