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Vol. 22 No. 5, Folio 9 Wednesday, February 1, 1989 e Town office to get $100,000 facelift by Robert Risk Staff Writer The Penetang municipal building is get- ting a $100,000 facelift to help make it look 80 years younger. Council had originally planned only to waterproof the building and restore the brickwork, but the Ministry of Culture and Communications stepped in. It asked the town to put an old fashion- ed vent over the present sign, along with eaves troughing. A reproduction of the original sign, taken from a 1908 photograph, will be put in its place. Wilf Guthrie, the assistant clerk, said the main cost will be in repairing the brickwork and preventing futher deteriora- tion of it. "We have to keep water from getting in. With the temperature changes, the water takes the face off the bricks and the pro- blem will'keep getting larger." He said four brickworking firms in Toronto will bid for tenders, but there will likely be subcontracts for the other less specialized work. Another major task will be replacing the roof shingles, which date back over 20 years. "After a windstorm you'll find a few of them on the street. We'll be reshingling the Construction in '88 booms to tune of $25 million by Robert Risk Staff Writer Last year was Penetang's biggest year ever for construction, a whopping $25.8 million worth, $17 million more than 1987. Both the Georgian Manor and the Le Caron school addition accounted for more than $11 million, but that still left $6 million in other projects above 1987's figures. Eric Buccholz, Penetang's chief building official, said the amount didn't surprise him. "Tt's a lot like this all through Ontario. It's normally low this time of year too, but there's a lot of 'activity."' After the two institutions, the biggest building group was in residential houses at $10 million, followed by various expan- sions to homes and businesses. Building fees collected in 1988 amounted to $108,748 -- almost tripling last year's total of $39,326. ; Buccholz said even more could have been collected if the fees had been brought up to date. "We charge $4 per thousand worth of building, while most of the rest of Simcoe charges $5. Barrie is increasing theirs to $6. We're overdue for an increase." He predicted growth will continue, but seeing another like the past one will be difficult. "You don't always get two big projects going at the same time. Building in town will still be very strong." roof in cedar,' said Guthrie. The roof also will be reinforced to remove the bow that's developing. "To do that, trusses will be made to hold Fill er up Two men from the public works department patch some holes the existing structure. Then we'll reduce the span of the roof supports by half to strengthen everything." Guthrie said a field inspection by poten- at the corner of Robert St. and Main. The traffic and weather Lewis gets justice by Murray Moore Senior Writer Doug Lewis became one of Canada's prominent political movers and shakers on Monday. Simcoe North's Member of Parliament since 1979 has made the big leap into the inner circle of the Mulroney Cabinet. The new justice y minister and government House of Commons leader becomes a member of the influential Cabinet priorities and planning committee. The position of at- torney general of Canada goes with the job. "The two posi- Les tions -- government H House leader and Lewis -Minister of Justice-Attorney General -- are demanding and seen as important Cabinet postions. I was flattered to be asked to fill these important positions,' Lewis, said from his Ottawa office Tuesday. The appointments are a recognition by his peers and the prime minister that he can do the job, Lewis said. The invitation, tendered during the weekend in person by the prime minister, left him both flattered and excited, Lewis said. His Liberal opponent in the past three elections, Alan Martin, was not surprised. "He did everything he was asked to do up to now and probably did, so I dare say, with vim and vigor. This is probably his reward," Martin said. Justice minister is "a very significant ap- pointment," Martin added. "'That's very good for Doug." Lewis also is the chair of the committee * on legislation and House planning and the vice-chair of another committee. Lewis entered the outer circle of the then-40 person Cabinet on Aug. 27, 1987. He accepted invitations from the prime minister to become minister of state (Treasury Board) and minister of state (deputy House leader). After the November, 1988 federal elec- tion, during which he was elected for the fourth consecutive time, Lewis was ap- pointed acting president of the Treasury Board. tial tenderers will be Feb. 7 to give a bet- ter idea for their estimates. Guthrie said work would probably begin in April and be completed in the summer. = wee * play havoc with the roads annually and this year is no exception. As of October, 1988, Canada's new justice minister favored letting women decide about having an abortion. "After the election, the government will weigh facts and public opinion to meet the demands of the situation,' Lewis said. Lewis was a lawyer and a chartered ac- countant in Orillia before he began to represent Simcoe North in Ottawa. He has received and uses the honorary legal title, Queen's Counsel. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney rear- ranged his Cabinet Monday in the wake of the federal election. Thieves smash liquor store window Monday The liquor store at the Village Square Mall in Penetang was broken into early Monday morning. According to police chief Bob Cumm- ings, a brick was used to smash a window sometime between 1-2:30 a.m. Cummings said only a few bottles were taken, but an exact amount hasn't been determined.