Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 1, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba 2 Winnipeg free press Friday december 1, 1978 patronage charged in school architect selection Northern contract dispute flares again by Mary Ann Fitzgerald the controversy Over the Manitoba government s award of an architectural contract to Ger associates for the design of a school at nor Way House flared again thursday Over whether six other architects knew that their interviews with a local building committee of the Northern school Divi Sion were simply for information. Amidst charges of patronage the government awarded the contract to Ger associates which was not one of the six firms interviewed by the building com Mittee of the school division the com Mittee was flown to Winnipeg for a Day for the interviews. Or. Joseph Handley government appointed official trustee for the Frontier school division said thursday the Point of the interviews was not to hire but to gather background information on the proposed Handley said the architects inter viewed by the Northern committee were ail told this. But an architect from one of the firms interviewed denied that his firm was told it was an informational exercise. Never. No Way. Not in any Way shape or form were we told he said. The architect said he and his partners spent a week preparing for the inter View. Why go for an interview if there is no Chance of said the architect who did t want to be named. He described the award of the con tract to a firm not involved in the interviews As a slap in the Elaine Apet agon a Norway House resident and Secretary of the building committee has said she was flown to Winnipeg for a Day of interviews with firms who were to be considered for the project. Ger was not one of the firms interviewed on that Day she said. Handley said the Northern committee which conducted the interviews with the six unsuccessful architects had no authority to hire an architect and that it did not make any recommendations either to a minister or to him. In All Handley said 20 architects had Beeri interviewed for the by the committee some by individuals on the committee and some by officials in his office with or without committee members. He said Ger was one of those. Ger had written to the division re Garding the contract last Spring he said. A partner in Ger confirmed that his firm had been in touch with the Frontier school division for Many Many he declined to comment on the controversy. Highways minister Harry Enns who recently turned Over the Public works portfolio to government services minis Ter Sidney Spivak said the school Divi Sion had asked to appoint its own architect but was t Given that permission. Handley described the interviews by the Northern committee As partly a learning experience with a View to gradually expanding its authority to that Given to other school divisions. That authority would include hiring architects. Meanwhile at a press conference former nip Public works minister Russ Doern charged that Ger was Long associated with the conservative party of Manitoba from the Roblin Days to present it s a Case of patronage in its purest undiluted earlier Spivak denied charges of patronage first levelled by an unnamed architect. Spivak was out of the City thursday and was t expected to return until monday at the time Spivak said the selection of the architectural firm was made on the basis of a list prepared by the department of Public works before government reorganization and his appointment As minister. He said that selection of the firm also reflected a new government policy implemented by the recently disbanded management committee of Cabinet to gradually shift government work to firms which did not receive much Busi Ness under the former nip govern ment. Meanwhile Jim Orzechowski presi Dent of the Manitoba association of architects and a partner in the firm of Smith Carter partners declined to com ment on the mechanics of awarding the contract for the Northern school. However he said he was concerned that an architect made criticism through the Media rather than through his professional organization. If there is a professional grievance it should be expressed through the association and not Anonymous criticism through the he said. He said he planned to raise the matter at the next association meeting in an Effort to develop some guidelines. Smith said his own firm had applied but had not been interviewed for the Norway House school. The government he said wants to distribute its work As equitably As pos sible among All local firms. By Manfred Jager Tim Sale executive director of the social plan Ning Council warned thursday that Canadian society is in danger of starting to warehouse by j. Want milk sons saturday dec. 2nd at 2 . Of 3 pee. Bedroom sle. Chesterfield Ste. Kitchen sets color and Baw . Sets radios record players lamps pictures dressers chests of drawers elec. Range Washer Oil burning space Heater fireplace and grate Book shelves Daven port Metal lockers Beds Odd chairs tables Oak barrel trunks tools dishes clothing and hundreds of other very interesting items. A w. 281 Logan ave. Phone 943-8321 Sale commences at . On Smail Ware the elderly for want of proper support systems which would enable them to stay Active in their Community As Long As possible. Sale said in an interview politicians and senior civil servants have not yet understood that the need in society has shifted from emphasis on better schools to one on better services for old people whose numbers Are increasing. While creating nursing Home Beds governments hit by planner we Are my top Prises for your my mpg. Fur Exchange 180 Princess pm. 943-7788 Exchange your hides for mitts or gloves have not been establishing enough Home care Ana sheltered residence ser vices Sale said. The result is a greater rate of health breakdown followed by a warehousing approach to the old who Start filling up acute care Hospi Tal Beds whose operation costs much More than be fore the fact support would have. Government arguments that private Industry should be left to create such facilities As elderly citizens housing do not hold water Sale said because experience has shown it is not profitable for private Indus try. Facilities for the elderly will always have to be subsidized by the Public he said. Sale said people fall into nursing Homes because of the absence of sup Puri ser vices. They fall into ill Ness malnutrition loneliness depression and illness because they Are psychologically isolated and can t Cope. They have no option but to get sick. The system then takes them but inappropriately into an acute care Hospi Tal something which does t save society Money at All and could have been in Winnipeg alone about 700 old people have been approved for placement in nursing Homes. Most of them Are in Hospital. Nurs ing Homes have an additional 300 names on waiting lists. Sale said about 10 per cent of the Winnipeg popu lation now is aged 65 or older with the is Vel at close to 16 per cent in some Core areas and in the older portions of the West end. Projections Are for an Over All 16 per cent rate by the year 2000. While pessimistic for the immediate future Sale said by the time the present Young and mid years generation of canadians reach old age their number will be so Large that the Politi Cal pressure will be on in full Force and the support structures for them will be there because it will be cheaper for the tax payer than having expensive acute care Hospital Beds overflowing with patients who could be in per Sonal care Homes or out in the Community on their m. J. Beehler Csc. Lab. Wishes to announce the official opening of Beehler and company in the seven Oaks medical dental Centre 1754 main Street r2v1z7 Telephone 339-9158 am Tours Fleri Market at collectors Corner Antiques curios collectables open wed. Avg. 6 . To 9 . Open saturdays and sundays 12 noon -5 . 324 Young St. 786-4061 North of Pori to t by Jack Francis what this country needs is a hardier Breed of instead of Banning artificial sweeteners when a Canadian rat died of an those foe social systems said thursday. Hers was a Tongue in Cheek comment with a dead serious message panic mongers in the food system Are making a major Impact on the lives of Consumers and Farmers be cause not All components of the system have equal Power. Decisions Are being made for the Many uninvolved by the few who Are committed and dedicated however misguided sister Bertels told a major horticultural Industry gathering in Winnipeg. Anyone who eats is involved in agriculture just As anyone who produces agricultural commodities is involved in the food scares Tern. But the lives of both Consumers and Farmers Are often seriously affected by policy decisions that they have had no part in formulating she said. If a rat can t handle whipping Cream get rid of of saccharin scientists should have bred a Laboratory animal that could stand up to Iii Rigours of modern life sister Thomas More Bertels noted Wisconsin speaker re Loco Mart and of nov. 29, 1 978 Spanish Type onions should have read Washington can. No. 1 pineapple Shands Hove Farad Honduras each rat not the whipping she was also critical of cancer scares involving meat consumption noting that senior citizens Homes were full of Long lived people who thrived on beef and sister Bertels called on producers to make a dedicated Effort to develop an effective Power base to become an equal Force with other components in the food system to assure practical effects. Galvanized hot water pipes we Sion Rusty hot Wise. Twin tips riesling ;