PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS Resiidents stil stranded iithefr homes; CLOCAis seekigag a'Iopinio By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff The three Whitby families that the Free Press wrote arbout two weeks ago are still stranded in their own home town. The families, who live on the shores of Lake Ontario south of the Lynde Shores Conservation Authority have no easy access to or from their homes because the bridge over the marsh was washed away during the severe storm that struck Southern Ontario earlier this month. Without that bridge, the families, two with smnall children, have to walk about one-and-a-half miles to the nearest concession road along the beach. The residents, lead by John and Margaret Mann have been fighting with the Central Lake Ontario Con- servation Authority (CLOCA) in an effort to get the bridge reconstructed. When they appeared at the last meeting of CLOCA, the authority tabled the matter until next month 50 that a legal opinion on who owns the road and who had liability is secured. "They wanted to delay it for another month, " Margaret Man said in an in- terview from her home. She claimed that when the matter was brought, memn- bers of the authority kept sidetracking to other issues which she said "has nothing to do with the bridge. " "At the present time, they have contacted their lawyer to find out who is responsible for the bridge," she said, although she feit that "they didn't want anything to do with it. " Mann said that the residents are willing to help get the bridge up again in- c1uding a 50/50 cost sharing agreemnent. "We would help thern as mnuch as we could, " she said adding that if the structure wasn't built that the "Igeneral public are the ones who are going to miss out" bc-cause they will have no access to the area south of the marsh. Asked whether or not the residents are planning any kind of court action Mann replied, "it's a bit too soomn to say at the moment. " The mother of three could be described as angry and frustrated and said that she is getting the impression that CLOCA doesn't want to deal with Uhc problem. " "'They were pretending that it wasn't happening," -Mann said of the meeting. "They were just trying to ignor it." "INothing was gained by the meeting last Thesday night. " When asked what CLOCA could do for thc residents in the mean time, authority member Allan Pilkey, a regional councillor from Oshaw, said nothing, at present. "Nothing will be donc because the authority is seeking a legal opinion," he said. Pilkey indicated that the Town of Whitby should be also involved in this issue because they are respon- sible for roads for local residents. "lIt is niy understanding that they are taxpayers to the Town of Whitby but their OWfl towf council wilI not support their position," Pilkey said. From discussing the problemn wit.h several dif- ferent people both in and out of CLOCA over the last two weeks the major bone of contention seemns to b>e who owns the road and, who is responsible for it. The issue is further clouded because Pilkey said that " ail they (the residents) have is a right of way. " Pilkey went on to say that John Mann came to the CLOCA in 1978 to ask for ex- clusive use of the road. CLOCA, he said, gave Mann what he asked for and even went as far as to ban their vehicles from using it except in cases of an emergency. Since them, CLOCA has flot used the road, he said. Pilkey said one reason why the authority seems s0 unwilling to do anything is that it 18 "not in t.heir plans to need that road or to use Since the road is used by private individuals and not CONT D'.ON PG. 3 WHITBY TENNIS CLUB OPENING NIGHT Thursday, May 1, 1980.- 7 p.m. Peel Park Courts Burns St. East, WHUTBY In case of ramn, alternate date is May 8th, 7 p.m. BRING YOUR RACQUET for A SPRING WARM-UP -Registration Refreshments-