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B of E lowers boom on " q home owners THIS IS A SZS-MILLION OFFtCE.AtrARTMENT proposal for the corner of Sheppard and Yonga as part of the first phase of North York’s Yonge St. redevelopment plan. " was unveiled in Mayor Jim Service’s office Monday and should yield $900,000 in taxes to the bonny! when completed by 1975. The proposal must now gain planning board and council approval. York board of education lowered the boom on 42 families Monday evening by announcing that it intends to tear down their modest homes to expand George Syme public school. When the word was given in the school board's offices, Keele and Eglinton, several women dashed from the room crying. During the summer holidays the board sent expropriation notices out to residents _ on French, Mariposa and Pritchard Avenues which stated their homes were required to build a new public school. When trustees discovered that the homeowners in the Jane-Woolner area didn't want to lose their homes, consideration was given to expropriate the _ Hume Transport property on St. Clair Ave. W. instead. Before the expropriation announcement, York ratepayer Bert Stollard proposed that trustees build a high-rise school at the present George Syme public school site to save the homes. Residents have been opposing chairman Ronald Christie and his school board's plans for two reasons. One is that most of the residents like their homes and don't want to move. The other is that some of the houses are of frame construction and very small in size. If York school board only pays owners what the houses are worth in the marketplace, many will have to assume mortgages if they purchase new homes. At least 10 of the p re p e rty owners are widows-three of them over 80 years old. Mrs. Marion Blanchette says many ’of them are having a difficult time making ends meet and may suffer terribly if compelled to turn their homes over to school board. It is practically impossible for a widow to get a mortgage if she wants to buy a home, she said. Alfred Moss of French Ave. said the victims haven't Mr. Moss said the battle isn't over yet as residents have no idea what they will Jre offered for their homes. ’ Mrs. Dorothy Naughan of 23 French called‘the Weston Times Tuesday to extend thanks to the controller for fighting school board on behalf of the residents. She said the whole community is grateful to Controller White. The board Monday promised to report to the George Syme ratepayers on the alternate sites that had been considered and why they had been rejected. Rev. Paul Morris of North Runnymede United Church made a similar remark a week ago. He stated that he firmly believed that elected trustees would do nothing to injure the health or welfare of the homeowners. If it is to the benefit of the community that the homes be expropriated, then the eXpropriations must be conducted on a home for home basis with allowances being made for legal, appraisal, moving and special _ consideration' costs. Rev. Morris added that in his opinion these people are part of the real community whereas those living in the highrise buildings are part of an artificial or non -community. Unless handled properly, the shock of being expropriated could shorten the lives of some of the elderly, the minister warned. Controller Philip White had asked the board in camera to expropriate the Hume Transport property rather than disturb over 40 homeowners. He contended also that the Hume site had the advantage of being more central in relation to the school attendance area than the Syme property. given up yet. To him it would be “inconceiv- able. .totally unbelievable" for Dr. Christie and the board to expropriate the houses without offering owners enough cash to purchase comparable homes in the same neighborhood. During Monday's debate, Trimbee declared that since council gives the centres board grants of $50,000 a year, it ought to have direct control. Trimbee also contended that the parks and recreation department is short of senior staff and Continued on Page 16 The move to bring staff and facilities of the centres board under the control of the parks and recreation department was initiated earlier this year by Alderman Jim Trimbee. The man who operates the centres board “is public accountant Fred Howard. The former York township deputy reeve was placed in charge of .three indoor arenas and threfcommunity halls after he lost in a bid for. an aldermanic position in the last elections. When appointed, Howard's pay was $7,200 a year and today he reportedly gets $10,500. A move to axe borough of York's community centres board was defeated by a single vote at council Monday. The. issue of whether the centres board should be brought under the control of the borough's parks department sparked a spirited debate in which chairman Leonard Geary repeatedly called Alderman Doug Saunders to order for speaking out of turn. Community centres board is saved fromscrap heap VOL. 7 - NO. 47 The official opening of Yorkwoods public school, Jane to below Finch, will be tonight (Nov. 21) at 8 p.m. Opening the Downsview school will be Ward 1 school trustee Val Scott. _ Another learning centre to be opened soon is the York Humber high school, Humber Blvd., Borough of York. This occasion will be Wednesday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m. with WT. Newnham, president, North York's Seneca college of applied arts and technology, offjciatinir, 2 schools opening . . W eston may soon $;61-million . a get Go-Transit capital W. T. Howard, manager along the Weston rail line of GO-Transit indicated to to Brampton, Georgetown budget Metro government last and Guelph could be a top - week that the province choice. GO-Transit is pay mnke a decision some currtn!ly ”completing a for N. Y. There are indications that a north-west route W. T. Howard, manager of GO-Transit indicated to Metro government last week that the province may make a decision some time after next February on the route of the next GO-Transit line. DOUG SAUNDERS . . . FRED HOWARD . . . community centres board or parks it works Just fine and recreation supervisor? THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 Your carrier boy will be making his collections on the second last week of the month for the full month. " you can have your monthly payment ready for him ‘on that date, he will begrateful. C _ . GO-Transit. has reserved its comment. on North York Mayor Jim Servic.e's circular plan for a subway system covering Etobicoke-North York and Scarboro. At the same time GO-Transit advised Metro that every effort should be made to coordinate Metro subway expansion and the provincial commuter rail system. along the Weston rail line to Brampton, Georgetown and Guelph could be a top choice. GO-Transit is currently completing a report for the province on an "evaluation of existing rail lines serving the Metro area and which could possibly be used for a rail commuter service. Controller Gordon Hurlburt contended the program should be slashed even further. Present plans point to a two-mill tax increase or $10 on a house assessed at $5,000 he said. The entire capital budget which received approval for the next five years is Stil-million with $750,000 being provided for the central Willowdale redevelopment project. SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS When council sliced $'/z-million from the total A l d erman Ken Lund contended that the reduction would mean less funds for acquisition of park lands. Parts of the hud’t were discussed behind toad door: before em preaerttodtttstotanqit., "era' A 1969 capital spending program of more than $ll-million was approved by North York council Monday. EL