The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-08-23, Page 4siMAWIWIE,Mnr. aniMPREMBSIMMWOMMONA
Times Established 1873
Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
Editor Bill Batten — Advertising Manager
Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh
Women's Editor — Susan Greer
Phone 235-1331
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C,W.N.A., O,W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386
Paid in Advance Circulation,
March 31, 1972, 5,037
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $8.00 Per Year; USA $10.00
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ONLY A MIRACLE
CAN SAVE HIM
NOW
umilanties shake your prejudices
Then you multiply by two
Can you.name a municipality in
Canada where citizens call the
mayor about drain and snow
removal problems — where
little interest is shown in
municipal politics unless
something goes wrong , . where
there are enough church pews for
double the number attending
church.,. where a nearby
airport has been turned into an
industrial park . . where a
historian noted the large amount
of alcohol consumed by early
settlers . , . where young people
generally have to move to the
nearby city for employment . .
where major crime is most in-
frequent . where the police
chief may complain that parents
"don't give a damn" about
knowing what their offspring are
doing . • where merchants don't
take an active interest in their
own business association .
where people opposed regional
school boards . where
recreation and parks are given
high priority?
Residents of Exeter may im-
mediately spot themselves from
that list, but so too will the people
of Lachute, Quebec, where the
writer spent two weeks this
summer.
The similarity in the two
communities is almost uncanny
and leads one to the question of
whether there is really little
difference between the populace
of any part of Canada,
Somehow, people expect things
to change drastically when they
step over the border into La Belle
Province, but search as they will,
they will find it extremely dif-
ficult to find any drastic changes
in the way of life or the attitude of
people.
We may read of extremists in
Quebec and an anti-English
feeling, but it does not become
evident on a two-week stay in
Lachute.
The majority are bilingual,
particularly the French speaking
residents, and the average tourist
or visitor finds little difficulty in
conversing with those with whom
he comes in contact.
On the rare occasions on which
it is necessary to attempt to
convey some thought or request
when dealing with someone who
speaks only French, a smile
quickly lights their face and they
show a great deal of patience and
encouragement as you try to
stumble along with a few
remembered phrases or words
from an Ontario high school
French class.
It is with amazement — and no
small sense of jealousy — that
one listens to bilingual citizens
move easily from one language to
the other without even a hesitant
pause or change of thought.
There is, however, an
uneasiness, although it is not
something that surfaces and it is
difficult on which to put a finger.
It no doubt stems in part from
the communication problem,
rather than being an English-
French animosity.
It can probably be best ex-
plained in comparison with a
situation where two people may
be whispering in the vicinity of a
third person. That person tends to
quickly assume the others are
talking about him, although that
may seldom be the case.
Having people speak French in
your company when you do not
understand the language tehds to
create that type of uneasy feeling
and it appears to exist with the
English speaking who are not
bilingual.
Within such a community, of
course, groups tend to form that
have their founding on
languages. People live in areas
with others with whom they can
communicate and conduct their
business and social affairs on the
same basis.
For instance, the Rotary Club
in Lachute is predominantly
English speaking, while the
Richelieu Club is French. The
Lions tend to be made up of
members who are completely
bilingual and meetings move
freely from one language to the
other.
Those who are bilingual, of
course, enjoy the best of two
worlds.
People who can not com-
prehend in both languages in
such a community, in effect,
D,..44'e. A rewn
know only half of what is going
on.
During the exchange trip by
this writer, many community
officials were interviewed and
each of those chats revealed
information and situations not
unlike those which officials in
Exeter would convey.
Lachute is about four times
larger than Exeter, with a
population of 12,000. About 80
percent of the residents are
French speaking, almost a
complete reversal over the past
25 years for the community which
was first settled by Americans
who came to produce potash from
the trees nestled at the foot of the
Laurentian mountains,
Many of them eventually
returned to the U.S.A. and the
area was then developed by
immigrants from Scotland,
Former MPP Bill Cottingham
reported that this has led to the
area having a general "frugal
tendency" over the years and lie
claimed it would be difficult to
find many people — especially in
the rural area — with debts.
He said that during his term in
the provincial parliament, few
farmers from the Lachute area
applied for farm loans. "They
didn't like to have any debts over
their heads," he explained.
He also remarked that many
took more pride in their barns
than their homes, and it wasn't
uncommon in the area to spot
barns that were in better repair
than the nearby farm home.
Mr. Cottingham, whose family
history dates back to the founding
of Lachute, served as Minister of
Mines under Premier Duplessis
and was a bit of an "oddity" in
that he was the only English
speaking and non-Roman
Catholic member of the cabinet.
Now retired in one of Lachute's
most historic buildings, he
carries on his hobby in
genealogy, providing many
people from throughout the
continent with information on
their family trees.
His home bears the inscription
of "The Gavin Walker
Schoolhouse, used as a
Protestant elementary school —
1808-1934. Used for Roman
Catholic Mass each Sunday —
1828-1867. Bricks are hand made.
Renovated in 1963 by Mr. W.M.
Cottingham".
The home is filled with
historical furniture, including
letters from Sir Wilfred Laurier,
pictures of Lachute's first mayor,
Pat Dunbar, when the com-
munity was incorporated in 1885,
and even a desk used by Etienne
Cartier.
"There's a very good spirit in
this community," he states. "The
Scottish and French get along
well."
His father was bilingual and
Mr. Cottingham learned French
at the age of 15.
In his political speeches, he
always started in French and
then switched to English. In his
home, he always speaks French
to any French-speaking visitors.
He recalls one time on the
campaign trail when he almost
tended to ignore the English
speaking members of the
audience when an English voice
shouted out, "we're here too".
He'll tell you there are just as
many English speaking
Separatists as there are French,
and he labels them all flatly as
bigots.
It's an opinion that may not be
too far from that expressed by
the present MPP for Argentuil
County, Dr. Zoel Saindon.
The Liberal MPP, who also
serves as Mayor of Lachute,
notes that separatism for Quebec
is impossible. "It would be
suicide," he claims in stating
emphatically he's a federalist.
Dr. Saindon is also convinced
that the Party Quebecois will lose
ground in the next election and
will have less than • their seven
seats won in the last provincial
election.
"I wouldn't be surprised if none
was elected," he stated.
Unlike Mr. Cottingham, Mayor
Saindon is a relative newcomer to
the area, and quickly made his
way into the political scene.
He moved into the
predominantly French section of
the community and won the
Act girl +no*
mayor's post in an election in
1964.
Precedent would have called
for him to step aside two years
later for an English speaking
mayor, but Dr. Saindon decided
to seek re-election and won again
in 1966. Since then, terms for
municipal councillors have been
set for four years,
The Mayor claims his move to
break with tradition wasn't a
French-English situation, but
rather one to provide more ef-
fectiveness in his office.
He said that with a two-year
term, it took one year to know
where he was going and the
following year wasn't long
enough to get done the things he
wanted.
"I felt it wasn't good" he said in
reference to stepping out after
only two years to make way for
an English speaking head of
council.
The Mayor is the first to admit
that his move made some of the
older English speaking com-
munity unhappy. In fact, he says
he really doesn't blame them in a
way although he suggests it was a
practical move on his part.
Some of the resentment still
remains as Lachute has had a
French speaking mayor since his
initial term of office.
My wife cannot understand
why anyone wants to travel,
when he can sit in his own
backyard and commune with the
gods. I'm beginning to agree with
her.
Getting ready is kind of a pain
in the arm, especially if you must
have a vaccination.
Obtaining a passport sounds
easy. Heck, it's more trouble
than getting married or dying.
All you have to do is fill in a
form, The form is slightly more
complicated than your income
tax form.
Then, you must find someone
who will swear that you are who
you say you are. This person is
called a guarantor and can be
practically anyone except your
neighbour.
Then you must obtain a birth
certificate. This is fairly simple if
you know where you were born. If
you don't, or you happened to be
born in Zilch, Yugoslavia, it can
be complex.
You must have passport photos
taken. You can't just use an old
He refers to the English
speaking citizens as being more
conservative by nature than their
French speaking neighbors,
particularly the older
generations.
Dr, Saindon said many of the
progressive projects he instituted
were opposed by the older
English speaking populace
"because they don't care for
improvement".
However, he says that while
even the younger English
speaking citizens tend to be more
conservative than the French,
they want to see the town develop
and go ahead.
When Dr. Saindon took office,
seven out of 10 high school
graduates had to move out of
Lachute to obtain work. In the
60's the population was
decreasing on an average of 125
people per year.
Since 1970, the population has
been increasing.
As a member of the Liberal
government, Dr. Saindon finds
little time for his medical
practice. Less than 20 percent of
his time is spent seeing patients
with his dual political role,
He favors regrouping — or
regionalizing — municipalities
for more efficient ad-
ministration, though he's not
snapshot in which you look your
best. Passport photos are an old
joke. They usually make you look
like a zombie. Strangely, ours
turned out well. We didn't pose
for them, because we knew
they'd be gruesome, so they
came out relaxed.
Besides passports and birth
certificates, there is a myriad of
other pother to look after, and
you could use a full-time clerk for
a week or two. Air tickets, money
arrangements, hotel reser-
vations, and who's going to feed
the cat.
A travel agent is almost a must
in these days, when half the world
seems to be on the move. He or
she can smooth a lot of wrinkles
and give valuable tips on how to
win at least the occasional round
in the game.
Many people go to big agencies
in the city. My travel agent, a
personable young local chap,
couldn't have been more helpful
and efficient. (Aside to Bill
Mandly: everything, by golly,
had better be right, after that.)
He told me something about air
fares that is almost unbelievable.
A return ticket to the U.K. can
run all the way from a Christmas
charter at $187 to a regular flight
at $626 (under two weeks), I
shudder to think what a first-
class ticket would cost in the
latter category.
Of course, a business man can
write off the $626 as expenses,
and to the little old lady going
back for a visit after fifty years,
that $187 special might represent
months of scrimping. Even so,
something smells, in the
discrepancy.
Travelling is not cheap, unless
you want to swim across, which
I've contemplated a couple of
times as the bills mount. Only
reason I haven't developed the
idea is that my wife is a good
swimmer, but only for about
thirty yards. I'd hate to see her go
down thirty yards off the Halifax ,
docks, and have to do all the rest
on my own, with nobody to tell the
a proponentof county council.
Be sees county council as a
"social" group primarily and
questions their value,
n Quebec, county councils
have far fewer areas of ad-
ministration than their coun-
terparts in Ontario although they
receive $100 each per meeting,
The Quebec Minister of
Municipal Affairs also opposed
county councils and the latter
ganged up on him and forced his
resignation from that portfolio,
so obviously they still carry some
weight with Premier Bourassa.
Dr. Saindon has 30,500 con-
stituents in his riding and their
main areas of complaint stem
from slow payment of welfare
benefits, unemployment and
losing their driving permits for
highway infractions.
While Mayor Saindon is busy
now, Ronald Hebert, Lachute's
secretary-treasurer, would keep
him and other members of
council even busier.
Mr. Hebert suggests municipal '
administration is becoming in-
creasingly complex and notes
that the Lachute budget has
jumped from $250,000 in 1964 to its
present $2,000,000,
He'd like council to consider.
meeting for half a day each week,
I was steering the wrong course.
Not cheap! Good gravy. Just
looked over the items before we
even left the house. Air ticket —
$332; passport photo — $3;
passport -$10; birth certificate —
$3; limousine to airport — $8;
Britrail pass — $70. Those are
just the basics. Multiply by two if
you're a couple.
Then there are the ever-present
extras: new clothes, expenses to
get to city to get passports, and
the inevitable sundries, too
numerous to mention, as the
auction sale ads put it,
That's before you get on the
plane. You still have to eat and
sleep for three weeks after you
get there. However, I've cut the
whole thing down quite a bit by
cancelling our two daily paper
deliveries for three weeks.
Saved about $6.50 right there.
Our Britrail pass allows us to
go anywhere in the U.K. It may
come in handy. We may be riding
trains all night, every night, to
save hotel bills. And we're taking
along an eight-pound salami and
six loaves of bread, so we might
come through,
I have a vague idea that this
column will not go down as one of
the greatest pieces of exotic
travel literature ever written,
But it is a little hectic around
here. Six hours to takeoff, my
wife is just starting to. pack, I
have to go down and sell my soul
to the bank manager, get up to
the school and look after some
items for September, see young
Wilson next door about feeding
the cat, call the boy about
mowing the lawn, pick up' the dry-
cleaning, get the books back to
the library, and, somehow in
there, try to have a shower and
shave. We might make it, but I
wouldn't bet higher than even
money.
I'll try to do better next week,
when you'll have a despatch from
The Nag's Head, Middle Wallop,
England.
rather than their two evening
meetings per month,
The secretary-treasurer is also
of the opinion municipal coun-
cillors should get more pay than
that which is presently allowed
under provincial regulations.
The mayor is presently allowed
a stipend equal to 30 cents per
population and council members
receive 10 cents.
Mr, Hebert is also in favor of
regional government structures,
suggesting it is the only way to
make it more equitable.
He suggests for such things as
recreation, police and fire
protection, neighboring small
communities take advantage of
Lachute facilities and services,
but aren't prepared to pay their
fair share towards the cost,
However, he also notes that
regional government would give
smaller villages better services.
Taxes in Lachute are much
similar to those in Exeter,
although the break-down may
suggest a different picture.
Residents pay a $50-per-year
water tax and $25 per year for
garbage pickup. These two items
were billed separate to the tax
rate so the 'latter wouldn't look
quite as large.
School tax is collected by the
school board, but on the whole,
owners of comparably priced
homes in Lachute and Exeter
would be paying about the same
amount,
In addition to the four-year-
term for municipal councillors,
the election procedure has other
major differences.
For instance, voting day in
Quebec is Sunday. Experience
has shown a better turnout at the
polls on the Sabbath, and as Mr.
Hebert points out, halls and
schools are available for election
purposes and people are
available to work in election
positions as well as for can-
didates.
Government grants make up
one-fifth of the revenue received
by Lachute. A percentage of the
sales tax is returned to the city by
the province and this year that
amount is expected to run around
$320,000.
It's based on the retail sales in
the municipality for the year.
Lachute has also been taking
advantage of most federal or
provincial incentive grants that
are available. The main street
has recently been reconstructed,
sewer work is progressing in
many areas, the town's water
system has been improved
through a dam built on a nearby
lake system, and park expansion
has been undertaken.
Right now, the Chamber of
Commerce, under president Leo
Louis-Seize, a local
photographer, have a contest on
for residents to suggest projects
that could be undertaken by local
young people with the aid of
provincial and federal grants.
Mr. Louis-Seize hopes to have
200 young people employed in ,
Lachute on such projects next
year.
He's hoping citizens provide
more co-operation in the contest
than most businessmen provide
for the Chamber.
"It's terrible to see their lack of
co-operation," he suggests, a
sentiment that could be echoed
by the Exeter Board of Trade
president Norm Whiting, who had
only five people attend this year's
annual meeting.'
Only half the Lachute
businessmen belong to the
organization, with most of the
enthusiasm coming from
newcomers to the communtity,
As an example, Mr. Louis-Seize
has been in Lachute for only
three years and is presently
serving his second term as
president.
The big project undertaken by
the Chamber is an industrial-
commercial trade fair scheduled
for the latter part of August.
Outside firms have booked most
of the spaces. One, with several
competitors in Lachute, has
booked five stalls.
Mr. Louis-Seize would also like
to see local merchants get more
involved in collective advertising
and promotions to combat neigh-
boring shopping centres which
flood Lachute with advertising
materials.
He claims that within two
years, Lachute too will have a
shopping centre outside the
present business district "and
then the local people will cry
their heads off",
The Chamber also operates a
tourist information booth for
three months in the summer.
With the development of the
large international airport at
their doorstep, many people in
Lachute are expecting a boom,
although the president of the
Chamber finds many merchants
not as enthusiastic as one would
suspect.
One man who is enthusiastic is
Jean-Yves Papineau, Lachute's
development commissioner, who
is trying to stay one step ahead of
the development expected to take
place in and around Lachute
when the airport gets into
operation.
His figures and those of other
professional government plan-
ners indicate that the population
in the area will double within the
next 15 years,
As development officer, Mr.
Papineau's duties extend beyond
those of industrial activities, He's
also engaged in complete town
planning, working closely with
other technical staff to formulate
plans for the growth.
Lachute already has a sizable
industrial park available, it being
the 300-acre municipal airport
purchased by the municipality.
It will be within 2,000 feet of the
projected autoroute being built to
link Ottawa and Montreal.
There are a total of 19 in-
dustries within the Lachute area,
five of them employing around
50, three around 100, three around
300 and then the CIL ammunition
plant at nearby Brownsburg with
900 on staff and the Canadian
Refractories with 500 producing
bricks.
The Major industry in Lachute
is Ayers Ltd., a textile plant
whose blankets are in-
ternationally known.
Five industries have moved to
Lachute within the past three
years, due in no small measure to
the efforts of Mr. Papineau.
He provides prospective clients
with a one-inch thick booklet
detailing all aspects of life in
Lachute and the opportunities
there and in the province.
One of his strong selling points
is the fine recreation snd culture
system in Lachute, as well as its
educational system where the
large polyvalent secondary
school accommodates 3,200
secondary school students.
It's a rather unique school in
that it is operated by two school
boards whose students jointly
utilize the four gymnasiums,
cafeteria and well equipped
workshops and laboratories as
well as the 800-seat auditorium.
He says in his brochure that "it
is noteworthy that a great part of
these educational activities are
geared to the local industrial
requirements".
Some of the major differences
between Exeter and Lachute are
to be found in the educational
system, although again there are
many similarities.
Dr. Andre L'Allier, president of
the area Roman Catholic school
board called in four of his top
administrators to answer
questions during the interview.
It is in the area of education
that an outsider becomes most
confused between the French-
English and Protestant-Roman
Catholic aspects of Quebec.
It even appears to become a
little confusing to Quebec of-
ficials as they end up with French
speaking protestants and English
speaking Roman Catholics.
Conrad Legault, .assistant
general director of the school
system, says he would like to see
the education system based on
language, rather than religion.
The 13 commissioners elected
to administer the Roman
Catholic elementary system join
their 19 counterparts in the St.
Jerome area to administer the
secondary school level.
50 Years Ago
A beautiful array of flowers
was gathered in the basement of
the Public Library Friday and
Saturday last for the first flower
show of the Exeter Horticultural
Society.
Mr. S.M. Sanders has pur-
chased the Exeter and Hensall
branches of the Jackson
Manufacturing Company. The
Exeter factory is located in Mr.
S.M. Sanders' building. Mr.
Davis will still be in charge of the
Exeter branch and Mr. Goodwin
will still be in charge of Hensall.
Mr. J. Decker of Zurich
shipped a car of prize horses to
Toronto to compete in the stock
show at the Toronto Exhibition
which is now in full swing.
Miss Blanches Senior is ap-
pearing this week at the Allen
Theatre, London. Miss Senior
upon completing her engagement
in London will make an extensive
tour of the larger theatres in
Canada and the United States,
25 Years Ago
Russ Snell and Ken Hockey
were winners of the new trophy
donated by the Jones Mac-
Naughton Seeds Co. also a suit of
clothes or topcoat in a scotch
doubles tournament on the local
greens Wednesday.
The hay and straw baler owned
by the Jarrott brothers, Kippen
was partly destroyed by fire on
Monday.
Murray May, representing
Exeter High School left Wed-
nesday for Longford Mills on
Lake Couchiching to attend an
athletic leaders camp.
The interior of Shipka Public
School' is being remodelled,
At a meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce in the Town Hall the
raising of the status of Exeter
Both systems, however, have
different professional staff.
All except one school in the
elementary system is French,
while about 120 English speaking
students attend the other,
Dr. L'Allier and his associates,
however, stress bilingualism in
the system and the French
students receive instruction in
English for half an hour each
day, it usually being in a subject
such as geography where the
instruction is given in English.
He said it was the wish of 95
percent of the parents that
English be taught.
"If everyone was bilingual in
Canada, there wouldn't be any
separatists," he argues, adding
that you're worth an extra man
for every extra language you
know.
He said the emphasis on
bilingualism is mostly due to the
local board, although he expects
it to become more widespread in
the province.
English speaking parents in
Quebec are also asking for
French instruction for their
students, starting at kin-
dergarten.
Religious education does not
entail the same instruction as it
once did in Roman Catholic
schools in Quebec. It is now given
by the teachers and more than
religion, it is instruction in
manners, ethics and general life
attitudes.
Prayers aren't taught as much
as they were.
"We think religion and the way
of life is the same," the board
president commented,
In Quebec, school
reorganization commenced about
20 years ago when schools were
regrouped and the one-room
school disappeared.
The single administration
came later, and similar to
Ontario, it was opposed by many.
"Now the people are pleased
and I hear praise for the
system," noted Paul Emile
Barbeau, director general.
He claims it saved money,
enabled students to receive
specialized training where
required, brought more equitable
and uniform facilities and in-
struction to all students.
In Quebec students must leave
the elementary system at grade 6
or at the age of 13.
One comes away from a
discussion with the school of-
ficials feeling that one of their
main emphasis is on com-
munication — between the
teachers and the administrators,
and the school and the parents.
Every 45 days, the teachers
break for a three-day work
session in which they explore new,
courses and teaching methods;
Refresher courses are given
periodically and last year all but
one math teacher (she was sick)
took such a course.
They were told to attend the
course if they wanted to continue
teaching,
Every 15 days, the board's
administrators meet with a
committee of the teaching and
— Please turn to page 7
from a village to a was
discussed.
15 Years Ago
Work began Tuesday on the
development of a fairground and
playground beside the com-
munity centre at Zurich.
Senator W.H. Golding, Huron-
Perth, received moving tributes
from his colleagues in the Senate
when he returned to the Chamber
recently after a period of ill-
health. He was described as a
"great parliamentarian" and as
a "true, honest Grit of Ontario".
The Exeter Fall Fair is being
held September 16, 17 and 18.
Included in the three-day event
will be the third annual trades
fair.
Misses Helen Taylor and Ruth
Ann McBride of Exeter and
Marion Gill, Grand Bend, former
SHDHS students, are attending
London Teacher's College this
year.
10 Years Ago
Dalton Finkbeiner, Exeter won
the senior champion stallion
award in the Arabian class with
his Ibn Imaraff in the horse show
at the Canadian National
Exhibition this year.
Hon. C.S. MacNaughton won
the PC nomination in Clinton last
night. He was unopposed. Hon
William Davis, minister of
education, spoke at the meeting.
A large and new steamboat
whistle installed at the Dashwood
Planing Mills Ltd. let forth with
an unscheduled blast in the
middle of the night recently and
caused some consternation
among the residents,
The enrolment at SHDHS is
expected to be down from about
760 to 710 owing to the opening of
the vocational training centre at
Clinton,