The Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-04-25, Page 3At,
a
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' by BILL oimmicK
Across Ontario, housing costs
are rabidly rising, no- secret to
most people, especially those
who plan to buy house or
have just bought...one. Builders
are unable to -estimate the cost.
of a new" house -until it is
finiShed.
Building maierial coats are
rising too fast.
.. Land prices., which con-
tribute to high costs elsewhere,
are fairly stablet,in Goderich."
While builders don't know how
"much materials will cost, they
do know about how much a lot
.will cost. The average price is
$7,000. Prices could be as IOW
as $6,500 oras high as $7,500,
depending on location, with,
choice lots in exclusive areas
near Lake Huron costing much
more, .
Three Goderich developers
agreed about these; prices
during separate interviews with
the Signal -Star. They also said
that although the price tags oq
lots in town may be considered
by some persons to be high,
Goderich has„been blessed com-
pared to other centres in the
province.
,Just a few miles north in
Kincardine, lots are worth
'about $11,000 • each. Similar
ION COtit • only $7,000 in
GoderIch In large urban cen-
tres, -uch a London,. Hamilton
and Toronto, land prices have
soared to levels where many
middle-income families cannot
afford them. •,
GOVERNMENT RED TAPE
• Developer _Bert AloCander
• said land .cost in,, Goderich
would belower if,it wasn't for
government red tape. Sub-
division approvals take a_t least
a year, . . . A concert band is like a foot- '
' 'During that year developers "ball team-. The analog' may
. have large surps of money sunk escape some people - but at ••
into land where proposed sot- Goderich District Collegiate In -
divisions would . be .built. stitute it holds true'. • '
- Developers usually -pay interest During a recent interview
on that money, with the' cost with the Signal -Star, music
passed on to 6onsumers., teacher. and band organizer' Al
Mr. Alexander pointed too a 'Mullin explained that the
-, reoent story in the magazine - school's band is distinct from
Canadian Building which un- the fort -nal music coUrse'offered
folded a horror story about to Students.
* governnient bureaucracy, It - "Although most of the same
causes . nightmares ' for people are involved," he said..
developers.- , , .. However, just because a per.- ,
Subdivision plans, once sub- son' studies 'musk': he isn't
Mitted by developers who meet, necessarily a band, r.nember.
planning board regulations, Every boy who attends physical
need approval from --about 40 education classes doesn't. --play
different 'municipal- and proyin- on the football team. ..
cial offices. Often, Canadian Mr. Mullin uses tw6 methods
Building stated,,,plans collect, for reEroiting players .for his
dust on a civil servant's. desk' band.
. ,-
4;4
r.?
Ince
development of serviced sub-
divisions. In a, competitive
market developm can't afford
to boost pries beyond"market
rates. t
Mr. Shewfelt estimated that
about 300 lots could be made
available in Goderich on short
notice..
How short that notice would
be depends on the time *sub-
division plans circulate through
government offices in Toronto.
-.Clear thinking bytown coun-
cil in the past has made
deveolopment in Goderich
possible, The municipal sewage
system is capable of handling
wastes of a town with a
population of 10,000 to 12,000.
Present population is abut
7,000.
Dispute over sewage treat-
ment expansion and costs has
brought Kincardine develop-
ment almost to a standstill. A
town must be able to accom-
modate .new flushing toilets
beforerthey can be installed in
•
new houses,- or before those
houses can even be built.
The Bruce nuclear, power
development has left this
problem in its wake for Kincar-
dine. No sewers, no develop-
ment.
„
A trunk sewer servicing
Sheaffer Pen Company in
Goderich makes deVelopment
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'40DERICH SIONAL.STAh: THURSDAY. APRIL 25. 1974--PAO0 3
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7 --744.11.11040milimm,
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Building lots, like these owned by Suncoast Estates, are worth an average of $7.000 each in
Goderich. Local developers say that while this price may seem high, it is cheaper than In other'
areas. In Kincardine, similar Ipts are worth $11,000 each. (staff photo)
along the sewer path possible,
Mr. Shewfelt said. Houses are
hooked into •the existing
system, avoiding costly new in-
t 11 ti
s a a ons.
Like Mr: °Alexander, Mr.
Shewfelt has felt the suf-
focation of goverhinent red tape
when developing land. He too
is dissatisfied with present
regulations.
•,....--s •
for weeks before lieing The first method is 'easy.
...,,,
, examined,•/' "I ask them". ,
• In 'ess'ence, t4is hidden' The second way is tryouts at
housing cost relates to the old the beginning Of the year, the
proverb, "Time is. money."
same.method the football team
While Goderich house 'buyers -uses.
pay for government heel.. To *prove the calibreof
dr.40ing,, they don't have to '.‘. play 'in the band, Mr. Mullin
pray for windfall profits made hopes ' to, , establish a junior
" 'by land. spectilators. •" band.. It would .allow young
Recent -. govevirnent musigianS to learn ' what it
legislation which pounced on -means to be in a band. They
'sriecUialm. `''''''i1.1 ha-ve littif- ' Could play m.ore diffiCult'hiusic
fect here; '4Mr. Alexander main-, Upon graduation to the senior
tained. 'Most t land awaiting band.
.development , .in • Goderich is High school. fOotball aims
. controlled, by developet's who use the same • procedure.
- plan to buildi not sell. ' , ' -Juniors graduate to the "senior
Sound business praitices dic-
tate, however, that Mr„ Alexan-
der and his competitors have, to
-".0a4s des'ielopment costs on to
Consumers, Sewers, roads and„
other essential services cost
, ,tooney. Developers include
these. costs, in, lot, prices. •
Because of money needed to
install services, developers ate
forced ,to ask almost double the.
.price they paV for raw land.
•
AVAILABILITY HOLDS
, " PRICES
Developer Deb Shewfelt con-
tended, that availability oflots
in,Goderich will hold prices at
a -reasonable level. While prices
-won!t' go down, they will
--qs remain itable compared to ever
tern" with basic skills,
Although 'Mr. Mullin rates
the GDCI band *as a "good
quality intermediate band," he
• hopes to' improve its standing.
'With trained junidr band
members t� draw on, he hopes
to iticreaSe the senior band to
60 from .33 members. •
.The • process. will take time,
• ahout four years to inerease„
band members to 60, and eight
to VO years befOre the band
.reaches its full potential with
depth and quality.
Making the band bigger and
better •uses much of Mr.
Mullin's free time. He feels it's
worthwhile..
"I love to 'do it. It's a desire
to Create music," he said.
inflating land values in areas, Condi.icting the GDC1 concert
where demand exceeds supplyband can be frustrating. The
•.The town should encourage
"Our own subdivision took
two years", he said explaining
his dissatisfactiO4.
BETTER SYSTEM NEEDED
Mr. Shewfelt suggested that
a better system is, needed to cut
through government red tafie;
allowing dev,elopers- to meet
market demands .for housing.
While, he maintained that
nothing is wrong with ap-
provals from mdny groups a
subdivision could affect, a time
r limit should' be applied to
government personnel
examining applications.
"I think 90 days would be
'fair", he said, explaining how
concert
ttt
Go-
maintained the process should
take .only six months.
The county shoul, be in
charge as local officials know
about local needs while civil
servants in Toronto are too far
away to maintain understan-
ding about Various regions
throughout ,the province,' be
thought. At least' the provin-
cial government could
regionalize, placing its person-
nel locally.
TAXES HUEtT41)1JYERS
Mr. Smith further main-
tained that the government was
adding costs to building. lots
With recent tax.,.cla.mps applied
to land 'speculators. Developers
who do not construct hoses
but develop land and 'hell lois
to small builders are classed as
speculators.
These developers have to pay
the new tax if -they make im-
provements worth more than
long each office should take to 40 per cent of the original vatue-
grant approval , of undeveloped land. To avoid.
Ide.ally, the county could ap- the . tax they may quit
prove subdivision applications. developing and sell it raw.
. Qualified persons are -available 'Small builders cannot afford
• to do the job. 'Assurance must to develop land and thus could
be' made that new lots are on be forced out :of business. At
the market to hold the present presen.tr;..- cost of the" tax is
price. passed on. to home buyers.. .
Developer Gord. St, ill), To illustrate his point about
agreed when, it was suggested provincial taxation boosting
to him that a better system of prices, Mr. Smith, cited figures
'approvalsis needed. He confir- from a study • made by a
tned the time government takes • prominent accounting firm. If a
to approve a subdivision as developer 'buys a land 'par I
being a Year to 18 months. He for $200,000 and ,sells it Tor,
go on tour
Ther9 are a few.yawns between notes as the Goderich District
, Collegiate Institute band practises early Tuesday morning
before Clas,ses4ne band, conducted by GD-CT-inUsic teacher
yougg musicians Can be. tem-
peramental. But generally Mr.
Mullin terms them "a great
bunch of kids".
His own musical background
indicates his feelings , on the
• subject. He has been jnyolved
in muSie-all his life. His (amity
enjoys music.
, Both his mother and sisterr,.....-
teach music.
- He 'holds a 'degree, in music
from the University of Western
Ontario and an Associate of
Music certi,ficate from the
,Western Ontario Conservatory
for. ,performance on an in-
strument. He4las been teaching
at QDCI for two years. ; -
•The band under his direction
performs mostly- in Huron.
-County. This, past year it has
• played at sit public schools and
^
ir
AINSLIE
MARKET' LTD.
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• 106.THE SQUARE 524 -850 -
OPEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHTS
UNTIL 9:00
•••
OVEN READY, LEAN
Dressed Roast Pork L.B.9
•MEATY
SpareItibs OPILY •LB. 7 9c
LEAN - SAVE
Ground Chuck Steak .9 9c
MAPLE LEAF - LEAN
Med Bacon
LB.87C
Freezer Speital
CUT FREE,
Sides of Pork 1-13. 5 9c
•
(is
at Central Huron Secondary ,
School in Clinton.
The programs at public
schools are designed to • be
educational as well as enter-
taining. Concerts last about 30
minutes because of short atten-
tion spans' of youngsters.
listening.
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During performances, band
member's' explain music and
demonstrate how individual
brass and reed instrumen114
sound.
•. The , band plays a wide
variety of music from the con-
temporary sounds of Chicago to
show tunes such as "My Fair
Lady". to classics by Bach to
modern selections written.
specifically, for' concert hands.
The tirne to perfect enumber
Al Mullin, is working haid"f6 prepare fora tour to,Sarnia and
Hamilton the first week in May., The. !And is also part of a
Music Night at the high school May 16 .(staff photo)
depeods on its difficulty. 'Mrcellent band. Students there future generation? If Canada's
population continues to in -
Mullin said the band has been are used to hearing its music.'
$400,000, abOnt $120,000 goes woblerns . similar -to those in
to provineial coffers.,
-
He reasoned that if taxes \KiTnchtterdTionwe'n of Goderich itself
were not so high, individual lot is able to pnt more lots on the
prices would not be so high. 'Market. It owns land `behind
Prices are bound to rise about the site for Suncoast Estates'
10 per cent per year regardless. proposed shopping plaza. It has ,)
We doing damn good to been eitimated the land could
hold the prices where they be subdivided into 300 lots.
are' Mr. Smith said, -
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The action would not only-ih--
UCLEAR IMPACT HERE
sure enough lots but hely curb
l‘i •
The three developers agreed increases in lot prices, sorne
about the ertain impact thelocal realtors have reasoned.
C'
Bruce nuclear . genera'ting This thinking is Concerned
,
station will have on Goderich. This
the future of housing in,
Kincardine's rnability to cope Goderich. At present, Wilding
with soaring demand for -.lots are ,readily available at
housing will force Ontario reasonable prices with „
Hydro employees to look as far ' developers' saying prices could
Change:4
reasonable. "in- --:•
south as Goderich for homes. stay i,
They can't expect to find gmapproval
overnent
relief to the north as both Port procedures are needed to help .,
.,Elgin and , Southampton face price stabilization.
DEAR ED,UOR
.(continued from page 2
cereals or anything else. It's all
there waiting for customers.
Has anyone ,tried to buy a
home freezar lately? Or a single
bed Mattress, or matched set of
washer and dryer, or the new
eV' •of your choice? Or worse
still parts to repair the one you ,
have? Farm machinery, tile,
brick, phimbing fixtures and I
could go on and on are on back
order nearly ever Y time. you
need any. Has the food store
operator ever told you. to come
back in two week, that he may
have some then? It seems to me
that food is one of the few
things that is not in,oshort sup-
ply.
first. Child. The man was taken
from his hme, shot twice and
the body dumped in a
s,choolyard,
A judge in County Antral'
was shot in the, neck and back.
Four men stopped a car in
County Fermanagh, packed it
with explosives .and forced the
owner to drive it to -a post' of-
fice. The building -was wrecked:
-
and a policeman and a civilian
he washelping away from the
scene both had their legs blown
off.
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A garage owner at Kinawley,
also in County Fermanagh, was
shot several times and,his body
found in front of his garage.
Hisdeath took -the total over
the 1,000 mark. In a Belfast
suburb, a policeman was • hit
three times in a shbotout With
We often hear that the people. gunmen. •,• -
of India.. are starving. I, have a , It would be difficult for the
close friend living in India at. press to "make out" anything
the present time, who tells me but senseless violence from the
that many people in India ARE daily.reports, If Mr. Passmore
hungry and starving. But the siispects bias, he ought in fair -
people in India who have ness to be 'specific. If one-tenth
MONEY can buy 'anything they of the outrages about whichwe
antmiteitlte line of fOttnci read almost daily were -t6. take
nottiosemizystro miiiidgr:**0§7:-. place here, there* would be.
"roaming: around . eating , screaming headlines' - 'but We
everything in sight till they die are an ocean and .half a coil-
, of • old' age, or unattended tinent•away•from it. . •
,6ickness. • ••• , And Vet - note the final
• It seems to Me that society paragraph orMoottiavi's report.
Between the • Ferrnranagh
.• .can be conned into a state, of villages of 'Belcoo and
mind 'that , blinds, .simply by .
well directed publicity. When Garrison, a: man and. his girl-
friend voere shot as they droVe
People whose main physical by 'a 'group of men in the road
problemsare a result of over ,,The man was hit twice, the girl
eating or drinking, can be led ,,Once. Bel•coo district is where,
to believe there is a food shor- the MillianS of Colborne town- •
.
tage, We must admit 'there most shipCame fromGarrison is the
be some expert publicity people' market town, whe'nce' . came
around.,
several families of ,Elliotrs, to,
.. Then there s this 4ousiness
' Goderich township.. The.
Huron in
abotit good.Aand going out of Millians carne to
•
.food ,productiOn: I agree that 1842 .and.1847,.and -lane, it is
,: said, was the prettiest girl in •
there should, • bebetter
management of• land uses. 'But Belcoo.• Their destendants
whose responsibility is it to. the sixth or seventh generation'
maintain a resource for some are with us and abriaid, in •
great number. George Elliott
'Came in 1°834, settled on what
is • now • the Bell fruit • farm, .
became one of the first corn-
' missioners and set his name at
-. top :of the membership roll of
L.O.L.114. Thomas came in
1837, with his ,\vife. Rebecca
- Hill, settled ,in Con1J. and,
• their descendants, ,to the siith
generation, arei
Wth us and.••••
• abroad in great :number. :
The Belfast .:report does not
na'rn'e fe young • people yvtio
were shot between Bel.coo and
Garrison. The press .has to• '
make out the best it can But
the names -in this case iust
might -have been familiar.,
W.E. Efliott
• _ -
working on a medley of• crease at the rate of only 1.7
Chicago material since .•• . • percent every ten Years and far-
, .41
-January. It is "almost ready". The Goderich musicians will merse efficiency increases as it
have to play their best for the has in the past 10 years, we'll
.Sarnia students. ,.. -be looking for export markets
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In a ,pinch the mnsieiang can ... .,,,,,,, ,
.
master 4 Sfrong with two one- ...-- - for-rlong • time vet
• - •The trips to -Sarnia and
hour rehersals. ,...
& ' for the band me,mbers as they
!Ansieducation for band •
members .extends beyond . •
have worked hard to be good.
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rehearsals at the -school. Next 'Goderich and area residents
month', they will travel to ar„ will have a chance to hear how
nia and Hamilton to give cons= good the band is May 16, at a
certsMusic Night at GDCI. Starting
. ' ,
' atJprn., the program will'in-
• Playing in front of ,large elude, along with the band, the
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strange audiences is' good ex- school choir, small ensembles
perience, Mr. Mullin main% ,of Musicians' and a guest band.
tained. It is also a challenge. • Tickets are available from
The 'school in Sarnia where any band memher or the' music
they will -be playing has an ex- -department at 'the school.
,
t
Hamilton also serve as rewards
4^.
, And isn t land that is oc-
cupied by highways, airfields,
ciffggetc. serving people better
than 'land that lies under,thorn
trees? 4'
:Sincerely,
Mason Bailey
RR 3 Blyth, Ont.
bout 1 rtiland
• Dear gditor:
•On the Singtime' program
over- CKNX, last Sunday, a
guest. was Re -v. George
Morrison, secretary „of the
United Church.General,.Counl•
, •
• • • cil, who visited Northern
message. from .Chief King Ireland six months ago. To
hitn, Rev 'Barry Passmore of
Wingharn *pounded this
question t'*gdrding the
situation: "Is it as bad as the
"Those burning leaves, drift by,
my window,
and pollute the air with a
pungent smell.
I wish the persons that do the,
burning
Will have fires to stoke in----"
Clean-up time for some
.people is, burn-up time. The air
reeks of burning leaves which
;end clouds of thick smoke„orito
neighbourhood • laundry,
through windows and cause....
havoc with those unfortunates
with breathing ....problems or
allergies.
The public is reminded that
-The Envirotmiental Protection
Act of Ontario lays doWn cPr-
tain conditions ,whereby per-
sons lighting such fires mav be
prosecuted. If you -are the type
who would rather burn leaves
than 'put them out for garbage
pick-up then the following con-
• ditions may result in police
'telling vou to extinguish your
fire.
If the smell or smoke causes '
discomfort to other 'persons;
If it causes, persons to lose
the enjoyment' of their normal
use of their prOgrty;
If it is in.terfering with the
normal eonduct of, business:
If it causes damage to
,prpperty (and this 'includes the
road surface if you're using the
'street as a fire -bed);
If it is causing- Yery thic
smoke.
In addition All open fireik
must he attended at ALL times.
They must not be lit on foggy
days or when, adKerse weather
conditions prevent the ready
dispersion of the Smoke. If the• •
'fire is a large 'one it must not be
burning Within 500 feet of any
building (this rules out . just
about, everywhere in the Town)."
You mustAnot allow the smoke
to blow across a, highway'or,
street, in other words you have
to take wind Conditions into
effect. .
The Goderich Police Depart-
ment will .be 'enforcing these
regulation's and persons are en-
couraged to call us rather than •
take the smoke and smell. The
, Town Works Jbepartrinent are
soon to ba't;ie their annual
general pick-up and theywill
take them away
Ittakes very little effort to
put the leaves into a bag or box
and have them picked up. Af-
ter all you have worked to rake
them into a pile for burning.
Let your slogan be, A pile for
bagging - not burning.
press makes out.•
In those words, the question
invited an affirmative. Mr.
Morriso'n said industries' were
ctirrying on,' there' was no
' unemployment, and Protestant
churches were working toward
peace with "a sector" of the
• Roman Catholic c'hu'rch•
'
It had not Occurred.to me, as
a reader of the daily press: that
it was "making out" avvthi,ng
but factual news reports, go I
took A careful look at Monday'
re,port from Belfast. In this in- ,
stance it was an Associated
Press despatch, and unusually •
long.
It had to be. The I.R.A.
'claimed responsibilit,v for mur-
derk,.0,gr,,N4*k.:914,igaili°0"
whose wife j,q expecting their
Readers are cordially
invited to express their
opinions of local, provin-
clot and federal ,Issues
through the Letters lo
the Editor column of The,,
Goderich Signal -Stat,
Ali letters must be
signed to be published,
although pen *nes are
permissible providing It
Is understood that upon
'request from another
,reader,.the letter writer's
title, name will be'
revealed.
While there Is no limit
to th0 length of a letter
which can,be offered for
publication, the editor
does reserve the right to
delete portions .of any
copy submitted for in-
clusion ,in this
nowipaper:d
Take an active Interest
In your hometown
newspaper. Writs a letter
to the Editor today.
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