The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Whitby Free Press, Wednesday. February 10, 1993. Page 15 ----+e6 BROOKIN } Heron addresses Welland club Last weekend, representatives of the Octagon Club of Brooklin attended the birth of a new Octagon Club in Welland, Ont. Octagon past-president Brock Heron and secretary Ray Paten were escorted te, the meeting by Optimiet Club advisors Bria and Keith Wick. Since Heren aIse serves as Central Ontario district governer, he made a speech te those attending the charter presentation night. The new Welland Octagon Club will join 11 other Junior Optimiet and Octagon clubs in central Ontario. The clubs previde an environinent for youth in senior public and high schools te develop soial and community service prJects. The Brooklin Boys Octagon Club meets weekly to plan social and recreational activities. Funding le provided by the Optimiet Club of Brooklin and by fundraising efforts of the youth therneelves. Currently, Octagon Club menibers are selling discount carde for purchases froin Joe's Pizzeria in Brooklin. The $19.95 card prevides $185 in discounts for eat-in and pick-up orders. For more information about the prograin or fundraieing project, contact Keith Wick at 655-4434. ,5OO for Heart & Stroke The Optimist ~ Club of Brooklin à preeented $500 te the Heart & " Stroke Foun- d at i on o f Ontario at a dinner held Inet Wedneeday. On hand at the event were representatives frein the Brooklin Lions Club, Brooklin Kinsmen Club, Group 74 and the Optimist Club of Brooklin. A representative from the Heart & Stroke Foundation gave a brief talk on the organization's activities and its fundraieing methods. A dinner of lasagna and salad was prepared fer 100 gueste by Optimiet Byron Grace. The Optimniet Club of Brooklin has 33 inembers and is dedicated primarily toward programe for youth. The club is currently running alearn-te-ski prograin for 25 youth at Daginar Ski Resort. During the March echool break, the club will again run an art camp at Thunderbird Golf and Country Club. IL .ni.....ou .I...a...... A celebrai.n.of ..Gide-Scou Ahecelebraton of 'GubeScoud frein 9:45 te 10:45 a.m. at Myrtie United Church, and will include Beavers, Cube, Scoute, S parks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and their leaders. AIl are welcome te, attend the faniil worship service recegniz- ing tL Guide and Scout move- ment. Refreshinents will be served. EMOTIONS INDITD Feeling anger, loneliness, despair, jealousy, resentinent, depression? Juin the Emotions Anonymous support greup te be held Thursdays at 8 p.m. For location and more informnation, cali 666-4137 or By Ross Stevenson Durham riding MPI One of my major interests since being elected an M is>l how federal spending le shared between Ontario and other provinces. Filn concerned about the well-being of my home province. AIse, from several years as member of the Legisature and some experience as a provincial Cabinet minister, I believe I have a pretty good understanding of the Ontario government's operations and requirements. One thing I have found since coming to Ottawa ie that, like many others, I'd been harbouring some misunderstanding about what parts of Canada get the greatest benefits from Confederation. This was learned froin examing not only federal governinent statistics, but also studios done by independent groups, such as the Fraser Institute and at the University of Calgary. Contrary to what many seem to think, Quebec has not been the biggest beneficiary of Ottawa's grants and spending. On a dollars-per-persofl basis -- the faireet measurement -- Manitoba has done better. But in the overali picture, the greatest portion of Ottawa money has been going to Atlantic Canada. That shouldn't be surprising when one considers the comparatively poor economic conditions on the east coast. Presumably we ail, as Canadians, accept the basic premise of Confederation that the wealthier provinces should help those lees fortunate regions. In one of these columns recently, I wrote about the money problems facing ail levels of governments and its impact on Ottawa and Queen's Park. This brought a rather surprising response from Durham Centre MPP Drurnmond White. In claiming I wasn't protecting the interests of Ontarie and Durham Region, he stated that of every federal dollar, 46 cents come from Ontario and only 30 cents are spent hore. (According te my sources, the correct figures are 47 cents and 39 cents, respectively.) Mr. WVhite continued with a rather amazing statement, ' Ask any businessman how long their business would survive at that rate of return." One has te assume he's arguing that Ontario should get back at least as much, or even more than, its taxpayers contribute te Ottawa. Carrying such logic te, its conclusion, he thon presumably is talking about Ontarie separating itself economically (and politically?) from the rest of Canada. That would rnean substantially slashing federal aid to Atlantic Canada and other poorer areas. I'd be very surprised if Mr. White's federal- NDP leader agrees with that. Ilis criticisin of me stemns froin the Ontario NDP government's contention that Ottawa owes it another $4 billion in annual transfer payments. As I said in the previeus column, ail governinents are now extremeiy tight for money and they're aIl leaning on the saine taxpayers. If Ottawa was ta give the province such an amount, while it might heip the Ontario governient financially, it also would mean a whopping increase in federal taxes for Ontario residents. So who gains? Fin satisfied Ottawa je being as generous te Ontario as is possible at this time. For example, aside froin grants and transfers, more than haîf of ail federal contract spending je done in this province. (Quebec gets about 20 per cent.) And while net denying the recession~s impact locally, it is a fact that just over 40 per cent of the total national economy je made up of businesses and industries located in Ontario. Recent figures on inter-provincial trade show that, during the second half of the last decade, Ontario enjoyed a $12.5 billion annual surplus in sales te other parts of Canada. Ail the other provinces had significant trade deficits, except for Quebec with a $2.5 billion surplus. Whatever its present probleins, Ontario still le doing considerably better than niost of the rest of Canada. It's encouraging te see that the Ontario NDP governinent, Iafter its earlier profligacy,-noioj striving te control spending -- as the current federal government has done since taking office in 1984. I wish Mr. White and hie colleagv'es every succees in that regard. CORPORATION 0F THE I TOWN CF WIB CENTENNIAL WASHER/DRYER PAIRS * Last longer, needs NIMAG e Canada's No. 1 fewer repairs preferred brand* * Heavy duty, large capacity 10 t0 * Large door opening *10 year transmission "l'i e Porcelairi enamel top The first instalment of taxes for 1993 is due and payable February 15, 1993. Taxes may be paid at any WVhitby barik without collection charges, or at the Municipal Office, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby, Ontario. In addition, taxes may be paid by telephone through TD Bankline or Canada Trust EasyLins. If you have flot received a tax bill and you are rsoible for paymont. please contact the Tax Deparirnent at 668e503 f obtain the necessary information. If payment is not received by the due date, penalty will be added on thie first day of default and the frst day of each calendar month so long as non-payment continues, at the rate of 1-114% per month, or part thereof. LYNN PIKE SUPER VISOR 0F REVENUE Parliamentary Report Ontario does better