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Clarington Green Gael: Sports, page 6 n b get new ¥ 7 A A Bull V vV L üv j*k, tititn 1 It É (&J- „ It I SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • Pressrun 20,000 10 Pages Wednesday Dec. 29,1999 Flu bug hits Durham Region hard Optional 4 week delivery $5/$l newsstand Durham clinics swamped with flu patients Got the ilu? Then you might want to stay home and rest bc- eausc local medical clinics, urgent urgent care centres and hospital emergency departments arc filled to the brim. A potent Ilu bug hit Durham Region and the rest of the Greater Toronto Area in time for Christmas Christmas and its victims went looking for medical help wherever they could find it. On Christmas Day, that meant hospitals, as clinics and urgent care centres were closed for the holiday. The influx of sick people further complicated complicated the situation in hospitals' already already busy ERs, which routinely have to turn away ambulances due to lack of room. It was reported reported Monday that at one point that day, only one of 25 hospitals in the GTA was accepting all ambulance ambulance patients and that was the Hospital for Sick Children. When local clinics re-opened, they too were faced with lineups of sick people looking for help. While officials at Lakcridgc ■ Health Corporation did not yet have information on Durham hospitals, there arc reports of waits of anywhere from two to five hours at clinics in Oshawa and Whitby. "It was wild," said Patricia Hcwcs, administrator of the North Oshawa Medical Centre, Centre, which closed Dec. 25 only. "On Boxing Day, we saw 131 patients. patients. Last year on the same day, we saw 119. Yesterday (Dec. 27) we had another busy day. We saw 174 patients." And that's just between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., she said. Most people at the centre reported Ilu symptoms, Ms. Hcwcs added. "It's very busy again today," she said Tuesday afternoon. "At times, it's been up to a two-hour wait." Some patients told centre staff they'd come from the Oshawa Oshawa Clinic, where there was a four-hour wail, or Lakcridgc Health Oshawa, which had a live- hour wait, she said. Only the centre's centre's urgent care clinic is open this week. 'Dial will he closed Jan. 1. Glazier Medical Centre in Oshawa Oshawa also reported it was busier than usual at its urgent care clinic. clinic. Family Care Medical Centre in Whitby reported a wait of about four hours Tuesday, the first day open after the holiday. JASON LlEliREGTS/Statesman photo Firefighters responded to a van rollover on Townline Road north of.Adelaide Street in. Cour- . lice yesterday afternoon, as the first snowstorm of the season brought with it plenty of traffic traffic accidents. Emergency personnel were kept hopping throughout the afternoon. This single-vehicle single-vehicle mishap happened about 1:30 p.m. There were no injuries. , First snowstorm brings plenty of fender-benders Durham is ready for the stork HY CINDY UPS HALL Staff Writer 1 It could be a real baby boom in Durham come the New Year. Officials at Lakcridgc Health Corporation say they're preparing for a possible increase increase in births on or around New Year's Day. "The physicians think it's going to be busier here," says Linda Robinson, communications communications specialist with the hospital.' hospital.' The potential baby boom is a result of couples trying to have a millennium baby. In March medical experts were quoted on television programs, radio shows and newspaper, articles articles advising couples interested interested in having a baby on New Year's Day to conceive around the end of March. The result of this should be an increase in the number of births in the coming days. "Most of our prenatal classes classes arc booked solid and we're expecting a fair number of deliveries deliveries over that time," she says. But just because there arc a number of expectant mothers due around New Year's, that's no guarantee there will be many actual births. "It's the forces of nature - you can't control it really," Ms, Robinson says. Despite the potential for increased increased births "it's pretty much business as usual" at Lakcridgc Health's five sites. I Only three of the live sites deliver deliver babies, since Uxbridge and Whitby do not have obstetrics obstetrics departments. Police and paramedics across Durham Region were stretched thin yesterday as Old Man Winter Winter returned with a jolt. Provincial and regional police 911 communications lines were jammed up with dozens of reports reports of minor lender-benders and vehicle rollovers shortly alter the year's first snowstorm arrived about noon. The wind-driven snowfall caused while-out conditions in some areas of the region, sending vehicles into ditches and guard rails along Durham's roads and highways. Police, ambulance and lire services could barely manage to keep up with the countless calls for assistance. "It's all over the region. At one point I counted eight outstanding outstanding accidents in Oshawa alone. There weren't enough officers officers to send," said Durham Sergeant Steve Ross. Ontario Provincial Police said officials were too busy to comment comment on the countless number of calls they were responding to. No serious injuries were reported reported at press lime. However, there were several multi-vehicle pile-ups. Among the worst were at Brock Road and Major Oaks Drive in Pickering and Hwy. 115 north of Taunton Road in Orono, where a jack-knifed tractor trailer delayed emergency crews from reaching the scene of several vehicles vehicles involved in accidents. Hospitals may have merged but volunteerism stays the same Bowmanville hospital volunteers celebrate a successful year I1Y JACQUIE MclNNES Staff Writer BOWMANVILLE - You can call it Lakcridgc Health Bowmanville, Bowmanville General or Memorial Hospital, Hospital, Bowmanville but the one thing that never changes at the Liberty Street facility is the community spirit, Although it has changed from an independent community community facility to one of five sites under the umbrella of Lak- eridge Health Corporation, the new structure "hasn't affected affected us at all," says Jill Haskins, president of Association Association of Hospital Volunteers, The volunteers have been active not only fundraising for the hospital by manning three stores in the hospital, but also in everyday duties throughout the wards. "Whatever we're asked to do we try to find somebody to do it. Whatever the nurses ask them to do, they do except nursing duties, of course." From pushing wheelchairs to photocopying, where a volunteer volunteer is needed the association association makes an effort. In 1999, the organization donated more than $90,000 to Lakcridge Health Bowmanville. Bowmanville. Although the hospi tal is part of a larger organization, organization, all the money the volunteers volunteers raise goes only to the Bowmanville site. Funds arc raised through the Hospital Gift Shop, the New to You Shoppe, the Perk Central coffee shop and the IIELPP lottery. The volunteers volunteers also hold a tag day and a Great Pumpkin Hunt at Watson's Watson's Farms. With the money earned this year the association donated: mammography view boxes, 10 Tympanic thermometers, eight wheelchairs, five electric electric beds and a stretcher, an EKG machine, surgical O.R. storage carts, a hip brace, comfort room, oxymeter, stretcher mattresses, bus trips for continuing care patients and a video gastroscopc. "The list of purchases reflects reflects only a small portion of what our volunteers really give to our hospital and the community," says Chris Kooy, chief operating officer of Lakcridge Lakcridge Health Bowmanville, "I am certain the care and concern they have demonstrated demonstrated for the health of the community in the past 12 months will also reach into the new millennium." It was an electric year at the nuclear station Nothing static in fast-paced 1999 11Y JACQUIE MclNNES Staff Writer COURTICE-The last year at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington station will be remembered remembered by its staff as much for the activity generated as the electricity. Ninclccn-ninety-ninc was one of the busiest says Charles Packer, the site vice-president. "It was a very challenging year," lie says. "We had a lot of deadlines to meet by Dec. 31." Probably the biggest challenge challenge of the year was ensuring Y2K compliance in time for the new millennium. "Y2K was a big, big issue," says Mr. Packer. "We had 60 people full-time on analysis. But that significantly underestimates underestimates the total amount of (human) resources working on it." The process to check each and every System, and supply linef.pecdecj for the plant was tedious and costly. Approximately Approximately $100 million was spent at Darlingtrpi on the project. "We know in this company how important we are to this province. We left no stone unturned. unturned. We intend to be ready," says Mr. Packer, who with many of his staff will ring in the New Year from the station. Although Y2K compliance was the biggest and most public public task Darlington had to contend contend with, it was hardly the only one. The year began with the start of deregulation of the electricity market. Ontario Hydro was split into two companies; companies; one for generation of electricity, the other for delivery. delivery. In April, the plant was at the centre of a federal emergency system test designed to ensure, in the event of a nuclear emergency, emergency, all government agencies and the nuclear industry would be ready. In the early 90s when Darlington Darlington opened, it was lilted with the first computerized shut-down system in the nuclear nuclear industry. The station was CHARLES PACKER 'It was a very challenging year...Y2K wail a big, big issue.' committed to redesigning and rebuilding that system prior to the end of this year. After years of work" on the system, staff competed the project, earlier this mqrith. "It waà.a .major accomplishment," accomplishment," says Mr. Bapker. "It had to be done by Y2K although that wasn't what drove it." The plant also spent millions millions of dollars improving a water quality control system to monitor tritium levels in the lake. Through it all, the construction construction of a new office building and the transfer of hundreds of staff from other sites took place. Despite the intensity of the projects at the plant, there was still time for community projects. projects. Darlington won the Conservation Conservation Award for its Groundwater Festival, continued continued to partner in the community community with service groups, local organizations and schools and provided tours through the plant to the public. In total, the plant connected with over 20,000 people through its out-reach programs. programs. Mr. Packer's own New Year wish is a simple one: no surprises, surprises, "We arc prepared for that." 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