Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 3, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba Jim free press Winnipeg free december 1981 3 City emerges Winner again in tax dispute by Chris Smith the City has fended off another Chal Lenge to its tax assessment proce a court of Queens Bench judge yesterday awarded the latest round in a More than three Earold tax dispute to the Justice James Wilson ruled yesterday the City has the right to order its Board of revision not to hear appeals against 1980 taxes from the owners of More than 70 mainly on Portage Borowski win stirs reaction by Maureen Brosnahan Winnipeg groups on both sides of the abortion Issue were mixed in their reactions to a decision of the supreme court of Canada which would allow the courts to assess the Validity of Canadas abortion in a 72 the supreme court said Joseph a former Manitoba nip Cabinet can Challenge the Validity of the 1969 therapeutic abortion Law in court even though he is not directly affected by i really dont think Many people Are that concerned about Borowskiy said Ellen president of the local Canadian abortion rights action she said she is just watching to see where the Case will go from adding that it will Likely be several More years before the Challenge itself reaches the supreme the Law allows hospitals to Institute therapeutic abortion committees to approve abortions when pregnancy endangers a woman mentally or members of the Manitoba league for life which has supported Borowski in his endear ors to have the Case heard before the were rejoicing Over the out i feel very pleased that Borowski has succeeded after a Long said league president Pat she said the decision has brought the matter to the open once i think anything that brings the matter before the Public is a she planned parenthood executive director Lissa Donner said her organizations Board has not considered the implications of yesterdays decision since it is Only the first step in Borows Kis Legal it is hardly Worth stirring the water up at this she Anne director of the mount Carmel clinic in which does abortion called the Deci Sion very were going Back really to the dark Ages where women gave their lives trying to get rid of unwanted she Are we going to see 12 Jearolds going through with a preg Nancy but the decision will almost certainly be appealed to the Manitoba court of said Michael a Law yer for the property Mercury said the decision Means a taxpayer does not have the right to Appeal inequitable assessments and that those inequities will exist at least until when a so called freeze on assessments the tax dispute Between the City and the downtown property owner started More than three years ago and resulted in provincial legislation to validate out Date tax assessments in Winni Peg and throughout the the province acted after two property owners asked the courts in 1978 to declare void All tax assess ments in downtown Winnipeg because they had not been reassessed in the previous three years As required by the City of Winnipeg the province headed off the Chal Lenge by validating existing assess ments and set up a tax review commit tee headed by former Premier Walter provincial legislation then froze assessments at the 1980 level for 1981 and judge in a written upheld the cites Contention that the assessments Are Frozen and that the Law prevents the Board of revision from hearing the appeals because they were filed too the appeals to the Board were made in and the judge said they May not be accepted As an Appeal against 1980 assessment because due notice had already been Given and no Appeal made in the required level of values and that tax Roll the general assessment for 1980 by statute the Roll fixed for 1981 and and the valuations for assessment so presented and again by fixed As the level of values for those the decision the level of values adopted by the cites assessor for is so carried and however wrong they May have and however that level of values May have been adopted by the taxpayer and City alike must accept the same level of values for 1981 and it during a 24 hearing before judge lawyers for the City and the property owners locked horns Over the meaning of Levels of value in the 1980 Marvin a lawyer for the said the City considers the term to mean assessments re Gards the Law As putting All assess ments on hold for the two year Peri had the property owners won the right for a it would have been a horrendous task for the As judge Wilson said in his decision magnitude of the task involved emerges with the realization that these represent the totality property lands and buildings fronting on por Tage Avenue Between notre Dame and Colony Street on the North Side and Between fort Street and memorial Boulevard on the in All 71 plus an additional two on Broadway substantial parcels of real and All of them located on what May generally be described As the cites principal commercial a sailing on King Sway this Sailboat trundling through traffic on the Back of a truck seems As awkward As a beached whale As it navigates traffic on King Sway to Winter at the owners foreclosure action under Way against two Golden buildings foreclosure action has been taken against businessman Al Golden be cause of arrears in mortgage payments on the Northside 339 Portage Avenue and a nearby building which houses Long John silvers pinball a i can confirm that there Are a said Ross lawyer for the mortgage Mcmurray represents North Ameri can life Assurance which Lent Golden million on the two proper neither he nor Kathy agent for the insurance would say How Long the payments have been in Golden didst return a reporters phone Calls he told the free press tuesday he was in the process of Selling Northside North american life took the first step in foreclosure proceedings a week ago by filing notices of Sale against the two Birrell said Golden will have several opportunities to bring the payments up to Date before North american life would take Over the two buildings through the North Side of Portage ranks with main Street As a hangout for undesirables and this contributed to Golden Birrell adding the City should Bear a Large part of the i dont see any policemen patrolling along Portage i dont see any foot the City let main Street go dont need two she while the Northside Centre has two excellent tenants in pantages restaurant and Roche Bobois opportunities Tolease additional space in the building have been limited by the cites Lack of commitment to cleaning up the i really dont think any property owner on the North Side has been Given a everything that happened went to the you cant neglect one Side of a major Birrell also cited unrealistically High property taxes and proliferation of pin Ball arcades As further reasons for the Large number of vacant stores along the North she denied that Golden himself encouraged the decay by renting to an she added the at the North East Corner of Portage Avenue and Carlton Street is Well managed and pays a very Good Golden purchased the building for in 1977 and evicted residents of the 29 upper Storey apartments As of May North american life provided in mortgage funds to Golden in the former candidate for mayor bought the six Storey Northside Centre in 1978 for a reported million and arranged million in mortgage funds from the insurance company in police manpower boosted City Council yesterday approved an additional 10 police officers for the police departments Community relations crime prevention unit an estimated annual Cost of the cites official delegation to the provincial government will ask the education department to promote crime prevention in each school Divi As the police department must report to civic finance committee with in 90 Days on a specific action plan for implementing the crime prevention As presented to finance committee this week by police chief Ken John the program would consist of educating business organizations in obtaining assistance from Community service organizations in enhancing and managing existing educating school children on crime prevention and using the news Media to educate the the department already has 10 personnel working in the crime prevention but Only two of these in the Community relations crime prevention unit Are dealing directly with the Johnston Johnston wants sentence to fit crime police chief believes courts should work on an Eye Oranee Johnston violence rising by Kevin Prokosh the disturbing increase of violent crime in Winnipeg can be halted if courts Deal with offenders on an Eye fora Neye police chief Ken Johnston said Ive always said the punishment should fit the Johnston said in an if a violent Man commits a crime of violence against some then he should be dealt with with As much who celebrates his 25th year on the Force today As Well As his first year As advocates use of Corporal and capital punishment to Stem the vicious Riess employed in an increasing number of in not saying every person who commits a murder should be he in saying any person who deliberately plans to kill another then kills should forfeit his the chief said he believes the majority of the Community shares his View and a referendum on the would reveal Public support for Capi Tal the will of the people is not being expressed by their representatives in the threat of paying the ultimate penalty would be a Strong deter rent for potential offenders and have a healthy effect on crime Johnston crime starts when one feels that no harm is going to come to weve got to weve gone the route of being lenient with these peo ple and its not i think we have gone too far to the other the pendulum has to swing Back and let the offenders be punished in the proper he said the Laws Are excellent and have but the courts must use them to wipe out the threat of Vio Lence hanging Over the Johnston said he is not opposed to the rehabilitation of but maintains not All offenders can be lumped there Are some criminals who cannot be rehabilitated and they should be dealt with he he notes the amount of violence on Winnipeg streets is increasing and the situation probably will get worse before it gets Johnston blames the current problem on a widespread disrespect for the my greatest fear today is purse he purse snatch Ings Are going up and up and up and i can see some Little old lady losing her life on the streets of its a terrible indictment on he that a woman cant walk Down a Street particularly an elderly lady who wants to go come Down i would like to see the Law come Down As heavy on that Type of offender As any Johnston the chief also called advocates of the legalization of marijuana Irre the former vice who has crusade against the use of says one of the most serious problems facing the Western world is drug the police department has been in the spotlight As various officers faced criminal charges and the professional conduct of others was but Johnston said the problem is Well under the executive has run into some serious problems regarding the con duct of a very Small minority in the police department and we feel we have dealt with them he said the police Force must detect the alleged criminal Lay charges and place the accused before the courts in order to maintain Public the chief Constable also brushed aside questions about whether the police can police he said he thinks the police department does an excellent Job of investigating the pub pics complaints against the noting that the Public Doest see How these investigations John Ston said he would Welcome an inde pendent body to examine citizen com i dont mind them seeing what we Are the reason the Force is far More complaints against officers he is that some people think its the thing to City Hall notebook wards to vote by elections for two City Council seats and a Winnipeg school Board seat will be held mayor Bill Norrie said in a statement yesterday by elections will be held in two Stevenson and Stevenson Ward became vacant with the appointment of former Deputy mayor Pearl Mcgonigal As Manitoba Charles Ward became vacant when former councillor Ric Nordman was elected As a progressive conservative la in the 17 provincial Winnipeg school Board chairman Elizabeth Willcock said 1 will also be election Day in Ward where one of the three seats has been vacant since the 24 death of trustee Inez free parking extended motorists May now enjoy two consecutive hours of free saturday parking at downtown meters instead of one City Council last night approved a recommendation from civic finance committee that the Extension be granted so Drivers have More time to every saturday until motorists May Park free at the 408 meters Between main and Colony Ellice and Mary avenues in an Experiment to see if business dumping fee Cut in half a Winnipeg packing firm received a Christmas present from City Council last councillors voted to waive 50 per cent of the garbage dumping fee at the Northeast sanitary Landfill site levied on Gateway packers for materials cleaned up at a Dufferin Avenue warehouse destroyed by fire civic works and operations com Mittee had earlier approved the firms request for Hal Price the proposal was approved by a voice vote after some councillors expressed Magnus Eliason Boine said if an uninsured owner receives special insurance companies who pay claims should have the right to ask the City for Reim trucker request stalled four Northwest Winnipeg trucking companies which wanted to use route 90 to take oversize trailers onto the perimeter Highway had the project stalled yesterday by City Council voted 14 to 13 to refer the matter Back to executive policy com Mittee for reconsideration after sever Al councillors raised concerns about damaged streets and traffic works and operations committee chairman John Angus favored granting qualifying truckers special permits to run the route for an experimental term ending he said questions about Street dam age and traffic disruption would be answered by the Experiment traffic signal approved traffic control signals for the Ness Avenue heritage Boulevard intersect where school crossing guards have reportedly been were approved yesterday by City area residents recently told works and operations committee school Cross ing themselves elementary school have been cursed and had Beer bottles thrown at them by Ness Avenue motorists who resented having to Stop at the the said a Large office building on one Corner of the intersection so obscures the View of Ness that guards Are forced to step into traffic to look for oncoming committee and Council approved the signal even though the intersection Falls far Short of the administrative guidelines for lease Over hurdle a 10year sublease at a Dollar a year for land on which the Winnipeg foot Ball club proposes to build its Blue and Gold room was approved in principle yesterday by City the sublease has to be negotiated by the Winnipeg football the red River exhibition which will finance the estimated and Winnipeg enterprises which manages the Winnipeg Arena and velodrome prop erties for the the football club estimates it can raise a year by Selling 100 tables at each where patrons could drink and Dine before and after Blue bomber football games while watching the Field through a Glass the club wants to have the facility open to sell food and Alco Holic beverages when there Are jets hockey Rock shows and wrestling in the this is a sore Point with the enter Prises which derives two thirds of its Arena income from Beer and food sales in the Arena itself and sees the Blue and Gold room As com i ;