HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-07-19, Page 5Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Exeter Times—Advocate
5
Opinion Forum News
ROSS
HAUGH
BACK IN TIME
I OYEARS AGO
July 10, 1996 - Three local
golfers beat the odds recently by
making a hole -in -one , a remark-
able shot that most other duffers
can only dream about. They were
Bob Deane from Southcott Pines,
Dave McLeod of Grand Bend and
Doug Ducharme from Zurich.
Liam Brennan of Exeter linked
up with 49 other skydivers on the
weekend to help break a Canadian
record of a 44 person, one point formation set in
1992.
20YEARS AGO
July 14, 1986 - Dr. Iris Marshall of Toronto, a for-
mer student was the guest speaker at the recent
SHDHS athletic banquet. She was one of five
Canadian doctors at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
A 39 year career as an employee of Brewers
Retail came to an end recently with the retirement
of Woody Davidson. Woody started in the business
as a part-time employee in Glencoe in 1947 and
moved to Exeter as manager of the local outlet in
January of 1962.
New washrooms for the agricultural building at
the South Huron Rec Centre grounds are expected
to be approved by Exeter council Monday night.
35 YEARS AGO
July 8, 1971 - Grand Bend councillor Dave
Jackson resigned during Monday's council meeting
because of a conflict between himself and Reeve
John Payne. Councillor Ivan Luther also resigned
recently for business reasons.
Commencing Sunday, the Exeter Pentecostal
Tabernacle is sponsoring a drive -hi church service
at the Northlander parking lot on Highway 83 east.
The Ontario Depai t<nent of Transport conducted
a vehicle safety check in Lucan last week with a
total of 276 vehicles inspected and licences were
removed from seven vehicles that were declared
completely unsafe.
45 YEARS AGO
July 9, 1961 - St. Patrick's Anglican Church in
Saintsbury celebrated its 100th anniversary,
Sunday.
Thieves used nitroglycerine to open the safe at
the Hensall Post Office from which they stole over
$5,000 in cash and negotiable supplies early Friday
morning.
Exeter Lyric Theatre closes this week for alter-
ations. Manager Ron Horne said extensive decora-
tion will be affected and that the theatre will reopen
August 28.
Fifteen neighbours staged a bee Monday on the
farm of Gordon Prance to bale and store 18 acres of
hay. Mr. Prance has been in the hospital for nearly
seven weeks.
50YEARS AGO
July 8, 1956 - The Exeter Kinsmen playground
opened Tuesday morning with an attendance of
112. Rec director Doug Smith is in charge.
Parents and pupils of S.S. 4, Usborne gathered for
a picnic at the school grounds Friday evening to
honour Mr. Burton Morgan who has accepted a
position in St. Marys.
Possibility of a steel strike in the United States
may halt production at General Coach in Hensall
and hold up construction of the addition to the
Exeter Post Office.
60YEARS AGO
July 15, 1946 - Mr. Wes Witmer picked his first
ripe tomato on July 11.
Mr. Harry Mathers who recently opened a new
service station in Exeter north was badly burned
when flaming gasoline set fire to his clothing.
85 YEARS AGO
July 16, 1921 - Mr. G.S. Howard has resigned his
position as principal of the Dashwood public school
and accepted a position as principal of the public
school in Exeter.
Mr. Emmanuel Beaver of Crediton has decided to
give up the butchering business with his brother
and Mr. A.S. Schram will succeed him in the trade.
I I OYEARS AGO
July 8, 1896 - General merchant J.P. Ross has
ladies black and tan oxford shoes for sale from 75
cents to $2.25.
Brown and Preeter with popular cash stores in
Zurich and Crediton are offering the biggest assort-
ment of different qualities of binder twine ever
placed before the public.
Seniors' Perspective
By Jim Bearss
ADULT ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR
"If you want to work for world peace, go home and
love your families." Mother Theresa
Highway & Byway Cruising with Marion Foster -
Ottawa Fall Foliage Spectacular: (Oct. 2-4) A bus tour
through Haliburton, Algonquin Park, the Ottawa Valley
& the Kawartha Lake region, a steam train excursion in
the Gatineau Hills, tour of Ottawa, and more. Pick-ups
will be in Lucan, Exeter & Kirkton. Please call Marion
Foster 519-229-8718 or Cruise Selloffs 519-227-0444.
(Tours operated by Cruise Selloffs, Lucan. Ont. Travel
Registration #50007529
Exeter Legion GolfTournament:
If you golf or don't golf, please mark your calendar for
Sat., July 22 as a great time is planned for that day. Sign
up at Legion Bar by July 19 and pay $5 and pay "Green
Fees" at the Exeter Golf Course. Time; 12:30 p.m. sign
up and play time is 1 p.m. A pot -luck supper is planned.
For more information contact the Legion at 519-235-
2962.
What's Happening in Grand Bend, July 2006?
July 19 "Grand Bend Men's Probus Club Picnic" Port
Blake Conservation Area 5 p.m. Tickets $7.50 see G.
McKay 519-238-8951.
July 31 "Grand Bend Horticultural Society Flower
Show" Entries are to be brought to the Legion by 6 p.m.
for judging. Speaker Dennis Ducharme discusses the Art
of Pruning.
July 31 "Life after Death" Monthly VON Bereavement
Support program for Widows and Widowers. Exeter
United Church last Monday of each month 7-9 p.m. call
Kim Winbow 519-235-2510
Living with Cancer and Alzheimer Support Program
will be on break for the months of July and August but
will return in September. Please check with Cindy
Maxfield of the Grand Bend Area CHC for details 519-
238-1556 ext. 6.
Town & Country Support Services Gets
Ready to Golf For Seniors:
Town & Country Support Services will be golfing for
seniors on Sat., Aug. 12 at Woodland Links, Clinton start-
ing at 10 a.m. The tournament includes 18 holes of golf,
a full steak dinner, and prizes for everyone. The hole -in -
one prize includes two tickets to any destination that Air
Canada serves in North America. The hole -in -one prize
is sponsored by Craig, McDonald, and Redden Insurance
Brokers of Mildmay. Other tournament sponsors include
Stedelbauer Motors of Kitchener/Waterloo.
This tournament is a major fundraiser for Town &
Country and all proceeds go directly back to help senior
citizens, frail elderly, disabled adults and services to help
them live independently. Town & Country assisted more
than 4,000 people in Huron and Perth Counties last year
with programs like — Meals On Wheels, Transportation
Services, Home Help, Friendly Visiting, Dining for
Seniors' and Seniors' Exercise Classes. Last year the
agency delivered more than 23,000 hot and frozen meals
in Huron County and offered more than 11,000 trips
with mobility van and volunteer driver's services.
A day of golf for Town & Country is a great way to be
active, and support programs that that make life better
for others.
To register call Shelley at Town & Country Services,
(519) 482-9264 or Faye at Exeter Town & Country at
(519) 235-0258
Library News:
Want to learn how to use the internet?
The Exeter and Kirkton Libraries are offering
internet lessons. These lessons include:
• Using search engines
• Using e-mail
• Navigating through the internet
• Making web pages
• Anything else internet related
Computer use lessons are also available Jim Bearss
Sign up in the library
"Quest for Heroes" the Summer Reading Program will
soon kick off at the Exeter and Kirkton Libraries.
Register for this free activity at your local branch.
The Exeter Library Book sale will run from July 17 to
July 22. Books of all types will be available at awesome
prices. Donations are welcome to this fundraiser for the
library
Watch for new items at your local branch. DVD's and
books on CD are the latest additions to the collection.
Look for them on the shelf at your library or go on line at
www.huroncounty.ca/library/
Old Age Security:Applying For Benefits
To receive any OAS benefit, you must apply. You can
get an application form by calling the toll-free number 1-
800-277-9914 or www.sdc.gc.ca. Please have your social
insurance number ready.
When you apply for an OAS pension, you can indicate
on your application form that you want to apply for the
GIS as well.
GIS and Allowance payments are non-taxable. Both
must be renewed annually. Your annual income and
marital status can change from year to year. Therefore,
you must apply every year to renew the Guaranteed
Income Supplement, the Allowance and the Allowance
for the survivor.
The GIS is based on your annual income, or the com-
bined income of both you and your spouse/common-law
partner. The Allowance and the Allowance for the sur-
vivor are also based on annual income and marital sta-
tus.
In most cases, you can apply to renew your GIS, your
Allowance or your Allowance for the survivor benefit by
simply filling in your income tax return by the April 30
deadline. The Canada Revenue Agency will then give us
the income information we require to assess your eligi-
bility.
How do I get an application kit?
We will send you an application kit if your records
show that you might be eligible for benefits. If you
receive a kit, you should complete the application form
and return it to us as soon as possible. You could lose
some benefits if you don't apply right away. Information
will be continued.
Could Someone StealYour Home?
It happened to Susan Lawrence. While going through
proceedings to sell her home earlier this year, the
Toronto -area woman learned that she had become the
victim of fraud, by joining a growing number of
Canadians who have been victimized by real estate title
fraud.
"I went to the bank to discuss my mortgage because of
the pending sale of my property," says Lawrence, who
had lived in her home for almost 30 years. "I found out
my mortgage had been discharged and a new fraudulent
mortgage assigned to my house at another bank without
my knowledge." "I couldn't believe it. I had heard of
mortgage and real estate fraud, but never thought it
could happen to me."
The scam occurred as follows:
Someone unknown to her forged her signature, dis-
charged her existing mortgage for almost $300,000,
pocketed the money, then defaulted on the mortgage and
disappeared.
Lawrence believes her nightmare started when the
For Sale sign went up on her lawn, giving fraudsters an
opportunity to consult the MLS listing for the property
and gather the information they needed. Then they sim-
ply posed as her to fraudulently sell her house, dis-
charged her small mortgage and take out a new one.
After several sleepless nights and endless hours spent
with her lawyer her bank finally withdrew a possession
lawsuit, which meant she did not have to move out of her
home.
Good news under normal circumstances, except now
she is faced with having to restore her title, even though
the mortgage was obtained fraudulently by a third party.
Susan Leslie, vice president of claims and underwrit-
ing at First Canadian Title estimates the average case of
real estate fraud to be $300,000, compared to estimates
of $1,200 by the RCMP for cases involving credit card
fraud.
Meanwhile, industry insiders estimate that real estate
fraud costs Canadians between $300 million and 1.5 bil-
lion each year. The onus is on homeowners to prove the
crime and it can be very costly — financially and
emotionally — to clear your name, said Leslie.
"Unlike traditional forms of insurance, for a
one-time premium, title insurance is an effec-
tive and inexpensive way to ensure title to your
property is protected.
"Title insurance covers legal expenses relat-
ing to restoring your title and is available to
existing home owners even if they have owned
their property for some time."
Lawrence's troubles are the latest in a string
of real estate title fraud cases across Canada.
• A Calgary man was convicted and sentenced in a
case involving the unlawful transfer of title and the mort-
gaging of a property for almost $110,000. The fraud
came to light when the rightful owner of the property
attempted to pay property taxes and was told by the City
of Calgary that he no longer owned the property.
• A Surrey woman pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud
last year after posing as the owner of a lot and taking out
a $170,000 mortgage on the property. The woman was
ordered to repay the amount along with legal costs
incurred by the owner, a Vancouver woman.
• A Mississauga man tried to sell his parent's home
last year and discovered that someone had fraudulently
sold the home for $400,000. The case was resolved after
See PERSPECTIVE page 6