Times Advocate, 1993-03-03, Page 1Snow
And plenty of
it
POPS
id
An series
Second front
Mute
- eller club
hosts tournament
Second front
Top Rookie
Hawks honoured
at banquet
page 15
Education
Board wants
ministry
co-operation
page 22
Ar legis
wrong image
f Iuron Park
The front-page -article iiiaest"
week's Times Advocate about the
opossible sale of the rental homes in
Huron Park contained the statement
that the housing was npopular.with
single' parent families, retirees, end
those on social assistance".
We received several calls.drom
people concerned that this -:por-
trayed a sterotypical image' Of :Hu-
ron Park. Some pointed out that
the majority of tenants do apt .611
into any of those categories, which EXETER - A group of citizens with'a vision for the
is indeed correct. • future are being sought for a public meeting tonight at
The article was intended to re- the South Huron Recreation Centre.
fleet the col erns.many have ex- The Wednesday evening meeting starts at 7 p.m. and
pressed over the effect a privanz.a-orairilladdress possible economic strategies for the South
tion of the housing development Huron area, and how those visions of boosting the lo -
might have on some families who cal economy could be helped by funding from Em -
have come to rely on Huron Park as ploymentand Immigration Canada.
a source of quality housing. Others Federal funds have already been earmarked for a
living in the park would not be as Huron County Community Futures program and it will
affected. be up to the various county districts to present propo-
The Times Advocate apologizes sal$, on how it should be spent. The first meeting was
for making an unfair generalization held last Wednesday in Brussels, followed by a Clin-
of this community. ton meeting Friday. The next meeting after Exeter's
Klapp ants assmance
CLINTON - Huron MPP Paul
Klapp says he wants to be etre that
more than just financial considera-
tions are involved in the prospect of
the rental homes in Huron Park be-
ing put up for sale.
Klapp, when contacted at his
constituency office, said he under-
stands the government directive to
ministries and agencies, like the
Ontario Development Corporation,
to seek ways to reduce costs and
sell off those assets better held by
private enterprise. But he said
there is more than just money to
consider.
'"'My biggest concern is, yes, 1
Want government to run better...but
at the same time I have a social
conscience and I thick of the peo-
ple there," said Klopp, saying that
Huron Park has to be recognized as
Gee of the county's few sources of
If/fordable housing.
..-y futUre5;
tonight at Recreation Centre
will be at the Goderich Township Hall in Holmesville
on March 11.
Those interested in teeing a strategy created to suit
Exeter and its surrounding areas have stressed the need
for the contribution of .individuals from the business
sectors, and possible involvement of service clubs.
Once strategies for the Community Futures program
have been outlines, the plan is to begin the "action
plan" as soon as this summer.
The program is intended to support existing busi-
nesses, attract new industry, encourage local entrepren-
eurs, build up the agricultural sector, or to promote
tourism.•
sscI concerns
lubeCameigalt,ia itglaoty-
nne -it int thy," -said the
MPP, but said he-"MOMchallenge
anyone's claim that the Park was a
money -loser that needed to be sold
off.
It has been a reasonable invest-
ment for the province and the
county," he said.
Klapp said if the idea of selling
the homes can be proven to be ben-
aticial and workable, then he is
"trilling to keep an open mind on
% he issue, but he said the concept of
keeping affordable housing availa-
ble in the area should be a priority.
While some of those currently
renting homes in Huron Park may
be willing and able to purchase
their properties, he cautioned that
some will not have the financial
imeans.
"You can't' t 7ey`'here, they're
up for sale' and expect everyone
will buy their house," Klopp said,
pointing out that since the land is
currently not divided into lots, he
presumed it would have to be sub-
divided, and many new plans of
.twbdivisions.alne being required to
-ft ttegratc affordable housing into
=their concepts.
"We have to have a Itoehtl ehattp
on this," he said.
While he said he hasn't seen any
details of what ODC has in mind
for the housing development it has
:operated for the past 25 years,
Klopp said there arc many ques-
tions to be answered on how a pri-
vatization of the property could be
accomplished, particularly the con-
dition of the services.
Klopp said the sale of Huron
Park had been "scratched at" for the
past 10-15 years by successive gov-
ernments which then avoided what
was seen as a controversial issue.
This time, said Klopp, he expects a
decision on the Park's future soon,
but wants to be sure the govern-
ment gets a full report on the pluses
and minuses of the sale.
He said he has informed ODC of-
ficials that "I don't mind you look-
ing up the concept...but I don't want
to he there the day after you meet
with the minister. I want to be
there that day," said Klopp.
Wo,op stays open
'despite major cutbacks
DASHWOOD - Provincial gov-
artment funding cutbacks that were
feared might close down Communi-
ty Living South Huron's workshop.
program in Dashwood will bathe
rjtheir effect. But officials at "ale
agency which provides programs
and support for many of the area's
mentally handicapped adults, say
the client programs will be kept
running unchanged for another year
tgy undoes= a .>aoalsgic -
it
government funding is best spent.
A public meeting on November
19 revealed how many parents of
clients were convinced the work-
shop program was a vital part of
Community Living's services.
Cutbacks will, however, include
the lay-off of the bus drivers that
transport clients to and lrom the
agencies programs, including the
da nrogram workslThe three
n drivers and to a spare driv-
el., be replaL. ocl by agency staff
who will have to restructure their
'hours to include busing. Many al-
ready have their F -class drivers li-
censes.
John Gray, executive director of
Community Living South Huron
(CLSH), said The cutbacks, which
-aunount "to about $18,000 a year,
-will only buy the agency another 12
:months to get • its strategic plan in
-place to make the fatal decisions.
Gray still says that the Ministry
_of Community and Social Services
;plan to cut those funds from the
workshop program was misdirected
and did not fully understand that
utuing the program also cut its rev-
, compounding the fmaucial
theists -um,
Cisi41441161ave.to change its bud-
geting feanwlas entirely. -
"The thing is, we have to get out
from relying on [workshop] reve-
nue to fund the program," he said.
Roberta Walker, chairman of the
agency board of directors, said the
ministry may be holding up a mov-
ing target. The present cutbacks to
the workshop program may only be
tiniest of many.
"That's the only cut we know of,"
said Walker. "What if they cut the
other budget lutes?"
"The workshop [cutbacks] may
have triggered the concept, but the
board is now looking at services
across the board," said Gray, who
added that ultimately, the financial
Continued on page three
'141/ you're �v Mis a Iic Ito party
An Exeter mother says welfare made it easy for her daughter to leave home
1
EXETER - In simpler times, one had to look no fur -
the( than the Ten Commandments for the golden nilc
"Honour thy father and thy mother".
Nowadays it's not so simple. Parents complain their
children arc so much more demanding, .so much less
willing to obey basic "house rules".
Bringing up teenagers has probably never been easy.
There have always been situations where the conflict
has grown to the point where a son or.daughter would
run away or move out; but now some parents and ob-
servers are saying that not only are teenagers aware
they have the right to leave home, the government is al-
most paying them to do it
The statistics are starting. In Huron County alone,
one out of every 10 recipients of social assistance is at-
tending high school.
One Exeter mother recently experienced the turmoil
of seeing her daughter rebel against her home life and
sea up an apartment in town, all on welfare money.
The mother, who asked not to be identified, gives
every appearance of being a conscientious parent. Shc
speaks openly of her failings as a parent, blit also de-
scribes her home as a "Christian family of good mo-
rals". It was not an abusive home, no alcoholism or
drugs.
"There's no manual that comes with these kids - 12
easy steps to raise your kid," she said, but speaks of
having tried so hard to reach out to her daughter.
So why did her 17 -year old daughter leave home?
While not wanting to "pass the buck" her mother attrib-
utes most of her daughter's problems to peer pressure.
Her friends, some of them welfare recipients already,
enjoyed an independent lifestyle denied most teenagers.
Parties any night of the week, no curfews, no rules, lit -
tie if any school...and no parents.
Even though she sat down with her daughter to
agreed upon some ground rules, in the end the 11 p.m.
curfew for weekdays and 1 a.m. for weekends could
not compare with the freedom en-
joyed by her friends.
"I think if you asked her why she
left, she would say there were a few
rules here, and the people she hangs
around with have none." .
Once the daughter left, she ap-
plied for welfare.
"You just hand this kid a welfare
cheque?" the mother recalls asking
in disbelief when she discovered her
"child" qualified actomattcally on
her 18th birthday.
Since then she has met with her daughter frequently
and has been alarmed at the change in her lifestyle.
Once a good student, she stopped attending high
school full time soon after receiving welfare. Her
mother worries there is j..st not the discipline to get
out of the bed in the mdrnuhg.
Her daughter now has to prove she is actively seek-
ing work in order to keep receiving benefit cheques,
but as her mother knows, the teens all know the sys-
tem well enough to make enough applications to file a
report, without any danger of being hired.
"We're not helping them...how arc they going to bet-
ter thenhselves?" she complains. "To be on welfare
used to be a disgrace. Today it'san art.
The main problem, she says, is that the teens arc
holding all the cards. They pre. well aware of all their
tights to freedom, welfare, Aad even the Young Of -
feeders Act. The parents on the other hand, have virtu- ,live in safe hordes.. No drinking or smoking would be
ally no rights, she complains. And the schools and po- allowed, and they would be required to attend school
lice have been stripped of nearly all authoriry when ' full time. -
rl herii r fit;
omitg 1#i.
%(ti ti OIr
(111111111,' . Pt;
dealing with youths. The entire
system has its hands tied.
"Who's got the nghts? - these
children, and they are children,"
says the mother who has drafted up
a wish list of possible reforms to
better steer those teens who feel ,
compelled to rebel.
She would like to give the police
the right to enter premises to check
for underage drinking or drug qsc.
"I think the cops need more rights.
I know that's against human rights,
but they do."
She would also deny welfare -receiving teens who
have left Thome their own apartments, requiring them to
Such programs would cost money, the said, but
"don't spend the maw giving them a cheque. Put it
into something cgpijl.,,,tll,gpuie giving them is a
license to party." -
As a mother, she still hopes for a reconciliation with
her daughter. The whole family is receiving counsel-
ling.and attends self-help groups in the hope of prepar-
ing for that day. .
"I'd take her back in a minute," she says, but also ac-
knowledges her daughter may not come home. Shc
justprays her teenager will recognize her lifestyle has
no future and will take some steps to change.
The system, however, offers no iecenlive for teens
on their own to make those changes, she claims.
"The thing I want to say is they're not doing these
kids any favours," she said.
The kids are wring swim
In Huron County, one in evQ71.0 wilkomp
recipients is a high school student
GODERICH - Even though teenagers arc often dc-
nied social assistance by Huron County Social Servic-
es, they know how to manipulate the system so well
they usually have no trouble getting around any obsta-
cle, say officials.
Normally, explains administraWr John MacKinnon,
anyone over the age of 18 outside the parental home,
unemployed or attending school, can qualify for wel-
fare. But 16 or 17 year olds fall under the Family Law
Act and arc ineligible *pleas the parent withdraws re-
sponsibility for their child.
MacKinnon said that m:uiy such applications for
welfare for teenagers wider 18 arc turned duwn by the
agency.
"When we turn someone down though, there's a so
cial assislance.review board," said MacKi mon, which
he said tends to favour the client in most situations.
"We've had several cases where we've boon ordered
to pay," he said. "We're as' frustrated as sonic of ►t,^
parents you would lk to." cwonued on page five,