The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

"VIEWPOINT by John B. McClelland MATTHEW B. DYMOND This community of Port Perry, : sindeed the entire province of Ontario lost a good friend last week with the passing of Dr. Matthew B. Dymond. For most who knew him, he was simply "Matt," or "Doc," or "Doctor Matt," when he represented this area in the provincial legislature from 1955 to 1976. As minister of health, Doc Dymond more than any other individual was responsible for bringing medical and hospital insurance to Ontario. He is the father of the present day OHIP, and anyone who has been in hospital owes him a debt of gratitude. 1 owe Doc Dymond a couple of debts of gratitude--the first involves my own family. My eldest son Ian (who is now 20) was born with a serious defect in the trachia-esophagus, and required delicate surgery when he was just a few hours old to save his life. The surgery was a success but he spent many weeks in the neo- Mmatal intensive care unit at the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Oftario in Ottawa. The cost to our family for the surgery, the follow up visits by the surgeon and the many weeks in intensive care was zilch. OHIP covered everything. A couple of years later, Ian develfped further serious problems that put him in Sick Childrens in Toronto on and off for about a year. He had something like 18 operations to remove tissue on the inside of the wind-pipe, spent many days in intensive care, had to have a trachiaotomy and so on. Again, the cost to our family for all this expert and life-saving care was a big fat zero. To say that the McClelland family is indebted to the health insurance plan in Ontario would be a gross under-statement. Without that insurance I would be paying the medical bills the rest of my days. Countless Ontario families and individuals can say the same thing and can say thanks to a man of vision and compassion Jha Dee Dymond. .My second debt of grititude took place rightthere in Port Perry about a week after I had started to work for my previous employer as a reporter-photographer. Still. wet behind the ears when it came to reporting, I was nevertheless filled with enthusiasm and thankful for my first job in this business. In early fall, 1971, the local Conservatives were holding a nomination for Doc in the. at, PPHS and I had the assignment to , And as'you might expect, the. cover the meeting. Little did I know that Bill Davis chose Doc's nomination meeting that night to kick off 'the provincial election campaign. The gym was filled with people, the national press was out in force to hear what Davis had to say-- the TV cameras were everywhere _ that night. Doc was un-opposed in the nomination that night. And after the speeches, there were "photo ops" for the press up on the stage. I was nervous and sweating as I jockeyed with the other shutter- bugs for a shot of Doc and Davis. Click--no flash. Damn, I thought to myself. Click again--still no flash. By this time I was alone on stage with Doc and the premier and sheepishly I had to say "could I try one more shot--seem to be having a bit of trouble." Click--still no flash. I felt all the eyes in the gym on me. Davis had a look of consternation on his face and I was so flustered by this time I damn near dropped the camera. If I had to go back to the office and tell the publisher I flubbed the photo of Doc and the Premier I was sure I'd be looking for a job in Smooth Rock Falls. I looked down at the camera and suddenly heard a partial whisper in this thick Scottish accent. "Is your flash turned oh?" Nope. No wonder the flash didn't work. I quickly turned on the "on" button and had Doc and the Premier smile once for the camera. The flash worked and somehow, despite my shaking hands, I got a more than passable photo of Doc Dymond and Bill Davis. I never forgot that Doc bailed me out big time on what was my first serious assignment in the newspaper business. Matthew B. Dymond touched the lives of countless different people in countless different ways in his long and distinguished "double _ career" as a politiciah and medical doctor. He was equally at home rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers in the corridors of power as he was talking about small problems with everyday people in front of the post affice in downtown Port Perry. I last saw Doc Dymond back in June on the occasion of his and Jeanne's 65th wedding anniversary at the Presbyterian Church. We chatted for a few minutes before™ took a photo of the couple for this newspaper. And no, he did not have to remind if the flash was turned on. In fact, since,that fateful night on the stage of PPHS, I haye *taken several thousand newspaper photos, and never have failed to check if the flash is turned on. IN CLOSING: The response to the ballot in the Scugog Citizen last week abopt how people in our area feel about the possibility of becoming part of a new Greater, Toronto Area "super city" has been very good. ' overwhelming feeling is a big NO. If you haven't filled out a ballot to express your views on this very important topic, do so. The Citizen will deliver the ballots to our MPP John O'Toole and he wil! take the message to his colleagues at Queens Park. That's where the "ultimate decigion on this GTA super city nonsense will be made. Another side to GTA To The Editor: I wish to present a/different slant on the Golden Report re the Igation of the therefore suggest that a worst possible scenario is being presented to us governments in the Greater Toronto Area, than the one that has so faf been widely quoted. anne Golden and her committee presented a report, that in their opinion, would work in the best interest of the entire GTA. Scugog Township and Durham Region need a viable Toronto' much more than Toronto needs Scugog or Durham. A declining Toronto will result in fewer jobs for commuters in the outlying municipalities. Qur world renounced cultural and sports organizations will only be sustained by a healthy Toronto from which these organizations draw the majority of their financial and attendance support. It should be noted that the financial costs being stated to this Municipality are an estimate pnly and calculated by people with self serving interests as their jobs may possibly become redundant. I would The Golden Report recommends the amalgation of five regions with their elected councils and non elected bureaucracies, thirty-two municipalities, again with their elected councils and non elected bureaucracies for an area that is - being. overtaxed by a multitude of duplicity by all these Governments. } I see nothing wrong with the Greater Toronto Area being governed by a single body any more than our Province and our country being governed by a single body. It is time that us taxpayers realize that we are being propagandized by the 'what's init for me' syndrome of our locally elected officials. What we must conclude is; are our local politicians working to protect their own fifedoms or are they workipg' for the' hensfit of the general public. Yours truly, Roy Grierson Charity casino questions To the Editor: On Friday, March 1/96 from 6 pm to 4 am on Saturday March 2 / 96 - and from 12 pm qn the same date to 4 am on Sunday March 3 / 96, the residents of Scugog Island will be witness to a charity casino at the Band Office of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island. We ask the following questions: 1. Are the Mississaugas of Scugog Island considered to be a licensed i 2. What other charities wil proceeds? 8. Will the Durham Regional Police be on site, and at whose expense? 4. Will alcoholic beverages be available on the Band premises; and until what hour? 6. Will those in charge of the "Games of Chance" be trained for their jobs? Are they licensed and are they all residents on the Reserve? Are they donating their services to charity? 6. Who owns the gaming equipment? share in the 7. Is this endeavour being funded through the Ministry of Native Affairs, or any other Ontario Government Ministry? 8. Is this a trial run, or the beginning of weekly week - end festivities? 9. What will the payback be to the Ontario Government, who funded the Band office originally? 10. Is it true that the Provincial Government funded a gambling training program on the Reserve? Were the trainees paid to take instruction by any Provincial Government department? 11. What happened to the Band's bingo license? There are many more questions, but we will wait until next week to see the result of this tentative endeavour. In particular, the 4 am closing on the Sabbath is highly unattractive-to many citizens who live on the Island Road. With respect Joel W. Aldred, DFC Chair, Save Scugog Island Committee Look for common Interests To The Editor: This is an open letter to Scugog bg and roads we seldom travel. And what happens in Victoria County matters to Regional officials and my neighb hope is that a formula can be found that will protect our rural interests while allowing us to co-operate in the healthy development of the great Toronto region. We have mutual interests and a natural interdependence that's béen true since the earliest days of Muddy York. Toronto has' long been the goose that lays the golden eggs. It is also true that undisciplined me, whether it's road land use controls or garbage disposal. So, to protect our interest and the values that prompt us to live where we do (rather than in the urban. core) we must define our interests precisely. Then we should co-operate pragmatically and constructively in the redefinition and reorganization of the region. If we don't, we'll find our situation changed by a - beyond our control. Better to growth and development poses a threat to all of us, urban and rural alike. Not the least threat is the those using infrastructure and services least well be unfairly burdened with taxes. But it is unfair and - counter productive for all of us if the core, the economic engine, is made to pay too heavy a tariff. Perhaps a useful model could be concentric circles at growing distance from the core linking decreasing use of services to decreasing tax burden. My main point is that we are in this together. We all enjoy advantages here in Canada's economic heartland. Timmins may argue it owes little to Toronto. But it's easy to point to the benefits enjoyed by the people of Barrié, Newmarket, Bowmanville, Mississauga and all the hamlets in between. Even those who don't commute to work, theatre or Skydome are Pr And if the core dies we'll find it Pe tive an the furthest border of Seugog but benefit from the health of Port Perry i = take a positive approach and acknowledge our community of interests. Sincerely, B.A. Rogers, RR#2 Blackstock. GTA 'just plain crazy' To The Editor: John B. McClelland's "Viewpoint" on the ' Golden Report in this week's Citizen was very enlightening and well written. The four Regions would be just plain crazy to agree to the Golden Report. Toronto did not get its nickname for no reason) That city has long been known for its 'grabbing' ways, and now that it is in financial trouble, it wants the four Regions to bail out. Even eollectively) the four Regions' voice would be less than hiat of Toro/iiia. Yourp tm truly, Plvinenby Ont. |