Times-Advocate, 1985-01-23, Page 1Storm strands hundreds in area
Residents of the area, still digging
out or straggling home after the
winter storrn that blew in Saturday
and pummelled the area almost con-
tinuously until Tuesday, would push
into the nearest snowbank any scien-
tist who expressed the fear the world
is in danger of '-the greenhouse ef-
fect" whereby we are supposedly go-
ing to melt theArctic ice cap by fill-
ing the air with Creon gas from all our
spray cans.
Anyone not safely under their own
roof by Saturday evening did not get
home for at least 48 hours. Snow whip-
ped into impenetrable white sheets by
high winds made driving impossibly
dangerous. The few foolhardy enough
to try were soon turned back by the
police. All highways in this area were
closed Sunday and Monday.
1177 1.7.7tr.
. t
The number of Exeter residents re-
mained relatively constant; only
some 'of the faces were different.
Local residents stranded elsewhere
were balanced by those making an
unscheduled stay in town.
Oldtimers hockey teams from Ex-
eter. Zurich and Ilderton attending a
tournament in Niagara Falls didn't
get back home until Tuesday, two
days later than planned.
Meanwhile, about 70 motorists were
stranded in Exeter. More than half
found refuge at the Legion hall. They
slept in borrowed blankets and sleep-
ing bags on every available horizon-
tal surface, and dined on coffee, soups
and sandwiches donated by townspeo-
ple and businessess. Included were
two policemen and their prisoner
heading for Wiarton.
1:04
A TYPICAL SCENE — This chore of digging a car out of a mammoth snow bank on Main Street
repeated many times in the area Tuesday morning.
T -A
The official population of Granton
increased by one during the storm.
Little six -pound Matthew Nelson
George Westman arrived early Mon-
day at the home of Lyle and Jill
Westman. Mrs. Westman was
assisted at the birth of her child by a
doctor and a student nurse stuck a
few kilometres away and transported
to the Westman house by tractor.
At RR 3 Granton, 63 guests atten-
ding the Saturday wedding of
Carolynn Westman to David Off
stayed on for the weekend.
The newlyweds attired in
snowmobile suits, were driven to
Pearson International Airport in a
four-wheel-drive vehicle early Sun-
day morning to catch a 7:00 a.m.
flight to a Caribbean cruise.
Lucan not only hosted the annual
mixed volleyball tournament spon-
sored by the ladies slo-pitch on Satur-
day, but took in team members from
Crediton, Byron and London who had
not left town before the storm inten-
sified. The Exeter group had played
earlier in the day and left before driv-
ing conditions deteriorated.
Hockey players from Seaforth were
able to reach the safety of the Lucan
arena on Saturday because
passengers took turns walking in
front of the bus for the last few
kilometres to guide the driver. They
were there for the next two days.
Minor hockey teams from Zurich.
Thedford and Mitchell playing in a
Hensall tournament did not leave that
village until late afternoon Monday.
The storm wrote amen to area
church services. All schools were
.. .fin,..,..
closed Monday, and the only one open
the following day was Exeter Public.
Few motorists stranded in Exeter
even attempted to leave when plows
opened one sotqhbound lane Monday
because conditions were still so bad.
A dozen cars were observed sitting
at the side of the road Tuesday mor-
ning on the 22 -kilometre stretch bet-
ween Lucan and Exeter.
Though many people's weekend
plans were disrupted no one in this
are died as a direct result of the
storm. The crisis brought out the best
in human nature, as people saw
others needing help, and immediate-
ly provided assistance. Strangers
became friends as areas residents
provided hospitable havens for
refugees from "the storm of '85".
Ames -
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
& North Lambton Since 1873
One Hundred and Twelfth Year " EXETER, ONTARIO
January 23, 1985
Two area owners plan
..
to reopen boat
Bayfield Boat Yard Ltd. co-owners remained at the scene until about 5 manufacture sections for its line of
Bob Spears, Exeter, and Gary a.m. Monday were treated for boats, including the recently introduc-
Lawrence, Hensall, had to wait exposure. ed Bayfield 36 luxury craft. The com-
almost two days before they could in- Lawrence said the main office with pany has orders for 30 of the $95,000
spect the burning remains of their all the company's records was gone, craft.
Vanastra plant due to being snow- as were a stock room containing, The 12 partially completed boats
bound at their homes. "pretty well everything it takes to saved from the flames can be used to
Spears, of 256 Churchill Diive, said outfit a boat," a number of aluminum re-create moulds and patterns lost in
loss in the Sunday night fire would be
masts, moulds to make fiberglass hull the fire, Spears said.
hundreds of thousands of dollars. sections, a fully -equipped wood shop, It's time consuming but it's a
However, the two men expect to be and a lot of expensive teak lumber in start," he said.
'back in business in the near future storage. The unfinished boats spanned a
from alternative accommodation in The moulds are a heavy loss. They price range of $27,000 retail to $125,000
was Vanastra. were made by the company to fora top-of-the-line 4o -footer, he said.
photo Whiteouts and heavy drifting held
up firefighters trying to reach the
blaze from Clinton and Brucefield
about an hour Sunday night.
- Clinton Assistant Fire Chief Fred
Lobb said firefighters had to stop en
route to call out ministry of transpor-
tation snowplows to clear roads
leading to the scene:
Lobb said fire officials also didn't
expect to get to the scene to i
Area bride and groom
will try again to tie knot
Nobody got to the church in time for
the Scott -Adair wedding Saturda at
By 7:00 p.m. when Kim Ann Adair
was to start down the aisle on the arm
of her father Hugh, the intensifying
storm that began Saturday afternoon
had left v. r .. o ...
and bridesmaid Mona Ritchie ste
ing party scattered like helpless
snowflakes throughout the
countryside. •
The bride-to-be, mother Shirley,
Baby arrives safely
to snowbound mom
A new baby in Granton has a very
calm mother.
Jill Westman was in labour when a
snowed -in friend called seeking
• rescue via the Westman snowmobile.
Westman just told Jackie Hindmarsh
the snowmobile was at her mother-in-
law's, and probably out of commis-
sion. When Hindmarsh called Audrey
Westman, the senior Mrs. Westman
explained her daughter-in-law was in
labour and Jill and husband Lyle
wouldn't be going anywhere to rescue
anybody.
Learning of her friend's condition.
Hindmarsh spoke to two others snow-
bound with her at Funnel's General
Store in Edgewood. Dr. David
Williams of Stratford and student
nurse Jane Reynolds were soon 00
their way by tractor. driven by a
friend of the Westmans, farmer Brian
Curran. Soon a healthy boy. Matthew
Nelson George. was delivered with
the help of a medical kit borrowed
from the Granton fire unit across the
street.
No one's been able to weigh hint
properly. but by the bathroom scales
Matthew comes in at six pounds even
The Westman family doctor sug
gested mother and baby come in for
a check-up when the weather clears.
Jill started labour on Sunday mor-
ning. and Matt was born about 1:20
a.m. Monday. With two girls already
in the family, Jill said she felt like an
old pro. and didn't let the home birth
worry her at all.
Meanwhile. another group of Gran;
ton Westmans had houseguests -- 63
of them. Mrs. Eric Westman •a dis-
tant relative of ,(illi held her -
daughler's wedding on Saturday, and
got to spend more time with her
guests than she'd planned when the
storm snowed Them in.
I wouldn't recommend a .January
wedding to anyone." Westman said.
Fortunately the caterers had some
extra food. but "it was quite an ex-
perience.'' Westman said.
Mrs. West man's daughter Carolyn
and her new husband David Off had
been driven to Pearson International
Airport early Saturda , on their w,mv
to a honeynlcon Caribbean cruise.
The Offs wore snowmobile suits and
went in a four-wheel drive vehicle to
catch the 7 a.m. flight. "Don't you
wish it were you''" West man asked,
referring to the newlyweds in
Barbados
..•.
• - ran. :en.,
about three hours before the schedul-
ed wedding. into a world of blinding
white.
They decided to head out Highway
81 for a friend's home, one laneway
past the motel. They were able to
discern the vague shape of the motel
through the curtain of snow, but could
not find the Jim Patterson gateway.
Finally the car slipped sideways and
stopped. Its frightened occupants
didn' t know what to attemgt - stay
with the car, try to turn around, or get
out and walk.
The decision was quickly made for
them. Alan Walper, reeve of Stephen
Township, had been coming behind.
Ile said "follow me home", and led
the way down the road.
Soon after turning onto the Mollard
line, the Walper vehicle. its wiring
wet with driving snow. coughed to a
halt and refused to start again.
Walper headed out on foot for home-
The female side of the bridal party
sat in their car for the next two hours
with the motor running. huddled
under a blanket to keep warm.
Snowmobilers Paul Love and Don
Melon stopped to offer help. then took
off to find Walper.
The reeve eventually returned with
a tractor. which he hitched to the
truck. With Melon steering and the
ladies squeezed in beside him.
everyone started out for the Walper
farm.
Mrs Adair said she will never
forget that ride. She is sure some of
it was over plowed fields. The women
were very thankful to step into the
Please turn to page 3
Worth the effort
"I think it really was all wor- town office for anyone who would like
thwhile," commented Exeter clerk to borrow it.
Liz Bell this week in assessing the About 50 local citizens took advan-
response for the Local Government tage of ti>e shuttle buses which car -
Week activities. ried them to see the various town
She paid tribute in particular to the departments. In addition, three
TRIVIA WINNNERS
- Councillor Morley Hall presented plaques to the winners of the trivia quiz, part
of Exeter's Local Government Week activities. Tied for first in the adult category were Sharon Chappell
(left), and Olive and Garnet Hicks. Charlene and Christine Chbppell tied for first in the children's class
(Garnet Hicks was not available when the photo wos token.)
i
•
a e ire s cause or to
estimate the damage until Tuesday at
the earliest. "There definitely will be
an investigation," he said.
Lobb said the blaze destroyed
several older connected wooden
buildings but a sprinkler system kept
it from spreading to a newer metal
building, where about 12 sailboats
were stored, and to a glass shop
where volatile resin, used to make
fibreglass, was stored.
Several of the 14 firefighters who
cipal Jim Chapman.
Chapman filmed and edited the
documentary on the town which was
carried on the local cable TV station
during the week.
"He put in a lot of time," Mrs. Bell
explained, adding that there had been
considerable favorable feedback
from citizens who had watched the
show.
She said a number of local residents
taped the show themselves for latter
viewing and there is a copy at the
about 15 students from Precious
Blood Separate School -enjoyed the
tour.
Open houses were held at various
locations including the town office,
rec centre, fire hall, PUC office,
library, etc.
Students at the high school joined
in on the occasion and staged a mock
council session on Friday to debate
some current issues facing local
government in this area. A report of
that event appears elsewhere.
FAIR SERVICE AWARD At Friday's annual meeting of the Exeter Agricultural Society vice-president
Ray Cann presented the annual service award to Bob and Pat Down. T -A photo
Nine vehicles involved
in ehaiiireaetion trash
Nine vehicles were involved in a col-
lision scene on Highway 4 south of Ex-
eter as the blizzard hit the area late
Saturday afternoon.
The four collisions occurred in a
five-mi?tute period between 4:50 and
4:55 p.m. and two of the drivers were
unknown.
Vehicles that were struck by
unknown vehicles were driven by
Donald Truemner, 1111 3 Ailsa Craig.
and ,Joyce Boussey. London Damage
to their vehicles was $500 and $1.000
respectively.
Both Truemner and Boussey were
slopped for two other collisions in the
same area.
One involved vehicles operated by
Robert Friend. Waterloo, and Morley
Thompson. RR 1 Crediton. Damage in
that one was listed al $3.000 and
a passenger in the Friend vehicle.
Valerie Summer, London, sustained
minor injuries
Name trivia champs
Councillor Morley Hall handed out
four plaques bearing the town of Ex
eter crest and the winner's name to
the two adults and two children who
tied for first places in the town's dual -
class quiz based on local history
Tying for top honours in the adult
class were the team of Garnet and
Olive Hicks. and Sharon Chappel
Sisters Charlene and Christine Chap-
pel shared first place in the children's
group
All four lost points ip stating.only
that the next municipal election will
be held in November. 1985, and fail-
ing to specifically identify the dale as
Monday. November 12
The trivia quiz was compiled by
town clerk Liz Bell and Exeter. Public
School principal .lim Chapman. The
history of Exeter. written by former
South Huron High School principal
Joe Wooden. was a productive source
for questions dealing with the past
All entrants will receive a list of the
correct arrsw•ers, and a town of Exeter
pin.
Drivers involved in the other colli-
sion in the whiteout were Luitje Kapp
and Terry Underhill, both of Huron
Park. and ,Judith Mills. RR 1 Cen-
tralia_ Damage to those three vehicles
was estimated al $2.500.
other minor collisions were
reported during the blizzard, most of
them involving single vehicles which
ended up in ditches or stranded along
area roads.
There were three other accidents
during the past week. the first of
which occurred on Tuesday when a
truck driven by Francis Kelders, RR
2 (:rand Bend. rolled over on Highway
83 west of Dashwood Damage was
$1.000
On Wednesday. vehicles driven by
Brian Went. (,rand Bend, and Earl
Walker, RR 1 Thedford, collided on
the Crediton Road at County Road 2
Damage was $2.500 in that one.
The other collision was investigated
on Friday when vehicles driven by
John Baker. Hensall. and Douglas
Thomson.. Goderich. collided on
Highway 84 at 4 in Hensall Damage
was listed at Simon
•