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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-12-31, Page 1littpvg deur r ar t - itiC erkh cutrumit m 138YEAR -53 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1986 60 CENTS PER COPY YCW was delayed but Flora McDonald opened Champion's training centre on time. It was a year of challen The calendar year is winding down this week and the advent of a new year always brings with it the hopes, dreams and pro- mises of new and better things. There's .always a refreshing aspect to New Years. For the first day' of a brand new yeah often signals the beginning of a new lifestyle or; at the least, people are of firm resolve to change things in a positive way. A new year gives everyone a new begin- ning, a fresh start. Perhaps it will be a year of personal prosperity. But before we discard the old year,( no doubt many people would like to quickly forget about it) and unceremoniously discard it, it ,is customary to take a retrospective look • at the major news events that helped shape the lives of area residents: The year 1986 was a year of controversy on many fronts and also a year of tragedy as many people lost their lives in car ac- cidents in the area. z The year began on a rather ominous note as poor weather conditions made travell- ing hazardous and highways in the Goderich- area were closed, it seemed, more than they were open to traffic. Again, last year, travelling was treacherous over the Christmas -New Year holiday and many travellers Were strand- ed in the area or failed to meet friends and relatives. During the first week of the year, the roads were again closed as winds reduced visibility to nil and created drifting. The constant closure of the major highways created some controversy as police would not allow motorists to pass through the barricades at Dunlop on Highway 21 north of town. The storms con- tinued through the second week of the year and a Clinton woman was killed in a car - truck collision on Highway 8 a few miles ,east of Goderich. i During January, the area lost one its most dedicated politicians and volunteers, Gerry Ginn, who died on his Goderich l y Isfafl >. '.ic•+'• L r / .,:.r ' .rte. 1.1.1r177.777777.7. sr�!► Township farm after suffering a heart attack. The 59 -year-old farmer was the sixth generation pf Ginns to farm in Goderich Township and the third generation to serve as reeve. A great supporter'of sports and recrea- tion programs, Ginn was a respected municipal politician who left a rich legacy of work, fair play and dedication. First elected to Goderich Township council in 1957 he became deputy -reeve in 1971, reeve in 1975 and warden in 1978, his last year on council. He was also a school board trustee and chairman of the township's 1-5-0 celebration. The Holmesville Park he helped created was named in his honor. Also in January of 1986, Champion Road Machinery Co. Ltd. which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Champion during the year, announced that 118 jobs would be created at the grader -manufacturing facility through the federal government's Job Development Program. About $2.5 million in total was allocated to create the company's new technical training centre in the former Gearco building to teach new skills to unemployed workers. The new centre Was officially opened in May by Employment and Immigration Minister Flora McDonald. The Champion project was the largest awarded by the ministry under the Job Development Program. It was also late in January when Huron County physicians made it clear they in- tended to oppose the government's legisla- tion banning extra billing, The 48 doctors in the county said they would consider op- ting out of OHIP if extra -billing was bann- -ed in the legislation proposed by provincial health minister, Murray Elston. The pro- vincial OMA urged all its members to drop out of the provincial health care scheme. The problems between the ministry and the doctors escalated throughout the year and by June, Goderich doctors supported the OMA strike and all but essential ser- vices were withdrawn. Also during the same time, the county lost the services of its Medical Officer of Health, Dr, Cieslar, who resigned because of differences with county administration and policy. Harbour work continued throughout the. year and in February blasting of rock in . the harbour bed shook the town of Goderich. The Cartier Construction Com- pany had to chip away at the rock bed to bring the harbour to seaway depth and allow ocean-going vessels to safely load here. Fill from the harbour project was truck - e Vilor‘I-al -Nr' ri• Ti (1 —r s/aav ,rE ed and piped to an a, -ea south of Chr' t0 he Q Beach whert acres ofa ngw • rand were created. The project,ect, co- operative effort with Maitland Valley Con- servation Authority, "was designed to help stabilize the bluffs along the Lake Huron shoreline to the southern edge of town. This year, the town of Goderich was suc- cessful in its bid to annex a 47 -acre parcel of land in Goderich Township for industrial purposes. Rumors circulated that the land was needed for an auto parts related industry. The land, with access to Highway 8 and the railway line, will augment the town's in- dustrial land inventory which had dwindl- ed to less than 50 acres. Also on the municipal front, the town 'found itself involved in the Hydro hearings during 1986. Ontario Hydro needs to build a transmission line from its Bruce Generating Station to London, but the pro- ximity of the proposed line to the Goderich Municipal Airport resulted in a number of objections being registered by the town. The Airport Committee, on behalf of the town, told the hearings board that the line would be a definite threat to safety. In April, council raised taxes by 4.6 per cent boosting the average taxpayer's bill to $938.67. Over $31 of the $43 increase was Turn to page 5 • service on New Year's Goderich's two taxi services are doing something about drinking and driving on New Year's Eve - they are offering free taxi rides within the town to New Year's Eve celebrants. B&B Taxi and Goderich Taxi are once again operating a free taxi ride service December 31st for persons who want to get to and from their New Year's Eve parties safely. Last year, over 400 people took advan- tage of the free taxi service offered by both companies. Bruce Betties, owner of B&B Taxi, started offering free taxi rides about 10 years ago when he owned Goderich Taxi. Last year, over 200 individuals used his free service on New Year's Eve. Maurice Gardiner, owner of Goderich Taxi, said "200 individuals or better" used last year's free New Year's Eve taxi ser- vice. He said his three taxis averaged four persons per car, making about 50 trips. "People are appreciative of the Nbw Year's Eve service," Gardiner said. He has been offering free in -town taxi service- since he bought the business six years ago. New Year's Eve free in -town taxi rides are being offered by B&B Taxi between 8:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. and by Goderich Taxi from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Police urge people not to drink and drive Goderich police will be out in full force New Year's Eve checking vehicles and their drivers for liquor -related offences. "We are urging people, if they go out to have a good time on New Year's Eve, not to drink and drive," Police Chief Patrick King said. He said celebrants should take advantage of the free taxi service being of- fered in town that night. Last week, the officers checked a total of 305 vehicles. King said only one 12 -hour license suspension was issued out of the 305 vehicle checks. In other news, Goderich police are look- ing-intortwo-minor acts of mischief which occurred at the high school and an elemen- tary school over the weekend. King said one window at GDCI and three windows at Victoria Public School were broken over the weekend. The windows were broken by thrown beer bottles. "We believe the windows were probably broken during the early hours of December 28," King said. INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Colbornites celebrated and the mine rescue team won School concerts Nativity scenes, carol singing and tales of Santa Claus dominated ioca1 aid ,.rea elementary school Christmas concerts held recently. For more pictures of the concerts, see inside this section. 1986 in review Featured in this week's Signal -Star is "The Year in Review", a pictorial feature representing events from each month of 1986. To see some of the year's highlights, see inside this section. Sailors defeated The Goderich Sailors lost 2-1 in a penalty -filled game with the Walkerton Blackhawks in OHA Junior C hockey Sun- day afternoon in Goderich. The Sailors meet the Blackhawks again this Friday night in Goderich. For a story on Sunday's game, see inside this section.