Johnston Motors - a Colborne fixture

Johnston Motors has had a long and successful 54-year history in Colborne.

George Johnston, Dana’s father, started the family business in 1944 when he saw an ad in the Toronto Star and put down $10 on an option to buy Colborne Garage. Born on January 17, 1925 and only 19 years old, George had to have his dad's signature on the paperwork. It was March 15, 1944.

George always had an interest in automobiles. While growing up he pumped gas, did the books and was a general handyman in the garage business of his next door neighbour in Mildmay.

The purchase of the garage in Colborne meant a move for the young entrepreneur.

It was not long before he met and married Barbara Branigan, beginning a 60-year marriage that brought the couple two children and two grandchildren.

A surprise visit by a representative of General Motors resulted in George becoming a GM dealer in 1955. It was the beginning of a 54-year relationship that was carried on by his son, Dana until GM began its downsizing this year.

Early in 1956 George sold his first GM car, a Chev Impala that remains one of the family's prized possessions. That first car off the truck was bought second hand about a year later by Miss Jean Kernaghan's father. Jean drove it around in the warmer months until the 1980s, selling it back to Dana with about 65,000 miles on it.

Dana guesses it wasn't the first car they ever sold. It had a premium of about $300 over the base price of $1,700. It is now worth much more than that both sentimentally and financially.

The new cars of that era had one year warranties. Maintenance schedules were tighter. Owners accepted that they would have to add a quart of oil every thousand miles. The cars weren't as durable as those driven off the lot today, and few of the comforts we now expect.

The business continued to grow and expand under George's hand. Many in the community knew him through the purchase and service of cars he sold.

In 2005 George made one of his last public appearances, cutting the cake for his 80th birthday in the showroom of Johnston Motors.

But the business had long before been passed on to Dana. Some things have remained the same, despite the passage of time. Dana still does business with a handshake - an anachronism in the modern world of detailed contracts. Perhaps it's a legacy of a small town business.

On the other side of the equation, Dana points to the long term customers, some of whom are the third generation dealing with the local dealership. With some of them he does business on a phone call. It's part of a mutual trust earned over five decades.

Car buying has changed to some extent.

While looks continue to be important, potential buyers are looking for other values too. One is reliable service, when most dealers purchase their cars from General Motors for about the same cost, quality service has been a selling point for one dealer over another.

When the business opened a sale would be handwritten, probably in duplicate. Now a sales contract when completed will have many pages. It will be stored in hard copy and on computer files.

The Johnston staff has remained remarkably loyal and constant over the years.

In 1955, Dana guesses there was a staff of 10 to 12. Dana's wife, Janice, has worked in the business alongside him for 20 years. It's obvious in conversation with the couple that there is a deep and meaningful working partnership. Their current staff numbers 10. Longest serving staffer over the years is Brian Hadwen with over 40 years in the firm. Dana recalls that Brian started before he could even drive.

When Brian started a mechanic could get by with a set of wrenches. Now he would need tools worth more than $10,000. And the necessary company-owned equipment dwarfs that cost.

Fifty years ago some of those staff members would have manned the gas pump from early morning until late, and sometimes on Sundays. Dana estimates that there were 15 nozzles within five miles of the village of Colborne when he was a kid. There still are, but they are concentrated at a few distribution points.

Fifty years ago many general stores would have a pump out front. In all likelihood it would have been carrying White Rose, Texaco, Shell or BP leaded gas. The rule of thumb at that time was that 13 families was a big enough customer base to operate a store. Most of those little stores are long gone in a world where people travel to shop.

The growth in new car sales in the past 15 years has been in the leasing market. Interestingly, Johnston Motors was way ahead of the game in introducing that alternative.

His first lease was made in 1968 when a customer approached the dealer with the proposal that would provide him with a better tax alternative. It avoided repair bills and cut depreciation risks. Dana had to figure out how to do it.

In recent years much of their business has been in leased vehicles which are cheaper on a month-to-month payment basis and involve a shorter commitment on the part of the owner.

The company changed hands in 1998, but Dana says there was little change in business philosophy. He's been the go-to guy since the eighties. That continued as the company grew with the community.

Since he took over the company the Johnston staff provided sales and service that has made it the first and second-ranked dealer of its size in Canada in those areas.

It's not a complex approach. Dana recognizes he has to prove every time out that he should get the business, to make it an enjoyable experience. He takes nothing for granted, even when those customers are his friends. It is vital that customers be treated fairly and well. That approach has brought him customers from as far away as Brampton. He admits he hasn't gotten rich monetarily but his work has made him rich in experience.

Dana and the company have earned more than its share of local awards.

In 2006 Johnston Motors was Rotary’s Colborne Business of the Year.

In 2007 Johnston Motors was named top business in the Brighton and District Chamber of Commerce based on having repeatedly ranked in the top 10 dealerships in the province.

In 2008 he was nominated as one of Northumberland’s businessmen of the year.
It was a testimony to the growth his company has made and the excellent service it provided to the community.

It was smalltown Colborne, giving small-town service with local staff and all the intangibles you don't get when you enter the rah-rah land of the big box store.

Rick Norlock asks questions

The Federal Government will be seeking responses from Canadians on a number of questions, including:
1. Are there measures in the Economic Action Plan that should be revised? Measures that should be extended? Measures that should be ended prior to their planned retirement date? Are there areas where funding should be shifted to meet changed priorities?
2. Our government has outlined a plan to eliminate the deficit as the economy stabilizes, without drastic spending cuts or increases to taxes. If warranted, we will slow the growth of direct program spending in future years to ensure balanced budgets. In what areas should we focus spending growth restraint?
3. To what extent has Canada's Economic Action Plan been effective in stimulating activity in their industry, sector or community?
4. What suggestions do they have for improving the effectiveness of the Government's stimulus measures or the speed of their delivery?
5. What steps should the Government take to improve the competitiveness of the Canadian economy and ensure that Canada continues to attract investment and create jobs once the recovery is achieved and the Economic Action Plan is wound down?
6. Over what time period should the Government bring the budget back into balance?
We hope to see you at one of our locations; for anyone not able to make it, suggestions and recommendations can be submitted to rick@ricknorlock.ca.

Sunday Services

Eden United Church (Dundonald) - 9:00 a.m.

Castleton United Church 9:30 a.m.

Old St. Andrews Presbryterian Church, Colborne 10 a.m.

Prospect Community Church EMCC
75 King Street East, Colborne - 10:00 a.m.

Salem United Church - 10:00 a.m.

Trinity Anglican Church - 11:00 a.m.

Colborne United Church - 11:15 a.m.



Bible Studies

Prospect Community Church EMCC
Thursday 10:00 a.m. at Friendship House

Prospect Community Church EMCC
Friday 7:00 P.M. at Prospect House.

Everyone welcome.

Ecology Garden Gallery

Concerns over passport applications

The following is a letter written by Tom Philp to Northumberland-Qunite West MP, Rick Norlock expressing concerns over changes to the passport procurement procedures.

Mr. Philp has kindly allowed the letter to be published. It was received by Cramahe Now on April 14.

Hi Rick.

I think your government's decision to close the portal for online passport applications is a major step backwards, and makes Canada look like technology's country cousin. Yes, there was a security glitch two years ago, but that was apparently fixed. In any event, if your Passport Canada people have not hired the appropriate personnel to ensure ongoing security of the system since then, what have they been doing for heaven's sake?

Right now particularly, when the U.S. is about to make it even more difficult for Canadians to enter that country, we need modern, streamlined, expedient systems in place to encourage citizens to apply for, and use passports. To return to a system that demands filling in forms and then taking them to a Canadian passport office for processing is arcane and foolish.

I expect you, as my Member of Parliament, to voice your concerns about this stupid move not only to the Minister, but in the House.

Thanks.

Tom Philp


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Energy audits hurt pensioners

The following is a letter written on March 30 by Cramahe resident Alwyn Horscroft to Northumberland-Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi regarding Bill 150.

Mr. Horscroft has included the reply he received from Mr. Rinaldi later the same day.

Dear Mr. Rinaldi,

I would just like to give you a couple of thoughts I have been having about Bill 150. Much of it seems to be heading in the right direction. It may be a little heavily weighted in favour of wind power, but I'm certainly not qualified to judge that, and I must admit to having some difficulty understanding some of the bill.

However, when it comes to the energy audits I do have something to say, and I would hope that you will consider this.

Many of us in your riding are pensioners living on a fixed income, and we don't really need extra expenses if it should come to the time when we have to sell our houses. In our case we would like to remain in this house as long as we can, but even if we stay here until we die, we will still have the problem of leaving our children a liability rather than an asset.

The first thing they would have to do is have it audited at their expense. For many it isn't a case of finding out what needs doing. I can tell you now that the basement wall needs fixing, which will mean ripping up the back deck, and after that we have a couple of windows need replacing, and we don't need an assessment to know that they are leaking air in the winter.

The federal budget this year gave tax credits for fixing some of these things up, but they are a fat lot of good if you don't earn enough to pay taxes. The bill didn't make it clear to me whether we would be forced to carry out any alterations to make it more energy efficient, although I can assure you that many of us would love to be able to pour loads of insulation into the walls, and buy a new furnace.

These things aren't possible, and no law about energy audits is going to change this.

Really, when you buy a hundred year old house, you know that you are inheriting some problems, but if you had a couple of hundred thousand dollars extra you might buy a more expensive house. Then again, you might not.

I was also upset about the section which would give inspectors the right to enter one's premises. I understand that it says between six a.m. and nine p.m. Any inspector entering my house at either end of that period would be liable to catch me in bed.

They used to say that an Englishman's home is his castle. I hope that a Canadian would have the same rights as an Englishman.

I would strongly recommend that this section of Bill 150 should be gone over with a fine tooth comb, and either removed or amended.

Yours Sincerely, Alwyn P. Horscroft

The reply from Mr. Rinaldi is below:

March 30th, 2009

Thank you for taking the time to share your views with me on the government’s new Green Energy Act. As always, I appreciate hearing from you and further appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

It’s time to change the way we think about electricity. The McGuinty government’s proposed Green Energy Act (GEA) can ignite that essential transformation, to the benefit of our economy, our security, the future of our families and our planet.

The GEA is not simply legislation; but a complete rethink of the way we consume and conserve, produce and deliver energy. The GEA would make Ontario a global leader in green economics, generation and conservation – creating up to 50,000 jobs in the next three years and encouraging global investment in Ontario for decades to come.

As important as modernizing our energy infrastructure is; we must also reduce our carbon footprint. Supported by members of all parties during debate in the legislature, a key plank in the GEA’s conservation platform would be the implementation of home energy audits.

Energy audits allow each of us to assess and improve our homes by promoting efficiency and conservation; yielding real savings and increased property values to owners everywhere.

The idea behind a home energy audit is simple.

As homes come to market for sale, an audit will be performed to assess a property’s efficiency – and reveal its potential. Audits would be performed by NRCan EcoEnergy certified energy auditors – ensuring professional standards by accredited individuals.

On site, an auditor will measure the energy efficiency of any home, and deliver a report to the owner that will catalogue any improvements that might be made to save energy. The owner can then choose whether to make any recommended improvements – there is no obligation.

Every owner does qualify for a combined provincial/federal retrofit rebate package of up to $10,000 towards any needed improvements. This initiative will be phased in over a period of time.

The result? Not a pass or a fail, but an opportunity. By making a home more efficient, an owner enjoys reduced operating costs and a potential increase of the property’s value.

Much ado has been made about both the cost of an audit and the rights of homeowners to control an auditor’s access. Like anything worth having, an audit will cost a small investment of about $150 – which will be matched by the provincial government.

The benefit? A plan to improve your property and sales value while decreasing energy costs if improvements are made. All voluntary.

The issue of access is also important. Audits will be scheduled through a cooperative process that respects both an owner’s rights and the regulations of the act.

The proposed Green Energy Act would transform Ontario’s electricity generation system into one of the cleanest, greenest energy supply mixes in the world.

This is a work in progress; we need your input to make the GEA and the audit process an effective and fair reality. Check out www.ontario.ca/greenenergy . This Bill is presently in front of the Standing Committee of Government Agencies and it is here that all Ontarians have the opportunity to send their concerns along.

I would encourage you to write to the clerk, Mr. Arnott or you may wish to write to each Member of the committee as well. Should you choose to write the Clerk he will forward your concerns along to all Members of the Committee.


Friday, 3 April 2009

Cramahe resident takes concerns to province

On March 31, Cramahe resident, Alwyn Horscroft sent a letter to the MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West, Lou Rinaldi, expressing concerns about Bill 150 - the Green Energy Act.

Mr. Rinaldi suggested that the constituent communicate his conerns to the Clerk of the Standing Committee which will look at the act before it is passed by the provincial legislature.

Mr. Horscroft's letter is below:

Dear Mr Arnott,

I wrote to Mr. Rinaldi expressing a few concerns over the Green Energy Act, and he told me I should write to you as Clerk of the Standing Committee which will be looking at the act.

Mr. Rinaldi did answer some of my worries, which are mainly about the home inspections. My concerns are mainly for people such as pensioners who have limited means but are still lucky enough to own a house.

Mr. Rinaldi tells me that half of the expense of an audit would be paid by the government. However I am still worried about the expense which he suggested may be around $150 for the homeowner. I would suspect that this will be nearer $200 - $250 out here in the country by the time the inspector has charged for travelling time, and I expect there would be harmonised sales tax on top of this.

At a time when there would be all sorts of extra expenses such as moving, probably to a seniors home where first and last month's rent would be required, an extra couple of hundred comes as an unnecessary expense.

It was pointed out that up to a $10,000 federal/provincial retrofit rebate package is available to help pay for any improvements, but this implies that the owner will have put out the money in the first place.

Those on a pension don't have that kind of money. Many of us are living in houses over 100 years old and we know that the houses leak heat all over the place. It isn't that we don't support the principles of the Green Energy Act. It is just that we are not in a position to pay any extra money, although, in our case, when we have had some we have spent it on improvements.

I, for one, am not convinced of the efficiency of the audits. When we bought our house, we had it inspected by a gentleman who taught home inspection at Durham college (as it was then) and it wasn't until we plugged in the dryer that we discovered that there was no power there. I traced the wiring and discovered that the 240 volts which should have been directed to the dryer had been diverted underneath the lawn to the garage. This wasn't difficult to find.

I was also concerned about the power of entry which will be given to the auditors and would like to be sure that the wording in the act takes into consideration an owners rights to privacy and the right to live in peace. I would be grateful if the Standing Committee would take these matters into consideration.

Yours Sincerely,

Alwyn P. Horscroft


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Children's Play Group

The Colborne Children's Play Group meets every Friday from 9:30-11:30. Bring your child under 6 for play and social time. $2 donation optional.

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Cramahe Food Bank opening dates

The Cramahe Community Food Bank has been around for many years, operating twice a month out of the United Church in Colborne with the ongoing support of the Legion especially, various other organizations from time-to-time, and members of the community at large.

We are also privileged in this community to have developed in the last six years or so the support of the Milk For Moms Program, the NeighborLink Meat and Milk program, and of course the Food4All Warehouse located in the industrial park

The Food Bank is open from 9-11 a.m. on the opening dates listed below. For emergency help call (905)355-1338 or (905)355-3331.



Food Bank Opening Dates

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What is a chaplain?

The role of a chaplain is often confused with that of a minister. Here are some of the things done by chaplains:

Chaplains assist people of all faiths and those without religious affiliation during periods of crisis in their lives. They assist people in dealing with the questions which arise as they travel along their life paths.

They are all things to all people and do not work within any faith or denomination.

Chaplains are allowed wide access within the hospital and are able to help staff as well as patients and families. They are particularly valuable for patients in crisis or in palliative care, helping them to see that it is all right to die.

Chaplains must have a degree in theology and then receive four years in specialized chaplaincy training.

People have physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. When any one of those needs is not being fulfilled a patient is not being fully cared for.

South Cramahe Public School Reunion Schedule of Events

Friday, June 5

6:30 p.m. - Wine and Cheese at the Keeler Centre. (Apple juice for the kids)

Saturday, June 6

9 a.m. - Canteen open at the Keeler Centre

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Lunch Barbeque at South Cramahe School run by the Parent Advisory Council - Hotdogs, hamburgs, sausages, muffins and pop

6 p.m. Gala at the Keeler Centre - Full Course Buffet by Hayden Taylor

11 p.m. Snack time with meat and buns, veggies and dips

Sunday, June 7

9 a.m. to Noon - Breakfast catered by the Colborne Masonic Lodge and a Car Show