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Tne 15° With 8 Pages Colour Comics Penetanguishene Citizen Vol. 8 No. 12 Wednesday, March 19, 1975 32 pages Hitting the road Three-year-old Wayne Marchildon rides his tricycle up Maria Street on a warm Monday afternoon. Behind him is his seven-year-old sister Charlene. The mild spring like weather drew many tricycle and bicycle riders out on to Penetanguishene's Streets. Humane Society may be out by Dave McCausland Midland, Penetanguishene, and Tiny Township are on the verge of concluding new arrangements for their animal control. All indications are that the Ontario Humane _ Society will be out and Celestin Bidan will be taking over animal control in the three municipalities. In a telephone interview yesterday mor- ning, Bill Hack, Midland's clerk-treasurer, told this newspaper that, "Council passed a resolution that they would enter into an agreement with Mr. Celestin Bidan on the same terms and conditions they had had with the Ontario Humane Society, except with respect to renumeration." Hack said this new arrangement would take effect on April 1 when the previous contract with the Humane Society runs out. This decision, he added, was taken several weeks ago. Representatives from Tiny Township and Penetanguishene were not able to give any firm commitment that they had yet reached a similar decision. All indications, however, indicate that they will follow Midland's lead. Guy Maurice Tiny Township clerk, said Tuesday that the proposal to enter into an agreement with Bidan was still in the discussion stage. The arrangement was, however, close to being ratified and was being "seriously considered by the municipality," he said. Penetanguishene Council will be considering a recom- mendation dealing with the matter at a meeting to be held next week. The Supervisor of the Ontario Humane Society's Orillia Shelter, Alexandra Parry, said that they had been planning a meeting with representatives of the area municipalities to discuss the problems of cost and other related matters. She said that representatives from Midland and Penetanguishene indicated they would attend the meeting, scheduled for March 27 in Orillia. Tiny Township, she said, indicated they could see no point in sending anyone since they were going to go with Midland in arrangements with Bidan to provide animal control. In discussing the cost of the service, Hack said the cost for animal control under Bidan's proposal would be considerably less than that suggested by the Humane Society. Bidan's proposal calls for $12,500 per annum, from Midland, he said, plus $2 for each dog tag issued. In comparison, the Humane Society was asking for $1.75 per capita per annum, a rate that would amount to $19,455. In addition the Humane Society was asking for a $10,000 capital cost grant to help fund the new animal care facility completed late last year in Orillia. Bidan was in Toronto when a reporter tried to reach him to ask him about his plans for the new animal control service. His wife said he was taking some special training there which would relate to his work in the field of animal control. i | BRY by dOMN BEAULIEV Classified Citizen contents Dog saves Perkinsfield family 2 Police pull off a fast one 2 Wanted an extra effort 4 Sports 13-14 Penetanguishene's birthday Entertainment Robillard pushes Chamber to promote the town Penetanguishene is the place to come to visit A small but determined hard core group of members of the Penetanguishene Chamber of Commerce emerged from last Thursday's annual meeting with a commitment to try and steer the Chamber's future activities primarily towards promoting events within the town in an effort to make people want to come to Penetanguishene. The meeting ended on a happy, let's all pull together note, but only after a long and ex- tremely frank discussion during which the less than a dozen members who attended the . meeting grappled with the problem of defining the Chamber's role in Penetanguishene. Chamber president Peter Shirriff threw the question out to Gil Robillard saying "okay Gil, we've got a problem. We want to bring this Chamber back to 'life."" It was Robillard, a former mayor of Penetanguishene and former owner of the Poyntz Plaza, who had bought the matter to the surface earlier in the meeting saying "I'd like to get into a discussion on the status of the Chamber.'"' He went on to point out weaknessess in the Chamber saying '"'the chairman is saddled with his job because no one else wants it" and after looking over row upon row of empty chairs observing that "Gf this is the annual meeting we've got a long way to go." To sum up the remainder of the meeting, Robillard had his say and he said it bluntly. "J think we're missing the boat on so many things. The Chamber of Commerce is sup- posed to be dealing principally with the business, the commercial aspect.... I don't believe fifty per cent of the people in Penetanguishene shop in this town. Then in an obvious reference to the planned Old Home Week celebrations for Penetanguishene's centennial year (June 28- July 5) he said "'when I want to see Old Home Week I go down to the Barrie Plazas. It's sad." The former mayor then turned the discussion to the hopeful signs he saw in Penetanguishene's future. The town does not have to worry about industry he said. "We own a lot of industrial land (approximately 125 acres of town owned land off Robert Street East)' he said. Robillard added that the town has three healthy male oriented industries; Grey Boats Limited, Aquarobic Industry Limited and Chemical Valley Fabricating Limited. In the housing department Robillard said he saw the possibility of 100 condominium units being built in Penetanguishene. "That's another 400 people in this area. Do you know what that means?" he asked the businessmen. : In terms of recreational facilities the former mayor pointed to the town's water front park (see story elsewhere in the paper about the doubling of the size of the park's beach). "I think we have a little gold mine sitting there." But what to do with it all - that was the question hanging in the air. The answer according to Robillard is holding and promoting a large number of special events which will make Penetanguishene a fun place to come to and thereby draw large numbers of people. _Referring to Old Home Week again Robillard said "you've got a good kickoff with the centennial celebrations. I wouldn't like to see a lapse in summer (following Old Home Week). We've got to end the exodus down Highway 400." Robillard suggested the town could host events such as a parachute jumping contest, summer theatre, swimming races across Penetanguishene Bay, beer gardens, auc- tions, events for horse lovers and a host of other activities. In particular he claimed that greater use should be made of the Com- munity Centre. He suggested that every week the Community Centre could host a Flea Market on Thursday, followed by a rock band on Friday and the Penetanguishene Secondary School dance band on Saturday. Events like these, he claimed, would bring the people into town. The job of the Chamber of Commerce according to Robillard would be to set up the format and the scheduling. The Chamber should promote these ac- tivities by doing the advertising Robillard said. '"'We should be advertising this is the place to come to."' For. events like a swim- ming competition across Penetanguishene Bay or a parachute jumping contest he suggested that the Chamber could put up $100 prizes. Organizations like the Lions Club and others might be interested in organizing the swimming competition or one of the other events Robillard said. Chamber president Peter Shirriff seemed to back Robillard's ideas when he said "the Chamber will be primarily interested in activities of the promotional nature." But Shirriff was cautious in his support of Robillard's plans. Referring to the poor turnout at the annual meeting Shirriff said "I confess I'm not happy. We're not good at public relations. We've done a few things but maybe we don't blow the Chamber's horn. Realistically he said "'it will be tough to put a budget in front of the town council which... will probably be a skeptical council." (Note: Town council's representatives on the Chamber of Commerce Reeve Art Stewart and councillor Hubert Charlebois did not attend the meeting.) All the members at the meeting praised Peter Shirriff for the job he has done as the Chamber's president, in particular his work on setting into motion a plan to improve the store fronts on Main Street. Shirriff was re- elected president again this year but before accepting he stressed "I'll be president for another year but I need the hard driving support of the members. The Chamber gets together Members of the 1975 Chamber of Commerce include (left to right):Romeo Asselin, Paul Rollinson, Peter Shirriff, Hans Rick, Ron few, Glendon College may be pulling out Students wishing to enroll in university courses offered in this area by Glendon College must do so as soon as possible or the Overheard from two Pene- tanguishene students Secondary School students walking down Main Street. "'I didn't know what to do on Monday Ralph." "'What's that." "J tell you I didn't know what to do. Usually I skip school on Monday to recover from the weekend but this "winter break week" really through my schedule off. I mean it just doesn't seem the same taking a Monday off when they let you." Ralph: "Yah, I know what you mean. Teachers always have a way of bum- ming you up, even during the holidays." Land dispute delays sale offer of the courses may be withdrawn. A college spokesman said Monday that not enough people have filed applications to make any of the course offerings economically viable, and at a time of -- financial belt tightening at universities it is imperative that the college receive firm indications from interested individuals if the program is to go ahead. A faculty of Toronto's York University, Glendon had set last Monday, March 17, as the date for submission of applications. With sufficient interest in the Penetanguishene- Midland area, it is prepared to offer credit courses in fields ranging from political science to psychology, basic French and social science. Since September, one credit course in French-Canadian literature has been taught Monday evenings at St. Joseph's School in Penetanguishene, the site for whatever courses are offered this summer. People seeking information and. ap- plication forms, should contact St. Joseph's School, or pick up application forms at either The Penetanguishene Citizen, or The Midland Times offices Post Office may be moving by Bob Herton " The town of Penetanguishene will be provided with a new Post Office in the near future. The postal authorities have yet to disclose their plans, but it is known that they are about to purchase a lot now occupied by a non-operative car wash on Main Street, almost opposite the beer store. Mrs. Duncan McLeod, who owns the property, said that she expects the sale of the land to the Federal Government to be completed sometime this week. The sale of the land has been held up for several months because ownership to a seven foot strip running between properties was under dispute. Eric Dieninger, who lives on the adjacent lot just north of the site, took out a declaration on the land a few months ago when he discovered that he had paid taxes on the extra seven feet for a period of ten years. However, late last week he signed away all rights to the extra land paving the way for the sale by Mrs. McLeod to the government. Tay hires planning help t Tay Township Council has decided to hire a firm of consulting engineers and community planners to conduct a study of the zoning situation in the township. At their regular council meeting on Wednesday March 12 the Council met with a representative from Marshall, Macklin, and Monaghan Ltd. He will be reporting back to them before the end of the month with a proposal regarding the intended steps for the preparation of the necessary amendments and zoning. He will also bring estimates regarding the time and the cost that will be _ involved. It is hoped that the consultants will be able to begin their actual work in the first week of April. Mr. Gravelle, postmaster at the old Post Office, said a new post office is badly needed because of cramped conditions in the old one. He said that they need more working space and more postal boxes, since they have a waiting list of over one hundred. The new post office is expected to provide an extra five hundred boxes. Gravelle said he expects the old post office to be taken over by the 'Town. However, Mayor Vince Moreau quickly killed that possibility on Monday saying that the town would definitely not take control of the old post office. 'It would be too costly", he said, referring to land taxes and the cost of heating the old three storey structure. A special feature Our local history This week marks the start of the first of a feature series of 13 articles on the history of Penetanguishene. Turn to pages 16 and 17 of the Citizen for pictures of the 1921 Ter- centenary re-enactment of the landing of Samuel de Champlain in Penetanguishene and an account of this area's early history. In upcoming issues, we'll take you through the pages of Penetanguishene's colourful past from our pioneer forefathers, to the incorporation of Penetanguishene as a municipality in 1875, and up to the events and happenings of our recent past. A And we'll bring you more than just names and dates. We'll take a look at some of the men who helped to build this town and those who won national and international recognition. It's all part of the Citizen's salute to Penetanguishene on the 100th an- Niversary of its incorporation as a municipality. Swick, Shirley Bellehumeur, Len Maheu, Gil Robillard and George Bryant. All the members with the exception of president Peter Shirriff and secretary Shirley Bellehumeur are directors. Staff photo The Canadian Postal system has replaced William McMurty as public enemy number one in the eyes of Tom Shields. Anyone who listens to Penetanguishene-Midland radio station CKMP knows Tom Shields, and to know Shields is to be aware of his reputation for speaking his mind. William McMurty's cleanup hockey campaign aimed at stopping fighting in Canada's favourite sport used to be Shields favourite target. Whenever Shields saw McMurty's name ona sports report to be aired over radio, he saw red. He told his audience that to eliminate fighting from hockey would be to kill the game as a spectator sport. If McMurty and his cohorts had their way, Shields suggested hockey players would soon be wearing pink panties. Now Canada's infamous postal system is upsetting Shields. Selective strikes by the Public Service Alliance of Canada have disrupted mail service across Canada. Recently represen- tatives for the Canadian demands by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said they'd be asking for a 71 per cent pay increase for postal workers this year. R The combination of a suggested pay increase for postal workers and the unreliable mail service had Tom Shields attacking the Canadian postal system during his radio show at the tail end of last week. But there's another reason for Shields' disgust with the Canadian postal system and it's a personal one. In less then a month he will be going into business with the April 14th opening of 'Tom Shields Travel and Entertainment' in Penetanguishene, and with the way the postal system is operating he may be opening with a half empty store. "I might be opening with next to nothing with the mail strike. I'm trying to set up a business. I'm talking to travel people and record companies but no mail is moving" exclaims an Tommy Shields -laughing despite the mail Boo - the Post Office exasperated Tommy Shields. Shields isn't blaming the post offices in Penetanguishene and Midland. "'It's not the local guy. It's all in the big cities like Toronto and Montreal. When the guys up here are told to go on strike they can't fight the union"' he explains. Because he cannot rely on the mail Shields has to travel by car down to Toronto to negotiate with the record companies and travel agencies. It's time consuming, but given the realities of the Canadian postal system he feels it's the only way he can go about setting up his business. "There's no sense in me mailing things if I don't know when they'll arrive' he says. Doing business by long distance telephone calls is too ex- pensive. "It would be cheaper for me to go to Toronto with a pocketful of nickles and dimes, park at the corner of Eglington and Yonge, and phone everyone from a telephone booth." Anyone wanting to open up a business largely dependent on the mail system who says "'I just won't mail anything...I have a hell've a lot of correspon- dence...(and)...I'm fed up with the postal system", just might travel to Toronto with a pocketful of nickles and dimes and hole himself up in a phone booth. Despite the fact that "the mail....is slowing me down to a crawl", Shields insists his store will open on April 14th. But that doesn't mean he's departing from CKMP. "I'm not leaving radio whether they want me to or not," says Shields, half shouting, half loughing. "Radio," he insists, 'is my first love." The new travel and entertainment business fits in with everything he has ever done according to Shields. "Everything's involved with en- tertainment". His past experience as host of a weekly television variety show in Peterborough, six months work with Columbia Records in Toronto, his rock and roll band the Stirlings, and his job at CKMP Radio are all involved with entertainment. "They all go together" Shields says.