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ar ST SS RES PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 4, 1990 -- 7 COUNTING CALORIES | have been counting calories lately. No, not the ones | take in (though | should be) and not the ones everyone else takes in (though a few of them should be counting them, too) | have been trying to count the calories we ex- nd, you know, burn off in the pursuit of various inds of activity. For example, | read once that the average hock- ey player will "burn off" about 3,000 calories in the course of a single game. I know, some nights the entire Toronto Maple Leaf team won't use up 3,000 calories, but that's an- other story. Let's assume that the puree of 3,000 per game is about right. Just for the sake of argument. There are some two million Canadians of both sexes and at all ages who play the sport of hockey on a regular basis (from the NHL right down the five year old Tykes) And they play, on average, 30 games per season (some more, of course, but some less) Taking out my old calculator, | multiplied two mil- lion times 30, times 3,000 to find out roughly how many calories Canadians burn off during the course of one hockey season. By my calculations, the rough answer is 180 bil- lion (give or take a few hundred million) In any event, that is one heck of a lot of food en- ergy burned off just to chase a puck around a frozen pond for six months of the year. Of course that number of 180 billion is just for the games. You have to figure half again that much for practises. And then there are the referees who burn off a few each game, and the coaches who throw temper tantrums on the bench (that takes energy) not to mention the fans who jump up and down when a goal is scored, or punch each other out. Roughly speaking, | would suggest that the game of hockey costs the country each winter in ex- cess of 300 billion calories. I got to thinking about this crazy topic late one night while watching one of those TV programs that show the dreadful images of bloated, starving chil- dren. You know the kind of program | mean. Anyway, the commentator said that the starving children were getting less than 400 calories per day. That's not very much. Heck, 400 calories would barely get a hockey player through the pre-game skate, let alone 60 minutes: of action or a good dose of stops and starts in practice. And the thought struck me about how silly it is that Canadians expend 300 billion calories playing hockey, while millions of kids are starving for want of a few more morsels each day. Immediately, that old Canadian guilt complex kicked in. | mean, | love hockey, even played the odd game in my day. All those calories that disappear in cold arenas each winter could have been put to use saving those children. Why don't we as Canadians, give up hockey for "one whole winter, take all the food that would have generated the calories for the players, and ship the food to where people need it more than we do. Let's face it, 300 billion calories represents a lot of Kraft Dinner, right? And think of the international prestige if we Cana- dians gave up our beloved hockey to help feed the world hungry. But then | got to thinking. Why should | feel guilty about the lost calories from hockey games. What about the Yanks and their love of baseball, football and basketball. Or the Italians who are mad over soccer (now there's a sport that burns off calo- ries in a big hurry) Or the French, for that crazy bike race they stage every summer, le Tour de France. | mean how many calories does it take to cycle full speed over the Alps. And what about all those marathons? Can you imagine the calories saved if they cancelled the Bos- ton Marathon? There are people who swim across Lake Ontario and back again, just for the heck of it. You don't do that without using up a few calories. Or how many calories disappear each year in the aerobics salons of Hollywood? You go figure. Suddenly, | didn't feel all that guilty about the ter- rible way we Canadians waste calories playing hock- ey. Seriously for a moment. It is one of liie's horrible ironies that half the world is burning great gobs of food energy kicking soccer balls, chasing pucks, swimming, running, jumping, and so on, while the other half is slowly starving on a diet of less than 400 calories per day. And it's not just food energy. Think of the fuel used to transport players and teams to their games, try to imagine all the energy used by the Zambonis in thousands of arenas each winter, or the gas used to fly athletes to the Olympics. I'm not suggesting that the world should give up its sports, but something is not quite right. Think about it next time you're at a hockey game, or down at the Dome lapping up la beer and inhaling those giant hot dogs. Remember When? 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 13, 1945 Mr. Donald Crozier, Scugog, had his car stolen, but it was later found at Honeydale, the gas tank empty. Mr. Stevens, Greenbank, has sold his farm to Mr. Reynolds of Pinedale. Mrs. Roy Scott, Seagrave, and Mrs. Harrison, Myrtle Sta- tion, were in Toronto to see the Ice Capades. Sgt. and Mrs. Wesley Vokins have returned home from a trip to the West where they visited relatives. 385 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 15, 1955 The Port Perry Yacht Club held their annual dinner and the presenting of their trophies at the Del Restaurant. Royal Canadian Legion elected their new officers for 1956 - President Frank Godley, vice President Michael Hlozan, Sec.- Treas. Chas. Brignall Sr. Reg. Moorehead continues as Branch Welfare Officer. Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Love and Mrs. C.C. Jeffrey spent the weekend in Ottawa with Mr. and Mrs. F.D. Slemmon. While there they attended the performance, "Oklahoma.' Mr. and Mrs. R. Porter, Prince Albert have moved from the village to Oshawa. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 8, 1960 Mrs. W. Moase was the District Delegate representing Port Perry at the Fifty-Eighth Women's Institute Convention at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto. Mrs. M. Emmerson of Nestleton, re- viewed some of the many changes that had taken place since their grandmother's time. Port Perry Junior Hockey team played against Bobcaygeon in their first league game and were the winners, scoring 8 to 2. A bus load of 7 to 14 year olds from the Anglican Church en- joyed an excursion to Toronto to see the Christmas Play at Holy Trinity Church. The Ontario Junior Farmers Association held a skating par- ty and box social in the Cannington arena. Lloyd Wilson was the auctioneer for the social. 256 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 16, 19656 Joan Horton and Judy Mountjoy were recently presented with all-round cords in Girl Guide work. They are members of the First Blackstock Company of girl Guides under the leader- ship of Captain, Mrs. Ivan Thompson. (Turn to Page 8 ) Letters io the editor Figures quoted are "nonsense" To the Editor: Re: Dean Kelly's letter regarding gov't spending. I take exception to Mr. Kelly's statement that it cost Durham taxpayers thirty million dollars for French Immersion. The figure quoted is nonsense. He implies this cost is above the normal ex- penses incurred by students if they were in the regular course of study but he fails to mention these same children would have to be educated by the Region no matter 'which programme they entered. According to the vice-principal Mad Sam To the Editor "Multi-cultural-ism (many- cultures: belief in, or practice of) is not in the dictionaries. It was in- vented by new-media types who claim, wrongly, that Canada is a multi-cultural country. What they should say is that Canada has its own culture but will accept im- migrants from other cultures. However, the government should establish classes in Cana- dian culture, which all im- migrants must attend before be- ing accepted. Why should we ac- cept people from regions that practise sequestration of women, and special rules of clothing for females, such as those countries ruled by characters like "Mad Sam Who's sane? The Sikh head- dress has changed the RCMP uniform into a '"'multi-form." Let's not go any further! Yours truly, Warren T. McCready, Greenbank, Ontario at R.H. Cornish Public School, their budget is only $2,000 more per year for the French Immer- sion programme. Since there are 9 elementary and 4 secondary schools in the Region that offer F.1., the expense to the taxpayer for the thirteen schools, above the normal operating costs would be more like $26,000 -- a far cry from $30 million. If teachers salaries are taken into consideration, in some cases the French Immersion teachers earn less than their "English" counterparts, which could result in the French Immersion pro- gramme costing the same as or less than the regular course in a school. Durham Region must keep up with the times or it will stagnate. We must offer worthwhile courses such as the gifted programme & the handicapped programme even though they all cost money. French Immersion and other courses are not expenses but in- vestments in our children's future. Because it is offered here it's something many parents take in- to consideration before moving to Durham. The type of '"Francophobia" and ethnocentrism Mr. Kelly displays is one reason the language issue is such a conten- Turn to Page 8 "Fighting military budget cuts is worse than fighting a war."