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PAGE 4 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ January 12,2005 Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chlef Chris Bovie Managing Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Janice O'Neil, Cheryl Haines Composing Managers Todd Blayone Interactive Media Manager . ®ije Canabian Statesman ■ ■ JANUARY 12, 2005 durhamregion.com Phone 905-579-4400 Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-4407 , s General Fax 905-579-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1809 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com „ 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1 H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 ^ infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL e-mail letters to ncwsroom@durliamregion.com Join tsunami relief effort in Durham Committee invites all residents to help make a difference Simply overwhelming. There's no otherway to describe the outpouring of support being offered up in Durham Region to the tsunami relief effort. From every corner of our region and every walk of life, people are stepping up to do what they can. We've heard from a Pickering Pickering man so troubled by what he saw that he drafted a letter to his neighbours asking them to give what they could. He quickly collected almost $1,100 and turned it over to the Red Cross. We've heard from a young Ajax boy who, rather than receive presents this year for his sixth birthday, is asking friends to make a donation to the cause. We've seen how quickly our 8,000-plus Sri Lankan community community can mobilize, with the Durham Durham Tamil Association collecting collecting more than $12,000 in only a few days. Whenever anyone's asked these past few weeks, the generosity has been outstanding. The same can be said about a committee made up of poli-' ticians, businesses (including the Metroland Durham Region Media Group), and residents now working to establish the largest grassroots relief effort in Durham Region's history. The idea is simple: each and every Durham resident is being asked to get involved -- any way, any how and any time before Jan. 29 when a grand day of entertainment and fundraising is planned for Deer Creek Banquet Banquet Facility. Businesses can take up collections, collections, schools can gather up pennies (or how about loonies?), and service clubs can continue their fine work. What you choose isn't the key, it's getting involved and working together to raise as much money ' as possible. Here at the paper, we're helping helping set up an online auction at durhamregion.com with items donated by countless generous businesses across Durham. ' The more you bid, the more that goes into a bank account administered by the Pickering Rotary Club, which will turn every dollar that comes out of every fundraiser over to the Red Cross. Durham's a rapidly growing multicultural community, getting richer every day thanks to its ever-increasing diversity. But that also means this tragedy tragedy isn't happening in some far- . off place. It's hitting close to home here in our region as so many of our residents and neighbours are feeling helpless as their friends / and family struggle so far away.' ; j : v Our newspaper is proud to part- f ner in this relief effort to help our ! friends in need. Please join us and help make a difference for those who are desperately in need. CLICK AND SAY : ii Today's question: - Do you miss the National Hockey League? Yes 1 Somewhat No Cast your vote online at infodurhamregion.com , - 0 Last week's question: Do you believe think the fed- 11 eral government is pledging enough resources to help"' with tsunami relief efforts? ■it Just right 13% No 22.7% Yes 64.3% Votes cast: 185 HAVE YOUR SAY Do you think people will grow weary about talking about tsunami relief? in LETTERS TO THE EDITOR c-mail letters to newsroom@durhamrcgion.com Increase in fees a drag for mom BACKWARD GLANCE Campground fun, 1901 i-fü ■ Srj ; ' - - V: • ' C lh : M • _ . --: Photo supplied by Clarington Museum and Archives This group gathered at Henry C. Tail's Camp Chatter campground campground area, West Beach,Port Darlington, 1901. To the editor: I would like to express my disappointment and concern over the recent fee increases brought about by both Ontario Parks and CAMIS as it i'ejates to site-sp_e- ;■ cific reservations in Ontario's Provincial Parks. As a single mother of three young children, it is becoming increasingly difficult to carry on a family tradition of enjoying Ontario's great outdoors. These fee increases can only lead to camping becoming an exclusive hobby for those who can afford it. As a child, some of my most treasured memories come from camping with my family. Over the last four years, ! have visited over 15 different provin- • cial parks with my children and I know they have created their own treasured memories from those trips. Between exploring Stubbs Falls at Arrowhead, the lighthouse at Presqu'ile, the bee hive at Bronte, Bronte, Halloween at Pinery and the boardwalk at Emily, my children have not only been able to spend quality time together as a family, but live life experiences that can not be recreated anywhere. I was very disappointed to see the fees have increased over 20 per cent from last year. It cost me a total of $90.75 for a three-night stay in 2004 yet the cost has risen to $111 for 2005, a $20.25 increase. Consumers are being held hos- tage; as camping is so popular, if a person doesn't reserve a site for a long weekend 5 months in ■ advance through CAMIS, there is no hope of obtaining a site otherwise. , I have read that CAMIS has recently signed a 5-year contract with the Ministry. I do hope this does not turn into a 407 ETR fiasco where the consumer faces increase after increase. Tammy Smith Thanks for helping tsunami H victims To the editor: Since the tsunami disaster disaster unfolded in Asia, the need to help, the desire to help, the sense of humanity within us all, has been overwhelmingly demonstrated demonstrated throughout Durham Region.' Individuals who would otherwise otherwise give $30 to $50 are giving • $300 to $500; children are giving Christmas money or their allowance. allowance. '.There are office employees uniting to raise money every way possible; corporations are donating money, resources and offering'their facilities; and individuals individuals from across the region are asking to help As staff works to meet this challenge, we are constantly uplifted by the sincere sincere compassion from the many individuals who have contributed; contributed; The response is staggering, staggering, the concern from everyone is heartfelt. We thank everyone . for their support, big or' small. Please know your contribution does make a difference in assisting assisting the Red Cross to help those in need. George A. Daniels Community Services Coordinator Canadian Red Cross Region of Durham Branch Regional council overspends To the editor: On Jan. 19, regional council is voting on the amalgamation of the bus lines of Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa and Clarington. It is not too long ago that Mayor John Mutton stated that the cost would be vefy' little',"with 25"per v ' cent borne by the passengers |nd 75 per cent by the taxpayers.:' This should be reversed. Why should the people who do not use the bus pay the higher rate, like those who live in the rural areas and who don't even have access? We now find out there is going to be a tax increase to cover the increase by regional council. Also, we will inherit a large debt from these other bus lines. It seems all we get from regional regional council is high taxes and pay increases. This will continue unless taxpayers stand up and express their views. Speak up. Ernie Roberts Bowmanville UÏ Lisa Wheeler "No, I don't think so. It's a big J - part of the world and it's im- lf portant news." m Dorinda Vollmer $ "No, because people care, . A even if they are on the other .>*! side, of the world. People feel >; that they havé to help the lessX fortunate." \. , 4 LETTERS We welcome letters that include name, city of residence and phone numbers for verification. Writers are generally limited to 200 words and one submission submission in 30 days. We decline announcements,* poetry, open letters, consumer complaints, congratulations and thank you notes. The editor reserves the right to edit copy for length, style and clarity. The newspaper newspaper contacts only those people people whose submissions have been chosen for publication. FAX: 905-579-1809; E-MAIL: Newsroom ©durhamregionj Heather LaBelle "No, it's still such a big issue. You think of people who hâve lost kids - it's heartbreaking." com. Tsunami relief shows you care But we must not forget other causes across the globe, nor our own homeless It may sound terrible to say it, but here goes: Why can't we all be so kind and generous to our brothers and sisters around the world, when there isn't a natural disaster to prod us on? Tsunami relief efforts kind of have that Christmasy Iccl about them: It's beautiful and lovely but it comes around just once a year and then it's gone. Then, we're back to our usual cynical, greedy, miserable selves: Tim Kelly well some of us are anyway. Believe it or not, there is some tsunami grumbling, a backlash building like a wave that may have some impact on all the hard work and sweat and effort that lias b'cen put in so far. Some are wondering where all that goodwill and heavy-duty cash have been while hundreds of millions have been starving, dying of AIDS, and lying homeless homeless across this globe, You could argue these problems problems will never go away, that we'll always have starving children children in Africa and Asia, that , diseases have wiped out millions and will continue to do so, that war -- what is it good for? -- isn't about to end. All the more reason we must continue, as the richest place on . earth, to lend a hand. George W. Bush, for instance, would do the U.S. a world of good by sending troops from Iraq to southeast Asia to help. That would be a good use of military power, Where, for instance, was the world when the slaughter in Rwanda saw 800,000 murdered -- more than five times the number number who died in the tsunami -- in just three months? Where, more recently, has the world been as millions of refugees refugees and thousands of people, have died in Sudan? Tens of millions are HIV-posi- tive in Africa right now, five million million alone in South Africa, So why don't we care? It's not as though there haven't been plenty of disasters, many ongoing and some man-made, some not, that we couldn't contribute contribute to. Stephen Lewis, the much- respected former UN ambassador ambassador and Special Envoy for HIV/ AIDS in Africa, who also did a scathing report on Rwanda for the UN, spoke recently to students students in Peterborough, Mr, Lewis applauded the tremendous tremendous amount raised for tsunami tsunami relief but also raised pertinent pertinent questions about the depth and breadth of Western aid, "If Western countries give the funds they promise, there is hope.' It requires treasuring diversity. "We cannot exclude people because they're African and thought to be expendable." We can take Mr. Lewis's thoughts one step further and ask how much we care about our own homeless, our own poor, sick and disadvantaged. ' How much do we really do for our First Nations citizens? When did we help them? Just because a tsunami didn't sweep over our own destitute is no reason to forget their pain and suffering. While it's heartening to see the world's concern over those suffering in southeast Asia, let's remember many others need our help throughout the year. Don't ignore them, Copy editor Tim Kelly's column column appears regularly. Email tkelly@durhamregion.com Keith Palmer "I. can only say, personally, no. It's a hell of a tragedy, and theÿ need ongoing support. " The Canadian Statesman is one of the Métroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing 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. 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