Saturday June 18 1977 NEWSROOM 7266537 CIRCULATION 7266539 the examiner serving barrle and simcoe county Published by Canadian Newspapers Company Limited 16 Bayfield Street Barrie Ontario L4M 4T6 EIIO Agosï¬nipublishor ADVERTISING 7266537 CLASSIFIEDS 7282414 Federal election stirs speculation Will there be federal election in the fall The question has been stirring speculation in Ottawa even though there is nothing definite There are some indications that it could materialize First of course is the high rating given to the Trudeau government by current public opinion polls The fact that these polls are not always an accurate guage of public opinion with only relatively few ques tioned compared to the vast number of voters doesnt seem to discourage optimists Anyway the Trudeau government has been in power longer than the Davis administration when it went to the polls for mandate in the recent provincial election The Ontario Progressive Conservative government did not receive the overall majority that some preelection polls indicated but it did improve its position The arguments in favor of an early federal vote seem to be partly based on the theory that Prime Minister Trudeau is best qualified to handle the Quebec crisis and save Confederation There are contrary views too that the substantial increases in federal taxation and bureaucracy of the past nine years contributed to the Quebec dissatisfaction as well as hitting taxpayers elsewhere across Canada The scheduled visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Canada in September with all the publicity and photographs of the prime minister as head of the government welcoming the monarch also should enhance his chances There are those who think that an election before the economy slids back farther also would be politically advisable for the Liberal party It was suggested the prime minister might combine an election announcement with an appeal for mandate to campaign for no vote in the Quebec referendum on separatism The recent CBC film on crime could affect an election since various aspects would almost certainly be in troduced during campaign for votes demand for tightening of immigration laws would seem to be well in order Tennis courts Dear Sir do not know where us children can play tennis anymore The tennis club has reserved the courts at Queens Park Mon Tues and Thurs evenings and when the courts are not reserved the adults do not wish to share Sin ce we do not have place to play children are forced to play on the roads and this is dangerous to both drivers and players Therefore suggest that the city should build tennis court for children only It is not very pleasant to ride over two miles to the park and find that there is never court available It would not help to join the tennis club because the adults do not wish to play with children and in order to get court would have to bring three friends to play with who would also have to be members do not wish to join the club because we have already paid for the courts through our taxes If the city cannot make tennis courts available for the children suggest that they at least supervise the courts at Queens Park allowing certain time period for children only maybe to pm on school days and to 11 am on other days for kids to 14 years old The children at illcrest school have signed petition which will be taken to the Mayor for him and the council to think about Suzy Dennis age 12 247 Edgehill Drive Barrie Supportedgrant Dear Sir The following is an open letter to all Ward voters On May 24 voted to support the grant of $30000 to the Collier Street fireball My decision to do this was not arrived at lightly since my attitude to everything pertaining to $3 ratepayers would never allow me to do IS have never made personal crusade for either the restoration or demolition of the building This position left me with com plete lack of bias towards either the sup porters or those in opposition of the project As result was able to view both sides of the arguments without the interference of any personal convictions All the opinions ex pressed both for and against together with certain staff recommendations were evaluated The attempt to reconcile one point of view with another caused me reat inner turmoil and many sleepless nig in an attempt to make fair decision that would be acceptable by all My decision to support the grant was arrived at as was of the opinion that as an elected official had duty to cater to the diversity of interests of the ratepayers at lar is position was supported by Ward ratepayers since prior to the vote being taken on Ma 24 ha only received indications from our persons who were against the restoration of the irehall Following the vote by council the anti firehall petition arrived on the scene Since was the only alderman in Ward to support the grant of $30000 and since the other three wards in the city each had two alderman to support it the organizers decided to zero in on what they considered to be the weak link in council the one supporter in Ward The anti firehall petition in fact was started in the immediate area of my home this was designed to show me that some of my letters to the editor friends and neighbors did not support my decision considered this to be mild kind of intimidation nevertheless remained amiable towards the petition organizers and held meetings with them to discuss the way the petition was going along Following my final meeting with petition organizer of June 12 conducted my own poll From this poll formed the opinion that another petition in favor of the fireball would in all probability meet with as much success as the antifirehall one Further the names on the antifireball petition were not in my opinion representative of any majority group When was elected to Barrie city council was elected to make decisions and provide leadership my mandate was not given to comply with the whims of every petition that surfaces because the democratic decision reached by majority of council does not suit Ample opportunity was afforded to both sides to express their views prior to the coun cil vote on May 24 Then was the time to make yourself heard and state your case Now that the affair is over hope that the ratepayers will support the majority decision of council also look forward to the day when all will be proud of not only the building but also of the credibility displayed by their elec ted officials in very trying situation Gordon Mills Coulson St Barrie Ontario Care about past Dear Sir First we had Friends of the Fireball Now it seems we have Friends of the Parking Lot Typical small town thinking on the part ol this latter group Why not go after something worthy of your talents Home has real traf fic problem so tear down the Vatican Can you imagine the space available if you could level the Louvre Your challenge would be endless because enough people around the world have cared enough to save some of the beauty and grace of the past against the platitudes of the present If really you are interested in saving tax money where were you when we were looking for election workers voluntary where are you on council night when you dont have vested interest It is nice to see so many people interested enough to at least sign their name to something But think again and you might find it fun to help some one other than yourself just one time anyway pr McMillan 46 Parkside Drive Barrie Appreciation Dear Sir am writing on behalf of the Barrie and District Association for the Physically Disabled regarding our garage and bake sale held at St Monicas School on the 14th of May The sale was great success due in part am sure to the excellent coverage given us by your newspaper We are grateful for your help and assure you that the funds raised will be put to good use Sincerely yours Marilyn Denney Secretary BUSINESS 7266537 NEWSROOM ADVERTISING BUSINESS Dave Henshaw managing editor Len Sevlck manager Marian Gough accountant Sean Finlay city editor SALESMEM Betty Armer Randy McDonald sports editor pan Gaynor Dorothy Bowland Bill Curran county editor Bill McFarlane wire editor Roseanne McCabe lifestyle Lyall Johnson Barb Boulton Dana Graham Roll Kraiker photographer John Zarecky POR TE RS John Bruce Paul Deleon CLASSIFIED Richard Dunstan Pat Guergis Scott Haskins Sheila McGovern Sue Routlilte Lesley Young Freda Shinner Eu14M REHEHBaV JOE WAISTswine Ruth Blais supervisor Karen Atkinson Peggy Chapell Gall Mc Parland Vikki Grant CIRCULATION Jon Butler manager David Jenkins asst manager Andy Haughton Judy Hickey Alva LaPlante Elaine Porter Marg Scarlt Published daily except statutory holidays Subscriptions WEEKLY by carrier YEARLY by carrier MOTOR THROWOFF ELSEWHERE IN CANADA Sunday and 90cents $4680 Copyright registration number 203815 register 61 EY Mujagarre National advertising ottices 65 Queen St Toronto 8641710 640 Cathcart St SIMCOE COUNTY M°eav $3650 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out $39ayear $3850 veer Gearing up for what election Notes and comment By SEAN FINLAY City Editor The optimists among us think the dust has settled over the Fireball issue It hasnt of course and more than one political career may have been ruined over it That spontaneous petition and the spontaneous outbreak of opposition can only be believable to those who still think the Canada Post Office does good job Scenario from one who has always believed healthy paranoia is the only way to approach politics and has seen or heard nothing in the past five years which changes his mind person or persons or corporation had its eye on the Fireball as nice piece of real estate for private profit the same type of people who think Sunnidale Park should be paved over and turned into parking lot Unidentified persons in No didnt think the Fireball proposition bad chance But they forced public meeting on the issue to impress on one or two wavering aldermen the wisdom of dumping the fireball By RIC IARI DUNSTAN Aldermen Gord Mills and Del Cole were on opposite sides of the vote in this weeks great firehall showdown but they both voted in ac cordance with princi le that seems to have been widely neglecte in debates not only over the fireball but over other issues as well Ald Mills was faced with convincing evidence that voting for the fireball would make him lot of enemies in his own ward but he supported the project anyhow after some sleepless nights because he believed the fireball restoration to be worthy of his vote on its merits Ald Cole has said in the past he is confident that his antifirehall stand is backed by 75 per cent of city voters but when he stood up to debate the issue at council be concentrated on what he saw as organizational problems high future expenses and lack of need for the pro posed arts centrein short on the merits of the project Bravo for both and for those other council members who made up their minds the same way You cant govern by referendum ought to knowwl grew up in state California where every election brings about two dozen ballot proposals on subjects which are decided by elected re resentatives in saner places and you shoul see the dogs breakfast of legisla tion all these votes create How many projects which cost money would be passed by referendum The TodringtonMulcaster traffic light The pro After the meeting the wavercrrs wavered no more The guys in No didnt know this Council gave the goahead to the Fireball The baddies were upset Casting about for some way to hit back they decided on the petition COMMERCIAL BREAK That petition excuse the digression was about as spontaneous as the oldtime Moscow demonstrations in front of the embassy Neatly printed cleverly written it had all the earmarks of being done by someone used to doing this sort of thing Cast not about for lawyers cast about for public relations types BACK TO OUR STORY The petition was clever idea as pressure tactic as professional drawersup of petitions know that half the people you ap proach to sign petition calling for the strangulation at birth of all females will sign BACK TO OUR DIGRESSION The petition wasnt that clever though Opponents vote on principle posed downtown revitalization study The Brock Street ditch enclosure The marina ex pansion Even this years city budget passed in real backslapping atmosphere because it on ly contained two per cent tax hike would have faced some danger of defeat at the polls Who wants their taxes increased dont suggest that council members should ignore public inion but do suggest it should be only one cment in any decision Council members have dutywonc they fulfill most of the timemto know more about the issues they deal with than the general public does And they also have duty to vote on the basis of their knowledge If their deci sions taken as whole are unacceptable to the voters out go the aldermen every second December None of this implies that there was anything improper about bringing in an anti firehall petition as was done this week what is improper is assuming that council should treat petition as an order from on high The timing of this weeks petition was ques tionable of course Organizers say they never thought council would approve $30000 grant for the fireball but it was obvious for weeks that the grant was at least going to get serious consideration The petition should have come in before the wellpublicized deci sion day which was May 24 The phoneyouraldermanatwork cam paign was also questionable tactic but not my view as questionable as some of the hings some aldermen said about it Mob iter tactics is far too strong an expression Some questions unanswered over spontaneous petition because this is Canada not the United States and politicians here little less used to petitions and little warier of them BACK TO OUR STORY The advertisements were clever idea any politician has to be impressed with spontaneous uprising which people support financially Giving business phone numbers of aldermen was mistake but it was mistake made by someone who is used to having people knuckle under to intimidation Should have been more local input there fellas 10 Presentation of the petition to council was apparently originally supposed to be kept quiet Council knew it was coming the public wasnt to know 11 To increase the myth of the spontaneity of the thing the identity of those in the second line responsible for the thing was to be Kept Quiet Do hear someone saying Stonewall on questions Oops my mistake 12 Neither No 10 or No 11 worked Council was ready for the petition the Friends of the Fireball were ready the names of those in the second line of the spontaneous petition were known 13 Council upheld its original position 14 Great wailing and gnashing of teeth 15 public relations type loses face with his client whose identity we may never know unless someone cares to play Deep Throat There are of course some lessons in this whole Fireball thing Perhaps the most important is that city council may govern smaller city but it has one thing in common with all legislative bodies It is made up of politicians and our system is political system meaning it relies on people to run smoothly and properly The people who organized the spontaneous petition didnt know the politicians involved didnt know the workings of the government of Barrie Can hardly wait to see what theyll do next Final notes on the Fireball There on Monday night as speaker on behalf of tearing down the Fireball was Bill Caldwell the chairman of Georgian College would like Fireball opponents who go about the countryside calling people dum mies and making remarks about being unable to sue people for stupidity to ask themselves this What was the chairman of an institution which takes large chunk of our tax money an institution which allows little input from the average ratepayer in its workings doing there Monday night as spokesman Was Caldwell there as an official spokesman for Georgian If he was is the board of governors of Georgian College against Barrie taxpayers building cultural centre If that is Georgians position why Financial problems up on the hill there One senses possible conflict of interest One final question was the petition printed at Georgian College If so who paid for the printing job The Examiner is member of The Canadian Press CP and Audit Bureau 01 Circular tions ABC Only The Canadian Press may re publish news stories in this newspaper credited to CF The Associated Press Reuters or Agence France Presse and local news stories published in The xaminer The Barrie Examiner claims copyright on all original news and advertising material created by its employees and published in this newspaper of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred whether such error is due to the negligence 01 its servants or otherwise and there shall be no liability for noninsertion at any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement For all seasons Illusions of old man By TRAYNOR MCFARLANE The ancient form was bent and the hands long in the throes of rheumatism gripped the glasssmooth handle of the blackthorn walk ing stick almost fiercely He hobbled to the kitchen door and looked out over the crowded lawn Must be all of 200 of the dolts he thought as be gazed on them with savage eye They milled around the furniture lamps and bricabrac strewn over the onceneat lawn They peered at this lifted and examined that and pawed revered possessions It was all he had since shed died two months ago and the family had decided he should go and live with his sister in the north country An auction therefore had been the only way But he didnt like it Didnt like it at all The crowd hardly gave him second glance as they went about their business child bouncing gleefully up and down on Chesterfield caught his eye Muttering an oath he waved his walking stick angrily at her until her mother came over and haughtily lifted the child The old man went over to the chiffonier pil ed high with bedclothes He ran his hand lov ingly over the smooth Frencbpolished sur face as the wind tugged at the corners of the sheets atop it lifetime lay before him all those crystal vases the serving trays the easy chair with the soiled headrest always meant to get an antimacassar for that he mused The stacatto bark of the auctioneers voice shattered his thoughts and soon patches of flattened grass appeared as item after item was taken away Hi Pops young voice greeted him as he hurried as best he could for the house Young upstarts be thought as the three teenagers disappeared into the crowd Never saw them in my life before and they call me Pops He didnt like those strangers trampling his and her lawn and he couldnt watch and listen any more as the stuff was sold He reentered the kitchen and slammed the door behind him He felt sad and angry at the same time He went into the livingroom where her pic ture smiled down at him He stood and gazed at it for long time Suddenly he chuckled and danced little Ig Hed forgotten hed soon be with her Canada story Canso taken by surprise By BOB BOWMAN In 1744 France owned Cape Breton and Britain held the remainder of Nova Scotia There was small British fort on the Strait of Canso that divided the two colonies Then one of the many wars between France and Britain broke out and the French at Louisbourg learned about it first They sent small force to Canso took the British by sur prise and captured them easily Prisoners were taken to Louisbourg where they learned morale was low because the sol diers had not been paid for long time They also learned that the defences were not as strong as they were supposed to be There wasnt enough food at Louisbourg to feed the new arrivals so they were sent to Boston Governor Shirley of Massachusetts heard their story and raised 3000 men to at tack Louisbourg It was daring exploit because Louisbourg was supposed to be one of the strongest forts in the world and the Britishamericans were mostly farmers with no military training Fortunately for them they were joined by British naval squadron from the West Indies and they managed to capture Louisbourg on June 18 1745 after six weeks of hard fighting Gen Sir William Pepperell in charge of the soldiers and Commodore Warren the naval commander proved to be crafty couple They kept the French flags flying over Louisbourg and French ships kept sailing into port not knowing it had been captured Their cargoes worth millions of dollars in todays money were taken as booty Then the British made mistake They traded Louisbourg back to France for Madras India In 1758 Britain had to send huge army and navy force to recapture Louisbourg before the campaign to take Quebec and Montreal could begin OTHER JUNE EVENTS loosChamplain and deMonts began ex ploring the Atlantic coast south to Cape Cod MHZThe United States declared war on Britain and invaded Canada bible thought And will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven and will give unto th seed all these countries and In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Because that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge my commandments my statutes and laws Genesis 2645 Wbi hearted obedience carries with it un told blessings that is hard to imagine Trust and obey