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'r~~ýi :j:»9 ' b> ýl') r< a:A*"der> :p PAGE 6, WTBFEE PRESSWEDMSAY, OCTOBER 28,1991 The only Whitby Newspaper owned and operated by Whîtby residents for Whitby residents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Inc. at 131' Brook St. N., Whitby, Ontario Li N 5SI1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto LUne 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pithier - Editor E Alexandra Martin - Production Manager 2nd Glass Postal Registratio.n #05351 Praise for firemen To the editor: i wauld appreclate k if you wauld publish a thankç you ta the Braakiin firemien. On a reent evenlng durlng a thunderstorm, ll9htnlng started a f ire on a paie with a yard ight, ln my drveway. The firemien appeamed ln short arder and stayed until everythlng was under contrai. My sincere thanks gaes ta on. and ail. M. Stevenson Brooklin Viewpou -int Publicity appreciated Our Iast walk., To the EdItor: On behaif of the Canada Emplayment Centres for Students in OugramReglan, 1iwouid like to thank you for heling aur centre this summer In ils activities ta, gain communuty exposure. Each year, aur centres register a large number of students eager ta, work for the summer months, and we appreclate your invoivement In and support of aur efforts to find these Individuais worthwhlle ernplayment. Our abiiity ta fufiliaur mandate ta help students find summer jobs and emrplayers f111 temparary vacancles -depends, ta a large degree, on the, assistance we receive f rom members of the communlty. Your contribution ta aur WhitbW centre was a significant one and, one again, we extend oufrthanks. Jonnifer Latham Supervisor CEC-S, Durham Region By Roms Stevenson Durham Rlding MP t's probable that our new gun contrai iaws wiil b. approved by Parliament before Christmas. In recent weeks this legislatlon, known as Bill C-17, was given detailed study by a House of Gommons committes. You perhaps heard some criticism of the comm.itte. - that kt was "stackedu wth government members who didn't want tougher gun iaws. As one of the government members of that committee, 1 can assure you those ailegat ions were not correct. 11k. many af the other members, 1 don't consider myseif ta be particulariy anti-or pra-gun contrai, but i wanted the best possible legisliation -- Iaws that wiII be workable and that can be enforced. That's what the committee accompiished. You'iI recail that earlier this year i circulated a questionnaire about gun contrai to ail househaids in Durham. We have more than 1,600 responses, quite a good average for such surveys. 0f those who replied, 78.5 per cent favoured mare restrictive gun legisation, 90.8 per cent siuparted tougher screening 'ot gun buyers, whiie 92.7 per cent want langer prison terms for crimes invaiving firearms. 0f t hase wha responded. 37 per cent are gun owners. The complet. resuts of this survey wiII be given in-a few weeks in my next newsIetter ta constituents. Right now 1 want ta thank ail those who answered the questionnaire, and also the great many constituents wha took the time ta write letters explaining their views and concernis. Ail of these were extremeiy heipful ta me during aur cammittee's deliberatians. The commtte. recoMmended some significant impravements ta C-17. They include raising ta 18 (from 16) the permissible age for buying firearms, and requiring photographic identification for ail those who apply for a firearms acquisition certificatde. A new FAC will now cost $50, and a renewal $25. Firearms off icers wilI be able ta investigate the persanal backgraund and stabiiity of those who apply for an FAC sa they can buy a gun. Like many other members, 1 regretted we couldn't respond ta the widespread public concem that mare severe prison-sentences b. imposed an thase who use guns for criminal purposes such as robberies. That specific section of the Criminal Code is not part of the gun contrai legisation, sa the committees wasn't authorized ta change R.1 l-owever, the Minister of Justioe did give us her assu rance that there wiil be other new legisiation ta increase the minimum sentence for gun-related crimes. Personaly, 1 believe ai ieast five years shouid b. added ta the usual prison terni in such cases. ilm satisied that the commfttee has made C-17 cansiderably better than the original bill. As a resut, the safetyo the general pubvli wiIb.lnereàad.significantly1with minimal diffcuitÙy bing' created for those wI1o-own and use-theirfirearms-legftlmatey; - -. By Edie Gomnfie There are moments m aur lives that take a special hold in aur memaory -- occasions charged with a significance bathedl in the clarity of rock-hard, rock-bottom truth and golden throughts hallowd - by the divined significance af, that manient. My last walk with Dad, four years ago this past Thanksgiving, is one of thoee occasions., It was Sunday morning, breakfast time. I was thinking about leavig for the 2-112 hour trip back he. There were assignments that needed ta be marked, but when Dad suggested going for a walk to the river, 1 agreed. Moni remained behind. W. followed thé wide, grassy path he had made past the beaver pond into the hemlock foret, across the windin, gently rolling, grassy stretc that connected it ta the bigger forest, at the end of wbich the river maved aver black volcanic rocks that jutted out here and there. We paused'by the river bank. I sat on* a table-like rock close by the water's edge. Curled cinnaman-coloured leaves occa- sionally floated by. The water was cold and chear. I could me8 leaves and shell-creaturesi on the river bottom before me. Seeing the reflectian of of some trees in the water, I marvelled - prabably silently - how niiraculously he had captured the vista befare us in the watercolour painting that adorned my parents' living room, wall. He had- even captured the sparkling light an the river's surface. SI d n't think we said much; we einjoyed the quiet and beauty around us. He asked if I wanted ta, continue towards the bend, where the land reached a high point bath. in elevation -and beauty. Isaid no, this was fine; I didn't want ta, exhaust myseif. And so we turned towards home - past the tree stand he bad built, where, in bis late 50s, he once spent a ,cold night watcbing for wildflife. This is the part *I remember' really well: we were in the mneadow section between the dark forests. W. were walkcing together, silently, happily, perfectly balanced. I could smnell the mcent of not-too-distant winter days ini the, nippy blue-golden auturon air. I let my feet plowi deeply< yet lightly through the Six-inch thick layer of gold maple leaves. I walked in the sudden smr knowledge that there was a tenuousness about this moment, meebng very fri-ole and epheeral. I suddenly knew that this might b. oui Ibut autumn wîalk, but* thiat nothing could over take away the reality ofthis perfect moment. Iacepe aur mortality. I was glad ho had ugeted this waULk And no I glad we went for this walk, Papa." It was a strangely warm sp«n afternoon, five manths later, tliat I an sobMing towards the beavrer pond, alan. Where ar~e you, Papa? Corne' backl" I cried. I sank into the brown grass and wept and called, knowing 17d get no answer. He had left that night, But the night before that, as we sat on the couch and he moved clamer ta death, I had held bis warm hand, the feel of that comforting braad palm" takcing me back ta walks in other magical places% down the vista of varushed years that will live as long as I do. YOTJNGSTKRS- from the, Kida CCam- part in a waikathon ia week to - j>us Day àié V~nfrILà O>bk Ieroe Yïrkfi~ptt- pfflmUm