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

Watch Tower once had an ille counterpart here The Witnesses little secret Herald Writer Hills r widen is who watched in wonder as a mass ive Jehovah a Witnesses comp lex was built on Georgetowns outskirts last year probably don t know thai the ion The Watch tower was printed illegally a farm during the Second World War While today Witnesses are free to express pride in the new Watch Tower complex which will churn out hundreds of thousands of copies of The Watchtower and Awake I annually there was a time not so long ago when their teach Ings writings and other prof of faith could land them In jail in Canada In the Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King bowed to pressure from such Canadian religious leaders as Paul chancellor of the archdiocese of Quebec who called the Wilneses the of Christianity in America The Thirteenth in a series government had banned the The Witnesses were forced to take their longstanding beliefs underground and moved Iheir Watchtower printing operation to a area farm on Winston Church 111 Boulevard from its original Toronto headquarters Whenever anybody came on the farm who they know they d up a teacup that would turn on a light warning the people down stairs according to Eva Wilt shire a member of the congregation In George town since 1963 POLICE ARREST ban on the printing and of Jehovah Witness pub cations door to- door evangelizing was taboo for Jehovah Witnesses with police instructed to arrest such persons 11 was real challenge to go door in those days said Mrs Wiltshire always loved challenges and as I was nimble on my feet then I was never arrested The July 1940 ban was defended by Prime Minister King In the House of Commons Man made only and law recognized by Witnesses if it conflicts their interpretation of the Bible he pointed out They refuse to salute the flag of any nation or to hall any man ana they oppose war Their liter said the prime minister undermines the ordinary responsibility of citizens part icularly In a of war And Canada was deeply Involved In World War that time People would call you yell ow belly because they knew you wool I fight back Jack Perry Acton recalled Most Canadians shared for patriotic feelings and when the sect took neutral stand toward war refusing to sing patriotic songs salute the Canadian flag or fight for their country they were re garded as subversive Children from Jehovah Witness families were expelled from school by public school authorities who demanded that all children salute the flag and Bland for or sing the national anthem Banned from using or buting the Watchtower zinc Jehovah Witnesses changed the name of the publication to Thy Word is Truth and put their articles between plain covers Melville Taylor a member of the Georgetown recalls when magazines were very scare and then was barely one per family My could type and he would make triplicate of articles in the Watch tower for others to study said Mr Taylor who is Challeng the ban in court the Witnesses eventually won their right religious freedom through a number of cases The Supreme Court of Canada rocogn zed the right or all Canadians to practise their religious beliefs by the 1950s It was shortly after the war that the Georgetown lion was farmed Prior to gathering in Georgetown local Witnesses would go to Bramp ton for religious meetings age CI Although not considered a religion by many people the Ion t In 1879 the have grown despite Jehovah s movement Is now wellestablished world checkered history hat Included widespread persecution and In wide ill congregations continuing to grow Many of the world the 1910s a federal ban that prohibited Canadian Witnesses from Witnesses read Ira misled copies of the sect two preaching their beliefs An underground was set up publication The and Awake both of which are near Norval to carry on the message albeit Illegally printed at the complex com I rue led on Georgetown s outskirts In it car Since founder Charles Run ell began publishing 5213 I EXCELLENCE AWARD IN CUSTOMER RELATIONS FOBERT Fobart Rwl Ltd heH Home Newspaper of Halton Hite Since WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1981 Halls restoration cost hovering at By CHRIS AAGAARD probably t have much of Herald Staff Writer an Illustrious heritage behind While acknowledging that it consultants studying the Acton town hall building possible restoration Keep those letters Theresa lovely gift wrapped mailbox in The Herald front lobby at Guelph St In Georgetown ust waiting or your Christmas lists love letters and Tan mall to Santa Clam The Herald again forwarding local where the grand old man Christmas will be sitting down to write responses The tellers and Santa replies will begin appearing In both our Wednesday and Friday issues Dec i and continue through to Christmas Eve and recipes coming And ll Just about time for another Herald Christmas treat a special supplement of seasonal recipes for the holiday chefs at your house Help help our readers prepare something special this Christmas by sending us your favorite recipes The supple went Is due out Doc so don I delay In getting your suggestions to our office at SI in Georgetown say it is sound and can be used again with extensive rcnova Klolnfeldt Consultants of Brampton presented a draft copy of their findings to the town general committee Monday night barely four and a half weeks after they began the Hi review of the town hall future They will also be on hand to answer questions from the public tonight at the community library branch beginning at Six different scenarios can be envisioned for the two- storey town hall project lead Barry Graham told committee members one which proposes shoring up building to prevent It from further decay while funds are collected for Its complete rest oration four which describe different ways of restoring the building and putting it to use and a sixth option Ion THIS HAM IS YOUR HAM SI A I bun Church ball In Glen Williams had III own version of llonky Sunday pancake breakfast held lo raise money for School for be handicapped In Milton Providing musical entertainment while diners munched were left to right MPP Julian Reed Davidson and Bob Armstrong Herald photo and the office furnishings and architect fees which add to the final price tags the four restoration proposals hover around each If the town decides to go ahead with the restoration almost 500 would be available immediate ly town hall lion com mil tee has already raised about HO for the project matching towns original committment To pay for its share of the study the town took from its original fund while the province agreed to fund he balance According to the draft re port town officials can restoring the building with or without attempts to restore Its interior its original historic character All of the restoration scenarios suggest using at least one part of the building Tor office space Although the proposals suggest that the town should manage any future use of the bidding none promise reven sufficient enough to cover operating costs building even In circumstances where the town Is renting out parts of the building for privae office However some proposals for the restoration may be eligible for government sub sidies including Wlntario funds as long as the building Is maintained as a public JOINT USES Grants from such agencies as the Ontario Heritage and through the Com munlty Recreation Centres Act became consider ably more constrained as the scenarios suggest entering Joint privatepublic uses for the money may be available for exterior work under a privatepublic venture If the building Is to be historic ally restored Wintarlo have Indicated lo the consultants that they may also participate under Ihls scenario by providing one- third the costs of restoring the build ings interior Much of the building enter lor visual appeal has been marred by neglect and lock of foresight has been vacant for almost a decode and was condemned to wrecker ball in 1977 until a citizens group successfully called for a reprieve The halls front view Is webbed with hydro lines park Ing Is scarce and the modern fire hall adjoining at the rear clashes the weather beaten brick Increasingly In need of painting and repair Itself which makes up the body of the old building Birds flying through holes In he attic have damaged ceiling beams below and the roof is also In need of a major overhaul With a set of slides struct analyst Ivor David des some of the repairs needed Inside While the woodworking around doors and along walls Is in remark ably good shape there ore Continued on Page A3 Life is a Mutual affair i BRIAN GOODLET Agent Mutual Life of Canada or 4515 After a long hard Santa stepped from bis float In Georgetown parade Saturday Into the arms of McPher ion left and Patty He stayed at the store for quite lame lime gathering of toys from boys and girls who crowded around a temporary throne up at the centre of lEe Now back at North Pole and his elves are get all those gifts ready In lime for the holiday season The Jolly fellow Is back In town Ihls Saturday thoogh visiting Aclon for a parade starting from School around 1 p Aclon youngsters have you your lists ready pholoby Chris Mayor will continue IrwinDorsey probe biggest tippers The local Bed Cross blood donor clinic by the Rotary Club of Georgetown a week ago Monday taw multiple donation awards presented to the following donors making their donations were George Louth Reginald Haw ley and William Bunt John Albert Lefertak and Bona Id Snow made their donations number was recorded by Sherrle and and tenth donations were made by Michael Buck Earl Merrill Clarence Gillian Callaway C Vaneghond Mrs Sheila Ford and Cheryl Bryant appeals ruling region will oppose an appeal from single parent Barry Bryant the Georgetown father who has been trying to get welfare and a mother allowance from the which decides whether he is eligible Regional council agreed to uphold the decision of Its social assistance review board which determined that because Mr Bryant Is fit he Is eligible to work However Mr Bryant and with the Hills Community Legal Clinic maintain that the ruling is discriminatory since it readily gives mothers Mr Bryant said he does not yet want to send his twoyear old son to a day care centre Roll on skaters Just because the Ice Is installed at Georgetown Memorial Arena It mean roller skating is over until spring Roller skating the town s recreation department insists too So with cooperation of the Roller Alley in the department has initiated a new program busing people to for skating There no need to register Just meet the bus Starling Sunday and continuing each weekend until further notice a bus will leave the Moore Park parking lot and Gordon Arena at noon returning at The cost For each visit is and roller skates can be rented at Roller Alley for cents For more Information call the department at 9185 AAGAARD Herald Mayor Pete plans to continue his own review of the lrwinDorsey Ltd closure preparing a report for town council Doc meeting The mayor and Brampton- Georgetown Conservative MP John McDermld met lost Wednesday afternoon with officials of the federal Foreign Investment Review Agency which has been blamed for while 110 are laid off at plant A seasonal drop in the market for fine papers Is being blamed for layoffs at Paper Company Georgetown mill this week About or its 135 hourly paid employees were Informed that their Jobs were being Indefinitely suspended a week and a half ago Another employees were laid off Friday Plant manager George told The Herald that thomlll management was unsure how long the loyoffs will last he said before may take one week workers return their Jobs He denied that tho layoffs have anything to do with future in Georgetown which dimmed considerably lastJulyamldspeculatton that the plant would shut down by Continued on Page A2 forcing the shutdown of Georgetown publishing firm people out of work the end of the year A watchdog organ lion designed to protect Can business Interests from loo much foreign own Insisted that Dow Jones of Delaware Irwin parent comp any relinquish Its Canadian publishing interests Re us to sell out to Canadian Investors Dow Jones to close healthy Georgetown operation FIRA said Ihcy would Consider application for appeal from Irwin Dor Mr McDermld told Tho Herald Monday They claimed that they offered Dow Jones more than one alternative to solving the problem but I not that the feds really tried thai hard 1 think they want to say well show these people that wo mean nesa and picked on one small company which they thought t mean very much Mayor agreed that the meeting was helpful in clarifying on Page Al SESAME SNUGGLE The Georgetown Legion Branch annual was held before the Santa Claui parade got underway Saturday Santa himself for photos around noon hour and so did this familiar beast from television land Sesame Streets Cookie Monster Giving chocolate chip raver a warm welcome the Legion Hall are Bobbl Hyde left and threeyear old Alan from Georgetown Herald photo