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

2 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, November 17, 2004 Subscriptions $29.91 + $2.09 GST = $32.00 per year. Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 • Agreement No. 40012366 Publishing 48 issues annually at the office of publication. 'We acknowledge the financial support of the Government oiCanada through the Publications Assistance Program {PAP) toward our mailing costs. Canada A 0 ™ ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB 1M0 Email: oronotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax 905-983-5301 Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart Sports and Display Advertising - Donna Wood Front Office and Classified Advertising - Rosey Bateman The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects^^lerest to our reader^ Opintons expressed to the^drtorand^ictes aj frK.SB to slander If your retail SmgNÔte of a°n f to P*. Th. Orono 8 Weekly .mss will no. be responsible fo, to loss or damage of rtems. ^ The bus stops here! Transportation issues were front and centre in this week. Not only was the new taxi by-law on the agenda at this week's General Purpose and Administration Committee meeting, so was the report on the Orono and Wilmot Creek transit pilot projects. The taxi by-law spells out what will be required by taxi cab companies once the new law takes effect. A cab licensed by the Municipality shall be required to have an extra tire and wheel ready for use, must be equipped with a fully functional air conditioning and heating system, maintain maintain the interior and exterior in good repair and keep the taxicab in a clean and sanitary condition at all times, etc. The 24 hour operation stipulation has not been finalized. We called several Clarington cab companies in our research for this week's article, and were obliged to leave messages on more than one answering machine. We have yet to be called back. Are these the companies you would call when seeking a cab ride home late at night? The report on the Orono and Wilmot Creek Transit Pilot Projects states that the need for transit services to these two communities was demonstrated, and recommends the service service be continued. Clarington Transit services the Wilmot Creek Retirement community with a bus loop three times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Since the service began in November of 2003, a total of 926 passengers took advantage advantage of the bus service to Bowmanville. The transit bus comes to the village of Orono every Tuesday and Thursday. The passenger count for this service service for the past 12 months was 304. This represents 25 passengers passengers a month, or six a week. Since the bus makes the loop twice a week, the ridership numbers break down to three passenger trips a day. That means that every time a bus leaves Orono, someone doesn't come back. With this kind of transit service, it won't be long before the Village of Orono will fit the Hamlet designation we received in the new Greenbelt Protection Act. Letter to the Editor Resident group sounded warning! Dear Editor: Re: Caledon Propane yard explosion, last Tuesday As a former resident of the Port Darlington area, I along with other members of the Port Darlington Community Association, worked very hard several years ago to draw the Municipality of Clarington's attention to the dangers that this propane yard presented to the area. We were concerned that numerous propane canisters were carelessly carelessly strewn about, and being filled from large propane storage storage tanks, in a business on property adjacent to the railway railway racks, bordered by the environmentally protected area of Bowmanville Creek, and finally adjacent to the only access road to the East Beach, West Beach, Cove and Cedarcrcst Beach Road residential residential areas. We were concerned concerned that in the event of an explosion in the yard, that residents residents and homes would be in danger, people would be trapped, power cut off, the railway and highway at risk and the Creek area compromised. compromised. All of the above occurred on Monday night. I and others made numerous numerous calls to the Planning Department, to our local councillors; Pat Pingle and Jim Schell, and our president sent a letter expressing our concerns to the Municipality. Members of our residents association attended a Council meeting where this matter was raised. For Mayor John Mutton to claim that there has been no prior concern expressed other than comments on the unsightliness of the yard, (Toronto Star: Nov. 11/04) adds insult to injury. This could have been a catastrophic catastrophic situation. As it was, it caused great trauma and hardship hardship to many residents left homeless that night and without without hydro for the day following following within a large area. Businesses suffered and there was incredible traffic chaos on both 401 Highway and surrounding surrounding roads and the shut- PROPANE see p»g# 4 Staying in Touch MPP John O'Toole Ontarians Must Make Smart Choices on the Installation of "Smart Meters" The Ontario Energy Board has estimated the cost of installing "smart meters" in Ontario homes at between $3 and $4 per month for an average average household. This means a total cost of just over $1 billion billion province-wide. Actually, the experts say the cost will be more, and that benefits are questionable at the household level. The government says the advantage to smart meters is that customers have some control over their hydro bills by choosing fo lower their consumption during times when power is more expensive. expensive. However, before proceeding proceeding with the provincewide provincewide use of "smart meters," we must also ensure the cost of installing the meters and related expenses docs not exceed the cost of the electricity electricity saved. On top of the cost of the meters themselves, there is also the cost of the software and the process needed to keep track of consumption. consumption. We have proposed that the government initiate a test or pilot area in Ontario to evaluate the results of smart meters before they roll out their billion-dollar plan. The government should start with consumers that use large amounts of electricity and would be able to use the meters as a tool to lower their rates. The provincial government government must take the time to get its smart meter policy right. It is a complex process to give every Ontario electricity customer customer a detailed reading of when they used electricity, how much they used, and how much it cost. The Province of Ontario should make a smart decision and ensure it has a clear understanding of the costs before proceeding. Under the current plan, full implementation would not occur until 2010. Over the next three weeks, interested parties are invited to comment to the Ontario Energy Board on the draft smart meter plan. For more information, you can visit the OEB web site at www.oeb.gov.on.ca. The Customer Service Centre may also be reached at 1-877-632- 2727. I would appreciate hearing any comments you have on smart meters for Ontario. Province reviews Hwy 407 Complaints The provincial government has announced a review of issues related to consumer complaints regarding Highway Highway 407. As MPP, I have received many inquiries and complaints from 407 customers, customers, and we have provided all the help we can in resolving resolving 407 customer service issues. Incorrect billings are the most common consumer complaint. If you have comments comments that you would like me to include in my submission, please do not hesitate to call. I may be reached at: 905-697- 1501 or 1-800-661-2433 ore- mail me at: john_otoole@- ontla.ola.org. Eglinton-Law- rence MPP Mike Colie will lead the review. O'TOOLE t--ptg* 13