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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, Wednesday, January 27, 1999 Pace 4 ®he Canadian talesman Of ^ Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W. R. Climie 1854 -1878 M. A. James, 1878 - 1935 • Norman S. B. James, 1919 -1929 G. Elena James, 1929 -1947 • Dr. George W. James, 1919 -1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited Also Publishers of The ClaringtonICourticc Independent P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W. z Bowmanvillc, Ontario L1C 3K9 Tel: 905-623-3303 HOL1RS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Fax: 905-623-6161 Internet - statesman@ocna.org Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 For 145 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Rick James Plant Manager - Rick Patterson Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Supervisor - Ralph Rozcma, Tim Bowers, Kevin Britton, Suzanne Christie, Sharon Cole, Laurens Kaldeway, Barb Patterson, Sean Pickard, Tyler Scllick, Jim Snoek, James Stephenson, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Editorial Advertising Lnverne Morrison Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Michelle Wyton Office Supervisor - Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford, Libby Smithson Editorials About Those Robins... We've had numerous calls from readers last week and the week before. Were they inquiring about assessment increases? Council salaries? The Greater Toronto Services Board? The Year 2000 computer bug? Nope, the subject was robins. It seems that a zillion of them have stayed behind this winter. And, consequently, robins by the hundreds have been seen bob- bob-bobbing alonjg roads near Orono, backyards in Bowmanvillc and Blackstock. Usually, we get a call around January from somebody claiming to see the first harbinger of spring. But, we seldom get those calls by the dozens. Actually, we always suspected that the people reporting the first robin sighting of the new year captured the birds and kept them in cages until January or February when they let them loose and promptly called their local media to declare a robin sighting. In fact, naturalists tell us that there are always a few leftover robins spending the winter in southern Ontario. And, as long as the supply of berries holds out, they can survive quite nicely. But the prospect of robins bounding through snowdrifts seems just a little too much like a scene from the Twilight Zone. The final year of the millennium is just a few weeks old and it's already looking a little too weird for us. Toronto residents (and all the rest of us) arc up to their armpits in snow. Then we're up to our ankles in water and slush as the snow melts. The Farmer's Almanac says to expect more of the same. The woods arc full of robins. Oh ycs„and there's this letter from somebody in Alberta who claims the first horseman of the apocalypse is already out of the starting gate. Very strange. Is this merely a sign of the final year of the millennium. millennium. Are we going to have to get used to these kinds of events? And, although we can't do anything about the snowfall and Hooding cycle or the weird weather conditions of this final year of the millennium, perhaps we could do something about the pesky robins. Maybe they should be captured and placed on transport trucks and returned to the southern climes where they (or at least the majority of them) belong during the winter months. We've seen transport trucks loaded with cages of chickens headed down the 401. Perhaps the same could be done with those robins. It wouldn't stop our severe weather or halt the oddball politics south of the border and wouldn't rein in that horseman of the apocalypse apocalypse . • But, it would make things seem a little more normal around here. Still Wary of Mega-Board The long-awaited and much-feared Greater Toronto Services Board is now a reality. Whether it will eventually lead to a new mega-govern- inent for Toronto and surrounding regions remains to be keen. But, at the moment, the mood is conciliatory. Although Durham Region and Clarington are both wary of the GTSB concept, neither group is strongly opposing the new agency. In fact, they're sending representatives to its meetings. So, we arc now a part of the GTSB. The bottom line is that the new board will become whatever whatever the public and politicians want it to be. ! At the moment, there arc promises that the board will not become another level of government and that its goals will be to regulate GO Transit and resolve disputes among Toronto and area municipalities. ", At the insistence of elected officials from outside Toronto, there arc provisions to give rural areas a voice and even opting-out options. ; But, the fact remains that the provincial government which has founded this board is the same government that eliminated the individual municipalities of Toronto to create the single mega-city. ' Without considerable opposition to the contrary, a similar similar pattern could be followed in establishing the GTSB. We must also remember that Toronto has 50 per cent of the votes on this newly-created board. Durham has about 10 per cent of the power. Only one voice on that mega-board comes from Clarington. It will be hard to convince mega-board opponents that the board docs not mean a shift of powers. If your vision of the Toronto area in the next century is that of a metropolis, then the mega-board will suit you fine. If your vision leans towards a collection of independent, but co-operative communities, then you have reason to be wary of the concept. More Regulations? It's not for lack of regulations that some boating mishaps occur. It's a matter of enforcing the rules we have. This, at least, is the argument against a clutch of new regulations regulations which were introduced last week by the federal government. The rules will, for example, mean that by April 2002, any person driving a powered recreational boat must have an operator's licence, regardless of age or experience. Anyone over the age of 55 is exempt. As well, youths under 16 years of age will require an operator's licence as of April of this year. All drivers of power boats will require a licence by April 2009, unless they were previously exempted under the ovcr-55 clause. New equipment required on boats will include a water-tight flashlight or three flares, and a 15- metre buoyant line. The arguments sound very much like the ones against the new federal gun laws. Indeed, many of the same organizations organizations are making those arguments, And, they are not without merit. Governments can write laws until the proverbial cows come home. But, in the absence of adequate enforcement, it's only the law-abiding boaters or gun owners (as the ease may he) who will follow the laws. For the remainder, the solution can only be increased enforcement. There is talk of governments loosening the purse strings a little more, now that some debts are under control. Perhaps it's time to loss some of those coins in the direction Of law enforcement. Because, whether you believe in more gun laws or less and whether you believe in more boat laws or less, one thing remains certain: Laws that cannot he adequately enforced aren't worth the paper they're written on. Without enforcement, they only hit the law-abiding citizens citizens who probably don't need the rules in the first place. Letters to the Editor Christian Faith Should be Respected Too Letter to the Editor: A New Year has arrived. It is also high time for our politicians politicians to show us some intestinal intestinal fortitude and do away with all their politically correct "gobblcdigook." On Sept. 9 last year, a memorial memorial service to commemorate the 229 people killed during Swissair Flight 111 was held in Peggy's Cove. Our Liberal government's government's protocol office in Ottawa banned Jesus Christ's name from this service. It did not allow a United Church minister minister to read from the New Testament. A Roman Catholic priest could not speak of his faith freely, thereby he was Bear Hunt Ban "Courageous" Dear Editor: In recent years, Ontario had its share of caring and compassionate compassionate governments. To create an Ontario dream world, they overtaxed, overspent and implemented programs like Employment Equity. Maybe the motives were right, but the results were wrong. Then came Mike Harris. He lowered taxes, reduced spending spending and abolished Employment Equity. Like magic, Ontario's economy began to flourish. There was nothing special about what Mike Harris did, He simply encouraged and allowed Ontarians to do for themselves what they could and should do for themselves. Future generations of well- educated Ontarians will be grateful for the much-needed reforms Mike Harris introduced introduced in the school system. He had the courage - which previous previous governments lacked - to cut the education establishment down to size a few notches. The protests were deafening, but now we know: The education system is there to serve our students students - not the education establishment. establishment. This month, Mike Harris again demonstrated courage and compassion when lie abolished abolished Ontario's spring bear hunt. For many years, national and international organizations have criticized Ontario for allowing the hunting of bears when they arc still weak after a long hibernation. Female bears arc then often accompanied by cubs, which arc too young to fend for themselves. Though females with cubs arc not supposed supposed to be shot, it often happened happened and the cubs usually starved to death. In our Disncyworld of Smokcy the Bear and satellite television, spring bear hunting made Ontario look like a cruel place worldwide. According to the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters, the spring bear hunt brings in $17 million a year in direct revenue and adds $40 million a year to the Ontario economy. Natural Resources Minister John Snobelen said the orphaning of cubs swayed the government to end the hunt. The government intends to assist tourist outfitters outfitters in making a transition into other aelivilies. The price to do this will he worth it to most Ontarians, Sincerely, Evert Vroegli, Hampton denied his basic human rights. Nevertheless, a Muslim read from the Koran, a Rabbi read the Hebrew Scriptures, and a Native Canadian spoke about her people's beliefs. Most of those who perished belonged to the Christian faith. We should be very concerned about this. The fancy word called "Mulliculturalism," is a complete waste of taxpayers' money. To back up my statement, statement, our Auditor General recently substantiated this. It is not working, and continually divides, instead of uniting us. Tolerance and consideration, without the expense of discriminating discriminating against anyone's doctrines, doctrines, as occurred in Peggy's Cove should be honoured. Our jellyfish politicians and legislators legislators foolishly trip over themselves themselves by banning the word Christmas and Christ from our schools, as though it was a four- letter word. We have repeatedly allowed them to deny that Canada is a Christian nation by their spineless actions, shaking the very foundation of what Canada was built on. Sincerely, Herman van dcr Veen Osltawa /MM) TOP TEN CONSUMER COMPLAINTS COMPLAINTS -- Consumers hate collection collection agencies most of all. But, they're followed by energy brokers, unethical loan brokers, motor vehicle repairs and matters related to small appliances and vacuums. This information information comes from the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, which kept tabs on more than 32,000 complaints last year. Completing the top ten list in the field of consumer complaints are: home furnishings, credit reporting agencies, consumer goods/pcrsonal items,' exterior household renovations renovations and home computers. "READLESS" WEDNESDAY -- Just try to get through the day without without reading. The Literacy Council of Durham Region is holding a Family Literacy Day today (Wednesday, January 27th) to challenge people to get through their day without reading. reading. Could you survive? If you're reading this, you already know the answer. ON THE GO -- The official launch of the new northern bus services linking Whitby, Brooklin, Port Perry, Beaverton and other north Durham Communities took place Monday, January 25th. NEW INDOOR POOL? -- The new addition at Maranatha Christian Reformed Church features a giant, indoor pool. Unfortunately, you can't s wim in this kind of pool because it's really just a reservoir underneath their new building. The water supply is needed for fire protection, since the building is a little outside the hydrant zone. Although there's not enough headroom for swimming; the . underground tank does resemble a pool in many respects. NUCLEAR GOLF COURSE -- One proposal being considered is to turn the underground low-level radioactive, waste site in Hope Township into a golf course. Once the waste is adequately stabilized, apparently there's no reason why a golf course couldn't be built on top. Of course there will be some inevitable jokes. For instance: The low-level radioactivity may not make the ball travel any further. But, you just might be able to find it whenever whenever it lands in the woods. MIXED MESSAGES -- The sign below is located at the comer of Fourth Street and High St. We're sure it means that you have to stop at the slop sign, but that you're not allowed to stop your car anywhere else along the street in question. However, there could be some misinterpretation. Maybe the little no-stopping sign should be on another signpost, just to be on the safe side. There's an old saying to the effect that "if something something can be misunderstood, it will be." Researcher Seeks Info On Local Families Dear Editor, Hopefully, you might see your way to print my request in your paper, and if you do, my thanks to you. I am researching the names of Kinsman and Trevvin in Durham County. The family in question is Thomas and Ann (nee Kinsman) of Bowmanville, from approximately 1850 and on. My problem is to trace their place of origin, when they mar ried and who their respective parents and siblings were. In essence, any help I can get. With all the Trewins and Kinsmans in the County, hopefully hopefully someone has the records and would be willing to share them with me. Your help would be most appreciated. Please write or telephone David Platt, 450 Wellington St. N,, Woodstock, Ontario, N4S 6S9.