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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-08-04, Page 1�toderich 1 n losing valuable revenue says Jean Adams Not enough tourist acco ' BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Goderich is losing a valuable source of revenue because of a lack of tourist accommodation in the area and Jean Adams, a member of the town"s tourist committee and supervisor of the local Welcome Centre, is appealing to members of the community for help. "There just simply is not enough accommodation. Take .last—Thgrsday i Lucy -211 for example. We had people coming into the Centre looking for places to stay and all the campgrounds, motels and hotels in this area were full. The closest accommodation was in Kitchener or London and that's a long drive tor a tourist when he's already tired from driving," Jean says. In one four-hour shift at the Welcome Centre this past Saturday, the staff reports that 80 parties families) were turned away from here because of the lack of accommodation. Jean reasons that when you have to turn tourists away from Goderich because there is no place for them to stay, the town is losing the money that those same tourists would have spent in restaurants, stores and gas stations.. 1 don't think some people realize just how im- portant-.and-•how-valuabtethe cairist`dollar"is-tothis town," she says. . The. Ontario. Ministry of Industry and Tourism has broken down the tourist dollar, averaged over the province, as follows: transportation ( plane, bus, train, taxi, etc) -15 cents; entertainment ( shows, theatre, etc ) -nine cents; retail and miscellaneous purchases ( sports clothes and equipment, gifts and souvenirs, cleaning clothes, etc) -18 cents; service centres ( gas, tires, car repairs -trailers and campers too )-17 cents; accommodations (motels, hotels, camp grounds, parks) -14 cents; food and beverage -27 cents. In the immediate area, Jean estimates that there are about nine hotels and motels and about six or seven camp grounds. "It's just not enough. We are getting an overflow of tourists from the Stratford Festival this year and we often •brave llo -semi them on to either -Bayfield or Kincardine and those towns are having the same problem we are," she says. How can the community help? "There are a lot of people here who live in big houses with all kinds of extra room. If they would be willing to offer bed and breakfast accommodation to tourists. or even just beds, it would be a big help," claims Jean. , • • She is not asking anyone to do anything she hasn't already done herself. ' "That Thursday that. we were having so much trouble finding places for people to stay, I ended up taking two couples into .inyy home and I slept on the couch. I just felt so sorry for them; I couldn'tturn them away. One was a Scottish couple and the other odation here While this post card of Goderieh shows lots todo and see here, tourists are being turned away and was a honeymoon couple. They were so nice and so grateful, I just thought to myself, Hey; .why can't other people do this?" Jean says even if people would offer their yards or driveways for tourists to set up their tents or trailers, it would be a big help. "Awhile ago a man with 10 children came into the Centre looking for a place to set up pup tents for them to sleep in. All the parks were full so I phoned a farmer I knew in the area and he let them set up in his yard. I just wish I .knew others I. could call in One that didn't get away Ted Triebner of Grand Bend caught this 24 pound Coho Salmon outside the breokwoll in Goderich harbour recently. It took Trlebner 15 minutes to land the fish using a 10 pound test line. Triebner will be entering his cateh In the Molsou's Big Fish Contest. Last year's largest Coho. weighed in at 20.5 pounds. ( photo by Kris Svela) • , valuable revenue lost •bagasse ' of a lack of ac. -- commodation, according .,Jean Adams, super - emergency situations like that," she says. . Jean explains that she is not asking people to offer bed and breakfast for nothing. • "They can make money ( $15 a bed is standard fare) and it's also a great way to meet people. The Scottish couple I put up in my home couldn't believe we didn't have bedand breakfast accommodation here. They asked me how else they were going to get to know Canadians other than waitresses and merchants. Tourists from overseas expect bed and breakfast accommodation because that's how their countries visor of the`efaotiii aidre. (Photos on posTcaro by Mac Campbell) • operate," sari says. .• According to Jean, the Welcome. Centre seems busier than ever this year and she feels that a lot more tourists will also be coming here this winter because of the number of inquiries she has received about cross country skiing and hiking. "Surely there are some people out there with spare bedrooms to offer. If they could just phone us at the Centre (524-2513) and let us know they are willing to help, it. would be greatly appreciated." Signs warn area farmers BY SHELLEY MePHEE ' On. June 21, 1978, Norman Cartwright of R.R. 1 Londesboro was instantly killed when he was over- come by deadly gas fumes while working in his ham. The 36 -year-old lifelong resident of the area had entered his barn that morning about 9 a.m. and was found unconscious. .an. hour later. He had been working around the entrance to a tank of liquid manure located under the barn and poor ventilation combined with humid air caused his death. John Paul Rau of Zurich was more fortunate. He had 'a close brush with death while flushing liquid manure out of the gutters in his swine barn two years ago. • In Farmsafe, a publication of the Farm Safety Association, he explained, "'I heard the pigs squealing and, upon investigating, found some animals gasping for air. Suddenly, I found myself in the same predicament but failed to realize it was manure gas. I managed to get to the outside door, which was about 30 feet away, before I collapsed." When Mr. Rau regained consciousness, he found that he had lost all his Motor controls. It took 15 minutes for him to get to his feet. "My`son soon realized that it was manure gas, and that I had not been overcome by a heart attack, when he found the family dog unconscious and a number of dead pigs in the pens." Mr. Rau recalled. "I found that once a person comes into contact with manure gas, there is no time to do anything. It strikes like lightning. You have no warning because there is no different smell." What Mr. Cartwright didn't know,• and what Mr. Rau learned in his near fatal accident, is that manure fumes are deadly. The Huron Count. Farm and Home Safety Association is taking preventative steps in an effort to teach more area farmers that gases, from liquid manure storage or vertical silos.tor storingensilage are dangerous and can kill humans and livestock within a matter of minutes. . Don Young of R.R. 3 Auburn, secretary of the Huron Safety Association, noted, "We have been fortunate in Huron County so far that no deaths have oteiirirediiiit to silage gas. However, 'Manure gas has taken one life in t978 and has been responsible for other close encounters and for the death of livestock:" In an effort to warn and inform area farmers about the dangers of the silent killer, the Huron Safety Association, in co-operation with the Huron County Junior Farmers, is distributing signs warning of the presence of dangerous gases. The 600 bright red signs are being placed oh farms in Huron County which either have liquid manure storage or vertical silos. They are being put up. free of charge, by the five Junior Farmer Hubs in the county -Auburn, ' West Huron, Howick, South Huron and North Huron. Mr. Young said that .placing the sighs is the first positive step the local Safety Association can take in reminding farmers ofthe danger. He explained that gas detector test kits are available but the high cost of using the equipment is prohibitive. The Association is encouraging companies to produce less expensive test equipment. Extra precautions, according to the Association, are necessary since liquid manure storage systems have come into prominent use in recent years. Many dairy. ,.beef, hog and some poultry operations now use liquid manure systems as a fast and economical Torn *to page 2 Brochure. . information investigated BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE An investigation into how typographical errors were in a provincial brochure on chemical use,has been ordered by Agriculture Minister Dennis im- brell: The investigation, follows several reports of killed crops because of over -application in the Perth County area and in eastern Ontario. Barry Mahon of RR 2, Staffa lost 45 acres. of alfalfa in May of this year, after he over -applied MCPA and Embutox in the early spring. Mr. Mahon admits his is a unique situation as he had the chemicals for several years, and it was the first year he mixed the two together. He had nothing to refer to for mixing. directions esti* labels were off • the chemical containers, so he used the provincial guideline. "I -had-no other thing to refer. to," said Mr.. Mahon. The guide, called Publication 75 - Guide to -Chemical. Weed Control; ,had typographical errors with some reports saying four errors and other estimates saying 50 to 100 errors. .In Mr.; Mahon's case, the error resulted in him applying 10 times the t amount. The publ normal "'cation is put dot annually, but for the first time this year was put out solely in metric measure. It included a recommendation for mixing Embutox and MCPA. The publication called for 35 kilograms of MCPA per hectare instead of 35 _grams or .7 litres per hectare instead of .07 litres, and 9.8 kilograms per hectare of Embutox instead of the correct .8 kilograms per hectare. The Ministry. of Agriculture and Food sent out the publication in March and corrections were sent out to its extension offices and to seed, and chemical dealers which had distributed the 67,000 manuals. In Perth County. there have been three confirmed Turn to page 2 er plann ed Body nous, former Chicago Black )wants cow and_ ral *d the Tomato of the Hockey League in St. that: dews will be. the featured gum speaker alGoderich'athird annual snorts celebrity dira rtobeheldFriday, October15. "He's one of the best sneakers I've ever beard -a- real " says Lam Jeffrey of Goderich, a tomer NHL player who is helping to organize the event. . The dinner,- ,with will commence with a .pial hotw at ¢-15 P.m. at the Goded& Legion hall, will feature oto celebrities too but they have not all been confirmed at this time. Tickets will go en sale soon and proceeds will be for Goderich hockey. Lbrary rob Police are still investigating a break-in at the Goderich PublieLibrary which occurred last Monday evening. A cash amount of $115 was fin. During the week, police received more +alis than usual abort dogs running at large. Noise complaints were also more numerous, especially about balking dogs and parties in and outside houses. A total of nine stolen bicycles were recovered during the week by police and citizens. However, $ve - more bicycles were stolen during°the week bringing the trial number of thefts to 11. Thera was also one assault, five disturbances and two other criminal code offences. Police made one arrest, laid six criminal Charges, five liquor charges, 18 Highway Traffic Act charges and three by-law charges. They also issued 11 wary nings and investigated three minor motor vehicle accidents - • More tourists The number of tourists coming into Goderich this summer appears to be slightly higher than Last summer with more Canadians and fewer Americans visiting. „ From May 24 to July 2A, the town's Welcome Centre has had 6,255 parties (or families) pass through its doors. This is an increase over Last year and super- visor upervisor Jean Adams has noticed the new Cadadian- Ametican trend. "We have a lot more Canadian tourists this year and are also getting an overflow from the Stratford FestivaL But there aren't as many Americans as last year," she says. The Huron Historic Jail had had 9,229 people take urs_as.of...July29.._.This is.,66..peop ow tban kat year at the same time. "The last ten days have been our busiest, says curator Harry BosnelL "But we haven't had as many Americans." He feels that economic hard times is the reason for fewer Americans, especially from Michigan. "I was talking to two couples from Flint who had worked in the automotive industry there and they told me they had been out of work for three and a half years," he says. The flea markets held in the fail yard every Sunday are doing just as well as last year's despite all the rain in June. . The Huron County Pioneer Museum has had over 7,000 visitors to, date, about the same number as last year. Between 15,000 and 16,000 are expected to have toured through the museum by the end of October. And pa�gain the trend has been fewer Americans. -Besii vs C.. a inns, .R amus+ .tias..h. bed n.19t -o .- Dutch, English, Scottish and German visitors.' . l Seeks members BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE . VANASTRA - A membership drive. Trying to organize one for the following week isno simple task, but the number of members. is important to a lobby- ,.ing group such as the Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Twenty -seven-year-old Blaine Stephenson has the • job of overseeing the drive along with several volunteers: It is currently occupying most of his time, as fieldman for both the Huron and Perth Federation of Agriculture. He has been fieldman since this past spring and ob- viously enjoys his work as he thinks of possible volunteers to recruit for the drive. When he applied for the job, he thought it looked attractive as. it re- • quires meeting people and is hi the agriculture field. He explains, his job is mostly acting as a liaison between OFA in Toronto and members here in Huron and Perth. Enthusiastic about the- benefits of a • federation membership, Mr. Stephenson explains an extended health plan is offered to farmers. There„ is also a full- time lawyer working for OFA in Toronto, whose ser- vices are available to members. Farmer -members can also• talo advantage of OFA's ,, property depart- ment. His job is also a lot of public relations, that is, to make everyone more aware of what is going on in the organization. He commented that members to both the Huron and Perth federation have been very helpful to him. Being a fieldman is a full-time job, but Mr. Stephenson also 'works a 70 -acre farm just west of Varna with his brother and father. Formerly his grandfather's farm, he purchased it in 1976. It's not far from where he was raised either, on a farm just south of Varna. He has a forest technician diploma and for the past six years has worked for a surveying company in Goderich. He received his diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming college in Lindsay. While still in school, he spent summers working for the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority. INSIDE THE . I N L--- T P Slowpitch action The GMSL Slowpitch Tournament was held o er the weekend with 48 teams competing in the three day event. The story and pictures are on pages 1 and 4 of the Recreation section.