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"Russell Seniors Home" 1980 or bust A Ministry of Housing project coordinator has given his solemn word that Russell Village senior citizen apartments will be a reality by November, 1980. Reminded that Russellites have already been given countless un- fulfilled promises about the pro- ject, coordinator Les Jones in- sisted that his pledge was not false. 'People will be able to move in next fall and in two years with the landscaping done, you'll think the apartments were always there,"' Mr. Jones said. The ministry official said he was unhappy about the series of delays 'in initiating construction of the 30-unit complex that local residents have been anxiously awaiting for a good two years. But he added that bureuacratic holdups are not unusual with a project of this magnitude. The apartments, to be located on Church Street, will cost close to $615,000 to build and the total cost including land will be more than $700,000. The construction contract was awarded to Edmond St. Amour of Embrun next? Embrun will not be eligible for its own senior citizen apartment complex for at least a year, a Ministry of Housing official has revealed. -Although Russell Township council would like to see senior apartments at Embrun to compli- ment the 30 units designated for Russell Village, the need must first be shown, said Craig McCulloch, housing analyst for Eastern On- tario. Only when the Russell apart- ments -- set for completion next November -- are occupied, will the ministry review the township's senior housing requirements, Mr. McCulloch said. If a long waiting list forms after the 30 units have been filled, the ministry could decide that more accommodation is needed, he ex- plained. Municipal councils are usually THE CHIEF THOMAS VAN DUSEN'S TALE OF DIEFENBAKER IN OPPOSITION Send $5 (which includes postage) to The Chief, Box 437, Russell, Ont. for your copy of this glossily-bound book. Call 445-5770 for more infor- mation. very good at monitoring the use of such units and advising the ministry of additional re- quirements, he noted. Mr. McCulloch said a survey conducted of Russell Township senior housing needs showed an almost equal number of respondents in the Russell Village and Embrun areas. Russell Village was picked as the location of the 30 units because residents there had for a long time been clamoring for ac- commodation. "Tt will be interesting to see if Embrun seniors will be able to relocate to the Russell apart- ments,'" Mr. McCulloch observ- ed. Ottawa and the company has been doing preliminary site work. But Mr. Jones said he would not try to fool residents into Believing actual excavation would begin this year. The contractor is on the site more to reassure dubious locals. ' "Everybody knows that in that climate you have to wait for spr- ing to begin foundation work." "At one point I thought the foundation would be in and the roof on this fall." Susan Bartsch, assistant to Prescott-Russell MLA Abert Belanger, said she has pressed the ministry for several months on Mr. Belanger's behalf to get the project underway. "Tt was one explanation after another and Russell residents like Bertha Smith were getting madder and madder,'"' Ms. Bartsch said. The assistant said she was final- ly told that men and equipment would be on the site before the end of the year. She said Mr. Jones did his best to speed up the process. However, it came to a standstill for several weeks while the ministry waited for a new federal-provincial fun- ding arrangement to be worked out. The old funding scheme was finally followed which will result in the federal government paying 50 per cent of the cost, the pro- vince 42.5 per cent, and Russell Township, 7.5 per cent. Russell Township Reeve Gaston Patenaude may be a shoo-in as the first Prescott-Russell warden of the 1980s. With an election to be held later this month, Reeve Patenaude has no opposition to his bid to lead United Counties council. A warden -- kind of a chairman of the board -- is selected every year from among the 23 council members who meet regularly at l'Orignal, the county seat. Members, who _ represent various municipalities in Prescott- Russell, have several respon- sibilities including upkeep and development of regional roads, dispensing welfare, and looking after the county senior citizens CASTOR REVIEW CHRISTMAS GIFT CERTIFICATE subscription of the Castor Review. Just write the name and address of a friend you especially want to please on the Christmas Gift Certjficate and mail promptly along with your cheque or money order ($3.50 in Canada, $4.50 out-of-country). Before Christmas a gift card inscribed with your name will arrive. Say Merry Christmas to a friend with a Castor Review gift subscription. Send to the Castor Review, Box 359, Russell, Ont. Gaston Patenaude possibly next Warden | home at Hawkesbury. The post of warden is mainly honorary and Reeve Patenaude feels he has earned it with 14 years of experience as a county coun- cillor. The last time a Russell Township delegate held the post was in 1965 when former reeve Er- nie Burton got the nod. Mr. Patenaude makes no rash promises that he may be unable to keep. He says only that, if he's picked, he'll do his best to run an orderly, effective council. "A lot of guys come in 'and they're going to change the world. Then the end of their terms roll around and' they haven't done anything."' The reeve pointed out that one year is too short to make any radical changes to a century-old structure. The current warden is André Landriault of |'Orignal. Page 3 House on the Move House moving will likely never again have quite the same meaning to Gord and Anne Fleming, of Russell. The couple literally moved -- ac- tually had trucked -- this house from its original site at the former CFB South Gloucester to their property on Castor Street, a total trip of 25 kilometres and several days duration. The complicated logistics of the operation included having to take down and re-install numerous stret- ches of hydro and telephone cable across the house's path. The Flem- ing's hope to complete improvements -- including a garage -- to the house over the winter. The trucking firm was J and J House Moving, Carleton Place. (Paul Rodier photo). -Russell's Fault If 417 Link Lost -- Bouwers The proposed Boundary Road link to Highway 417 may have to be scrapped unless full provincial funding can be acquired for the $2 million project, says a distressed Osgoode Township reeve. For the second time since Osgoode-first proposed the link, Reeve Albert Bouwers accused Russell Township of a lack of commitment to a better road bet- ween the two municipalities. Referring to a letter from pro- vincial Transport Minister James Snow, Reeve Bouwers said Russell is more interested in another road reconstruction and is thereby jeopardizing the Marionville- to-417 connector. In the letter Mr. Snow notes that, by seeking development fun- ding for the St. Joseph Road, Russell council has indicated it places a higher priority on that project. The road in question is the 8th concession in Russell's east end. The minister suggests the Boun- dary project might be undertaken under each township's normal subsidy arrangement but Reeve Bouwers insisted that approach would place too heavy a burden on local taxpayers. Under development road fun- ding, the province usually pays 100 per cent of the cost. Under standard subsidies, the municipalities would have to pay .50 per cent. Osgoode has already broken its subsidy ceiling for routine road projects, Mr. Bouwers noted. In respondifig to his neighbor's . second complaint, Russell Reeve Gaston Patenaude repeated that his council is still very much in- terested in rebuilding the Boun- dary. However, he maintained that the project is impractical as proposed by Osgoode. The Boundary should be done in two sections beginning with the northern half from Cochrane's Corners to 417, Reeve Patenaude said. The whole package is too much for the province to swallow in one gulp, he said. Full provincial funding could be sought for the north section--very rough--and Russell and Osgoode could split the cost of the south section--much smoother--under standard subsidization, he said. Despite Reeve Bouwers conten- tion, Russell has not been string- ing Osgoode along Reeve Patenaude claimed. "We went after St. Joseph Road because we were led to believe the Boundary would not get approval for development fun- ding."' : Verbal assurance has been received that up to $300,000 will be allotted by the province to reconstruct' and pave 4.5 miles of St. Joseph, he added. MERRY CHRISTMAS 5 THE NEW YEAR New Years Sue Please send one year of the Castor Review as my gift : Pant NaMe@ 8 eee he rapa ee ece ss Y AddreSS 5. 2 os See re eine es ee e e Cy. 20 ea PIV ot a oe Dr. F. Kinnaird C. C. Postal 'Code@:: 2... ieee ees ee ee shee : ; Music by Philip McVey F ; p.m. tola.m. Tickets limited to 100 couples My gift card to be signed............ ST ae Nolecsaeee 508 bale Sinadsnulas Meas ho cae Name of Senders12 36s a ee For tickets, contact Max Mayling, Sponsored by Russell R.A. Address of Sender... ..... ¢../:s.-t<0s lenciose$........ 445-5458 or Jack Tyo, 445-5557. Door Prizes -- Hot and Cold Buffet