The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

H I ii fl flirt ill <> vA/'-X t-'Wf wç *#/% Æga^-f v r f7 r r]% rfV f /y# Qr 4 li /j! j I | -, K' 'v'vi | i I /ftl i fgqfctitr ^ ; -*i A/ 1 H K » A ; S ]■'-! U k\yB B <jz vXv % y IV a.-'.- 1 <.- > v ; y *,'Xv 1 V -<t>' V %r V V -«i- 6» '-w- v' V -V / X. 'v 7 Pressrun 21,900 •.SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINQg&N THIS WEEK • 28 Pages Wednesday January 2 .2002 „ Happy New Year! Optional delivery $5/$l newsstand Year in review Sports, page 11 Mayors after a bigger piece of pie Arthurs, Mutton want government to reconsider tax policies BY MARTIN DERBYSHIRE StaffWriter DURHAM --The mayors of Clarington and Pickering don't want the power to levy sales or Give the income taxes against local residents, residents, but they are looking for a bigger piece of the federal and provincial taxation "pie". "I don't think directly taxing residents is the way to go, but we do need to find sources of revenue revenue other than property taxes," said Clarington Mayor John Mutton. "Even with all the downloading, we really haven't had any other source of taxes." A report released in Novem ber by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says small business owners were overwhelmingly opposed to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Municipalities (FCM) Big City Mayors Caucus' call for new powers to levy a local sales or income tax. The CFIB said the FCM caucus, caucus, made up of 21 mayors from the country's largest urban centres, centres, had been pushing for changes to Canada's constitu tional framework in order to gain more taxation power for municipalities, municipalities, such as new sales or income income taxes. However, 95 per cent of businesses businesses surveyed in the Greater Toronto Area said they were opposed opposed to increased municipal taxation powers, while two per cent were supportive, and three per cent said they did not know. FCM has categorically rejected rejected the CFIB position, saying the mayors are not asking for the right to impose municipal sales and income taxes. Rather than saddling Canadians Canadians with additional levels of taxation, taxation, the FCM said municipalities municipalities would like to sec a portion of growth tax revenues collected by federal, provincial and territorial governments allocated to covering covering the costs of municipal scr- See MAYORS page 2 MAYOR JOHN MUTTON Need sources of revenue other than property taxes. life this month DURHAM - Just when you thought the gift-giving season was over, opportunities abound to give the most important gift of all. Canadian Blood Services Donor clinics start off the new year in Durham Region Thursday, Thursday, Jan. 3 at St. Gregory's Auditorium, Auditorium, 195 Simcoe St. N„ Oshawa, from 12:30-8 p.m. On Monday, Jan. 7 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., donors can give the gift of life at the Michael Stair Building (Ministry of Finance), 33 King St. W., Oshawa and on Thursday, Jan. TO, the Oshawa Civic Auditorium, 99 Thornton Rd. S„ in Oshawa is the place to be from 4-8 p.m. R.S. McLaughlin Collegiate, Collegiate, 570 Stevenson Rd. N„ Oshawa Oshawa will be hosting a blood donor clinic from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17. January 17 is also the day scheduled for donors to drop by St. Isaac Jogues Church, 1148 Finch Ave., Pickering from 4-8 p.m. People can donate blood in Courtice on Friday, Jan. 18 at Courtice Secondary School, 1717 Nash Rd. from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and at the Pickering Town Centre, 1355 Kingston Rd. from 3-7 p.m.. St. Joseph the Worker Parish, 1100 Maiy St. N„ Oshawa, Oshawa, is open to blood donors on Jan. 21 from 3-8 p.m. The Oshawa Centre, 419 King St; W„ Oshawa, is the venue for a Jan. 26 clinic from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. V- 65 ., 1A Sliding through the first snowfall WALTER PASSARELLA/ Statesman photo COURTICE - The Vincent family of Courtice put the Boxing Day snowfall snowfall to good use, getting out for some sledding fun at Grandview Village Park, Oshawa. Matthew Vincent was getting up some speed on his saucer. Veridian is ready for an open market Local electricity provider has met all 'compliance steps' BY KEITH GILLIGAN Staff Writer DURHAM -- While almost half of local utilities in Ontario reportedly aren't ready for the open electricity market, Veridian is prepared. Dave Clark, executive vice- president of corporate services for Veridian, said the utility has "filed our compliance certificate, signing off on all requirements": A report published yesterday noted 43 of the 94 Ontario utilities utilities won't be ready to take part in the market when it opens May 1, 2002. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) noted the utilities that won't be ready are small ones, representing about 18 per cent of customers in the province. Veridian provides electricity to Pickering, Ajax, Clarington, Uxbridge, Brock, Port Hope and Belleville. "We believe we've met all the compliance steps," Mr. Clark said, before adding he isn't sure if the OEB has reviewed reviewed the utility's submission. OEB chairman Floyd Laugli- ren stated in a letter to the Energy Ministry dated Dec. 17, "Based on our review, we expect that a total of 51 LDCs (local distribution distribution companies) would be technically technically ready for a market opening on May 1, 2002. These LDCs represent 82 per cent of Ontario customers and 88 per cent of current current retail contracts. "As you can appreciate, our Seniors call for lower fitness centre rates But Clarington politicians, staff say expanded centre must be paid for BY JACQUIE McINNES Staff Writer CLARINGTON - A group of older adults is protesting a recent recent rate increase at a municipally-owned municipally-owned Courtice fitness centre after new prices were introduced introduced to coincide with a major expansion of the facility. But local politicians and municipal municipal staff say the new centre, at more than 14,000 square lect with brand new fitness equipment, equipment, saunas and change rooms, can't be compared to the previous previous 900-square foot facility the seniors were paying for previously. previously. "We feel this is an undue fi- See FITNESS page 2 Courtice seniors have been unsuccessfully lobbying the municipality to exempt them WALTER PASSARELLA/ Statesman photo from a rate increase at the newly-expanded fitness centre. projections are based on a quick review of the 89 LDC filings as well as our ongoing monitoring activities." Eighty-nine of the 94 utilities met the Dec. 14 deadline to file the self-certification statement and questionnaire indicating their market readiness. Mr. Laughren's letter to Minister Minister Jim Wilson was sent the day before Premier Mike Harris announced announced the May 1 date for the market opening. Mr. Clark said there are a number of aspects involved in the self-certification process. "It's a standard questionnaire provided by the Ontario Energy Board to each utility board. There are many steps we have to complete," complete," he added. One of the steps is being able to provide billing to customers once the market opens, he noted. Inside ®i)c Statesman WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page 6 Classified 8 Sports 11 GIVE US A CALL General.. .905-623-3303 Distribution 905-579-4407 Death Notices 905-683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamregion.com email newsroom@durham- region.com FAX 905-623-6161 Mr. Laughren said the OEB is developing contingency plans for utilities that aren't ready for the open market. Under the new market, market, customers can sign a fixed- price contract with retailers or can go with a fluctuating spot market price. There will be an around-the-clock auction with electricity generators offering to provide set amounts of power at different prices, and buyers such as the electricity retailers or local utilities doing the bidding. The local utilities, which deliver deliver electrical power directly to customers, must monitor how much power was delivered to each customer, at what price, and from whom. This, will require utilities to set up expensive, sophisticated sophisticated metering and billing systems. The market was originally originally to open in November 2000, but was delayed several times. ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY *An official mark of the Province of Ontario used under licence. Whitby - Oshawa P 1 H 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY LOCAL (90s) 666-1772 mobiba. www.hondn1.com ]£1Z^£!3S^^^SSC^V^R^ST!SSSS^ Cowan PONTIAC-BUICK GMCTRUCK