Clarington Digital Newspaper Collections

Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 11 Apr 1990, p. 25

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SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11,1990 ntU Canadian statesman Durham Region's Great Family Journal Established 136 years ago in 1854 © Also Incorporating . a b The Bowmanville News MA The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited 62 King Street West, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Associate Editor Brian Purd' dy Advertising Mgr. Donald Bishop Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Subscription Rates Six Months --$11.00 One Year--$20.00 Foreign -- $60.00 per year Although every precaution will be taken to avoid error, The Canadian Statesman accepts advertising In k columns on the understanding that It will not be liable for any error In the advertisement published hereunder unless a proof of such advertisement Is requested In writing by the advertiser and relumed to The Canadian Statesman business office duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case H any error so noted Is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman Its liability shall not exceed such a portion of the entire cost of such advertisement as the space occupied by the noted error bears to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. Political Issues Seem to Linger On and On and... Hollywood moguls may have imagined imagined that they invented something called the sequel. But, they're wrong. The sequel was invented by politicians. Those of us who follow politics closely know that there are veiw few new issues. Instead, the old plots and the old scripts keep getting recycled into what appears to be a brand new production. Scratch the surface of yesterday's headline and you'll discover beneath it another headline describing much the same situation which was, itself, old news five years ago. Or, rather than likening politics to a series of endlessly-repeated movie sequels, it might be more accurate to compare politics to a soap opera. You know the ones we mean. No matter when you happen to tune in, the plot remains the same and you can enjoy the fun even if you've missed the series series for the past year or two. The plots and characters are quite familiar, even though different actors might be playing playing the roles. Let's take a look at a few of the local issues which keep bobbing to the surface. surface. Certainly the GO Train issue is one example. At any given time over the past 10 years, one could safely predict predict that there would be announcements announcements about the imminent arrival of GO in Oshawa. Can anyone recall a time when there wasn't news of an impending impending extension of the GO link? Estimates now indicate that GO will come in perhaps a couple of years, which is exactly what was said a couple of years ago. " And, what of the Seaton proposal? About 25 years ago, provincial authorities authorities were buying up land and getting getting ready to build a Pickering airport. The airport didn't fly, in a manner of speaking. But the proposal for a new metropolis using some of the airport land in Pickering takes off every two or three years. Oddly enough, despite the dozens of announcements about the Seaton community, not one house has been built on the site. The first honest-to-goodness house will probably probably be completed around the time that the GO Train rumbles into Oshawa. The Darlington Generating Station is another example of one of the community's community's longest-running soap operas. About a dozen years ago, opponents of nuclear power were urging the government government not to allow Darlington to proceed proceed because it isn't safe. As we leap into our time machine and emerge a decade later, we discover that opponents opponents of nuclear power are urging authorities authorities not to allow Darlington to proceed because it isn't safe. Some things have happened in the intervening years. For one thing, the Darlington project has almost been built (or, at least the first half of the potential project has been completed). And, oh yes, there has been a change in the provincial government. Now it's the provincial Liberals who are supporting supporting Darlington even though they opposed it in the past. We're waiting for news any day that the provincial Tories are opposed to the power station station even though they supported it in the past. Let's list a few more local political issues. Chances are that we won't have to hum a few bars of these familiar familiar melodies. You've heard them all before: before: St. Mary's expansion; the risks posed by garbage dumps; development of Courtice; Highway 407; Port Granby. Granby. This list can, and does, go on. Are there any genuinely new stories out there? Are there any truly new announcements? announcements? Not many. There are those who might claim that concern over the destruction of our environment is a new topic in the headlines. While it's true that this subject has grabbed a fair amount of ink in the past few years, the underlying underlying philosophies go back to the 1960's and the back-to-the-land ideals. And these were, themselves, based on philosophies philosophies such as those of Henry Tho- reau who introduced the subject decades decades earlier. And, no doubt, he didn't invent the philosophy either. Recent Meech Lake concern over the future of Quebec in Canada reminds reminds one of the 1960's concerns over the future of Quebec in Canada. The free trade debate is an echo of a very similar argument which occurred almost 100 years ago. (It was called reciprocity back then.) In view of the / fact that today's latest latest news is probably the recycling of data which was old when it made headlines 10 years ago, some interesting interesting questions come to mind. For one thing, it is about time that we realized that the world was not invented invented today, along with the latest headlines. Issues, arguments, and conflicts conflicts are part of a long and ongoing process which (with few exceptions) lasts for decades and sometimes extends extends into centuries and generations. The quick fix and the easy solution does not exist and those who are prepared prepared to champion a particular point of view should be prepared to accept the fact that they will have to do so for a lifetime. This also means that there are very few turning points where one can say an absolute decision has been made. Like the long awaited GO Transit line to Oshawa, each public decision is subject subject to innumerable reviews and revisions. revisions. While we must understand that important important political, moral and social issues issues have a long lifespan, we must not become bitter or cynical over this fact. To some degree, the longevity of certain certain issues is simply the result of our democratic, political process. Look at it this way: The fact that a project such as the Seaton development development takes so long to get off the ground is the direct result of the fact that members of the public have had their say. Each delay is due to our political political process which has also developed developed municipal boards, environmental assessments, zoning by-laws, environmental environmental regulations, and a whole raft of other restrictions which supposedly ensure that dangerous or ill-conceived ' notions are not put into practice without without public input. Would we rather have it any other . way? Happy Trails, Mr. Crombie David Crombie's proposal for the construction of a 150 mile trail along the Lake Ontario shoreline from Port Hope to Burlington will eventually have a head-on collision with reality. Personally, we'd be glad to see such n scheme take shape. But is the plan even the slightest bit realistic? Not likely. Mr. Crombie, who is in charge of a Royal Commission on the future of the Inkcfront from Port Hope to Burlington, Burlington, released a background paper describing describing this concept last week. It s m preparation for hearings which arc to lake place later. A quick glance at our own Inkcfront will reveal that a trail would have some very major obstacles to overcome, overcome, , Standing between the public and complete Inkcfront access are the Darlington Darlington Generating Station and the St. Marys Cement operations, There s also the Port Granby nuclear dump site and the Wesloyvillo Generating station site which is subject to possible re-development by Ontario Hydro. The remainder of the land, with the exception of the Darlington 1 rovincial Park, is under private ownership. And, when one considers the fact that Mr. Crombie's report doesn't speak to any large-scale expropriation of property, property, it's difficult to imagine how a trail could wind its way through the Town of Newcastle portion of the lake- front without consisting chiefly of detours. detours. The problem is that Mr. Crombie is not the only one to see the potential in the waterfront. Developers will, no doubt, rccognizo it ns a major asset. And it will bo difficult to get developers developers to treat the waterfront as a link in a master-plan which includes public access to the entire shoreline. The temptation will bo to continue with piecemeal development which attempts attempts to maximize the profit potential potential of each site. Other proposals such as a major sport fishery development, the planting planting of trees and the cleanup of watersheds watersheds such as the Wilmol and Bow- mnnvillo Crooks may bo more workable. But, the ideal of a waterfront green- holt may bo just another planning proposal proposal which should be filed under the name of "utopian dreams." News Item: Councillors Concerned Ouer Tree Cutting Andrea Adair For the first time in the history of my life, I'm interested in the hockey playoffs. I'm so excited about the series I just might watch some hockey games over the next few weeks. That may not seem like a major feat, but sports and I have never been pals. Sport has often interrupted interrupted conversations, cancelled dates and has ruined more Sunday afternoons afternoons than I care to recall. I'm about as likely to become interested in sports' as a fish is likely to take up bicycle-riding. But this year the playoffs are different. I thought that since this is such a special year, being the beginning of the last decade of this century, I might expand my horizons and develop an interest in what is a favourite pastime for so. many. And, I'm also in a hockey pool at work, OK So the truth is that the only reason I'm interested in the playoffs is because of the pool, but I will admit it's kind of exciting. And I'm not totally ignorant ignorant when it comes to hockey. I know the rules of the game and I know that when the Leafs play in Toronto they wear white uniforms. I just don't understand the points stuff and I don't know all the players and I don't even know where the teams that are in the playoff's stand in the standings*^ ^... ^ But I had fun picking who I thought would win and I'm having fun finding finding out if I'm right or not. My selections aren't based on all those statistics statistics either. My picks for, winning the games are creative. St. Louis is a funny name and the players, I think, have funny badges on their uniforms. So I went with the Leafs. And, you always have to go with the home team, right? I chose Calgary over the Kings because I heard THAT guy hurt his back and because I have never been to L.A. I also had to go with Calgary because two (yes two) of the players are from my home town. Chicago was chosen because because I never hear too much about Minnesota - and their uniforms are an awful shade of green. The general feeling on the Edmonton/Winnipeg match up was that it could go either way. I went with Edmonton be-- cause they won the cup before. For the Wales conference conference I had to think that much harder to make my picks. Sports-talk said tradition tradition was with Montreal. I thought so too, although I haven't got a clue about what that means. I thought that Hartford Hartford was a good choice because because I remembered a so 1 could make an intelligent intelligent decision (eenie, mee- nie-miney-moe): the Devils Devils and the Rangers. As of last Friday, two days after the playoff's began, began, I was one for eight. But the series is just beginning and by the end of it, who knows what will happen. My creative means of coming up with winners may just signal the end of statistics. The team with the cutest emblem on their shirts may be the recipients of the next Stanley Cup. Right. And Brian will get re-elected too. Reader Offers More Thoughts On Tax System Lear Sir: Perhaps you and your readers will indulge me one more time concerning the Goods and Services Tax (GST). I promise that this will be my last letter on the subject. But there is still one more issue, and to me this is the most important issue, which I would like to bring to your attention. And that is the fact that the implementation implementation of the GST will result in an increase in inflation inflation at a time, we are being being told, when inflation is the most serious problem facing the Canadian economy. economy. Let me quote from the Budget Speech by our Minister Minister of Finance to the House of Commons on February 20, 1990. "After seven years of strong economic growth, the economy has exceeded its productive capacity. This has fuelled inflation. The current slowing of the economy economy is helping to ease the strain, but underlying inflation inflation pressures remain too high. We must lower inflation inflation as quickly as possible. This is the only way to get interest rates down so that we can put the economy back on a sustainable path of expansion and make further further progress on the deficit." Even the Minister of Finance Finance admits that the impact impact of the GST next year will result in a 1.25 percent increase in the annual rate of inflation. Now, if it takes high interest rates, with the inevitable negative impact on employment, to fight our current 5 per cent inflation rate, just imagine what will be in store for us in 1991 when inflation increases to 6 per cent. I find it most unsettling unsettling that the Minister of Finance tells us that inflation inflation must be reduced if our economy is to prosper, and, at the same time, tells us the GST, which he admits is inflationary, will lead us to prosperity. There are economists who feel that the GST impact impact on inflation will be greater than 1.25 percent. In order to have the minimal minimal impact, and no one is predicting a lower rate than the Minister of Finance, it will be necessary that Canadian Canadian workers do not insist on increased salaries and wages. This is not likely to come to pass as labour unions unions across the country have been on record for some time that wage and salary settlements settlements must reflect increased increased prices which will result result from implementation of the GST. Also, if there is to be a minimal inflationary impact, impact, it will be necessary for manufacturers to pass along to their customers all their savings resulting from elimination elimination of the Manufacturers Sales Tax (MST). It also is not likely that this will come to pass. There is evidence tha't indicates that in 1978, when the MST was reduced from 12 percent to 9 percent, the savings were not passed on to the consumers. The government has not put into place any means of assuring these savings will be passed on in 1991. The GST was introduced to Canadians, as are all tax changes in this country, in the form of a technical paper which is understandable only to trained tax technicians. technicians. From the start, it has been justified, by the Minister Minister of Finance, as necessary to replace the evils of the MST. How often have we heard him say that when Canadians understand the GST they will accept it? It is most unfortunate that our government uses this technique technique to introduce tax changes, as any shifts in social social philosophy get lost in the technical details. The debate debate over the GST should not be tied to elimination of the MST. Rather, we should be debating the real issue, the advantages and disadvantages disadvantages of shifting from the taxing of income to the taxing taxing of consumption. But this issue has not, nor is it going to be debated. As promised, you will hear no more from me about the GST. I am most grateful, however, and thank you for the opportunity to make public my sincere and deep- felt concerns. Yours very truly, Vern Garlick 150 Trudeau Drive Bowmanville, Ontario. Never the Twain Shall Meet Twas the dimming hour of twilight, faint rays from the sun ceased to glow, Perfume of Killarney roses-stole on the breeze, from the flowers below, There, side by side, sat Age and Youth, each dreaming his own sweet dream. Age dreamt of the treasured 'long ago Youth - trout in a troutless stream. Who has some things already planned. That mountain so high, and bleak and cold, But not to the Youth, with his courage courage bold, That rock will yield to Youth's dynamite dynamite Who finds all 'can'ts' - so weak and trite. Concern Over Abuse Of Prime Farm Land Regional Municipality of Durham Planning Department Box 623,105 Consumers Dr. Whitby, Ontario LIN 6A3 Dear Dr. Michael; This letter is in response to the request from tne regional regional planning department for public input about the proposed changes to the Durham Regional Official Plan. I, and many other residents residents of the region, are deeply concerned about the rampant use of prime agricultural agricultural land for housing and industrial purposes. I felt this was being addressed addressed when the draft changes states on page 3 that it was intended "to retain retain existing designation for permanent agricultural reserve reserve and general agricultural agricultural areas". However, this is completely completely contradicted when you rend further into the draft report. There are 9 proposed "employment areas" ( a now term for industrial land). Of the 9 proposed employment areas, 5 of thorn (E2, ES, E5, E7, & E9) are to bo changea "from permanent agricultural agricultural reserve" to employment areas, Two more of the proposed proposed employment areas (EG & E8) nro being changed from special study areas to employment areas. Wore those 2 areas not agricultural agricultural land before they became special study arena? There are 9 proposed "living "living areas" (a now term for residential housing areas), Of the 9 proposed living areas, areas, 7 of them (L2, Lü, L4, LG, L7, L8. & L9) nro to be changed from "permanent agricultural reserve" to living living arena, What happened to the previous commitment In this same report to "retain existing existing designation for pormn- 1 nent agricultural reserve"? Me thinks someone is speaking speaking with forked tongue! I am also concerned that the urban boundary for Bowmanville Bowmanville should not be ex- anded at this point in time, ight now the Town of Newcastle Newcastle has a severe imbalance imbalance of industrial tax base compared to residential. This may not be a planning issue but it is a reality for all of Newcastle's residents when they get their tax bills. Until all of the industrial land that is currently vacant, vacant, awaiting buyers or renters, is in use, I cannot see any good reason for expanding expanding the already to- pheavy residential areas. I hope that these important important issues will be taken into consideration before these draft changes arc accepted accepted and made final. Sincerely, Evyln Stroud YWCA Offers Dance Classes Looking for a special Easter gift for a child or grandchild? The YWCA in Bowman- ville is offering dance classes for children. Recreational beginners' jazz is great fun but it also teaches co-ordination and rhythm, Two ago groups nro accommodated: one session is for three to six years and the other for seven to 10- year-olds, Ballot class tenches basic stops, poise and encourages creative movement. Ballot Nursery Rhyme is for throe to I'our-yenr-old children and Ballot Beginners Beginners is for llvo to six-year- old budding ballot dancers. Pro-registration for all spring classes begins Tuesday, Tuesday, April 17 at tlio YWCA Bowmanville alike, 133 Church Street, i) n.m. to 3 p.m. Call G23-YWCA for more inlhrnmtinn, guy in my class at school used to have this Whaler shirt so I thought maybe I would go with them. Ha! As soon as I mentioned mentioned it laughter erupted from everyone who heard me say it. My brother covered his face in shame. Boston it had to be. The last two picks were a toss up. The hockey/baseball/basketball/ hockey/baseball/basketball/ football/golf/etc. fan in my family shared some of his vast knowledge with me Castles in Spain raced through Youth's mind, Age knew life might not be that kind. But who's to tell in this wondrous world What carpets of red-might be unfurled unfurled To honor the Youth who dares to try For that brilliant star in the darkened darkened sky. Youth knows no such word that sounds like 'can't' His elders scold and rave and rant, But the dream won't die, it is from God's hand, At last', at last' in Youth's blistered hands-the prize is won, How tall Youth stands, Wise Age calls down, with words of love This prize is yours from Heaven above. lap The years will never span the gap Twixt Age and Youth, but in God's The bonds of love come rushing out, This gift is yours, just never 'doubt' Youth teaches us all a lesson here, Believe in yourself and never fear. Hilda Mary J. Abernethy Ganaraska Forest Centre Shows How to Make Maple Syi'up M a , n . l ,ti ra - B M i V'. 0r0S ^' ?°w° syfi'P tour the forest to soo tlm maplo troos that wore temoRmS kisss 'Srs&BSsm a?; vi8iiois ,,or ° nr ° i °° wns ni 11,0 ^ in 11,0 dotting n food of ennenkos. visitors worn invited to

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