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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-07-01, Page 1ch ......ommoketion.owrnosesnoson • 133 YEAR -26 - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1,1981 50 CENTS PER COPY Last Sunday's Canada Day parade brought Goderich people and many iisitors outdoors to watch more than 50 floats wind through the town streets. ,Always a fun part of the parade is the Shriners' mini -bike brigade and these kids were happy to receive a sucker from Don Larder of Goderich as he rode up South Street. (Jason Ainslie photo) A .part of the Civic Ceremony held Sunday on the Square included a flag -raising event in which the American, Canadian and Goderich flags were raised. During the hoisting of the two national flags, an honour guard fired shots into the air to salute the countries: (Jason Ainslie photo) While St. George's dliureh sponsored an afternoon tea on its lawns, b y rides were being affered just around the corner on Bruce Street. In this photo, ton Sowerby of RR 4, Goderich manoevres his team around Sit. George's Crescents (Jason Ainslie photo) • 4 Ice rental fees increase On Thursday uiglat, the Goderich .Recreattoo Board voted to accept Ree Director 'Jane Nehrite's recom- mendation to increase hourly hes for lee _rentals at theGod,erich Memorial Couumulity Centre. Effective this ice soason, adult antivitieS will he - increased to $36 per hour from $32 per hoar, and ,, minor activities will be $25 per hour, up $3 from last season. In a breakdown of arena costs based on last year's figures, Netzke stated that the cost of running the arena for an hour last year was $35.24. Netzke noted that the ice rental for the Goderich arena is still much lower than that of neighboring towns.. • . • „ • The board moved to put the new rates into effect this ice ss.,asoti and to notify users immediately. iners go back o w�r] nioii accepts company offer in two year contract The Sifto Salt division of .Domtar will soon be operational after striking members of 'the Energy and Chemical' Workers Unionycal 16 ratified a new two-year agreement with the company. The 216 miners and surface workers voted in favor of accepting the latest company offer at a meeting Sunday. Dorion Billings of the labour relations division of Domtar said the two sides 'came to terms at a negotiation meeting Saturday morning and the union membership ratified the agreement Sunday. The new, agreement calls for a 131/2 per cent in- crease on all classification rates in the first year plus a lump sum payment of $100.to all employees in lieu of retroactive pay. Effective April 1982, there will be a 13 per cent adjustment on all rates. - The union and the company' also came to terms on some outstanding issues that included shift premiums, group insurance, improvements to overtime and holidays, improvements to the dental plan, disability insurance, life insurance and contract language modifications. The latest round- of talks were arranged by Mr. Stevens of the Ministry of Labor. Workers are now reporting for duty at the mine but it will take a while, Billings explained, before the mine is in full operation. "It will take time to prepare the mine and check the sites," he said. "The employees are being called back on a required basis but there will be a certain time lag before we're in hill operation." The union is coming off a three-year agreement and the new contract will expire March 31, 1983. Billings said the company was relieved to have settled adding that the deal was an expensive one for the company. "We made concessions that were required to make the deal," he said, "It was an expensive deal for the company." Union president, Guy Robinson, said the mem-. rship voted 103-55 in favor of accepting the two - ear contract thatwill raise the average wage of a irst class maintenance worker to $14.05 by April 1982. ostal workers BY JASON AINSLIE • Most hOusehalds in Goderich and the rural areas received their mail on Tuesday, but Goderich post- master Mel Farnsworth. said there will be no more delivery .sineethe Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went on strike at midnighton Monday. ' While the strike, was officially active as of mid- night, Mr. Farnsworth said -the, sanctions began in • • . Goderich at 6 a.m., When the•first shift of employees • did • not report for work. He said there are nine • Workers affected hype strike in this office, • The Postmaster, who would not speculate on how . long the strike would last, Said "they (government • negotiators) are, dealing With conciliation. reports, • and sirienthere are -two sillSto the story, I have no forined opinion" of the union's demands. She Canadian Press wire services agency reported Tuesday that a spokesman for the treasury board, the goVernment negotiator, indicated Monday there was no hope. for resumption of negotiations: Earlier Monday, the union rejected a government offer to ' return to the bargaining table. The. report said the government offer,' which was contained in a private letter to CUPW president Jean- Claude Parrot, included a commitment to negotiate the contentious issue of maternity leave, on which the government hadpreviously refused to bargain. , Pretently, the treasury board will .not accept the conciliation report recommending' 17 -week paid maternitY. leave. And the union has said it will not The average wage in milling and shipping will rise to $12.10 from $9.20 and miners will earn $12.10 in April 1982, up from $9.27. Robinson and the executive recommended the membership accept the agreement and while it fell short of their monetary expectations, they were pleased with concessions in several areas. "W e were pleased to clean up problems in so many areas that had been neglected. The contract language is set down in a proper mannerand it will make the next round(of bargaining) easier," he said. "We are satisfied with the health and safety issue and although we hoped for more money, the first year is alrightwith fringe benefits." As part of the new contract, Domtar has agreed to disability payments of 50 per cent of wages for 12 months, a company paid dental plan, and extra holiday and employees over 60 years of age with. 25 years service will receive an additional weeks holiday for each year worked after age 60. •Post office doors are open but strike limits bargain until the government accepts all recom- mendations of the conciliation .report, including paid maternity leave, improved vacations, an extra holiday in January, health and safety measures and other improvements. • "What's stopping negotiations," a union official was reported Saying, "isthe government's refusal to service • • accept the entire conciliation report...which in no way contains all of our demanda." At a news conference, Mr. Parrot said he couldn't understand the governxnent's position because in the past, it has usually accepted the conciliation reports. Meanwhile, Goderich postinaster Farnsirdrth said there will be no mail coming into or leaVing Goderich. Citizens voice concerns on official plan update BY JASON AINSLIE The Planning Board of Goderich presented its draft of the official plan for land use to a group of about 25 citizens at MacKay Centre on June 23. The meeting was held „to give local citizenry an opportunity to voice, objections or suggestions to the planning board members before the final draft of the land -use plan is adopted by town council. At last Tuesday's meeting, the harbor and waterfront areas sparked the most controversy. Rowen Baker opened the harbor discussion with concern for the protection of the Snug Harbour facility. His comments referred to the wording of the planning policy for the harbor area Which reads': "The harbor will be used for industrial, commercial' and public uses which have a demonstrable need for a harbour location...", and "the dominant, but not exclusive, use of the harbor is and shall continue to be for harbor -related industries..." which meet certain criteria. Board chairman Torn Jasper .of Goderich said the, harbor has always been a commercial area with recreation as an added use. He said any changes in this policy would require a great deal of public input as well as a rezoning procedure. Board member Elsa Hayden admitted she didn't agree with the board on the harbor question. She didn't think industry should be given total priority for, waterfront space, and agreed with Mr. Baker that provisions for the existence and use of a recreational - facility should be entrenched in the land -use plana Ken Dawson of Goderich noted that in the past, the waterfront area was zoned "industrial" but a proposed change would now label it "harbor". Roman Dzus explained that the "industrial" designatiop meant an industry, whereas the "harbor" designation prerequires that the industry sliow a definite need to locate near water for reasons 'of transportation or raw materials. The distinction is made. due to the limited water, frontage the town owns. Bob Aldharii of•Goderich asked why Indian Island is designated "open space" instead of "industrial" or "commercial" and Roman Dzus said that, even with the trailer park and marina, thoiand is considered a private park. -1 • At that point, Dick Peever of London, developer of the Bayfield and new Goderich marinas. said that in light of the four requirements to be met in designating the land "open space", the Indian Island development should be designated • 'recreational- comme rcia 1". • "We already meet the four requirements" that bind the Maitland Valley Marina and Trailer Park, Mr. Peever said, and he requested that the designation be changed to include the commercial aspects of his enterprise.Kep Dawson suggested the planning board do like. wise with Snug Harbour. In a'related planning question, Bill Davidson asked if town parkland would ever be sold'. to meet housing needs. Mr. Dziis said such land would only be sold with the best interests Of the public in mind. but the possibility was not dismissed. Mr. Davidson then asked why the town has banned mobile homes when they are stich a viable means of low-cost housing. Ken Hunter, Commissioner of Works in Goderich, said the board's position is to save the existing housing space for constructed homes since residential Goderich is now approaching its borders. Mr. Hunter said the board is content to leave mobile home policies to the surrounding townships. A letter to the board from Dr. Jim Peters; -chair- River contaminated by sewage is alright now Ministry says A high bacterial count in the Maitland River irtLid_. Lake Huron resulting from a raw sewage spille near Wingham appear 's to have dissipated according to health officials. Warning signs were posted along the Maitland River and Lake Huro'n shoreline warning about possible contamination. The contamination was a result of a sewer line break in Wingham June 15 and local officials were not notified of the spillage until Thursday, June 18. Warning signs were posted as a result of the discharge that filtered down the Maitland River into „4 ,ake Huron. Sighs were posted -as. far south as St. Josephs:While there was a bacterial concern initially, repeated samples indicated the water quality had returned to normal Saturday. The warning signs were removed Monday. • The Ministry of Health continually monitored the water quality and are satisfied that has been restored._ A spokesnian for the Ministry of Environnaent said a sample test is being taken on behalf of one cottager on the lake. Eh man ..of the -Public Utilities Commission, contested some of the provisions of. the official plan section °regarding municipal services and the PUC. But due to the length of the letterand the number of items it dealt with, Chairman Jasper asked that the PUC Officials meet with the planning board in the near future, and before the final draft of the land -use plan is presented in the fall of this year. Dr. Jasper said the final draft of the plan would be prepared taking into consideration all the suggestions of Tuesday's public meeting. If the Town Council approves the plan next fall', the public will have another chance to examine it and offer criticism before it is „ I O., • '';. a INSIDE THE SIGNAL STAR Festival faces The Goderich and District Optimists' second annual Music Festival anti Friends carne off 'as a big success an,: a weekend to remember for all who participateg. The Optimists raised; plenty of funds which will all go back into the .conimunity. See Cath Wooden's photo Story onpage 1A. , - Grad edition We've got grads: See the special Grade 8 graduation edition enclosed in this week's SignaiaS tar. We congratulate all those who are making the step to high school and we hope they ,sa ve the editor) as a souvenir. Canadian plays • In keeping aith the theme upon which the Myth Summer Festival was founded, five original Canadian plays have' been specially ..continissionecl • for this season: See Joanne thichanan's stora on page IA: • agailt=s5=Magramt, '1442,74SOXFM.MPM411414."Tharig."''' 4,4 •;p • r • 414.• 44,4,4h,,E4.1 4,- • . -