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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS hitÊ l Vil U><Published every Wednesday by M.B.M. Publlshlng and!Photography lnc. Volce of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess, Publisher.-Managin EditorteetNorth, • aaig EditorckSret orh The only Whitby newspaper Independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whltby residents. P.o26Whltby, On UPlshe ery edesa o, ýnt. Harbor plan Community Editor -Brian Wnter ContributingÉditor -Jim Quail Production Manager -Marle Burgess Print & Promotional Manager .--Robin["unn Classified Ad Leesa Menord Circulation Manager ' '--haron Lyon Malling Permit No. 460 Member of the: Better Business Bureau i Torontb whitby Chamber of Commerce features more than marina Cont'd from P. 1 Mr. McEwen points out that most Whitby residents do not know that the town owns 100 acres of land around the harbor, and 15 acres consist of reclaimed land on the east side of the harbor, where the marina parking lot will be located. Another benefit of the har- bor project will be a means of assisting the two or three Port Whitby boat manufac- turers in marketing their products. Now they will be able to sail their boats out of Whitby harbor to their cus- tomers, whereas before,. they had to ship boats out by truck. The harbor development project actually started in its conceptual form in 1975 when Whitby Boat Works was unable to deliver its product in a reasonably convenient manner even when the plant was only 200 feet from the water, said Mr. McEwen. Although assisting the boat manufacturers sparked the project, "the facility we are *constructing is for the gen- eral benefit of the whole municipality," Mr. McEwen commented last week. This month the town coun- cil agreed to purchase 200 steel floating docks for the Port Whitby Marina at a cost of $290,000. These docks will be anèhored and are so designed to avoid damage when the water freezes in the winter. One hundred of the docks will be received for instal- lation by May 15, said Mr. McEwen, and the remainder are due to arrive between June 15 and 30. The first 200 docks should be all in the water by the summer, and are the first part of a project which Mr. McEwen says will event- ually accommodate 450 boats. The contractor is on -the site at the present time, installing shoreline protec- tion along Front Street, and constructing a boat launch and lift-out facility which will be in operation this summer. The town is having speci- fications prepared for the construction of street light- ing for the new road and the parking lot, and the pumpout and gasoline disposai facil- ities which will be located near the boat ramp. South of Watson Street and west of Rowe Street drain- age ditch, on reclaimed land is a parking lot for 250 cars which will be available for' use in 1979. At a future date when the demand warrents it, the parking lot will be extended north of Watson Street, said MAlthough 200 slips for boats will be provided this year, Mr. McEwen does not expect to rent all of them in 1979. He expects as many as 50 to 150 could be rented, but picking a figure now would be like running a lottery, he said. It would take about five years before there will be 450 boats in the marina, he said. Mr. McEwen says the town will give priority to Whitby and Durham residents in alloting boat accommoda- tion in the Port Whitby Marina, but he expects that a number of Toronto residents will apply because there is a shortage of docking facilities in the Metro area. An active promotion of the marina is beginning this month. Last week brochures on the Port Whitby Marina were distributed at the Tóronto Boat Show at the Canadian National Exhibi- tion grounds, and from today until Feb. 3, there will be a display booth in the Oshawa Centre. Rates for May 15 to Oct. 31 have been set, outside winter storage will be provided on the parking lot and hydro and water will be available to larger boats for an addi- tional charge. Anyone interested in renting at the marina call Mr. McEwen at 668-5803, or Hugh Burns at 668-4371 or 668-4154. Current plans call for the construction of an adminis- tration building for the marina on Front Street, east of the boat ramp in Sep- tember to be ready for the spring of 1980. A temporary facility will be used this year, said Mr. McEwen. The permanent adminis- tration building will -have washrooms, shower, laund- romat, office and a work area. The town will finish the filling and levelling of the park area to the north of the harbor this summer. Fifty to 60 of the 100 acres of town- owned land around the harbor will be set up as a passive park. Mr. McEwen expects that grading the park area along the west side of the harbor will be finished by the fall of 1980. Mr. McEwen sees the har- bor development as a rather unique asset as it involves the development of land not used before. "Most harbors are conges- ted," he said. "I'm con- vinced we have sufficient land it (Whitby Harbor) will appear much more open." This year's marina dev- elopment is only the beginning of a long-term development which will change an unused marsh into one of the major recreational harbors on Lake Ontario, and put Whitby on the map aaboatin grecreational and PLAN OF PORT WHITBY MARINA I 'q