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8 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, August 25, 2004 Basic Black by Arthur Black Canada: Too small for its own good I love my country - can we get that straight right from the get-go? I love it right down to its black flies and cold snaps; yea, even unto Revenue Canada and Celine Dion. In terms of real estate, I wouldn't dream of moving anywhere else on the planet. In terms of citizenship, I will relinquish my Canuckhood only when they pry my Tim Horton Coffee Card from my cold, dead fingers. However. There is one thing about Canada that drives me absolutely nuts. It's our smallness. Oh, I know we're huge geographically geographically - biggest country in the world, now that Russia's been sliced and diced. But in so many ways we can be smaller than a June bug's Johnson - even toward ourselves. I'm talking about our relentless, tiresome self-deprecation. Was there ever a nation on earth more aw-shucks-humble than Canada? The blushing schoolboy routine might have been charming a hundred years ago when we actually were hewers of wood and drawers of water, but we're all grown up now. We have pubic hair and drivers' licenses and everything. It's about time we acted out age. And Ralph Klein, if you're reading this, go out and brand a steer or something, because you don't want to hear what I'm going to say next. It's about the results of a recent York University study on bilingualism. The study shows that speaking a second language Leading the Way CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PUBLIC NOTICE www.munlclpality.clarlngton.on.ca STATION STREET FROM MAIN STREET TO HIGHWAY 35/115 ORONO The reconstruction of Station Street from Main Street to Highway 35/115 was included in the 2004 Capital Budget and 2 Year Forecast for reconstruction in 2005. The Municipality is holding a Public Information Centre to obtain feedback and comment from area residents and interested stakeholders prior to finalizing detailed design proposals for the project. The Information Centre will be held on: Date: Thursday, September 2, 2004 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Location: Orono Town Hall 5315 Main Street, Orono Preliminary design plans will be available, for review and Staff from the Municipality, ofglaripgton^ and TSH, Consultants for the project, will be in attendance to answer quèstions. For further information on this project, please contact: Mr. A.S. Cannella, GET Director, Engineering Services Municipality of Clarington 40 Temperance Street Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3A6 Telephone (905) 623-3379 E-Mail tr.annella@municipalitv.clarinaton.on.ca This notice issued on Friday, August 20, 2004 Mr. Will McCrae, P. Eng. . Project Engineer TSH (Project Consultant) 513 Division Street, Cobourg, Ontario, K9A 5G6 Telephone 1-800-463-8046 E-Mail wmccrae@tsh.ca SENIOR CITIZENS AND THE PHYSICALLY DISABLED e SIDEWALK AND DRIVEWAY WINDROW SNOW CLEARING PROGRAM The Municipality of Clarington is offering senior citizens 65 years of age and over and the physically disabled a snow clearing service on municipal sidewalks and for driveway windrows adjacent to single family dwellings, which includes semi-detached, link housing and row housing in the urban areas of Bowmanville, Courtice, Orono, Newcastle Village and in the Hamlets of Bond Head, Newtonville, Tyrone, Leskard, Haydon, Kendal, Solina, Hampton, Burketon, Enniskillen, Maple Grove, Enfield, Mitchell Corners and Kirby. The snow clearing service on municipal sidewalks will start after a snow fall ends and only when there is more than 1 inch of snow on sidewalks. The resident/homeowner must provide material (sand or salt) on the sidewalk as needed. The driveway windrow snow clearing service will not be undertaken until the snow ploughing on all Municipal streets has been completed and are not called out for 6 inches or less. If vou require access to VQUr driveway Qf sidewalks before..<M service is activated, it is the home owners resPOPsibilitYj. To be eligible for this service, applicants must be 65 years of age or older or be physically disabled, occupy a single family dwelling which fronts onto a Town street m the specified urban areas of the specified hamlets, and have no able bodied persons under the age °[ 65 residing on the property. Senior citizens must provide a photo copy of a birth ce rtificate or Senior Citizens Card; physically disabled applicants must provide a doctor s certificate each year. Application Forms can be obtained from the Operations Department, 2320 Taunton R° ad ° r j! the Municipal Administrative Centre, Customer Service Reception Desk at 40 ^ emperanc ® ^ Bowmanville, or by calling 905-263-2291. If you wish to verify that you qualify for the service, please contact the Operations Department at the above phone number. All applicants who were approved last winter will receive a 2004-2005 application in the mail. All applicants must reapply each winter season and provide the appropriate documentation. All applications should be completed and returned to the Municipality of Clarington, Operations Department on or before QsiQÙSLJZJim* Applications may not be accepted after that date. actually improves the brain. Researchers tested the mental skills of bilingual speakers of Cantonese and English, Tamil and English, and French and English. The bilingualists consistently consistently outperformed English- only speakers. Ellen Bialystok, a researcher at York, explains that speaking a second language actually produces physical changes in the brain - pumping more blood to carry more oxygen. oxygen. "Being bilingual is like going to a brain gym," she says. So do English-Canadians embrace the principle of Official Bilingualism - which amounts to a unique, , government-sponsored government-sponsored opportunity to enrich our lives and broaden broaden our horizons? Nah. We bitch and whine about 'the Quebec conspiracy' and the immense burden of having to confront a few French words on our Corn Flakes boxes every morning. Come on, Canada... stretch a little. Then there's our smallness towards others - specifically, our knee-jerk anti-Americanism. anti-Americanism. That's childish too--and kind of pathetic. Sure, Yanks can be obnoxious and bossy and stubborn and downright scary. Just like Sheila Copps and Don Cherry. And yes, they currently have a dangerous idiot for a president; But you know what? Americans can--and I believe, will--send that bum ranch next November. With ballots, not bullets. Which is not an option with the ayatollahs, • imams, supreme chieftains, sultans, warlords, 'Dear Leaders' and other assorted thugs who rule most of the rest of the world. Before we cheap-shot the U.S.,' I think it behooves the average Canuck to ask himself a couple of questions. Such as where was the car you drive manufactured? How about the clothes on your back? How about the fact that you get to listen - and react to - voices as various as Rush Limbaugh and Michael Moore? And to eat fresh oranges and avocados avocados in January? As much as it galls doctrinaire doctrinaire Leftoids, fate placed our homeland right next to the richest, most technologically advanced civilization in the history of this planet. That immutable fact has imbued Canadians with one of the highest standards of living in the world. Is America perfect?. Not even close. The U.S. comes not just with warts, but with carbuncles, pustules, goiter, hives and great running sores. Our neighbour may be sick and delusional, but she is our neighbour. And she is ailing, not terminal. What if Canada--instead of sniping and griping and Holier- Than-Thou-ing, worked at actually actually helping the folks next door? That would be mighty big of back to his dry •îif'v '"eherv*. Texas . .tUS/ > YT'" S T *. fîfvr? i . fiji ! '«I 'itfUHier at HERITAGE CAMPS August 19 Settler Day • learn about how pioneers started a life in a new country • spend the day in a pioneer cabin • make bannock • take a walking tour of Bowmanville August 26 (@ Clarke) History Unearthed • go on an archaeological dig • listen to a native legend • learn how to examine artifacts Uictorian ^JeaS Enjoy tea, coffee or juice and fresh baked scones with jam on the historic verandah of Bowmanville Museum 37 Silver Street Every Wednesday from noon - 3:00pm Musical Entertainment $3.75 per person Starts July 7 until August 25, 2004 Call 905-623-2734 The Summer Heritage Camps are full day programs for children ages 4- 11 years. Program hours are 8:30-4:30 every Thursday throughout July and August. Fees for the program are: $30 per child/day or $15 per child/half day. All Heritage Camps take place at the Sarah Jane Williams Heritage Centre, 62 Temperance St. except for July 29 and August 26 which will take place at the Clarke Museum, 7086 Old Kirby School Road. Call 905-623-2734 for more Information. __