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* . v 1 PAGE 6, WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 13, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS Unus ualtourists invadeCanada. The operators of Canada's thousands of tourlsm-related businesses find thiey are ai- tracting a strange new breed of customer, flou that they're com plain ing. The "unusual" nwcs tomers: they' re Canadians lrom other parts of the coun- try. More and more, il seems, Canadians are vacationing in Canada, and wilh good reason. For one thing, energy prives are cheaper ai home, and there bas been a big advertising and promotional push from the provinces lu gel us 10 visit another region, rather than another country. The devalued Canadian dollar has also helped. Over- seas travellers report horren- dously high air, hotel and food bis, and even exchanging our dollars for the U.S. varly costs a minimum 15%. The major airlines and other transportation compa- nies have also played a role in the new -see Canada firsi" attitude. They have reduced some lares and generally made il easier for Caniadians Io gel lo know and understand their own country. While lhe change is bene- liting the country's interna- tional trade balances, the real winners are the entrepreneurs operating tourist establish- ments. These are the smaller, sea- sonal restaurants, camp grounds, hiotels, motels, cot- tages and entertainment busi- nesses that are the backbone of the summer economy ln many parts of the country. Without them, unemplo>- ment would be much hlgher, and students seeking a method Io earn enough money Io fi- nance a -year at unlversity or commuaity college would be ou( of Iuck. What's latrlgulng is that Canadians finaîll seem to be learning about the vast array of vacation cholces that exist ln their own country. It's about time. Tpf1ation Fighting Specals Whitby Arnbuta nce Servicee The Whitby Ambulance Service responded to 70 cails for service during the week that ended on Thursday, August 7, at midnight. According to service owner Bill Cocker, the ser- vice responded to 24 routine catis, and 28 standby cails for other ambulance ser- vices in Oshawa and Ajax. The service also respon- ded to 18 emergency cails.