Home Newspaper of Halton HiHs Since 1868 A Division of Canadian Newspapers Company Limited Guelpli Street Georgetown L7G Ontario PAUL J TAYLOR Publisher and General Manager PAUL DORSEY Editor DAVID BEATTIE Advertising Manager PHONE 2201 Second Class Man Registered Page A Tilt HERALD Monday December 1WI Parochial views linger at region That household water rates for the average home will rise about in 1982 comes as no surprise Such hikes and this one seems modest enough have to be expected these days What is surprising about regional council s rate approval last week though is the continuing con of equalized consumer rates by some representatives of Oak and Burlington Though in fact uniform in name only Halton sewer and water rates are more or less equitable among the region four municipalities thanks to a regional policy by which all four help the cause of Halton as a whole just like the cial government envisioned regional government doing Most readers will recall lengthy and frustrating debates at the region prior to that policy s adoption with councillors from the more populous and thus wealthier municipalities of Oakville and Burlington balking at a proposal that would see them helping out Halton Hills and Milton Because so much work was needed to upgrade Halton Hills sewage treatment plants in particular the southern knew their rates would in crease dramatically even though their constituents would notice no real lm in local situation As mentioned tins superficial inequity was debated at great length with former regional chairman Morrow a Georgetown resident and mayors Tom Hill and Pete enjoying the victory that tern poranly at least overcame Halton s inherent parochialism Last week after 1982 rates were scrutinized by regional council Oak viile Mayor Harry Barrett told The Herald that his city council has never actually accepted the concept of uniform rates and still believes sewer and water costs should be borne by the individual municipalities rather than the whole region The rate hike he d just helped approve in council may nave been dumped if an Ontario government assistance grant had not also been approved The Ontario grants two of them prompted by start up inequities in the uniform rate concept were critical to smooth approval of the 1982 rates With one grant yet to come Oakville and Burlington councillors say they 11 still block the uniform rates if anything goes wrong Maybe we ve been naive but frankly we thought the uniform rates as painful as their introduction must be to some were here to stay and would face no more challenges Regional council has struggled to follow Ontario blueprint for the newstyle regional government in which large established and finan cially stable municipalities assist smaller communities that might otherwise depend too much on Queen Park But for this one issue it seems council would make Bill Davis and s dream a reality however poorly conceived it may be We ve never totally disagreed with Oakville uniformity stance merely urged a trial run for the equalized rates But what we know is needed here is a firm commitment either Oakville and the uniform rates other opponents should commit them selves to dismantling the regional con cept of inter municipal sharing itself or all four Halton municipalities should commit themselves to a non parochial regionalize SANTAS See C section PARK PINATA PRANKS Waving long Kick a student at Park Street School In Georgetown tried to break open hanging from the school celling Learning about the Meilcan way or celebrating Christmas these Grades 3 and dressed up In sombrero and took urn being blind folded and retching the In the air Made of paper to resemble flth and other animals the contain Herald V fHtaflaaUrA aioal SMILES UPON SMILES Craft making si theie youngsters discovered Friday constructing one mown an each to take home the kids added a afternoon the Georgetown library can work up an appetite few the leftover chip to extra and proved that the l definitely an acquired man allows After Herald photo MORE CHRISTMAS CONCERT PHOTOS THURSDAY Nations capital buzzing with newsy gossip columns Ottawa Report By Stewart MacLeod Ottawa Bureau of The Herald biggest thing coming out of Ottawa these days Is in one form or another the gossip column For reasons that escape me all the emphasis is on those short personalis cd news items that tell us everything from the GovernorGenerals eating habits to the color of Pierre s Not only newspapers but news agencies arc also In on the act And lets not forget television National networks and Individual TV stations are all promoting the Diary items as are some of bigger radio stations In fact there have recently been a spate gossipy stories about the gossipy columns themselves And this I suppose is a gossipy column about the gossipy stories about the gossipy columns Or something like that Anyway the point I am laboring to make is that with his great prollfera lion of gossip type stories our Members of Parliament are facing risks that never existed when Ottawa journalists were interested only In the more serious Issues of the day It was much easier far politicians when reporters were concerned with how they voted not how they kept a taxi waiting minutes In a NO Let Just look at one example On the night that government a constitutional resolution was finally approved In the Commons the Liber a Is decided it would be appropriate for all of them to wear red carnations to mark the historic event So as the division bells rang to summon MPs into the chamber three secretaries each with a box of the flowers established themselves in the lobby ready to pin the carnations on the happy Grits Reporters with gossip columns to fill naturally counted the carnations as the Liberal MPs rose to vote for or occasionally against resolution And one of these reporters writing In the Toronto Sunday Star noted that three prominent Liberals rejected the carnations former ministers Warren Allmand and John Ileld The reasons suggested Involved Allmand and concerns with anglophone rights in Quebec and s annoyance at being dropped from Trudcau cabinet For average reader this Is no big deal So what if someone t wear a carnation But in the cose of John Held It is a bit of a big deal Within hours he had a half dozen phone calls from people who wanted to know why he was protesting he constitutional resolution by refusing the flower The fact thai he voted for the resolution was suddenly beside the point The big question involved the flower NO And just for the record this is how John Re d got himself into that embarrassing spot As be entered the chamber a secretory eagerly decorat him with a red carnation and Held who represents the Ontario riding of Kenoru River entered the House with hi flower in his lapel He sat In his front row seat looking up In the galleries and he happened to spot Mary Mac Dorm Id former executive assistant to both Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudcau She waved warmly and Itcld returned the greeting Then realizing how much of the constitutional squabble Miss MacDonald hod witnessed over the years and realizing the historic nature of this occasion took the carnation from his lapel summoned a page and had the flower sent up to MssMncDonald It her dress And a few days after making that friendly gesture John picked up a newspaper and read how he had rejected the flower because he had been rejected for cabinet duties One of Ihc problems It seems to me is that there simply enough legitime gossip fill all the avail able gossipy space As a result we read some Items which as John said with heartfelt sincerity give me a pain in the butt Northern environment study searching for more funding Queens Park By Derek Nelson Queen Park Bureau of The Herald An attempt to invito Royal Commissioner on the Northern Environment Ed to appear before a legislative committee here foundered last week Too bad would bo nice to know what is doing with the fl million the commission has budgeted for this year and why the Queens Park rumor mill says he wants even MPP Floyd Laughrcn NDP Nickle Belt suggested the invitation for just that reason but Environment Minister Keith Norton rejected idea after seeking legal advice Royal commissions arc deliberate ly divorced from the political process so hey can work In an atmosphere of independence Asking to come before the committee would place him In on awkward and unfair position he said Fair enough A better alternative anyway Is Just to abolish the commission outright testimony required to conclude as the commission is called is government current biggest disappeared Irom public eye And what la there to show for these four years Nothing besides an Interim report from that was full pious platitudes and little else has published nothing original since Moreover has come out of the North about Internal dissension and confusion in the commission ranks Staff abandoning ship have used phrases such as a classic case of bureaucratic paralysis to describe DUE DATE So how long do we wait before same conclusions are released Interestingly the earliest dale mentioned Is December 1983 wo long years from now Remember the theory behind other than to diffuse political criticism or the Conservatives over the leasing of Ontario last virgin forest land to Reed Paper was Out it would draw up a blueprint to cover both developmental and ecological concerns for lands north of parallel Meanwhile for the past seven years something called the Strategic Land Use Plan for Northern Ontario Natural Resources Ministry Its task is almost identical but covers a greater area ONE YEAR Now Resources has never been a ministry rcknown for Its sense In planning matters but the latest minister Alan Pope Is showing a great deal mare energy than his predecessors In he job lies put a Decern be 1962 deadline on one year earlier we re going to hear anything from And what about the commission and Its relation to SLUP We would appreciate guidance from the commission but the dead line stands Pope said when asked That politely put but still a brushoff Laughren have asked for a chat He should have called for an ItOCKYROAD Created In has follow a rocky road In spending itself into history as moat expensive royal commission million ever established In Ontario The first commissioner Mr Justice Patrick Harlt quit after a year ID assume last demanding Job of Indian Commissioner for the province then took over and THE HERALDS Christmas issue this Thursday CHRISTMAS MESSAGES CHRISTMAS SERVICES CHRISTMAS FEATURES From our THIRTY YEARS AGOIllness has forced the resignation of Acton s new mayor Thomas Salmon Shortly after election in which he defeated moyoi Ted Tyler Mr Salmon suffered a severe heart attack and on his doctor a advice he has tendered his resignation New Year in Acton will be broadcast to all Canadians The broad est will be from to 12 is a on Ihe transCanada network with Don Fair bairn of Neighborly News fame as master of ceremonies Tenor George Murray who is also known as BUI Evans in the Craig Family broadcasts will also be featured and Gerow end bis orchestra will play for dancing in Acton town hall Acton Y s Men Club Is sponsoring show A new years Frolic is being planned in the Georgetown arena rose room featuring dancing with the Modern Aires and vocals by Peggy Richards Favors prizes per Proving their superiority to Woodbridge Georgetown 120 Club sponsored by Ihe local Legion Branch won their second Juvenile hockey game last Friday in The team managed by Alt and Marsh Timbers and coached by Patterson defeated Woodbridge here 10 to and in Woodbridge they won to 1 The high scoring forward line of Bud Haines Blake and Carl Schcnk accounted far a good share of the goals and George Webster was also prominent getting two goals and an assist TWrNTY YEARS distance charges between Georgetown and Acton were eliminated Sunday coinciding with the introduction of dial telephones in Acton Mayor John Goy made the first call from the platform of Georgetown High School so that alt Ihe students could hear and years later recall the moment which made communications history In Acton The address was taped and played over the public address system of town two public schools In Ihe present gas price war now raging in town the price has dropped to 36 cents a gallon Soma dealersfeel that the oil companies themselves Started the price skid However the majority of dealers feel It the vidua 1 dealers who have the biggest hand in It At the final meeting of Township Council Wednesday various appointments were made la high school area boards to Acton Wallace Swackiummer to Georgetown Clarence Anderson and Keith Webb First to announce himself a candidate in 1962 elections Is retiring mayor Em Hyde He has been mayor for two terms It has been my pleasure serve on council with him for four years and 1 sorry losee him go saiddeputy reeve John Elliott Which state has a town named Santa Claus Indiana Legend says that the crown of was plaited from which Christinas plant Holly For how long has Christmas been observed on Dec Since AD Which US president forbade use of Christmas trees in the While House Teddy Roosevelt who later relented when convinced selective cutting would not destroy forests TEN YEARi in time for Christmas the fivemonth long hydro strike by local 1766 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was settled Tuesday They will be back on the Job no later than Jan linemen will receive an hour it March 1973 with a Jump to 15 an hour starling in April while the office staff won a six per cent hike til March 1972 and another six per cent In April This is the f rat contract for the office staff The settlement came after a meeting Friday with mediation officer J of the Labour Relations Board Upper Base Line is now Avenue for its entire length in Halton County Judge Alan consented to the name change Steeles Avenue runs through five municipalities because of curves in the road A notice In the Herald taking- up two full pages announces the municipality of the corpora Ion or town of Georgetown is having a poll Jon asking Arc you in favor of the sale of liquor under a dining lounge licence for consumption on licensed premises with food available And Are you In favor of the sale or liquor under a lounge licence for consumption on licensed premises Serious devaluation of private property and other economic hardships are reported by Terra Coda property owners as a result of flood control legislation Complaints were heard Friday at a meeting of the Terra and District Prevention Committee held In he home of cochairman W Chairman John Agg stressed that the committee is not opposed to the objectives of he Credit Valley Conservation Authority nor In this case to the intent of the Order InCouncll to save lives and property from any future Hurricane Hazel However long time residents were shocked to see what is now officially delineated as he new potential flood plain They recall the Credit River ever overflowing its banks to anywhere near the newly designated danger level Many homes and landmarks such as the Terra Inn the general store and new housing are shown lo be potential hurricane ONE will get police officers to call lis own as well as an opportunity lo meet key members of the regional police force at a meeting set for next month The Acton meeting is Chief James Harding effort to attempt to bridge the communication gap some residents have noted expressed in a letter to the chief from Acton businessman Lome last month The list of charges of union busting practices facing Maple Lodge Farms Lid of Norval is said to be one of the longest ever brought he Ontario Labor Relations Board union alleges the company has systematically harrassed employees who took part in the month long strike that ended IS in an effort to break tho union There are complaints hat over employees who struck haven been recalled although he company has hired new employees Tie last lime he Haiders played Orillia hey trounced their blue and white opponents But Friday night s away game was a different story as the Raiders had to come from two ties late in the third period to win The much Improved Terrier team skated well against the Raiders who were missing several A Chlnguacousy hockey coach was fired last week for making his players wear yellow helmets coach JlmNoital was relieved of his duties as a Central AAA Collegiate Sports by the Chlnguacousy Minor Hockey Association when be defied their orders to take the helmets off It teams the hockey association prohibits yellow helmets because their constitution calls for all teams to wear only Ihe traditional blue and white colors The new yellow helmets were bought three weeks ago through funds raised by players parents