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PAGE 10, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4,1989 '88 REVIEW '88 REVEW '88 REVIW '88 REVIEW '88 REVIW GROWTH The past year was one of un- precedented growth in Whitby, with the housing market boom- ing and extensive industrial and commercial development. In July, Mayor Bob Attersley announced that although the issuing of building permits had been sluggish up until April, May and June saw the town issue $51,299,370 in building permits. To the end of June, $78.2 million in permits were issued beyond last year's total at the same time. The record-breaking levels con- tinued into August, when Atters- ley said that $107 million in permits had been issued to the end of July, of which $79,618,128 worth in residential permits were issued. The figure was $19 million more than this time last year. September saw figures of $133.6 million in permits for August, again the majority of the permits for residential designa- tion. Building permits to the end of November were at $196 million for the year, and it was expected that the figure would be more than $200 million by the end of December. This was the most successful year yet for building permits issued since 1972, according to Attersley. LYNDE HOUSE The long anticipated opening of Lynde House, following its move to Cullen Gardens, was held in June. About 400 people attended the opening as Walter Lynde, 94, Jabez Lynde's great- great-grandson helped in a tree planting ceremony to officially open the house. But the controversy that sur- rounded the moving of the house to Cullen Gardens continued as council attempted to have the house designated. Two residents, Doug Anderson and Phillip Branton, opposed the designation. The Town hired a lawyer to represent them at an Ontario Conservation Review Board hearing on the designation. The board concluded that the Town should enter into a heri- tage easement agreement with Cullen Gardens rather than a heritage designation. A heritage easement offers more protection to a house than a heritage desig- nation. Council has yet to deal with the board's recommendation but is under no obligation te accept them. GASBARS 'Whitby council last year took steps, although with limited success, to put a halt to the increasing number of gas bars in town. The first request for a gas bar came before council in February. Southland Canada wanted to put a gas bar at the southeast corner ofDundas St. and Jeffrey. In March, council unanimoulsy turned down the request noting the gas bar would have an adverse effect on traffic. Council was then informed in April that the Province was going to repeal a bylaw that allows municipali- ties to limit the number of gas stations in town. While council was deciding what to do about the Province's decision, it was informed that the Ontario Municipal Board had iven approval to a Canadian 're gas station at the northwest corner of Bowman Ave. and Dun- das St. E. In May, council voted 4-3 to oppose the Province's decision to repeal the bylaw limiting gas stations. Councillor Joe Bugelli, who led the fight against the repealing of the bylaw, noted that if the Province goes ahead with its decision, any developer can go to the OMB with a traffic study and get approval for a gas bar no matter what a council decides. Debate over LASCO berm LASCO STEEL An accidental death, some con- troversy over the proposed waste berm and a PCB spill high- lighted an otherwise productive' 1988 year at Lake Ontario Steel Corporation (LASCO). The year began with the find- ings of a coroner's inquest into the death of 18-year-old Henry Street High School student Alexander Connelly. Connellly was working at LASCO as a student in August, 1987, when he was run over by a 22-ton terex truck. He was walk- ing towards a coffee truck when he was struck. The jury recommended that coffee trucks be equipped with flashing lights and walkways should be marked off around high risk areas. It was, however, LASCO's test berm that caused many Whitby residents to question the possibi- lity of air particles falling into their backyards. LASCO had a car shredder on Cherry St. in Toronto but deci- ded to move the operation to its Whitby facility. Residents of Thickson Point showed their concern on a num- ber of occasions and asked that the berm test period be extended to two years. The test period was to be one year. In May, LASCO was charged by the Ministry of Environment for the discharge of dust and odor into the air from the com- pany's steel products manufac- turing plant. The charges were laid after two investigations by the ministry in 1987. LASCO was fined $40,000 in an Ajax court in December, 1988. Not all was bad news for LASCO as it received an award from the Quality Management Institute, a division of the Cana- dian Saftey Association, for meeting the supply standards of Canadian and U.S. nuclear plants. The Region's planning depart- ment outlined its concerns about the test berm. They included: the use of valuable industrial land for waste disposal; environmen- tal impacts on adjacent residen- tial and industrial users. In August, The Free Press learned that the Ministry of Environment would not hold an environmental assessment hear- ing unless objections to the berm were made by members of the public. This immediately caused a number of residents to write to the ministry, requesting a hear- ing. Also in August, LASCO released results of tests on the berm that showed no significant threat to the environment. Tests on the leachate from the berm~by the ministry showed no harmful effects to drinking water. LASCO was faced with another problem in November, when it was learned that fire- fighters and police officers, fight- ing a fire at the company's Hop- kins St. site, may have been exposed to spilled PCBs which were accidentally discovered. Tests on the officers and fire- fighters and LASCO employees proved negative, but LASCO was left to explain why a drum, containg PCBs was outside a PCB designated area. The ministry is still in the process of investigating the spill and have said charges may be warranted. COMMERCIALAREAS In November, Whitby's administrative committee direc- ted planning staff to further review existing and proposed local commercial area (small shopping area) development bet- ween Taunton an'd Rossland Rds in Whitby. The review is to consider reducing the 10 such areas between the two roads. In October, 200 residents attended a council meeting to oppose a plaza application for the south- east area of the intersection of the proposed Manning Rd. exten- sion fron Garrard Rd. Much free trade discussion locally Dock repairs REPAIRS WERE made to the dock area in Whitby harbor last September after damage by one of the two boats earlier in the year. One of the two big boats was removed for scrap by the owners while the other remains. Free Pres photo FREE TRADE The Canada-U.S. free trade agreement was the subject of much heated discussion, debate and lectures throughout 1988, rising to a fever pitch during the federal election campaign in the fall. In March, John Crispo spoke to the Whitby Chamber of Com- merce on the subject. He told members that the deal would give Canadian manufacturers and businesses access to the U.S. market, and that the agreement showed that the U.S. was ready to deal. "The smaller partner always gains more because of access to a larger market," he said. Don Blenkarn, MP Missis- sauga South, and Ontario riding MP Scott Fennell spoke in April in Ajax to the Progressive Con- servative association about the deal. Blenkarn said the deal would. boost economics in disadvanta- ged regions of Canada, and Fen- nell said the deal would not threaten cultural industries. Ivan Grose, a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal party in Durham riding, told a crowd of Liberal supporters in July that he was "a free trader who doesn't like the free trade deal," saying the deal had too many flaws to be successful. In September, with an election almost inevitable, the issue began to heat up. Harvie Andre, Minister of Consumer and Cor- porate Affairs, spoke to the Osh- awa Chamber of Commerce, and compared the free trade deal to the auto pact and to the trading between the members of the European Economic Community. He pointed out that the auto pact was a "mini" free trade deal, and successful; and that European countries had not lost their iden- tity or autonomy through freer trade. The Oshawa and Newcastle Chambers of Commerce jointly sponsored a free trade seminar for local businessmen in Bow- manville, with speakers from the federal Department of External Affairs and business people from the region. Des Newman, former mayor of Whitby and owner of Cametoid Ltd., was one of the speakers to praise the deal and offer tips to other business people to achieve success in the new deal. Eugene Whelan, former Liberal agricultural minister, spoke as part of Liberal candi- date (Durham riding) Doug Mof- fatt's campaign in Port Perry early in November. In a colorful address to the supporters, he said that the deal would spell disaster for Canadian agricul- ture. All of the candidates for both Ontario and Durham ridings had something to say on the issue. Conservative candidate and eventual winner of Ontario rid- ing, Rene Soetens, felt that the election had exhausted free trade as an issue, and said that the Liberals would institute a free trade deal similar to the Conser- vatives if they (Liberals) were elected. John Roberts, Ontario riding Liberal candidate, supported free trade, but not the deal negotia- ted.by the Mulroney government, sayng that international free trade was necessary to give Canada bargaining power in a deal with the U.S. Jim Wiseman, Ontario NDP candidate, was adamantly against the deal, and said that free trade would damage the textile, food and auto industry. NDP candidate for Durham riding, Marg Wilbur, held a simi- lar view; Doug Moffatt, Liberal candidate in the same riding, supported free trade but not the deal; and Ross Stevenson, PC candidate and eventual winner, said that the deal would give Canada more control over natural resources and that the deal would be good for agricul- ture and related industries. The Canadian public decided the issue in the November elec- tion, and Ontario and Durham ridings went Conservative in support of free trade. CULLEN GARDENS One of Ontario's most popular tourist attractions, Cullen Gar- dens, outlined its expansion plans in 1988. The plans included a village of retail shops and a religious theme park. The village is to be called 'The Prettiest Street in Ontario.' The plan, however, received little support from Whitby coun- cillors ithe village was to receive a tourist node making it possible to open for shopping on .Sundays. Instead, council gave approval to the village under a tourist activity node. The - designation would not allow Sunday shopping unless r 'onal council passed such a Growth continues