The Huron Expositor, 1978-11-30, Page 21'01
the wall
on* Main St.
Writing o
1'
Guest Article by $caforth's To*
Areldtecttiral conservation Advisory
Committee Walter Armes, Grace Cornish,
Fred Ceeferd, 'Whin McLean and Vivienne
Newuham,
Main Streets, ours especially, start out
with certain advantages over any new
development, First, it 4' the identified
business area serving virtually all the areas
of commerce. The Oane$ are located mere,
government services ate there, medieal
servicesare there, insurance agents are
there, public transportation is there, All of
these, at one time or another, make it
compulsory for people to come to Main
' Street regardless of whether they plan to
shop there or not. Secondly, Main Street,
again especially ours, offers a class of
building of such visual quality as .no plaza
can ever hope to have. Today's developers
simply would „not •put into their buildings
the architectural quality and workmanship
which was lavished on our Main Street in
the past.
Our forefathers were •optimistic about
the future of their town and, accordingly,
built for the future, rather than for
Immediate; gain, unlike todays developers
who have no connection with or loyalty to
the town but see a plaza as simply a grre
way to earn a good return on their
investment. It also seems safe to s.ay, that
our atiCestors, at least those in busineSs,
simply had better taste in building than we
have today. In any .event, they• left us a
Main' Street remarkable for its sense of
harmony and feeling of stability. It's
unfortunate that later generations in their
effort to be "with it" failed to realize that it
was, in most cases, beyond their ability to
improve on the original buildings.
Third, the majority of Main Street
buildings are owner-occupied aid arc in a
relatively good state a repair. Because of
this, shoppers having any loyalty to their.
town will often prefer to ship on Main
Street knowing that the money they spend
will remain in town and thus add to its
'prosperity.
However, these advantages' have never
proven suffiCient to overcome the pull of
plazas and malls. Something else has to
happen on Main Street if it is to remain the
ti
dominant business district. A number of
possibilities were suggested at the con-
ference. Starting with the buildings them-
selves, it Is essential to undertake a
program of re-furbishing at least their
fronts so that all those good features which
Were built into the structure can again
become evident. This will not only make
the street more attractive to the shopper
but will increase the re'il 'value of the
property. It Must• be absolutely :nderstood
that a Main Street can never ue mad,, t o
look like a modern plaza; it has n retain ihe
identity its builders gave it. What can be
done is to enhance that identity. Signs,
window displays, shop fronts, awnings
etc. can all be used to that end.
Then the street' itself. The pavement,
sidewalks, street lights, etc. must be kept
in first class condition, clean and in good
repair and be, above all, a place where
people like to be together. Here is another
advantage a main street has over a plaza.
Main Street can have a personal
atmosphere as opposed to the anonymous
togetherness of the plaza.
Given a main street attractive from the
pavement to the top cornice of its
buildings, lined with attractive shops and
provided with places where people can
congregate, -cite' idea of a plaza must
become far less attractive to a developer.
Unfortunately, so far, no city in Ontario has
seen its Main. Street merchants and owners
get concerned until after they were faced
with the existence of another shopping
area in their town. Some city cores have
been re-vitalized -but Main- -Streets- have'
never regained their former. status., Many
of the traditional businesses have folded to
be replaced by specialty shops, boutiques.
etc. Too many shoppers now have only
occasional need to go to the Main Street
and it is a certainty that if people are not on
the street, they won't be in the shops.
The Question •
The question for us in Seaforth is quite
simply. "Can the merchants, the owners,
the town council and the citizens see the
writing on the wall soon enough-" Do they
have a strong enough sense of self-pre-
servation to take 'stepS to reassert their
faith in their town or will they sit still until
outside developers step in to siphon • off
business, weaken the co -hesiveness of the
town, and turn Seaforth into another town
which does not know where it belongs - on
Main Street or sprawling out into the
country along the highway?
TOWN OF SEAFORTH
Notice
PARKING
1. To facilitate snow removal, residents are
reminded that By-Law No. 952 as amended
prohibits parking on the streets of this
Municipality between the hours of 2:00
a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Notice is hereby given that the Munici-
pality will not be responsible for any
damage caused to parked vehicles as the
result of snow removal operations.
2. By resolution of Seaforth Council
parkihg in mefered areas shall be free from
December 1st to the 31st.
Merchants and their employees are
requested to refrain from using the free
metered areas.
J. Crocker
Clerk,
Town of. Seaforth
rr
DECISIONS ARE MADE EASIER AT
ROWCLIFFE MOTORS
On one of these good used cars or trucks
4
1977 FORD MUSTANG 11 1977 MONACO 4 Door SEDAN
2 door, 8 cyl. Automatic, 8 cyl., Power Steering, Power
Power steer, Power Brakes,
Rdi \o, Bucket Seats. "'Ow-Mileage, 1 owner.
Brakes, Radio Rear Defoggers
1976 DODGE CORONET
4 door sedan, 8 cyl., automatic
power steering, power brakes,
radio rear defogger.
1075 PLYMOUTH FURY
4 Door Sedan, 8 cyl. automatic
power steering, radio.
1973 DODGE MONACO
automatic, power steering,
power brakes, radio. ,
2 door, hardtop, 8 cyl,
Duty, suspention.
D150 8cyl. stand shift, Heavy
VIRER ROWCLIFFE MOTORS
Seaforth
1975 FORD GRAND TORINO
2 door, hardtop, 8 cyl,
automatic, power brakes,
power steering, radio, vinyl
roof.
•
1974 CHIN NOVA
4 door Sedan,
6 cyl. and radio.
2 door, Hardtop, 8 cyl.
automatic, power steering,
power brakes, vinyl roof, radio
Rear window defoggers.
1973 FORD GALAXY
8 cyl. automatic, 2 door
hardtop, power steering,
power brakes, radio, vinyl
roof.
1977 DODGE 1/2 TON
1976 ROYAL MONACO
4 door sedan, 8 cyl., automatic
power brakes, power steering.
1975 ROYAL MONACO
Give the man on your List ... A Gift
he'll enjoy wearing ... from
CHARGEX
MAIN tORNER, CLINTON: 482.9/12
do sure
to onititr
the "Grand
thristmai
Perth soil and crop WEDDING INVITATIONS
THE HURON EXPOSITOR
'PHONE 527-0240u° . '4--: SEAFORTH
• .04 info Day Dec.
The Perth County Soil and Crop Im-
provement Association is sponsoring a
Crops Information Day on Tuesday,
December 5th at the Coliseum in Stratford,
beginning at 11:00 a.m. The program will
include information on management
practices that are costing farmers money;
what it takes to start farming in 1979; and a
recipe for improved weed control. Also
included will be a review. Of the Soil & Crop
projects carried out in 1978 in Huron and
Perth Counties. •
• All Perth County farmers are considered
members of the Soil & Crop Improvement
Association and are invited to attend.
Farmers can bring their own lunch or if
present by 11:00 a.m., purchase lunch for
$2.50/person.
Swine Symposium '79
Hog producers are rettiinded - of the
Swime Syniposium being held on
Wednesday, December 0th at the ColiseuM
in Stratford. They.-.program. will feature
Speakers from throughout 'North America
who will relate some of their experiences in
the areas of new innovations, reproduction.
manure handling, building, and
ventilation. Further program details and
tickets may be obtained from directors of
the Huron, Perth and Oxford Potk
Producers Associations and at the local Ag.
'offices.
Jersey Club Annual Meeting and Banquet
The Perth-Huron Jersey Club annual
meeting and banquet will be held at 11:00
a.m. on December 2nd at the Monkton
Community Centre. Banquet' tickets are
available from secretary.--Ron ,Skinner of
Ontario !Ain istr% Ag ricultere and Food
413 h hernia Street. Stratford
N5A-5W2
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P ON? t UPC
WAG 'C'uCXS
ospital. costs
By Wilma Oke
Seaforth Community
Hospital board members at a
meeting Tuesday night were
told that the Hon. Dennis R.
Tirobrell, Minister of Health,
at the annual OHA Conven-
tion in Toronto had advised
all hospitals that the 1979.80
increase in operating costs
would be limited to 4.5 per
cent of the 1978.79 approved
budget.
If the Province of Ontario
and particularly the Min-.
istry,„ „of ,Hoosing has its
way, the future for Ont-
ario's downtowns is bright
indeed.
The housing ministry has
undertaken a series of
initiatives designed to
stimulate interest in down-
town areas and, to involve
the private sectOr and the
community at large in
revitalizing cores that are
suffering -from slow, often
painful degeneration.
As part of this effort, the
province is involved in a
symposium on core prob-
lems called Downtown
Forum '78 which will be
held in Toronto Nov. 29 to
Dec. 1.
Sponsored by the Min-
istry of Housing, the Ont-
ario Chamber of Comm-
erce, the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario;
Canadian Association of
Housing and Renewal
Officials, Ontario Heritage
Foundation, ,the Organ-
ization of Small Urban
Municipalities, and. many
others, the conference will
bring together more than,
Hospital Administrator
Gordon McKenzie reporting
on the Ontario Hospital
Association Convention held
earlier this month said Mr.
Timbrellhad warned that the
number of active treatment
beds would be reduced ,from
4 beds per 1000 population to
3.5 beds per 1000 population.
Mr. McKenzie said if the
Se,afortli Hospital h is a
reduction' in active treatment
80 experts to discuss all
aspects of core revital-
ization from marketing to
land development to legal
problems.ibe
conference, an out-
growth of a similar seminar
last year, is open to anyone
at a cost of $100 for the full
three-day program or $35
for any single day. Down-
town Forum '78 will he of
particular interest to mun-
icipal officials, elected and
appointed, Vusiniss per-
sons,, planners, architects
and community groups.
High on the list of topics
will be the $30 million
Ontario Downtown Revital-
ization Program which was
launched in 1976 to help
communities with popul-
ations' of up to 125,000
preserve thei, core areas.
The program's • $30
million has been committed
to seven communities
around , the province:
Barrie, Brantford, Corn-
wall, Sarnia, Thunder Bay,
Tillsonburg and Vanier.
The projects are expect-
ed to generate additional
revenue to the municipality
in the form of rents and
beds, basest • on the new
formula, it will mean that we
will have to take a very hard
look at' the serviees being
provided, as the new bed
allocation will be probably
budget dollars, He poieted
out the Ministry considers
Huron to have •350 surplus
beds.
He said that now is the
time to start' examining all
alternatives open to the
, taxes, and to act as a
catalyst for other downtown
improvements.
The provincial assistance
has been in the form of
partially-recoverable loans
up to a maximum of two-
thirds of the approved post
of the revitalization prOject.
Response to the down-
town program from comm-
unities large and small 'was
so vigorous the ministry
held a, two-day serninarin
Toronto last year to review
all aspects of core preser-
vation and revitalization.
The high level of interest
led to the second initiative,
a companion concept for
help, called the Main
Street Revitalization
Program which was
announced by Housing
Minister Claude Bennett
this past summer.
This program is designed
specifically to help comm.-
unities with populations of
30,000 or less and utilizes
the Business Improvement
Area,,.(BIA)-coneept to spur
downtown improvements.
Under the BIA approach
merchants and business
people' can have their
commercial area designat-
ed as .an improvement area
and then tax themselves
through special levies to
pay for improvements to
streetscapes• and related
facilities.
Since smaller towns often,
lack the capability to
generate the initial funding
necessary for starting
improvement projects,
under the BIA approach,
the provincial government
will provide low-interest
loans of up to $150,000 to
help the community im-
prove and beautify mun-
icipally-owned lands and
hospital if the board Intends
to retain a viable' operating
hospital.
The Rev. H.J.Laragh,
board chairman, asked if the
board should be considering
increasing, the ratio of
chronic care beds from four
-to eight -oil 10, and if that
worked out to boost it to 12.
The administrator said
only the Ministry could
change the allocation of beds
from medical or surgical to
chronic. He said that this
would be difficult because
now there are not more than
four chronic patients to make
a need for an increase in that
area.
Mr. McKenzie said until
1969 there were 14 beds
designated chronic but as the
medical and surgical beds
were in prime demand, the
ratio had been changed.
Or. Rodger Whitman said
this situation should be
discussed with Ministry
officials with the recommen-
dation that more chronic
beds be named. It was noted
Huron County has the largest
population in the province
over 65.
Mr. 'McKenzie said
Ministry- offteials,- -
recommended that hospital
laundry be laundered at' a
central area but he stated it
was being done more
economically at the hospital
than it could be done outside.
He said two employees
buildings in eligible areas,
Provincial officials have
stressed • that both pro-
grams are designed to help
smaller communities help
themselves by providing
initial financial and moral
support for' projects .
Restoration Of confidence
is vital 'to the success of
any'approach to conserving
or restoring main streets:,
Provincial • officials are
convinced there can be
Success only if government,
business and the public. at
large work together to
review and , rejuvenate all
aspects of core areas:
parking, transit, construct-
ion of new' buildings, and
the resteiation of eitisting.
buildings.
Anyone interested ,in
hearing about the kinds of
help available 'for the down-
towns of Ontario's smaller
communities should contact
the Community Renewal
Branch, Ministry . of
Housing, 60 Bloor Street"
West,' Toronto, Ontrio,
M4W 3K7.
handle the job and noted that
Jack Bedard, in charge of the
laundry, was the only
qualified laundryman in a
hospital in Huron County,
"It's a very economical
operation", he 'stated.
It was recommended the`
joint conference committee
should study the whole
situation and the board
should look to the medical
staff for direction ,
Reporting for thee finance
committee. Gordon Dimmer
said total expenses have
been maintained below
budget for the first seven
months of the year as well as
during the month of October.
The statistics for the month
of October have shown some
increases in the usage of, the
hospital in the past month
which has reduced the cost
per patient day considerably
from the previous
months.
Frank Kling Ltd. was
awarded the contract for
snow removal at the hospital.
Wayne Ellis suggested
that the hospital send a letter
to town council asking that
the town snowplow should
give high priority to snow-
plowing out Centennial
Drive, the entrance road into
the hospital. •The hospital•
snow plow usually has to do
the job.
Audrey • McLlwain
reporting for the Public
Relations committee said
four art students from the
high school will p aint the
patients' lounge windows for.
Christmas with hospital staff
painting.Christmas scenes on
other windows.
The board apprOved the
purchase of a memorial book
on Mrs. McLlwain's sug-
gestion to keep a record of
monetary gifts or bequests to
the hospital.
The board appointed
Wayne Ellis to replace
Kenneth Campbell on the
hospital board. Formerly Mr.
Ellis, as a councillor, had
represented the town but as
he is no longeron council it
would mean he would not be
on the board. He is board
vice-chairman. ,
The board accepted with
regret the resignation of
Archie Dobson as a board
member.
Province co-sponsors
forum on core