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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1975, PAGE I1 nEventfgIn Honour o Des" Des Newman and his wife Marjorie are al smiles as they receive tributes from citizens of Whitby and municipal representatives from across Canada at the testimonial dinner in their honor. At left is a copy of the book outlining the career of former Mayor Newman, written by Brian Winter, archivist of the Whitby Historical Society, and in the foreground is one of the many Town of Whitby flags placed on the tâbles. Dignitaries in attendance from across Canada A host of dignitaries from the Durham Region and from across the municipal scene in Canada were present at Whitby's testimonial dinner for fo rmner Mayor Des Newman last Wednesday. Those present from the Durham Regionwere Chair- man Walter Beath, Oshawa Mayor Jim Potticary, Ajax Mayor Clark Mason, New- castleMayorkGarnet Rickard, Brock Mayor Alan McPhail, Uxbridge Mayor Carl Puter-, bough, Pickering Mayor George Ashe, Durham West MPP Dr. Charles Godfrey, and Judge .,.P. Kelly. Mayor Marcel Robidas from Whitby's twin city Longueuil, Quebec, was present, and municipal repre- sentatives included Alderman, Art Eggleton of Toronto, chairman of tie Municipal Liaison Committee; Walter TFuohy, past executive diiec- toi of the Municipal Liaison Committee; Guy Levesque, executive director cf the Canadian Federation cf Mayors and Municipalities Claude Langois, pastexecu- tive director cf the CFMM; Marcel D'Amour, past presi- dent of the CFMM; Dick Illiigsworth, director of the provincial municipal affairs secretariat at Queen's Park; Gladys Rolling, president cf the Association of Municipal- ities of Ontario; and Mac- Dunbar, associate director of the AMO. Also present was Judge Hugh O'Connell, a former Whitby Luncillor. Letters and telegrams were received fron Ivor Dent, former may- or. cf Edmonton and- past piesident of the CFMM; Prof. Allan O'Brien, former mayor of '-Halifax and a past pesi- dent of' the CFMM; Paul Godfrey, president of the CFMM and chairman of Me tro Toronto; O-shiawa-Whiitby MP Ed Broadbent; Ontario Riding MI? Nori Cafik, Gilles Lamontagne, nayor Uf Que- bec; Jack Tripp cf CUPE local 53; Rev. Lou i-arvey, presi- dent (if the Whitby Minister- ial Association; and the local branch of the Ontario Fire- riohiters Association. Newman by Coun. Tom Edwards, who called it "com prehensive and exhausive ir detail, and documented m well defined and readable terms". The book traces Mr. New man's career from his arriva in Canada through his intro duction to politics, an covers in detail his contri butions to municipal gover ment across Canada. Coun. Edwards pointed ou that the book compares Mr Newman to Peter Perry, Ezr Annes and other founders o the original town of Whitby. He referred also to th chapter on iroquois Pari which points out that th original Iroquois iark pro posal. for a province-wid lottery, had a bearing on th formation of the existinl Wintario lottery. Five hundred copies of th testimonial book were pro duced by thç town of Whitb in tribute to Mayor Newman service for 10 years as mayo longer than any other chi< magistrate of the town. About 100 copies of th book are available to th public at the town hall at price Qf$2 cach. A special book entitled "Desmond G. Newman, A Testimonial to- a Dedicated Leader", was provided to all guests at the Town of Whitby's dinner for former Mayor Newman last Wednesday. The 60-page book was written by Brian Winter, archivist for the Whitby Historical Society, and com- munity editor of the Whitby Free Press. A copy of the testimonial was presented to Mr. Coun. Tom Edwards presents Mr. Newman with his prsonal copy of the testimonial book written in honor of 10 years service as mayor of Whitby. by BRIAN WINTER by BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer Local citizens and munici- pal representatives from across Canada gathered at Heydenshore Pavillion last Wednesday to pay tribute to former Whitby Mayor Des Newman at a gala testimonial evening. Gifts were preserted by representatives of many com- nunity organizations, and tri,. butes paid by members of the town council before an audience of 368 people, the largest crowd ever to turn out for a dinner at Heydenshore. Thrce special presentations by the.Town of Whitby high- lighted the evening, as recog- nition of Mr. Newman's ser- vice for 10 years as mayor--- the longest term in the history of the town. Coun. Gerry Emm, on behaîf of the town council, presented Mr. Newman with the Freedom of the Town of Whitby, the highest honor that fhe town can confer. The freedon of the town hias been awarded only three 1tîimes- previously, to th e Ontario Regiment in 1966 and to John Frost and R. S. McLaughlin in 1971. Acting Mayor Don Love- lock presented the Newman family with a grandfather clock, and Coun. Tom Edwards gave the mayor a copy of a testimonial booklet outlining the highliglits of his cacei. "Will Whitby ever again have a mayor of, suk unshakable dignity' nhe asked "Whitby is no longer really a snall town, so a person with the impact of Des may no loniger be noticeable. Wc have been served by the inost dynamiîc leader the tcwn lias pssesscd in recent times". Duirlani Region Chairmar Walter Beath presented Mr and Mrs. Newman with gift: on behalf of the region, anc recalled the days whcn hi anid Mir. Newman wer( involved in the foraton o the Central Ontario Join Planning Board, and sat to gethier on the regional council Municipal Liaison Commrittec and Oshawa Area Planninl and Developmcint Study. 1-is concein, dedicatior research and action hiavi nalways been on the froii i-lne", said Mi. Beath. "O1 nail occasions, hielhas been ngentlemen. Because of imi ehave lcarncd a lot about prc cedure, policy, individual Pci v-sonalities and how to de, al with them". >. Mayor Marcel Robidas,c d Whitby's twin ity, Longucu i-QubcsadM.Nwi r. "ehsgvnu i e a i eonzn oa oe if mn sa peettv e pepefrteppl" ck ad, 1icomn oee ce Demnasamdlo o- ao ciact" Le ayi; Neman ithe a frcor eine", sAtMrsy pBeath.d" all occasths Whitb YMA, bee g entedmn. ewan wth ssnalities anad plaqueo de r, highest honor that can ef conferred by the YMCA. Bryan Davies, president he the Ontario Minor Lacro he Association and past presid a-of Whitby Minor Lacros represenited the sport world by presenting Mr. New- a . man with a plaque from the h Whitby lacrosse community, N and paid tribute to Mr. New- c man's service to sports in h Whitby. p Harry lones, past commo- m dore of the Whitby Yacht Club, presented Mr. Newmann h withi a tray of goblets on fr behalf of the club, and l thanked him for his work in" designating Whitby as a re- o creational harbor and assisting t in the amalgamation of the Whitby and Oshawa Yacht s Clubs. Coun. Joy Thompson pre- sented Mrs. Newman with a bouquet of flowçrs, and paid tribute to his three children, Diedre, Rhoda and Marsha. I don't think there will be another mayor of. Whitby to follow Des, and another firsti lady ike Marjorie. She is a1 great lady", she said. In response to all the tributes and presentatiods Mayor Newman expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the people of Canada. "Lt is perhaps some 20 years since 1 chose this country; as Joey Smallwood said, I chose Canada as my homne, as a place where 1 might make my living and my contribution. "I spent most of my boy- hood in a country (British Guiana) where there was great poverty and great wealth side by side. All of tie growing pains we are going through as Canadiansa I.experience as a boy". "When I chose to serve my community here, I did out of i- 1 Acting Mayor Don Lovelock and Des Newman admire the Town of Whitby's gift to the Newman family, a grand- father clock, suitably inscribed with a brass plaque on the base. The clock w's one of many presentations to Whitby's former mayor from his community. Photographs by Mike IBurgess Archivist writes book for a dedicated leader 1 1 id senseof great gatitudadio be ere as a Canadian", said Mr. [ewman. "I Iovcd this ountry which gave m my orne and 1 wanted to, be roud of it and it proud of Mr. Newman quoted Abra- rnn Lincoln, reminding his riends that reverence for the aw is something important. If we revere our laws then, mr democracy will be sus- ained", he said. He warned that freedom is omething precious, and "it S So easy to lose that- freedom "It has been for me always a pleasure to serve", he said. In paying his tribute to Mr. Newman, Acting Mayor Don Lovelock said, "We are proud to be associated with a man who is a living legend in his lifetime across Canada. There are very few who have accomplished that". Entertainment was pro- vided by Sister Giselle Pilon, who dedicated the song, "The Impossible Dream" to Mr. Newman. "Your dream is not finished; it carrys on for the rest of your life", she said. The program closed with a concert by the County Town Singers, who dedicated- the song "Canada Our Heritage", to Mr. Newman and presented him with a gift in recognition of his association with the choir. The hall was specially decorated for the occasion, with two Whitby flags behind the head table, and a sigi which read, "An Evening In Honor of Des".