Council clears way for... Central Sports Complex Twisted Mike LeBlanc, a student at Howard Secondary School, had the student population hopping with his rendition of Twisted Sister during an airband competition held last week. The students were raising money for the Easter Seals Campaign by putting on shows and having students buy but- tons to attend. Mike and his band captured first prize in the competition. Free Press Staff Photo By MIKE JOHNSTON Free.Press Staff In a stormy meeting at Whitby council Mon- day night, councillors passed a motion to proceed immediately with a $2.6 million ex- pansion of Iroquois Park. The motion also provides for a second recreational complex. to be built in an area north of Rossland Road. The motion was passed in a recorded vote of four to three, following an hour of heated discussion and debate which, at one point, prompted Mayor Bob Attersley to threaten his resignation. The Mayor offered to resign after council members claimed con- fidentiality of-the coun- cil had been broken when the Mayor called a public meeting for Mon- day, March 27 to discuss the issue of Iroquois Park and the four year budget forecast. The Mayor told the council members he had called a special meeting to set a date for the public meeting with members of council, but only three attended. Councillors Joe Bugelli and Joe Drumm claimed they were not informed of the meeting, while coun- cillors Gerry Emm and Ross Batten refused to attend. After cooler heads prevailed, councillor Ross Batten stood and introduced the motion to a quiet council. Councillors Batten, Drumm, Bugelli and Emm voted in favour of the motion. The mayor and coun- cillors Marcel Brunelle and Tom Edwards op- posed the motion. The first phase of the motion to be completed at Iroquois Park over the next two years calls for immediate repairs of the existing pool; the renovation of the en- trance area and ad- ministration offices; the construction of ad- ditional washrooms and a new concession area and the expansion of the complex to enable con- struction of a second ice pad. The second phase requires staff to im- mediately enter into negotiations to assern- ble land to accom- modate a new recreational multi- phase, multi-purpose complex to be built nor- th of Rossland Road, south of Taunton Road and east of Brock St. N. The complex is to be designed to include a pool with a viewing area; a fitness area; a senior's activity area; a library; administrative offices and associated support facilities and outdoor recreational facilities such as baseball diamonds and SEE PG. 23 Whitby Psych hobbled by dispute with Province Patients at Whitby Psychiatric Hospital are receiving only emergency psychiatrie care this week because 24 Pages doctors have ceased performing all regular therapeutic duties while they wait for Ontario's Minister of Health to respond to their requests for a system of binding arbitration. When the province still hadn't responded to their demands Monday morning, doctors at the Whitby facility and three other provincial psychiatric hospitals moved to impose a five day work action which has effectively brought all regular psychiatrie care to a complete stan- dstill. Physicians and psychiatrists in the province's other psychiatric hospitals have also joined the work action or "study days" but have not yet moved to a five day schedule. According to Dr. Stephen Nugent, president of the Whitby facility's medical staff, said on Monday that he has advised the hospital administration to stop admitting new patients but the Ministry of Health, which must ap- prove the action, has refused. "What is happening is the Ministry is con- tinuing to admit new patients knowing that they are not going to receive proper care," said Dr. Nugent. The psychiatrists have assured the ministry that the work actions will continue un- til their demands have been satisfied. At a meeting of the Ontario Psychiatric Hospital Town considers $7 million hotel If everything goes ac- cording to plan, a multi- million dollar, 112 room, full-service hotel will be standing on the north- east corner of Brock St. -and Highway 401 in August of 1987. Mayor Bob Attersley announced Monday af- ternoon that a num- bered Ontario company had made application to the town for site plan approval of what he believes is the largest single commercial development in. Whit- by's history. While the develop- ment is still several months away from ob- taining the necessary approvals, Mayor At- tersley said he had every confidence in the developers' conviction to proceed with the ven- ture and the town's willingness to pave the way for an early com- pletion. "We're pulling out all the stops on our end to get this project going. We would like to see them break ground by June or July," said the Mayor. According to the numbered company's development con- sultant, Ted Phelps, they have not finished a full costing for the project but he said it would probably ring in around the $6 million mark. Although he was not prepared to state unequivocally that the project will go ahead, Mr. Phelps considered it asafe bet that his com- pany will proceed with the proposal. "The people behind this project are pretty substantial and they've already invested close to $2 million tying up the necessary land so I would say they're com- mitted," said Mr. Phelps. Mr. Phelps and his partners acquired the property at the corner of Brock and the 401 last December and the land has already been properly zoned to ac- commodate the venture. Once the project has received site plan ap- proval, Mr. Phelps said there were some service easements that will have to be relocated and he anticipated they would apply for a building permit within several months. The company will probably build and own the hotel, according to Mr. Phelps, and they are now negotiating with hotel chains who are being asked to come into the venture as operators. Barring this arrangement, Mr. Phelps said his com- pany's second alter- native would be to build the hotel and then sell it to one of the chains upon completion. The proposed hotel would include 112 guest rooms, a 350 seat banquet facility, dining room, lunch " room, lounge, indoor swim- ming pool, fitriess facilities and conferen- ce rooms. An architects rendition of the Whitby Hotel shows how it will look when completed. The hotel will be built at the north-east corner of Brock Street and Highway 401. It will include 112 guest rooms, an in- door swimming pool, fitness facilities and a 350 seat banquet. Mayor Bob Attersley is optimistic the project will get under way in June orJuly. - Artist rendering courtesy of L.O. Simonson Architect Vol. 16, No. 10 Wednesday, March 12, 1986 The future?