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STUDENT URBAN GEOGRAPHY STUDY Four Georgetown and District high school students have proposed a plan to trans form downtown Georgetown into a pedestrian mall bor dering a large park Ralph Fletcher president of the Downtown Businessmens Association ashed the students to come up with some Ideas to improve the downtown core Connie Brecn Doug Lowe Cathy Ward and Doug Doupagne last week handed in their plan to teacher Murray Main Street from Park Street to James Street and Mill Street from Market Street to Water Street would be seated to motor traffic creating a crossshaped pedestrian mail under proposed student plan In the area bounded by Mam Street and Silver Creek Maple Avenue and Park Street a park would further enhance Downtown pedestrian mall suggested the attractiveness own town area turn an unused piece of land into something to be proud of says the report After receiving the assign and with some super vision by Mr and fellow teacher Stan Hall the four began by planning solution A detailed map or downtown was drawn and a survey made of customers and merchants both downtown and In shopping plazas Cathy and I looked after questioning the people on the street Doug Lowe told The Herald Connie and the other Doug concentrated on the mer chants With library research and a study of other towns the group brought together all their information talked It over then wrote their report Lowe said The downtown cores problem one shared by many other downtowns is that trade has moved to nearby shopping centres says the report Contributing to the problem is lhal downtown buildings arc deteriorating streets arc often dirty and not wide enough advertising by the merchants is insufficient and many townsfolk arc not interested enough in revitalizing the core The shopping malls on the other hand attract shopper because they are closer to population clusters have more stores than he downtown selling basically the same stuff better parking itics and are sealed off from bad weather In arriving at proposal he students discovered that other downtowns rehabilitated themselves by making the core CONNIE DOUG LOWE AND CATHY something to be proud of Georgetowns core Is still at the stage of organizing committee to plan a general modernizing of communities brighter colors better parking better lighting and the downtown uniqueness a very portant tailor the students sold is Its friendly atmosphere slow pace old buildings past history and fewer parking hazards When asked though the report stales the people found it very difficult to think of ways in which our downtown is unique compared with The students did not ignore parking downtown Their report suggests the parking lot near the Mill Street police station could be enlarged along with the area behind the Union Gas Building at Main Street and Weslcyan Street Sufficient parking also exists behind Fletchers Shoe Store and hardware Among the general suggest Ions the students provided was that a full economic and market study including a detailed examination of down town problems by specialists such as engineers realtors and utilities people plus citizens be done along with maximum The report especially noted that a questionnaire be put in local papers for people to fill In and return with their ideas and thoughts Among specific suggestions they provided were That a major grocery store locate downtown along with a theatre and restaurants aside from Chinese foods the shops down town ought to have uniform business hours and the upper storeys need sprucing up No need to tear down old building just to give them a bit of class modernize something we can be proud of the report states The report concludes The future of our com will be what we make them If we show no concern over their present or future development they will be mediocre perhaps ugly and congested places If we take an active part in building up the community if we share in the work of planning the present and future of our communities they can be attractive and orderly places Not until we take an active part in shaping the future will our towns really become Communities for living Home Newspaper of Halton Hills John WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1976 LIP provides 14960 for cleanup Hills has received approval for a LIP grant of I4 for the repair or community centres Cleanup of Norval Hall Hornby Hall Georgetown Fairgrounds club house Acton area block house filtration a id building plant and Community Centre will begin Jan Long spokesman for Frank MP said the project will create four jobs for weeks Anticipated dote of repair completion is July Other Halton grants totalling go to the Claycraftcrs Retail Store Adaptive Clothing for Seniors Social Service Pre school Experience Centre Oak villc Mrs Long explained last year received in grants because unemployment rate was higher last year Is the minimum allocation for I IP grants for federal ridings Landfill a timebomb Johnson says Environmentalist William Johnson says is nothing more than a time and at testing of the Credit and local landfill sites is an indication of the problems that tan result Ontario ministries of environment and natural resources arc conducting tests In the area following disclosure that plastic bags containing traces of Ml rex a chemical of the DDT family were disposed at the former Georgetown landfill site This conclusively proves that people such as myself and Pollution Probe of Georgetown were right in opposing socalled sanitary landfillmg Mr Johnson slated Weve been trying to tell people about this for years Nevertheless he sold communities everywhere are looking for landfill sites that will serve their areas for 20year periods called the practice of long term landfillmg Insanity in view of the Insidious cols that are being discovered The only solution to date until we have reclamation plants is to establish garbage dumps for five year periods Mr Johnson suggested That is ample lime to get on with the development of reclamation plants where garbage can be cut back at the source and will allow for more effective policing of the dumps Mr Johnson contended that short term landfilllng should be a matter of government legislation so that the sites would have to be kept in Immaculate condition or else those in charge would have to answer to the Since solid waste has been shown to be an ideal source of fuel he said Its deployment should be controlled by the ministry natural resources rather than the MOE Whats inside today Eugene federal agriculture minister speaks to Chamber of Com merce Page Flora MacDonald the only woman to contest Ihc leadership of the federal Progressive Conservative Party ad dresses a local group Page Wards and trustee candidate addresses seniors at Stcwarltown Hall Page Ducks Acton to be fed this winter Page Three more declare for Dec Page 3 Arena rates confirmed Acton groups rebuffed A fourth to the ice rental rale schedule by recreation diredor Glen Gray was by administration committee Monday despite appeals for lower rates by the Acton Sabres hockey club Prior to the two hour debate Morrow made a motion to pass the four changes described by Norm Elliot spokes man fur Acton ice using associations as unsatisfactory because the Junior and intermediate hockey Hubs will pay hour for regular games and practices and 40 an hour for playoffs as recently passed by council Tills is a per cent increase over the split effective In 1975 Elliot on behalf of the Acton Sabres fought for the team to be reclassified as a local adult group subject to lower rates proposed in 1U74 for the 1376 ice season The other change to offset last year high operating deficit is recnt ego ri zing the Reed at bat for Domtar THURSDAY IS REMEMBRANCE DAY workers The statue in Georgetowns Rememb rance Park decorated with wreaths in memory of district servicemen killed in action The vigil was stood by four members of The Scots during Day service Domtar committee formed by workers A four man committee has been formed to save jobs of workers William Johnson a station engineer the plant was appointed chairman day to seek the companys reconsideration of its closing of the Georgetown paper coating operation Fine Papers will close Ihc local plant Feb forcing 176 employees out Mr Johnson said is also seeking lives should the company re main in its decision We arc seeking a longer phasing period he said lo allow workers more time to find employment As well the committee hop es to complete a fact finding investigation to determine whether the closing is justified and to determine whether he company has received any federal or provincial grants for its local operation The consists of Mr Johnson Bill Collier and Bill Mr Johnson said the com miltec will augment the pro posed company relocation and employment committee which began functioning Tuesday according to plant manager Jack He said the committee is concerned that all employees are not denied their legal rights The committee is pre pared to offer Information and legal assistance Several local unions arc re presented on an advisory bo which the United Steelworkers of America he says in a prepared statement Another area which has not been explained Mr John said is ihc early retirement of many employees son said is the early retirement of many em Until the company comes up with something specific no one seem to know whats happening he said Mr Johnson is concerned about the use of about 5 million figures which is on one cent per man per hour of production and is designed to provide assistance in situations such as plant closings He believes the company which totally funded the S million fund has right to retain its funds but Mr John concern that the company may sell the funds A meeting last week between town council and officials of discussed every alternate course of action that might he taken to maintain operation at the plant but company officials emphasized the action was regrettable and unalterable at this time council said in a prepared statement According to Wnrd I Coun Lcs meeting established that nothing can be done to deter the companys decision Burlington Liberal Julian Reed and Pro Conservative candid ale George Gray joined Pot Joe Harry Levy Miller George Maltby Roy and Hyde the meeting with company Mr Reed has met both Bennett minister of industry and tourism and Stephenson minister of lab or with regard to the At Mr Johnsons request Ontario leader Stephen Lewis has agreed to question the need for the closure from the floor of the legislature explained that executives firmly just Ihenccd for he closure at Thursdays meeting a mat ler of tariff pressures and competition resuilirrg from technological advances among olher The decision they con finned Is irreversible Council has no Justified rote take but to express its concern and to lei the company know that this will have cert ain repercussions within the town Coun said It was a general require ment that we hear their expl anation a matter of becoming well Informed but we were assured that the management is doing everything possible to ease the concerns and effects on the employees Miller a Domlar employee since 1MB has an- his desire to become a full time politician TORONTOOntano Labor Minister Stephenson has given assurance that departments of her ministry will endeavour to help Domlar Fine employees through Job dllcmna they arc facing in the upcoming closing of the Georgetown plant Through questions posed by Burl Liberal MPP Julian Reed Mrs Stephenson said the ministrys employment adjustment service will work behalf of nnd with he employees to help in finding employment for them Mr Reed had asked that the employees get he best possible shake in terms of severance retraining and job opportunities available to them Mrs Stephenson sold the ministry assists the company the employees and the employ in the development of an agreement with Canada Manpower In a role discussing with each employee employment of hat person and to assist In actually putting that employee in touch with a job which might be available to him She said there is a committee established under a chairman from a provincial ministry of labor official and members of the employees group with some membership by the employer The commit lee works on behalf of he employees to ensure here will be some provision to find other employment for Ihcm It would probably be highly unlikely these men who arc in a highly skilled operation would undertake to move meaning a good many of them will be candidates for retraining Mr Heed said WORKER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Save members are sciking any answer to allow continued operation of he Georgetown paper coating plant Including the possibility of a worker board of management Chairman Bill Johnson said Monday will include the gathering of muth Information and material as possible from two known similar operations a steel mill in Sydney and a logging operation in Northern Quebec He It may be possible start operation under federal provincial grant support Acton hockey school as a minor sports group because ice rental rates for nonprofit organisation arc lower Coun Booth supported Coun Mor rows motion to adopt he changes outlined by Mr Gray George Maltby arrived late so was unable vote committee chairman voiced his opposition Does the director of recreation set the policies and the elected representatives carry them out asked executive member of the Acton Sabres Lou Morrow explained the rates were fair and objective because they are based entirely on research on competitive ice rales and long range cost projections He encouraged he attitude that Hills Is a town instead of he parochial viewpoint hat Georgetown and Acton are separate entities Regional government In Its colossal effort to equalize lot of said Mr Elliot communities are different and community priorities are different Because the population of Georgetown enables Gordon arena o draw crowds three or four times larger than Acton area Mr Elliot feels the ice rales should not be the Another inequity he felt was the fact revenues from six months of operation of Acton Arena must support is upkeep all year whereas Gordon AlcoII arena is utilized for potential profits winler and summer Many differentials were not taken Into consideration said Mr He expressed concern he Acton Sabres experiencing a large financial deficit and Acton figure skating with low membership might have to fold up as did the Aclon Intermediate Swords He also felt the controversial ice rental rote Issue was he responsibility of council which prompted Morrows comment You re off your rocker Coun Morrow said his item should be dealt with at committee where there is more time for discussion Mr Elliot maintained ice rental rotes should be geared to inflation family wages being limited to an per cent increase this year and proposed per cent next year The jump from per to 204 per cent was termed excessive and a possible lo registration in hockey and figure skating clubs There would be a human cry if the hydro commission said they had catch up per cent pointed out Mr Elliot Maltby explained the recreation department had to Increase rates to help offset their own deficit although revenues from ice rental would not cover all costs of arena operation Past member of the Acton parks and recreation committee Mr Bommette said since regionuhzadon three years ago wages for Acton arena staff have increased from to Ml 000 Justifying this Booth said he Town of Hills had lo bring up he wages at Aclon arena to match Georgetown The stalemated problem that both the recreation department and Acton Sabres face economic dilemmas could be alleviated by Coun suggestion If I could find someway through taxes o alleviate the financial problems of hockey teams Id do it but that wouldnt be fair to the taxpayers who do not use the facility said Maltby the recreation depart ment has a fiscal responsibility to people so youre damned if you do it and damned if you dont Pagers needed ambulance for sale Georgetown Ambulance Ser vice will receive any monies from of a now redundant ambulance in go toward of paging devices for members of organization Finance committee made the ment Monday niter was explained Cadillac ambulance purchised by the former Town of docs not milt present ministry of health ambulance standards llesale value of the vehicle is between 500 and 800 GVAS secretary John told he the ambulance is sitting on ice following a ministry inspection three weeks ago The ambulance service wishes update its paging devices from the present toning used on the fire department fre quency to a designaed frequency which w ould carry lone and voice Cost of providing the equipment to cover he entire membership is about 20000 Provincial subsidy for Ihu service does not capital items Mr Lighlowler said He did not get a commitment from the committee funds in 1977 to cover the purchase He said he ministry only provides lunrLs to repair paging devices A recently discussed proposal to have the Cadillac ambulance provide service in Acton has been washed out following the minis try inspectioi Wintario grants boosted by 5000 Lions pledge A donation of 15000 from the Georgetown Lions Club to to the grants Wednesday hiked the amount raised by community groups for repair of Georgetown Memorial Arena up to said town treasurer Hay King The Lions have contributed a total of Georgetown Chamber of Commerce I son Club Elks Jaycecs 1000 Rotary Annes The Optimists Club offered WGC chairman Ernie described as a unique pledge They will donate 10 to the for person who gives a pint of blood at he Georgetown Red Cross clinic in December The response by organizations has been extremely good said Mr King who added the Is wailing for replies from community groups Anticipated total donations from local organizations said Mr King is but the overall objective Is 58000 to the W750 Approval has been given for a 50000 Community Centres Grant from the province and official word ha the request from has been accepted Is expected shortly said Mr King Approximately two thirds of the estimated 201 necessary for arena rennovatlons will be government grants the remainder must be raised locally Nominations close Monday Last minute candidates for area and regional councils and for public and separate school boards should make their decisions quickly Nominations close Monday at 5 Nomination papers arc available from the municipal offices and must have the signature of 10 electors for validity