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The Huron Expositor, 1971-09-30, Page 9ti Marlene Hunt and Margie Whyte painting the Arsenaults' home at Vernon River, 17 miles. east of Charlottetown. Margie Whyte and Ken Dent surrounded •by the Arsenault family. SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY,SEPTEMBER 30, 1971 — Pages 9 - 16 Operation Beaver is Challenge to Hullet Student Margie Whyte • (By Margie Whyte) (Miss Whyte a fourth year student in the science program at the University of Guelph is a graduate pf Seaforth District High School. She is the daughter of Mrs. W. L. Whyte and the late Mr. Whyte). I have never had such an en- riching experience as I did this summer doing volunteer work in P.E.I, with Operation Beaver. My efforts were repaid several times over in experience and new understanding, though not in dollars and cents. Operation Beaver, a Toronto- based-non-profit organization, sends groups of volunteers from all over the world into com- munities requesting help with some project which the people feel is necessary for the social, cultural or economic develop- ment of their community. The aim is understanding -of —ether-- people,. other __.c.nitairee,_ other people's problems - just "being people together'''', - as well as' completion of the actual work project. "Beavers" face frustration, discpuragement, friendship, and an uriequalled op- portunity for, communal living away from their own home en- vlronment. This summer, seventy-six Beaver volunteers were able to work on ten different projects - Charlottetown and Inverness, P.E.I.; Mud Lake, Labrador; Auden, Ontario; Conklin, Alberta; Chetwynd, B.C.; Fort George, Quebec; Bequia, St. Vincent, W.I.; Greneda, and France. Every group of six to eight volunteers worked on some sort of housing construction project except my group. Operation Beaver paid travel expenses and board but not for our work. -As I've just mentioned, my Beaver group and project were unique. We were the smallest group of just three volunteers and the only group to work in an urban setting. Marlene Hunt and Ken Dent, both of Toronto, and myself worked along with the six Mem- bers of the Social Development Services Committee (P. E.I. Tee- ---ants1--Union) of CliailOttetow_nter_ the months of July and August. I learned so much about so ufany things as we participated in a different activity or project prac- tically every week. - For the first two weeks, we helped fix up a country house for a large family on welfare to move into, after they were evicted from their slum townhouse in the city. We helped the Union with the first publication of a monthly newspaper, The Broad-Axe (motto: Hew to the Line and Let the Chips Fall Where They May.) The paper was established be- cause the Tenants' Union felt that farmers, fishermen, ten- ants, kids in court systems and many others have been denied access to the media. In the first- edition, articles were presented delivering verbal broadsides to all levels of government, a dis- cussion of the changes in rural life due to farm policy and a Landlord of the Month Award to a slumlord". Several articles in the paper dealt with welfare rules and regulations. It urged welfare recipients to insist on their rights. During Old Home Week at Charlottetown, we were busy working in the booth at the ex- hibition giving out pamphlets on 1,v`ell'alli—reut,r1--regtriations-,-- -- discussing the role of the Ten- ants.' Union: as well as construct- ing a float for the parade. And, for the last two weeks we were involved in the NFU action. During the Tractor dem- onstration we passed out leaflets to all motorists telling them the reasons for taking such actions Some of the placards placed on the tractors were indicative of some of the matters which the NFU were protesting; "Govern- ment wastes farm budget on experts and offices." "Campbell wants two out of three farmers kicked out." "Lower registrat- ion for farm trucks." We also helped the farmers conduct a "Free Food Give-Away", at the Tenants' Union office one after- noon. Every weekend we visited with the other eight P. E. I. Beaver volunteers at Inverness. This group consisted of an Eskimo from• Belcher Islands, and other , volunteers from Jamaica, Connecticut , U,.S.A, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Inverness is located in the northwestern section of the island; and the married male -population of 20 is made up -----largely___of___Qyster _and lobster fishermen; with dependents nut& bering nearly 100. Low income has been a problem for years, reflected in inadequate ,de- teriorating housing. So, this summer, the Beaver group undertook to make renovations on a good number of the houses in the community. P.E.I. is a uniquely beautiful province, with distinctive red earth, inviting beaches and the world's finest seafood. There are many fields of potatos, clover and daisies. And you couldn't ask for friendlier people. The main attraction in Char- lottetown is' the Confederation Memorial Centre, which is a theatre, library and art gallery in one massive structure. We saw the three excellent live musical productions put on by the Charlottetown Festival Company - Anne OP Green Gables, Jane Eyre, and Mary, Queen of Scots.° Working with Beaver means exposing yourself to a different mode of life. You can feel your- self changing from day to day. Every morning, I was curious to see what the day would bring. It was exhilarating. For me, • this summer in P.E.I. was a most enjoyable arid learning ex- perience. Anyone can apply to Oper- ation Beaver but most partici- pants are students. For further information, contact the Oper- ation Beaver office, 2328 Dan- forth •Ave., Toronto 13, Ontario. Margie in Charlottetown. front of Confederation Centre, Suggest Huron Council Four "Beavere" volunteers working on a house in Inverness, P.E.I. Assume Responsibility for Services a CFB Members of Huron County • Council admitted Thursday they are interested in the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation offer of the utility services - free of charge - at Canadian Forces Base, Clinton, but also expressed doubt that taxpayers a of Huron County could afford to operate the facilities after re- ceiving the gift. The offer was made to the county by A. B. Hamilton Of the Lands and Building Division of Crown Assets -Disposal Corpor- ation. In a frank discussion with county council, Mr. Hamilton traced the chain of events since the federal government announced in 1969 that the base would be closed in September 1971. He said the first step was to try to find some other use ^ for the base on a govern- mental basis for the desire of government' was to produce a minimal amount of detrimental effect on the community. He said all federal govern-^ ment departments were canvassed to ascertain which ones might be interesting in locating it CFB Clinton. He said there had been meetings with the provincial government representatives, with represen- tatives of Midwestern Ontario Development Council and with the Huron County development committee's officer , Spence Cummings. "We haven't just sat back waiting for something to happen," Mr. Hamilton said. "One of our big problems is to find some- one, somewhere, that can utilize this property in total." Mr. Hamilton reported that the base is self-contained with the services there all centra- lized so that no part of the base is really functional unless the central utility system is operat- ional. "The base can't be subdi- vided," he stated. "There are any number of types of organizat- ions, that can use parts of the base." "Can the people of Huron County take on and operate the municipal services?" asked Mr. Hamilton. "We would be pre- pared to turn aver all ttibse facilities without charge, to the county of Huron if you wotild'be interested in taking over ,.the utility -services on the base." Mr. Hamilton said that when no government agency expressed interest In the base - although there were hopes of some solut- ion along these lines at one time - the property was offered for sale to the public.'Bids are to be in to the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation by October ftl and would be opened the following day. Mr. Hamilton said it was hoped to dispose of the base at the best possible price s o that the people of Canada would re- cover as much money as possible from the sale, but also to have concern for the type of use to which the base would be put following the sale. He indicated that if a private bidder offered a fair price for the entire base, and his intentions for the facilities looked solid, reputable and of value to the people' of the community of Huron, the deal would likely be closed. It, on the other hand, the bid was not -telo high and it appeared as though the base might be turned into a waste area of no particular value to anyone, it would be highly doubtful if the bid would be setiously considered. Mr. Hamilton stressed the fact that the federal government was anxious that the base be put to some useful purpose and that ,.,,, the buildings and • facilities already established at CFB Clinton be properly utilized for the benefit of the people of Huron County and the province of Ontario. He termed the resolution of the problem as "very, very diffi- cult" but said he hoped he had offered some 'partial solut- ions". Wheh questioned by county councillors concerning the cost of operating the base, he said the %cost factor would depend upon who operated the base and to what use it was being put. He said he wasn't hedging on the issue, but added that it-would not be a fair comparison to estimate the cost to the federal government for maintaining the base while in full operation. "When the federal govern- ment operates a base, it operates a base," said Mr. Hamilton. He suggested that the services pro- vided on a government military base were different than those provided in the average municipality.. He did say he could probably provide rough estimates of certain costs which would be of interest to the County of Huron in the event it would accept his proposal. Also present at the meeting wds Don Southcolt, executive secretary to Hon. C. S. Mac- Naughton who was unable. to attend because of a bothersome foot injury. Mr. Southcott claimed that Hamilton's presentation toHuron County Council was fair and went bn to explain the Ontario govern- ment's position in the matter. After the Ontario govern- ment's involvement in the base at Centralia, Mr. MacNaiighton had written to the federal govern- ment urging them to give ample warning well in advance of the closing of a military base so that the community would have an opportunity to make alternate plans. This had been done' and he said the provincial govern- ment was pleased when the announcement of the closing of Clinton came about two years before the actual shutdown. From experiences at Cen- tralia, Mr. Southcott continued, operation costs amounted to almost $600,000 annually as well as an additional $500,000 to $600,000 to repair some facilities. He said that when a purchase price was tacked onto this amount of money, it became a sizeable project and one which was not all that attractive to the provincial government. Mr. Southcott also complained that in other instances where military bases at other points in Canada had been closed - most notably Gimley in Manitoba and Goose Bay in Labrador - the bases had been turned ever to the proVinces free of charge along with assistance to get the project- going to the benefit of the people in that area. He said the base at Clinton could still be of interest to the provincial government, par- ticularly in the area of recrea- tion and youth training, but that the province would expect "some consideration in the purchase price comparable to what has been given to other provinces." "It, is not unfair that at least Huron be given'an opportunity to indicate its preference of the kind of use to,be made of this facility," he said. He said that Mr. MacNaughton would be eager to serve on a three level committee of federal, pro- vincial and municipal represent- atives who would consider the bids that came in on the property at CFB Clinton. It was noted from the report of the Huron Development Com- mittee that the county officials have already requested a meet- ing with federal and provincial people to discuss the Clinton base question. Robert E. McKinley, M.P,, said he was sorry that the "federal government took go long to say no" with regard to whether or not some federal government department would utilize all or part of the base at Clinton. He said the Clinton base had not been offered to the Ontario Development Corporation free of charge, and if it had been it , might have been of some interest to them. lie pledged support to a con- tinuing effott to find a use . for Clinton. Major Frank Golding,who is responsible for maintaining the base, said the buildings are par- tially heated and that a staff of about 3 8 people is keeping the base in good repair. Deputy-Reeve Gerry Ginn of Goderich Township, said that he felt the county should acknow- ledge the proposal of Crown Assets Disposal Corporation with interest. He said the matter should be thoroughly studied by the County Development Cein- mittee and that the proposal should not be dismissed lightly as too costly. Reeve Elgin Thompson, Tuckersrivith, the township in which the base is located, agreed but urged county council. to get behind the provincial government in its desire to'have alinparable assistance from the federal gover,nment as has been given in other provinces.