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The Huron Expositor, 1979-10-18, Page 1120th, Year Whole No. 5823, de «s2. .ux .e SRT +Sn. SEAFORTH,, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, OCTOBER18, 1979 28 PAGES FIRST SECTION PAGES 1 20 S13 a year to advance. Sui0 Copy 30 cents Brenda woman o Farm Credit By ALICE GIBE; Brenda McIntosh,: of RR3 Seaforth, has every reason to celebrate the fact this is the 50th anniversary, .of the year women were first' officially declared "persons" by the Canadian government. Recently Mrs. :McIntosh passed another milestone when she became the first woman ever appointed to sit on the advis ory committee of the Farm Credit Corporation (FCC) Mrs. McIntosh was appointed to the committee by Minister of Agriculture John Wise She said all the commitee members are either farmers or members of farm organizations. Mrs. McIntosh, a member of the Huron County Federation:of Agriculture; has been operating a poultry operation with her husband Jim for the past 18 years. She was also deputy-clerktreasurer of Tuckersmith for some years. She said she feels the experience she has gained in the past will be valuable ;in, her committee work. . The other Ontario member of the committee is Ron Oswald, a Chesley area, farmer. Mrs. Mclntosh's three year appointment to the nine -member committee was announced recently by the minister of agriculture. Last week, Mrs.'. McIntosh. attended : her first official fu tion as a mi ember of the committeesitti n on one day of the national convention of the FCC .in. Ottawa,, and then attending` 'a day long. meeting of the advisory committee., Brenda McIntosh sh first nada"s Traditionally this, committee meets about twice a year for the purpose of advising the FCC and the minister of agriculture on. matters related to the Farm Credit Acta The Farm Credit. Corporation, which has been in existence for 15 years, is a government owned money lending agency for the farm population. This is the first time in the history of the organization that they )held a national conference for their staff from across. Canada. Brenda McIntosh said ,the advisory committee is considering a number of topics. related to the farm credit situation:. One area of concern is the high rates of interest charged to farmers by various lending instittitions; Also, the committee.. hopes to see lending limits raised by the FCC, since land costs and other farm prices are rising se dramatically.. LONG TERM CREDIT Also, Brenda. McIntosh said the FCC is allotted only so much a year by the treasury board for land purchasesand the advisory committee is looking at alternate ways to raise money to lend. farmers, Mrs. McIntosh; said, "Farmers must have dependable long- term sources of credit," Mrs.. McIntosh said Dr, Ronald 'Poirier, chairman of the Farm Credit Corporation, told committee members that the a FCC (a crown corporation), is looking at the possibility of the corporation becoming private! ,y owned., . The Conservative government is currently considering . the privatization of many crown corporations.. Mrs. McIntosh said the FCC chairman said the aim is that someday in the future the corporation could be owned and administered by farmers. The,farmers could buy shares when they paid off their loans. and eventually they would be owners; of the money -lending corporation: The 'advisory committee met with John Wise, Dr.. Poirier and other members of the FCC board during their recent meeting in Ottawa. Mrs: McIntosh said. the committee's next meeting is. in December during the Agricultural Outlook Conference in Ottawa: A second area resident';who attended' the FCC conference in, Ottawa' was Gordon•Hill of Varna, the former president of the• OFA. : Mr,. Hill was. on a panel with four other people who discussed the topic "A Look at the Role of Long Term Agricultural. Credit in: the Next Decade." Mr Hill presented the farmer's viewpoint: on the topic,; while the otherpanellists' represented banks and other lending. institutions: Na more apactmertits far seniors needed here: $fu�d� Although the percentage of residents over '65 here is well above the provincial average, Seaforth doesn't need any more senior citizen Ontario Housing Corporation (OHC) apartment units, according to a municipal, housing statement, drafted by the provincial housing ministry and adopted by council last week. The housing statement, requested by the 1977 .,council and dated October, 1, 1978. provides population and income data on the town inventories ven toric s present housing and project prof trends to 1982. Seaforth's senior_ citizen. population was 29.6 per cent of the town's total in 1977, ' well aboveh . - - t eprovincial average of 12,5 per B• cent:. But, looking at, Waiting lists for g g OHC. accommodation, turnover rates and the fact that the ' present 16 unit apartment is now under construction, the report concludes no more 'units are needed "over the -next 12 • months:" The average g 'number of people per household ldin S eaforth is well below the rovincial average 2.6 in 1976 compared • . A'ith 3:1 across the province, because of the large proportion of senior citizens who live here, he study says it will : continue to decline n and the . umber of households will increase "caused by the number of rnew households settling in the town and the undoubting of existing households." Based on the 1971 census, incontes in • Seaf rth are also below • the provincial • average. The average ge Seaforth. family mcom -....i.. Incomewas $per 14 850 ear .,w Y �ith the 1978rovincial a p vera a of $19 733. The housingin B study shows that Se afo rths population has decreasededbY50 since1971 but that it's stable now and is1ro`ected''to P increase at about half a per cent a year to an; estimated d 2,148 by 1982. From .1972 to 1977 thetown's , population in the 0-19. group dropped 1 g P0 per cent ..nearly and the' 20 to 59 age group dropped by nearly 7 per cent. In 1971 the, town had 74S dwelling units, nearly 90 per cent built before 1951. As Of 1971 more of them Were single family houses, and more of them owned ocaipied, than the provincial average, New house building has increased every year since 1971 an average ' , g of ten a year. The housing studysays a tie.. Y w three bedroom detached house in Seaforth costs itbottt $42;000 "depending on location," Older Mika, sell at 00435 00006 and r ► lots from $8,000 to 313,000.. Rental accommodation in town,, the study says; makes up 21.6• per cent of the housing stock, below the provincial average of 31.1 per cent. Most of the apartments are walk ups in the ;Core area, have a low turn -over rate and rentals ranging from $125 to $225 per month, depending on size. Rent in' separate apartment buildings in town is `much` higher"; the study says. The study notes that Seaforth has received $98,736 with ' a further $40,000 allocated, from the province's Ontario Home Renewal Program, and Says continued' involvement, is: a good idea as there's a' need to rehabilitiate older,. houses. There were no applications on fite for subsidized OHC family housing when the study was completed and the report . concludes there s no needfor it. The report does cite a need for low cost housing and says the town -initiated subdivision (West, Branch) hopes to provide houses in the $35,000 range. The studynotes' a familyin 8 Seaforth would need, an income of S16-° S18,000 a year to purchase the average new house at S42,000. Seaforth's Sewage treatment g reatment facilities when Completed will''allow for a'population of 5,000, the study says and a new well and the present water reservoir more than adequate for the projected growth." The study, which calls for a review of the housing situation each year, adds that based on the number of units with subdivision approval and Units awaiting approval, .there appears to be more than ample Supply of p pp y serviceable land to meet the anticipated growth of households" P,• When it adopted the study last Week,. council agreed "to contact other . B area towns which have had housing statements done for o , c mpanson andto check the need for more senior citizen housing in Seaforth in the future. Cooks sh here's your chance By DEBBIE:'RANNEY' Bran muffins are my specialty When it comes' to baking. The only other flung I know how to bake at the Moment is a chocolate cake. 1 can even do that tbythe scratch method if have h to, but :prefelr Duncan Mines, But the more people who send in those (Continued en Page B 3) THE SITE HAS BEEN CHOSEN An anonymous phone call. late X Sunday night took the -Expositor's photographer to the site of the second annual Beechwood International Plowing Match, just east of 'Beechwood. Since the proposed site is in a field full of winter wheat it is uncertain just where plowing will take place. But readers can be assured: that organizers have this and all other potential organizational problems well in hand. (Expositor Photo) • echwood IPM The '.Beechwood Internationale Plowing Match is alive and well and organizers are just now completing plans for the 1979. match to be held. October 31, . The site this year is a winter wheat field and it's not known yet just where the actural plowing competitions will take place... Competition is always .keen in this match and the Expositor understands that residents of McKillop who have no other place to plow are turning up their gardens to get into practice for `• the big day. A letter from Orville • Furrow -Turner of the World Plowing Association, Box:1.000, Ottawa, received by this ' newspaper outlines plans for the event. "Now that the IPM in Chatham is. over, 1 find myself concentrating. on the. upcoming Beechwood. International Plowing Match;" the veteran plewman says: Mr. Furrow -Turner has appointed a local resident as official judge of the Beechwood IPP. (see this week's St. Columban news) And he goes on to say "I do, however regret that 1 personally will not be able . to attend as my physician has advised:me to take things, a little easier: I have been involved in every. IPM since their origin in 1899 • and now that my :dear; Bertha has passed on 1 have no one to hook my plow for: me.'' Watch the Expositor for details about when and where to register for the Beechwood IMP and full coverage of the Beechwood IMP' : awards night, always outstanding in its field: fills vacanc Seaforth council had a small audience of ratepayers Tuesday night when it met to appoint someone to fill the vacancy 'left by the resignation of councillor Jim Sills. Former councillor Bill Bennett ° was appointed after he received five votes, while. another suggested appointee, Gary Boyle, receive, one. Councillor Irwin, Johnston and Reeve John Flannery were absent when the vote was taken, "I hope this doesn't discourage you from standing in the coming (1981) election," Mayor John 'Sinnamon told Mr. Boyle, , a spectator at the meeting. In other business at the unusually short meeting council decided to discuss possible MTC resurfacing of Highway 8 through town at next month's committee meetings. council will look into installing, hot water in the library basement, now home to a nursery school;, following a requestby the Huron County Health Unit's plumbing. inspection division: eating tonight :on FAB.: Members of Seafokth's Volunteer. Fire Department are hosting a meeting with town and township; representatives at the town • -hall tonight in -an attempt to finally "settle The question of area fire protection, The meeting will be closed to the public. Following Seaforth's short council meeting Tuesday night council stayed on for what a couple of councillors called informal discussions about what Seaforth•'s position at the meeting will be; • The councillors also: indicatedthey would discuss whether Thursday'smeeting 'would be open or not" But Mayor Sinnamon said Wednesday morning -that that` decision was .. "up to, the fire department: They called the. meeting, " Seaford' fire chief a rrry Hak said he understood the meeting would be closed and that a press release may be ` issued afterwards. Eht uroli' o 'tor Inside this, week Bazaar, tea: at Northside' . Centenaires will surprise Fitness for health . Macrame lessons. . P. 7 .P.,12 P. 8A. Fire destroy A •$65,000 fire on Sunday night ,destoyed: a barn and livestock owned by Terry Taylor., of RR4 Clinton. Thei o Cl nt n fire department was called to. the Taylor farm at approximately 10 a.m. Mrs. Taylor had been in the downstairs of the family home, and when she was going upstairs, she looked out the Window to see the barn engulfed in flames. There were 50 chickens and 325 pigs lost in the fire. By the time the fire department reached the scene, the older frame barn was completely ablaze. In addition to . the livestock, hay, straw grainand stored in the barn were also destroyed, Clarence Neilands, the Clinton fire Chief, said the cause of the .fire isn't known at present: • The barn was insured and the Taylosplan to rebuild in the future. uckersmith promises petitioners a hearin BY WQ.MA OKE Tuckersmith Township council agreed .g Tuesday to call a meeting of its ratepayers before going ahead` with the construction of the ' addition to the Vanastra Recreation Centre. A large group of Tuckersmith residents, s mainly from Egmondville • and Vanastra attended the council session. Lloyd Eisler of Egmondville, the only spokesman, presented council with a petition requesting it consult with its ratepayers before proceeding, with the addition: Councillor, Frank. Falconer told he didn't think a'm eetin would solve anything "We 8 Y g could be held up on a S175,000 grant (Council is awaiting word from, ministry officials in reply to a request for community centre and Wintario grants.). Mr. Falconer agreed it would be a lot easier to get the grants if the ratepayers would go along with the construction: Councillor .William Brown said, "1 don't think theratepayers are opposed to the additionbut, if it could be shown the centre "would make a profit p t O r break even,.." Reeve Ervin Sillery quest ioned Mr. Eisler about the , h deed for presenting the petition when at the last council meeting on October 2 he had p resented -a similar petition: Reeve Siliery told 'him that ...he would agree to calling a meeting. The reeve said'. when he :agreed to the meeting t "it would be an he felt opportunity for council• to give the people both sides." Mr. Eisler replied that the 'reeve had agreed to the meeting but that the rest of couneit might not vote for it. Deputy Reeve Robert Bell said he would hate to see the project held"up. Reeve Silic asked:. at. ry d. kt the ratepayers have the true facts, Would we have anyway to know if they had changed their minds?" Councillor Brown asked how much a vote Would costo Townahlp clerk lack McLachlan replied that 'it wettldCost SS.00I ." ' Councillor Falconer' said, he thought the project would be a complete loss: and that now the township first first in line for the. grants, but that if the government officials get the' wordthe ratepayers are against it, then some other municipality would' get priority. Mr: Eisler replied that if council didn't go to the ratepayersthat they would force a vote, He said 62 per cent of the eligible Voters ( there are a total of 2,300 of them) could demand it:. Councillor Brown asked for a recorded. vote on whether to agree to the petition for the meeting and all voted Yes. Council agreed the meeting would be held at the Vanastra Recreation centre• -possibly. on November 5, pB rovidin the centre would be availableon that date. The cletk read a prepared Statement outlinging the reason for the addition, and it tevealed that in 1978, the township applied for a Canada Works grant to provide recreation for special needs. Three persons were hired. nine provide for nine months to provida specialized, programq of aquatics uatics and fitness , for individuals who ate unable to fit into a regularl a aquatic and fi#ness :program. Clientele includes mentally handicapped, senior citizens, arthritics, stroke patients or • er p sons with any other disability. He read that one condition to receiving the grant was that the centre be renovated to accommodate physically handicapped per- sons who would be in'Volved in the program He explained in detail that to do these renovations and not inconvenience people flow using the facility, it would be necessary to build an addition. . IEIe outlined the grants expected', Which it• is hoped will cover 78 per cent of the building costs, with another 11 per cent to be raised through public subscription to match the Wintarlo grants. He said to date these grants have not been given final approval. Architect Brian Garratt; hired to draw up' plans for the addition, attehded the meeting and, 'opened the tendersf ubmitte d for the construction work. It was pointed: out that' council has 60 e days to consider the • Y t nders before accepting one or, rejecting alt The lowest tender submitted was from Reffling Haus Construction. of Goderich for $227,480 with work • to: start November 1, finsih April 1980: The otic three ree tenders., Kelly -Lyn: Construction, tendon, 5256,456; Genan Construction of Waterloo,'S25 1 5'" n Construetion9,11, and Whitney iora hitney Construction of Stratford, $263,647. • Mr. Garratt revealed that the Refflin8 haus tender was about $30,000 belowestimated cost. Council ave him authorixation tostudy the tenders and bring in a recommendation , to council as to, the tender giving the best chance for the most funding. If the construction is carried out the architect's fee will be eight g per cent of the total cost and this will increase the final total c st.addition 0 Ind it n to his petition for the ratepayer's.. , meeting Lloyd Eisler questioned council 'o the .. . about t e deficit incurred each year bythe Vanastra a a day care centre. He asked whycare had the daycare .to pay a big rent of 5700 monthly to the recreation centre. Her was told by the -clerk: it was to cover heating,. hydro and water costs. He gtiestionedwhy rents from the use of several day care centre rooms by various groups, renting the space through the recreation[ director, did not go to the day care centre to help Celt: down its deficit. He was told the rent from on of the toonis used (the kitchen) did ge to the day care to reduce its tent, but that it was better to have the day care with a deficit than the recreation centre. The reasont for en i this - g v was .because the day cite: was 'funded 80pc t' cent by " the government and the recreatiotl Centre was not. Palmier expl*fitted: '''I yogi go the other 421 4: 144440441461...2 route you put all the expenses on the people 'of Vanastra, • The � recreation complex at, . Vanastra-- housing the recreation centre and the day care centre in one building, and the curling, rink . m r n k another butldmgare all owned by the residents of Vanastra and all debts against it must be paid by the residents. Hence the concern of the businessmen of Vanastra who held a meeting recently objecting to the addition to the recreation 'centre'. The residents alreadyowe we S119,000 and they don't want that debt increased. The residents of the rest of the township .. are opposed because council has said • it would like to see the debt spread pmo a ng all the 'residents of the townshipjust not just the residents. of Vanastra. Tuckersmith township council as a whole hole manages the recreation centre. Followign the 'Meeting. this press repre- sentative a w s given a press release from the. ratepayers who had attended the meeting, announcing:*W public: meeting: for Tucker, smith township ratepayers rate ewill be held at Heather Gardens at Vanastra on Thursday, October 18,at 8 .m. FOR or AGAINST. T.. Tuckersmith ratepayers organized to oppose council --on councils decision on proposed new addition to Vanastra Recreation Centre: to block increasing taxes -4 petition will be. circulating." Seaforth gets planning grant e Ministry of Housing has announced the town of Seaforth will receive a conttnuu- itplanning studyant totalling $13,$46. J� I> li: grant ail Seaforth clerk Jim Crocker said the money will be used to review and update the town's official pian, originally palmed in 19711,