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/.::, Vol. 15, No. 2 'u__ Wednesday, January 9, 1985 04 Lit report says kII~fh~ Free Press Staff Phnoo John C. Leo nard ls seen here wth one of his wartimne experlences of his mother, father, father- palntlngs that are currently showlng at the Whitby ln-law and grandparents. Arts Station Gallery until Jan. 27. This work shows The ga llery is Iocated at the corner of Victoria Brtish naval vessels ln the North Sea at about the and Henry Sts. and Is open Tuesdays to Thursdays lime of the Battle of Jutland durlng the Flrst World from 12 noon to 5 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m.; War. Frdays f rom 12 noon to 5 p.m.; and, Saturdays and The entire exhibit Is devoted to portraylng the Su ndays f rom 2 te 5 p.m. Wo qrks are haorically accurate Artist 's wo rk pays t ri b ute to fam ily s wa r effo rts Although the Second World War ended almost 40.years ago, many people still have deep attachments to the events that shattered the world. How those events touched the lufe of one artist is the tbeme of an exhibit at Whitby Arts Station Gallery that ls showing until Jan. 27. John Leonard was born in 1944 in Oxted, England "under tbe kitchenftable during a bombing raid." His mother worked in a factory that made parts for the famous Spitfire figter plane, his father was a soldier in the Canadian army and is father-in-law was a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The exhibit is a series of bistorically ac- curate paintlngs and drawing detaillng actual events and military hardware used during thewar. The exhibit also inludes scenes of the First World War when his grandfatber served in the Royal Navy and fought on a sblp during the Battie of the Jutland Sea. The exhibit is a collection of "events, lartifacts that affec- ted my family," Leonard says. "They touched on al Canadians." Wile the exbibit, be says, doesn't glorify war, it does try to show the feelings of the people wbofougt in those wars. 1 As with many other familles, ours was often affected by the actions of submarines in the Nor&b Atlantic, sometimes tragically, with the loss of family members or such tbings as the introdurtinri of rationing, " 1i nnard says 'lin spite of the terrible events of those times, it Was also a time of warm human experiences, of deep and lasting frien- dships, of love and sharing," he added. "In talking with aun- ts, uncles, mothers, fathers, grandmothers and gran- dfathers, I hav't been able to piece together a picture of those close to me, to under them in the zeal of youth, in the accom- plisbments of maturity and the experience of age." "In doing so, 1 have come to a better understanding of myselfand wholIam.' The exhibit is then not so much about the war but about his family's participation in the war. "It's about my mother, my father, my grandmother and my grandfather," Leonard says. The paintings were ail higbly researched right down to the markings on the Spitfire that was shot down over Ostend, England on May 25, 1942 to the picture of his father-in-law's Typhoon fighter plane that is also included in the show. After the war, Leonard, his Canadian father and warbride mother settled in Victoria, British Colurnbia. He bas lived in Toronto since he graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1965 where he received the Medal of Proficiency in Drawing and Painting. He is also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and his work bas beenexhibited in more than 100 shows throughout Canada, the United States and abroad. z4 rages_ Fi * an see pg r $7m more than 1983.. Perm it value over O$49M iii '84, building The Town of Whitby issued $49.2 million wor- th of building permits in 1984 - alrnost $7 Million more than in 1983. According to a report issued by Mayor Bob At- tersley's office a -few days ago, the town issued $42 million in permits for the con- struction of' residential units last year, that's almost $9 million more than in 1983. According to Atter- sley, 742 new residential units were buiît last year. In 1983, 794 units were built, including 248 apartment units in the senior citizen's complex on Hickory St. Last year, the town issued $3.89 million in permits for commercial development, which is down, slightly from 1983's $4.54 million. In- dustrial development was valued at $925,350 in 1984. The year previous, this development was valued at $1.99 million. Hiowever, Attersley says that the $2 million permit issued for the construction of the new Mandreli Mining Com- pany's research and development facility on Victoria St. E. will be issued in the next-few days. Institutional develop- ment in Whitby was valued at $2.28 million last year, which isn't a great change fromn 1983's $2.32 million. Witby- has been showing solid growth since 1976 when $23.06 million in permits was issued. The town peaked in 1982 when $61.49 million was issued. However, Attersley points out that in 1982 the permit was issued for the construction of the Liquor Board of On- tario warehouse at a value of $32 million. Attersley said in a brief interview after the report was released that he was more than happy with the growtb figures and looks for continued growtb in 1985. He is predicting that 1985 will be a year of growth in the commer- cial sector locally.» "I'm looking for an upswing in commercial development," the mayor said adding that in 1984, 118 new businessep of ail types (including professional offices, stores and in- dustries) opened last year in Whitby.' The town will also continue its aggressive marketing campaign in 1985 and wiIl concen- trate on making businesses in foreign countries - especially West Germany and Japan - of the develop- ment opportunities in Whitby. Last year, promotional campaigns ini both West Germany and Japan had some solid results, most especially the visit of the delegation of Japanese political leaders to Whitby last June. "We want foreign in- vestment," Attersley said, "We started that two years ago here in Whtby. " This promotional campaign has had some resuits, the major said pointlng out that in 1971 there were 8,770 people employed in the Town of Whitby. In 1983 (the last year for which figures are available) there were 14065 people working in the com- munity. During the same period, Whitby's ,population jumped from 25,324 people living in 6,635 housebolds to 39,36U people living in 12,56obouseholds. The mayor also noted that between 1977 and 1980, 17.5 acres of in- dustrial and comfmer- cial buildings were con- structed in Witby. Durlng the years 1981 to 1984, 115.7 acres of such buildings were erected.