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2- OronoWeeklyTlmes. Wednesday, Februaiy 18, 1998 Subscriptions $21.50 + $1.50 G.S.T.= $23.0l/year. Publications Mail Registration No. 000368 Publishmng 50 Issues Annually at the Office of Publication [ 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontarjo, LOB IMO E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher! Editor Marg Zwart No need for U.S. style policing Toronto Police Chief, David Boothby, is to be com- mended for his plea of compassion ti law enforcement. It is far from the 'lock-up and, throw away the key' system popular in the U.S. and as well belng promoted ti some areas ti Canada. The Toronto Police Chief mlnced no words ti letting the ruling Tories at Queen's Park know his stand. The chief would rather fix the social problems that have creat- ed homelessness, panliandiers and unemployed rather than putttng them in jail Currently the Harris government lias touring the province what is known as a Crime Control Commission who talk tough on crime and crirninals. It is the Axerican way with jails taking the place of hostels, proper faiities for the mentally fil and jobs for the jobless. The panhandier, mentally i11 and homeless are flot crirninals they are victims of govemment slashing of the social safety net. It is estimnated there are upwards of 10,000 homeless ti Toronto, the majority mentally fil and ail victims of social program cutbacks. It is a responsibiity of the state that these people are properly looked after and it is not a jail ceil nor a free sleeping bag. Boothby is right when he calls for social change rallier than jail for the less fortunate. He is to be commended for lits stand. by Roy Forrester Ten years in business and stili has to prove himself Mr. Joe Domitrovic's case came up again at Monday's General Purpose and Administration Meeting. As Councillor Novak left the council table due to ber conflict with the issue she stated this was the 23rd lime it has corne up. Councillor Novak's conflict is that she lives a few doors away from the Domitrovic's Just to update you on the file, Joe Domitrovic purchased a property on the south west corner of Courtrice and Pebblestone Rd. in 1987. The previous owner had been involved in auto repair on the property. Domitrovic built a lean-too on the back of the existing work shop, and now operates an auto body repair shop there. About a year and a half ago, a Mrs. Bernice Petryshyn, who owns property close to Domitrovic's but who l ives in Hampton, complained about the auto body repair shop operating in an area zoned "Agricultural". At Monday's meeting Mrs. Petryshyn told council that nobody wants to live beside an auto body shop. In January, Domitrovic sbowed counicil a petition of 2,000 names of people living within 1 km. of bis home who support bis application for rezoning. This is also not pristine farmn land Domitrovic's operation sits on. It is surrounded by former gravel pits and land fill sites. The only other person besides Petrysbyn, wbo lbas been speak- ing ag ainst Domitrovic's application, is the Scanga's wbo own the lot to the west of Domitrovic's. This lot is part of a former dump site, and even today is littered with scrap metal and other debris. The owners of tbis property live in Osbawa. Mr. Domitrovic is just a regular guy trying to make a living at wbat be does best, and be's fighting for his future. Council is now seeking to give Domitrovic a temporary rezon- ing permit for three years. If alter three years council feels that Mr. Domitrovic bas proven bimself tbey could at that lime grant bim a more permanent rezoning. If Mr. Domitrovic basn't proven bimself after ten years, wbat- will anotber tbree will prove? In three years, a newly elected coun- cil will again have to deal with the situation. Wby, if 2,000 of Domitrovic's closest neighbours dont mind him being there, should two people who dont live in the area be allowed to put hlm oui of business? c Open Letter to Community) O)RONO WEEKLY Tiimns have. He lias the poterial to go a long way. The cost of finaricirig an amateur skater is eriormous at this level. A lot of commu- nîttes across this country lielp bo ease the firiancial bur- den, of the familles involved. With this ti mid a bursury fund lias been launclied at the C.I.B.C. ti Orono. People cari doriate at their local brandhintriBowmariville as well. This needs bo be an ongoing effort anid any amount would lielp if many coritribute. To maitair lits amateur status, there is no tax write off for donations. Please lielp out if you can. I know our community could make a very big difference. Just ask the C.I.B.C. tellers about the fund and tliey wtll be glad to lielp. Douglas Lycett RE: CLOSING 0F PSYCHIATRIC BEDS I read, with interest, Healîli Minister Elizabeth Witrner's statement about the 1996 moratorium on the clos- ing of psychiatric beds until adequate commnunity services were created. '14is moratori- um remains in effect." Well, on February 10, 1997, 1 liad the opportunity to meet witli the Local Presidents of the Onitario Public Service Employee's Union, representing the ten Provincial Psychiiatrie. Hospitals. Iri consultation wtth them, I find the Mnister's statement not quite accurate. Whlle tliey may not be closirig psychiatriceliospi- tal beds, tiey miay not be fil- irig the bed wheri patients are discharged. Or, ti some cases, you cari make the bed- room an office. Does it mean the bed is closed? There have also been instances where General Hospital Psyciiatric beds have been closed to redi- rect psychiatric bed dollars 10 other areas of the Gerieral Hospital. It is time the Goverriment faces the resporisibility of pro- vidirig Healîli Care to the Meritally M. It is time that ti- kering witli the liealtli care sysbem is stopped. It is lime the Goverriment moved bo erisure that adequate, prop- erly planned, ipatient and outpatierit psychiatric ser- vices are available across the Province of Onitario. Yours truly, Joan Gates, President OPSEU, Local 331 Whitby Mental Health Centre IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE Box 527 Orono, Ontario LOB LMO Dear Sir As a citizen of this munic- ipaliby I need to know that our Municipal Govemnment shows no favourttsm. That wlien conterious issues are presented Couricil Members will study the issues ti an objective mariner so that wise decisions will be reached. Regarding the Lishman application for re-zonlng, il seens bliat on the one liand an envirorimental impact study is requtred - this is a provision laid down in 4.3.8 of tie Claringtori Official Plan. Yet on lie other hand, il seem s that an envirorimental tmpact study is not applica- ble, whtci is the opinion of planning staff as quoted tI This Week February 12, 1998, althougli lits was riot stated ti section 8.17 of the report to Council PD-12-98. If Coundil decides bo agree wlth staff, that an environ- mental Impact study is not applicable tri tus case, the reason for that decision would have to be made clear to the citizeris so that wlien the riext application for re- zoning comes bo Council and requires an erivirorimental impact study it will not appear that some people are treated differeritly to others. That tie Clarrigton Official Plan cari be put aside for some but riot for others unless tliere is a clear and valtd reason. It is no secret to those of us who live ti Orono that the only way we will ever have lie services erjoyed by others ti Municipality is to develop our sktrtng lands. Iri the next few years I believe the pressure will be on Council to approve sucb deveiopmerit whiùch may well be beneficial to the resi- Douglas Lycctt 4704 Pollard Road, R. R. 1 Orono, Ontar1 LOB iMO Most people mn Orono and the surroundirig commrunity are probably awiire of the very talented figure Skater Adam Colville. TIs year he made it onto Canada's national teami by lits excellent showtng at the Canadiari junior meri's competitiori. Tlis meanslie may represent Canada ti international competitions; one of whic iIs ti April in Slovenla. Wliat a lot of people will riot know is that Adamn is one of eleven people allowed on thie ice at the Mariposa Club ti Barrie wlier Elvis Stojko is practlcing. Adamn las most of the triple triple combinations under lits belt, sometliing that many seniors still don't Girl Guides of Canada dents and businesses here. It ts essential, however, that those decisions about how the development will take place are made objectively and with full kriowledge of the outcome for the environment. I urge Council Members themselves, to study the issues of the Lisliman re-zon- ing application to ensure the decision they come to will be one they will be proud of ti years to come. Yours sincerely, Trudie Reid February 16, 1998 I wish to comment about the article published i your newspaper last week with respect to a letter I had wrlt- ten to the Clarington Council dated February 3, 1998, and the statements made at the February 9, 1998 Council Meeting by the Planning Director and the Mayor. I would like to make it absolutely clear that my letter contained no personal com- ments, nor was there any intention of maktng personal comments, about the Director of Planning. The information referred to in my letter was obtained from the Municlpality's Planni ng Department. Since October 1997, I have attempted to determine why an Envlronmental Impact Study was not required of the Lishman/Halmlnen applica- tion. As per the Municlpality's recent report on the applica- tion, PD-12-98, Section 8.17 states that the natural fea- bures of concern are "specifi- cally table land woodlots, streaxns and valleylands." The presence of these nabural fea- bures would have required that such a study be under- baken as per Section 2.1.4. of the Envlronmenbal Impact Study Guidelines, ti accor- dance wlth Section 4.3.8 of the Claririgton Official Plan. To date, I have not been, pro- vided with reasons why such a study was not requIred of the applicants. The Planning Director's statement on February 9th, that an Environmental Impact Sbudy is not applicable bo this devel- opment, is confusing giveri report PD-12-98. An Envirorimental Impact Study provides the public, with a certain level of assur- ance that the relevant envi- rorimental issues have beeri addressed in an appropriate mariner, that potential impacts have been identifled and that mitigatiori measures are put ti place as riecessary. This process provides for public iriput on the study steering committee and may iriclude monitoririg provi- sioris. Why would any mem- ber of the public, or Clarrigbon Council, flot want this level of assurance? Yours sincerely, Lirida Gasser Letters to the Editor Mill dw- M%ý 9