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Hydro fight not dead says The fight opposing the proposed MO hydro power corridor from Bruce toMUton is not by any means according to Interested Citiiens Group spokesman John Minns Thursday meeting Just decided costly legal procedures will no lunger be era ployed In the fight he told this newspaper on Tuesday following another meeting Sunday In Halton Hills of citizens still very much concerned about the Impact of the corridor especially on HaltonHills These people offered their services to continue with fund raising schemes and pressing the political process at the muni cipal regional provincial and cabinet levels Minns said He said there were still many aspects open to fight the case for an independent study of the corridor as well asat the Ontario Municipal Board which is to hold a hearing on the corridor In Hills The ICG expects Region lawyer Dennis will represent the Region at hearings and hope to have further meetings with him and ICG lawyers Dick and Leon Minna said It la possible citizens In the southern section of the corridor through Hills will also take over legal costs about to continue the legal fight in the middle section of the corridor Further legal remedies are out he ack unless the ICG receives funds from the Ontario Legal Aid fund Contact with the Ontario Legal aid system has been made and the group has been assured their application will receive every con sideration The new subcommittee has been com missioned to fund groups on public issues and officials have said the ICG case could be a test case for its powers Minns predicts that pressure the group has exerted on the government could mean sweeping changes and suggests Between now and their meeting with the Select Committee of the Ontario Legislature within the next five months there could be a new Minister of Energy If this happens the group tactics could take a different tack One Hundred and rd Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY JANUARY Forty Page Fifteen Cents Regional government was the correct decision for region chairman Hie Morrow told the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Monday Our job Is to take the system and make It work as well as we can To make it work is harder than to be critical he declared I here to dispell any misgivings on regional government if any are left It has been four years since regional government was Instituted and much of the critical negative response could have been avoided if people had been made aware of the pressing need for change He faulted the ineffective public relations program from the province When the county of was operating 100 years ago it was unthinkable that there Chairman Hie Morrow would be a quarter of a million people in There was no need for master planning There a framework that would effect solutions It was doomed to failure The new system of regional government can deal with these problems he asserted There a lot on the positive side and many benefits have accrued They are trying to eliminate duplication which Is often criticized Our police force is probably the envy of any area Annexations of former times bore little resemblance to the planning of today He had copies of the draft official plan on hand and asked for input There have been many false facts circulated about landfill he said Resource recovery would be impossible under the old system Together we are better financially he said speaking of the regions double A rating in New York What would Actons chances be In public works there is a better utilization of personnel Continued on Page 3 SIX HOURS A day Kevin Parker practises in Acton arena preparing for the Canadian figure skating championships in Victoria in two weeks Last Saturday he retained his Junior Men s championship in the Central Canadian divisional competitions Winnipeg the youngest of the five contesting the crown More on the sports pages Business Association Approve police move ask longer bank hours Town hall referred for committee study FALL GUY Henry Venema falls victim to a trip from Willy de Jong as part of the play Our Gal Sal to be presented Saturday Jan 28 by the local drama group The Pretenders Rehearsals are well under way now at the high school for the upcoming production Honorarium approved Regional Police Commission approved an Honorarium to auxiliary con stable Jim James of Chur chill Road for his service last year Marks queries space Councillor Peter Marks maintained there la too little parking the proposed three storey planned for Street Acton The building with offices on the ground floor and apartment above was given approval by council tor a rezonmg from residential to commercial Marks contended many people have two cars and the parking lot undersized Councillor Roy Booth said the matter had been discussed at planning board and the planner pointed out the building has the required Dumber of spaces Marks challenged the statement at board that visitors could use the commercial span after five In the evening He said the offices could be rented to doctors dentists lawyers or soda workers who work in Use evening hours so their would be using the lot Booth said the are based on wages and claimed that had worked so far said th system worked in downtown Acton No objections to Acton rezoning There were no objectors to the reiotung of a lot on Mill Street Acton to allow a three building offices on the first floor and apartments above The cat on v as made by Detain and B Mazaro for an empty lot next lo Denny Insurance Agency Assistant Town Planner Brian Kropf assured clllor Pat the parking was now adequate He explained the driveway had been widened from to feet and the parking aisles widened for easier access He said there be a privacy fence and trees planted In paving stones on the front of the building He said balconies had been added at the rear of the apartments and the commer cial area on the first floor would be office space not retail stores as originally suggested In reply to a question from Councillor Peter Marks the planner said visitors could the commercial parking after working tours Marks suggested the town should be considering collect levies for parking areas so the could be pooled for off street parking The amendment was ap proved and a by law will be prepared Councillor Roy Booth rman of planning board asked if any member of the public wished to speak for or against the amendment came forward A letter from George Elliott chairman of the Acton Town Hall Restoration Committee a consultants report on the building financial state ment from the restoration committee and letter from the Heritage Foundation will all be forwarded to Halton Hills financeadministration com for review next Mon day Monday Councillor Peter Marks called for the entire package to be referred to fin ance administration for com ments and recommendations Councillor Rum Miller said he was willing to possibly go along with the restoration committees request for an extension on its deadline to decide how refurbishing will be financed He said it really matter how long the people have to raise money for restoration since the fire hall is close to being completed and downtown parking has been obtained Miller said a long extension might be construed as an indication the municipality might help financially and he doesn feel that is the case Councillor Us said residents had sought support from the town for the restor project and have never received any He said everyone acts like battering rams whenever the town ball issue comes up asked council to set up a com Duby said be is receiving and they never have pressure from many people Miller objected noting resi for council to get going and sit dents and councillors have sat down with the restoration down together and discussed committee and work things the hall when plans for the ex out pension of the fire hall were He noted the people hive Continued on 2 Acton fall fair is B class Friday the was a lucky day for the Acton Agricultural Society However It was hard work and dedication as opposed to luck that made it possible for the class fair to move up the ladder to a status On Friday the representative from the Department of Agriculture came to check over the books of the fair board and verified the fact they were to become a B class fair In order to qualify for a Class Status a fair must meet the required amount of prize money payouts for breeding classes of or three consecutive years In and 1976 the Acton Fall Fair qualified and made it the third consecutive year for the fair The 1978 Acton Fall Fair will be known as a class fair According to secretary treasurer John Rowe the promotion wilt not alter or change the type of fair in any way but it will give the Fall Fair improved benefits such as prize money grants and grants for buildings and facilities The Business Association will write to council the moving of the police office lo the Y building and the moving of staff from there to the town hall The decision was made at the regular monthly meeting held last Wednesday evening n the lounge Some concern was ex pressed about the possible loss of parking spaces at the Chairman Ed Wood pro posed the letter saying the move should encourage council to consider uses for the town hall The Business Association has promoted the town hall restoration and made a don ation following last summer s Back to Acton Day3 At a meeting of concerned people with police Chef some months ago merchants had said they would like the police in a more visible location That meeting was called to discuss vandalism At Wednesday meeting members also debated uniform store hours with all stores possbly open sday evenings as well as Fridays Although some of the merchants present pointed out the difficulties In volved the general feeling was if slays open I will too Some larger stores are already open Thursday evenings Business Association members agreed not being open Thursday encourages people to go to the plazas to shop Some shop keepers find that customers prefer to from them rather than from part time clerks and so the open evenings mean extra hours of work The secretary Art Cooper was asked lo write to the head offices of the banks in town asking their consideration for staying open to the public more hours B A members agreed if the banks were day n and Saturdays it would be good for the whole bus ness community Banks are open more hours n neighboring towns such as and Milton A suggestion box some where in town for customers comments was recommended by one store owner Chairman Ed Wood re ported the block ads would start again this week He said Wayne Ruse is already working on the next Back to Acton Days and would app reciate any help he can get- Announcement was made of the Joint Business Assoc lallon and Business Improvement Area meeting on February There will be election of officers of both groups There will also be a speaker on downtown devel opment Open house Let discuss the draft Official plan says a brochure sent to every home in Halton Reg on and the opportunity for Halton Hills residents will be given February at Acton library andFebruary23at Anyone wanting a copy of the plan should mail the card at the bottom of the brochure The Halton draft plan sets out policies on hazard lands open space forestry settlement heritage transportation mineral resources agriculture population housing energy parkway belt sewage and water Niagara escarpment servi semi ti ve areas Following the public meetings comments on the plan will be received until April 14 A target of June has been set for the Planning Committee review GOT ANY tidbits All the animals on the farm of Angus are friendly Mr has fanned on the Fifth Line all his hie and spent 50 years custom threshing Hes a real old tune fanner See story and more pictures in side Kilts finance- administration will thrash out the towns lease with the for the offices and also look into accommodating the police in the same Monday Halton council decided to forward a report regarding police usage of the building at Mill Street to committee Recreation director Glen Gray and fire chief Mick Holmes prepare a report stating can be accommodated but ad justments will be needed Any alteration required for the police and Acton Community Services Centre the be paid for by the town In addition adequate space would have to be made available to accommodate summer playground program recreation staff Councillor fuss- Miller cautioned against a long delay in a decision He said the ponce are anxious to find new quarters and want to be on Street mere has been talk of putting all for Halton HuTt ud Milton one cen tral od there be any police stationed in Acton if on a headquarters isnt taken soon The Polk Commission Is urgently awaiting an an Acting clerk French said the town must negotiate with the for permission to sublet space to the police He said the board win be represented at the committee meeting next Monday Let said the town solicitor should also be present but tins was turned down by council In the report submitted to council Mr Gray and Mr Holmes said the arena had been examined concerning the possibility of accommo dating the recreation co ordinator there on a full time basis but this was found not practical They repotted that the recreation coordinator fire chief and clerk along with the police force could all be accommodated at Mill The move would eliminate the board room area which has Men for meetings ASSISTANT SCOUTMASTER MARK melts snow over a Coleman stove to make tea the Scouts winter camp last weekend Mark explained that the snow must be stirred while over the heat or else it will pick up a burnt flavor See the Youth Pages for the story