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* PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, FEBRUARY 28,2001 Editorial&Opinions FOR 147 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief - Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Laverne Morrison, Christian Ann Goulet Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquic Mclnnes ®fie Canabian Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W.R. Climie 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.B. James 1919-1929 G. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George W. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced b> Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLARINGTON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 TEL: 905-623-3303 FAX: 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.in. until 5:00 p.M. E-mail: judi.bobbitt@durhamnews.net Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL The world is watching Clarington ITER offers opportunities, growth and prestige With its design of a $12-billion research facility now complete, complete, the international scientific community is poised to find a site for the biggest international collaboration on earth and Canada says Clarington is tire place. On Thursday, Canada will officially launch its bid to host the ITER (International Thermo-nuclear Experimental Reactor) Reactor) fusion research facility with a luncheon at tire Empire Club in Toronto. There, ITER Canada President Dr. Peter Barnard will address guests from tire European Union, Japan and Russia as well as national and local media in an attempt ■ to sell them on the benefits of a site in a little municipality just east of Toronto called Clarington. While tire municipality may not be a recognizable name on the international stage now, ITER could change all that. The project has tire potential, if successful, to give the world a cleaner, more sustainable energy source than it has ever known and thus will add distinction to tire site which hosts the project over its 30-year lifespan. And while small, Clarington has some big advantages over its competitors, Japan and France, which are also vying to host the project. One advantage can be attributed to tire ITER Canada board itself, whose initiative got Canada's bid'off the mark well ahead of its competitors. A few months ago, the head of the Japanese delegation confirmed that country has some catch-up to do in site selection and preparation if it is going to compete with Canada. Japan is yet to choose one final site for the bidding. bidding. Tire Canadian team has also created a powerful combination combination of public and private interest support and worked hard to bring the community onside, lending to its credibility internationally. internationally. Perhaps Canada's greatest advantage is the ready supply of tritium located at tire Darlington Generating Station. Tritium is a key component to the research and this byproduct from all of Ontario's CANDU reactors is stored in Clarington. The all-inrportant transportation infrastructure is in place hep too, wither.ready port to the world beside the site at the, L^jjarge (fonn§^ÿBjue£h"cle Cement) plant and highway ac- 1 cess immediately adjacent to tire site. Clarington alsofiffers a guaranteed source of energy for the facility facility thanks toithe next-door location of-the Darlington Generating Generating Station. Finally, the quality of lifestyle Durham Region and, just down tire road, Toronto, offers with a blend of rural and urban, will be an appealing host for the scientists and their families. To date, no downside to the project has come to light. In the words of ITER Community Council Chairman Gary Polonsky, "This is one of those rare, rare moments when there are a number of really important reasons to do something and no apparent reason not to." The whole world is watching Clarington, and its most shining shining moment may be yet to come. We welcome your opinion. Please E-Mail your comments on our opinions to judi.bobbitt@durhamnews.net. Submissions which include a first and last name, as well as the community of residence, will be considered for publication. LOOKING BACK WITH 25 YEARS AGO Feb. 25,1976 The newly-fonned Waverley Community Association called for the building of a school, to replace portables where neighbourhood children were attending Grades 1 to 4. 50 YEARS AGO Feb. 22,1951 Enrolment at Bowmanville High School was increasing steadily, the Durham District School Board learned. The population of 350 was expected to increase to 400 within the next five years, 75 YEARS AGO Feb. 25,1926 The Ontario Department "of Agriculture's Seed Cleaning Demonstration Train was set to make a stop at the Bow- manville CNR station. The train featured seed cleaning machinery machinery in operation, exhibits showing the value of clean seed, and lectures about seed. Information taken from the archives of The Canadian Statesman .9MMÊ OF THAT OLYMPIC vm\! ✓ % dollÿ6T\®W.Ôlt| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Be nice to school bus drivers To the editor: As the husband of a school bus driver I would like to ask: Haye you. ejbr.thought about, what these uHsung professionals professionals do, for a mere pittance of an income? They are responsible for the safety of all of our precious precious children, not to mention the safety of others on the road. Most school bus drivers I know do the job because they love it or so they can still raise their own children. Some even drive to supplement a pension. When their responsibility is so great is it too much to ask to show some courtesy? When behind a bus don't pass them unless it is safe. If you see a bus backing or turning, turning, give them some room. And please do not pass them if their lights are flashing. Remember that riding the bus is a privilege, and it is not your child's taxi. Remember, school bus drivers drivers are people too. Show them some respect and maybe greet them with a smile. Russ Nelson Bowmanville A a change at the top To the editor: Another season of mediocre hockey is in the tank for the Bowmanville Eagles. Brad Kelly's column of Feb. 23, 2001 mentioned the Eagles have qualified for the playoffs in five of six seasons that the club has been at the Junior A level. Since about 90 per cent of the teams in the league make the playoffs, you would pretty much have to be on life support to miss them. This is.no accomplishment accomplishment at all. Director of Hockey Operations Operations Mike Laing has lost more coaches than he could courit during that time. During the six years of Junior A play, team personnel has turned over several several times. The only ,two constants constants over, that period .were Mike Laing and dismal, losing hockey teams. Mr. Laing said that he "is comfortable starting the (next) season with the remaining remaining players (from this year's team)." Given his performance over six years, why on earth would team ownership be comfortable starting another season under the stewardship of Mr. Laing? How bad must his performance performance be to justify dismissal or at least accountability? Larry Wood Bowmanville Premier talks big, does nothing Ontario is silent on human rights during China trip Premier Mike Harris is running running out of excuses for refusing to speak up against abuse of human rights in China - his next may be he never learned the language. language. The Progressive Conservative premier was on Prime Minister Jean Chretien's trade mission to China when the prime minister said Canadians are disturbed by its continued arrests and imprisonment imprisonment of political and religious dissidents. Mr. Chretien mentioned particularly particularly its crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual movement, in which 143 of its members have died, and its continued occupation occupation of Tibet. Mr. Chretien watered down his criticism by adding China has improved on rights and he probably probably would not have raised the issue unless he had been pushed by activists in Canada, but at least he raised it. Mr. Harris was there throughout. We know because he kept releasing statements the mission was doing great work signing agreements with China that will create jobs in Ontario. He also was seen in a Maple Leafs sweater in mock scrimmage scrimmage with Mr. Chretien before a hockey game. But the premier did not chip in any criticism of his own of China's abuse of rights, which was a serious omission, because when lie was in opposition he said he would not go to China without telling it frankly it should stop abusing rights. New Democrat Bob Rae was premier at the time and had been to China to promote trade, but did not publicly criticize it for abusing abusing rights. Five years earlier Chi- Eric Dowd At Queen's Park nese troops had massacred 1,000 demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and feelings against China were still running particularly high. Mr. Rae and the New Democrats Democrats before they were elected to government also had a habit of rushing to condemn repression anywhere in the world and demanding demanding Ontario speak up against it. But Mr. Rae as premier backed off rebuking China because because his government needed more trade desperately in a recession recession which left it snuggling to hold on to jobs and finance, programs programs and could not afford to make criticisms that might discourage discourage it, Premier Rae said instead the best way to encourage China to reform rights was to expand tics in trade and culture that would help citizens of each country understand understand how the oilier lived, Mr. Rae claimed also a jurisdiction jurisdiction as small as Ontario could not say anything or impose any sanctions that would force a huge country like China to change its policies, Mr. Harris leaped on Mr, Rae, saying he would have gone to China because of the need for trade but at the same time issued a clear statement condemning that country's abuse of rights. "Pursuing trade cannot be an excuse to downplay human rights," Mr. Harris said, suggesting suggesting Mr. Rae should have been first to protest, because he had been a world champion in demanding demanding others do so. Mr. Harris cannot argue abuse of rights in China is no longer an issue, because during the recent mission Amnesty International released a report saying imprisonment imprisonment and torture of dissidents in China is increasing. The premier also cannot claim Ontario is too small to influence China and therefore should leave Mr. Chretien to speak for the country, because he made the point to Mr. Rae the province is a reasonably significant player in international trade, so its premier will be listened to. Mr. Harris as premier has now visited China twice and had two Chinese leaders visit him here and not raised any concern about human rights, saying they were not on the agenda. The premier answered questions questions on his recent trip by saying it would have been unsporting for him to raise human rights, because because Toronto is competing against Beijing to host the 2008 Olympic Games and should win on its merits as a site and not by knocking a rival. But llie premier has made helping business just about his No. 1 priority by cutting its taxes, weakening unions and keeping the minimum wage low. He has by now made it clear lie is not going to speak out on human rights if this could handicap handicap Ontario business in obtaining contracts and he figures lew will remember his promise, anyway. Fire reports send up red flag 'O Jacquie Mclnnes St aff Writer When a fire strikes there are usually - two ways you'll get out of Ute building, • fire prevention officers claim: on your ! own or in a body bag. While firefighters are essential for putting out blazes, they often arrive too ! late to help those who didn't manage to j get out on their own. _ This fact underlines the importance- of fire prevention and should be uppermost uppermost on council's mind as it reviews a controversial report by the Ontario Fire Marshal's office delivered last week. In his report, Fire Protection Advisor Peter Guiry warned Clarington hasn't got budge room to allow its current fire prevention staff to fully execute its inspection inspection duties to ensure Clarington businesses, residences and care facilities are safe. He went a lot further than that, pulling out -- and some say bending -- statistics to make his point. Mr. Guiry also took aim at Claring- ton's fire prevention education programs, programs, noting the municipality has them in place but is understaffed to properly get the programs into the community. Mayor John Mutton pointed out volunteers, volunteers, including many of the regular firefighters, spend a lot of time ensuring residents and youngsters. are educated pn.prevention. In fact, ,the municipality and tire community have invested heavily heavily in the Risk Watch education program, purchasing the necessary materials to allow the program to be taught in the schools by teachers so the message gets out with less direct contact from the busy inspectors. The question of inspections cannot be dismissed so easily. While Mr. Guiry's tactics in presenting his report understandably left some members of council hot under the collar, council cannot cannot afford to ignore the underlying message message that proactive inspections are not getting done in residences and buildings (including the ones we send our kids to when we're at work or our parents to when they can no longer live in their homes). These are tough budget times and it is pmdent of council to be wary about calls for staff increases of any kind. Still, the reality is the staffing in many departments departments in Clarington has not kept pace with growth. Just last week, the Clarington Fire Fighters' Association made public a report report voicing a concern its members are at risk because of understaffed response trucks. Community Services reports it has maintained the status quo on staff despite doubling enrolment and participation participation at community facilities. Clarington is growing and as any mother can tell you, with growth you have pains. Council's job will be to determine determine when it can just use a pat on the head and a band-aid and when it's time to call the doctor, or as the case may be, the treasurer. THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. 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