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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-11-21, Page 2,, a Ptd. 2—The Wingham Advance-Timep tiutiembse $2;11 MRS. WILLIAM $OTHERN been confined the past two months. She is widwd a speedy planning Industrial pork ... return to good health.Mr. and )6W Glenn Johnston Notes f ro m Fordwich returned home ovw the weekend after spending too days at the • Royal Winter Fair where Glenn Morris Twp, is asked to oke annexation Weekend visitors with Henry Atwood visited last week with family of Mississauga spent was employed as ringmaster for y Mundt were Mr. and Mrs. Gree Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wilson. several days last week with the bre lwrse claw. on B11►th council is planning an the cities in search of jobs. Morris Towtl+shi Parkinson: Miss Jean Foster and Mr. and Mrs. -Barry D'Arcey Henry Mundt. Friday evening, he had the honor P• asked for Morris' cooperation. Winston McGrath, all of Toronto. and boys spent the weekend in Mrs. Roy Hunt was able to of driving the Landau c bwkmtrtal park for the village in However, before such a project During a special Morris council Roman Dzus, acouz$y tial carriage an effort to curb the number of can proceed parcels of land must meetinglast Wednesday night with 114 • and Port Credit with Mr. and Mrs. return home last week trate that carried Prince■ Anne to the Y planner working on Blyth's Mrs. Bill Sothern were Mr. and � Wrightand Tim. Kitchener Hospital where she has Royal Box at the fair. Yuvn6 people now venturing to be acquired by the village from Blyth council stated its plans and � � behalf, explained that council is Mrs. Bill Mulvey Jeff and Cindy Friends of Mrs Stewart LEWIS F OWE1tS- ins ga 11 *", man, Marjorie Ann McMichael and Jack Lewis arrange ffcwers and serve customers at Lewis Flowers, Wingham. Leavis Flowers has s e rye d the community for 43 years A smau sign in the trout yarn of the nouse on Frances Street is all that proclaims Lewis Flowers, but from this location Jack Lewis and his father before him have provided florist services to the Wingham area for 43 Years - It was back in 1936 that Ernie Lewis moved to Wingham with his family to take over the business that had been ' owned by ,Milton Graham. Prior to that he had been the head grower at the huge Dale Estate greenhouse complex in Brampton—the largest in North America at that time but now completely gone. Jack Lewis began to learn his trade at an early age. Only 12 at the time of the family's move, he had already started helping out in the greenhouses, working for his dad on weekends and after school. Many businesses were family businesses in those years, since there was seldom enough money to hire outside help. He began working in the business full-time when he returned in 1945 from serving in the air force, "And I've been here ever since." During the years that followed Mr. Lewis has seen a number of changes in the flower and greenhouse business, some brought about by improved transportation and distribution and others forced by economics. Flowers used to be seasonal, he com- mented; there was always a particular type of flower for a particular time of the year, "like turkey at Thanksgiving". Gladiolas were spring flowers, chrysanthemums were available only during the fall and carnations during the winter. Several things have helped to change that. Growers learned to vary light conditions in order to bring on flowers at different times of the year and the development of quick air travel has brought a boom in imported cut flowers. Many cut flowers now come from Florida, California, Bolivia, Israel or Holland, places which don't face the tremendous heating bills which plague the Canadian greenhouse in- dustry. Growers here are trying everything in the way of new technology to cut their heat losses, but as fuel prices rise many are being forced out of business, leading to more imports and adding to the trade deficit, Mr. Lewis ex- plained. This part of the country is par- ticularly bad because there is so little sun in the winter. He himself has been forced to dismantle two-thirds of the greenhouse complex he had built up over the years because he simply couldn't afford to heat it, and he estimated that by mid-November he had already used 1,000 gallons of oil to heat the remainder. He reported that one grower in Mount Forest had a heating bill of $17,000 for one month last winter, and only did Sm,000 worth of business A during the same time. Mr. Lewis said he thinks people are buying more flowers on the whole, but there have been some changes in the buying patterns. For instance about 80 per cent of the business used to be funeral arrangements. Now there are not so many flowers at funerals, which he thinks is not a bad thing. Many families are requesting charitable donations instead. It's important to have some flowers at a funeral, but "Flowers should be for the living," he commented. Virtually all weddings have switched to silk flowers, which he and his staff also arrange. In addition they make arrangements of dried flowers and sell green plants and potted plants. He got out of the bedding plant and bulb business several years ago because too much competition at that time made it uneconomical. Since then most of the com- petitors have also dropped out, he noted. He estimates his business is split about 50- 50 between flower arrangements and potted plants. May, with Mother's Day, continues to be the biggest month for flowers, he reported, but something he has never figured out is why flowers are more popular in the summertime. It would seem more logical to buy fresh flowers in the winter, to add some cheer to the cold, grey weather, but that's not how it seems to work. One thing which has really helped florists is the 'flowers by wire' service, enabling people to send flowers and flower arrangements to friends and relatives in other towns, provinces or even countries. Lewis Flowers belongs to the Florists' Transworld Delivery (FTD) association, which not only allows it to provide this service but also guarantees the quality of its work. The FID rigorously polices its members, Mr. Lewis reported, with an inspector making unannounced visits to examine arrangements and check the condition of the stock or oc- casionally ordering an arrangement himself under a fictitious name. It used to be florists had a really solid background in the business, acquired through years of apprenticeship and training, he said, and one thing which bothers him about the business today is that this is no longer always the case. It's possible for someone wanting to enter the business to take a short course at 9' - community college and then open up shop. He said he feels it is important to be able to trust a florist to give you what you need and want and what you're paying for, noting that perhaps half his customers have never even been in his shop. They simply place their orders by phone and trust him to deliver what Is required for the occasion. During the course of his career Mr. Lewis has been invited to serve as guest designer at FTD district meetings in London and Toronto investigating a minor annexation of Belmore, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Rowley will be sorry to hear she to create space for the park. He Sothern, Tim and Tracy of is a patient in Victoria Hospital, insisted Blyth must have land Palmerston and Mrs. Jim Vittie. London- United Co-operatives of Ontario within its boundaries to absorb Mr. and Mrs. Ira Schaefer are Miss Carolyn Ann Dinsmore is future industries because, both patients in Listowel undergoing knee surgery this , "There is no suitable site now." Memorial Hospital as the result week in St. Mary's Hospital,r Three parcels of land are under of a car accident last Friday. Kitchener. Be I g rave & Auburn consideration. The first is Forsch friends wish them a During the Sunday morning situated just off the southeast speedy recovery. service in the Fordwich United C�•op Branches eO-OP corner of the Presemt boundaries. Jim Vittie is at present con- Church, Miss Minnie McElwain, Because it borders County Road fined to Listowel Memorial on behalf of the congregation, 25 industrial 'traffic would not Hospital. presented Austin Stinson with -a have to be directed through the Mr. and Mrs. Dave Snider, plaque in appreciation of his village. He estimated the Mark and Barbara of Kitchener many years of service to the property to contain between five spent the weekend at their home Fordwich United Church choir. and 10 acres. here. Mrs. Glyde Cooper who resides A second choice is to extend Mrs. Bill Sothern and Mrs. at the Fordwich Village Nursing ANN AL two boundaries also on the south- Wellington Hargrave spent one Home, is a patient in Listowel east corner that would take in day last week in Kitchener, hospital. approximately n acres. Miss Louise Matthews is a Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Sothern, Another area is also being patient in Listowel hospital. Mrs. Roy Simmons, Mrs. Bill looked at for future residential Mr. and Mrs, Cecil Lynn of Weber and Wayne called at the MEETING expansion just off the northeast Oi.illia visited over the weekend Lockart Funeral Home, Mitchell, corner of the village. 3 with Mr. and Mrs. Bill Haverfield to Pay their respects to the family Blyth Councillor Bill Howson and with Mrs. Dora Ridlet of the late Albert Hackett. Mrs. y a explained that until industries Geri Care, Harriston. Hackett was the former Lillian Blyth & District Community were ready to locate in the Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Schaefer Crookshanks. Centre village, "Tine properties would of London were weekend guests Mr. and Mrs. Jack Foster and only be held as proposed in- with Mrs. E. A. Schaefer.BlythOntario dustrial land." Therefore far- Mrs. Elmet. Miller and Grant , ming could continue until it was were in Toronto last Thursday. needed to support an industry. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lennox of Mr. Dzus added that by an- Belmore Hexing the property now, zonling Frida and services could be completed Intended for last week y in advance, which would entice if the annexation could take Mr. and Mrs. Ron Campbell industries to the village. place_ hli Dzus e>Splained that and family of London visited with Both councils admitted that they were on a tight • o Mr. d Mrs. Ken Horton and y. NOVO 23#1979 this was the first time either one be eligible for a $3,000 famil had been confronted with an grant available to offset council's Jim McKague, Jana and Lori, annexation and were a bit un- � certain of the proper expenses. and Marilyn Renwick attended �..... � i.....:4 ­the Royal Morris Reeve Bill Elston asked But he noted that a meeting y Winter Fair on Sunday. Barn uet: 7 : 9A Mr. Dzus to submit to the resulted in a positive reaction All the baseball teams attended JVV p township the exact number of from village residents, Blyth a Potluck supper at Belmore on y acres within the three blocks,Reeve Don Noble stated that the Friday evening.. names of the two Is . /.. , _, :..,, ` People want to keep their Mr. and Mrs. David McClure of involved and their tax families together and therefore Uxbridge visited with Mr. and Dance -to follow assessments. He explained that are in favor 'of industrial Mrs- Murray Mulvey and family. the landowners would want to development to provide more The Hi -C met recently at the know the difference in their tax employment opportunities. McIntosh Church. The topic wasV�f�s A*Nor payments if the property was Also at the meeting Deputy Remembrance Day, chosen by &WA annexed. Reeve Thomas Miller was ap- Heather Renwick. Lunch was His request will be ready by pointed commissioner of the served by Pauline and Shannon Jan. 1 r Ewen Fain. Apparently Grey Dustow. The next meeting will be Adults $4.00 Children $2.00 ' reported Mr. Dzus. Township forwarded a petition to held November 27 at 8 p.m. in Morris council also expressed Morris asking for repairs on the Mildmay United Church. regret that the Blyth council Ileld drain. Grey will meet with its There will be skating every Tickets available from store or directors. a public meeting regarding the engineer before further action is Saturday afternoon from 2 until 4 issue before asking the township taken. at the Belmore Arena. f _ y w r � 1t�ilii�,1 lig ii! b�r►'tl � ..... HJT �'t ..� �."�_.. ...r., �itff+�:r :S'i�D..b ASSOCIATE STORES - WfNGHAM SNOW TIRES SN OW WINTER EXPRESS KEVLAR RADIALS SIZE REGULAR SPECIAL SOLD OUT s -0 _ e e DR-78-14eeee.eeeeeeeeeee 62.95 ..............•.44.06 ER-78-14eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 64.45 ................45.11 .. . .. a SOLD OUT, . . e e e e e e e e .SOLD OUT. . e SOLD OUT JR-78-15eeeene.eeeeeeeeeee75e45 �eeeeeeeeeeeeeee52e81 PRICES IN EFFECT UNTIL NOV. 24,1979 WHILE SUPPLY LASTS. James F. Watt Holdings Limited. Josephine St. S. Box 10. Wingham, Ont. NOG 2WO Tel: (519) 357-3714 . _11911c,.. ... .r1N �r +►'y- ,. r 1 .. t . 4t:•::+:... zt. . .r. � .. s.. ` l!l r 0 h