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V page 4 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ NOVEMBER 10, 2004 durhamregion.com ®fjt Cairabmit Statesman Opinion | NOVEMBER 10, 2004 EDITORIAL e-mail letters to ncwsroom@durhamrcgion.com Honour our veterans in best way possible Remember their sacrifice, tomorrow and forever So much history and still so much being made. As Remembrance Day arrives tomorrow, it's a time to honour honour all who've fought so hard to help build the great country we are today, but it's also a time for intense pride. Pride in the leading role Canada has played in conflicts around the world through our history. Canada's Canada's veterans and track record in world affairs are second-to- iione. Our troops have done all Canadians proud over and over again, be it through our significant significant contributions to war efforts, or our ongoing peacekeeping work that continues to put so many Canadians in danger. We're recognized internationally internationally as peacemakers. Remember, Remember, our military personnel are always involved somewhere in the world. The recent tragedy aboard the HMCS Chicoutimi ' served all too well to remind us of the real and ongoing danger. Those who have served and those currently in the service know a danger greater than any of us could conceive. So, as we stop tomorrow to reflect, to remember our war veterans and the many Canadians Canadians still stationed around the world, it's important we all make a conscious effort to ensure this isn't the only time in the coming year that wè honour our soldiers for offering the ultimate sacrifice, sacrifice, themselves. Pickering-Scarborough East • MP Dan McTeague, is calling for Nov. .11 to become a national holiday so we can properly honour honour our heroes each November. The idea captures what many people feel. The news comes at a time when recent polls show a troubling troubling trend of Remembrance Day taking on less and less importance in the lives of Canadians. Canadians. The farther away in years we get from the world wars and the more detached many get from . the reality that the spectre of war directly impacts us, despite it looming large around us, the more important it is that new generations remember. So visit a cenotaph tomorrow, or stop by your nearest Legion branch and ask to hear more about our history. Thank a veteran for giving so selflessly. Pull out a history, book and set a goal of learning at least one new aspect of the Canadian contribution. Support the work our Legion branches carry out all year long. Help our kids learn and understand too. You may be surprised by what you discover or forgot you knew. Make a commitment this Remembrance Day to honour, on a regular basis, all Canadians who've fought for our freedom. Remember. BACKWARD GLANCE Hard at work WWit) W<£„ W. m;vovE mw WoAK foKtm... T-i* f£kV ' r ~ > -k "' fii - v i 1 . v.-tX , ,,, • ' l 'R- " ' ;."Vvïi' v "'ï'k'-AXi .... j infodurhamregion.conC CLICK AND SAY . Today's question: Should Remembrance Day be made a national holiday?^ in Cast your vote online at infodurhamregion.com Last week's ; question: r 1 *, Do you think we do enough to honour our veterans at this time of year? : li; Yes 15.2% No 84.8% Votes cast: 171 'ti HAVE YOUR SAY 3 Should Remembrance Day ./ be a national holiday? ]i/l dolighan.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsroom@durliamregion.com Photo supplied by Bowmanville Museum These women are pictured working at the Orono Evaporator. At the height of its business, the Evaporator shipped dried apples as far away as Àlbèrta. It operated from 1912 to 1936. My dad the hero To the editor: There were over 76,000 Canadian Canadian boys in Italy in 1942. Total casualties numbered 9,934, with 2,119 dead. Homesickness was rampant and there was little opportunity for a drink or for rest and relaxation. The campaign was waged in intense cold and wet weather, with little reprieve. My dad had a penchant for dry socks. He marched through Italy with wet leather boots that never dried. The soldiers were rationed three pair of socks each. Dry socks became currency in Italy. My dad always ensured we had boots that kept our feet dry as children, and he would always tell us why. My dad was a wonderful father. He cared about his family, his community and the environment we are to maintain. The greatest moment in his life was setting his feet on Canadian soil and he had no great urge to be away from his "home and nativefiand" ever again. My dad passed away September September 3, 2004, 62 years after' his duty in Italy. I miss his stories, as he always added a touch of Irish humour, no matter how horrid the tale. He was "shy" about his war stories and I knew the horror was too close. Sharon Fowler President was able to fool people To the editor: Re: U.S. must not re-elect its worst-ever president, Tim Kelly column of Oct. 22. While I agree with Tim Kelly's overall sentiments regarding Bush, it was carrying things too far to suggest that other countries countries choose the U.S. president. I would guess that it was more a case of wishful thinking than something seriously proposed. However, the notion put forth' by one letter writer that only liberals would come up with the idea of choosing another country's country's leader is downright laughable. laughable. History shows that right- wing U.S. leaders have often been instrumental in replacing other, countries' leaders and that is precisely what is happening right now in Iraq. Unfortunately, what U.S. Bush voters and your latest letter writers writers have in common is the-.mis- taken belief that Bush- is defeating defeating terrorism. In reality, the opposite is happening. happening. His policies are. generating generating further anti-Americanism in the Middle East and leading to even greater enthusiasm among Muslim extremists to sign up to join terrorist groups to fight what is perceived as U.S. imperialism. imperialism. Bush has few strengths but he has made the most of one he has -- an ability to fool people into thinking he knows what he's doing. . Linda Taberner Bowmanville It's time for a reality check To the editor: Re: They did it: They re-elected the worst-ever president, Tim Kelly column, Nov. 7 As I open the paper every week over a morning cereal, I am starting starting to wonder, what "Hate America" America" column or "Hate Bush" Tim Kelly column will be printed this week -- or maybe it will be some weird cartoon sympathizing sympathizing with terrorists about the price of gas. Your newspaper needs to get a grip on reality; George Bush got elected with the biggest popular •vote ever, added seats to the Sen ate and House, with a large voter turnout no less. Maybe it is time to stop shoving the liberal bias down the readers' throats and get back to reporting the local news, both sides. Ross Turek Durham should adopt seniors' tax freeze To the editor: 1 As a senior on a fixed income living in my own home, I am severely impacted by the annual increase of the assessment of my house and the resulting increase of my property taxes. I was therefore delighted to read that in August the Town of Halton Hills passed a resolution to request that the Province enact legislation requiring the Municipal Municipal Property Assessment Corporation'to Corporation'to freeze the assessment on homes owned by residents over the age of 70 and residing in the same home for 20 years or more. This resolution was forwarded forwarded not only to Premier Dalton Dalton McGuinty, the minister of finance, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario* but also to Ontario municipalities for their information and support. During its meeting on Sept., 29, Durham council passed a motion to receive this resolution for information. I am confident residents who will benefit from an assessment freeze will agree with me that regional council should have passed a motion to endorse this resolution, so expressing its • support, as solicited by Halton Hills. I have written to the regional clerk, challenging Durham council council to revisit this item, and redeem itself by endorsing an assessment freeze. Guy Colm Theresa Cowles "No, I don't think so. The kids will be out of school and they won't participate. I think people will forget." Terry Myers i "Absolutely it should be. In i Newfoundland, everything is 1 closed for the day." Rick McÈachern j | "Yeah, I do.... It should be a i j holiday to honour the veter- \ j ans."' , -1 ! Tracy Scriver ^ i /: "Yes: We're a free country because they gave up their lives. " i i i i i i Hire a physician recruiter already! -1 I hit pay dirt about three years ago. A good friend, who happens to work in a doctors' office, heard through the grapevine that an established doctor in Bowman- villc -- not the one she works for -- just might be taking on a very few additional patients. So, knowing I was seeking a physician, physician, she called me with some instructions. "Call now," she implored. "Don't wait." I am eternally grateful to that friend. Not only did she help me secure a much sought after spot with one of Clarington's best physicians, but she helped Jennifer Stone ensure my children, then unborn, had a doctor, too. My doe is one of those benevolent physicians who accepts patients' children into his practice as they arc born. Not all of Clarington is so lucky. At last count, more than 10,000 people had no access to a family doctor. As of last week, Clarington needed 13 physicians just to catcli up, Susan McL'el- lan, head of the local physician recruitment committee, told council last week. The physician recruitment committee was formed about two years ago to help Clarington Clarington climb out of the hole that gave the municipality a spot on the Ontario Health Ministry's under,serviced area list -- unfortunately, unfortunately, a long list in a province province short about 2,000 doctors. The committee has experienced some success, helping attract six doctors to Clarington, That would be great news, if only Clarington hadn't lost several physicians over the same time period to retirement, changes in practice and moves to other municipalities. Sigh. So now the Municipality will hire a consultant to come up with a business plan aimed at hiring hiring a physician recruiter. Other municipalities have already hired recruiters, who arc, by all reports, enjoying some success. _ A physician recruiter could get into the medical schools early, and at least make the docs-to-be aware of Clarington. Get them to our door, it lias been suggested, and the community community can convince them why this is such a wonderful place to work, live and raise a family. We're competing against the rest of Ontario to get those doctors doctors to our doorstep. We need to have the same, or, preferably, better tools to woo them. I hope that consultant puts together the report quickly, so the business of hiring the recruiter can get underway without without delay. After all, not everyone everyone has a friend who works in a doctors' office. Reporter Jennifer Stone 's column appears every other Wednesday. Ismail jstone@durhamregion.com The Canadian Statesman is J one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing 1 1 group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of . the Bowmanville Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Commerce, Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Canadian Community Newspaper. Assoc., Canadian Circulations Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of • the Canadian Statesman is copyrighted. Unauthorized re* production Is prohibited. jjpena ^CNA