HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-08-15, Page 11.1.b1.1.0 Librarydiv, 4� orx WINGRAM BRM CII LIE a tRY
Wingham, Ont
4
"DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY— Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Robertson of Strathclair, Man.,
came back to Molesworth where they were married 60 years ago to celebrate their
diamond wedding anniversary. The bride of 60 years ago is a sister of Mrs. Irene
Simpson of Molesworth and Mr. Robertson' is a brother of Mrs. Glad Edgar and Mrs.
Annie Edgar, both of Gorrie. (Banner Photo)
Diamond wedding couple
enjoys travel and sports
MOLESWORTH — Mr.
and Mrs. Cameron Robert-
son's trip back to the area
where they were born and
raised had special meaning
to them this year.
Now residents of Strath-
clair, Man., the couple
celebratedtlkeir 60th wed-
ding anniversary while they
were visiting with relatives
in Southwestern Ontario.
In this area the couple
visited with Mrs. Robert-
son's sister, Mrs_ Irene
Simpson of Molesworth and
with Mr. Robertson's two
sisters, Mrs. Gordon (Annie)
Edgar and Mrs. Glad.
(Mabel) Edgar, both of
Gorrie.
With the happiness and
celebrations marking their
diamond wedding an-
niversary, however, there
was sadness.
"I lost a brother while I
was here," Mr. Robertson
said, speaking of his brother,
Birks Robertson of Tees -
water who died on July 24.
Mr. and Mrs. Robertson,
the former Agnes Stewart,
were married by Rev. Lang
on July 23, 1924. The
marriage took place at the
home of the bride's parents,
the late Mr. and. Mrs. D. F.
Stewart of RR 1, Listowel.
Mr. Robertson is a son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. George
Robertson, also of the
Molesworth area.
Attendants at the
marriage were the bride's
brother, Cameron Stewart,
and the groom's sister, Mrs.
Glad Edgar of Gorrie.
The couple honeymooned
in Goderich and then headed
west.
"'I couldn't live here
because of my asthma," Mr.
Robertson said.
They farmed in the Strath-
clair area specializing in
grain, until 1955 when they
retired to the Town off Strath-
clair.
The couple has .two
children, Helen Williamson
who resides in Thornhill and
Patricia Pollock who along
with her husband resides on
the Robertson farm near
Strathclair. They have one
grandchild who resides in
Winnipeg.
Remarkably healthy for
their age — Mrs. Robertson
is 88 years old and her
husband is over 90 years of
age - they say they have no
fear of flying, love to travel,
and enjoy the sports of la . �n
bowling and shuffleboard.
And, says Mrs. Robertson,
their interests also include
the Strathclair United
Church.
The couple celebrated
their diamond wedding at
the home of their dauhter
Helen Williamson in Thor-
nhill at a family dinner,
complete with decorated
• wedding cake.
ti
L
FIRST SECTION
Wingham, Ontario, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 1984
Single Copy 50c
Large turnout for public meeting
on Lower Town dam proposals
The very grave concern
felt by the people of
Wingham about the future of
the Lower Town millpond
was indicated in the large
turnout for a public meeting
held at the Town Hall July
30.
Although the audience was
presented with several
alternatives, there was no
doubt the majority of those
present strongly favored
restoring the pond to its
original state.
High water in the Maitland
River in late June eroded the
soil around the concrete
footings of the dam and the
centre portion of the
structure collapsed into the
river. Since that time the
area, which fronts onto the
south end of the town parks
system has been a wasteland
of mud flats, gravel beds and
exposed stumps.
The public meeting was
called by town council to
seek suggestions from local
citizens for remedial action.
Councillor Bruce Machan
acted as chairman for the
meeting, with Councillor
William Crump as assistant
.chairman.
THREE ALTERNATIVES
Mr. Machan said it is
apparent there are three
alternatives open to the
community, any one of
which is likely to be costly.
To explain the first of these,
he called on Mr. Moos, who
.had prepared a colored
sketch of the pond area
converted to a planted
greenbelt. His drawing in-
'dicated . the river channel
could be dredged to direct
the main flow of water.
Several ponds could be
formed adjacent to the river,
with shrubs and trees
planted to form a natural
park, part of which might
become wildlife habitat.
Since the entire pond area
is too large to be covered
completely by such plant-
ings, . some of the former
pond bottom would be
allowed to grow up with the
weeds and cattails which
occur naturally along the
river.
Mr. Moos could not offer
any accurate projections of
Pilot error
caused , crash ..
Mr. Machan introduced x{ kCorofrer Dr. J. K.
several guests whorhad be ti'f� '.1V eGregor of Wingham has
invited to share Aliei " rtilad'that piloterror was the
specialized knowledge.,They
included David Gower,
chairman of the Maitland
Valley. Conservation Author-
ity; Bryan Howard, Author-
ity general manager; Bob
Moos, regional landscape
architect with the. Ministry
of Natural Resources, Lon-
don, and Dave West of Ducks
Unlimited, a sportsmen's
association.
Members named to
police commission
A five -member board of
police commissioners has
been named to take over
management of the
Wingham police depart-
ment.
Members of the com-
mission, of whom three are
appointed by the provincial
solicitor general with the
other two coming from the
town.council, are Margaret
Bennett, Jack Gillespie, Ian
Moreland, Mayor William
Harris and Councillor Jack
Kopas.
Man still critical
following accident
A young Wingham man
remains in critical condition-
with severe head injuries in
the intensive care unit of a
London hospital following an
automobile accident ' near
Belgrave July 28.
Tom Remington, 21, was
injured when the car he was
driving struck another car
he was attempting to pass
and went out of control,
colliding with a culvert and
rolling over.
A passenger in the car,
Nathan Griffith, 20, of
Gorrie, escaped wi less
serious injuries d was
treated at the Wingham and
District Hospital'.
Provincial police at
Wingham reported that Mr.
Remington, driving a 1972
Chevrolet belonging to Mr.
Griffith, was northbound
along Highway 4 shortly
before 8 p.m. when the ac-
cident occurred.
While in the process of
overtaking another north-
bdund car, driven by Harvey
Black, 33, of Belgrave,
Remington encountered an
oncoming vehicle, causing
him to swerve back into the
northbound lane. In at-
tempting this, the right rear
corner of his car struck the
left front corner of the Black
vehicle.
The collision caused Mr.
Remington to lose control of
his vehicle, which entered
the east ditch and struck a
culvert broadside before
rolling over and coming to
rest on the driver's side.
Both Mr. Remington and
Mr. Griffith were taken by
ambulance to the Wingham
and District Hospital, with
Mr. Remington subsequently
transferred to University
Hospital, London.
Mr. Black was not injured
in the accident.
fi
Both Mrs. Bennett and Mr.
Gillespie are former
members of town council,
while Mr. Moreland is
chairman of council's
planning advisory com-.
mittee. All three were
selected from a list of nomin-
ations submitted by council.
The police commission
held a preliminary meeting
July 27, the day the appoint-
ments were announced,
however as one member was
out of town the,meeting was
mainly a "get acquainted"
session for members to meet
and review their respon-
sibilities, Mr. Kopas report-
ed later.
Another meeting is'
planned within a week or so,
he said, at which time the
commission will elect a
chairman and establish a
schedule of meetings. The
commission also plans to
meet with Ken Schultz of the
Ontario Police Commission
in mid-September.
Town Clerk -Treasurer
Byron . Adams has been
appointed as secretary -
treasurer to the commission,
and its regular meetings will
be open to the public, Mr.
Kopas said.
Police Chief Robert Wittig
made a brief report, noting a
seminar for police governing
authorities will be held at the
Aylmer police college Sept.
16-17 and commissioners
discussed the current state
of contract negotiations with
the police association, Mr.
Kopas reported.
At its next meeting the
commission will review its
budget and set the honoraria
for its members, he added.
Councillor Tom Miller, who
chaired the police committee
which is being replaced by
the commission, also has
offered to hold a joint
meeting between the com-
mittee and commission.
The new commission has
assumedauthority over the
police department as of July
27.
Diving bd.
temporarily
off-limits
The high diving board at
the Wingham Centennial
Pool has been declared
temporarily off-limits to
swimmers following recent
accidents in whic two
persons were injured while
using the board.
Recreation Director Ren-
nie Alexander said it was de-
cided to suspend use of the
board until pool staff could
determine whether there is a
problem with it.
This is not the first time
there have been accidents on
the board, he said,
estimating there has been
about one'accident a year for
the past 10 years. However'
two potentially serious ac-
cidents within a short period
led to the decision to "give
the board a rest".
He added there do not
appear to be any special
problems with the board
itself, since a check with
major suppliers across
Canada revealed that all use
the same .design, and it is
likely the board willbe
returned to service.
cause of.a plane -car accident
near' Gorrie' June 16 which
claimed the lives of three
persons.
Dr. McGregor made the
decision last week after
meeting with Ontario Pro-
vincial Police officers and
Department of Transport in-
vestigators.
Pilot "of the single-engine
Cessna 172 was Gordon Moir,
56, who died in the crash.
Occupants of the car with
which the plane collided,
William Miller, 70, and his
wife, Helen, 65, of Fergus,
also died in the accident.
A passenger in the plane,
William,Ball, 26, of
Etobicok, was seriously
injured and was treated at
University Hospital, London.
Mr. Ball was released after a
four-week stay in hospital.
The plane was owned by
Norman Fairies of RR 1,
Gorrie.
Investigation indicated the
pilot was attempting to land
the plane on an airstrip on
the Fairies farm, then tried
to take off again, 'and over-„
shot the runway, crossing
Highway 87 and smashing
into the roof of the Miller
car.
Mr. Moir was a former
Gorrie businessman who
served as administrator of
the Clarkwood Estates
Nursing Home at Palmer-
ston. Acquaintances describ-
ed him as an experienced pi-
lot who was familiar with
both the plan he was flying at
the time of the mishap and
with the Fairies airstrip.
the cost of such a project, but
said some of the landscaping
might be done with govern-
ment employment grants.
Asked about the possible
consequences of flood water
backing up from down-
stream stretches of the
river, the speaker said he did
not know what the results
would be. In response to
another question, he said the
smaller shrubs would
require, three to five years to
reach maturity and larger
trees as long as 10 years.
Another question from the
floor concerned the chances
of such plantings being
washed out or damaged by
Funeral home
name ' changed
The Currie -Walker
Funeral Home at 35 Patrick
Street in Wingham has had
its name changed recently to
the McBurney Funeral
Home.
However Doug McBurney,
funeral director, emphasized
the name change does not
indicate any change in the
operation of the home, which
continues to be owned by
Layton -McBurney Limited.
He said he and Doug
Layton hope the change will
more clearly identify the
home as a division of their
cotnpany, which also has a
furniture division on
Josephine Street, but that
Ontario law prevents its
operation under the jQint
name.
ice in the spring runoff. He
answered that such damage
is not unusual and some
damage would have to be
anticipated.
BRIDGE & DAM
Wingham resident Borden
Jenkins spoke at some length
about the possibility of
replacing the present iron
bridge downstream from the
dam with a new bridge and
dam erected as one struc-
ture, 'adding the present
bridge has already been
condemned and must be
replaced soon.
He also said a- flood water
bypass could be excavated
across the former fair
Work underway on
a new fire hall
Work is underway this
week on a new fire hall
across from Cruickshank
Park in Wingham, with.
completion planned for mid
to late November.
The contract for the new
buildingwas awarded to
Carl Reinhart of Teeswater
at a net cost of $223,740.99.
This was the lowest of six
tenders received on the
building.
Plans call for a structure
of insulated steel with three
double bays as well as offices
and equipment and meeting
rooms.
Douglas Fortune, chair-
man of, the Wingham area
fire board which will own the
building and equipment, said
the cost is close to what the.
board had anticipated. He
estimated the total cost for.
the 'project, including land
cost and fees, will be in the
neighborhood of $300,000.
This will be shared among
the five participating
municipalities according to a
formula which has been
agreed upon, with Wirighaln,'
Howick and Turnberry
picking up the lion's share.
A number of local sub-
contractors were successful
in obtaining work on the
building, with Burke
Electric and LeRoy Jackson
Plumbing and Heating off
Wingham getting the elec-
trical and plumbing sub-
contracts, while Hodgin's
Home -All will supply
materials.
grounds to releive pressure
on the bridge and dam he
visualized.
To summarize the entire
problem, Mr. Machan
reminded the meeting that
the upper dam, known as the
Howson Dam, also is
structurally unsound. He
said there is no way of
knowing how long the
temporary repairs carried
out earlier this year will be
effective and, in fact, the
community faces the task of
Please turn to Page 5
GRADUATED
Brian Reid, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Scott Reid off Wingham,
graduated June 13, 1984,
from the University of
Western Ontario, London,
receiving his Honors
Bachelor of Science degree
in Physiology. He will fur-
ther his education at the
University of Ottawa in
September, where he is
enrolled in the School of
Medicine.
Lawn -wafering ban
extended to Aug. 20
It will be another week before Wingham
residents are free to water their lawns and
gardens, many already shriveled by the
prolonged hot, dry weather.
Wingham Town Council last week agreed
to extend the lawn -watering ban until Aug.,
20 to give the Public Utilities Commissio
time to complete its testing and get the
newly -repaired water standpipe back into
service.
PUC Manager Ken Saxton explained
Friday that work onthe standpipe was
nearly complete and engineers had begun
testing it. The tests involve filling the tank
with water and then draining it again and
doing a thorough inspection for any
potential trouble spots which might have
been missed.
Once this has been completed, the tank
will be sterilized with a strong solution .of
chlorine and put back into service.
Originally the PUC had hoped to complete
its repairs by mid-July, but unexpectedly
serious problems resulting from improper
pouring of the concrete during the tank's
construction caused the project to drag on
as additional repairs were made.
The total cost of the standpipe repairs,
including the first phase of repairs un-
dertaken in 1981, will be in the neighborhood
of $250,000, with the Ontario Environment
istry contributing 75 per cent of the
funds hrough a.special grant program.
Council is warned of
possible budget deficit
Following several years of
surpluses, Wingham Town
Council has been warned it
might end 1984 with a budget
deficit.
Finance Chairman Jack
Kopas warned council last
week that increasing
demands on town funds have
driven up spending this year
and, unless revenues are
higher than expected or
other expenses can be
trimmed, it could find itself
in the red.
In a later interview, Mr.
Kopas said he did not want to
give the impression the town
is in any kind of financial
trouble, but felt it was only
fair to let council know
where it stands.
"I'm not startled and not
losing sleep over it," he said,
,but wanted to alert council to
what it could expect at year-
end.
He said there are several
reasons why spending is over
budget. One is that council
had set aside about $85,000
toward the cost of a new fire
hall, representing 37.5 per
cent of an anticipated price
of $225,000. Since then the
price tag, including land and
building, has risen to an
estimated $300,000, meaning
the town must contribute an
additional $28,000.
A second reason is that last
winter's heavy snowstorms
resulted in an over -run of
about $6,500 in the snow:
clearing budget. As well,
council earlier this year
approved additional capital
expenditures atbounting to
an additional $3,300 in the
police budget, for which it
will have to rind the funds.
As a result, if nothing
changes between now and
the end of the year, the town
faces a deficit in the neigh-
borhood of $30,000 to $40,000,
Mr. Kopas said.
He said the finance
committee will be meeting to
review the situation in detail
in October and in the end it
will be up to council to decide
whether to incur a deficit
this year or try to defer some
expenses until next year.
If council decides it does
not want a deficit, it might
ask the area fire board to
wait until 1985 for the rest of
its money, he suggested, -
noting that the major ex-
penditures for this year have
already been tendered so
there is little room for ad-
justment. Either way, he
noted, the cost in the end will
be about the same.