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Ae ey ee 2 Looks Things look rather bleak at Awenda Provincial Park on Methodist Point. Because of government cutbacks in spending, work on empty the park and its facilities has ground to a halt. Several buildings were erected during the winter but have yet to be completed. Penetanguishene youth killed Friday One person was killed and three injured Friday night when the van in which they were riding went out of control and over an embankment on Heritage Drive opposite Brandon Road Dead is Mark Patenaude, 18, of 88 Poyntz Street in Penetanguishene. Patenaude, a senger in the vehicle, was thrown from Midland arena Cost exceeds $200,000 The total costs for the demolition and construction work done on the Midland Gardens Arena roof will exceed the expected maximum figure of $200,000. Chairman of the arena committee Jim Malcolm said tenders for the demolition of the roof were opened at the committee meeting on Monday night. The committee passed the motion to award the tender for demolition to Green Spoon Brothers Limited of Toronto. The Green Spoon contract is for $35,275 and this includes the mechanical and electrical work which had been pretendered. Consultants told the committee that the estimate for the construction of the new roof would be $196,300, bringing the total figure, including consultant fees, up to $254,732. The committee passed the motion to have council apply for a $275,000 debenture from the Ontario Municipal Board. yt n Monday tearing up and replacing two main underground wires in the town dock ie and Steve Ogden worked in the pouring the van as it rolled over 'the embankment. Michael Duquette 17, of John Street in Penetanguishene, and Debbie Lacroix, 14, also of Penetanguishene, were injured but have been released from hospital Richard Beausoleil, 20, of 84 Poyntz Street, has been charged with criminal negligence in operating a vehicle and failure to wear a "Everything hinges on getting the ap- proval from the OMB. Hopefully we will get it before the end of June because the tender price runs oul in 30 days and at that time Green Spoon can increase its fees by 10 per cent."" Green Spoon will begin demolition within seven days after the approval is given by the OMB. The job should take about six to eight weeks from the lime demolition begins. Malcolm said the committee also passed a motion (o give consultants the go ahead to pretender for the design of the new roof and (o make-up drawings for il. "This is just to gel a jump ahead of the OMB approval," said Malcolm. He said he thought the building of the new roof would not be started until September and the completion of the roof not until the middle or-end of October Replace underground wir parking lot. Recent street lighting failures caused by short-circuits prompted the town to have the work done. Public works Government funds cut ' Work stopped at Awenda by Marilyn Lee __ Work has come to a standstill at Awenda Provincial Park on Methodist Point and there is no telling when it may begin again. The park superintendent, Tom Stott was informed last week by the province that the park would have to close down because of the provincial cutback in spending. Stott said the notice came as no real sur- prise to him as there had been rumours to that effect around the area for the past several weeks. Stott was asked by the government several weeks ago to outline three possible levels of funding for the park. He said he gave the government the levels and was made to wait their response. The. government answered Stott by granting him only the minimum level of spending. "That amount would allow us to finish the buildings on the outside and that's it. It means closing the park until we get more money." The work stoppage will mean 20 con- struction workers will be laid off. "Some of these men have been working here for two years."" ¥ Sixteen men were laid off last week and the others will go as soon as work is completed on the outside of buildings. ; Spokesman for the Ministry of Resources, Dennis Schafer said he does not feel Awenda is being singled out. He said this sort of thing is happening all over the province as a result of the cutback Parks which have been in operation for some years have been forced to cut down on their operational expenditures said Stott. It was hoped the park would be ready for official opening next year. "This. is now an impossibility,' said Schafer. Considerable building has gone on within the park already. Last fall and winter new roads were built and plans for the buildings were drawn up. During the winter several buildings were erected, none of which are completed. The washrooms and comfort stations are almost complete except for electricity and water. The administration building must be finished off on the outside so it will brave the elements without damage. Aside from this, no other building will be carried on. The buildings will stand as they are until more money is allocated to the park. "We will honor all our commitments as far as contracts go. We have tendered for electricity and heating and that is where much of the money we did receive will go," said Stott. By honoring previous commitments, Stott has been unable to use the money granted for extensive completion of the buildings. é Awenda Provincial Park on Methodist point was conceived about 15 years ago but for various reasons work was not begun on it until about three years ago. A routine archaeological dig changed the plans for the park dramatically. The con- struction was held up for three or four years because the dig proved the park area to be rich in archaeological finds. The first plan for the park was an extensive recreational one but that changed after the dig said Stott. The plan is now to make it very natural, one of passive recreation like hiking and appreciating nature. "There will be trails for tourists to discover, that is if we ever get that far." "From a forestry stand point, this is paradise," said Stott. "The area is one of the few in southern TV-Ontario focusses on this area Ontario Seen, from TV-Ontario (seen locally on channel 10) plans a special half hour segment on the Midland Penetanguishene area to be shown early in September Co-producer Joan Reed-Olsen was in the area last week for three days filming and interviewing, along with her director Daphne "Ewing. Reed-Olsen, who hosts Ontario Seen, says that the Pen-Glen project is her particular focus, and she spent considerable time with Sister Angeline Moreau, one of the organizers of the project. The bilingual nature of the Penetanguishene area also interested Reed- Olsen, and she recorded interviews with Joan Northcott, Rejeanne Galbraith and Roland Desrocher. Film crews shot footage of Lafontaine, and of the Georgian Bay islands. Film of the Martyrs' Shrine and other points of local historical interest was taken last year, and will be spliced into the September presen- tation. The TV-Ontario pair also recorded reminiscenses from "Jumbo' Dubeau and Michael Asselin. Peter Shirriff contributed boat building lore, and Charlie Patterson talked about lumbering in the area. : Ontario Seen profiles areas with unique characteristics and Joan Reed - Olsen con- siders the Midland Penetanguishene area to be one..of Ontario's most historic and colourful. interviewed School board protests restraint program The Simcoe County Board of Education is taking action against the province's timing and method of financial restraint. Along with its copy of its 1976 budget, the board is sending minister of education, Thomas Wells, a five-page letter pointing out the inequities of the government's financing. *: At a board meeting last week, it was pointed out that "the single most disturbing factor with respect to these restraints is the lack of sufficeint time to plan dramatic changes effectively." fhe board pointed out five inequities in the government's method of financing. According to the government plan, Simcoe County will receive less than a two per cent increase in enrollment. The cuts in transportation grants effect the rural areas greatly, while having little effect on urban boards. i "The board's budget has been so emasculated that newly announced cost increases granted by federal and provincial governments or their agencies will create a deficit and increase in mill rates in 1977." Dance-a-thon Friday A 12 hour dance-a-thon will be held at the Arena lounge on Friday, June 4, commencing at 8 p.m. until June 5 at 8 a.m. eee ES ms. superintendent Fred Lynn expects the work lo be completed by the end of the week. Staff photo This project is being cosponsored by the Penetanguishene Arena, Parks and Recreation Board and interested girls and boys who play softball. The music for the dance is being donated by D.J. Rick Lemieux. All proceeds from the dance will of course go towards the in- stallation of the softball lights at McGuire Park. Your cooperation and assistance would be greatly appreciated. Police - report quiet weekend A total of four charges under the Highway Traffic Act were laid by Penetanguishene town police over the weekend. One charge was laid under the Liquor Control Act. One Accident Marcellene Ladouceur, 50, of 117 Fox Street has been charged with careless driving following a two vehicle collision Friday afternoon in front of 54 Water Street, Penetanguishene. The Ladouceur vehicle sustained an estimated $15 damage, while the parked car, owned by Anthony Quigley, of 54 Walter Street suffered an estimated $50 damage. No injuries were reported. eee bats Ontario with a continuous hardwood forest." Stott said he felt approximately $700,000 has been spent on the park in the three years that he has been superintendent. "T can't see the government walking away from it and leaving it indefinitely."' He said he has no idea when funds might be 54 pages The citizen Wednesday, June 2, 1976 reallocated and construction begun again. He said he is at a loss when it comes to plans to keep the park going. "I guess the only thing left is for the people to pul pressure on the government and that will only happen when they realize they really want a park." of Colour Comics uishene Vol. 9, No. 22 20 cents Budget set last week Tay Township taxes increase 30 per cent Taxes in Tay Township are skyrocketing this year and it's not going to make the residents very happy, Says township clerk Walter Lumsden. As a result of the new budget set by the township last week, taxes will jump as high as 30 per cent over last year. According to Lumsden, the large mill rate increase is due to the higher school board and county levies. The increase represents the largest single year hike in many years. Until last year, tax rates in Tay Township remained relatively stable. Prompted by the large increase, council removed several items from their own budget to prevent the general rate from going even higher. The general rate must increase this year to take care of the costs of garbage collection, hospital debentures, street lighting, planning Sa Out walking in the rain and general administration. "We know the taxes are way up, much morethan the people are going to like, but we need to do it". ; Based on an average township assessment of $2,500, a residential public school sup- porter will see an increase of $70 on his 1976 tax bill -- bringing his total taxes from $233 to $304. The mill rate for a residential public school supporter jumps from 93.22 to 121.92 mills in 1976. From a rate of 97.45 mills in 1975, a residential separate school supporter will be paying at a rate of 122.64 mills in 1976. A commercial public school supporter will see an increase of 34.96 mills in 1976, up from the 1975 figure of 103.46. The mill rate for a commercial separate school supporter will rise from 108.16 to 139.22 mills in 1976. | } ee pa aoe CE