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4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, January 26,1994 Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited For 139 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Richard A. James Plant Manager - Donald J. Bishop Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Rick Patterson, Ross Fisher, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Laveme Morrison Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 905-623-3303 Fax 905-623-6161 VERIFIED CIRCULATION PAID Environment Committee Not Needed in Clarington There's a move under way to launch a municipality-wide environment committee in Clarington. But, we doubt that such a committee is a good idea. It seems to us that the current system works best. The various environment groups in the municipality can do their work and approach the municipality to offer advice, protest certain policies, seek funds, etc. The attempt to form one big environment committee which will look after everything environmental in the Clarington municipality might very well weaken the present systeni. You see, environmental concerns are often quite localized. People usually take action on environmental issues because of specific concerns within their own neighbourhood or ward. Or, they might be interested in a particular environmental issue such as organic farming or opposition to nuclear power. The environmental movement is too diverse to expect one committee to cover all concerns and. we cannot expect all environmentalists to share a particular, set of beliefs any more than we can expect all people who call themselves church-goers to subscribe to a single doctrine. For instance, one environmentalist may want to preserve a forest, so that it can be used for hunting and fishing. Another might want the forest to be, totally off-limits to humans. If the municipality is successful in forming a single committee to review environmental concerns, it had better be prepared for a a certain amount of debate among environmentalists who serve on that committee. And this kind of debate over aims and objectives will detract from the very purpose of an environment committee. There is also the question of whether or not local environmentalists really want to become part of the municipal bureaucracy. Forming a town-wide environmental committee may be one way to ensure that environmental issues are kept visible. But, there is a flipside to working so closely with the municipality. There will be a loss of independence as members of the environmental committee become part of the town's team. Can a group established by the municipality be as free to take pot-shots at the local environmental policies when it is becoming a part of those policies? And, it goes without saying that official committees have their drawbacks. Time gets wasted in waiting for reports, setting meeting dates suitable to everyone, deciding on rules of procedure, establishing budgets, etc. Sometimes committee efforts arejeven further clouded by members who engage in power struggles, have personality conflicts with other members or who attempt to make their committee efforts a stepping-stone to a larger political career. In short, there is still a lot to be said for the kind of grassroots environmental committee which consists of a group of neighbours meeting around a kitchen table to decide how to halt a freeway or preserve a forest. An environmental committee for Clarington would not necessarily put the smaller, neighbourhood environmental groups out of business. But, there might be a tendency to just assume that the municipality-wide committee is looking after environmental matters and therefore local groups don't need to get organized. Smaller environmental groups give a larger number of people the opportunity to get involved. Finally, there is the question of whether the establishment of an environmental committee would set a precedent Everyone agrees that the environment is important Bùt, it is not the only thing that Clarington citizens find important, If elected officials see fit to establish a municipality-wide environment committee, why should they not form other such groups to look after the interests of businesses, senior citizens, farmers, persons who use parks and arenas, persons interested in culture and the arts, etc. Clarington could quite easily break down into a quagmire of committees if council decides that every interest group should have a municipally-appointed organization to speak for it. From time to time, councillors form committees to deal with specific issues. The name change committee, the senior citizens centre steering committee and the economic development committee are three examples that come to mind. But, none of these groups was given a mandate to serve forever. They had specific guidelines and a specific job to do. There are many special interest groups in our municipality. Each of them has its own organizational structure and its own way of conducting business. Whenever they are affected by a particular municipal issue, they generally waste no time in finding the council chambers and making their case to elected officials. In our experience, Clarington council has a good record of listening to its citizens. Clarington Council may feel that an environmental committee could balance review all of the pertinent information, analyze the various needs of the community and then make decisions which are environmentally sound. But, in actual fact, that job really belongs to Clarington Council. Clarington councillors cannot sub-contract this responsibility to committees. No matter what an environmental committee might say or do, the final decisions rest in the hands of Clarington Council. In other words, we already have a group in place which must listen to all the advice from its citizens and then arrive at decisions which are good for the environment. It's called Clarington council. Z rea//y ôosjV you enouyhf 7& yoé ivy tee# ayers acocy "Aron? ic/eu/sf oh /or a. to/u /e / ■ ■s'tAtesmAM 1 01-2.6,'W News Item: TV programming is interrupted for several hours after ANIK-2 satelite fails. Could it be sabotage?! Letter to the Editor Keep Canada Strong and Free Statesman Editor: . A tip of the hat to K, Armstrong for her very excellent letter in the January 5th issue of your paper. A "Bah-Humbug" to those who chose Canada as their Country; and now some of whom insist that we change our long established customs, religions religions and otherwise, to accommodate their wishes. When in Rome do as the Romans do! With the greatest respect, I feel that some of today's Special Interest Groups, that include long time residents residents as well as some newcomers, are doing irreparable damage to our country. They are doing this by chal lenging many of the very things that attracted them in the first place - Freedom for all. Some of their present activities are creating an atmosphere that in the long term could possibly hurt rather than help them in their crusades, be they Religious, Sexual or Cultural issues. issues. I am not a racist but I am a Canadian! Canadian! I challenge our people, our Churches and our Politicians to preserve preserve our Country as it always has been - Strong and Free. Respectfully, Walter Beath Oshawa, Ontario. Dangerous to Pass Snowplows Thoughts Unlimited Rick James return in February The Ministry of Transportation would very much appreciate your help in communicating a serious safety safety concern to the general public: Drivers have been complaining to us that they arc having a hard time passing snowplows operating in tandem tandem on multi-lane highways. In fact, the last tiling they should be trying to do is to pass these plows. The snowplows arc out there to improve improve highway conditions as quickly as possible, When snowplows arc operating operating in tandem, it is extremely dangerous for motorists to attempt to squeeze past. In addition, if drivers do get ahead of the plows, they face the added risk of driving on a highway highway that has not been cleared of snow and ice. Because the passing problem is becoming so serious, the Ministry is asking for your help in advising motorists motorists to stay several hundred metres behind snowplows and other road maintenance vehicles. These can be easily identified by their flashing blue lights. Any help you can give us in passing passing on this safety message, would be very much appreciated. Cancer 1 I have a friend in New Brunswick " who is dying of cancer. When Louise found a lump in De- ' cember of 1992, it was small. It was. : small when it was removed in Dccem-.V ber, 1992. She had her required amounts of ,' radiation, chemotherapies and even tried a new vitamin therapy.- But the treatments did not stop the " rush of the cancer through her body.... Last September, she found herself,, having trouble moving around. Her. hip joints hurt. Everyone prayed it ' was only arthritis. However, those prayers did not ., seem to work. That is when the doc-.-: tors discovered how far the cancer had. spread.. ,1 Louise is a strong, independent ;. woman I met through my aunt, Linda.. Louise's wicked sense of humor and . love for life meant a quick bond de- ' veloped. While I have only known her for a ' few years, I appreciate the gifts she j has given to me and the people I know who have since met her. The gifts of,- -, laughter, acceptance and a zest for. - ! life. My mother really like "Weezer" as d she and many other people called her. .. ] Louise ran "Louise's Diner" in,'. Millville, N.B. for a few years. She - was also that community's mayor. , ; Always active in her community, J her white house became, like her busi- Z ■ ness, a type of 'grand central station.' ! She held impromptu meetings of neighbors and community folks alike at the kitchen table in her home. While visiting with her last sum- • mer, she was hopeful the chemo and radiation therapy would take care of ' the cancer. In July she was spending her weekdays weekdays in Saint John and her weekends ' at home. While she was far from being ; strong, she was still the Louise I had ' grown to appreciate. Through her love of life, people are touched, and become a part of her ' life. Last year, when she was first diag- ' nosed with cancer, the community rallied rallied around her to raise money to de- ' fray the cost of treatments. There was plenty of media coverage coverage for the mayor of Millville. It ranged from newspaper articles to a spot on a CBC news program about women living with cancer. , In talking with my aunt Linda at Christmas, I learned that this past holiday holiday will likely be last one Louise will enjoy with her family and friends. When I spoke with Louise on Boxing Boxing Day, she sounded lost. The thing is, Louise's mother died from cancer a couple of years ago. She knows what people are going through, where their emotions are taking taking them and knowing that no matter ; what they do or say, it won't help the ■ situation. This is the second person in six years that I have known to die of cancer. cancer. I only hope that when the timeè comes for her spirit to leave, she will be in the company of her family and- friends, not a bunch of doctors and - : nurses as my mother was. When my grandmother died ini Continued on Page 6 0 Every person in Ontario is entitled re security of their person, property and family. We should all be able to feel safe in our homes, or anywhere else. But as they look at their streets, their schools and their society in general, general, many Ontarians feel that security security is threatened. In a recent opinion poll, nearly two-thirds of Ontarians said they believe believe that crime has increased in their neighbourhood in recent years. As well, a strong majority believe respect respect for the law has crexlcd. That belief belief is strongest among women and visible minorities, As our crime problems problems worsen, people's faith in the justice system is wearing thin. We believe it is time to shift the balance: from criminals' rights to victims' victims' rights; from increasing school violence to more respect for authority; authority; and from rhetoric to a concrete plan of action. Thill is why the Ontario P.C, Caucus Caucus mill I created a Task Force on Crime, Justice and Community Safety Safety lust year. We travelled across Ontario Ontario holding public hearings, and heard from hundreds of people of all walks of life, from experts on crime prevention to independent citizens. Now, after a year of work, after incorporating what people have told us, we are ready to release New Directions Directions Volume III, our blueprint for justice and community safety. We have listened, we understand and we are prepared to act, Twenty-five percent of women have been victims of domestic violence violence and more than half have been victims of sexual assault. In New Directions Directions III, we have plans to toughen the treatment of offenders and provide provide much-needed shelter and support support for victims, Violent crime by youths lias more than doubled since the Young Offenders Offenders Act was passed. In New Directions Directions ill, wo have proposals to stiffen the penalties for violent youth crime and to completely revamp the Young Offenders Act, In order to help prevent crime, we have developed plans to reduce the drug problem, to lessen the violent images our children are exposed to, and to encourage more parental and individual responsibility. In order to provide justice, we have developed plans to allow judges to give sliffer sentences to violent criminals, to lighten controls on bail and parole, and to give police the support they need. Finally, New Directions III contains contains plans to strengthen victims' rights, including the right for victims to sue their attackers and a ban on criminals profiting from their crimes by selling TV, movie or took rights. The purpose of this report is to use what sve have heard and learned to develop a positive plan of action...one action...one dial could be implemented by the current government today, or by a Mike Harris government tomorrow. tomorrow. I will be glad to send you a free copy of New Directions ill to read and review. As well, please feel free to ask for a copy of New Directions II, our blueprint for education reform. An updated version of New Directions Directions I, our economic plan, will to available in the spring. Just call my office, toll free, at 1- 800-665-MIKE. 0 We Asked... Does Canada need a statutory winter holiday in February? .. .And You Said Niven Clark Bowmanville Kyla Watson Bowmanville Brenda Caruana Jennifer Janssens Orono Tyrone "Yes, you need a lit- "Yes, so everyone can "It would be a good "1 guess so!" tie incentive to get stay inside." idea. I'd agree with through the winter. that one." Something to keep you going." \u\i uivk's question: Do von Ihmk t 'laringlon turds a winter varniv it? m g