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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1976-12-15, Page 23ZURICH MINOR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CHRISTMAS BALL will be held Saturday, December 18 in ZURICH COMMUNITY CENTRE music by MOZART'S MELODY MAKERS Limited number of tickets available. Advance tickets only. Contact: Earl Horner, 236-4927. Jaick Riddell A Legislative Committee after sitting for five days, decided to delay the passage of the Family Law Reform bill introduced this session, until next year. This, they say will give interested groups more time to make submissions. Attorney General, Mr. Roy McMurtry said he would have been delighted to have had the new laws in effect before Christmas but he was concerned that undue haste would produce a document something less than what might otherwise be the case. The Bill will die on the Order Paper next week when the House prorogues and will have to be reintroduced by the Attorney General when the new session opens. The Committee agreed to advertise for public submissions again next year to give clause -by - clause consideration to the bills in the committee rather than in the House where the public cannot take part in the debates The Attorney General also intends to raise the minimum marriage age from 14 to 16. Both Opposition Leaders called upon the Government to have an emergency debate on the Greyhound -Gray Coach con- troversy, which they considered to be a matter of urgent public importance, which should take precedence over other matters. After strong and growing pressure in the Legislature, the Ontario Cabinet has told the Ontario Highway Transport Board to reconsider the decision Citizens News, December 15, 1976 -Page 23 Family Law reform bill delayed to allow Greyhound Lines of Canada Ltd. to compete with the publicly owned Gray Coach Lines Ltd. As Stuart Smith has pointed out, this would be equivalent to Ontario handing over a $10 million public asset to a U.S. controlled company, The Minister of Transportation and Communications has asked the OHTB to re-examine the economic impact of the decision, and determine how this will af- fect bus service to smaller communities and Gray Coach finances. T.T.C. and union of- ficials have warned that some 245 jobs could be lost and the com- pany put in the red by $300,000, although the president of Greyhound has said the new routes to be granted his company would "increase employment in Ontario by at least 90 jobs - and perhaps as many as 130". According to the Minister, his decision to ask for the review is not a reversal of government policy, nor a hearing of the decision itself. It is more a review of the consequences of the decision. Stuart Smith and Stephen Lewis have attacked the Minister over statements he has made about the Board's decision which indicate, they say, that he has already made up his mind. Stuart Smith maintains that the review is "an admission of the Board's failure to deal adequately with the matter." The Provincial Secretariat for Social Development, The. Honourable Margaret Birch, told the Legislature this week that Family Court Judges will no longer have the power to send children who have committed no crime to training schools. On January 1, 1977, an amendment repealing Section 8 of the Training Schools Act, will be proclaimed. Section 8 of the fraining Schools Act, allows a Family Court Judge to establish alternative placement for the children in training schools under Section 8. As of December 3 of this year there were 786 children still in the wardship of the Minister of Correctional Services under Section 8 of the Training Schools Act. Of this total 103 are in Training Schools. Others are in group homes, foster homes, special treatment centres and their own homes. Mrs. Birch said that after proclamation, some will remain where they are. She said she would place herself in an unconscionable position if all of these children were to have their wardship terminated on January 1», with no regard for their care. Many of them responding positively to the care and treatment they are receiving and it would be irresponsible to move them from their community placements. Of the 103 children still in Training school 42 are expected to be returned to their 'own homes, Another 15 children will be placed in the Ministry's group homes and 26 will go to ministry - supervised foster homes. Twenty others will be placed in boarding homes,, treatment centres and special facilities. The aim of the Ministry of Correctional Services is to have moved all Section 8 wards from Training Schools by September 1, 1977, and to terminate wardships under Section 8 just as soon as suitable alternatives to wardship can be found. Mrs, Birch assured the Legislature that the repeal of Section 8 is a necessary and proper action, and that her Ministry is continuing to "grapple with some of the large issues surrounding the problems of those children who require Dieters can substitute one small frankfurter roll for one slice of bread. Each has about 68 calories. Slides of Iceland shown at Lions Christmas meeting A film presentation on Ice- land by Clarence Down of Exeter was the highlight of the Zurich Lions Christmas meeting held at the Colonial Hotel in Grand Bend last Monday en- ing. Close to 60 Lions, wives and guests attended the festive meeting and following dinner, greetings from various guests and draws for gifts, the Lions were treated to a slide presen- tation on Iceland. Mr. Down toured Iceland for about a week or so in 1972 and opened his remarks by saying it is a very different country than you might expect. It was late August when Mr. Down toured and the temperature was around 50 to 60 degrees Fahr- einheit. In .Iceland in the summer, Mr. Downs said there are only a few hours of darkness. He took one slide at nine p.m. and it was still quite light. However, in the winter just the reverse is true. On his tour Mr. Down visited a whaling station and managed to photograph a whale being brought in and hauled up a ramp to the dock and being skinned. He said he tasted whale meat while in Iceland, but "no one told me what I was eating until I was finished. It wasn't too bad to taste, but it is not grainy like beef. It has a different texture," said Mr. Down. There are no railways and no heavy industry that Mr. Down saw, tourism seemed to be one of the biggest industries at that time. In the cities and villages, Mr. Down explained the houses are built of concrete as wood is at such a premium since there are few if any large trees on the island. The homes are heat- " ed by underground steam and hot water, so there is very little pollution. In his presentation, Mr.Down showed slides of unique rock structures, hills surrounded by moss covered lava beds, beauti- ful glacial streams and water- fall s, volcanoes, geisers and mineral baths. As for the agriculture, Mr. Down explained they manage to get two crops of hay off with the assistance of hay dtying machines, however, the season is too short for grain to ripen. Cattle and sheep form a main part of the farmers livelihood and the drainage seems to be all open ditches. Mr. Down had samples of the volcanic rocks and ash .with him and after his presentation several members of the club took advantage of the oppor- tunity to examine them. *ar special attention." Some adminstrative steps have already been taken. On November 23, ' the Minister of Health issued a directive restricting the circumstances under which a psychiatric hospital can lay charges against children in their care. Charges cannot be brought simply to relocate a child who is difficult to manage and each case must be reviewed by the Minister. The Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Leo Bernier, has stated that his Ministry is seeking ways of easing the Province out of the camping business. He has said the Government would like to drop the financial burden of the 21,000 campsites in 123 provincial parks, which last year attracted more than 1,500,000 campers. It is estimated that the campgrounds lose something like $9.5 million annually, and the government would like almost all provincial campsites to be in the hands of private enterprise companies. However it would seem that it could take approximately 20 years to hand over all the camp- sites. The Minister made it clear that any new provincial parks would not have campgrounds in them, and he indicated that no campgrounds are under con- struction at present. THANK YOU We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the peo- ple of Zurich and surrounding area for their kindness shown to myself and my family and for the benefit dance held on Dec. 10th. Words cannot ex- press the feelings that come from my heart. 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