Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 7, 1980, Winnipeg, Manitoba Pay tips d Winnipeg free my 9 fire alarm slow to hotel guests say by Bob Armstrong and Nelle Oosterom guests in the 411room downtown Holiday inn headed for the bal conies and roof yesterday when dense Black smoke began sifting through the 18storey there were shouts of dont panic As people crowded into smoke filled stairways after fire broke out on the ninth floor shortly after 3 several hotel Many of whom were Liberal party convention Dele Gates unwinding after a three Day National convention that ended at noon said the fire alarms in the building were slow in Joseph a convention Delegate from Portage la died and seven other persons were taken to Hospital As a result of the two alarm Blaze that caused an estimated million guests escaping the fire didst but they didst waste any time getting Down from there said Henry who fled from the top floor of the 18storey who was in Winnipeg on Busi Ness from port said he was in his room watching television when he heard sirens from the Street West said he called the front desk of the hotel to find out what was going dont they told me dont worry but i put the phone Down and ran like he ran Down the Hall to one of the fire but when he opened the door the smell of smoke was so Strong he closed it again and ran to another West said he didst hear the fire alarms come on until he got to the other one of the first things West thought of when he heard the alarms was the movie the tour ring inferno in which people were trapped in a burning although the stairs were crowd there was no but a few people were shouting dont West said he was worried on the Way Down the i was afraid we make from the West watched the Rescue he said the firefighters appeared to be having trouble getting a ladder to reach the ninth it was Ages before they could get it up to the prefers third floor in never going to stay above the third floor shortly before the Many of the Liberal delegates had been celebrating the Victory of Norm newly elected Liberal party at a party on the 16th we were having a wonderful time and then the fire alarm went said Alberta Delegate Jules Van then the alarm stopped and i thought for sure someone was playing a joke of kind so we just continued party then someone looked out the win Dow and saw people were soon pouring Down the fire the fire doors were closed and some people got said an Ontario Delegate who was on the Lith it was quite Slippery going Down the at the several people were being Given oxygen after inhaling the acrid Clyne Harradence of Prince one of the principal speakers at the said he was on the 17th floor and the smoke was so Black you believe we went out onto the roof and stayed there for a Harradence said he and his friends waited on the roof until it was Safe to leave by the stairway and Carol a hostess cashier in the teahouse said that when the first alarm sounded at she was told by fire officials not to panic guests who were the alarm was turned she until firefighters could Check the m h Limi Winnie cd i Iii i Phi is woman rescued from the Holiday inn is revived with oxygen fled she refused to watch firefighters assist others below by firefighters top left and then gets a hug after she As she waited her turn to descend from an upper Storey i went into the hallway and could smell the she then they the firefighters came Back and told me to move everyone we had to evacuate firefighters had to administer oxygen to Agnes president of the new Brunswick ladies Liberal Asso who one witness said had been really Good at making everyone stay Bernice also from the new Brunswick ladies Liberal association was taken away from the building in a apparently Gallant and along with three other members of the new Brunswick had been escorted Down a ladder from the ninth floor of the Holiday heard alarm Bob a Delegate from heard the fire alarm before he saw or smelled Innes said the fire alarms then stopped and started again a few minutes when he saw the smoke Innes and several other Newfoundland Dele including provincial Liberal Leader Don went Down the fire Innes said As he was coming Down the fire exit he saw a Man holding the fire door open at the ninth he was trying to Clear the corridor of Innes but the stairway was filling up with smoke As a Innes said he told the Man to close the Damn door and continued Down the who said he had been through two fire alarms in buildings said his first thought when he heard the alarms was lets get the hell out of aut Opac loses Seatbelt Case Agency will continue challenging claims of victims who dont buckle up some who fled hotel fire were a Little less prepared than aut Opac has lost its first attempt to have reduced the size of a claim awarded an automobile Accident victim who want wearing a general manager Dutton says the government operated insurance Agency will continue to Chal Lenge in court certain claims made by victims who we rent wearing seat were not saying were going to Challenge every Dutton said Dur ing an it depends on the last aut Opac announced it would attempt to have the size of a Given claim reduced if it was obvious that use of a Seatbelt would have significantly lessened aut Opac has argued such action is justified because any person who Doest Wear Seatbelt is actually guilty of contributory plans for building fund still Uncertain after seven officials Are still Uncertain about what to do with the More than in the Assini Bome Park zoos beastly big building the zoological society of Manitoba is still holding it the Money in said zoo director Clive i have of idea what there plan Ning to he about was raised during a which began in 1973 under the update a weekly followup to the bringing readers up to Date on stones that have appeared in the free press direction of the Winnipeg advertising and sales to build a multimillion Dollar mammal House Complex for ele Rhinoceros and some of the Money was raised by Selling zoo tenants and buttons while other funds were raised by school age although the beastly big building drive started it Gen Erate enough interest to raise the million Tor the the fund was soon taken Over by the zoological society of Manitoba and continued until 1975 when the campaigns fund raising licence the Money was subsequently placed in Trust and has grown by nearly due to accrued interest and other donations and City workers seek change in contract the Winnipeg executive policy com Mittee will meet today in a special closed session to hear a request by Canadian Union of Public employees local 500 for a change in the recently drawn up contract for civic pm Deputy mayor Pearl Mcgonigal said last night the alteration being sought wont change the end result of the the Dollar figure wont Mcgonigal a special meeting of Council has been scheduled to follow the committee de president of local 500 of the Canadian Union of Public pm refused to comment on the proposed change until after today Council members of cupe will meet Tomor Row to vote on the new the tentative contract came about As a result of an All night bargaining session june 27 which produced a settlement Only hours before the workers were scheduled to go on the tentative agreement provides for increases totalling 22 per cent Over the two year term of the and a Lump sum payment of to each of the project site sought Duane the Man who wants to use Birds to bring mosquitoes under wants to turn a Small Manitoba town into the purple Martin capital of were looking for a Small town where we can erect a Tower with Bird houses like they have in the United Johnston said during an inter the purple at seven inches in is the largest of the Swallow Spe cies which regularly inhabit Manitoba and is reputed to have a voracious appetite for although some including Winnipeg entomologist Roy scoff at the idea of using Birds to significantly reduce the mosque no the purple Martin is a legend in some cities in the a Long time fan of the Johnston decided to help organize the purple Martin club and staged a member ship drive at a local shopping Centre last in the last three months the member ship has soared from five to its really taken Johnston these Bird fans will Likely have to wait until next year to see How effective the purple Martins Are in handling the Mosquito dry weather conditions have almost eliminated the problem this ;