Canada Battery expansion done by year end Canada Battey will expand hopefully by the end of the year Last week this newspaper carried a story quoting Canada Battery secretary treasurer Barry Peddie who reported the firm was planning to expand but nothing was definite yet In an interview this week Ed Wise one of the owners of the firm said tenders arc out for a square foot expansion of the firm Commerce Crescent plant Wise explained the small discrepancies between the report Peddie gave and his new Information by noting ho has been most involved in the firm ex pans ion planning He said one tender has come back more are due to be returned and barring the unforeseen Canada Battery will put an addition on its square foot facility Wise added he hopes the expansion will be completed by the end of the year Last week they were working on the plant layout At one lime the firm considered leaving Acton but improvements in the labor pool allowed them lo expand here Wise said atone time it v as impossible we would have moved The labor pool in Acton is a problem faced by most local industries he said The slump In the auto industry has meant highly skilled and qualified workers are available The firm has hired some of those out of work auto workers at least six recently Wise reported Some already lived In Acton and a few havo relocated here he said Searching for workers Canada Battery contacted Ford and asked that workers being laid off be informed Canada Battery had Jobs Manpower has sent some Chrysler workers to Canada Battery The domestic market has been booming for Canada Battery so a year ago the firm cut back on Its exports The expansion may allow Canada Battery to Jump back Into the export market It has had recent inquiries about products from Ihe United States and South America tor a little Canadian company Canada Battery has a splendid international reputation It Is the only battery company In the world with a corres training course which they developed i in other countries wishing to learn how lo maintain their fork lift batteries have their em take Ihe 10week correspondence program rejected reports that Canada Battery was thinking of leaving Ontario maybe even the He said he considered looking into a move to cither Quebec or Alberta but not too seriously and never contemplated leaving Canada though places like New York state offer firms powerful incentives When they were considering leaving Acton Cado Battery which came here about five years ago from Mississauga was going to move closer to Toronto again for the labor supply and to reduce shipping and other costs Canada Battery has been turning away business but expects that will change In the future The ex will be primarily for storage but some jobs could be created in the future A strengthened economy and provincial govern assistance In buying some very costly equipment could grow from Its employees Wise said Canada Battery wants to be a good corporate citizen of Acton create more and help attract quality workers to the town The ex should improve productivity even more He noted since plans for the expansion were announced to employees absenteeism has been cut to ml and morale in the plant is high An Inland Community Newspaper One i at d Sixth ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1980 T Pases BUI Cook advertising manager of the Free Press Is just one of many Acton Virus sprang up In Acton Here Ron Trenton prepares to give Cocoa residents who have had their dogs vaccinated In the past couple of weeks since her shot Photo by MURRAY Killer dog virus hits Acton Virus is in and has killed a few puppies Ron Trenton Halton Hills Veter report3 Two weeks ago In a story in this newspaper Dr Trenton urged dog owners have their animals vaccinated against the killer dog virus He warned that while the disease hadn shown up in Acton It was widespread in Ontario especially in the Toronto and Hamilton areas and Acton t Isolated enough to prevent Ihe virus from spreading here Trenton a prediction came true As close as he can determine Parvo Virus broke out in this area the first weekend in August He said he and his staff have treated three dogs which had Virus no question These animate were extremely 111 but lived In addition they have seen eight other dogs they suspect very likely had Parvo Virus They also survived Two puppies Ihey have seen which had the ease wercnt so lucky Theydied Trenton said he knows of a few other pup pies in the area which he didn see but died and displayed Virus symptoms Virus is basically the same as cat distemper The afflicted dog becomes depressed and lethargic they can hold their heads up and the most dramatic symptoms are bloody vomit and bloody diarrhea Dr Trenton said he has been encouraging his clients to have their dogs vaccinated given Parvocine Despite the fact many had been vacc in the past few weeks he and his associates have given over vaccinations He observed the story in this newspaper resulted In many people deciding to have Iheir dogs vaccln a ted and lhat probably prevented the outbreak from reaching higher proportions is in short supply in Canada and the United States but veterinarians across On la rio including Trenton have been giving substitute vaccines He noted he is almost out of all vaccines but more will be in next month for booster hots Veterinarians arc having to exercise extreme caution in giving substitute vaccines to puppies and pregnant dogs Dr Trenton says they must be very selective In choosing the vaccine Treatment of infected dogs and infected pup pies varies with each and every cose Puppies are most susceptible because the virus will reproduce itself in young growing tissue This means puppies are hard hit because Ihey are growing so quickly The virus attacks damages and destroys the cells lining ihe Intestines In puppies the disease will leave a large hole in the intestine while It as serious In an adult dog if the virus knocks out a fully grown cell Trenton says there is really no treatment to fight the virus You con only support Ihe animal Not only does the virus attack the cell lining of the intestine but also destroys the white blood cells Support given sick dog in a number of ways Fluids given intra veneously are necessary to combat dehydration The dogs often need antibiotics to prevent secondary infec lions Since the virus affects every animal differ Intensive care and symptomatic treat ment is required Drugs can be lo coat the In lining An electrolyte solution is fed orally The vomiting or diarrhea can result In acidosis acid or unbalanced blood so the sick dog receives sodium bicarbonate In fighting Virus prompt diagnosis is paramount but sometimes difficult because the Initial signs arc mild However the disease spreads quite quickly after the initial symptoms Not only does it damage the blood and Intestine lining but Parvo Virus attacks the heart causing the heart to collapse and pulmonary congestion There is a bo some suggestion It can cause In fertility in dogs and female dogs which contract the disease while pregnant can give birth to pups with birth defee Is Must study market value assessment to be fair to old and new residents It wouldn be fair to the old or new homeowner of to bring In market value assessment without a thorough review of oil the ramifications Council lor Ross Knechtel says Knechtel is the chairman of Hills special market value assessment review committee which will examine the controversial form of local pro tax assessment and then report Ihe facts to council The committee won make rccom noted in an interview but simply give council all the facts the committee un People think It market value assessment is a yes or no situation Well it bloody well isn t It Is very complex and we have to look at as many ram Locations as we can If we study It It t be fair to the old or new residents So far the committee which isn complete yet wllh Actons other voice on the committee Is former treasurer Lome One thing the committee wants to determine is the effect of market value assessment on taxes far vacant land Knechtel said right now the inf the committee has on this aspect of the new form of assessment Is contradictory The com miltee especially wants find out the effects of market value assessment on vacant land that is zoned anything but rural Also the committee has no reliable information right now regarding what market value assessment does to the industrial tax base The committee needs more Information about the present assessment formula and Its Impact on Ac ton and Georgetown noted a time period is involved in Ihe present form of assessment and that time frame is d In all three former municipalities Taxes on a large number of homes in all three communities In Hills will be studied The committee will compare present taxes and what the taxes would be under market value assessment of houses with the same sale value The study will del ermine how big the difference is In taxes between an older home and a new home with the same sale vol If a new industrial subdivision was planned the committee wants to determine what market value assessment would do to the taxes once the properly was Knechtel sold councillors fear no land would be reioned for industry If taxes then triple What would assessment be like in a new sub division after market value assessment is brought is another committee concern The committee will probe to see what attempt is going to be made by the province to check Into changes to properties since Ihe Inst major assess and what that would do to local taxes said the committee must determine what the effect would be on assessment if there was up dating done as compared to the effect of market value assessment The staff will also seek information from iclpalltles like Milton where market value assess has been brought in With most municipalities it is still too early to determine all of the ram if cations of market value assessment because assessment appeals haven been completed and the dust hasn settled yet declared He noted there has been an astronomical number of market value assessment appeals Knechtel said new provincial dealing with property taxes and citizens may have some modest Impact on the market value assess question Ontario has a new program which pays the first of property taxes for senior citizens go the Impact of market value assessment on older homes occupied by seniors would be reduced Farmer resi Region deficit tops Halton Region Treasurer Don Farmer resigned late last week the wake of fur revelations about Halton surprise budget deficit Wednesday councillors were stunned by information that the cavity in the region s budget of over may actually top Without detailed information Oakville Councillor Mac Anderson the chairman of the Administration and Finance Com told council auditors had found an other 165 418 in deficits and a probable 191 in areas for a new grand total deficit of 703 Beg ion chairman Jock announced Thura day mat council had accepted the resignation of treasurer Don Farmer He will remain in a lessde- manding posillonafternsuccessorisnomed Far will be acting treasurer until a new treasurer is hired Auditors have not completed their work regional councillor Ed Wood said but he expects Ihe deficit will wind up being between and or higher He allowed the figure seemed to be going up everyday He suggested if the audi had been done in March the region could make some adjustments in its bud get What has happened is staff did projections and they haven t panned out Bank Interest and reven ues from various services like day care haven t been as high as expected Wood expect there will be a of region taxes as some have expected He says the region can now look at where it is going and defer some projects until next year and make other spending cuts He said the region has serious personnel pro blems and won make any comment regarding the possibility of other senior staff like Chief Ad Officer Emie following Fanner Wood said the staff problems will be settled by the management study team Wood said he guessed Farmer felt the weight of these budget problems on his shoulder and being on honorable man with a lot of integrity he chose to re sign He added Farmer department has had a lot of work added to Its load In the last 18 months be ta use of equalized water and sewers No funds ore missing the deficit has appeared as an accounting problem The region thought it ended with a surplus or but two weeks ago it turned out the region Because budgeting and the mill rate were based on the surplus of the surplus and 1979 deficit must be com for a deficit of nearly which has since grown to over Council met behind closed doors for about two hours last isday inside Region finally has an off plan De tails on page native Cam Me Nab turned over the chairmanship of GO Transit recently to former Pee Chairman Log Parsons McNab was bora here and lived on Bower Avenue with his family until sge eight when hey moved to Toronto However he returning to Aeton every summer for many to visit relatives His father WUIlam and his uncle Nell both worked at the Storey Glove factory Ills mother Emma Cameron was born and railed on an farm near Ills sister Margaret Hayes now lives In England but also has fond memories of Acton Another sister De Long died a few years ago as did his uncle Nell He was named GO first chairman to after a long and distinguished career as deputy minis terof both theDcpartmentof Highways and later the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Photo courtesy of The News