Slow growth worries planner Hal on Hills slow moving population growth has sparked concern from s planning director It Cumming Commenting on the fact the population increased by people or per tent between 1977 and 1978 he bald Hills lack of growth the most con with an absolute in crease of only people It may actually be losing population given that a municipality should grow by a minimum of its natural in crease presuming in migra tion and out migration balance he said In Kills this should represent minimum growth of people he told the Planning Commiltee last week said Population of the Georgetown Urban area lias declined from 17 in to 17 this year Between 1977 and Georgetown has lost a furlhcr people As with Milton Hie lack of capacity and resulting restriction growth are responsible for the delay of growth in the Georgetown Urban Area Milton however continues to be the fastest gowing com munity in Between 1977 and 1978 the population of the town went from to 22 a per increase of 2 said Milton Tor the past four years has had of growing at a faster rate than other population rose to from a percentage of 4 s went up to from a percentage rise of Hills was he smallest of ail registering no than per cent in crease or people to Between 1971 and 1978 Hills gone from 29 to an increase of 13 per cent Th list year has been its smallest increase Most of the community growth had been in the early 70s when the population went from in to 060 in and in 1973 a net increase of or a per cent Since then the increases have dwindled Only 1 moved between the fiveyear period of according to statistics sub mitted In report total population at this point in time is 234 a quarter of a million people Seven years ago in 1971 it had people a Terence of Thus the percentage increase in the region is 19 per cent The region a growth coincides with those ex in the neighboring regions around Metro Toronto of Peel York and Durham by 174 citizens Peel neighbor to the east has a population of 421 Most Of these or per cent reside in the Misaissauga Brampton area Peel increased per cent or people from 1974 The year was the time when regional government was instituted Durham has a population of more than There are people living in York which is less than The growth has been at the expense of Metro whose population grew only 1 per cent in the last five years while the four regions went up by Provincial statistics show Metros population actually declined 681 from last year the current One Hundred and Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 22 highly tight Pages Fifletn Centj DONALD MCDONALD has recently been ap pointed publisher of The Acton Free Press succeeding David Dills He has been Business Manager of Dills Printing and Publishing Ltd for seven years Don McDonald chosen publisher Douglas Basse It President of Inland Publishing Co Limited is pleased to arm ounce the appointment of Donald as publisher of The I- ret Press effective immediate Mr has been with tree Press for over seven having leccpted the position of business manager following a year Mini with the Toronto Dominion The Press was recently purelnsed from its previous owner Dills Printing and Publishing Co Ltd Publishing I muled November 13 Mr well in fir his n the It lub and with he movement slid lie is proud let en publisher succeeding Dills in to be ehosei the fourth pub lisher in the Thi tree Press Dave lias left footsteps follov and is eons worthy f Mr McDonald bee is new duties as The Press publisher Thursday Seniors housing finally underway Work has begun on the senior citizens apartment building on Elizabeth Drive According to Sam of the Ontario Housing Corporation the construction firm of J of Ontario arrived on the site about two weeks ago and is currently clearing the land He expects it will take one year to complete the 420 building I expect fall occupancy he told the Acton Free Press The building will have units on three storeys Mr Carr said The structure will face Fairy Lake and be situated on the curve on Elizabeth Drive There will be some local subcontractors but he could not readily name them According to Chnsta Hale also from the her office will start making offers to various people on the waiting list once the project is scheduled for completion No recount Councillor Pit defeated by seven votes in last week s election will not seek recount he told Hills council at Ihe final meeting Mondav night McKenzie was beaten by Ross newcomer to the political scene who took one of the two area council seats in Ward One Acton said he had served for In munici pal politics and first met out going mayor Tom Hill that long ago He said he had taken a strong stand on local issues and claimed he would rather lose by seven votes than sacrifice his integrity or be obligated to anyone Why should the funeral home be exempted from paying for parking Why should the seven lots on Mill Street not be sold to benefit all he asked McKenzie In his parting words to Hills council said he hoped the library question and Focal Properties problem would be resolved and told incoming d id he would do what he to lelphim served as regional councillor hut decided this lime to run for an area council posit Ik said he id enjoyed w irking with the Sometimes I tan 1 hear not because speak too quietly but because it loo loud con eluded Peter Marks who d not seek reelection briefly thanked council and staff for their help and their pel indulgence with his priorities Peter Morns decided not run said he had enjoyed the past two describing it as a real In he hoped the new council would consider the people who are not yet rtsi dents f town He said ill the consideration seems to existing residents but no one about the people who will be here the future Rev McKenzie accepts new post The Rev Andrew if Knox church will be leaving after 22 years and serving the congregation in Perth The announcement came Sunday during rcgul church service Mr had been preaeher In the Perth church few weeks ago and last week was called by the congregation He decided to accept the offer feeling was due The family likes Perth and Continued on Page 2 Santa comes to town snow or shine Sat LOCAL BUSINESSES and groups have chipped in financially and physically to help the Y s Men in this year Santa Claus parade Cheques were received Saturday Sitting Rick chairman of the parade committee Standing Haiga7 Assadounan of the Lions Club Ann Mc Millan Legion Ladies Auxiliary Lesley Johnston Scout and Guide mothers Ed Wood Business Association and Brian Weber of the s Men Inside this week Songs of Ihe swan Sight of the beavers Baziar time New Rockwood Grandma goes hunting Sabre surprise Trail Ride advice Page Suit tomes to town this he annual parade in his travels down Mill St Over lb local groups have been striving to make the World of Disne come alive in Itwn according to Cot one of the Men organizing the event In there will be three bands the the C Leg on PiptHind and Ihe Salvation Army band from Cambridge Also participating will be the Majorette Drum of the entries will be done by Hills local artist I a urn and former I pi and local farmer Pierre up the parade will be n other than Mickey Mouse him will be some f his friends Snow While Cinderella ittle Pigs Peter Pan and La pi nil with his band of its with many other Disney Bringing up Ihe rear and sure to the centre of attention will be Santa Hit parade will be starting all and will proceed from Pastern Avenue west on Mill St to Park to Knox Ave where it will disband I arade participants mav y a cup of hot chocolate at the Seoul hall following the parade Tins is put on by the Seoul and Guide mothers Association following the parade Santa will be available at the to take orders for Christmas personally or just l meet the children of Ihe town Parade winners will be posted in the bulletin board in front of the building as soon is available with a special trophy going to the float accumulating the most points Parade committee members arc chairman Richard Dave Hunter and Jim of Ihe Men Linda and Ann Perry from the Menettes and Larry from the Acton Volunteer Firefighters who are marshalling the parade Dress warmly and stay of any floats or animals during parade Christmas BIA bus The business people of the Business Improvement Area will again sponsor a Christmas bus lo make shopping at home more convenient in December The bus will operate from December 13 December inclusive except on Sundays Tyler Transport is arranging for bus which will have the same route as last year The routes and regular times will be published in he Free Press later Fisher Two resign from library board THE family suddenly found itself enlarged by five last week after Lorraine found four abandoned puppies and one adult dog at the side of the road on the townhne Husband Roman son Michael and Lorraine are ail on the lookout for good homes for the lovable canines One member of the Hills library hoard has in nounced his resignation and another is expected to before Dec Mike McMnhon who was appointed to the library board a year ago by the separate school board has announced his resignation effective Dec Fisher who was appointed by the school board cannot sit on both the library board and the school board Fisher was elected Nov in Wards one and two Under the Public Library Act a member of appointing body cannot sit on the library board That brings to five possible number of new members the board The terms of other mem hers George Lee and Norm of and Ken Riley Georgetown have expired and hey need to reapply said in an in yesterday Tuesday lhat he lias professional commitments that would con with his attendance at library board meetings is a teacher at Georgetown and District High school Rather than be an ab sentee trustee it better I resign he said adding that he feels the demands on the lime of trustees has incrcnscti tremendously McMahon said he was personally disappointed with time he spent on the library board but feels that the board is heading in Ihe right direction In its exercise of defining its goals and objectives Die library board can come to grips the library situation by defining where the board stands and whrc the members stand said With a basic set of priorities what board members want will be brought to the table he ad my experience it is not misunderstanding but people had different motives or ideas of what library should be The library board is currently meeting with William Kreiscl of the Ministry of Culture and Recreation on the goals and objectives of library boards and how to implement them With Mr Kreiscl think II become unified of purpose he said A statement of policy will help continuity of the board he said We seem to be going from one problem to another without any definite statement to stand by The Hills library board has gone througti a growth experience from two small boards to a own wide board part of a regional library system he said tor II needs a definite set of goals and priorities that would also create an understanding between the people of Hallon Hills and the library board ho said Betty Fisher indicated in an Interview yesterday Tuesday she measured her accomplishments on two levelspersonal and as a board member On the personal level she was pleased lhat a program for children who arc reluctant to read has been established in a Georgetown school and is in the planning stages for an Acton school That was a matter put in her letter of application to the board of education when she was seeking the appoint men I to the library board she said As a board though we have achieved nothing she said We have spent so much time thinking about what we do we ve done Utile lo upgrade service Fisher said she was not belittling the library board trustees who have dried Continued on Page