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We Asked and You Said 2 SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14,1993 Page from the Past What's Happening 3 4 Lakefront Group Hoping to Preserve History of Sunken Ships by Lorraine Manfredo Two sunken ships off the shore of Port Darlington have long been part of history at the lakeside community; community; The masted schooner "Erie Belle" and the steam-barge "Juno" have played a role in the town's early early commerce, its recreation, and its folklore. And now, more than 75 years after they went down, the two sister ships may become a focal point in the environmental protection protection movement at the lakefront. Gordon White is a Cove Road resident and an avid supporter of preserving the West Creek Marsh. He is concerned that industrial development development at the lake, west of where the two. sunken vessels are reported to lie, may threaten the safe preservation preservation of The Juno, The Erie Belle, and quite possibly, a number of other other long-lost ships. "There are other ships that are believed to be in front of the St. Marys property," said Mr. White. "There needs to be a marine survey to determine the location of any other other wrecks before there's any further expansion out into the lake." St. Marys Cement Company is awaiting approval from the provincial provincial government regarding plans to divert a creek and build a second wharf on Lake Ontario. Mr. White believes the steamship Ongiara could be in the vicinity of the proposed proposed dock expansion. Last Tuesday, April 6th, Mr. White hosted a small gathering at his Cove Rd. home to discuss Port Darlington's once-bustling marine heritage. In attendance were local museum curator Charles Taws and two members of the Save Ontario Shipwrecks group, president Les Pullen and researcher Ken Crichton. ' Mr. White's uncle, John Fox, age 90, offered his personal recollections recollections of The Juno and the Erie Belle. He recalled both ships as a youth when they were upright in 1915. The Bowmanville Sand and Gravel Company formed a temporary harbor harbor with the ships by filling them with gravel to anchor them in place. Other ships would dock between them to take on cargo-loads of gravel gravel from the beach and carry it off to build the Welland Canal. According to Fox, though, the gravel at the site turned out to be unsuitable, unsuitable, and the temporary harbor was abandoned. . It wasn't long before high winds and waters from a severe summer storm battered the ships and swept them out into the lake. They remained a visible landmark landmark for decades. A newspaper columnist writing. in the 1951 August edition of The "Canadian Statesman" gives a clear picture of how one of the ships had, by then, .become part of the beach community history. "For many years, part of an old ship lay partly buried in the sand and partly jutting into the water precisely precisely in front of Cove Cottage," wrote Catharine Barrick, sister to John Fox. "Other wrecks came and went, but this particular one remained remained and became as much a part of the place as the very lake itself. It was affectionately known as "The Old Wreck" and served as dock, diving board, wash stand, sand castle castle rendezvous and lovers' lookout." lookout." The partially-submerged wreck lay this way into the 1950's. Swimmers Swimmers could sit between the rows of spikes and dangle their feet in the water. It has since vanished from view. Ken Crichton, of Save Ontario Shipwrecks, has experience in mapping mapping underwater shipwrecks. He has drafted a letter to the Canadian Canadian Coast Guard expressing his concerns about industrial expansion plans regarding the West Side Creek and Marsh. "The Juno lies directly out from the mouth of the creek in 7 to 15 feet of water, and would be directly affected by the proposed outflow system. Thc Juno is a symbol of our heritage and should not be taken lightly." He also writes that The Juno is home to caip and crayfish and acts as an artificial reef that provides food to underwater life. Volunteers with the SOS are engaged engaged in shipwreck research, surveying surveying submerged resources, and public education. Divers' measurements of such ship wrecks are invaluable in recording recording dimensions and architectural architectural detailing. As Charles Taws, of Bowman ville Museum, said, shipbuilders of the time didn't necessarily work ' from blueprints because many weren't weren't educated enough to read or write. John Fox also recalled how the Port Darlington beachfront community community grew around the same time the Bowmanville Sand and Gravel Co. set un on the shore. At that time, the residents on the lakefront were mainly seasonal people people from Toronto who didn't mix with the regular townsfolk. Today, that arm's-length relationship relationship continues, the guests agreed. Hwy. 401 acts as a physical barrier between the two communities, and the lack of public access to the lake- front compounds the separation. Gordon White worries that the general population of the town doesn't even know where the West Side Creek Marsh is or the fact that the wildlife it shelters is threatened. He is hoping the marsh will develop develop into an asset the entire town will embrace. Les Pullen and Ken Crichton, two divers with Save Ontario guests pooled their knowledge about Bowmanville's rich ma- Shipwrecks, consult, a map..o4;jfie Port Darlington shoreline rine heritage and speculated.on what other sunken ships may lie with Cove Rd. resident Gordon White. Mr. White and his wife, at the lake bottom near the West Side Marsh. June, hosted a luncheon meeting last Tuesday, April 6, where .■ by Lorraine Manfredo Students from 38 schools were thinking up a storm last Thursday at the Lions Centre in Bowmanville. The students were all competing in the Northumberland and Newcastle Newcastle Board of Education's 13th Annual Annual "Think Bowl" Competition. ' The event requires students to use a number of creative problemsolving problemsolving techniques, (which include fluency, flexibility and originality) to identify sub-problems and a core problem. The team must draw up various alternative solutions and finally finally design a plan to implement the best solution. According to Elizabeth MacLeod, MacLeod, special education program director director with the board, students tackle problems by brainstorming, developing developing a criteria, ranking and making a plan. "And they have to be able to do it in a group environment. They have to be able to listen, and talk, and be able to add on to, and elaborate on, each other's ideas. They have to stay focussed for quite a length of time." ' One sample problem put before teams in grade 9 and 10 asked what problems would occur if governments governments required unemployed Canadians Canadians to perform community work. The students were required to identify identify the major problem likely to stem from such a policy and develop alternatives alternatives to combat this problem. By participating in the "Think Bowl," students arc able to cultivate their thinking and problem-solving skills -- something which should prove valuable in all aspects of their lives, said Ms MacLeod. "It's quite a challenge, but the kids arc really motivated," she said. "Think Bowl" teams are divided into four categories. Participating in the Bowmanville event were 34 Junior Junior Elementary teams, 19 Intermediate Intermediate Elementary teams, 7 Intermediate Intermediate Secondary teams (grades 9 and 10), and 7 Senior Secondary teams (grades 11 to OAC). Teams in the elementary levels consist of 4 members while teams in the secondary levels consist of 5 m n m ho rs This year's "Think Bowl" Competition Competition incorporates two levels of judging. For the first round of competition competition on April 8th, schools from Port Hope, Clarke, Courticc and Bowmanville met for half a day at the Lions Centre. Schools from the eastern portion of the Board met in Brighton. Winning teams from this first level will compete against each oilier oilier on May 6th in Cobourg. That session session will last the entire day. Each team will be required to dramatize the solution they work out. Teams will be scored on the basis of the problem-solving process as well as their presentation. The winning teams will eventually eventually go on to represent the Northumberland Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education Education at the Ontario Think Bowl Competitions. Elementary teams will compete in Midhurst on Tuesday, June 8th. Secondary teams will compete in Niagara Falls on Friday, May 14th. , « ' 11 sum JelT Collins, Katie Weber, Danielle Mosey anil Daniel Dubcnu of Vincent Massey Public School tackle tackle a problem together tim ing the 13th Annual Think Bowl competition at the Lions Centre In Bowmanville Bowmanville on Thursday, April 8th. The morning exercises were only the first tier of the event, Winners from the two elementary, and two secondary divisions, go on to further competition next month. Federal Funding for Oshawa Will Support More Air Traffic by Laura J. Richards Oshawa Airport, which handles handles an estimated 96,000 aircraft aircraft movements per year, has received almost $1.7 million from the federal government to become better equipped to handle handle more traffic. On Wednesday, April 7, the Hon. Shirley Martin, the Minister Minister of State for Transport, commissioned commissioned the new navigational aids at Oshawa Aiqrart. "This airport provides vital service to the City of Oshawa," she said, "It is home to two flying flying clubs and will provide access access to auto parts made in the United States and Mexico on short notice." She and Durham MP Ross Stevenson joined Oshawa Mayor Mayor Nancy Diamond in touring the facilities which benefitted from the federal contributions. As part of the $1.7 million price tog, the airport had loca- lizcr/distoncc-mcasuring equipment equipment installed for a cost of $989,000. At a cost of $451,000, the existing control tower was refurbished and new communications equipment was installed. Also, for $254,000, the airport's airport's non-dircctional beacon was relocated onto the grounds. Ms Marlin told a small crowd of Oshawa City politicians politicians and well-wishers, "Canada "Canada has one of the finest air transportation systems and this (contribution) makes Oshawa airport a part of it." This is especially so since the planned Pickering Airport is nowhere close to getting off the ground, said Mr. Stevenson. "Plans for a Pickering Airport Airport arc not moving ahead, finis, this becomes an asset for Durham Region," Mr. Stevenson Stevenson told about 40 people gathered gathered to sec the airport improvements. improvements. The Pickering Airport plans have been shelved, especially since the federal government has "sold off additional lands" in that area it once owned, Mr. Stevenson said. This contribution to the upgrading upgrading of the airport to the next century's standards won't be the last, a hopeful Mayor Diamond told reporters on Wednesday morning. The next project to work on, from Mayor Diamond's point of view, is die runways. She would like to sec them extended 600 feet for safety reasons and to reduce reduce noise pollution. Extending the runways would allow "the planes to be higher up when they go over the surrounding residential areas," Mayor Diamond said. She is optimistic the runways' will be extended "within a year." The runway extension will mean that GM supplies and important important GM personnel won't have to be flown into Peterborough Peterborough and then driven to Oshawa, Mayor Diamond said. "That'll bring us into the next century as right now we're a World War Two airport," Mayor Diamond said. The Honorable Shirley Martin, the Minister of State for Transport, Ross Stevenson, MP for Durham; and City of Oshawa Mayor Nancy Diamond officially opened the communications tower at the Oshawa Airport lust week. The tower recently underwent refurbishing and had new communications equipment Installed.