The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 33

SECTION PAGES D1-D12 CLASSIFIEDD4 Mv Old Guard locks door on change Vr if Tf LJ Michael Janigan and Peter Harris have known each other for more than 20 years Dalhousie Ward will choose a winner in year-long battle CLAIRE HOY Little things set the tone. Like locking the front door during "public" meetings. Gives the impression the public isn't really welcome. Well, you're not. Not unless you've come to praise the Old Guard who've been running things at the Ottawa Roman Catholic Separate School Board.

Those in the know realize that a tiny button, so far off to the side it is almost invisible, can be pushed, summoning a janitor to allow them in to attend the fourth-floor "public" meetings. But to a stranger, say a concerned parent andor ratepayer or a nosey journalist it's a telling symbol of just how much this particular board enjoys conducting its public business away from the prying eyes of the public. At issue is the ongoing board struggle between those who want to extend the contract of executive director George Moore through secret board fiat, and those who favor open, fair public competition to fill the post. The Ottawa board, in fact, has a policy calling for public competition for senior jobs. But the board majority conveniently ignored that policy when it hired Moore earlier this year to a one-year term in the post.

This prompted many trustees and OSSB parents to demand that in the future, the board should have open competitions for senior posts. Despite that, Chairman Bonnie Kehoe, with a few of her pals, is desperately trying to extend Moore's contract for two years, again without competition. Last Sunday, this column told of Kehoe's failed attempt in yet another secret session. Ironically, one of those supporting Kehoe in the in-camera session was Trustee Jim Kennelly, Carleton University's ombudsman, a position which supposedly exists to protect people from bureaucratic unfairness and secrecy. Still, in a 9-6 secret vote, the board reformers blocked Kehoe's ruse.

But Kehoe and her cohorts aren't giving up. At a board meeting Wednesday night, the trustees debated a motion by Reform Trustee Kathy Ablett to begin the public process of hiring a new executive director for the board. Despite heavy opposition from the Old Guard, the motion carried. Following the hour-long debate, Trustee Roberta Anderson invoked what is called a motion for reconsideration, which means the whole matter would have to be debated again at the next regular meeting. In response to ratepayer outrage over the Old Guard's antics, on Friday Trus tee Frank Dalton delivered a letter to the board signed by six trustees demanding a special meeting to discuss Anderson's ploy.

That meeting must be held -within seven days. "Reconsideration of what?" says Dalton. "How can you reconsider whether you should play fairly and act with justice to all those hundreds of people throughout Ontario who are legally qualified to compete for the job?" Precisely. The issue here is simple. It's not whether Kehoe's pal Moore is good at his job or not If he's that good, he should have no -problem winning his job in open, fair, province-wide competition.

There are at least 400 educators in Ontario who are qualified for this position. And school boards, hoping to get the best people they can, routinely advertise province-wide. Robert Laplante, a former principal with the Carleton Roman Catholic Separate School Board, and now a superintendent with the London Roman Catholic Separate School Board, says: "It's the established practice for senior positions to be advertised, both internally and externally, in an open competition. r. "That way, you can get the best per-, son available for the job.

That's the standard procedure you'd find in most boards," he said. Not for the Ottawa board, alas. "Well, that's true," said Laplante, "at least for this particular board at this particular time." Happily, there are signs that things at the OSSB are indeed airtiangin'. About time, too. By Jack Aubry Citizen staff writer One pronounces it Dal-howw-zie and the other says Dal-hooo-zie.

Many voters would like to call the whole thing off. But after a year-long battle at the ballot box and in the province's courtrooms, Peter Harris and Michael Janigan are expected Monday to finally settle their struggle over the revolving door they call Dalhousie Ward. The struggle has made the two former Ottawa aldermen Harris was in office for nine months and Janigan for about a week better known than the average local MP or MPP. The ballot recounts also answered the all-important question: do happy faces count on ballots? (Yes they do!) Both men are 38, and both graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1969.

But their differences are many. They've clashed over some major issues such as parking, housing, baseball and LeBreton Flats. Political insiders say the real battle, however, is between the two major political machines in Ottawa Centre, -Orew Gragg, Citizen Harris points out that Janigan the NDPer is using Liberal red on his brochures to confuse residents on which party he is representing. Janigan says Harris changes his position on issues so often it is hard to keep track of where he stands. The confusion in the ward rests on more than how to pronounce it.

Its name has led many to believe it is in Lowertown around Dalhousie Street. In fact, it lies between Bay Street and Bayswater Avenue with the Ottawa River and Carling Avenue acting as the north and south borders. The multicultural ward is the melting pot of the city. It includes an Italian community around Preston Street and a Chinese and Vietnamese one around Somerset Street. Members of other ethnic groups, as well as francophones, yuppies and Carleton University students also live throughout the ward.

Given the political terrain, Janigan and Harris have both learned some key expressions such as "election" and "vote" in numerous languages as they knock on doors seeking support. Monday will see if anybody has been listening to their pronouncements. I Jack Schekkerman, Citizen was left of historic ski loipge 'm. Ma rm 1 1 I 'Piece of history' lost as fire destroys ski lodge apparent it would take another six months to settle it in court. It has cost the city more than $100,000 in legal bills and election costs.

Both candidates will spend about $10,000 on their campaigns. Fringe candidates Dan Roy, of the Green Party, and Dale Alkerton, of the Rhino Party, may settle the matter with the votes they draw away from the two major candidates. Alkerton, for instance, will be first on the ballot rather than Harris and may draw votes from those who simply mark an beside the first name. Last time around, the municipal election was hardly noticed in the ward, and about 70 per cent of the voters stayed away, partly because the federal election was on at the same time. This time, about 60 per cent are expected to stay home.

The skirmishes between the two have been bitter and often petty. Janigan calls Harris "the developers' candidate" who didn't bother to move into the ward until recently. Harris calls Janigan "a socialist" who has hurled personal low-blows during the election. Smouldering ruins were all fiat .1 I which contains the ward. The Liberals and the New Democratic Party have been battling over the provincial and federal downtown riding for the past 10 years, and are using the new municipal election to keep their teams fit during the off-season.

Harris has attracted the support of such notable Liberals as provincial cabinet minister Richard Patten, and federal MP Mac Harb. Janigan has countered with former NDP representatives Michael Cassidy, Evelyn Gigantes and former mayor Marion Dewar. The key on election night will be "identifying the vote and getting it out," says Janigan. He expects as many as 200 workers to be doing exactly that Monday. Harris he says Dal-hooo-zie has similar expectations.

While going door-to-door last week, Harris pleaded with supporters, telling them "it's fine for you to say that but unless you get out and vote, it makes no difference." The 1988 election ended in a virtual tie and the two candidates spent the past year fighting it out in court over the results. Council finally called a new election in September when it became However, it's what can't be replaced by insurance money that will be missed like the hickory skis and old photos of former ski champions such as Betsy Clifford hanging on the walls. Rosewarne said the lodge was a signpost in the history of the club, which was the largest in Canada from the 1930s through to the 1950s. The lodge was named after Sigurd Lockeberg, one of the founding members. One item in particular was mentioned by Rosewarne.

In his former job as a ski instructor, he found a trophy that high-school ski teams once vied for tucked away in a storage areas. After renovations it was placed in the lodge. "Now it's gone," he said. Sgt Gilles Renauld of the Quebec Police Force said an investigation into the cause of the blaze was stalled until today by the still-smouldering remains. 1 Rosewarne pointed out that the building's circuits, fire alarms and stoves had passed recent inspections by fire department officials.

Meanwhile, marketing director Louise Hayter said the blaze will not affect the planned opening of the site in three weeljs. Three other lodges will still ha. operating. By Alana Kainz Citizen staff writer Camp Fortune's general manager has mixed feelings about the ski area's main lodge being destroyed by fire Saturday his first day on the job. "In a sense members are going to benefit since we can now build bigger and better," said Jamie Rosewarne.

"This is my first day as general manager and here I am thinking about rebuilding. It's kind of exciting. "On the other hand it's like losing a skiing museum, a piece of history." The 42-year-old Lockeberg Lodge, a 200-seat restaurant-and-bar at the bottom of the Slalom Hill, burned to the ground in less than an hour while members of the Ottawa Ski Club, which owns the ski area, watched. Neighbors were awakened by a series of explosions just after 4 a.m. when the blaze hit some of the propane and other fuels used to operate the stoves and furnaces, said Rosewarne.

Firefighters from the West Hull volunteer detachment let the building burn to avoid having the fuels spill into the environment Wtyle no one was, injured, financial losses are estimated at $500,000..