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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-06-05, Page 3 FREEZER SPECIALS HEIFERS Fronts 75' Sides 99' Hinds '1.39 STEERS Fronts 79' Sides '1.05 Hinds... .9.45 SIDES OF PORK Cut, Wrapped & Sharpfrozen MONEY BACK GUARANTEE We Are The CUSTOM KILLING PROCESSING SPECIALISTS * Custom Deluxe Processing * Pickup Service * Aging Coolers For 1 10 Carcasses * Smoke House Facilities * Rendering * Government Inspected KILLING DAYS BEEF -- MONDAYS HOGS — WEDNESDAYS Times-Advocate, .4,vne 5, 1975 Page 3 Food Market EXETER Burns Frozen LINK SAUSAGE ..,694 HSAUSAGE MEAT LAP& STEWING BEEF Ground ROUND STEAK Boneless Smoked HAM SLICES BOLOGNA LB, By The 49' Piece LB. 'Save town hall' gains converts On the left is a photo of the town hall at pie,,ent, while above is a Fanshowe College students' drawing of what it could resemble after restoration. When Mayor Bruce Shaw named a committee to study the future of Exeter's town hall, he advised council that the mem- bership involved people who held divergent views on whether or not the structure should be saved. Monday night, that committee showed a unanimous front in recommending that the town hall be preserved "as it is ar- chitecturally one of the most significant buildings in Exeter." Alter the report had been presented, Mayor Shaw said it indicated a "cl?ange of heart" for some memberS of the committee and comments made by some members of council also indicate a few of them have had a change of heart over previously ex- pressed opinions that the structure should be demolished. "1 hope we can begin work on restoring the building," ,Shaw said, indicating he was one' of those who had their opinions altered by the committee report. Councillor Ted Wright, who admitted he previously was opposed to saving the structure, stated he was less definite now and was "straddling the fence," while Deputy-Reeve Tom MacMillan said the report did a good selling job and he had changed some of his opinions. Reeve Derry Boyle was the only member of council to make comments indicating he was opposed to the recommendation. However no members of council made any move to suggest that the town hall should be renovated to house town facilities now slated to move into the former post office-, although the door was opened for such an option. It was learned that the lease for the former post office has not yet been signed with the federal department of public works and plans for the alterations will have to be delayed until the signing takes place. The committee studying the town hall had been mildly critical of council's decision to move out of the structure even before their report was presented. In the opinion of the committee, the town hall could be restored for an amount comparable to that being spent on new municipal offices. " Council has provided $35,000 in their current budget for renovations at the pogt office, while committee chairman Doug Gould suggested the cost of renovating the town hall would be in the range of $30,000 to $40,000. In his opening remarks, Gould said it would "take something 'short of a miracle" to save the town hall in view of some Councillor's opinions, but urged council to give the recom- mendation every consideration.• Recalling portions of 'the engineering study done on the structure some time ago, Gould noted there was no evidence of uneven settling in the building and that the super structure had been declared sound, He suggested the cost of repairs was not exorbitant when in fact it represented the repairs that should have been made to the building over the past 25 years, The committee was en- couraged by the enthusiasm of the young people in the corn- ' munity "who are concerned with their heritage" and concluded his remarks on a positive note by' saying that members of his committee were prepared to serve on a restoration committee "when you proceed," "You should live so long," Reeve Boyle remarked. Members of the committee presented Sketches of town halls in other communities that had been restored and also a drawing of the local facility showing what it could look like if a restoration project was undertaken, Mayor Shaw said council would he "demonstrating gross• negligence" if they ignored the report and said he was pleasantly surprised and pleased with the results of the committee's ef- forts. Some highlights of the report. taken from the prepared statement, were as folloWs: In 1871 Joseph Howe made the statement, "A wise nation repairs its public structures and fosters national pride and love of country by perpetual reference to sacrifices and glories of the past." Town halls and their fate as they begin to creak with age are constantly a recurring subject in the news of Ontario towns. Town halls that have been restored and are serving a very functional place area great source of pride to their communities. To mention a few that fall in this category and are within an hour's driving distance we would recommend St. Marys, Wood- stock, Stratford and Petrolia. Most of these buildings were destined to fall under the wrecker's hammer because of their state of disrepair. These same buildings are now on the tourist attraction pamphlets for Western Ontario. The history of a country can be told by its architecture, The Exeter Town Hall was built in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and in a period when Victorian architecture was at its peak, (it might also be noted that this was the same year Trivia Memorial Church was erected). Our town hall is typical of small town halls built during that era, and if restored to its original appearance as proposed, the simplicity and gracefulness of this structure could be an asset to the appearance of our town and community. Its erection in 1887 (at a cost of $8,000 including finished interior' and furnishings) was brought about by a 91 percent majority vote and the need for better court facilities. Perhaps this same need could beoneof the principal factors in the preservation and restoration of the same building nearly nine decades later. History does have a habit of repeating itself! The clock in the tower was one of three identical clocks built by George Hess of Zurich, a well- known Swiss clockmaker. It was designed for this building and is considered by antique clock experts to be quite a unique timepiece. Many residents of the town refer with nqstalgia to the ringing of the town bell. The bell tower provides a stately crown for the building and is typical of early architecture. The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario are quite well aware of the significance of this building. Their organization believes that our architectural heritage is a trust entailing responsibility on our part so that future generations should have the opportunity to enjoy achievements of the past. May we give this aim due consideration in determining the future of our Exeter Town Hall. Meinbers of the committee have investigated uses for the town hall and have suggested some alternatives, The Exeter Police nepa r tm en t is presently operating out of very cramped quarters in the town hall and there seems to be a genuine need for more space for the department. Since there arc cells in the present quarters there should not be any thought of moving the police to a new location, ,. There are two alternative ways more space could be provided, A Committee finds work invigorating Working on town committees is "challenging and invigorating." That was the comment made by Doug Gould, who presented a report to council this week on the future of the town hall. He urged council to continue encouraging citizens to become involved in municipal projects. Later in the meeting, Mayor Bruce Shaw urged council members to think of new projects to keep citizens involved in community affairs. Exempt hall from taxes Exeter council agreed this week to exempt Exeter Lions from payment of taxes on their Scout Hall property on John St. The request for this action came from Lions spokesman Peter Raymond. He said council had set a precedent in this regard by providing a grant to the lawn bowling club equal to that of their taxes and urged them to do the same for the Lions as long as the building is used for community purposes. He said the building was operating at a loss and any revenues that were being realized were being invested in repairs, Originally, the Scout Hall property was not assessed by the town. However, it was assessed when this function was taken over by the province. Won't replace Huron paving The contractor doing the sewer work probably won't be replacing the portion of pavement. being excavated for tree project on Huron St„ East, Road committee chairman Ted Wright said this week it was found there was no gravel base under the pavement and "we don't feel it would make sense"' to replace the pavement until it was properly excavated and back filled. His committee recommended that if possible, the contractor excavate the street and it be filled with the proper amount of gravel and then left for this year, ,The town's works superin- tendent and consulting engineer were empowered to make a suitable arrangement with the contractor if possible. One group in town which could use more l'acilities for gathering is our senior citizens. This room would also be, a good location for these people as it is central and access is easy. The room, as envisioned, would he a place for friends to meet, to play cards and to visit. To make either of these uses possible it will be necessary to provide some kitchen facilities and two washrooms. This could be done al the rear of the room and would leave adequate space for meeting and gathering. The large door on the front of the fire hall would be closed permanently and perhaps, replaced by replicas of the original doors with a round window above, As well, the present main floor washrooms would be removed and the original entrance to the fire hall reopened, The front door' and entrance hall could easily be restored and made a fitting introduction to the simplicity of this graceful town hall. The front door should be replaced with double doors and a round window as was originally in the building. The present door and glass brick are out of character. For the upper room of the town hall there are several viable uses. Many groups in town would be willing to rent a room of this size for meetings. The ministry of transport uses facilities in the town hall for driver examination and could well use the auditorium for this purpose. As well, another provincial ministry has expressed interest in renting the room one or two days a week. Revenue from this source would be $50.00 per day. For this upper room to be serviceable it will be necessary to repair the plaster, paint the walls and refinish the floor. Air' con- ditioning would also make the room more useful in the summer months. To make continued use of the building feasible it will be necessary to do some work on the exterior, The roof needs reshingling. storm windows should be installed to save heat and cut down on traffic noise, in the building. New eavestroughs are fleecier' as well as a fire escape for the second floor. The tower should he sealed against weather inside the top to prevent further weather damage to the interior' of the building. Some steps should he taken to improve the condition of the public washrooms at the rear of the building. A preferable alternative would be elimination of this addition to the structure. The present building inspector's office at the front of the building should also Is' removed as it is nil an integral part of the structure and (101110s fro m the architectural merits of the Inn Idling. The exterior brick walls need some !Twinning and the brick should be sandblasted at the same time as this would restore the original , finish which was much more attractive than the present peeling paint. All of the suggested uses are necessary in town. It would cost council considerable money to provide alternative quarters for the town police. We feel that the other uses suggested would produce revenue to repay a good deal of the cost of renovation and restoration work. In addition grants might be available to assist with some of the work. 11 will be necessary to look into such programs as Opportunities for Youth, Local Initiatives :grants, Winter Works programs and the provisions of the Elderly Persons Act. Help and or advice is available from other govern- ment departments, the Ontario Heritage Foundation, Heritage Canada and the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. It should always be remem- bered, however, that this is a local landmark and that restoration and rehabilitation should be primarily a local project . door could be cut in the south wall of the present quarters and the Department could take over a portion of the old fire hall. Anotherplan • would see the Police take over the present Council Chamber in addition to their present area. This seems to he the preferable plan as no structural changes would be required. A further advantage of turning the council chamber over to the police is that the fire hall could be left as one room. Committee members fell a need for a room in the town's public building which could be a meeting place for groups within the community. The size of the fire hall makes it a very suitable place for small and medium-sized groups to gather. At present it is difficult to find a room to rent for this size of group.