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Inquest called into Hillsdale deaths An inquest wilT he eelled ito the deaths of five seniors at Hillsdale Manor home for the aged in Oshawa during the recent heat wave. Regional councillors were told last Wednesday that the regional coroner is conducting a separate investigation into the deaths. He will then decide if an inquest is needed. Councillors were briefed about the situation last Wednesday by Region social services commiss- ioner Gary Cubitt. Oshawa councillor Ed Kolodzie wanted to delay renovations to Fairview Lodge in Whitby and use the funds for work at Hillsdale. "The building is a problem highlighted by an act of God," said Kolodzie. He also called for air conditioning to be added to Hillsdale. But other councillors argued that air conditioning can also cause problems for seniors and noted that large industrial fans placed in hallways at the home should help the ventilation. " Five seniors died at the home during the recent heat wave and, according to. Cubitt, the building was not "dissipating heat quickly enough." He said temperatures in the building are now (Wednesday, July 13) in the mid to low 80's. "I am concerned about the tone here," said Whitby councillor Tom Edwards. "The heat was a con- tributing factor but at this moment (there is) not a bit of evidence that heat was the cause." Social services committee chairman Diane Hamre also noted that the five seniors, whose names are being withheld at the request of their families, were "weaker" than other residents and all five had other "health conditions." Tender policy changed after overexpenditure A $212,000 overexpenditure for the Durham Recycling Centre- has led regional officials to rewrite the policies for paying regional contracts and tenders. Regional councillors discovered last month that the centre had gone over budget without their approval. The new policy will not permit any overexpenditure without council's approval. EMI unemployed seek jobs in region For special capital projects, such as the recycling centre, the Region's works commissioner will be allowed to authorize overexpenditures of $10,000. for projects costing up to $200,000. For projects costing $200,000 and more, the commissioner will be allowed to authorize an overexpenditure of five per cent of the project's cost, not to exceed SEE PAGE 19 By Debbie Luchuk Manchester Plastics Ltd., an operating division of Larizza Industries of Cleveland, Ohio, has bought the Whitby, Peter- borough and Chatham plants formerly owned by Plastic Group Technologies, Inc. Another plant of the bankrupt PGT, located in Bowmanville, was not purchased, but "certain assets" were purchased from the bank dealing with the receiver- ship of PGT according to Jim McClatchy, general manager of Manchester Plastics plating division. The Peterborough CMP and Whitby's Plastic Surface Finish- ers operations produce plated plastic automotive parts for the automobile industry, primarily grills and heafdlight bezels. The reason for buying the Whitby and Peterborough plants is to expand Manchester's plastic automotive parts production to include plated plastics, to offer a more complete service to the automotive industry, McClatchy said. 'With proper management, we hope a profit can be made," McClatchy said. "Goal number one is to reduce some costs to make operations more efficient, and the second is to make them grow, to get bigger." 'We hope to be able to offer more opportunities for our people for advancement and job security (by becoming more efficient and by expanding)." "Once we become more efficient, the goal is to grow, along the way creating addition- al jobs and advancement," McClatchy said. This could be welcome news for the unemployed of the EMI plant in Bowmanville. Although McClatchy said that he* has not promised jobs to these unemployed ("our first concern is those we employ right now"), he did say "If we are hiring (in the future), we will look at qualified people." "Our corporate goal is to become high quality, low-cost producers of automotive parts," he said. General manager of the Whitby operation, Jim McClatchy, said that some of the assets of the Bowmanville EMI plastics plant were purchased by Manchester, but that the opera- tion did not offer the company a plated plastic capacity that the other plants do. The Whitby plant and others acquired by Manchester produce plated plastic automotive parts such as grills and headlight bezels. . "The reason (for buying these plants) was that Whitby and PSF were already dealing with the automobile industry, we did not have a plastic plating capacity and could become a more complete service, not only offering plastics but plated plastic parts to our customers," McClatchy said. "With proper management, we hope to make a profit. Goal number one is to reduce some costs to make operations more efficient. Goal number two is to make them grow and number three is to get bigger. This will offer more oppor- tunities for our people for advancement and job security," McClatchy said. Although the purchase of the three PSF plants has protected jobs at those operations, Durham Region is faced with yet another plant closure, under circum- stances similar to the Cadbury closure. A relocation committee has been set up by the CAW Local 222 (the employees' union) in Oshawa to assist the 200 workers of the EMI Bowmanville plant to find employment. The committee consists of union members and government (both levels) representatives. John O'Neill, a union executive member who assisted in the Cadbury workers' relocation, is also a part of the committee. Committee members are trying to get in touch with EMI employees with only a December seniority list, Jackie Gilkes, a committee member said. Communication with the workers has become increasingly difficult, she added, because "a lot of people have had their phones disconnected." Gilkes further added that the situation is becoming serious. 'Most of the workers are running out of UIC, their benefits were not paid (by the company) on Jan. 1, rior were their Blue Cross or OHIP plans. These bills are coming up," she said. Shirley Mapes, another committee member, said that the committee is working with the Unemployed Help Centre and the Canada Employment Centre to process resumes, send letters of recommendation to prospective SEE PAGE 2 'I-m. rg v TIM PRITCHARD, 15, of Whitby, gave day. The park is located at the Donevan it.his all at the opening of Donevan Recreation Centreon Harmony Rd.S. Skateboard Park in Oshawa on Mon- Free Press photo