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Regional report says the economy is recovering By STEVE ARNOLD Canada may already be on the road to economic recovery according to Malt Fischer business development director for Region his quarterly report on business activity submitted to Regional council recently Mr Fischer expressed cautious optimism for an improve ment in business conditions in Canada A lot of this Is speculation but I think we have seen the bottom of the trench he said in a recent telephone interview Many of the businessmen that I talk to fed hey have their businesses in shape and weathering the storm In addition to material garnered from Statistics Canada and the economic fore cast of the Conference Board in Canada Mr Fischer also bases his feelings on local Indices including the number of building permits applied for the number of new or expanding companies moving into the area and the number of businesses that dose or go bankrupt He noted for example that since February of this year there have been no recorded business bankruptcies in Two firms have dissolved their businesses and S3 new firms have moved in to the area He admitted in his report however that this index doesnt provide a full picture of business activity in the Region We unfortunately have no way to monitor the numbers of which merely close their doors or the under utilized capacity of existing manufac turers who have reduced their operations in an effort to combat the recession he For the entire Region he reported building permit applications have fallen per cent compared to 19B1 levels These figures are for the second quarter of 1981 which ended June 30 Despite the obvious effects of the recession Mr Fischer said has been relatively insulated from the full effects of it because the Regions economy is so diverse With the exception of Ford we dont have a single industry that employs more than people ho said explaining that when too many of the employees in an area are tied to a single Industry there are bound to be it The balance of our economy here is so diversified that we havent felt the weight of the major layoffs and closures that other areas have he said A lot of businesses arent making much money right now but they ore certainly hanging on and thats good he said adding that when the current recession does end the businesses that survive will be better able to expand Vie were fat and sloppy in many of our businesses but now we are Tit and lean and those businesses have learned to run efficiently he said Until national forces cause the economy to turn around entirely he said there isnl much con do other than to keep advertising itself Our natural advantages will put us in good stead when people do the con fidence back to make the major imest that they are only thinking about now I not even sure that a change in government will help us What need more than anything else right now is a period of stability added newsmakers Georgetown Acton Wednesday August These youngsters give the all ready sign to marshal during the Saturday racing at the North Karl Club Area gokart enthusiasts hold races on Saturda North Halton Kart Club by Robin Imcoe Things havent changed much at North Haltons Go- Kart track in over the past few years except the racing which three years ago attracted about drivers each Saturday night now attracts about 80 according to president Mike Greschuk Gokart racing is one of the cheapest forms of racing one can enjoy and that alone has turned the local track into a sealed down version of Indian apolis Raceway each day night from May to Racers from throughout the area meet at the local track each week to test their skill and driving abilities against others In their classes A total of 150 members of the North Kurt Club help offset the costs of the upkeep with a minimal registration fee That coupled with entry fees for the races look after the cycle and four cycle engines Whatever the reasons that budding Mario Andre it take to the track at North Kart Club for their weekly Saturday competitions It seems to be a family thing with Dad and brother and In some cases even mother en joying the sport together as well as tro- accidents and injuries arc not phies for weekly winners necessarily a common thing With 22 racing dates over on the track the local club keeps Each week the North as evident by the turnouts at this years races Last season the local club Joined the Ontario Kar Racing Association but after only one year the group of officials that ran North decided that running in dependent was the best way to operate President Greschuk noted that if he had his way they would remain an in dependent body The track is a bout a quarter mile in length with tight turns and a hair pin to challenge the drivers Lights surround the track for the night of racing Hay bales surround trees and stumps to provide the beat possible safety and St John Am- Not all the driving done on the track This racer found bulance attendants are on duty every racing night One particular St John attendant takes in the racing every week A enthusiast he says that he gets to do a lot of watching implying that a running point total of all competitors Certain points are awarded depending on placing much like the Grand Prix driving circuit The top point getters at the end of the season will be declared the winners of their class The North Club began years ago While some years hate been better than others the sport has been increasing steadily in popular- Kart Club holds races for both two and four cycle engines with eight classes for drivers Drivers range in age from nine years and up with the youngsters sometimes sup plying the most exciting racing Were probably the largest mixed track North America commented Greschukreferringtotbefact Close races arent uncommon In as three North Halton is one of the few proved They were on each others tails the entire 10 lips of tracka that allow both two race Regional Council Committee to look into rest homes is rejected A proposal special committee to look into rest homes in Gerald Acton has been rejected by Halton Regional Council I The committee was suggested a few weeks ago by Coun- members agreed that clllor Bill Johnson to settle once and for all the dispute bet- henceforth ail dealings ween the region health department and Chers Rest Home a dispute which some councillors are calling a witch hunt Acton Councillor recentHealthnndSocial by a special committee directly to the nursing Dave Whiting said that Services Committee would be redundant home with no power of sub- meeting any work done After discussions with shortly after that poena the committee rail Reed calls for provincial committee which would do its investigating closed sessions Up to now rest home regulations problems surrounding the regions dealings with the rest home have been discussed in open council and committee meetings If the special committee meetings were open to the public 1 dont think wed get the same honesty that we would get in private sessions Whiting said Regional Chairman Jack observed that since everything has already been discussed in open session and a temporary solution reached at a Julian Reed MPP for this week called on provincial Health Minister Larry Grossman to introduce legislation regarding rest homes in Ontario The public must be assured of the safe operation of rest homes and specific regulations must be set forth to determine exactly what expected of rest borne operators said Reed Presently rest homes are regulated by the ministry of health the same as lodging houses and group homes under guidelines which Reed says arc freefloating and do not address the real specific needs of rest homes The guide lines are therefore limited in the impact they have on the operation of a rest home A local controversy concerning a rest home in Acton region is classic evidence that present guidelines arc not sufficient enough to regulate these homes Rest home operators must have specific standards within which to operate if they are to run the homes ef fectively and efficiently and the public must be assured that these standards are being met said Reed There should be specific regulations laid down so that the public rest home operators and medical officers of health know what is expected of them and also to ensure dardixatlon of rest homes across the pro vince however the rest home received from the regions health depart delivered directly to the home courier stating if the home did not operate with health department officials It would be closed in accordance with regulations under thePubllc Health Act Councillor Johnson said later that although operators of the rest home were aware that all correspondence from the region was supposed to be delivered to the lawyer they accepted the envelope when the courier claimed it was from Councillor Bill Johnson The dispute between the region and the rest home stems from In which occurred during a surprise In of the premises by the medical officer of health in June 1961 Since then operators claim they have been the subject of harass ment by the regions health authorities Escarpment plan is just about complete The Niagara Escarpment Com mission has nearly completed Its 10- year assignment to draw up a plan for the Niagara Escarpment With the release of the plan proposal In 1979 and public hearings up to last June escarpment com mission officials estimate they have a year to go before the plan is in place At the moment were waiting for a hearing officers report infor mation officer Pat explained The report Is expected to come down in January 1983 encompassing a summary of concerns raised during the recent public hearings and recommendations based on the hearing findings The commission includes these recommendations with the proposed plan and submits It to the Ontario Cabinet by June Ms Soper said The commission was formed in to put together a plan for the escarpment The proposed plan covers a square- mile 1923 square kilometre area from the Niagara Peninsula to Tobormory a cent reduction from the inal planning area of nearly square miles In Region the plan governs acres of land including 19100 acres in Hills The provincial Cabinet will have final say in whether the plan Is accepted modified or rejected The future of the commission Itself is another matter The commission could be disbanded or it could be kept on an implementation body to oversee the- plan being put into effect Soper said Another deer hunt is approved Milton Councillor Bill Johnson will seek in another signposting campaign for this years third annual controlled deer hunt in Region llalton Council has approved the fourday controlled hunt again this year The hunt is aimed at cutting down 190 rabies cases suspected Health Department has investigated 190 suspected rabies cases since December Records show however that tnveslgations la about par for region While the real of the province experiencing an upsurge In suspected cases statistics remain dose to last years figure high On average were Investi gating about cam per month said Medical Officer of Health Dr Peter Cole The disease seems to break out in various areas throughout region on a rotating basts but health department officials are to detect any type pattern Out of the eases Investi gated four people received treatment for rabies Cole added The remainder of the people who were reported to have been in contact with an animal suspected of having rabies have not been treated and as far as Cole knows they havent been affected by the disease ether Provineewtde the disease Is rampant Ontario according to Cole has SO percent of all rabid animals reported in North America There seems to be a tot of rabies In Ontario as compared with the rest of the world The disease attacks the central nervous system and is usually fatal In both humans and animals left untreated Cole however suspects that the disease is not so virulent as usual in this area If there are so many rabid animals around some must be biting people Yet I dont believe hear of every case of animal bite and no one seems to be dying rabies Its peculiar Skunks and foxes are usually named as spreaders of rabies although Cole adds that foxes arent particularly plentiful in llalton Rodents such as squirrels or chipmunks are rarely carriers of rames Cole said Domestic animals who come in contact with rabies usually do so through wildlife Humans rarely get bitten by rabid wild animals People dont come In contact with the wild animals If they do approach a wild animal that is sick theyre pretty silly Incubation time for the disease to develop in a dog or cat is about six months Even animals who have been vaccinated are susceptible to the disease The vaccine Dr Cole claims isnt 100 per cent effective For humans the incubation period is about ID days he said In a recent Ontariowide survey eastern Ontario has been shown to hare a marked Increase in reported cases of rabies Throughout southern Ontario animals reported to be infected have doubled in numbers compared to last year the deer population In the rural areas of Halton where the animals are said to damage farm crops Johnson however was against the approval of another hunt He told council he questioned the idea of allowing people to run all over hells half acre shooting at random In past years Johnson and local volunteers have distributed No Hun ting signs to private property owners to aid them In keeping hunters off private property Last year a group op posed to the hunt presented a petition with signatures at a public meeting in Milton as opposed to 200 signatures of residents on a petition favoring the hunt Johnson said he is opposed to hunting in Region because there are too many people and domestic animals at risk If the deer are eating the apple crops ben have the hunt restricted to those properties Johnson said Its only logical if the deer have to be thinned out to hunt then in the areas where they congregate respecting hunter would rather than hove people hunt deer In thlr tramping all over the Last year Burlington region with guns area councillors voted popping at anything approval of the hunt that moves along with their rural He added that no self counterparts thinking by Mabel midsummer nighfs dream Fairy Tales We attended an afternoon performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream at Stratford last week on a perfect midsummer day The picnic on the banks of the Avon was al most dreamlike It seemed as if we floated through the whole day on gossamer wings Contrary to some critics who said the play was not well performed we enjoyed every minute of it as did the rest of the audience We browsed through the art exhibits after the play and even they seemed to have a dreamy texture We finally had to get down to earth get in the car and return borne But the memories of that day will not be soon forgotten their city bylaw against discharging firearms would get them off the hook Johnson But they were wrong Thl year Burlington Councillor Joan Utile voiced her lions questioning the legality of allowing a deer hunt In an area in which a bylaw prohibiting the discharge of firearms exists The hunt announced by the Ministry Cambridge district office will take place Nov I to throughout most of Region In addition to farmers and landowners in people will be allowed to part lei pate in the hunt with per cent of the permits allocated to residents New Town facilities super See Page BS