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SWednesday, Mayek 6. 1998 Scoutîng car wash Increased health care spending in the region The Orono Cubs, Scouts and Beavers had a great time washing cars -- and each other last Saturday. Tfhe fundraiser took place in the parking lot of the Armstrong's IGA, and the club raised just over $200. Oak Ridges Trail extends through Clarington The Oak Ridges Trail with the G*iaraska Chapter which Is to extend through being the most recent the Oak Ridges Moraine anrival. from .the Abion His in the 1 The Ganaraska Chapter west through to Northum- extends from the Long Sault berland Forest in the east Conservation Area, in the will pass through the east, through to the northern portion of the Ganaraska Forest Centre on Municipality of Clarington. the boundary Une between In ail the trail will cover a Clarington and Hope Town- distance of 160 kilometers. ship. Roy Forrester in address- Forrester said the ing Clarington council on Ganaraska Chapter is in the Monday outlined the process of organizing with purpose of the trail, the volunteers already organization behind the committing for construction, scheme and progress in maintenance and organizing initiaÈing the trail In hikes. Clarington. Over the past two weeks Forrester stated that the menibers of the local Oak Ridges Trail Association chapter have been out in the was inaugurated in 1992 field. investigating possible and is an incorporated body routes for the trail., with charitable status and Forrester made a pitch governed by a Board of that the Municipalityretain Directors elected by its ownership of Its unopened members. The membership road allowances thus numbers some over six maintaînîng east/west and hundred. north/south linkage of trails He said like the Bruce for hiking, biking and sking. Trail Association, the Oak Forrester said they were Ridges Trail Association is open to suggestions and organized into 'chapters' offers of volunteering so that along the Moraine so that the widest scope of interest local knowledge can be used can be available for the to identify, develop and development and operation maintain the particuilar tfflil of the trail through the portion. At the present Urne Municipality of Clarington. there are seven chapters Bank mergers wiII hurt_ small communities The president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Catherine Swift, says the pro- posed mergers of the Royal Bank with the Bank of Montreal, anid the Caniadian Imperial Banik of Commerce with the Torontlo Doiniion Bank, would be to the severe detrîmenit of smiall-towni Canada. "Havjing -twýo mega banks would be harmnful for con-, sumers anid the counitry as a whlole." said Swýift. "but the impact would be especially severe for the smaller commu- nities which even now don't have enough banking competi- tion. "In' those communities where there are currently bank branches of two competitors, one wilI most likely disappear through the branch downsizing brought on by such mergers. This can only lead to fewer financial options and more dif- ficulty in securing, at a reason- able price, loans, credit lines and a host of* other services vital to a smaller business," said Swift. "Lets face it, these merger decisions are being made in Toronto's ivory bank towers, with little regard for the impact they will have ýon the country as a whole. The bankers are primarily interested in consolidating power and less concerned about improving servicing to their millions of customers." Swift said the financial structure of smaller communi- ties is more offtn than not quite fragile. She pointed to the-ups and downs constantly expe"- enced by farmers and entrepre- neurs in the regions whose very survival often depend upon one bank being prepared to go the extra mi le in order to keep the business. "Reduce or withdraw competition, and there is even less motivation for the one remaining bank to be customer sensitive," said Swift. "This will only increase business faîl- ures and hurt job creation. "The financial base of smaller communities is independent business," said Swift, "from retailers to farmers. Traditionally they have had to beg and horrnw to get bank financing in order just to sur- vive. The collateral demands by the banks over the years have been outrageously exces- sive, service charges ever esca- lating and credit lines constant- ly vuluierable to being reduced. Small business owners havýe called for more, not less, coin- petition ini banking serv\ices. There is absoluitelynio way a mega-banik system ii il ease these problemrs, anid ini fact, 1Iess bank competition w oillny make matters worse." Swift said, ,"politicians at every level, including commu- nity mayors, premiers and Mem bers of Parliament musit take a stand and challciengeh banks to show how sm-all-town Canada, as well as the enitire country will be better off w\ýith less comrpetitioni. For CFIB's part, said Swift.,\\we are comi- rnitted to daingte bankers and the politicianis accounrtable on this issue." SDurham Region is to receive $62.6 million in fund- ing for community health ser- vices. This new funding is part of the Governments $1 .2 bil- lion, (over 8 years) expansion of long-term health care ser- vices. "These local benefits are part of the largesi expansion of health services in Ontario, the first addition of long-term care beds since 1988," Durham West MPP, Janet Ecker said. The Province has committed $28.8 million over eight years for 847 new long-term beds in the Durham Region. This investment will improve the quality of life of people who live in nursing homes and homes for the aged, and take pressure off hospitals and emergency rooms. There are currently 493 people within the region waiting to get into a long-term care facility. A femnale can wait an average of 6 monthls before a bed is avail- able, while a male may have to wait up to 18 months. II will take at least I18 months to 2 years before new homes with new beds are open. 0f the $62.6 million region- a] investment, $33.8 million is to bc spent on Community Funding. This rroriey will expand and enhance services such as meals-on-wheels, home-making, in-home nursing and therapy. The impact of this new money into the communi- ty wilI be immediate, said Elizabeth Fulford, director of the Durham Region Community Care Association. ~.i ,, -J 1ail you can cat BUFFET SPECIAL - $13,95 New Dutch Oven Open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hwy 35/115 Northbound - Orono Cail for reservations 983-5001 QI~ther's.Day S/pecia1 Until May 31st Spa Manicure/Pedicure & Lip or Brow Sugaring - $40 Give her a pre-paid gift certificate from... NAiLs ,& ESTHETics c by Denise & LISA'S Locics 26 Centre Street, Orono 983-5256 HOURS: Tuesday & Th ursdýj, 9 - 8 ,~Wednesday & Friday 9 - 5 - Saturday 8- 2 q p q9 www.pitc h-in.ca -j"', &,I, L"à "M,7 1