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Santa Claus will be coming to town this Saturday, when the Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo Jaycess hold their 27th annual Santa Claus Parade. According to parade chairman Carl Dawson, this year‘s parade promises to be the "biggest and best ever," featuring 21 floats (many not seen before in the Santa Claus Parade), 10 bands, 60 special attractions and antique vehicles and more than 150 costumed characters. He noted that this makes the Kâ€"W Santa Claus parade, which has a budget of $30,000, the third largest Christmas parade in Ontario. Dawson stressed, however, that parade organizers have not sacrificed the "local" flavor of the parade for size. ‘"Sometimes in the past we got too involved in bringing in the major companies . .. this year Iâ€"wanted to take a local approach to the parade, a downâ€"home approach. We just wanted to involve as many local people as possible," said Dawson. To this end, he has arranged to have mascots from all but one local high school participate in the parade, and on parade day two busloads of children will be brought in from Elmira (which does not have its own Christmas parade) to await Santa. The parade will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. at the corner of King Street and Bridgeport Road in Waterloo and conclude at approximateâ€" ly noon in downtown Kitchener. Following the parade there will be a free showing of the Care Bears Christmas at the Lyric Cinema for the children, sponsored by the Dowtown Kitchener Business Improvement Area. Santa‘s work will also continue after the parade, since he will then head to St. Mary‘s and Kâ€"W hospitals to visit with those children who weren‘t able to make it to the parade. lan Kirkby Chronicle Staff Unhappy with the pace at which Waterloo city council is considering a ward system for the city, a group of citizens have circulated a petition to force discussion of the issue at next Monday‘s council meeting. ‘"‘They‘ve talked about it," said Terrence Downey, a petition organizer and chairman of the political science department at University of Waterloo. ‘"They say they are considering it. There hasn‘t been much action. Unless they move very quickly, there will be no wards by the next (municipal) election." The pétition requests that council to make application to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) in regard to dividing the city into wards beginning in the November 1988 election. "As I understand it, the council as a whole, with a few exceptions, is not very committed to this and certainly is not committed to it sooner rather than later. ‘"My purpose is to get this on the agenda." Council recently attended a workshop examining the advantages and disadvantages of the ward system over Looking to force ward issue at Monday meeting Guess who is coming to town this weekend? Waterloo is a great place to live and work, but has the potentia),angltheimaginationwbethebetphceto live in Canada. This is the conclusion that leaps out at the reader of the exciting "Futures Committee Discussion Paper‘" presented to city council Nov. 2. More than 50 volunteers in five committees took a year to look at the city with a critical and caring eye. They saw many things. The "Image and Pubic Relations Task Force" noted that residents of Waterloo "are quick to point out how friendly, hardâ€"working, safe, wealthy and conservative Waterloo is. They also are not afraid to tell people that the city lacks culture, recreational facilities and nightlife. As well we are always reminded about how frugal Waterloo residents are. Visitors do not see us as distinct. They have a Kitchener and Waterloo. They just remember it as a ‘nice‘ place." Just about sums it up, doesn‘t it? The various task forces went on to suggest concrete ways of improving this city in a myriad of ways â€" Recreation Master Plan and the Arcop Study of _ services in the respective neighborhoodâ€"districts. Uptown Waterloo were endorsed. That means a more One common thread running through the majority of Citizens circulate petition the present atâ€"large system of electing councillors. Several councillors have gone onâ€"record as favoring a referendum on the question at the next election. _ w If the public voted in favor, council would refer the results to the OMB. A ward system would then be in place for the 1991 election if the OMB approved the application. An application would have to be made to the OMB before the end of this year for the board to review the possibility of a ward system for Waterloo for the 1988 election. "The division of municipalities into wards is not a decision of council," said Downey. "That is a decision of the OMB. I want to get that onto their agenda." _ _ The Ontario Municipal Act specifies that a municipality of at least 5,000 people can vote to have the OMB divide a city into wards if a minimum of 1""~ rateps s petition city council to do so. If council refuses to accept the demand of the petition, the act allows the petitioners to apply directly to the OMB. City council has 30 days to reach a decision. If council does not proceed with the application, Downey said, "I‘ll make application myself." vibrant uptown, better parking, the Uptown as the city focus, historical renovation, more green spaces, parks, trails, recreation facilities and a rejuvenated Waterloo Park. There were ideas that will doubtless make many city politicians groan, including the suggestion to regulate building heights in the core. Other opportunities for political courage include recommendations such as negotiating with Kitchener to share the costs of operating the Centre in the Square; instituting an arts funding agency to distribute (city) money to local cultural groups, improving the control over the appearance of the often tooâ€"dreadfulâ€"forâ€"words strip malls that seem to be a fetish in this city; considering the implementation of a partial ward system for municipal council; allowing boarding houses in any residential area of the city but establishing a minimum distance of 300 metres between each one; and providing mwt services (especially child care services) at city Another exciting idea called for the establishment of ighborhood district it defined by present district plan boundaries to provide onâ€"going and continuous advice to council and staff on planning proposals and the effectiveness of the delivery of public msmm:{'samcmpmmmmummuctym,mmm organizer Carl Dawson is making sure Santa makes it to the parade on time by advising Rudoliph on the quickest route to Kâ€"W from the North Pole. Melodee Martinuk photo WATERLOO CHAONICLE, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11, 1987 â€" PAGE 3 The petition drive, which started Saturday, was nearing the required 150 signatures by Monday evening. ‘"We‘re certainly going to get the signatures, there‘s no doubt about that," said Downey. "And without spending much time on it." reports was the importance of improved and increased communication â€" between neighborhood groups and between city hall and citizens. Another emphasis through several reports was the dire lack of cultural activities and facilities in Waterâ€" The "Task Force on Culture, Multiculture and Tourism" noted that "culture is expensive. However, people are willing to pay for a good cultural mix, and a spectrum of dynamic cultural activities is an indispenâ€" sible component of an acceptable lifestyle for a significant proportion of Waterloo taxpayers. Thereâ€" fore, cultural expenditures cannot be considered as either luxuries or frills, a fact fully recognized by the Federal and Provincial governments..." Downey said he will submit the petition to City Clerk Ron Keeling by Thursday to ensure it will be on the Nov. 16 council agenda. Asked to comment on the petition, Mayor Marjorie Carroll said, ‘"Whether you have something to the OMB is one thing. Having it approved is another." loo. Carroll said that councillors attending the recent workshop had been informed by representatives of the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs that it would not be possible to institute a ward system for the 1988 election. councillors representing wards. "The recommendations of this task force may require a modest rise in the mill rates of the city of Waterloo, but any corresponding political fallout is perhaps more nerceived than real Many taxnavers feel that the mved than real. Many taxpayers feel that the ts, socially, politically and economically, justify this change." Waterloo is chosen by many residents and businesses bge‘nnofihlikdyh.lt’lllifutylethatmd- enhancing, at least in terms of recreation, aesthetics and culture. Let‘s make sure city hall understands this vision of Waterloo daring to be the best we can be. "I‘m sorry, but we wouldn‘t have time for public dialogue," she said. The "Futures Committee" discussion paper presented to council Nov. 2 recommended the city adopt a form of ward system which would combine atâ€"large councillors and with lan Kirkby