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A .--_ LE Volume 124 Number 11 PORT PERRY, ONTARIO - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1990 Copy 50¢ 56 Pages Provincial policy changes to blame HOSPITAL EXPANSION IS DELAYED Construction of an $8 mil- lion expansion to Community Memorial Hospital in Port Perry will be delayed six months at least, due to changes in Provincial policy announced in January by Health Minister Elinor Caplan. In a statement released last week, Community Memori- al's administrator David Brown says the new provincial policies require all hospitals planning expansion to consult with vari- ous agencies, health care pro- fessionals and groups in their Not alarming, but AIDS cases are on the rise in Durham The number of people in Durham Region with AIDS jumped significantly in 1989, according to figures from the " Region's AIDS Education Ser- vice. In a statement last week, the Service reports that nine people in Durham were diag- nosed with AIDS last year, bringing the total to 16. As well, last year, there were 24 persons who tested pos- itive for HIV, bringing the total to 82 since testing began in Dur- ham in 1985. As of January, across Can- ada, the Federal Centre for AIDS reports 3,329 cases of the disease. Figures in the greater To- ronto Area show 16 in Durham, 19 in York Region, 45 in Scarbo- rough, 49 in North York and 731in Toronto. There are four cases in Pe- terborough County and two in Kawartha-Haliburton. The Education Service notes that across Canada an es- timated 50-100,000 injection drug users are at high risk to get AIDS. Needle exchange programs have proven effective in reduc- ing the risk, and the cost is neg- ligible when compared to the $40-$100,000 cost for treating one AIDS patient. The Service says the exact number of injection drug users in Durham is not known. "But there is a sense of ur- gency to reach drug users, be- cause once infected, there is no second chance." Region's fishing industry in need of a shot in arm Durham Region should be paying more attention to sport fishing, an industry that could generate up to 700 jobs and $70 million annually in the Region. That's the conclusion in a 26 Division has new Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. William (Bill) Van Doleweerd is the new offi- ¢er in charge of the Regional Po- lice 26 Division (Scugog, Brock and Uxbridge Townships) He will be replacing Henry Raetsen, who has been promot- ed to Inspector and will be tak- ing up new duties at Police HQ in Oshawa. Staff Sgt. Van Doleweerd had been officer in charge of the force's 18 Division office in Whitby. He is a veteran police offi- cer who started his career with Metro, joined the Whitby Town Police and then the Regional force when Durham was formed in 1974. lengthy consultants report pre- pared for Durham's department of economic development. Joe Montgomery of Niaga- ra Falls, a well known sport fisherman has spent the last year studying sport fishing in Durham. His report, which will be presented to Durham council soon, comes up with 77 recom- mendations aimed at giving the fishing industry a shot in the arm. Included is the suggestion for annual ice fishing dorbios on Lake Scugog and Lake Simcoe, better public access to fishing areas with more boat launches and parking, the establishment of fishing clubs for young peo- ple, and aggressive ad cam- paigns in such states as Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania to lure anglers to Durham Region. The report noted that Lake Ontario, which is stocked each year with millions of salmon and trout, has developed a repu- tation in recent years as a world (Turn to page 5) own communities. These new directions, the statement says, come from the Premier's Council on Health Strategy. The project, which includ- ed 22 chronic care beds, and ex- pansion to emergency and out- patient departments, had been slated to proceed this year or earlyin 1991. tal Board has hired the consult- ing firm of Agnew Peckham to carry out this study. In a subsequent interview with the Star on Friday, Mr. Brown said as of now "it is pre- mature" to try to predict just when the project will get off the ground. He said the consultants re- port should be complete by June Board, both agreed there may be some confusion in the com- munity about the delay, and over national media reports last month 'which may have led some to believe all hospital ex- pansion projects in the province have been shelved. "This is not the case," stressed Mr. Brown, adding "we are remaining very positive 'But in line with the govern- of this year, and then hospital about this project." ment's new policy directions, officials will have a clearer pic- Both said that any public the hospital must now consult ture of when the construction confusion so far has not hurt the with community groups and or- process will start. on-going fund raising efforts by ganizations such as the District Mr. Brown and Rod Foster, Community Memorial, but they Health Council, and the Hospi- chairman of the Hospital (Turn to page 12) co-operative program set up Slip Slidin' on the Slopes ~~ Grade 6 students from R. H. Cornish Public School and immaculate Con- ception Catholic School are geting to know, each other better thanks to a y teachers Jim Justynski and Cathy Van den Hoogan. Last week the students toured each school and then went tobo- ganning at the Catholic School on Wednesday. : Sl oh a mt