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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-04-04, Page 1r" yMpT SEMION injgb winighas. UrAwlAmidlsy, April 4, 1979 77 77 ri�f to ministera'skstOr ��ecial c onsideration here. LAND -RA -AIR PACKAGE TMM Business or ploosure - book now! M rZAVA01SOVICI UsfewIal, Onterle O 211-2111 Call Toll free 1-OW26 -s22Q SM40 Copy Not Over Ilio Representatives of Wingham sideration, in the matter of bed to Mr. Timbrell in To: o. It villages of Brussels o�F s the townships cardiac and special care, 12 isolation, 12 pediatric and 18 and District Hospital and of the cuts. gives statistics on the hospital local action group will The brief, prepared by a and the area it serves and ad- and West Wawanosh, Turnberry, chronic and extended care. It notes that the hospital serves citizens' be meeting with Health Miniga committee of interested citizens vanes arguments why all 100 Morris, Ashfield and Culross. The brief with a .population of 30,000 within a Dennis Timbrell this Friday to and hospital board members, beds should remain open. Ap brief asking that the was made public late last week pended to the brief are letters of ,opens a historical survey, noting the radius of 32 kilometres, of whom 13.8 per cent are senior citizens. review a bospital receive special con- after a copy had been delivered support from Wingham, the hospital was established as a institution in 1906, Geographically the hospital is at private operating in an old three-storey tjne hub of a wheel, with the c•aest hospital 40 km. away and residence and funded by a group In 1838 it the largest referral centre, of dedicated citizens. became public general hospital London, 120 km. away. It also e to Hospital switchesbilling by charter andd was funded by the a community• points out that during winter months patients are often unable due to be transported out of town to retainuvws A number of building programs financed largely by the to", county eventually to severe snowstorms. The hospital pioneered and inan attempt townships and continues to provide services in - brought the hospital to its present 100 -bed ..such areas as the nursing By Henry Hess hospital, said Monday .the hospital is still status as a modern, 48 medical, assistant school, which has been Wingham and District Hospital appears to negotiating the basis of its funding with the health ministry and the final answers won't hospital, containing surgical and obstetrical beds,.i0 copied by Ontario Health, the Cane, clinic and visits from have switched to an alternative method of funding its operation as a possible means of be known until later this week. It could specialists from London and t the bed cuts ordered by the conceivably revert to a global budget if the other centres. carcumven hag Ontario health ministry, but it shouldn't cost ministry agreed to reinstate the money �.A The Wingham hospital was the patients anything extra for treatment there. deducted for `surplus' beds. Funeral home first in this section of Ontario to YEAR O of ver CHILD was celebrated by the Wingham Brownlee Monday. Dressed in Beginning Sunday, April 1, ' the hospital However he noted: "There are certain receive accreditation and it is costumes of various lands are, front, Kimberly Patterson, Pam Patterson, Archlta Ghosh began billing the Ontario Health Insurance things we had to do to prevent any problems Changes �and� presently accredited for three and Christa Curzon. In rear are Robin Greenall, Jennifer Strong, Monique Cameron, Plan (OHIP) for treatment of individual arising." w� Continued on Page 2 Joanne Taylor and Lianne Shaw. patients. (This was the date on which the new Even if the hospital continued charging a Jack and Edith Walker this budget, with ;168,000 deducted for the 14 beds fee for services patients need not worry they week announced the sale of the S considered surplus, was to have taken effect.) would be expected to pay for treatment, he J• Walker Funeral Home to. B added. The hospital would continue to bill Layton -McBurney Ltd. of n i1 concerned over nsina cosfs,o covered under the in- Y �o V The method of billing is in contrast to OHIP for all servicesWingham. The Walkers had previous practice, under which at the surance plan while patients or private in- operated the funeral home for the 0 beginning of each year the hospital received a surers would continue to pick up the tab for past 31 years. lice communications s s to m global budget based on its operating costs for such extras as semiprivate accommodation. Doug Layton 'and Doug Me- new po y previous year. The global figure set the The new billing system had created some Burne who recently purchased ■ � P Y `bottom line' for the hospital's operation that confusion among patients being discharged the R. A. Currie furniture Wingham councillors ex- out of the system and was told it service cost $455 per month plus A letter from the Ontario year and OHIP was not billed for treatment of from the hospital early this week. A sign in eased concern Monde night would have to business and funeral home, said average long distance charges of housing ministry inform ed individual patients. the lobby notified them the ward rate is $110 Y g pay $150,000 since , r da and upon discharge the were asked the funeral home will now be over the escalating costs the contractor would sue for the $100, while Wingham's share of council its offer to sell a portion A number of years ago, before the ministry per Y to g Y known as the Currie -Walker the operating costs for the new of Cruickshank Park for $�,� introduced the practice of global budgeting, to sign a bill for services received. associated with the new county price of the system. Funeral Home and will operate system amounts to aboutx;over has been accepted. The ministry hospitals in Ontario were funded on a 'fee for One patient reported she had been afraid wide police communications y plans to construct a new senior she might be ted to sign a cheque for the at both the Patrick Street and network. "It's a lot easier to get into $900 a month. service basis and apparently the ministry g expected g e1 Josephine Street locations. Coup. Allan Harrison, chair- these things than out," Reeve Joe"It's going to cost US a lot of citizens' housing complex on the never closed the door on the possibility of entire bill right on the spot. M•• Walker said he and his wife Kerr observed. money in a year or two to catch land. At its last meeting council returning to this type of funding. By reverting Following an inquiry by The Advance- will be moving to Goderich where, man of councils police coin- . to fee for service fundi the hospital could Times Monday the sign in the lobby disap- ., mittee, said the costs seem to be The communications network, some robber over in Goderich," extended the deadline for ac - to aced and patients who had received copies he will basically retire going up and up and up but there scheduled to go into operation Mr. Bateson commented. ceptance of the offer to April 15. keep all 100 beds open so long as they were in Pe Pa although he plans to keep opear . later this month, will have a A proposal by . Harrison of bills were advised they could destroy them ' rt -time doesn t appear to be much POLICE CONTRACT should be paid use sufficiently to keep the money coming • the option of worktrtg.Ae an can do abput, 't cgptral _ dlssputch . at...%aclerich _ ^. ' �. g .,- ' Norman Hayes, exscutive director of the >f they washed. - Y SET'S for atteniln out-of-town - around and, oar funeral . Wingham's share of the fixed liming the police forces o. the In other business at the ` i around the area. Ando operating costs for this year five towns m Huron County. The meetings in the evenings was a already over $14,000 for only province is picking up most of the meeting council settled its police referred to the finance com- nine months, he reported, adding equipment costs associated with contract for 1979, giving its four mittee for reccomendation. Mr. G • he's sure it wasn't that high at the the start-up while the remainder, constables together f about a eight Harrison reported he has been •Calendar to showa�t'�'t'e� start. Coun. David Cameron, as well as the operating ex g attending a lot of meetings on the Meetin s Set former chairman of the com- penses, will be' split on a per changes in fringe benefits. police communications system 9mittee, agreed that the cost capita basis among the five The raise brings the salary for and he doesn't thunk the mileage Both the Progressive Conserv- originally quoted had been lower, towns. a first class constable to $18,000. fee is sufficient compensation- atives and the New Democrats in Wi n h a m a res ro although he wasn't sure of the The new system will replace All the Wingham constables are The town currently pays ill a of 200g p exact figures, the answering services in the first class category. day plus mileage if a councillor the Huron Bruce riding have g previously used b the lice spends a whole, day away on town scheduled nomination meetings hone the recreation department Mr. Harrison told council he's P Y Y Po The contract was discussed in Pco Y attended a lot of meetings on the committee of the whole, as was a business, but doesn't have a to select candidates in the May 22 An activities calendar designed P P Mr. Alexander said the man forces and also allow them ac- he regarding ilial days or federal election. to make public and coordinate as soon as they schedule a public centennial events slated for this system, "and every time it seems cess to the the Canadian Police proposed contract for Police policy g n8 Y The PC nomination meeting the activities of all Wingham and activity like a rummage sale, year should prove the activity to go up: Everybody's chewing Information Centre computers. Chief Robert Wittig. The contract evening meetings. bowling tournament, curling In order to get a provincial for the chief has not yet been At the start of the meeting will be held at 8 p.m. April 10 in area groups is being planned. g g programs worth. about it." council heard Spence Cummings the Saltford Hall, Goderich, with The Wingham Recreation bonspiel or church supper so that "If going to work this would rant for the communications others lanai events can slate g The extra costs include fur- g settled. of the count development office Sinclair Stevens as guest Department and the Rural planning be the year to make it work," he niture purchased for the network the municipal councils Y P speaker. Members of Parliament Development Outreach Project them for times which won't said. Goderich headquarters of the of all five towns had to agree to Council also passed a new report on his job of attracting conflict. The program's success participate, but apparently some building bylaw drawn u by industry to Huron County. The from adjoining ridings are also are inviting all groups which hold system and a hike in salary for P P P Y g y P expected to attend. dances, bake Sales, public The recreation department depends on groups phoning in theperson rennin y g the system to are having second thoughts. Works Commissioner Mike office has information on all the The nomination meeting for the meetings, awards nights and won't tell the community groups announcements of planned ac- $13,000 from the $8,000 originally Coun. Jack Bateson said he Chappell. Mr. Chappell told towns in the county which it NDP will in held,a week later, other events opens the public d when they can or can't have their tivities and use of the program by forecast. recalls being told the system council it needs the new bylaw passes along to interested in - April 17, at 8 P.M. in the Clinton tell them what the events are and activities; its job is to keep a the public. "Of course we're into it and wouldn't cost much more than since the new building code woulddustri he said, adding he town hall. The guest speaker will when and whe" they will be held. central record of all community "We really need the there's nothing we can do about it the answering service, but it now passed recently superseded all would like to see a serviced in - be Mac Makachuk, MPP for events and to post the list so the cooperation of an awful lot of now," Mr. Harrison added. He appears costs will be con building bylaws passed attradustrcts park n Wingham as an Recreation Director Rennie public can see what is happening le to make it work," Mr. siderabl higher. The answering attraction to industry. Brantford and small independent poop said Exeter had wanted to pull Y g g business critic in the Ontario Alexander says he has met with in Wingham and area. Alexander said. Legislature as well as a member an enthusiastic response to the To start the program probably of the public accounts com- idea, which would allow com- a large calendar will be used at mittee. munity groups to plan their the arena or other central MP Bob McKinley is expected activities around other groups' location and if the recreation to be the PC choice to contest the Plans which might conflict. department finds both com- • election against Liberal can- More than 200 groups, clubs, munity groups and the public • ­ ine for didate Graeme Craig, selected boards and industries were using the activities calendar a Tier. Moira Cooper is the only mailed letters last week telling permanent sign may be erected planning.boardsets ear them about the new program. which will tell people of up - candidate to have come forward P g so far for the NDP. Groups will be encouraged to coming community events. • sunmissions razo downtown core in reaching a decision, the planning legislation doesn't permit it to consider the possible effect on any individual merchant. "The purpose of planning is not to create monopolies," he commented. NEW LIONS—The Lions Club of Wingham accepted two new members at its Tuesday meeting last week. Lloyd Brei► Rig kers and Joh McInnes Fromjoined eft °rhe Mru and w*ro. spon- sored by Fred McGee and Andy �t y ninger, Mr. McInnes and Mr. Rltskes. Wingham planning board has set the date of its next meeting, April 18, as the deadline for receiving any submissions either for or against the proposal to build a small shopping plaza at the south end of town. It wants to hear all argiiier,ts 3.. the matter so it can set about making a decision on whether or not to recommend the rezoning necessary to allow the construction of the plaza. Representatives of both the developer, Jerry Sprackman of Landawn Developments Ltd., Toronto, and the opposition, notably M. Loeb Ltd., parent company of IGA stores, will be invited to the meeting to air their views. The board has scheduled a special meeting early in May to review the arguments and hopefully come to a decision on the matter. At their meeting last week board members expressed some concern that the quest for information both pro and con the proposed development seemed to be lagging. Earlier this year both sides were asked to have formal submissions to the board ready by the March meeting. However while the developer has submitted his material, the opposition asked for more time to complete a study of the area. A letter from Ken Crawford, operator of the local IGA store, told the board he has commissioned a private impact study which should be ready in six to eight weeks, and he asked the indulgence of the board in waiting for the report. Wingham Mayor William Walden, a member of the board, proposed setting April 18 as the deadline for Such submissions, noting: "Your kid won't come home at 11 o'clock if you tell him 12." Gary Davidson, head of the Huron County planning department, agreed setting a cutoff date is a good idea. There's a point up to which it's proper and right to wait and beyond that you get into delaying tactics, he said. He also commented that it should be possible to have an impact study completed in a couple of days. Mr. Sprackman is proposing to build a small plaza in the area south of the Canadian Tire store along Josephine Street. it would have a food supermarket as the major tenant and a number of smaller retail outlets or other tenants suchas a bank or hairdressing salon, similar to the developments he has built in Listowel and many other towns. Representatives of Loeb have ob- jected to the development on the grounds Wingham could not support another food store and the high rental charged for space in the smaller shops`' would leave most of them vacant. Since the land in question is zoned C -S (highway commercial) and a supermarket is not among the per- mitted uses in such a zone according •the the Wingham zoning bylaw the matter has come before the planning board. Mr. Sprackman has requested an extension of use on the zoning to permit a supermarket, agreeing to negotiate the permitted uses of the other stores in the plaza. Once the board has reached a decision either for or against the rezoning it makes a recommendation to town council, which can either accept the recommendation or override it with a two thirds majority vote. If council decides to pass a bylaw rezoning the property there is a 21 -day period during which anyone may file an objection, which then leads to a hearing before the Ontario Municipal Board. Mr. Davidson told the board that while it can consider the effect of a proposed development on the whole APARTMENT COMPLEX PLANNED In other business at the meriir.g Stan Chadwick, a local real estate agent, asked about the possibility of a, zone change to allow construction of a four -storey, 16 -unit apartment complex at 196 Edward Street. He said he has a customer for the property provided the zoning can be changed to R-3 from R-2 to permit construction of the apartments, ad- ding that in his opinion any type of construction that went up there could only be an improvement to the area. The board agreed to write a letter to the developer asking him to come back with a site plan containing a survey of the property boundaries and details of the proposed construction. Mr. Davidson noted that what people tend to object to most is not the use but the appearance of a bailding, and he recommended the builder specify what materials he intends to use, for instance brick vs. concrete block.