t $Tl)c (Tunahtun Statesman SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1988 Cold Weather Can t Stop Scouts Outdoor winter camping can prove to be a pretty chilly experience. But by building a shelter on a bed of straw and in the protection of the forest, Scout Leader, Laverne Muirhead (pictured above), sleeping outdoors can be as "warm as toast". says Sleeping in make-shift shelters, cooking food over an open fire and improving improving winter survival techniques in minus 10 degree weather, may not be your idea of fun. But for 50 Scouts, Venturers Venturers and leaders, this was a great way to spend the weekend. The first annual West Durham District Scout/ Venturer Snow Jam took place February 6 to 8 at Sandaraska Park, off Highway 115, north of Oromx The Snow Jam provided an opportunity for Scouts and Venturers to learn how to live in extreme extreme weather conditions, conditions, and have fun while doing it. Laverne Muirhead, a Scout leader participating participating in the Snow Jam, explained when the boys arrived Friday all the comforts of home disappeared disappeared and the boys aged 12-17, had to begin their lesson of survival. The weekend involved two nights of winter camping in shelters the boys built themselves, and two days of snow activities. activities. "Everything we do is outside. The boys won't ever go inside except for the singsong and campfire tonight,", said Mr. Muirhead. In fact, they cooked, ate, slept and played out doors for the entire weekend. The temper- ture never rose above -5 degrees. However Mr. Muirhead said the boys never had a complaint about the cold or rough living conditions. In fact they seemed to be enjoying enjoying every minuté of their winter adventure. A day of snow events was planned as a part of the West Durham District Scout/Venturers Snow Jam. The 40 boys participating in the weekend spent Saturday sleigh racing, compass orienteering, cross cut sawing, fire lighting, and snowshoe racing. The Scouts pictured above prepare for the sleigh race. Canadian Club Learns About Impact of Darlington Generating Station Ontario Hydro representative representative Sue . Stickley discussed discussed the impact of North America's largest construction construction project on the Bow- manville area during a speech to the Bowmanville Men's Canadian Club last week. Although the plant employs employs a total of about 7,500 persons at the present time, only a fraction of them actually actually live intheTownofNew- castle. Darlington workers and their family members residing residing in the municipality number 1,980. That's about six per cent of the town's total population. Ms. Stickley suggested that Darlington acted as a stimulus to the local economy economy but didn't create the growth that has been witnessed witnessed in this town, especially especially during the past two years. "Actually, we passed our peak before the housing boom started in Newcastle," Newcastle," the Hydro speaker said. Moreover, she noted that Hydro, through its agreement agreement with the Town of Newcastle, has spent approximately approximately $2.3 million in improving and maintaining community facilities in the area. In an update of a variety of Hydro-related topics, Ms. Stickley also touched upon the storage of radioactive wastes and the general safety of living near a nuclear nuclear generating plant. She addressed the Bowmanville Bowmanville Men's Canadian Club on Wednesday. "The question of nuclear waste is not an insoluable problem," Ms. Stickley assured assured her audience. She noted that Atomic Energy Canada Limited is working on a long-term storage proposal proposal whereby Hydro's spent fuel bundles would be kept in deep bedrock within the Canadian Shield. In her comments on the safety of nuclear energy, Ms. Stickley explained that nuclear plants are designed to accommodate the worst possible accident. "We employ, employ, as designers at Ontario Ontario Hydro, a whole load of Hospital Fund Benefits from Kinsmen Donation The Memorial Hospital Building Fund just, keeps on growing. At at February 2 meeting, the Bowmanville Bowmanville Kinsmen Club made their third donation to the fund. Subhash Parmar (2nd vice-president) is seen above presenting a cheque for $4,000 to Stan Dunn. Mr. Dunn is a member of the hospital's fund-raising St. John Ambulance volunteer, Doug Boddy, is bound for the Calgary Winter Olympics. Mr. Boddy, along with fellow volunteer Sandy Grccnsladc, was selected to attend the upcoming Games. The pair received a helping hand in their fund-raising for the pessimists," she said. In addition, Hydro has worked with area municipalities municipalities and the Durham Region to' produce emergency plans for the Pickering Generating Station. Station. A similar emergency plan will be developed for Darlington. But the most convincing proof as to the safety of nuclear nuclear power plants is the health of the employees who work in these facilities. Health studies conducted by Hydro on employees over the past 25 years indicate indicate that Hydro workers are generally "healthier" than individu als of the same age and geiiiier in, the general. population. ! Base-line studies on the health of Durham Region residents are already being compiled so that the health of the community before the completion of Darlington can be compared with the health of the community after Darlington is operational. operational. In summing up the Darlington Darlington project, Ms. Stickley pointed out that the plant is being built at a cost of $11.3 billion -- a price tag which includes interest charges of $4 billion. When completed, Darlington Darlington will produce enough electrical energy to serve a city of three million people. The first of the four units is expected to be in production by March of 1989 and the final unit will be operational operational in early 1992. Although the consumer might assume that a generating plant the size of Darlington will meet our electrical needs for many years to come, that's not necessarily the case. Ontario Hydro forecasts are already talking about the need for additional hydro power in the middle of the next decade and these predictions are based on significant growth in electrical demand experienced experienced during the last four years. A five per cent growth rate was reported in 1987 alone, Ms. Stickley said. The guest speaker made no predictions as to the fu-. ture source of the required electricity. She noted that. Hydro's chairman has spoken, spoken, of controlling the demand demand for electrical power by various methods. Another option would be to develop the few remaining water-powered Hydro sites. The answer could also be the purchase of power from other provinces or possibly construction of another Darlington-type plant. One thing is certain: The Darlington Nuclear Generating Station will bè a part of the town's indus-, trial life for all of the foreseeable future. The cost of Darlington is amortized over a 40-year period which is assumed to be the approximate lifespan lifespan of the plant. Of course, the 40-year estimate is only a minimum. No one really knows the maximum lifespan of Darlington. Darlington. Members of the Bowmanville Men's Canadian Club were brought up to date on progress at the Darlington Darlington Nuclear Generating Station last Wednesday, February 3. The guest speaker was Suzanne Stickley, Community Relations Officer for Hydro. From left are: Bradd Anderson, who introduced the guest speaker; Ms. Stickley; Rev. Allan Langley; and Canadian Canadian Club President Don McGregor. The group is inspecting a fuel bundle (without the fuel, of course). The fuel bundle is one of many which are placed inside the reactor at the heart of the Candu system. committee and is in charge of canvassing service groups on behalf of the hospital project. Jim Coolen (Kinsmen treasurer) was also on hand for the presentation. presentation. This last donation brings the club's total contribution contribution to the hospital fund to $12,000. The money was raised through various fund-raising activities. Sunday Shopping Concerns Letter Writer trip from the Bowmanville Kinsmen Club. Jim Coolen (Kinsmen treasurer) presented Mr. Boddy with a cheque for $150 at a meeting on Tuesday, February February 2. Kinsmen 2nd Vice-President Subhash Par- mar helped to wish Mr. Boddy good luck with the trip, Dear Editor: A few weeks ago you wrote an editorial about the pros and cons of Sunday shopping. What was lacking in the editorial was any mention of "Freedom to choose." In our so called democratic society shouldn't the owners of businesses be the ones to decide when and if their business will be open? What I have seen so far is a vocal group who do not want to be open on Sunday but they do not want any competitor to open and take away their business. They cloud and distort their stand with a smoke screen of religious beliefs and the over rated "family day". Yet these same people would be the first to demand certain essential services be available to them on every Sunday. To-day's Statesman featured a long letter from one of these pressure groups, trying to justify their existences with the impressive name of Citizens for Public Justice, who claim to be speaking for all of us. They refer to the all party committee that looked into the laws governing: Sunday openings. This committee set out to build a horse and came up with a camel. They just further confused the issue with recommendations such as more book stores and record shops could be open but no major grocery outlets. In other words you can starve but you can read and listen to music while you are doing it. A meeting of many municipal officials was shown on television and we saw a lot of whimpering and whining that this "hot potato" must be sent back to the Ontario government. This is rather strange considering that from Monday to Saturday (inclusive) the local by-laws governing stores and businesses control the store hours, size of signs, height of signs, alterations to any buildings, what colour tie to wear on Wednesday and on and on and on. But now they say they want no part of Sunday shopping. I read that the brave council of Sudbury has decreed absolutely no Sunday shopping. What I have seen of Sudbury they can shut it down the rest of the week too and it shouldn't bother anyone. The "Freedom to Choose" applies in particular to the store employees too. Employees who work 30 or more hours a week should not be enticed or required by any means to work. However, if they choose to work they must be paid double time. Workers who are considered part time who work 20 hours or more, would have the same protection but if they choose to work would be paid at time and a half. This means that part time work would be available to anyone that would want It, especially students. I do not understand the various labour unions stand against Sunday opening if more work would be available to more people. Of course they would not be picking up the union dues from these part time employees. It would appear that Sunday shopping should be able to take care of itself. Any store that wanted to open, should, and if it does enough business then the customers must want it open. Otherwise there will be no profit in Sunday opening and the stores will close. This probably is too simple a solution for many. It is the business people who put up the money and take the risks (not just on Sunday) and they should have the right to choose without interference from ' various pressure groups. Ontario's Sunday shopping law is so flawed and full of inequities it is time the politicians got out of the act and allowed the individual businesses and the public to decide. Yours truly; Doug Jackman Writer Feels Women Treated Like 'Second Fiddle' in Clubs Dear Sir; I read, with interest, your recent editorial regarding "Service Clubs Need Help". Your mention that, like any organization, they need new growth if they are to succeed but that the service clubs in this area are not growing quickly. I would like to make a suggestion to all the service clubs that are interested in attracting new members in the 1980's and 1990's. Please quit segregating the men from the women and giving the women's branches such "cutesy", diminutive names such ns "Kinottos", "Jnycettes", "Lionesses", etc. The era has passed where women were content to bo assigned to do all the kitchen and serving work or to bo given the secondary projects that did not have the same high profile that the men's groups did. If you don't agree that the women's groups have been given a lower profile, then just check the copies of the Statesman for the last 6 months. How many times have, there been articles or photos about the men's service service clubs and their activities? activities? How many such articles articles and photos do you see about the women's branches? branches? I acknowledge that, in the past, service clubs have made valuable contributions to the community. But if they wish to continue, they will - ns you pointed out - need to attract now members to carry on the good work. And today's woman isn't going going to be attracted to that type of image. We fought too hard to be treated as equals, We're not interested in being sent back to the kitchens! I work full time ns well ns do ing volunteer work but I would never wish to join any of the local service clubs because because of the image they pro • ject. The majority of women where I work share my views. We like to feel we're doing something really constructive constructive in our volunteer work - not just playing second second fiddle to the men's concerns. concerns. So, if the service clubs can promote an atmosphere where men and women work together ns equals for the betterment of the community community they will attract today's today's woman. I realize that the local clubs may not be allowed allowed to exercise that kind of "modern" initiative on their own. Then it is up to them to suggest the changes at their district and national meetings meetings to bring their service dubs into the realities of the 1980's and 1990's, I wish them luck! Sincerely, Evylin Stroud.