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2 > ProttoWfreMy urne», Wednesday, May 31,2000 ) Weekly Times East Clarington and beyond since 1937 Subscriptions $23.36 + $1.64 G.S.T. = $25.00/year Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Publishing 50 Issues Annually at the Office of Publication 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Qrono, Ontario LOB 1M0 E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwart Downsizing responsibility 'It all comes down to individuals doing their job right, the first time', says M.P.P. John O'Toole in his column this week, in reference to the contaminated drinking water in Walkerton. O'Toole then goes on at length, criticizing the media for the way they are reporting this disaster. Similar complaints were issued by Brace/Grey M.P.P., Bill Murdoch, Sunday, on CBC Radio's Cross Country Check-up phone in show. Murdoch made his statement after two local residents called in to say how pleased they were with the way the media had handled the incident this far. Not once in his column does O'Toole^dmit to any responsibility responsibility his government played in the tragedy that cost five people their lives, for simply having faith in the quality of their drinking drinking water. The Ministry of Environment admitted in a news conference yesterday, they had failed to forward a report showing the presence presence of coliform bacteria in the Walkerton's drinking water on to the medical health officer. How can something as crucial as the safety of a town's drinking water supply be left in the hands of one individual? From the reading I've done, and that would be from what the vulture reporters are spitting out, there was a series of mis- judgments to blame, including some by the Ministry of Environment itself. Of course, if government ministries continue to downsize at the rate they have, there won't be anyone left to blame in their departments, when things, go terribly wrong. Letter to Editor . Dear Marg: : RE: Water History The tragedy which is presently unfolding in Walkerton evoked a memory of reading of a similar misfortune misfortune occurring in Orono ninety years ago. I pulled out Helen Schmid and Sid Rutherford's Out of the Mists and found the following excerpt: ...Lftfte was known in 1910 ' about the causes of typhoid. Contaminated water or milk were usually the source of the disease. "It was fair day in Orono and the hotel had cooked up the meat ahead of time, preparing for a crowd. It was püt down the well to keep. Nearly everyone Who ate there that day was sick with typhoid, and some died of it Fortunately I was invited out for supper or I could have been one of them." An eyewitness account of that fateful meal described it thus: "Theflies were thick on the meat." Typhoid is frequently frequently carried by flies. There were no bathroomfacllities of the kind we know today. Also, there were heaps of horse manure in the backyard due to the stabling of horses in the hotel shed. It was not only a supposition, but a fact the well was infected. The well was laterfilled in. Today such a tragedy could hardly happen. No blame can be attached to any of the four doctors of the day. The strict enforcement of the laws of sanitation were not carried out at that time. All but nine of the 115 persons persons partaking of the evening meal in the North American Hotel contracted the typhoid, with about 20 deaths resulting. resulting. [p.85-86] The Best conclusion I can draw from what has occurred in Walkerton is that if we don't learn from our history, we're sure to repeat our mistakes. mistakes. What is happenings in Walkerton is a . terrible tragedy for which all of us feel extreme sympathy and sorrow. Let's hop the casualty casualty numbers don't get anywhere anywhere near the total in Orono in 19l0, and that the mistakes mistakes which have led to it are not only corrected but understood, understood, to never be repeated. Sincerely, ■f Robert MacDonald (continued from page!) mittee early next .year. International negotiations begin in 2002, with construction construction not expected to begin before 2003. Other countries looking to host the facility are Japan, Italy and a combination of Spain and Portugal. When asked by Councillor Schell what Canada's chances are? Dr. Dautovich related that an International ITER Director was so impressed after a recent three day Canadian visit, that according to the Director, Canada had a 60% chance to host the facility- facility- ITER is an international research and development project to develop fusion energy as the way to a clean and sustainable energy source. Iter - a latin word meaning 'the way', ITER - the way to clean energy for our planet As a research project, the ITER facility will be a step forward in the ultimate goal of producing electricity through the fusion process. Fusion being a nuclear reaction reaction in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form another another element with the release of energy. In 1920, when scientists first believed fusion may be the sun's power source, research began in the hopes of replicating this process as a clean and sustainable energy source for the future. ITER was officially born in 1988 and represents a unique international collaboration collaboration of countries dedicated to developing fusion as a practical source of energy. Canada joined ITER as part of the European team from the beginning and began working with the U.S., Russia, Japan, and Europe, on important research and design work. The U.S. dropped out of the project last year. The north shore of Lake Ontario, between Darlington Nuclear Power Plant, and Blue Circle Cement has been chosen as the Canadian site. The site must have access to electricity and cooling water for the plant's operation. operation. The facility if constructed, will become Ontario Power Generation's largest customer. If the project moves ahead, construction of the research facility will take approximately approximately 10 years, creating major employment. The facility is expected to have a 20-year operating period, period, from 2013- 2033, to develop the knowledge needed needed to successfully design and operate a demonstration fusion power plant. ITER is not intended to produce electricity.,. electricity.,. According to ITER Canad/t. when operations have ended, all tritium will be removed from the facility and the machine will be put into a safe shut-down state to allow for radioactive decay. After 20-30 years, dismantling and storage would be feasible. (continued from page 1) elected Chair of the Police Services Board in January 1998, was that Chief McAlpine was causing all kinds of problems in the police service. "This man hadn't even had the chance to arrive in Oshawa, and learn the fjames of the officers," he stated. "I can't believe that in a matter of eight weeks the morale of the Durham Regional Police Services plummeted because of the Chief." Boychyn added, "at the same time, I had negative comments about previous administration of the Police Service." "We are not denying there may be procedures that could be better implemented," stated stated Boychyn. The Hay report indicated that senior administration administration was not organized as effectively as it could be. The Police Services Board believes the rift between the Chief and his officers is repairable, and hope the open forums will get to, and clarify the underlying problems. IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE OOodlct bzt Flail & You Fall Alone Fall Safely Wednesday, June 7, 2000 • from 11 am - 2 pm FREE at Clarington Beech Centre • 26 Beech Ave., Bowm. Learn how to prevent a fall while celebrating'Senior's Month. This event will feature interactive activities, a light lunch, entertainment & door prizes. Hosted by Clarington Older Adults Association & Durham Region Health Department 'Contact: Carrie Griffith 1-877-999-4336 ext. 251 or Clarington Older Adults Assoc. (905) 697-2856 NATIVE SONS MW, dollghant@aol. com THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER THE WELL KNOWN - SOLDIER