Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 27, 1983, Winnipeg, Manitoba Approves decrease in firm natural Gas rates is a tithe utilities Beard his f note deity Gas Eom of 4lbliattvitti tit proved an unusual request by three natural Gas companies that recently to charge their customers lower in decisions handed Down the Board approved a rate decrease for the greater Winnipeg Gas As Well As for intercity Gas utilities and Plains Esu Ern Gas Manitoba two com serving Rural parts of the although the Price drop for serving customers in the Brandon was approved in the pub is waiting for the company to draw up a rate schedule before approving specific Plains Western and City Gas utilities Are subsidiaries of the Price drops result from a Margerth unanticipated decrease if the tax charged by the Feder Al government on Alberta Ottawa had been expected to reduce the tax by 25 cents per thousand cubic feet of but instead dropped it by 33 of Winnipeg homeowners who buy from greater Winnipeg the drop will be about per for a saving of cents per thousand cubic feet or about a year on the average residential for Rural customers of intercity Gas the decrease will be cents per thousand cubic to both the Price cuts go into effect Winnipeg f ree August 1j983 wage claim settled with Law change by Cecil Homer a Babysitter the Felt she was paid by will finally get her but not before the Issue caused a Nickus in the a change in provincial Law and an pm Baffas Sifly labor Board Claudette Ritchot went to the employment standards Branch earlier this year complaining she was owed by Artrea Normand for babysitting ing March and when it the Branch found Ritchot qualified As a regular employee under recent legislative changes and was therefore entitled to the minimum wage for All hours instead of the a Day she the Branch ordered Normand to compensate her to the tune of the decision led to an uproar in the with opposition Leader Sterling Lyon denouncing the mum wage requirement for babysit ters As nonsensical social new Glam ing which is no Damn business of the the Lawtey government quickly viewed the Law and pushed through an amendment this month exempting babysitters from the minimum wage leg unless they were also significantly in charge 6f housework and worked More than 24 hours a but the Issue Between Normand and Ritchot was still not resolved until when a labor Board hearing was aborted in Midstream by a pact Between the the settlement Normand is to pay Ritchot in Happy the said a relieved Ritchott lawyer was reluctant to discuss the Charles counsel for said the Issue would never have gone so far if the employment Stan Dards Branch officer had not built up such an imposing ease for me argued the labor Board didst even have jurisdiction to hear the the claim for in wages could just As easily have been dealt with in Small claims Zuberman Ritchot testified she agreed to work for a Day babysitting three children aged six and the two older children went to school during the but Rit hot said she also had other duties in the the Board was told Ritchot began work Between and and worked until or every she prepared breakfast and lunch for the children and sometimes helped million Hydro loss expected to grow bav6 free press by Paul Moloney Manitoba Hydro lost about Mil lion during the 12 months ending March 31 and is projecting a larger loss in the current fiscal spokesman Verne prior said the deficit details of which Are to be disclosed within the next 10 Days results from the mild weather last reduced Industrial consumption and higher operating prior the red Ink continues to he adding the Crown corporation lost a further million Between april 1 and june 30 despite a rate increase introduced May for the 12 months from april 1 to March Hydro is currently projecting a loss of from million to to be financed by drawing on accumulated Cash without that rate wed be in a worse its As simple As prior but it does Point out the need for further no business can succeed by spending More Money than its he said no decision has been made to apply for a second increase but that Doest mean we Arent doing a continuous As Long As revenues dont meet there will be a need for it i to Cut the Utility introduced a hiring freeze and Early retirement pro Gram Early this he Howe staff layoffs Are not the financial picture want helped by the massive ice storm which struck Southern Manitoba in causing about million in damage to Hydro he adding another was spent to clean up from other for the first time in the Utility we had an ice storm some where in the system every month last he lengthy shutdowns of mining operations in Northern Manitoba Cut demand for Hydro and revenues dropped he the deficit Between april 1 and june 30 came despite a cent increase in Export sales to sales in which form the bulk of total Rose per cent to offsetting these gains was a cent increase in interest costs due to higher total debt Levels and refinancing of the existing debt at higher interest Hydro paid out million in interest during the three operating and administrative at were up by 15 per cent because of higher transmission lease increased water rentals and prior Hydro also made capital expenditures of million during the three an increase of million Over the same period last he three month expenses totalled million while revenues were Mil judge Denise dead at 64 Denise suffered heart attack Justice Louis Denise of Manitoba court of Queens Bench died yester Day of a heart attack in judge was vacationing in Montreal on his Way to the Canadian bar association annual convention in Quebec it is a great Shock to us chief Justice Archibald Dewar judge Denise was a highly respected member of the court and a wonder Ful judge Denise was appointed to the Bench in 1965 after serving As a Mem ber of parliament for the Only Manitoba Liberal during prime minister John Diefenbaker first minority born in judge Denise had a distinguished career in the Cana Dian army during the second world War and subsequently with the Winni Peg whose commanding officer he became in he graduated from the University of Manitoba Law school in after which he worked in the same Law firm As chief Justice Alfred Monnin of Manitoba court of in 1966 he resigned As president of association Des canadians Francais do Manitoba because he did not think it was proper for a judge to be an officer of an association that was rather than merely in upon being appointed to the judge Denise said his Only regret was that he would have to sever All ties with he also pledged never to Stop being a human Aquino honoured about 200 members of Winnipeg filipino Community attended a mass last night honouring Benigno the slain Philippines opposition organizers said the held in Edwards would have attracted More people if there had been More Advance they decided tuesday to organize the 42 two Zuffi firms struck from Federal Register at least 15 of 66 federally registered companies asked to rectify insulation work by Doug Speirs two Manitoba companies have been dropped from the Federal governments Register of firms approved to remove urea formaldehyde foam be cause of poor a Federal Zuffi program spokesman said yester weve been having trouble with three Winnipeg Zuffi Prairie Region director George Ander son adding one of the two City firms removed from the Federal list has since been if they foam removers dont Fol Low our specifications we desist them until everything is said who refused to identify the companies shoddy workmanship dozens of Winnipeg families have complained to Federal and provincial consumer affairs and Zuffi officials about the shoddy workmanship of firms hired to remove the controversial and at least 15 of the 66 federally re Gisterek companies have been asked by Canada mortgage and housing to rectify their work after inspectors found problems with poor Workman but Anderson refused yesterday to reveal the number of complaints his office has received from disgruntled i dont want misinformation with regard to statistics being handed he i Haven got the exact we get complaints about shoddy but it depends on what they consider Homeowner Lorraine one of about Manito bans who have used special govern ment Grants to rid their Homes of said she is being pursued for payment by a removal company that left her property a they want but they dont want to do any More in not giving them any Money or signatures until the Job is said who along with her signed an contract with comfor a Winnipeg firm recommended by Charette and her husband paid com for a which was part of the the government granted them to subsidize the written complaint she said the company promised it would repair any damage to her Home when it began removing the insulation May but now they dont want to replace anything because its not in the As she said comfor and its subcontractors left her Yard littered with nails and stucco for two despite promising it would Complete the Job in three weeks and clean the site each in three weeks they were supposed to be finished and its going to be three months she Charette among items still in need of repair Are her which was damaged during the and her Kitchen damaged when rain poured in through a window Bro Ken during the Bruce comfor could not be reached for comment but in an earlier interview he maintained the Job had been plated Anderson said he inspected the Charette Alfred Avenue Home after she filed a written in sending a letter to Charette with a Carbon copy to the builder and j cant say any More than he Federal Zuffi spokesman Therese Boisclair said in an interview from Ottawa the government cant order a contractor to rectify shoddy but can drop the firm from the Federal Register if it fails to the Only thing we can ask the people is if you have a complaint Call she adding Quebec has had difficulties with Sloppy foam removal performed by flyby night operators trying to Cash in on Federal Boisclair said homeowners in Manitoba have registered in the foam removal program and have plied for reimbursement upon comple Tion of the despite recent news reports of slip shod she said there have been few complaints compared with the number of Homes from which foam has been removed under the pro i would not say that this is that weve got a few problems Here and there like everywhere you might hear More about the bad ones because that the ones people talk but Denis Deputy director of the provinces Consumers said his office has received a number of complaints and few Are by the time we get them in written form we find they Are meaningful com plaints where the people need Assis Tance and we get involved through the mediation Robidoux asked Why the problem has he some contractors Are taking on More than they handle so there Are beyond i care to make Ritchot said she was also instructed to make the Wash do the vacuum and sweep floors in the Normand As various embarrassing the Norf Fiand Home Lite nand often Shook her head and whispered to her Guberman later said his client would have disputed Many of the accusations had the Case not ended after Ritchott Ritchot said under Tion she took another Job at one Point and had her Boyfriend fill in As baby Sitter while she was when Mand found out about this practice and Ritchot Ritchot admitted she had guessed in calculating some of the hours she and said the time she originally claimed want drastic action possible by Murray Mcneil the president of the Manitoba land lords association says landlords May take drastic action against the provincial government if it proceeds with its plans to impose a six percent rent increase guideline for next our patience is running out with this a fuming Sidney Silverman said we May take drastic and if were going to take drastic action i mean drastic were not going to fool Silverman when asked in an interview what sort of action he was talking he id rather not commit its up to the Board the associations Board of the 13member Board is to meet 30 to decide what it will he the six percent guideline was announced yesterday by housing minis Ter Jerry Storie defended the saying the six per cent looks like an adequate he said the guideline included a three percent increase to cover in creased operating and a further three per cent to cover increased inflation and interest he also noted that it is meant As a guideline and that is increases in excess of that will be allowed if land lords can justify them to the provincial rent regulation in sure there will be some land lords who feel that it is lie but i dont think Well have an overwhelming negative react onto Silverman predicted he warned that a Good number of landlords will be forced to declare or will simply turn their property Over to their if they Are limited to a six percent although landlords have tried to avoid confrontations with the govern this May be the Straw that Breaks the camels he he said a three percent increase for operating costs is he estimated that landlords ing costs increased 10 to 12 per cent during the first six months of this and that trend will probably continue to the end of the operating next year will probably increase same or he predicted he said landlords had braced selves for a lower guideline next year but they anticipated the government would lower it by Only one percentage to seven per but what can you expect from tips particular government he there just picking on the there making us the when the government set this guideline at eight per Silverman i warned it would drive Many landlords out of Storie rioted that Only a Small percentage of lords applied last year for increases in excess of the based on what has taken place ing the first six months of this probably Only about 10 cent will apply for permission to increase years rents by More than the he he also noted the majority of land lords who have applied this year for increases in excess of the have been granted larger although perhaps not As Large As they would have the average increase they received was per he by the same Only a relatively Small number of tenants protested rent increases allowed to their and in most instances won their Storie Academy Road residents Settle differences a Paul Moloney a newly constructed Academy Road min Plaza is to open for business next week after the Developer and a group of area residents tentatively settled their differences Over the controversial Anthony lawyer for the Resi said yesterday the agreement Between his clients and Miles enter Prises Calls for at least 39 parking spots to be maintained on the the Developer has agreed to make landscaping and other improvements while guaranteeing the 368squaremetre Structure will not be expanded in he the threescore on the South Side of Academy Between Ash and Waterloo became the subject of political and Legal controversy after residents claimed it would Worsen parking problems in the in response to the a civic committee earlier this month decided to revoke the building permit and Issue a Stop work two Days a court of Queens Bench judge granted an injunction barring the City from interfering with the the tentative worked out in a meeting Means the project will not be subject to further court Palmyn weve reached a tentative conclusion that we would not go to he its weve reached a settlement we believe every one can live David Miles of Miles enterprises said the company was pleased with the neighbors decision to withdraw their opposition in Exchange for the Assur we didst expect that kind of oppo Miles in i realize they do have legitimate con Cerns about the there people protecting their neighbourhood and Treyve done a Good the residents group will ask other concerned neighbors to ratify the Palmyn adding the City has been requested to draft a formal zoning agreement for City coun cil documents setting out the terms agreed to would then be filed in tie land titles office against the he we consider weve obtained significant concessions from the Deve Loper and significant 1 would think Hes been reasonable and the area residents have been reason Palmyn ;