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k eC VOICE 0F THE COU NTY TOWN The on/y Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. IPublished every Wednesday By 677209 OntariaohIc. Phone: 668-6111 668-6112 668-6369 F~I Doug Anderson Publisher 131 Brock Street North, P-0. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. LUN 5S1 2nd Maurice Pifher Editor Peter Irvine Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Manager Clasa Postai RegIstration,~O5351 lt's a familiar story: trying to integrate a plan for medium or high housing, the.type that is more affordable than most, within or near esta- blished neighborhoods of single family housing. On Monday night, Stolp Homes presented their revised plan for a "iprestiglous, upscale" development of single family homes and street townhouses forth of Rossland Rd. W., west of Brook St. N., beside existing residences. Despite townhouse prices expected to start at $180,000 and house prices at $400,000O, nearby residents generally opposed it. The Make it a trend townhouse plan was even dlescribed as "Bar- gain Harold's in Rosedale." Whitby's planning committee members adopted the recommendation of planning staff and approved the plan, and we hope counicil does likewise next Monday, despite the dlaims, some unwarranted, of those residents opposing it. The Stolp proposai is hardly low income housing, -but it is more affordable. And Town guidelines exist to -ensure well-planned, attrac- tive development of any density. Such an integ ration of housing types should have been permitted in Otter Creek last year, but Whitby and Durham councils changed the zoning there from medium to low density, thereby upsetting a plan for townhouse devel- opment. We hope approval of* Stolp begins a new trend to at least attempt to address the prob- lem of lack of affordable housing. Epaaions for garbage jumket were "feble" To the editor: It is agonizing to reaci the feeble explanations by Whitby's councillor Brunelle in a desperate effort to justify bis recent ill-conceived European garbage junket. Many editorials concur this taypayer-funded grandstand ego trip will net the residents absolutely nothing, and should have been paid out of bis one- third tax-free allowance. He further sbirked bis responsibilities to Durham residents by flot promoting our own renowned recycing program. I would like to "enlighten" councillor Bruyielle on some salient points about our Durham recycling program with which I became very familiar during rny time as regional works chairman. Durham's program is one of the most successful, cost-efficient operations in North America. We have conducted many training tours, and its facilities have been visited by hundreds of interested people from far and near. Except councillor Brunelle. He is on record as baving neyer visited bis own Durham regional facility. To emphasize. my sincere commitment to our recycing program, I have offered my expeniences as chairman on a voluntary basis in the hope this very important area of waste management will remain Wr place. In this capacity, I have helped initiate correspondence, flot only for its continuance, but for its expansion to include apartments and condos witbin the region. We are also embarking on a pilot program to include plastics within Whitby this September. Councillor Brunelle bas voted to "serve notice of termination" to Durhamn Recycing Services Inc. and it took a special meeting with regional chairman Herrema to work towards preserving its existence. Could Councillor Brunelle be planning yet another free foreign trip to look at even more systems, perbaps energy-from-waste in- cinerators? If so, why would he not look to bis own employer, General Motors, who are internationally recognized for their extraordinary "state-of-the- art" waste management equipment gathered world-wide? Much data would be available to aIl interested parties. Additional energy-from -waste incinerator information is also available at regional ,offices regarding the Burnaby, B3.C. facility, as welI the 3M Company incinerator and the City of London operation servng the Victoria General Hospital. I would suggest the councillor look up tbis information rather than take trips which would save taxpayers' dollars for botter uses. Councillor Brunelle (Whitby's Dan Quayle) would better save the residents of Durham if he had done some work on tbis matter; take a dloser look at what is happening in bis own backyard. ($1 million are recycled from waste in one year thanks to Durham's users of blue boxes); and quit squandering valuable time and funds on bis useless trips at the expense of an already overburdened taxpaying public. Gerry Emm Whitby Funding wanted for OHRP for dlis abled persôns To the. editor: The Family Coalition Party Of Ontario is calling for the immediate re-instatement of funding for the Ontario Home Renewal Program for Disabled Pensons, and for the resignation of Housing Minister Chaviva Hosek. The program bas been established te provide boans to, assizst with the costs of home modifications te, increase accessibility for disabled occupants. However, since its inception in 1987 the pnogram bas been plagued with a severe shortage of funds. Some applicants have been on the waiting list from the time of the program's implementation. Despite its statement that the "availability of accessible accommodation is essential for disabled persons to lead full and independent lives," in February the housing ministry informned persons on the waiting list that no more funds would be forthcoming. The Peterson government engaged in a cynical exploitation of disabled persons for political mileage. At the same time the Peéterson goverrnment was spending profusely te advertise the program, it was busily writing te, applicants already waiting that no funds were available. In an election year, 1987, Peterson sold the program. Today he kilîs it. The Faniily Coalition Party, Ontario's fourth largest party, ratified a policy resolution in 1988 te implement a comprehensive and ongoing home renovations assistance program te, ensure mn-home accessibility. The Family Coalition Party states that thousands of people in the province will now be placed in a crisis situation and denied the opportunity of home accessibility for persons with disabilities. On Jan. 26, the Minister Responsible for Disabled Persons, Remo Mancini, stated that tbe depletion of funding was caused by the "high level of demand from the community." Blaming the disabled for asking for belp in meeting their very real and legitimnate needs is an indication of the insensitivity of the Peterson govemnment. Instead of using the bigh demand as an excuse for killing the program it should be an indication that on-going funding is required. Families and individuals are placed in a position of critical need and Premier Peterson bas a responsibility to re-establish funding to the Ontario Home Renewal Program for Disabled Persons. For using disabled pensons as political pawns, Housing Minister Chaviva Hosek should resign te make way for a replacement who is genuinely commnitted to the principle that home accessibility is essential te persons with disabilities. John Carrol Thunder Bay, Ont. Northern Ontario Regional Director Faniily Coalition Part y of Ontario V~~~j à-i ,~~vLJL. YAGI1QwiP' ~ r PAGE »6, WITBY FRER PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989 i. i i LETTERS The Whitby Free Press welcomes letters to the Editor on any subject of concern to our readers. Letters should be brief and to the point - rarely more than 300 words. Ail letters must be accompanied by the name, address and phone number of the writer; however, on request, your name may be withheld from publication if we agree that there is a valid reason. The paper reserves the right to reject or edit ail letters. Send to: The Editor, Whitby Free Press, Box 206, Whitby, Ontario LI N 5S51 or drop through our mailsiot at 131 Brock St. N. -... 1