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meeting fiasco Northern municipalities confer tonight Mayor Duby will try to arrange a meeting with the four neighbor In the New North Helton region he told council last Wednesday it a now set for tonight Feb In Georgetown Council members were still upset about the meeting the night before Feb IS which one of them angrily termed a They had changed the night of council to attend Joint meeting called by Arthur Meen parliamentary assistant to the treasurer however Mr Meen did not attend lea ving some of his staff In charge Councils and town and township staffs of Acton George town and were present although some were disgruntled and left early We have to alt through another fiasco Uke that declared councillor Norm Elliott I resent the fact Acton waa the only council that saw fit to stay to the end He wondered If It would be a waste of time to meet with the other municipalities before another meeting with Mr Meen Mayor Duby countered that If the four munldpalitlea had met before they might have been able to present a more united front with prepared spokesmen Reeve McKenile observed wo re not so naive as to think the boundaries will change unless aome pressure Is put on them North The reeve of Nassagaweya Anne MacArthur had stated at the meeting that Eden MJUa and district might be better held in abeyance and In future associated with a Wellington region That a pretty close to our door warned Mr McKentle We could find ourselves drawn Into Wellington Recalling the meeting deputy reeve Marks felt Acton council had gained benefit from the meeting from the experts who were able to answer technical questions However Mr Coats countered he found their answers on taxation and assessment very evasive They used glorious terms I barely understand and ma mathematician Mr Coats said Some areas are bound to be vague was Mr Marks opinion Our questions were lousy full calendars councillors will be working In another regional meeting Shaking his head councillor Elliott remarked so much and little benefit t Ninety Eighth Year No 34 ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY Sixteen Fifteen Centi Family of seven burned out in Saturday morning fire Fire completely destroyed the home and belongings of Sid Spear In subzero weather Saturday morning leaving a family of seven homeless with only the clothes on their backs to show for years of effort Flames which seemed to start in rear end of the centuryold home after 10 clock Saturday morning routed three of the Spears children and charred the two- storey frame home beyond recognition while firefighters from Acton and Georgetown waged a losing battle In sunny below zero weather A shaken Sid Spear who spent thousands of dollars renovating the structure surveyed only still blaring remains when he arrived on the scene from a repair Job at a nearby home with his son Michael It surprising what a fire can do in a few minutes he told the Free Press The main thing is that everyone Is safe I guess Two of his children John and ninemonthold Sidney were led from the blaring house by 16-year- old Rosemary who discovered the fire when she opened the door to the rear part of the house and was engulfed by smoke She got John to carry the baby to the home of a friend Mrs Shirley Saunders who lives out on the Seventh line Then she called firefighters and fled clad only in a nightgown Rosemary spent Saturday night in Georgetown hospital recovering from shock After firefighters arrived she attempted to reenter the blazing home and had to be restrained by O officers and firefighters Mrs Spear was in Acton getting her hair done when fire broke out while Betty 14 was baby sitting at a neighbor s The Acton brigade was first on the scene They emptied their tank on the blazing home and chopped a hole In the to pump water from the crock which flows directly In front of the home which sits on a knoll behind United church Not long after they arrived the first of the Georgetown trucks came and they tackled Dames in the front end of the structure Two more Georgetown trucks arrived and started a shuttle water service but there was little firefighters could do but keep the dames confined Smoke billowed across the countryside shutting out the bright sun The home is one of the oldest in the village well over 100 years said Chester Swindlehurst a spectator He said he had sold the home to Sid Spear in 1966 after the Swindlehurst family lived in it for 30 years and it had been a venerable home then Sid has spent a lot of time and money fixing it up he told the Free Press putting In a furnace and covering the exterior with aluminum siding He also fixed up the rear part of the house making It livable Fire engulfed the rear of the home first and spread rapidly through the frame structure but fortunately the wind of the previous day had gone and there was little danger of flames spreading to nearby homes Three alarms Those who contend misfortune strikes in threes have the experience of Acton firefighters this week to back them up While one crew of firefighters was busy fighting the blaze at the Spear home in Ballinafad another crew was called to the home of Doug Mason on Lake Ave Saturday morning Mr Mason smoke and when firefighters arrived it was traced to the motor on the furnace There was no damage Monday night the alarm went again while firefighters were Continued on Page Sid Spear a well known furnace repairman and plumber said he was partially covered by Insurance but all his records and personal belongings were lost in the blaze officers on the scene assisted him In locating the Insurance adjuster and directed traffic on the Seventh Line Village residents and neighbors from the area were offering Mr Spear accommodation while the flames still raged through the house Although It seemed to start In the rear end of the house It la believed the fire may have started in the basement Investigators combed the remains to see if any evidence could be found Firefighters were coated with ice as they fought the flames Welcome cups of coffee were served by members of the United church women The family stayed at the home of Mrs Spear father G Barac in Acton after the fire and neighbors of the family arc arranging a dance to aid the Spear family at BaUlnafad hall Saturday evening Red Cross aids homeless family A few hours after fire destroyed the Spear home Saturday the Georgetown and district Red Cross drove Mrs Spear to Georgetown and bought worth of new clothing for Mrs Spear and children Rosemary Betty Michael 13 John and nine month old Sidney Sid Sr was to be outfitted Monday The Red Cross also supplied bedding and bought food to tide the family over looking after other needs as well The society president Elaine Sales N lives in She said the money came from the society disaster fund built up through annual collections door to door and is available to anyone in the area where disaster strikes Blanche Goudeketing Is in charge of the committee which looks after minor disasters such as the Spear fire Sandwiches and coffee were served to chilled firefighters Neighbors and friends also of assistance of furniture and clothing and offers aid are still coming in tin Stum SNOW QUEEN of the Acton High school over five finalists Ann winter carnival Ookplk3 a 11 Diane Judy and Roma year old Grade student was crowned and She Mr and Mnt robed at the school dance Thursday night by Ben I It Acton Miss Acton Fair 1072 Valerie Mitchell Kathy Gibbons photo Council prepares for storm of protest Council la preparing Itself for a storm of protest expected to result from tho recent announcement that Metro Toronto garbage may be shipped In the form of compacted bales to quarries at the operation on the Third Line near Acton Council decided Monday night to ask Induamln for copies of all engineering and reports connected with the proposal and also to write the clerks of Acton Georgetown Milton and ad vising them of the proposal and asking them to a separate council resolution aimed at provincial government That resolution allowed for letters to be written to the Ministry of Natural Resourcea Ministry of the Environment East M Hon James Snow and Halton West M P P Hon George Kerr advising that council Is concerned about the proposal and wishes to be consulted before any decision Is made The letters will also ask for any available information on long range effects such an operation could have on the environment Surprise visit Discussion of the proposal was prompted by a surprise visit to the council chambers by former Deputyreeve Russell Miller who asked if council had yet taken a stand on the matter Reeve Tom Hill said council had hoped to reserve comment until alter the public meeting scheduled for Wednesday We vc had no letters on it The only thing wc got was an endorsement from ratepayers the reeve said They were in agreement because It going to be That not exactly true interrupted Deputy Reeve len They with Ihc proposal in principle but asked lor certain investigations first Deputy Reeve Coxe felt council would have to come up with a good reason for opposing the proposal other man the fact that It Toronto garbage Now a the time to stir It up before they get a strong hold on It he added Metro pits Miller suggested that if the compacted garbage was such good landfill It could be better used to fill abandoned pita In the Metro area There are several between here and Toronto he told council Personally I feel the original rehabilitation plans presented to council were the best Miller went on to suggest that If the proposal is approved council obtain some kind of a bond to protect itself against possible pollution problems ensuing years Deputy reeve Coxe showed some concern about how the blame for any polluUon might be shifted I verybody plaster a falling off their walls and they tried to prove It their blasting there a mile speed limit They say their trucks t extending it yet I have to drive to keep up with them In concerned about Ihc time you might turn on your water top and get a banana peel stamped Antonio Fruit Market and they II probably try to prove Antonio put It In himself he said 1 sat here and was told per their products went out by rail Now they say they bring the bales here by truck I was under the impression we had no trucks coming back from the city he added What requirements Councillor Dick said he like to know the requirements the site passed according to a letter from Environment Minister James We may find out their requirements t too stringent at all he said Reeve Hill said he see how Mr could give the site the Immediate endorsement he did Councillor George Maltby felt that if council took too strong a stand an the matter so early not many people would show up for the public meeting Deputyreeve Coxe suggested council hire an engineer now to advise them in the upcoming Highway stays put ACTON AND GEORGETOWN FIRE FIGHTERS tried to stem the at the Spear home hi Saturday morning with success Flan structure In their grip and left the Sid Spear who all their lost the dames a Coles Photo There no immediate likelihood of Highway bypassing Acton The possibility was discussed at a special temoon meeting called by the development commission Drug mart breakin Estimated worth of goods Is missing following a breakln at Drug Mart Taken are cigarettes watches electric shavers a cassette recorder and portable radio Shout Monday the was noticed and police called The Intruders had broken in the front door and apparently left by the back door In the early hours of Monday morning Police are still investigating M head of the environmental and feasibility studies office of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications met with some development commission members and councillors in the town office last Thursday temoon A possible bypass was discussed In detail but M indicated that at the present time money would not be available from the Ministry for building the bypass He also wondered how businessmen would react to traffic missing the main street Mr Emesaks explained a feasibility study can be done by his department on a cost sharing basis He will get In touch with the town later with an estimate of the cost His win also do parking and mall studies Postpone snowmobile events again To date the weather favored Acton Mens Club with enough snow to guarantee operation of the scheduled snowmobile races February 24- so the club Is again postponing them March 3 and The new dates will of course again depend on the availability of snow The club still expects to hold the snowmobile races on Fairy Lake Sunday March in the event there is not enough snow to stage the cross country events on the Saturday Next Free Press will keep readers posted