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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26. 1986 WHITBY FREE PRESS Published every Wednesday BILL MCOUAT by M.H.M. Publishing aniid Photography Inc. h itb ~ Iic. AdvortUing Manager The Free Press Building, oteC T nMc e BresP - 1Editor 1:1 Brock Street North, Second Class Mail P.V.c ox 206, Whitby, Ont. Regisraton No 5351 The only Whitby newspaper independeîîtly nmed and operated by Whitby residetits for Whithy residents. $6.2 million Iroquois expansion still possible On Monday evening in the Whitby council chambers, at least 250 people had an opportunity to witness the culmination of small time, in- decisive and niggling municipal politics at its finest. After a protracted exchange of views, two years of studies, surveys and planning and a con- siderable expense of money, time and energy Whitby council In its wisdom chose to toss everything to the wind and defeat a motion to build a $6.2 million expansion of the Iroquois Park sports complex. Several years ago it was this same council who commissioned a study Into the recreational needs of Whitby and the best way those needs could be accommodated. They approved spending more than $60,000 on consultants to do that work and countless thousands more of town staff time for the project - in ail, well over $100,000 has been spent on a project that Monday night was relegated to the trash can in one 40 second recor- ded vote. To be sure there are reasonable concerns that are shared by councillors Joe Bugelli, Ross Bat- ten, Joe Drùmi and Gerry Emm, the four coun- cillors who defeated the motion but we are curious why It is these concerns weren't raised two years ago. Had they expressed their concerns so eloquently then the whole project might have taken an entirely different shape and Monday night's vote would have been nothing more than a rubber stamp of approval for the world's perfect recreation centre, one which would have garnered the support of every living soul in Whitby. Unfortunately, perfection is something seldom seen in this world and in the world of municipal politics it Is a comodity that is virtually nonexistent. As if in an attempt to negate this hypothesis, however, these same four men are now proposing that we start ail over again. In their quest for the perfect recreation complex they suggest we begin new studies, hire new con- sultants, purchase and service new lands and draw up new plans for their consideration in another three or four or five years time. In the in- terim the recreational needs of this community, needs that grow more accute with every day, will simply have to be put on hold. This is not,.apparently, too much to ask of the people of Whitby but what assurances have we that they will not find flaws in this perfect sports complex of the future too? On Tuesday morning a committee was formed to press ahead with the $6.2 million expansion of Iroquois Park. The people on that committee are launching a letter writing campaign and collecting signatures for a petition which will be presented to council in a last attempt to provide the people of Whitby with the kind of recreational facilities they deserve. It is not a lost cause. According to Mayor Attersley, the door has still been left open for the Iroquois expansion and it could still proceed if there is evidence that the community wishes it to proceed. If you feel it is high time the Town of Whitby builds a full service sports complex at Iroquois Park you should address your concerns in a letter to Ed Buffett, 185 Brock Street North, Suite 209, Whitby, L1N 4H3. If Mr. Buffett's committee gets the kind of support they're looking for, the expan- sion may still proceed. It is only through you that Whitby council will truly know what the people want. THE GURU ..................i.... It is the duty of the poor, especially if deductible, it s tax- Letters to the editor: To The Editor: Monday, Feb. 24 will go down in the history of this community as Black Monday foi it was on this day that four Councillors chose to disregard the wishes of the citizens of this community, their previous election promises and projected us backward in time. Councillors Batten, Bugelli, Drumm and Emm voted against the proposed $6.2 million expansion of Iroquois Park. Had approval for this project been. at- tained, the citizens of this community would be able to look forward with a sense of pride to the completion of a major recreational and sports complex available to all of our residents. The proposed complex encompassed such items as an indoor track, a physical fitness room, a martial arts area, squash courts, improvements to the swimming pool in- cluding a viewing gallery for spectators, an additional ice pad and a room for the pur- suit of various arts and crafts activities. In their wisdom, the aforemen- tioned Councillors determined that there was no need for a facility of this nature, that the facility was not in the proper locale and that the community could not afford the ex- penditure. Each of these arguments is frought with holes. A survey conducted by an outside consulting agency had previously confirmed the desire of the citizens of this community for a facility of this nature. For the vast majority of our citizens, Iroquois Park is at the most a 15 minute journey from their place of residence. Furthermore, the project was financially viable because the land on which the existing facility is located is paid for and fully serviced. This same consulting firm determined that the proposed $6.2 million expenditure was affordable and that there was little likelihood of the need for debentures or an in- crease in taxes. The monies were to have come from lot levies paid to the community by developers. On the evening of Feb. 24, numerous citizens made deputations to Council urging the passage of the proposed by-law. Some of those who ap- peared before Council represented special in- terest groups; many were simply private citizens. Despite this fact the infamous four chose to ignore the message which was being brought to them by their constituents. The proposed by-law not only dealt with the $6.2 million expenditure at Iroquois Park, it also addressed the need for a study to determine the recreational needs in the northern part of our community. As a result of their actions the Councillors in question have saddled us with a second rate facility and a comparable image as a community. Mayor Attersley, Regional Councillor Tom Edwards and Councillor Marcelle Brunelle are to be congratulated for their foresight and their leadership in supporting the proposed measure. I strongly urge the citizens of this com- munity to respond to this leadership by making their feelings known to Messrs. Emm, Batten, Bugelli and Drumm. I believe that it is imperative that the decision not to proceed with this project be reversed. How can this be accomplished? I am in the process of establishing a commit- tee: "The. Committee For The Expansion Of The Iroquois Park Facility". I urge you to make your feelings known with respect to this matter by not only calling your elected representatives but by taking the time to send a letter concerning your support for this proposal to: "The Committee For The Expansion Of The Iroquois Park Facility", c/o Ed Buffett, Buffett, Taylor & Associates Ltd., 185 Brock St. N., Suite 209. Whitby, Ont. LIN 4H3. Make your voice heard! Sincerely yours, Edward W Buffett. the rich to help 1