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Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, 1 mi §§f 2000- !| HILL ALEX SHEPHERD The bungy ride, technology technology stocks are experiencing in the market, reflects the profound profound and complete transformation transformation our economy experienced. experienced. Canadians have to embrace this transformation, or bear the consequences of missing an opportunity to increase societies wealth and well being. Thanks to the efforts of the federal government - and Canada's historic investment in telephone line transmission, transmission, Canada is now one of the most connected countries in the world. Strategically this places us in the position to leap frog over our competitors competitors since the vastness of our country and distance to market, is no longer an impediment when travelling the information highway. Estimates say that, as a nation, if we captured only 1 per cent of e-commerce business business we would add $3 billion to our Gross Domestic Product. Estimates also say by 2004, 80 per cent of Canadians will be connected to the information highway. In spite of the recent castigation castigation by the CEOs of Canada's largest corporations, corporations, about governments' lethargic approach in assisting assisting them, it is in fact this group which threatens to drop the ball and lose the e- commerce opportunity lying' before us. To illustrate, American businesses, when surveyed, rank the importance of using information technology as number one. Canadian businesses businesses rank it 12th. Of Canadian companies now doing businesses on the information highway, 63 per cent of it is with American sites, not Canadian. Businesses, both large and small, have to . wake up to •what is going on in the world. Government can only do so much, laying the groundwork so that the population is aware and participating. If Canadians want to waste this opportunity letting, letting, Americans win the battle, battle, then we will be where we were 20 years ago - a branch plant economy where our wealth "flows south of the border. The federal government is attempting to lead by example. example. We have Government On Line (GOL). And we have set a goal of being completely automated by 2004, allowing all government services to be accessed on line. I realize not all people will be comfortable with this, which is why government will continue to provide services services by phone, mail and local offices. GOL also presents an opportunity to re-invent gov- ■ ernrnent. Having set up a. number of citizens focus groups throughout the nation, the federal government wants to find out what information citizens want, as opposed to what government would prefer prefer to give you. This will allow citizens and their government government to open new frontiers. frontiers. When people phone a government office to find out about genetically modified food, they may not only want to hear about what Health Canada has to say, but Agricultural Canada as well, and Treasury Board too, who directly run some of our laboratories. laboratories. They may also be interested in international Trade, which is involved in international standards for labeling. In other words Canadians get one-stop shopping. The new information society society is challenging old thinking thinking while creating new opportunities. Perhaps few of us will be damaged by what's going on in the stock market with regard to technology stocks, but all Canadians can be affected by the underlying trends. Let's take the opportunity to master the opportunities underlying the new economy before we become servants of other countries who beat us to the punch. &U,<AÙ tkt tarit UMMct The Vi by: Myno Van Dyke He was well known for his butchering and his athletic prowess but not too many people know that he was also the Village Cop- Albert (known as Ab) West was born in Beaverton in 1907. Tie moved to ( tronc and in 1929 married Edna Dean who lived at the Rosebank Farm between Orono and Newcastle. Ab was a great sports enthusiast. He could play hockey and baseball better than most. One day in Newcastle, Ah pitched two complete games back to'.back and won them both. The - Wests moved to 149 Church Street in Orono where they raised six children, junior, Donna (Forrester), Dean, Raye, Keith and , Ronald. Ab killed his own beef and usually hired George Butters to assist him when he was butchering. He would usually butcher two cows in a day. At first he had his own - meat shop but later went to work for Armstrong's grocery store in the village. Ab said, that many people were poor and could only pay in whatever whatever they could spare. He ended up with a lot of eggs and milk,, but not much money. The slaughter house was located on Station Street (where the Seniors Complex is now) and Armstrong would let Ab keep the cow hides as a bonus. He would let them stack up and then sell them to a man who owned a leather factory in Oshawa, Although Ab was not particularly particularly large, he had amaz- ■e e. Call Big Brothers. Iv PBS4 -- l.ilElil! NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME Family owned and operated by Carl Good and Joyce Kufta 386 Mill St. S., Newcastle 987-3964 "Caring for our Community" ing strength. He could throw a large sow weighing several hundred pounds, over his shoulder and cany it a fair distance. One local man was at the slaughterhouse and observed Ab make three trips with a large sow over his shoulder each time. "PH bet you a dollar you can't do that again!" he. said to Ab. Ab loved a bet and carried the pig the same distance with no difficulty. difficulty. After receiving his dollar, Ab said, "How would you like to get your bet back? P ii carry the pig the same distance again except this timed, want you to get on my back on top of the pig!" The man declined the bet. Ab-was a crack shot with a pistol. He was trained by Andrew Knox. Kno.N was the leader of the Orono Citizens Band and a local beekeeper. Helen Schmid and Sid Rutherford's, book, "Out of the Mists" reports that in 1916, Knox defeated the Pistol Champion of Canada, Mr. A. Rutherford qf Toronto. By 1932, Knox,'who was almost 60 years of age, was still winning national shooting shooting championships. ' Ab West was appointed by the village as Constable around 1937 and given a badge but no uniform. The badge was quite large and simply had "Constable" on it. West received no uniform and used his own gun. If there was anything of a serious nature, the Ontario Provincial Police would be called. It was considered a volunteer position with very ; little re-numeration. Ab often went to i-larry Mercer at Mercer's Garage if he needed some help or advice. He continued continued this job until around 1940. Ab West's proudest moment was likely in 1954, when he and his family made - history. The Orono Orphans were playing Intermediate "B' hockey. The stalling lineup lineup in a game against Port Hopé featured the entire West family. Forty- seven year old Ab West played goal (an unfamiliar position for him as he usually played centre) and his sons Junior, Raye, Keith, Dean and Ronald made up the starting line-up. After the first period, the regular goalie came in, but the rest of the Wests continued their" playing roles. Sister Donna coached "for the first period and mother Edna was the timekeeper. Oh yes, Orono won the game, .3-2. A feat that will" never likely be duplicated. After Edna died, Ab moved into a small apartment above a store on Mÿn Street in Orono. He worked .a bit at the pool hail in Bowmanville. He died in 1971 and is buried in the Orono Cemetery. Today, Albert West's great-granddaughter, Sommer West, is one of the best female athletes in Canada. She not only plays for the National Women's Hockey Team but is also a member of Canada's National Women's Softball Team. Her dream to participate participate in both hockey and soft- ball in the next Olympic Games is not an unrealistic one. Old Ab would be proud... Call me to buy or sell... Orono and area's real estate _ representative... Krysfyna Jones 983-6013 fleellu-Nel ASSOCIATES " (DURHAM)lnc. 1050 Simcoe St. N„ #103, Oshawa TEL: (905) 721-2112 $ K * New Listing... Cute Orono^Mlage Bungalcm^J&QÜpboms., $104,5001 Sold for 97.9% of list price in less than one month!