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SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28,1990 Sfit Catlaptatt statesman (J^Kia Durham Region's Great Family Journal Established 136 years ago in 1854 Also Incorporating The Bowman ville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by riUVUUCU nowni/ u/ James Publishing Company Limited 62 King Street West, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Brian Purdy Donald Bishop Associate Editor Advertising Mgr. 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 its columns on the understanding that it will not be liable tor any error In the advertisement published hereunder unless a prool ol such advertisement Is requested in writing by the advertiser and returned to The Canadian Statesman business oft Ice duly signed by the 'advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case It any error so noted is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman Its liability shall not exceed such a portion of the entire coet ol such advertisement as the space occupied by the noted error bears to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. N.D.P. Gambles Big The Ontario New Democrats have taken a gamble. They have decided, in effect, to shoulder responsibility for the trash disposal crisis which is brewing in, the Greater Toronto Area. And the five regions which make up the GTA are, no doubt, heaving a collective collective sigh of.relief. Durham's regional chairman, Gary Herrema, went so far as to say that Durham is now "out of the garbage business." In fact, a committee of regional regional council is recommending that the five Durham-only landfill sites under under investigation be dropped. One of these was the controversial Kendal site. In deciding to scrap the proposed Whitevale and Brampton interim landfill sites, the provincial government government has radically changed direction in local waste disposal poney. Actually, it may be over-stating the case to say that Whitevale and Brampton Brampton have been scrapped. The provincial provincial government has merely declared that it won't approve a "fast track" approach approach to the environmental hearings that would be required before a dump could be built at either site. But, given the. length of time required required for the standard environmental assessment process, it stands to reason reason that the Pickering dump site could never be ready for use in 1993. Hence, it is, for all intents and-purposés; scrapped. The provincial government has decided decided to put all its eggs into one basket. basket. Or, perhaps in this case we should say that the provincial authorities are placing them all in the blue box of recycling, recycling, reduction and re-use. In other words, the provincial government government is gambling on a radical change in consumer habits in order to solve the garbage problem. Coming on the heels of a Throne Speech that even the Premier agreed was lacking in devastating new announcements, announcements, the landfill decision is probably the most significant move yet to be taken by the fledgling government. government. The decision should get top marks for courage, leadership, and for adhering adhering to the stated policies and preelection preelection promises of the New Democrats. Democrats. Frankly, it would be a shock if the government did anything less than what it announced last Wednesday. But in making that decision, it has taken a difficult path. There is no "Plan B" for the government. According to Environment Minister Ruth Grier, the new interim sites in Pickering and Brampton won't be needed if there is a strong push towards towards recycling and reduction of trash. Let us hope she is right. But, one also must look at the situation situation realistically. When we talk about the provincial landfill crisis, we are not talking about an issue such as senate senate reform or constitutional changes which can be mulled over indefinitely. Metro Toronto produced almost three million tonnes of landfill last year and less than 90,000 tonnes was recycled. By 1993, existing disposal sites are projected to run out of room. The Environment Environment minister's announcement last week leaves the GTA without any short-term solution to the garbage crisis. crisis. There is a proposal to form a new authority with representatives from municipalities and the province to search for a new landfill site. And any such process would be subject to lengthy environmental hearings. The idea of forming an agency to study landfill requirements gives us an odd feeling of deja-vu. It seems as though various regional and GTA authorities authorities have been doing nothing but scouting possible landfill sites for the last three to four years. What will this new agency do, except except re-trace the steps of the former consultants? What new information will it uncover? Are we in for yet another round of public information sessions, and consultants' consultants' reports? In practical terms, the Ontario government government has no prospects for either short-term or long-term solutions to the problem, aside from recycling and reduction. In an emergency, the cabinet cabinet minister suggests that trash could be piled onto existing sites rather than opening up a new one. In a recent project undertaken in Clarke township, a number of households households discovered that they could reduce reduce their output of trash to one pound per person per week. Let us suppose that Metro Toronto's two million persons were able to achieve that goal. They would still be producing 52,000 tons of trash per ear ana that represents just the ousehold portion of the waste generated. generated. Industries and commercial sources sources account for twice the trash output of individual households. So, we're looking at another 100,000 tonnes from that source if even the most conscientious conscientious and, some would say, Utopian Utopian recycling effort were made. That's not much, when you compare it with the current output of garbage. But, when you have nowhere to put it, it would certainly look like quite a lot. It would definitely make a fairly large mountain on the lawns of Queen's Park in an election year. Moreover, with the provincial government government taking so much responsibility for garbage, we cannot help but conclude conclude that this will encourage politicians politicians in the local municipalities to simply stand back and watch what the province does rather than pitching in to solve the problem. If the government's gamble makes any sense at all, it will have to work quickly to provide more incentives for recycling and to reinforce efforts at educating educating the public about the merits of reduction, re-use and recycling. It will have to lobby industries and the federal government for legislation that will reduce excessive packaging. It will have to introduce incentives for business people to launch industries based on recycling and re-using and repairing consumer goods. Government watchdogs to "audit" businesses in order to ensure that they are not producing excessive wastes are also a possibility. And perhaps some products will be banned outright. It looks as though two scenarios are possible: Consumers and businesses may lash out against forced recycling, reduction and re-use. Or they will comply with the government's new direction direction and help solve the problem. We wouldn't want to bet on the outcome. outcome. The provincial government has taken taken a courageous, stand which could cause it to find itself buried under about a million tonnes of garbage in the next election. We're keeping our fingers crossed. And so, no doubt, is the government caucus, the environment minister, and the premier. Builders Facing Stormy Weather Building permits are usually a good barometer of a community's economy. And, in the case of the Town of Newcastle, the barometer must surely be predicting stormy weather ahead. It's not just a matter of the statistics statistics indicating a decline in construction. construction. That's happening everywhere and is part of a trend over which the local community has no real control. What is more disconcerting is the fact that there is a continued imbalance imbalance between housing and commercial/industrial commercial/industrial development. The statistics show that, aside from house-building, there's not a heck of a lot going on in this municipality. But here are the facts and you can make your own decision: As of the end of October, the Town of Newcastle had given building permits to residential construction valued at $48.8 million. Construction of all other types (including (including institutional buildings, agriculture, agriculture, commercial and industrial projects) projects) totalled $8.9 million, In other words, non-residential construction construction accounted for just over 16 per cent of local development. But actual actual commercial and industrial categories categories amounted to just over $4 million. So, we might conclude that just over eight per cent of last year's construction construction could be classed as commercial. And there is little indication that this trend will stop. Surely it's time for the municipality and the Durham Region to apply the brakes to the housing sector Reader Feels Development Is Hurting Sensitive Lands Dear Mayor Hubbard and Councillors; I am becoming more and more alarmed at the carving up and sacrificing of the environmentally environmentally protected land in our town merely in order to satisfy the greed of the developers. The most recent example that has aroused my concern is the strip of environmentally environmentally protected land that runs from north to south from Concession St. to King St. in between Liberty St. and Mearns Ave. Application PD-177-90 is from Ashdale Capital Corp. who owns the most northerly northerly chunk of land and wants to put houses on it including the part that is zoned environmentally environmentally protected. Application PD-161-90 is from Schickendanz Bros. Ltd. who own the land immediately immediately to the south of Ashdale and who also want to put houses on this land including the part that is zoned environmentally protected. protected. Is this pattern going to continue all the way south to King St. so that nothing is left of the environmentally environmentally protected lands? New Course of Action For Rights of Natives The Prime Minister has outlined a course of action that will preserve the special special relationship Canada bears with her First Nations - one that is rooted in aboriginal aboriginal and treaty rights enshrined enshrined in the Constitution. This plan rests on four main pillars. In the first area, land claims, the Government of Canada realizes that the settlement settlement of claims is long overdue. Indeed, it is (recognized (recognized that this is what stands between Canada's First Nations and self- sufficiency. With this in mind, three parallel processes will be initiated: initiated: the rate of specific claims settlements will be accelerated; legal undertakings undertakings pertaining to Prairie treaty Indians will be fulfilled; fulfilled; and the government will make its best effort to expand the comprehensive claims process. The second pillar concerns concerns economic and social conditions on reserves. While there is much good work done by the federal ' government to realize economic economic and social potential on reserves, there remain serious problems. The Prime Minister is committed to improve Indian housing extend child welfare and family services, upgrade water and sewage facilities on reserves, make education more relevant to Indian culture culture and history, increase participation in the workforce, workforce, encourage sustainable development and address environmental concerns. A third, and very important, important, pillar underlying the federal government's initiative initiative is a careful analysis of the antiquated Indian Act - considered by many to be the root of several problems. Changes in the paternalistic paternalistic nature of the Indian Act, or legislative alternatives for jurisdictional problems like land issues and band monies, will hopefully bring First Nations a greater sense of self-sufficiency and respect. Finally, the government will, as a part of a broader study of national unity, review review the fundamental role and place of aboriginal people people in Canada. Ultimately, this undertaking will lead to an enlarged capacity for aboriginal aboriginal self-government. Clearly, this process is going to be a tough one. For that matter, any one aspect of the federal government's plan represents a challenge. But we believe through consultation consultation and with a little bit of creativity little time will pass before Canada and her First Nations are truly one. iras land was zoned rap when these developers bought it. These are professional professional developers who know full well what EP means and that you are not supposed supposed to build houses on EP land. But to increase their profit at the expense of our environment they try, like a spoilt child, to wheedle Council into letting them build "on just a small piece" of the EP land. But all of these small pieces add up to make the sum total of the natural resources that are ours to preserve and pass on to future generations. The developer is the only one who benefits from this rape of our natural resources. resources. He increases his profits. The residents lose because this unnecessarily adds more houses to a tax base that is already top-heavy with residential development. development. The environment loses loses because it is further eroded eroded - never to be able to regenerate itself. Future residents have lost part of their natural heritage. It is situations like this that cause citizens to wonder if somehow Council is benefiting benefiting from this development because why else would they be foolish enough to allow it to continue unabated? Sometimes in a family situation one child really wants something but a wise parent will deny the child his wish because this wish would be harmful to other family members. It is to be hoped that Newcastle's Town Council will show us it wisdom by refusing to let avaricious avaricious developers, who are acting like spoilt children, build on EP land. Sincerely, Evylin Stroud Disorder in the Court policy, and fat Reader Sees No Problem With Two "Newcastles" Dear Mf. James;. •" I would like to express my views on the town name change. Since the - initial outcry when the Town of Newcastle became official in 1974, I can't recall any big problems with it. My husband and I and our three children were born and raised and lived our lives in Bowmanville. I now reside in Wilmot Creek, part of the village of Newcastle. My address is Newcastle, Ontario. I have never heard of anyone having having a problem finding me. Just to mention two of the name change committee, I feel sure if you write to Don Gilhooly or Louise Lyle, BOWMANVILLE, Ont. would reach them. Public buildings service a large community and population, therefore should be called Town of Newcastle. Now to quote an article from the April 1990 issue of Canadian Living magazine, written by Peter Gzowski, well known, writer and broadcaster, he says: "Me, I come from Galt." I am sure you know Galt technically does not exj^feSpiMs inoorpq?. rated with Prints ton, Hespler etc. as Cambridge, Ontario. There are far more important important issues to deal with other other than a name. I know and will always know, whatever you call it now or in the future: future: "ME. I COME FROM BOWMANVILLE." . Yours truly; Inez Jackman. GST Does Not Affect Deficit An Open Letter to Lorraine Lorraine and others who want the G.S.T. Have you heard the news? The G.S.T. will NOT be applied to the government's deficit. We have been told over and over again by Brian Mulroney and our present Finance Minister that the G.S.T. is revenue neutral and has nothing to do with the government's deficit. Do you listen to the news? ^ M. C. Young) A group of us media types were chatting before before a meeting on garbage began . in Orono last week. One reporter remarked that since he has come back from his holidays, garbage has been a frequent frequent story. .... I noted that since I graduated from school and started work, in September September of 1988, garbage has been a constant in area newspapers. (That's the paper cups and plastic plastic kind of garbage I'm referring referring to, of course!) First, there was the threat of a Metro dump in Newcastle. That threat dissipated after the last municipal election. Stories after that crisis, crisis, quickly evolved about the life-span remaining on the Brock West landfill landfill site in Pickering and the garbage crisis looming looming on the horizon in Durham Durham and in other regions surrounding Toronto. In an attempt to deal with the trash problem, the province stepped in and created this unofficial unofficial body called the Greater Toronto Area and set out a requirement requirement that each of the five regions must come up with an interim site for their garbage until a long term solution to waste could be found. Whitevale, in northern Pickering, was Durham's selection. And a decision to share the site with Metro Metro meant lots of green in the Region's coffers. At. .the same time Whitevale was chosen, Durham also elected to develop its own long-term landfill site and began a search of the region for the most suitable locations. locations. In late September, the engineering firm hired to find the site for Durham made its announcement with regard to the potential potential landfill site locations. This created a furor in five communities, including including Kendal, where one of the candidate sites is located. located. Now, reporters have new stories to write with the announcement last week by Environment Minister Ruth Grier that Whitevale won't be allowed allowed to be fast-tracked through the process and instead must have a thorough thorough environmental review. review. The minister is suggesting suggesting that with stronger stronger recycling and waste re duction initiatives the interim sites won't be needed at all. And if interim interim capacity is needed, she wants to extend the life span of existing sites instead of opening up new ones. Maybe this is a good idea. It appears the minister is shifting the emphasis from covering our trash to dealing with it better. But the measures taken taken will have to be aggressive aggressive and tough because although waste reduction is possible, people have to be willing to cut back. The residents in the area surrounding Kendal who performed their waste reduction study where garbage wasn't put out for collection for four weeks learned that reduction reduction is possible. But the tough task is to get people to participate. participate. It may be a shot in the dark, but I wonder how many people who aren't directly affected by landfill landfill sites are starting to turn off to all the education education abounding regarding the green earth. Garbage saturating the news locally and pro- vincially and all the education education initiatives by envi ronmental groups and' government agencies just may be reaching the point of overkill and people, people, being people, are- most likely tuning out. i While the education is important, I don't think people really learn until they do it themselves. Aggressive measures from the: province might go far in teaching Ontarians Ontarians that more has to be done. ' Santa Thanks Dear Editor: Committee members sincerely sincerely thank you and your staff for the excellent publicity publicity prior to the 29th annual Santa Claus parade and the coverage of same. Your assistance assistance and the good weather weather helped to ensure support for this event. Button sales, the main source of our funding, were the highest of any year to date, and to those making this possible, we say thank you. Thanks also to businesses businesses that donated money and/or materials for the parade. parade. Many individuals did assist assist in making the parade a reality and this is certainly appreciated. Excellent cooperation cooperation was received from those participating and this does make the parade committee's committee's work much easier. • Yours truly, Don Welsh. ! r ms Pressing Matters In One Small Town -- by John E. James -- , "Was it something we said?' Somehow we'd forgotten it took a little time for the good citizens of Amityville to become accustomed (immune?) to the occasionally blunt manner of communication employed by this writer. Similar reactions to what was originally experienced in Amityville are now appearing in some of the papers that nave added this column, and the situation probably merits a brief explanation, A rew folks may have trouble swallowing this, but the basic motivation for writing "Pressing Matters" is twofold: a) to preserve and enhance the Smalltown way of life, and b) to help readers acquire a better understanding of issues facing them in this horrendously complicated world, We don't have all the answers, or infallible judgment, but our newspaper work does provide us with more awareness and exposure to the issues than the average reader, and we try to share that with you. The more an issue is discussed, the better people understand it. That gives them a chance to make up their minds with a lot more information than might otherwise be available. We weren't sure what reaction would occur, once the column appeared in other papers. But, with nine weeks under the belt now, it looks as though similar patterns are emerging. The shoving match with teachers came as no surprise. Somewhat unexpected was the sprinkle of outrage provoked by biological revelations about our dog's encounter with potent Polish sausage leftovers. (An explosive issue if ever there was one). And then last week a writer decided yours truly might be in line for "Bigot, Racist and Atheist of the Year" honours, because of our remarks about "Sikh Jokes," "Bingo Indians" and so on. To paraphrase this shocked and incensed critic, (who welcomes a Canadian shift to "Global Village" status despite maternal and paternal roots pre-dating darned near everybody except Nanook of the North), our "intolerance" is unacceptable. and "ethnocentric attitudes" like ours encourage the "travesties of war." There is no such thing as bad publicity, but that's not quite what we envisioned on top of our tombstone. God bless people who believe a perfect world is possible by pushing a few buttons. They possess amazing abilities to gloss over tiny details in pursuit of awesome drawing board ideologies. Example? The "Bingo Indians" near Montreal aren't exactly our first choice as truly representative Native Sons.... after all, we're talking about guys carrying Russian AK-47 automatic weapons that will kill. One policeman did die, you'll remember. Aww, we're being picky. Why let a tiny character flaw stand in the way of The Big Plan? Comparing that bunch of thugs on Montreal's south shore with the likes of Tecumseh, who fought and died alongside early Canadian settlers in the War of 1812, makes as much sense as pairing Iraq's Saddam Hussein with the Prime Minister of Israel in a charity tennis tournament. We have no quarrel with the substantial Sikh population in Canada. But we get agitated when they insist on messing with one of Canada's richest traditions (the RCMP uniform), or demand the right to wear ceremonial daggers on public streets and in schools. This country banned lawn darts, right? It is reasonable to assume wicked looking daggers present just ns big a threat. Our writer quite accurately claims Canada is becoming an international "molting pot," and we agree. However, this admirable goal should not dilute the heart and soul of the nation, nor eliminate the cultural attributes and values which are the main reasons people are drawn to our shores. Millions of people come to Canada seeking a fresh start, a better way of life, or to escape unacceptable conditions in their native lands. The decision is a difficult choice for many, but most opt for our way of life as a better deal. Please understand, we . aren't demanding they abandon attempts to preserve basic elements of their own cultures and heritage for future generations.,, within tneir own ethnic community groups. Those efforts can only add to the colourful character, and proud international image of this country. But when we invite people from other parts of the world to live in Canada, shouldn't it be on the understanding they are willing to accept, and become a part of, the "Canada" that made them want to come here in the first place? Call us what you want, but this is one Canadian who firmly believes Canada is. taking lengthy strides down a dangerous path. It makes little sense to permit the transformation' of this great land, and its good people into a modern Town of Babel. Wo'll do what wo can to prevent that from happening.