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

2 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, January 25,2006 1 iRONO Weekly Times Subscriptions $32.71 + $2.29 GST = $35.00 per \ear. 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 of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs." CanadS m A 0 ™ ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St, P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB ÏM0 E-mail: oronotimeb@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 X The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Opinions expressed to the editor and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the op ons file O ono Weekly. times. Letters must be signed and contain the address and phone number of the writer. Any letter considered unsuitable will not be acknowledged or returned. We reserve the right to edit tor length, iioei an s ana r. your retail- or classified ad appears for the first time, please check carefully. Notice of an error must be given before the next issue goes to print. The Orono Weekly Times will not be responsible for the loss or damage o sucn items. Bring it on Voter turnout for a winter election in Canada on Monday was higher than the last Federal election held on June 29, late spring 2004. Winter elections do have their challenges, such as pounding election signs into the frozen ground, and door knocking in freezing cold temperatures. One election worker commented last week how knocking on doors in the winter puts you at a disadvantage. People don't want to stand at their front door talking when it's so cold out, and they tend to feel sorry for the dedicated election workers who brave the elements. With the Conservatives taking 124 of the 308 seats nationally nationally in Monday's election, it didn't take Paul Martin long, to announce that he would be stepping down as the leader of the Liberal Party. So, as Steven Harper and Paul Martin get ready to trade addresses, the Martin's will not be totally.unpacking, . as the Liberals prepare for a leadership campaign. • By the time the Federal M.P.s are all settled in their new places, we will be gearing up for a municipal - election this November. While there never seems to be a shortage of candidates candidates for a Federal election, recently the opposite was true in the local municipal election. Half of the councillors were • acclaimed to their seats in 2003---Pat Pingle, Local councillor Ward 3; Cord Robinson, Local Councillor Ward 4 and Jim Schell Regional Councillor Wards 1 and 2. The Mayor refused to enter into debate with the lone challenger for his position, (Mr. Richard Ward, ) in the past election, which all helped to make the last municipal election very dull, as far as elections • go- ... ■ A; There, is no excuse in a municipality the sjzq qf Claringtbn (80,000 residents), for acclamations for any council position. -. Our columnist, Clifford Francis has the right idea, he's eyeing all the positions, and there's nothing Clifford likes better than a good fight. m 'W •ms» illjm .Vi,-;. 1 A;AAA,. Hi tMOT LEW I ' AAAAAXA'■ 'XSaA'I . ■ - y . * v y IP :n V): V-.- : : ■ viiVV-i :i Bvb:,d lyvi.b-vvl "v, : f.iZip, no nod dofighan.com Letters to the Editor Protecting Ontarians from second-hand smoke To the Editor: National Non-Smoking Week was celebrated January 15-21, 2006. It was an opportunity opportunity to highlight why we should all support a 100% smoke-free Ontario. Each year, tobacco use causes approximately 16,000 deaths in Ontario, and costs the province more than $1 billion billion in hospital and medical expenses alone. Exposure to second-hand smoke is the cause of approximately 3,000 of these deaths. No international international body has set a safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke because there is no proof, that a 'safe' level of exposure exists. In June 2005, the Province of Ontario passed legislation that will requireOntario to be 100% smoke-free in virtually all workplaces and public places as of May 31, 2006, and begins the process towards a complete ban on all tobacco retail displays by < 2008. The Council for a Smoke- Free Durham Region, encourages encourages residents , to support this legislation which ensures that all Ontarians are protected from the dangers of tobacco use and second-hand smoke. Sincerely, Lynn Nazarko Canadian Cancer Society Member, Durham Lives! Council for a Smoke-Free Durham Region : : .'•••' '>, ■ --a ,To the Editor: I read in the local newspaper newspaper that the Brian McFarlane hockey museum's projected expenditure has now risen to $1,836,640 having $700,000 debenture costs for ? total of $2,536,640 plus any over runs. Any project initiated by politicians, and paid for by the taxpayers, never comes within budget. I dare say that less than 50 per cent of our community would know who Brian McFarlane is. You have to be a hockey fan to know who this man is. \ The Brian McFarlane Museum would have to be staffed, maintained, heated, etc, 365 days a year. It will be a bottomless pit for your tax dollars. Newcastle needs a new arena and it needs a new fire hall. This sum of money would go a great distance towards the completion of those requirements. ........... A-, ' Is the Brian McFarlane .museum being built as a legacy legacy forourMayorand council? . In this, a municipal election election year, it is a time to reflect on all: the raises this council has given themselves, and all the tax dollars they have wasted. wasted. Remember': that, when, it comes time to cast ÿôurballot. George VanDyk : !; Bowmanville - , f ; in MPP John O'Toole Federal Election Thoughts First, let me extend congratulations congratulations to all candidates in the 2006 federal election. Congratulations especially to Bev Oda on her re-election here in Durham. I look forward forward to continuing to work with Bev on the priorities of Durham Riding. The cam paign was an opportunity for Canadians to clarify the values expected of elected officials as well as setting priorities such as safer communities, accessible accessible healthcare, affordable childcare and reduced taxes. Clearly, there must be accountability and a commitment commitment to the highest standards. In spite of the fact that we have gone through, a rare winter winter election, voters can take pride in turning out in significant significant numbers. Please keep in mind that the real work of government begins now. The . democratic process is by no means limited to election campaigns campaigns and ballot boxes. There is always an opportunity opportunity to make our views known. The best outcome occurs when citizens take the time to keep informed and in touch. Collection Agencies Top Consumer Complaint List Ontario's Ministry of Government Services ,maintains ,maintains a top ten list of complaints complaints received about consumer consumer products, goods and services. • Collection agencies top the list of complaints, followed followed by home renovations, motor vehicle repairs, • new and used . vehicle purchases and : home furnishings. Frequently, 1 ,we receive inquiries inquiries from constituents who . want consumer information ox want to know the best, way to register a complaint. The ' provincial government offers a toll-free number giving consumer consumer information arid advice O'TOOLE see page 5