Clinton News-Record, 1984-04-04, Page 5WEDNESDAY 4Waliol, I
The Easter Seals telethon was a big success in Clinton last weekend donations of $100 or more. A total of $48,000 was raised in the area.
as $2,700 was raised from 100 contributers. Pictured (left to right) (Rod Hiltsphoto)
is Mary Sutter and Cheryl Flynn taking some of the individual
New Young Offenders' Act
makes youth more responsible
BY ANNE NAREJKO
The word delinquency is no longer in
existence. It has been replaced with offence,
according to Joan Belford, co -chairperson of
the Ministry . of Community and Social
Servies' area co-ordinating committee for
implementation of, the new Young
Offender's Act.
On March 28 the 73rd Annual Meeting of
the;Family and Children's Services of Duron
County =was -held with Belford -as -the -guest
speaker.
The Young Offender's Act replaced the
Juvenile Delinquent Act on April 1. The
Offender's Act has been in the works for
approximately 10 years but there are still a
few minor details that need to be worked
out. Overall, the new act makes young
people accountable for their actions.
"The key factor in the Young Offender's
Act is the uniform age of 18," stated Belford.
Presently the .provinces' vary on the
maximum age of young offenders. British
Columbia and Newfoundland have those 16.
in the upper age bracket while Manitoba and
Quebec' call those 17 and under young
•offenders. Ontario and the. remaining
provinces include offenders who . are 15 -
years -old and under.
"The Young Offenders' Act also
emphasises the responsibilty which the.
offender has," according to Belford. "The
phrase that's going around now is, if you're
old 'enough 'to do the crime, you're old
enough to do the -time."
Belford feels that this attitude contrasts
with -the former Juvenile Delinquent Act's
view of having the offender's best interestin
mind. The courts are no longer taking the
"kindly parent" role, instead they have
taken the position of "due process."
The courts will not be handing out
sentences that are for an undetermined
time, but are required to sentence the
offender for a fixed period.
The hearings will no longer be in camera
as the public will be allowed into the youth
courts. However, Belford explained that the
judge can remove people from the court if
he chooses to do so.
Even though the courts will be open to the
public, the offender's privacy is taken into
consideration by not allowing the
publication of court proceedings.
The Young Offenders' Act also differs
from the former Juvenile Delinquent Act by
not taking the view that the offender needs
assistance every step of the way. The new
Act states that the offenders must know
-their.-legal_rights_ineach-stage_ofthe case._..
"The adult court aspects are suni'larto the
new Act but there are spe, ial considerations
for special needs due''toy linnkiturity 'A.
Belford commented.
The 'rights and responsibilities of the
parents to the children are also heavily
emphasized. If the parents are not in court,
they must have a good reason or they will be
held in contempt of court.
BLUEWATER CENTRE
The former Bluewater Centre for the
developmentally handicapped closed last
November and will be converted into a
regional detention facility for the young
offenders. The Centre is to be ready to take
the offenders by April 1, 1985.
The regional detention centre is to be one
of two located in Ontario. It is to house 177
young offenders betweenthe ages of 12 and
17 as the age for criminal responsibility has
been moved from seven -years -old to 12.
Even though the actual structure of the
building • will not change, . a fence will
encompass the entire property and 'the
windows will have bars placed on them. The
young offenders placed in the detention
centre will have committed minor crimes
compared ,to inmates in an adult detention
centre. •
_
RECORDS
The records on the young. offenders are to
be destroyed after 'a qualifying period to
. ensure the offenders of a fresh start.
According to Goderich Police Chief Pat
King, as the Act reads now, the police are
responsible for destroying all records.
"When the time comes to destroy the
records, it is up to the police: We can't tell
other people to do it if we send the records to
them, therefore we'll have to
we'll keep a check
on what goes out to where and when," King
said.
According to Belford, if the records are
not destroyed after the qualifying period,
those responsible will be given a penalty.
IMPLICATIONS
The major implications for the Children's
Services are the age change, wardship
status and legal proceedures.
----Under-the 75 -year o1d.Juvenile. Delimit ,.
Act, a child under the age of seven coi Id not.
be gharg d, wi> a,,c; i al offence. The new
o g,O iindet tr `ct has. raised the age to
12 as well as classifying a youth as a person
under the age of 18.
The terms for' the wardship status are
absolute, according to Belford.
"After the offender does the specified
time, no one can interfere with their life.
What the judges will probably do is place the
offenders in•custody followed by a probation
period," she explained.
The legal proceedures not only specify
compelled attendance at court by parents,
but the Act is also strict on the admissibility
of evidence. There will be no opinion allowed
in court, only evidence.
There will also be extensive mandatory
reviews done on the offenders finding out
where they are, how they are progressing
and where they should go from there.
Although the Young Offenders' Act seems
to be more rigid than the former act, it does
make all young people accountable for their
acts.
March
27
28
29
30
31
April
1
2
Weather
1984 .1983
4 — 5 • 3 - 3
6 — 5 4 —1
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4 0 • 2 10
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Rain 7 nun
Hill LNn Hill
FARMS
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Sales Representative Pater Rowntree will serve
customers cit the Clinfield Elevators and the Elevators
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,invited
Committee strives for cultural events
CLINTON - The future of the Clinton town
hall auditorium is being investigated .b •• a
steering committee, headed by Roy
Wheeler.
The former Clinton councillor was elected
to act as chairman of the committee at their
first meeting, held on March 28.
The committee is made up of
representatives from various organizations
in the community. Clinton's new recreation
director Kevin Duguay is one of the
members and he explained, "The
committee will endeavor to provide Clinton
with a pot pourri of cultural activities,
including art and museum displays
theatrical performances, song, music and
dance."
Councillor Ross Carter, committee
organizer, said that the group hopes to stage
one major event a week, in order to make
the town hall auditorium a viable operation.
He told town council at their April 2
meeting that he hopes the committee will
become a permanent -organization. 'He
stressed, "I never want to let the town hall
get to the point where it has in the last
years."
In the future, he can see the steering
committee operating as a "small, dedicated
group of people."
Councillor Jim Hunter asked if the
recreation board could take over the
steering -committee -work in future years.
Councillor Carter suggested that the
present recreation committee would not be
equipped to take on this responsiblity. He
explained that the recreation committee's
main interest and expertise is in sporting
activities, not cultural events.
Councillor Hunter, a member of the the
rec committee, agreed but suggested that in
the future the two groups would join forces
and act as a recreation and culture board.
In the meantime the steering committee
will determine how the town hall auditorium
can be best used.
Clerk Cain Proctor suggested that the
auditorium could become a popular meeting
Call
place, because of Clinton's central lo[!atio'i
in Aron County.
He suggested thatthis could start by
Cilriton hosting the 1985 Laky Alton
Recreation Zone annual conference•
Approximately 100 people attend this event•
Council will ask the town recreation
committee to make application to host the
1985 event,
The steering committee will meet main
on Ap$1 18 at 7 p.m. in theanunicipal offices.
Anyone interested in the work of the
committee or the future plans of the town
ball is invited to attend.
Lucy 13 for shoppers
CLINTON - Friday the 13th may be con-
sidered unlucky in some quarters, but not
for shoppers in Clinton.
Next Friday, the Clinton Business Im-
provement Area (CBIA) is hosting a 13 -
hour, Friday -the -13th, Lucky -for -You Sale,
and member businesses are putting
together some. greatsay►ings for shoppers.
Friday marks one of the three Friday -the.-
13th's in 1984 -the greatest number that can
ever occur in anyone year. The others are in
January and July. On this Friday; Clinton
stores will be open for 13 hours, from 9 a.m.
to 10 p.m.
In other business, the CBIA is considering
allowing Clinton businessmen, whose places
of business are located outside the strict
geographical limits of town set down by pro-
vincial- BIA
ro-
-vincial-BIA standards, to become -associate -
NEED TO KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT
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efcoin QOIC
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Phone 524-2544
Our hostess will bring gifts and greetings
along with helpful community information.
members of the BIA.
"Some of our most active business pro-
moters are outside the core area, and
because of their location, do not reap the
benefits of belonging to the BIA," says Toby
Rainey, CBIA Co -Ordinator. "This should
be remedied in some way."
For the first time, the CBIA is making
plans to enter a float in the Klompen Feest
parade May 19. Jim Fitzgerald has been
named-ciiairinan=of the -float coni tiittee biit
is keeping his plans under wraps of secrecy.
Next, December, the CBIA is planning to
re -activate the Santa Claus Parade in Clin-
ton, a popular event which was dropped
several years ago in favor of the Christmas
Skating Party for children. Local clubs and
organizations will be invited to support the
idea. . _:_ .. • _— - -
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VISIT OUR STORE FOR DETAILS
COMING NEXT WEEK!
CLINTON'S FIRST
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