WITBY NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF 1978 Fair site hearing is on January 25 CAMP X MUSEUM ANNOUNCED PETER PERRY WINNER WINTARIO DRAW GERTRUDE DREW AT IROQUOIS PARK An Ontario Municipal Board hearing will be held at the Whitby Municipal Building Jan. 25 to attemnpt to resolve objections by five falailies to the proposed lo- cation for the Oshawa Fair. The Oshawa Fair, which is operated by the South Ontario Agricultural Society, was evicted fromn Alexandra Park in Oshawa in 1974 because of coin- plaints to the city council by neighboring residents about noise. Since then it has been trying to find a permanent home. One fair was held at Brooklin in 1977 in order that> the society could retain its charter. In Septeiber 1976, the society presented Whitby's town council with a plan for a new agricultural show- piece to. be call Durhamn Region Place. The mposedl.site for- Durhaîn Region Place is 67 acres of land. west of Garrard Road and south of Winchester'Street, sout'heast of Brooklin. The South Ontario Agricultural Society would like to construct a permna- nent inulti-use exhibition comnplex which could ac- comnmnodate all types of in- door sports, including ska- ting, curling, hockey, tennis, and basketball. Also planned are bleachers and a playing field for rodeos, track and field events, football, soccer and other tearn sports. The coinplex would also include an amnusemient park and pic- nic area. The livestock buildings are proposed for year-round use for the promotion and sale of agricultural equipinent. Five failies living adja- cent to the 67-acre site have hired a lawyer to challenge a rezoning bid for the fair, at the OMB hearing. Whitby Planning Director Kevin Tunney tried in 1978 to resolve the differences be- tween the fair board and the residents, but was unsuc- cessful. An OMB hearing was recomnmended by his staff as the only way to resolve the dispute. The neighbors have seven grounds for objection. They say they were not- consulted prior to the presentation of the site plan to council, and are concerned that the pro- posed use of the land would cause econornic and environ- mental injury to surrounding properties. The residents feel the fair is not compatible with ad- jacent residential property and there is insufficient plan- ning. They also say the town council has failed to consider any alternative sites. They alsò fo f aeél th fair would be comnpeting with others currently held in the general area and would not be for the well being of the coniinunitv or the region. The residents are also objecting to the use of the fair site for one week of the year, although the fair board' has stated it wants to have a year-round operation. Other objections include the concern thatthe present roads in the area are not adequate to handle the traf- fic to a regional agricultural fair, and there would be increased costs to - present residents to upgrade these roads. The proposed fair site con- forins to both the Town of Whitby and Region of Durhan official plans, as open space, but the residents say the site was zoned agri- cultural 26 years ago. Snowmobiler killed An 18-year-old Whitby youth was killed Dec. 26 at Apsley, near Peterborough, when the snowinobile he was driving hit a tree. Provincial Police reported that Mark Dittrick, of 1514 Brock Street, South, lost con- trol of his snowinobile as it rounded a curve on a country road. It was reported to have plowed into a snowbank and hit several trees before coin- ing to a stop. The funeral was held Friday at St. John's Anglican Church, Port Whitby. Gartshore instals DAYTONTIRE STRIKE Chambei Mayor Jiin Gartshore will be coininenting on what is ahead for Whitby in 1979 at the first meeting of the Whitby Chamnber of Coýmîînerce for the new year. The meeting will be held at son Ja 8 at the Chalet Restaurant. Mayor Gartshore- and officers mnewibers of the Town Council will be guests of the Chatnber at this ineeting, and the inayor will admiinis- ter the oath of office to the 1979 executive. Anyone wishing to attend laust confirnc their atten- dance 'by -calllng the Chawnber office at 668-4506 .by Jan. 5 at the latest. * A UMM" F R.E El E S l', À