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MG) broae™ YOU'RE WORTH MORE. POWERFUL RRSPs Prime Rate Financing Alex McKee 905-702-8774 Rebate cheques out in March It will be early March be- fore the Halton District Board of Education will be- gin mailing the first of 13,500 rebate cheques to par- ents to offset expenses in- curred during last fall's two- week walkout by teachers in Ontario. "We are getting ready to issue the cheques," explained Halton Business Superin- tendent Wayne McNally in an interview on Friday, add- ing that the $400 entit! ement cheques would cost the Board $5.5 million. The Board saved $7.3 in salaries and benefits during the strike period and McNally said that they are "crossing their fingers" that the Province will let them keep the balance once the ee cheques have been ae of Halton's 18,000 to 20,000 eligible families ap lied for the re- bate before the February 6 cut off date and McNally said that most claims would be iC We' ve had calls from pa who missed the dead- ine and we've had a few du- plicate applications along with a number of claims from teachers,' McNally said, add- ing that those claims will not "in xcept for teachers who walked out illegally, and their spouses, Ontario oie dents with children 13 and under were eligible era the sepete along with fami- lies of special-needs students enrolled in high school. Also eligible were parents with children in day care facilities in schools that were shut down because of the strike. McNally said that he'd heard some parents intend to do- nate their rebate cheque to their school in exchange for a "Phe-ed cet ministry has given the boards until March 6 to qualify for a $3- per-claim administrative fee, an eee for them to is- the cheques by that date. _ MAJOR EXPANSION: Acton's David and Elyse Chapman, owners of Purity Life, show off their new state-of-the-art equipment at their recently ex- panded office and warehouse on Commerce Cres- cent. - Frances Niblock photo Your Hometown Newspaper Newstand price: 40¢ + GST It's worth the drive to Achilles! ACHILLES maZDal | in Acton DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY: McKenzie-Smith Bennett student Cory Wilson and his friends line up to buy tickets from Kinette Nanci Chaisson. More than 160 teens attended last Friday's Kinette Teen Dance at the Acton Legion. Plenty of volunteers ensured a safe, fun evening for the teens that hip hopped to the music of local DJ Garrett Sales, -- Angela Titer phate 7 ae ~ Purity Life. s employees share benefi ts of By FRANCES NIBLOCK The New Tanner into almost any health food store in Canada today and you'll find the shelves stocked with dietary supplements and vitamins distributed by Purity Life, an Acton company that is cur- rently undo oe a major expansion at its Commerce Crescent location. Purity Life, owned and operated by Acton's David and Elyse Chapman, is a na- tional wholesale distributor of 110 lines of health and beauty products. The com- pany had $14 million in sales ast year, a volume that sparked the $1.5 million ex- pansion pee. The office and warehouse is being dou- bled in size to 27,000 square feet, all of it carefully laid out with an eye to staff's comfort and efficiency. A new state- of-the-art inventory control system is also being installed, replacing paper orders to be filled with hand-held mini- computers that screen what is being picked for each or- "With a policy of hiring locally, profit-sharing and an on-site, partially-subsidized, alternative health care clinic for staff offering the services of a reflexologist and Reiki massage therapist, Purity Life employees are very loyal. One said that the re- laxed atmosphere, great perks and innovative busi- ness practices have drawn some of the best le in the supplement industry to Acton. The Chapmans began their business in the fall of 1984 in a small office at 21 Mill Street, West and haven't looked back, growing to 70- odd employees and to one of the leaders in the industry. "T wanted to have my own business," Chapman ex- plained in a recent interview when asked how it all began. "T used to be in the corpo- rate world -- both Elyse and I are professional accountants by training. I started what was going to be a mail-order house but that was not a suc- cess and we evolved into sup- plying the health food indus- try, selling supplements and body care," Chapman ex- plained. "T've always had a natu- ral bent for alternative or complementary medicines so I was a user myself and so is my family and I'm a very strong advocate for comple- mentary or alternative medi- "Gheimien Director of is Director 0 the Canadian Health Food Association, in charge of the Supplement Manufacturers Committee which is lobbying Ottawa to change the way that health products are regu- lated in Canada. "Many products that are readily and easily available in the United sates are not avail- able in Canada because of a combination of poor regula- tions and bureaucrats who are not trained and do not understand the products we sell in our industry," Chapman said, adding what they want is freedom of choice in health care. success -- "Health Canada is much, much too restrictive and stops a lot of products that should be sold f Canada and they also don't let us tell peo- ple what products are really for which is sad because there are a lot of things out there that could help people, and instead people spend a for- tune on prescription drugs that often don't work." Asked to account for his company's success Chapman said that a growing number of people visit alternative health care practitioners and take dietary supplements be- cause they are willing to take personal responsibility for -- health. ne "We're getting away from the idea that my doctor is my God an good ee ap e take responsil ies aroes health -- and t are a lot of good doctors oii there. We're not anti --doc- tors, we' re just anti ones that Grad Program Model ZF19CSBA Ask abour our Toyota (A 1998 Toyota Sienna CE e Auto Transmission Cruise Control « 7 Passenger Seating », ¢ Antilock Brakes ¢ Dual Airbags * 194 H.P. DOHC V6 Engine LEASE * DOWN *48 MOS., FREIGHT & PD.E. INCLUDED plus tax are narrow-minded," Chapman said. "We baby boomers want to Continued on page 2 Or get no limit financing MRSP for up to 60 $28,138 months GEORGETOWN TOYOTA SALES 15 MOUNTAINVIEW RD. 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