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

Mainstream Canada The Shopping Centre Conundrum Canoe skills and safety workshop By W. Roger Worth • In Charlottetown, P.E.I., a barber was forced to stop serving female customers. The reason: a "men-only" clause in the lease he had signed with a shopping centre developer. The developer was protecting protecting a women's hair salon in the same plaza. The situation may sound petty, even ridiculous, yet it's a prime example of the way developers and their major tenants effectively coejxe independent businesses, generally restricting freedom and perhaps reducing competition. competition. In the long run, the anticompetitive anticompetitive nature of some . Roger Worth is Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business. of the leases may become a political issue as rapidly rising costs force the prices the independents charge at shopping centres to higher and higher levels. What's more, the exploding exploding growth of shopping centres has changed Canadian Canadian buying patterns so that today the plazas handle about 35% of the country's retail trade, almost double the total in 1969. While sales growth has been relatively slow for independent independent retailers operating outside the malls, there's little wonder many have refused refused to make the move to shopping centres. The causes for antipathy to the new malls is not hard to find. The basic problem: the overriding power of the. anchor stores - supermarkets and department chains--that effectively force restrictions • on small business people. Some examples of how the system operates: • Tfie anchor stbres or "gatekeepers" decide who will be allowed to compete with them in many new. centres, deciding who will be allowed to rent space,. Particularly galling is the fact that discount stbres are in most cases outlawed be- : cause they tend to .undercut chain store prices. ■ • The chain stores'in many cases pay less than-half the rent of independent business people, claiming they draw the customers to the plaza so their rents should be lower. Yet this places the smaller store owner at a disadvantage, forcing the independent to sell at higher prices to cover the additional costs. • There is a tendency for, developers and their major tenants to favor corporately operated outlets of various types, rather than local independent independent businesses. • Finally, the powerful chains tend to exert control over store hours, the types of merchandise sold, advertising advertising policies, even insurance coverage and the labor that can be used to complete a store's interior. Some independent businessman, businessman, of course, are successful successful in this type of environment. environment. The real question, though, is whether this activity activity reduces competition, insuring that more and more . shopping centres will change the nature of independent business as, well as the Canadian Canadian landscape. Auction , Service Farm & Estate Sales Furniture Modern and Antique NORM FAULKNER Stouffville 640-56*1 EARLGAUSLIN Stouffville 640 3079 The Ganaraska Forest Centre is pleased to announce that it is holding its first Canoe Skill Workshop on Saturday, June 16, 1979 at 10 a.m. The topic will be "Canoe Skills and Safety" and included included will be interest sessions on analysis of canoe materials, designs, advice on purchasing, purchasing, paddle design and construction construction hints. Canoe skills demonstration and "on-the-water" instruction instruction will be provided by Canoe Ontario's Paddlecade team. These nationally qualified instructors will be providing skills demonstration and the opportunity for "on-the- water" instruction for all participants. Canoe and paddles paddles and professional floata tion devices will be provided but if you wish to bring your own equipment, you may feel free to do so. It will be an experience that everyone will enjoy. All interested individuals, families families or groups are asked to meèt at the Garden Hill Pond prior to 10 a.m. starting time. It is recommended that .comfortable sneakers be worn and that insect repellent be brought to ensure a pleasant day. The workshop is being offered free of charge to the public and we are looking forward to meeting you on the water. Bring along a lunch and refreshments will be provided. For more information, information, call (416) 797-2721. Orono Weekly Times, THE OCCUPIER , ( Continued from page 6) hibited. A sign with an oblique line through it would mean the activity designated is prohibited but that all others are permitted. While the government hopes to promote, greater availability of private land for outdoor recreation, it also recognizes that land- owners must be ensured adequate protection against damage to their land and crops. For this reason, we propose to add orchards and fields under cultivation to the classes of land to which entry is automatically automatically prohibited i without the owner having to post signs or give oral or written ■ notice. At present, only lawns, gardens and enclosed enclosed lands are protected in . this way. Under our proposals, landowners would also be protected against trespass to their land through an increase in the maximum, fine for trespassing from Wednesday, June 13th, 1979-9 $100 to $1,000. In addition, convicted trespassers could be ordered to pay the costs of prosecution and the courts would have power to order compensation up to $1,000 for any damage to crops or land. * These proposals are the result of many months of study and consultation with members of various interest interest groups. They are designed to serve the needs of all Ontario residents and to benefit both landowners and recreational users of rural and wilderness land. But before I introduce the proposals as legislation, legislation, hopefully in the Fall, I would like to receive the comments and views of as many people as possible. The details of the proposals proposals have been set out in a discussion paper published published by my Ministry. For a free copy write to: The Communications Branch, Ministry of the Attorney General, 18th Floor, 18 King Street East, Toronto Toronto M5C1C5. We've taken a new look at For land's sake. Land. Ontario has over one million square kilometres of it. It's important to all of us that every kilometre is put to the best possible use, now and in the future. .That's why Ontario has a Planning Act. It's the legal framework that determines how land should be used, and in whaVform development should take place.' Undèr the present Act, municipalities municipalities wishing to pass bylaws relating to the use of land go to the Ontario Municipal Board for 'provincial approval. In recent years, however, thé proviricial'govèfnment's role in municipal planning has been changing. A committee established in 1975 took a close look at the Planning Act to see how it could be adapted to suit the changing needs of the municipalities as well as to make the procedures more efficient. : ■ After getting reaction to the report of the Planning Act Review Committee, the government has now produced the White Paper outlining its position on revising the Act. The main proposals arp: ' a-The province would place more emphasis on advice and assistance assistance than on its current role of supervising and approving local planning decisions. □ Municipalities, where appropriate, would be given autonomy to make planning decisions. This will apply to municipalities which have the resources and capabilities to handle increased planning responsibility □ The public would have better access into the planning process. Municipalities will have to extend public notification procedures to people who will be* affected by planning decisions. □ To speed up the process, the Ontario Municipal Board would act only as an appeals body A copy of the White Paper has been made available to . municipalities, planning boards and other interested groups. If you are interested, contact the Ministry of Housing, Communications Branch, '56 Wellesley'St.,W, Tqronto, Ontario M7A 2K4. Claude Bennett. Minister of Housing William Davis, . Premier