The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

BIA goal total within five years There are still a number of obstacles to be over come but Acton Improvement Arei president Larry Greaves expects that an ambitious downtown revitalization program should be com within the next five years Greaves and other brass have been op timistic about a major face lifting of the core area ever since they attended a conference In Toronto last month and learned more about various pro grams available from the province Plans for downtown were given a boost at hat conference when Ontario raised the population limit for the Ma ins tree t program from to Under the old population Acton was left out in the cold be cause It Is part of Hills a town of over 30 people Aid criteria changed Now that the criteria has been changed Acton BIA through Halton Hills can apply for a loan through the Mains tree devitalization program of up to This loan would be repayable over a period at one per cent Interest a year The loan can be used to do many things on public lands in the downtown which would really give the core area a brand new look Greaves observed The money con be used to provide more downtown parking and to the street and sidewalks put In a pedestrian mall pur chase benches plants shrubs Inter containers up grade lighting and sidewalks erect signs and kiosks Greaves noted the funds can be used for just about anything downtown from building front to building front and the has decided a Malnstreet loan is the direction to go Improved public lands will prompt landowners lo improve the buildings Greaves suggested But going In that direction is easier said than done It involves much more than just buying some benches Town BIAmustcooperatc In the next few years considerable cooperation between the local and Hills will be essential First off the town must adopt a minimum maintenance and occupancy bylaw While the province offers the town a standard minimum maintenance and occupancy bylaw to fo low council t moved quickly on this Item The BIA asked for the legislation some There are problems the councillors feel with the standard Ontario bylaw Some councillors wonder if the legislation should only cover the BIA or the entire town Some I in favor of It but Greaves feels the bylaw is crucial not just because funds available without he bylaw but also because it makes good sense Why refurbish downtown and then let it deteriorate a few years later because some landowners won take proper Ihclrpropcrty Once there is a minimum maintenance and occup ancy bylaw a major hurdle will be cleared The through the town will then apply for the But getting funds isn the whole answer Need major plan Downtown needs a comprehensive plan Greaves Soat the same time they apply for a Community Planning Study Grant This program will fund the development of an overall plan for downtown The wants to go after both programs at the time so they can funds before the population reaches and Acton isn eligible again Development of an plan for downtown will be not just a tremendous help In refurbishing the core area but also help Hills In the develop ment of its Official Plan Greaves said An Official Plan is another criteria w must be met before provincial assistance is available but that won be a problem since the old Acton Official Plan remains in effect until Hills unveils a new one hoi started Some work for the development of an overall plan for downtown has already started Greaves re ported Staff from the town planning department have been busy doing a land use and building inventory and drawing up maps The major study should identify the potential and problems downtown and help us goals and objectives for the BIA Greaves declared It will look at new development and rehabillalion of public lands downtown heritage aspects review traffic look at street parking facilities as well as street parking study architecture downtown examine landscaping and options review the need for sidewalk furniture and walkways and building Downtown has had studies done in the pa t but never on this scale Tht study is essential Greaves feels because we must determine the cost of doing oil these good things We will be spending a lot of money and we must make it worthwhile Benefit whole town This plan will he bo broad In its scope Greaves be it will benefit the entire community not just the BIA Once the study has gathered nil the facts and pre various alternatives for downtown revaluation the town and will review It and come up with a course of action for the program But Greaves emphasised it isn t a decision to be taken just by the merchants and politicians They II be seeking public Input since the people who be using downtown after it is refurbished will be the re sldcnts It s been a long painful job to bring downtown to this point brink of major refurbishing and there are obstacles still to overcome Greaves cautioned Nothing gets done quickly He points the fact it has been two years since a minimum maintenance and occupancy bylaw was first discussed and a major traffic flow study Is pending as examples why things haven happened downtown more quickly But Greaves says he can seethe light at the end of the long tunnel to revitalization finally Pieces falling in to place It a domino situation pieces are starting to fall into place and there will be a chain reaction There s no reason why wt can gel what we are looking for now though it will take some more time We don I want to rush ahead We want to see what will serve the community best not just today but for our children Greaves would like to see the major study com pie tod and the facts and alternatives in the hands of the alliens by this time next year and then the total refurbishing completed the next five years It all hangs on council nov They must initiate things and when they do half the ball game will be won I may be out In left field but what we propose reasonable I can sec no reason why we can get what we are after An Inland Community Newspaper Oik ai la ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY JULY 1980 Cents A lazy way to spend a summer day McDonald a 10yearold Bennett student and her couaU Brian IlacMer an 11 yearold student at enjoy the summer holidays spending a little time fishing at Fairy Lake and soaking up the sun In Prospect Park The hot July weather makes It perfect for to enjoy both the lake and Ihe park photo by DIANA Acton not top priority for new schoolReed Parents of children at St Joseph School feel they were mislead by Separate School Board trustees when they were told repeatedly that a new school for Acton was the number Head of the parents association said Burlington MPP Julian received a letter last week from Education Minister Stephenson stating moniy was allocated by the pro vince for a new school In OikvlUe because that was the board number one priority Stephenson said the separate school situation In Acton will be in September reported Reed has now written to of Cliff the Halton Separ ate School Board asking why he and the St Joseph parents were mislead The parents have letters from the board stating a new school in Acton was the number one priority The parents t giving up their battle though to new separate school built in Acton Petitions at St Joseph Church over the weekend calling for a Catholic school were signed by over parishioners Whelan felt that was strong support attendance Is down in the sum The parents association held a meeting last night Tuesday to formulate plans to send a delegation to the board meeting next Tuesday night July to demand answers and action They are hoping to have enough people in the delegation to take a bus Halton MP Otto Is also probing the sit uation and will meet with Stephenson to lobby for a new school here If neccaary Parents are angry that the province approved funds for a new separate school In Oakville while Acton must mukedowithSt Josephs which is over 100 years old and is rented from the Board of Education says Acton has been shafted and char funds went to because it is a Tory rid and Acton lost out because it is represented in the Ontario Legislature by the Liberals St Joseph was opened in with the promise if enrolment went up a new school would be built after two years Three years later enrolment has climbed from to pupils this fall when the school enters its fourth year All the board has done Whelan complains Is buy a five acre school site beside the Acton Legion for SIS acre Following the board meeting next week the par are considering asking Education Minister Stephenson to visit Acton and see what the school is Died 5 days later Woman escapes uninjured from nursing home blaze A former Acton area resident was rescued unhurt from the tragic nursing home fire last week in Misslssauga Vera nee MeEachrent was one of residents of the Ine nursing home which was destroyed in a fire in which over elderly people lost their lives Mrs Smethurst was taken lo the Fudger House Sale Hellers plants close Both of the Frank Heller and Co Ltd plants In Acton which will become vacant this fall when the leather firm moves lo the Disston factory could be sold soon G Alec Johnson whose real estate firm here has listed the two Hellers Acton plants and another factory in Georgetown said Tuesday negotiations arc on with three potential buyers of the Acton factories He said there is quite a bit of action on Ihe two local buildings Johnson revealed there Is already one offer of purchase in for Wallace Street plant That buyer would turn the factory into storage depot Johnson added negotiations tinulng with that potential buyer Another prospective buyer for the Wallace Street plant has plans to subdivide it into on Industrial mall There arc also negotiations taking place regarding purchase of the larger plant on Eastern Avenue Johnson said his firm Is pleased to have played an Important role In he purchase of Disston by a local company and expects to satisfactorily complete deals for the purchase of all three of Heller plants Nursing home in Toronto niter the fire but was taken to Wcllesley Hospital Thursday where she died Saturday night of a cerebral A spokesman for the family Mrs Helen Kennedy said Mrs Smcthurst death was unrelated to her rescue from the burning nursing home five days earlier Mrs Kennedy reported her sister was unln in the nursing home blaze and dldn t suffer Inhalation Mrs was born and raised on a farm at Acton The daughter of Ihe late Norman and Margaret McEachren Mrs moved away from here years ago Mrs Smcthurst is survived by her husband Jack eon John of Florida daughter Jacqueline Tookcr of sister uncles McEachren Acton Angus 2 Acton and aunts Mrs Mary McLean Erin and Jenny McEachren Mrs was predeceased by her brother Douglas of Acton A memorial service will be held tomorrow Thursday In Toronto like for herself Parents are concerned about lack of proper facilities health and fire hazards If the board and province don I move on building a new school here says he is going to urge St parents not to send their children back in the fall and enrol hem in public schools Nearly 1000 receiving unemployment benefits There are close lo people In Hills receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits Figures supplied by Employment Cnnnda for the month of May show people with In Hills were receiving benefits That figure dipped In June While those figures don give an exact indication of the level of unemployment In the Acton and Georgetown areas they do show there are many people out of work Employment Canada officials explain the number of people receiving unemployment benefits docsn give the exact level of unemployment here because some receiving benefits on short layoffs mater or sick leave while others may be out of work but hove exhausted their claims been made ble or may not have applied for benefits Another gauge of unemployment though also not completely accurate arc the number of registrants looking for Jobs through the Manpower office in Georgetown which also serves Acton In May were registered for work with Georgetown Manpower but by the end of June that figure had swelled to 737 These figures don t in elude students A Canada Employment spokesman explained most people receiving unemployment insurance must register for work with Manpower The two figures don tally some receiving benefits have registered with Monpower offices in Guelph Milton and Brampton In addition those receiving benefits on short layoff maternity or sick leave required to register with Manpower Amputee marathon runner Terry Fox Is cxhauited Tuesday afternoon after running Guelph to near Photo by JENNIl- Greet hero this morning Acton greeted a hero with rousing applause at 35 am today Wednesday Downtown was jammed with residents who had waited hours to catch a glimpse of famed amputee marathon runner Terry Fox It was a different Fox who came into Acton re freshed managing a brief smile occasional wave and a thank you once in a while to well wishers Although his start was nearly an hour and a half later than planned he was greeted by large of fans many of whom had been waiting since Fatigue had overtaken Fox two miles west of on Tuesday afternoon scotching any plans he had for reaching Acton lhat day However by supper time he was able to travel a further five miles through Ihe Village of to two miles east at the Eden Mills Most of the village was caught unawares as the one legged runner fox trotted through town at approximately m After attending a benefit dinner in Georgetown Tuesday night given by the Cancer Society local organizers were told Terry would be starting from his finishing spot at a m Wednesday getting Into Acton between and 7 a m A mobile sound unit broadcast news of his Wednesday morning arrival through Acton streets Tuesday night Police camera crews Cancer Society officials fellow runners a cyclist and many enthusiasts waited over an hour some nearly two hours for Terry Fox to make an appearance Accompanying runners Thorn Dickinson and Alex Johnston not to run with Fox Cyclist Lome Doberthien himself a victim of the same cancer was asked to stay completely away from the runner He cycled well ahead of the en lour age acting as advance guard Doberthien is president of Ford Ford is making large contributions to he cause and is acting as a major fund raiser In Acton for the Cancer Society i J V inside The fire destroyed mill in Eden Mills Story on pug a Actons own Iwu be an building be functional story page Youll find Profiles on page News Digest i on page editorial and columns and is on pages