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Harbor projeet is more than a marma READY FOR SKATING For the first time, there will be an outdoor natural ice rink at the Whitby Municipal Building, this winter. Whitby Fire Fighters, seen above flooded the rink last week, and with the unusually co d weather we have had lately there should be good ice for some time. The Town of Whitby welcomes its citizens to come out at any time and use the ice rink, which is located between Rossland Road and the Municipal Building. Those using the rink are asked to park at the rear of the building. Free Press Photo $20,000 loan wanted for downtown improvement The Board of Management for the Whitby Central Busi- ness District Improvement Area Committee has voted to apply to the Ministry of Housing for funding under the Mainstreet Revitaliza- tion Program. The Board will approach Council for approval of a $20,000 loan over a two-year period to be used for capital expenditures in the downtown area. The Board met at the Municipal Building Thursday evening to listen to a presentation by architect David Mills and Board Vice- Chairman AI Kirby, which called for a number of cap- ital projects to be institued in the downtown aea. It was felt that the business people had to begin work on their own and have a plan before ex- pecting outside sources such as the town Council to contri- bute on their behalf. Now that the concept of a rede- velopment plan has been approved, the Board feels that the town will have a base from which to consider downtown redevelopment in concert with the wishes of the Board and the downtown business people in general. The. monies accrued through this plan can be used for capital expenditures such as street furniture, trees, and the like. But it was emphasized that the plan must go far beyond this. In effect, the Board recom- mends that the town begin the acquisition of lands spec- ified in the 1975 Secondary Study as prime parking area, and in this way begin to improve parking facilities downtown. As well, it was thought that crosswalks, public washrooms, splash guards and the like would be vital ingredients to any downtown plan. The plan, therefore, takes on the concept of a service plan as well as a beautification plan. The Board felt that is should work closely with the merchants group and the Chamber of Commerce to plan and institute general improvements in the down- town area. While architec- tural conservation and plan- ning was not discussed at great length, there is a feeling that future develop- ment and renovation should follow a specified plan. The Board will pay back this loan from the $10,000 assessment for which it is eligible over the next two years. Half of the assess- ment is to be used to repay the loan, and it will be requested that the town con- tribute another $5,000 on a yearly basis to repay the other half. The remaining $5,000 can be used for promo- tion. In this way the Board does not overstep the man- date which it was given to use only the original monies stipulated by last year's by-law. The Board also voted to Underpass request that Council move to acquire the land at the cor- ner of Dundas and Byron streets, and consider this land for use as a parkette. In addition, the Board will ask Council to adopt a revised version of the Secondary plan, which will hopefully be complete next year. agreement signmg expected soon Durham Region and Transport Canada are ex- pected to sign an agreement soon in which the federal agency will contribute $483,000 toward the construc- tion on an underpass at the CPR tracks on Regional Road 23. The region's works com- mittee has authorized, sub- ject to council's approval, the regional chairman to sign the formal agreement covering the nearly $1 mil- lion project, now under con- struction and expected to be finished next summer. Regional Road 23 is the Whitby-Ajax town line, and once the underpass is com- pleted, there will be a clear route from Whity to Beaver- ton on Lake Simcoe. Councillor Gerry Emm of Whitby has been pushing for approval of an interchange at the town bine and Highway 401, so that traffic from Toronto can use Regional Road 23 as a direct route to the cottage country to the north. Presently there is a bridge over Highway 401, but no interchange. For the construction of the railway underpass, the Canadian Pacific Railway will pay $62,500, and the region $420,250, with the normal 50 per cent provin- cial subsidy to be applied, leaving a net total for the region of about $220,000. Last September, regional council awarded the contract for the job to Repac Con- struction Ltd. of Toronto, after informal agreements were reached with the CPR and the federal government. This summer,-the Town of Whitby will be going into the marina business, but to the man behind the project, Development Director Forbes 'Doc' McEwen, there is much more~involved than a marina. "The whole scheme is not just for the boaters," said Mr. McEwen in an interview last week. "It will be a nucleus and attraction for the whole harbour area." There are several benefits of Whitby's harbour, and marina project which will be apparenLto all residents of the town within the next few years, says Mr. McEwen. One of the initial steps is the joining of Henry Street to Watson Street, south of the base line. The gravel road will be opened in the spring, and will be paved at a later date. Mr. McEwen points out that this new traffic route will benefit those people who live in Whitby and work at industries in the Port Whitby area. It wilI provide a direct route to and from work which will bypass the con- gested corner of Brock and Victoria Streets. With the opening of the new road, the commercial potential of the Henry- Victoria Street corner will be greatly improved, says Mr. McEwen. He expects that after a period of time, there will be some development on this site. Another. major benefit to the residents of Whitby will be a lakefront park which will extend from the north end of the harbour, along the west side adjacent to Gordon Street almost. to the Yacht Club. Last year, fill from the dredging of Whitby Harbour was pumped into this area and created ponds 10 feet above lake level. Within the next two years, Mr. McEwen expects, the ponds will be drained and the landscaping done which will provide a large public lakefront park. Co nt'd on P. 4 Suspect arrested m taxi bandit case Inspector Dean Westbrook of the Durham Regional Police, said last week he believes the series of taxi robberies occuring in Whitby lately has come to an end. On January 18 at 12:50 a.m. another taxi driver had received a call to pick up a .fare on Burns Street. On going to the location for the taxi fare the driver was held up. A citizen noticed the activities and informed the police. The observant citizen not- iced the direction in which the armed robber fled, and following the clues given to them the police were able to arrest a suspect, Inspector Westbrook said. Arrested is an 18 year-old Whitby youth, Gregory . David Tushingham of 905 Greewood .Crescent, (near Burns and Annes Streets where the robberies ocurred). He is charged with three counts of armed rob- bery, police said. Inspector Westbrook said it would be unfair to the alert citizen to reveal that person's name. But the police are grateful to and commend the people of the Town of Whitby and other municipalities for their efforts in assisting them to keep law and order in the district. Police said the citizen who assisted them was walking his dog at the time of the robbery. On Jan. 3 and Jan. 4 two taxi drivers were called to the corner of Burns and Annes Streets, and held up at knife-point by a bandit wearing a balaclava over his face. The arrest of a suspect occured after a man answe- ring to the same description held up Stewart Sanderson, a driver for City Wide Cab, of Oshawa, on Burns Street. Again a knife was used, and the bandit pulled the driver's hair, police said. One of the other drivers, Robert Couts of Bell Taxi, had his hair pulled when he was held.tup. More funds for harbor Norm Cafik, M.P. for Ontario Riding is pleased to announce that the Town of Whitby has received $7,000 in funding from the Canada Works Program to assist in the construction of an onshore anchor for-the dock- ing system at the Town's harbour. As a result of obtaining this grant, the Small Crafts Harbours Branch of the Department of the Environ- ment is now in a position to assist with materials for the floatation system of the dock. Approximately $12,000 in materials will be provided by the Small Crafts Harbours Branch. The project is expected to start in March when the weather is more favourable and should be completed by July 1. Four jobs will be created. or RIE E P R Ei À