The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

t WýB pNffl~ ~,~IQPq Items from Whitby Council agenda(s) Monday, February 11,1991. Récommend"- tions from the Planning and Development Committee That a site plan amendmnent application from 806885 Ontario Ltd. for a 70-unit, sixc-storey apartment building on the east side of Ash St., forth of Dundas St. E. be approved. The numbered company orlglnally lntended the units ta be condominiums but now wlshes the building ta be a non-proft houslng projeot.' mre That a site plan application from Lynn O'Brien ta permit a nine-hole golf course and clubhouse south of the junction of Hwy. 12 and Gardon St. be approved. The developer origlnally lntended to bulld an 18-hale course on the site but scaled down the project due 10 envlronmental concems. Carled That a draft plan of subdivision from Pins Glen Farms Ltd. for a mixed residential clevelopment at the northwest corner of Brock *IS.'N., and Dryden 13lvd. be approved. The development will consist 0f 43 single-famlly homes, 32 link houses, 68 street townhouses, 169 block townhouses and 353 units contained ln two apartment buildings. aie Recommenda. tions frorn the Operations Committee That Saturday, May 11, 1991, be designated as the officiai openlng of three new parks ln Whtby. A number of activities are planned by the parks and reomeation department at each of the three parks -- Kelloryn, Jack Wilson and Optimlst. Opening cere- manies and festivities wili take place between noan and 4 p.m. In the event of ramn the apenlngs wlll be heid the next day. aie That council endorse Operation Maple Leaf and that Whitby firehails be made avalllF0escleto for the Downtown Secondary Plan ln Whtby. Represen- tations can be made. agenda FR OM PAGE 1 Slightly more than $4 million in permits were issued in Janu- ary, compared ta $32.8 million in January, 1990 (soe soperate ?Meanwhile, Durham Regian councillors received the shocking news last week that welfare cases incresed almost 14 per cent between December and January. That figure was nearly~ two per cent higher than Metro Toronta's total for the saine periad.., ln January"there were 8,922 welfare cases, 13.8 per cent mare than December's and elmost 70 per cent more than January, 1990. Durham paid out neerly $5 million in welfare lest month, almost $1 million more thaný December. .Last January the figure was $2.7 million. According ta Liew Hutchinson, presi*dent of Whitby-baed Lasco Steel, forecasting an end ta the recsson s he $6quston.» Lesco wes foroed 'ta lay off more than 150 workers in is steel rolling milîs last week because of p cor market con- ditions and a built-un inventary The layoff was onl>y scheduled ta lest one week. Hutchinson is hopeful that with werner weathor and a resultant increase in construc- tion activity, business will pick up in the spring. «Other than that Ive seen fia indication for brightness,» said Hutchinson. «The stock market dosen't look good, aur custamers don't see much happening.» Hutchinson, howevor, does not see many. similarities botwoon. this recessian and the one of a decede ega. "In a way it doesn't seem as bad, compenies don't have asbi inventories ta get rid of as then.1 Des Newman, president of tbe Durham Region Manufecturers Association, is more positive. «It's my sense that we've botta- med out and are on the way up now,» said Newman, prosident of Cametaid Ltd. in Wihitb. But tbe former Whitbyý mayor tempered bis optimism by notig that «We will still see a lot af people in difficulty as the mamentwn, goes down.7 Newman explained that the few indicators of recovery he bas abserved will be "sbiolded» by a «tremendous movement down- werds in the overail economy. "There is stilli a drive down- wards but the begimimng of a drive upwards. When the drives neutràhize ta the point wbere its more up than down, everything will go UP.' Newman cites lower interest rates as a clear sign of recovery. «There's been a reduction of interest rates by two per cent in a montb, that s a phenomenal reduction in that short of time. "And the Canadien dollar bas not been hurt, we've still main- tained a pretty buoyant Cana- dien dollar.» Newman added, «I ho pe my vision is not wrong, but I think there's a sense of confidence asserting iteelf in the economy." Bob Stanley president of the Whitby"Chair of Commerce also sees a «glimmer (of hopeY4 on the horizon. "There are quite 'a few things in our favour, they've started ta have some effect,» seid Stenley. "nhe reel estate market ha bottamed out and rebounded, mortgage rates have lowered.» At 14- or 13. per cent, people thought twice before buying a home said Stanley «Al of a sudde people are looking, reel estate offices are really busy ... we could see tan per cent rates in the next month or so,» said Stanley. «This will give people long- termi stability ta turn the psycho- logical effect around.» Stanley said there are few pýarallels between the two reces- sions. «In the lest recession, interest rates were high, uneniployment was high and inflation was high. That combination made it imnpos- sible for buFiness ta be carried on by anybody. "But now, though business is down and people.psychologically are in a recession mode, the fundamentils are there for reco- veg.» Contrary ta accepted wisdom, Stanley said -today's economy provides greater opportunity for compenies wishing to expand.' According ta Stanley, two essential items necessary for expansion -- capital and a skilled labour foroe -- are in plentiful uWhen things are gaing good, banks are tied up. PU -ht now banks have money, the re fight- ing ta give it away,» se'd Stan- ley. "With layoffs end plant clos-' ings there is more skilled labour aveilable, when timos are good there is no skilled labour." if compenies, or individuals wanting ta start thoir own busi- ness, can afford ta borrow, Stan- loy recommonds going ahoad now. "Things are starting ta look good ' mayb ot for the prosent, bt the fture. If yau start ta put it ini place now it can only get botter. While he is «encouraged" by some peaple claiming the reces- sion has «bttomed-out,".Durham Region economic development commissioner Pat Olive does not share their views. «Personally, I don't see it or feel it. I feel it will take ta the end of the year,» said Olive. As he explained, Canada's economy traditionally lags behind that of the United States. Although the American economy went into a , recessian last fali after devéloping signe of it in late 1989, for political and oôther reasonsI t -*as -,only recently labelled a recession, said Olive. '«The longeet the States has been in a full recession 15 16 months the shortest- six months ;; said Olive. «Givejn that it takes three or four months for it ta, get here we won't be out of it until the falL» Although Olive said several businesses ceased operating in Durham last year, t he closinýgs were offset by new companies moving into the region. For every Cobi Foods, Smith and Neph ew, and Triplex (Whitby plants which closed), there was a corresponding McGraw-I-ill Ryerson and Atlan- tic Packaging (new businesses) t take their place, said Olive. ]Referring ta Johnson Contrais in Port Perr, Olive disagreed with union dams that the inove was prompted by the free-trade deal with thie United States. "You can't say it's solely because of free trade, that could bep art of it. But cheaper labour and land could be as welL.» While he did flot know for certain if the economy is shwing sns of recovery, iby M ayor Bob Attersley wVas sure of one thing. «It's been touph, but itfs not the end Of the iworld,», said Attersley. "The lack of consumer con- fidence is understandable but nothing stays the saine for ever.» Attersley admitted, that, deve- lopment in Whitby has slowed from last year's pace, but said companies are still expressing interest in locating here. "We still have lots of inquiries, it's a question of timing, well make moves.» Attersiey said Canadiens have lost confidce and blames the media for much of the problem. Gall todBYr fôo ur Heart ta Heart "ftness special"*, to regster.Get fit for your heart sake!I WHITBY Iocation only 666-44 1121 Duncfas'St. East Oiustst of Hopkins) * Eî4ropean WWen's HeI, C1t5 * - * ~.. i. f *~4 ~ ~ *4~a* ~ 4-~---.. ~ Buildig permits# experience drop from 1990 The value of building permhits issued in Whitby lest month dropped drematically. According ta, figures releesed by Wbitby's publie works depart- ment, the value -of permits for January totalled $4.2 million. In Jenuary, 1990, $32.8 mil- lion of permits were issued. Lest month, 24 pormits with e value of $3.4 million, were issued for residentiel construction. Eighteen single-family homes acconte fobth January per- A yeer ega, 142 residential permits withi a value of $22.4 million were issued for 130 sin- gle-family homes. On:y $508 500 of commercial permlits and Ï23,500 of industriel permits were processed lest month. Correspondig igures for 1990 were $5.4 million and $105,200 respectively. Lestherone permit was issuedi h institutional cate- gary for a value of $4.8 million. This .year, four permits were issued for a value of $186,188. Recessioi may last a while longer PEJUTER TRAICHEFF, owner of EMe- ing the war, we're piupportinmg the gance Hair Salonb pins a yellow troops," said Traicheff. Peacock ribbon on Ane Priest, in support of Sports and Elegance bave yeilow the Canadian troops in the Versian ribbons for customers also wishing Gulf. "We're not necessarily support- to show support. CflB. iphot