ST. JOHN ON PARADE Richard Scott, Transport Officer of the Whitby 425 Combined Division; Cadet Carolyn Smith of 696 Division in Oshawa; and Division Officer Ken Bird of the Whitby 425 Combined Division, form part of the color party that took part in the St. John Ambulance church parade at St. Mark's United Church Sunday April 24. Several divisions from the Durham Region participated in the annual service, conduct- ed by Rev. John Smith. Free Press Photo Downtown revitalization Question *Bob Catton, a merchant in downtown Whitby for 17 years, is very disappointed at the turnout to a public meeting on downtown redevel- opment Thursday. . "Only 25 to 30 people attended, when we expected at least 125", he said. "Apparently they (the majority of the merchants) are not concerned about Whitby", he said. "Why are people so apathetic?" asks Mr. Catton. "The biggest thing is for us all to get together with a common goal, to make the downtown attractive enough that people want to.come to it". Mr. Catton, a member of the town's downtown revitali- zation coimittee intends to mail out a questionaire within the next two weeks to all people paying business tax in the area bounded by the CNR spur line, Dunlop Street, Henry and Euclid Streets, and Mary Street. This questionaire will simply ask the people if they are for or against downtown revitalization, says Mr. Catton. Robert Pollock, an indus- trial development officer from the Ontario Ministry of Industry and Tourism, told natre wl determine interest those attending Thursday's meeting how other down- town's had successfully re- couped business lost to shopping centres. Businessmen banding together to seek a way of mutally financing downtown beautification is the answer, said Mr. Pollock. He said the town of Whitby's program to provide more parking lots in the down- town area was a good move, but parking was not enough. He explained that the pro- vincial government has passed legislation to énable munici- palities to designate downtown business improvement areas, but if one third of the assessed business and pro- fessional people object to the scheme, the iniplementing bylaw cannot be passed. Council has already given the bylaw two readings and is seeking comments from the businessmen. One businessman said at the meeting that some of the merchants are afraid passing the bylaw would lead to a rampant tax situation that nobody could control. Mr. Pollock said that if two thirds of the business community did not like the way the redevelopment was being handled, they could ask the Ontario Municipal Board to call a hearing. He further stated that as a designated area the downtown could be promoted as a unit as merchants in a shopping centre do, and can become competitive. The trend will return from shopping maIls back to down- towns it the downtowns are ready for it, he said. "I honestly think we can do something, but this is going to tak;e a lot of work", says Mr. Catton. But he is beginning to lose hope that the downtown businessmen will give the downtown revital- ization the support it needs. Downtown loses a prospective development Last August, Mayor Jim if the school was demolishcd Gartshore had high hopes for a new one couid not be built a $3 to $4 million complex to replace it, for 10 ycars. proposed by a developer for Also, the seperate school the north side of Dundas board would have had the Street between Byron and sum of the sit&s sale dcduct- Centre Streets. cd from this year's provincial However, because of a grant, said the mayor. technical problem involving Quccn's Park was asked to provincial regulations the resolve the issue, but the developer has decided to developer dccidcd fot to abandon the project and pursue the matter. invest his money in a more Mayor Gartshore regrets profitable area. the loss of the proposed The development proposai development, which would required the developer to have stimuiated the develop- obtain the old St. Bernard's ment of the downtown with school, closed since 1975, but a four-storcÇ office and provincil reçulationsbsaid that apartment complex. hadth Grant reduces regional tax inerease to only 5% A $1.46 million grant to stabilize the Regional Munici- pality of Dur m's levy over the next thré e years was announced Tuesday by Provincial Treasurer Darcy McKeoùgh. The grant is the culmina- tion of meetings between Durham-York MPP William Newman, Regional Chairman Walter Beath,Regional Finance Committee Chairman John Aker, and George McCague, parliamentary assistant to the minister. Mr. McKeough stated that he would be recommending the grant to the Ontario Cabinet so that the region could not only hold down its requirements from property taxpayers but could assimilate shifts in taxes arising from the establishment of the regional roads system. He stated that the region, with the aid of the special assistance, would be able to reduce the increase in its net impact on taxpayers to five per cent. Without the assistance, it was estimated that regional taxes might have risen 10 per cent this year. Mr. McKeough also stated the regional council was to be congratulated for its efforts to -restrain its total spending requirements. I 83-year-old man dies after rescued from fire Whitby fire fighters wheel Jim Black, the victim of a fire morning, and died Monday night. Fire Chief Ed Crou in his apartment at the Georgian Courts, on a stretcher to a standing at right in the white hat, with a walkie-talk waiting ambulance. Mr. Black was overcome by smoke his hand. when fire broke out in his apartment early Saturday Free Press Photo by Mike Burgess r n e nl Committee not approached Members of the County Jack Woodward, the distract trom our show, we "We h own Carnival Committec are carnival's executive director, would be h wiaing to hear what them. TI not happy about a recent said lasthweek that no one they have to a y" us an o ditorial in an area news- from the South Ontario McIvor said the Oshawa Fair The arnivawhich oplies ta to pAgrculturalthe t arnival cm could possibly combine with recentlyi arnvalisnotwilirg tbaprb the County Town Carnival, by the egotiate with the South mittee about combining t e but he did not want to see it Agricultu Ontario Agrieultural Society two events. tcome only a few weeks before their fiùr or the relocation of the "Why don't thcy corne to ?"Wh oliert tF .i.'fthe carnival. July bec uch is kie in byfai ave not said no to hey have never given pportunity to hear esaid. Town of Whitby turned down a bid South Ontario ial Society to hold in Brooklin in mid- ause tlie Brooklin An 83-year-old resident of the Georgian Courts Apart- ments died Monday night as a result of smoke inhalation which he suffered in a fire in his apartment early Saturday morning. Dead is Jim Black, who resided in unit 53, 840 Dundas St. E. He suffered a broken wrist as well as smoke inhalation and died at the Dr. J. O. Ruddy Hospital. A woman in the apartment adjoining Mr. Black's was awakened by banging on the wall, and turned in the alarm at 4:25 a.m. When fire fighters arrived, Mr. Black was found lying unconscious on the bathroom floor of his apartment, unit 53, and was rescued by Acting Captain Charlie Burns. Fire Chief Ed Crouch said the fire, believed to have been started by careless smoking, caused $20,000 damage to Mr. Black's and adjoining apartments. The fire started in a chesterfield. Mr. Black is the first person to die as, a result of fire in Whitby in 1977. r board arena was oooked for lacrosse The directors ot the fair have niot been permitted to operatein Oshawa'sAlexandra park for the last few years, and say they will lose their charter if they do not hold a fair this year. They are pre- sently looking for an acceptable site. usr-n Se. ii w n-i Oshawa Fair.