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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-01-25, Page 1WINGRAM $ECTION S4 --PLORA AND FRIENDS—It was a -gra -tad -flight for Scats — and Tories — at the annual Robert Burns' dinner and dance held at the Listowel Legion Auditorium Saturday night. The Legion's honored guest was the MP for Kingston and the Islands, the Hon. Flora MacDonald. Also attending were two other Tory MPs, Murray Cardiff (HurOn-B711a6), left, and the host riding MP,--thre-Hon.-B4 Jarvis of Perth. The green plaid skirt anddark green velvet jacket worn by Miss' MacDonald is a replica of the attire worn by the original Flora Ma6Donald who assisted in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie to the Hebrides following the battle of Culloden. (Staff Photo) Hospital building plans await minister's approval Final plans for a new emergency and outpatient wing at the: Wingham and - District Hospital have cleared the preliminary " stages of Health Ministry approval and now are awaiting the approval of the minister, himself, members • of the hospital board were told last week. In a building program update, the board .was told that onee final approval is given, the project can go to tender. At .that stage, when the board knows exactly what it would cost to build, it will have to make its final decision whether or not to proceed. however ' the property committee agreed with a suggestion from Hans Kuy- venhoven, board vice chair- man, that it should go over the architect's drawings with a fine-toothed comb be- fore calling tenders. Noting the board has not yet seen the detailed plans, Mr. Kuyvenhoven, a builder, pointed out that -any changes made to the plans after a contract has been signed can add substantially to the cost. Even Something as seeming- ly minor as changing the direction a door swings 'can push up the price. Administrator Norman Hayes objected that con- siderable care has been taken in preparation of the plan and it is unlikely there would need to be 6any changes, except as requested by the contractor himself, but William Harris, another board member, sup- ported Mrs. Kuyvenhoven. Even small changes to a plan once contract has been signed can cost "a- leg and an arm", he declared. Archie Hill, chairman of the property committee, agreed to schedule another meeting after the plans come back from the ministry, In other property corn- , mittee business, Mr. Hill reported that a study of the possibility of air conditioning the hospital kitchen has indicated the costs would be. prohibitive, adding an estimated $11,000 a year to the hospital's bill for elec- tricity. Mr. Hayes ,said the problem of cooling the kit- chen will have to be ap- proached from another angle, possibly using a system of fans. Mr. Hill also reported the committee discussed in detail the question of the automobile provided to the administrator and concluded there seems to be no alter- native but to continue the practice. The ,hoard agreed with a committee mem-. mendation to purchase a 1984 Ford Crown' Victoria at a cost of abotit $7,000 plus trade-in. The board also received an answer to questions raised at the previous meeting about the need for both a per- formance and a labor and materials bond on the pro- posed 'construction project.. Mr. Hayes explained that, as had been stated at that meet- ing, the bonds cover two pol tential areas of liability. A performance bond would guarantee completion of the project if the contractor defaulted or went bankrupt, while the labor and materials bond would cover any mechanic's liens by subcontractors or suppliers in case' the general con- tractor defaulted on payments. The cost of the bonds would add about $10,000 to the-pfolect, but Mr. Hayes said the Health Ministry now insists on such protection, Ifcrlidwing several unhappy experiences. Wingham, Ontario, Wednesday, Jan.,25, 1984 Move sparks renewed controversy TOwn makes offer on property or a new fire hall in Wingham An offer by the Town of Wingham to purchase land f for a new fire hall has sparked th'latest episode in a controversy which has marked the fie hall debate for the past two years. At a special meeting last week, Wingham Town Council voted to make an offer on two parcels of land at the northerly end of the downtown core. If the town is successful in acquiring the property, it would later be turned over to the proposed area fire board as the site for a new hall. Although the motion ap- proving the -offer passed easily, 6.- 2 in a recorded vote, it was not without a wrangle, drawing charges that the town is proposing to spend too much when it already owns suitable land. At first reporters who showed up were told they would not b,e permitted to attend the meeting. However when the clerk pointed out, that if council passed the by- law authorizing the offer. to purchase it would become a matter of public record, they were allowed to stay, though • they were excluded from a discussion period at the start of the meeting. •'Following -the brief, closed session., when council emerged to vote en the offer criticisms of the plan also surfaced. Councillor James A. Currie was especially critical, recalling that he and former councillor R. W. LeVan had been soundly roasted two years ago over a proposal to spend about .$160,000 on renovations and a substantial addition to the existing fire hall. At that time they were told the price was exorbitant and that a new hall could be erected for much less money, he said, yel some of those very critics are now pushing a project costing even more, He declared the proposal to spend $56,500 to purchase the old Gulf station property and a smaller "runs in the face o choose to call ver formed oppositio concept of develop' MAMI!W!, Critics then claimed a new ire hall could be built for about $65,000, he said, yet now some of the same people are proposing to spend $56,000 for just a piece of land. "I would like to see thein perform," he declared, "and they only have $5,000 to do it." He added that, although he supports the concept of an area fire board and takes • credit for having suggested it, he still feels the new cost- sharing agreement which raised Wingham's share of expenses by 50 per cent was pushed through without suffifient time for amend- ment or debate—. He is not satisfied the land purchase would be in the best interests of either this community or the fire board, he concluded. He also commented that he failed to understand the need for the "big, steaming rush" to approve the offer to purchase, saying it could hive waited for council's next regular meeting and thus saved ratepayerS the additional expense of paying councillors to attend a special meeting. Deputy Reeve Patricia Bailey joined Mr. -Currie in his criticisms, though she Hospital plans to purchase a $75,000 phone system The Wingham and District •Hospital plans to spend an estimated $75,000 buying and installing a new telephone system which Will both in- crease the system capacity and save money. At a hospital board • meeting last week, board members • accepted a property committee recom- mendation to purchase an ITT 3100 phone system, to replace the current system which is rented from Bell Canada. • The board was told the new system should pay for itself within five years and' should return an additional $84,000 to $85,900 to the hospital over its expected lifetime of 10 • years. In presenting the proposal. to the board, Treasurer Gordon Baxter explained the current phone system is at the limit of its 60 -telephone capacity and would have to be expanded sometime with- in the next four years. In addition, the switching 'gear is now located in an area of ehind. it what I fr unin- to the a fire system in _the present location several years ago. "The committee then was criticized very severely for proposing to redevelop the existing property for about $150,000." noted she had been equally critical of his and Mr. LeVan's earlier proposal. She said the town has suf- ficient land and suggested it should have been left to the fire board to handle any purchases. Councillor William Crump, who together with Councill Bruee Machan represen the town on the fire board responded to the criticism by saying he knows the town owns lots of land. The special building committee looked at nearly a dozen sites, he added, and dere Was one he personally favored. "Unfortunately, the com- . mittee didn't agree." He said the committee the building slated for hospital' s patient load. looked at the present fire hall demolition. if the new In view of the fact that site, among others, but after building project goes ahead,. hospital activity is down taking everything into "and would have to be moved from last year, which was consideration it recom- at that time. already an unusually low mended the site at Josephine He said the hospital has year, he would' prefer to see' and Alfred. He disagreed with Mr. known for some time it could ' money spent on an area save money by installing its more related to health care, Currie's figures on what it own system, but was not in a Mr. Pike concluded. would have cost to renovate position to do anything about However another board and add to the existing fire it. Now, with a growing member, William Harris, hall, saying this proposal surplus in its budget and the disagreed, saying it is clear "won't cost an awful lot prospect of a new wing, the the phone system must be more and we'll have new changed and, the only sen- building." time seemed fight. . • The- hospital presently sible time to do it is now, , When the vote was called, pays Bell -about $2,500 a since it would have to be • only Mr. Currie and Mrs. month in rental fees, Mr. moved anyway to makeway Bailey voted against making Baxter noted. • . ;. for the propoSed- biiiiding thiebfler.-21dfotherrmembers - of council voted in favor, He said two competing- project. Following the board vote with 'Reeve Joe Kerr absent. systems had been explored one a Bell system using Mitel switching gear, and the other a system sold by a company called CTG and using. ITT equipment, which is more expensive but has a greater cabability for computer interconnection. . The property committee recommended the second system, with Administrator Norman Hayes explaining the hospital is looking at eventually installing its own • computer, particularly Since • the London-based computer Snowarama• firm it now uses, formerly is set to go owned by the Ministry' of • Health, has been sold to ,. private' interests. The hospital has a five- year guarantee on the price of the service, but is con- cerned that at the end of that time prices could rise dramatically, he said. "We have to look at our own` (computer) about five years down the road." He added that the ITT phone system is used in the Toronto Stock Exchange and should be a safe enough bet. Noting that a phone system was not included on the list of capital ex- penditures for this year, Finance Chairman Robert Pike • asked whether this, , purchase would mean putting off the purchase of other equipment which is more health-related. He said the hospital already has trimmed more than • two-thirds of its proposed capital ex- penditures for the next three year to accommodate the builling program. e also asked whether the hospital has a priority list of equipment to be purchased. Mr. Hayes said there_has been no formal ranking of equipment needs. What is needed most is a new radiology ' machine, he noted; other things are mostly "nice -to -have" or replacement equipMent. He added that, in view of A spokesman for the group the hospital's larger -than - said they just started buying expected budgetary sur - lottery tickets a little over a pluses last year and this month ago, each putting up year, "I don't think there one dollar a week. They just will be a drain on patient buy Lottario, she added, and care." so far their luck has been In his financial report, Mr. good, with a $5.00 win the., Pike had noted the surplus of week prior to their big win revenue over expenditure is last week. continuing to grow and stood They aren't planning to at some $274,000 as of the end quit their jobs, she, said, but of December. The major they might get together for a reason. for the surplus has big celebration. been a decline in the • All systems are go for this weekend's Snowarama for • Timmy in the Bruce region. Registration commences at -8 a.m. Sunday at the Wingham Legion for the 100 -kilometre run. Wingham Lions Club President Herb Kenyon said he hopes about 60 snowmobilers will par- ticipate in this year's rally. • Pledge sheets are available, locally at the Turnberry Tavern, B & M Rentals, • Lynn Hoy Enterprises and McGee Auto. Electric. • This year, the Bruce re- gional snowmobile associa- tion will not pay any ex- penses, thus leaving more of the- money raised for crip- pled children. -tut in Wing - ham, said Mr. Kenyon, the Lions Club is supplying a meal to hungry riders after they come in off the trail. WAVE TO THE CROWp—Junior skaters Tammy Rose and Ann Uhler gave a hand td the small fry as they left carnival. The youngsters had a good time, responding the ice after presenting "Bird Dance" as their contribu- to enthusiastic applause by waving' to familiar faces in tion to "Let's Dance", the 1984 Brussels figure skating the crowd. • Local residents happy with Min It wasn't the $14 million 6- 49 prize, but eight employees of N. D. Cameron Limited in Wingharn are pretty happy with their win in last week's Lottario draw. The eight shared in the second prize of $21,552.90 in Saturday night's draw, which works out to about $2 700 each. to purchase the new system, Mr. Baxter said it is likely work on the changeover will • start in the near future. The new switching gear will be installed in a closet in the main office and will more than double the capacity of the current phone system, he said, with the potential of adding units which would increase the capacity to 288 telephones. Following the meeting, Mr. Crump explained the town is making the offer on behalf of the new fire board, which does not yet have legal status as a corporation. Once the board is incorporated, it would take title to any property purchased and the cost would be shared among • member municipalities according to the cost-sharing agreement. LITTLE TROY LEDIET found the going pretty cold Sun- day at the outdoor skating rink at the Josephine Street ' ballpark. The Wingharri Optimists are at it again this year and have the rink in good shape for children and older people foo. The cold weather has helped keep the rink ih good shape also. IF ri