The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1974-03-07, Page 1-ers
I. in fire Elderly Clandeboye brot
A Monday night fire which
completely destroyed
McGillivray township farm house
claimed the lives of two elderly
men.
Wilson Dodge, 71 and his
brother Sam aged 74 were burned
to death in the fire which started,
shortly before 9 p.m. Monday.
, When the fire was first noticed
in a bedroom of the house,
visitor John Reid, RR 3, Ailsa
Craig-was able to get the two men
to safety.
Reid thought another person
• was in the house and went back to
search. After a few moments he.
was .fgreed back outside by
* flames And• dense smoke. On
arrival outside he was unable to.
lecate the Dodge brothers, They
apparently returned to. the house.
Bodies of the two men and a
dog were found in the debris
Tuesday Morning by Lucan -
Ontario Provincial Police
detachment officers and mem-
bers'of the Ailsa Craig volunteer
fire department,
John Reid had picked Wilson
Dodge up on the road while he
was hitch hiking a couple ofheers
before the fire broke out and went
to the farm house with him to
visit,
Ailsa Craig fire chief .Jack
Branston said his. department
received a call at .0.50 from Mrs.
Allan Hill, who lives on the next
farm to the east. . .
The property on which the
house was located is owned by
David Hill and is Lot 21, con-
cession 2 of McGillivray town-
ship.
Thursday from the Haskett
Funeral Home in Lucan,
Rev, John Hofland of Holy
Ttinity Anglican church in Wean
will be in charge of the service
and burial will be in St. James
Cemetery, Clandeboye.
They are survived by brothers
Wallace, West Lorne and
William, Lucan; and sisters Mrs.
Florence Kenney, Lucan; Mrs,
Mary Jane Soloman, Rodney;
Mrs. Lawrence Beckett,
Woodharni, Mrs. Louis Barth
Melbourne and Mrs, Thomas
Borg, Toronto.
Samuel Dodge is survived by
his wife, the former Ella Haggith,
a son, John of Detroit and
daughters Mrs. William (Mar-
tha) Cornell, Melbourne; Mrs.
Doug (Susan) Delarey, London;
Mrs. Fred (Caroline) Welch,
Detroit; Mrs. Mel (Shirley]
Wann and Mrs. Francis
(Dorothy) Scott, Nashville,
Tennesee; Mrs. Violet Welch,
California; MrS. Paul
(Margaret) Venou, Rodney; and
Elaine Dodge, London.
The farm is within the.
jurisdiction of the Ailsa -Craig
department which McGillivray
has a working agreement with.
A 1970 automobile owned by
Mr,. Reid which was parked at the
front door of the house Wag'
completely gutted by the fire.
cause of the fire has' not been
determined by OPP officers and
fire marshall officials, although
it is believed to have started in A .
bedroom,
Coroner Dr. Robert Green of
London had indicated the Dodge
brothers had been drinking
previous to the fire. The remains
of the two men were released
'from St. Joseph's hospital , in
London at 11 a,m. Wednesday
after positive identification was
made.
Dr. Green has not indicated if
an inquest will be held.
Wilson Dodge was an en.
thusiastic horseshoe pitcher and
is believed to have been an
Ontario champion in the' mid-
1920's,
Funeral services for the -two
men are being held today,
.16MSW.Vgarammationaw
Harbingters of spring
While area residents ma31 still . The warm sunny days have the
be unsure if the current spring birds believing spring is here.
weather is "for real”, the 're not A T-A reader called Wednesday y to report he spotted a robin in
alone. Exeter.
FIRE AND POLICE OFFICIALS spent several hours Tuesday 'combing the ruins of the farm house west of
Clandeboye searching for the bodies of Wilson and Samuel Dodge who died in the blaze. Shown in the
above picture are Sgt. Sid Daley and Corporal Bernie Crane of the Lucan OPP detachment, Constables Ron
Rupert of the London detachment, Hugh McDonald and fire chief Jack Branston of the Aliso Craig fire
department. T-A photo
\ .fr
. .. =...,,, ..
IN THE ABOVE PICTURE officers of the Lucan and London OPP detachments officials of the Ontario Fire
Marshall's office, the coroner, Ailsa Craig fire department members and bystanders look over the ruins
of the house in which Wilson and Samuel Dodge lost their lives in ,a Monday night fire, west of Clandeboye.
One Hundred and First Year EXETER, ONTARIO, MARCH 7, 1974 Price Per Copy 25 Cents
Okay $5,000 expenditure
to update town plan, zoning
Propose senior apartments
near Bluewater rest home
Hay township council has given
tentative, approval to the
directors of the Blue Water Rest
Home at Zurich to construct
additional facilities.
A delegation from the Rest
Home executive told council they
were planning construction of
Senior Citizens home on property
directly across Highway 84 from
the present rest home.
..The„giglit acre property which
IS part of lot 20 Concession 12 was
recently purchased from Robert
Westlake of Zurich.
Nang presented showed eight
apartments would be available in
each of five building units. In the
first phase of construction three
units would be completed.
The proposed apartments will
be housing geared to elderly
citizen&who can afford their own
facilities and will relieve the
housing shortage in the area.
It was pointed out, the new
project is not in any way com-
petition to the Ontario Housing
Corporation low rental geared to
income apartments .being
planned in the village of Zurich,
° Rubble behind Dodge home near Clandeboye
make a donation, of $500 to the
project. Stephen had earlier
given the same amount of money
to the project.
Others in the Dashwood
delegation were Donald Rader,
Mervyn Tiernan, Lorne Becker,
Hubert Miller and , Robert Hoff-
man.
Later in the meeting council
discussed the possibility of for-
„Litjeg,,AtTepelip-wide recreation
program,
The tender of Robert Farrish of
Listowel to supply and spread
the township's 1974 gravel needs
was accepted. The Listowel firm
with the lowest of two tenders
received will Complete the
contract for $2.28 per cubic yard.
Completion date is to be June 15.
Approval was given road
superintendent Karl Haberer to
attend the C.S. Anderson road
school at the University of
Guelph, May 5-8.
Drainage problems and traffic
hazards caused by ,cultivation of
rogdside lands has forced the
township to pass a bylaw which
will be strictly enforced.
A copy of the bylaw appears on
another page of this edition.
Mathers be permitted to, erect a
larger sign at his Main St.
business location.
His typewriter business is
presently opprated in a
residential zone and Mathers has
applied to have the property
rezoned to commercial and to
have a larger business, sign
erected.
Planning heard, explarned that
the area would probably be
rezoned when the updating takes
place and suggested that Mathers
be asked to withdraw his ap-
plication for rezoning.
They did suggest that he be
permitted to' erect a larger sign.
Councillor Bruce Shaw ex-
plained this was against the
bylaw and said council had no
alternative but to deny the
request for the larger sign.
board, but voted against another.'
They agreed with the board to
not grant permission for
Walper's Super test to • park
damaged cars on the lot near the
corner of Main and Alexander
Streets.
The lots is question are
residential and it was noted that
two new homes have been built in
the area.
Councillor Ben Hoogenboom
explained that property north of
Walper's had a "for rent" sign on
it and he suggested the firm avail
themselves of this property if
they require extra space to house
wrecked cars awaiting final
clearance from insurance
companies.
Council then turned down a
recommendation from the
planning board that Jerry
Bank robber given
three years in jail
The delegation included Gerald
Gingerich, Dr. C.A. Wallace, Ray
McKinnon and Joseph Rici.
A second delegation at Mon-
day's regular meeting
represented, three organizations
from the police village of Dash-
wood.
The Dashwood group included
village trustees, Chamber of
Commerce and Men's club. The
deleggien„ yos,„
spokesman Doug Riddell;
The delegation asked council
why co-operation had not been
given previously on the Dash-
weod Community grounds
project.
During the past year, a
pavilion was built on the grounds
adjacent to the Dashwood
Community Centre. It is located
in' Stephen township and is being
administered by council of that
municipality.
Riddell said government
grants were not forthcoming until
Hay signed en agreement with
Stephen to share the cost of any
deficits which may occurr,
After the delegation left,
council authorized officials to
sign the agreement and also
Exeter water rates
to jump 50 percent
Lions report plan
for tennis courts
debenture, noting that the project
could be delayed if they insisted
on the 30-year period. PUC
manager Hugh Davis pointed out,
in fact, the 30-year period could
be turned down completely.
He went on to explain that any
delays in the project could
escalate the costs to a point
where any savings to be made by
a longer financing term would be
wiped out anyway. 1.
Council and the PUC then held
a special meeting on February 23
and approved changing the
debenture application to 20 years.
This will result in water bills
for domestic consumers jumping
from the present $35 per annum
to $52,50.
Total cost of the local project
has been estimated at $358,000.
The Exeter PUC, which has
announced substantial increases
in both water and hydro rates this
year, have further bad news for
local water consumers.
Due to a communication from
the Onta'rio Municipal Board, the
proposed increase for water will
be 50 percent over the current
rates. The PUC had previously
announced the increase would be
45 percent.
The change came about When
council received a letter from the
OMB advising that it was not
board policy to permit 30-year
debenture terms as had been
requested to finance the erection
of Exeter's new water reservoir
on Nelson St,
Apprised of this, the PUC asked
council to approve a 20-year
NEW POLICEMAN — The
newest raember of the Exeter
town police department com-
menced his new duties this week.
He is Joe O'Driscoll, a native of
Carbonear, Newfoundland.
Constable O'Driscoll has been a
member of the Canadian Armed
Forces since 1965 and hos been
stationed in London in addition to
ci stint in Europe. T-A photo
Exeter council agreed this
week to allocate $5,000 to have the
official plan and zoning bylaws
updated.
The work will commence in the
near future, but will .probably
take over a year to complete.
The recommendation to un-
dertake the project vas, _made by
t he" local planning board,
J.L. Wooden, representative of
the board, said the work involved
in such a project was more than
anyone on the board could un-
dertake.
He suggested there would be
rezoning in several areas.
"It's about time we had some
direction as to where we are
going," commented Councillor
Bruce Shaw in presenting the
motion to approve the $5,000
expenditure.
Lone dissenter was Deputy-
Reeve J;lelen Jermyn. However,
her complaint was not against the
project but only against the
method in which it was to be
undertaken.
Mrs. Jermyn, who 'previously
had urged council to have the
plan and bylaw updated, said it
bothered her that council did not
take advantage of the county
planning officials to perform
work in Exeter.
She had also urged for con-
sideration to have students hired
for the summer under a govern-
ment scheme where their pay is
subsidized.
Members doubted this would be
practical and noted that the
county officials are so busy it
would be over two years before
they could undertake an Exeter
project.
In okaying the $5,000 ex-
penditure, council approved
having the work undertaken by a
firm of professional planners.
At the meeting, council en-
dorsed one other recom-
mendation from the planning
be easier if the confinement were
not too long.
Judge Marshman agreed with
the suggestion for three years,
noting that the money had been
recovered.
In a morning court session,
Judge Dunlap of Sarnia granted
an absolute discharge to Stephen
J. Icely, Port Elgin, who had
pleaded guilty to stealing a
quantity of motor oil from
various service stations in the
area in November.
He was with three friends
celebrating a birthday and the
incident was referred to as more
or less a practical joke.
The court learned the accused
had graduated from grade 13 and
intends to study law and it was on
this basis that defense lawyer N.
Pickell pleaded for the discharge.
' After giving the youth some
advice, Judge Dunlap granted
the discharge.
In other court cases;
Wayne Andrew Miller,1 Dash-
Please turn to page 3
. Exeter Lions announced this
week they plan to build tennis
courts in Riverview Park if the
land can be acquired free and if
the local RAP committee will
assume operation of the facility
when it is completed.
The announcement was made
at Monday's council meeting by
,Lions vice-president, Glenn
While members present •
greeted the news with en-
thusiasm, there was some in-
dication they would prefer , to see
the tennis courts built near the
high school as previously plan-
ned.
RAP chairman Gord Baynham
was at the 'Monday Session of
council and said his committee
had chosen the community park
as a site for a tennis ' court
because it could be used for
school instruction as well.
Councillor Bruce Shaw said in
reply to a question from Kells
that the high school change
rooms and toilets would be
available to the tennis players of
the community at nights,
Saturdays and during the sum-
mer.
Kells said he wondered if the
public would use the tennis
facilities if they were built at the
school rather than Riverview
Park, ,
However, 'he said the site was
open for discussion.
The matter will be further
discussed by a Lions represen-
tative and RAP on Monday.
Norton Irwin, London who
pleaded guilty to robbing the
Dashwood sob-branch of the
Bank of Montreal on January 21,
was sentenced to three years in
penitentiary in Exeter court this
week. 1
The sentence was handed out
Friday afternoon by Judge G. G.
Marshman, London.
Arrned with a gun, Irwin
arrived at the bank around 3:00
p.m. and ordered the two tellers
to hand over the money, He then
locked the two, Miss Diane Holt
and Mrs. Bill Edwards in the
bank wastiroom.
Unable' to lock the door,he
placed a small vial filled with a'
clear liquid against the outside of
the door and told the two Exeter
women they would be blown up if
they touched the door.
The pair finally escaped
through a window to notify police,
Irwin was arrested about two
hours later in the Hensall Hotel
and $10,000 in cash recovered.
A pre-sentence report given
Friday indicated Irwin had two
previous convictions under the
Criminal Code.
Irwin's defense lawyer
pleaded for as short a period of
imprisonment as possible,
arguing that rehabilitation would
Cottagei, home entered
Missing paint found
JOINS OPP — The newest
member of the Exeter Ontario
Provincial Police detachment is
Constable Bill °Merit:1o. A riative
of Holland, Constable Osterloo
has been with the OPP for seven
years. T.A photo
Police didn't have to go far to
find at dozen paint spray bombs
stolen from Ball Macaulay Ltd. in
Repeal] on the weekend.
However, when they found the
paint it was not in the cans.
It had been 'used to paint ob-
scenities on four silos and two
sheds of the nearby W. G.
Thompson St Sons Ltd, mill,
OPP Constable Bob Whi teford is
investigating. '
Four Hensall juveniles have
been questioned regarding
damage to a travel trailer owned
by Bendix Homes. The unit
'sustained damage of $167 while
parked beside the cwrt tracks 'in
' Hensall prior to shipping.
Parents Of the youths involved
hive agreed, to make restitution
for the damage.
Opp Constable Bill Glassforcl
was in charge of an investigation
which led to charges being laid
against three Zurich youths for
theft,
They were apprehended after
police were called to investigate
the theft of $230 worth Of power
tools trete a home owned by Ross
Dobson on the North Boundary of
Hay. The home is under
renova lion.
The power tools have been
recovered.
tight cottages at Cantiii Beach
in the St, Joseph area Were
broken into recently. Loot con•
sisted mainly of liquor and one
Movie projector,
Cottages entered were owned
by BO Dinney, Doug Knowles,
Albert Geiser and Art Gaiser, all
of Exeter and P. Cantin„ Jean
Paul Cantin and Robert Burns of
Michigan,
Constable Al Quinn discovered
the *Akins at the, latter three
cottages when he was called to
investigate the thefts from those
owned by the Exeter residents.
Entry had been gained by
smashing windows and kicking in
the doors of the buildings.
Police are also investigating
vandalism at 'Osborne Central
School. Several windows were
smashed by beer and pep bottles,
Damage was listed at $150.
DUCKLINGS ATTEND CARNIVAL — A Wee crowd attended Senor.
day's Exeter figure skating dub carnival and belayed On excellent
program, Shown ebeve are a bunch of ducklings. From the left, they
Shelly Kraft, Tracy lee Spencer, Cheri We'diake, Denise Lang,
Heather Jamieson, Julia Tieman, Rhonda Turnbull, Brenda Baltdoe and
Kim Hoffman, T-A photo