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COPY 75¢ 32 Pages (70¢ + 5¢ GST) SCARY STUFF: Fiona Barrass (center) is doing a great job posing with some of the charactors at the Haunted Hayride that will run at Willowtree Farms in Manchester from Oct. 25 to 30 at 6:30 Province takes a look By Rik Davie Port Perry Star The Ministry of Health is taking steps to remove con- trol of developing a new cancer treatment center from Lakeridge Health Corporation while it looks into the financial practices of the health care system, says Durham MPP John O'Toole. The move for a ministerial review of the way funds were allocated for capital expenses at the hospital group and an investigation into what Mr. O'Toole said may be up to a $7 million dollar shortfall in operating finances began after recent meetings between regional and provincial politicians. "In early September all of the Durham members (Jim Flaherty, Janet Ecker, Jerry Oullette and John O'Toole) met with members of the Durham Regional Council to discuss concerns they had about how (Lakeridge) was "hacton & Mower MWN& GARDEN & SLED §10/1{0 RIK DAVIE/PORT PERRY STAR p.m. The ride is a bit of halloween theatre that, for a cost of $10 for adults and $6 for kids, will help the Port Perry High School OAC Business class raise funds for some good causes. at hospitals' finances handling their operating and capital budgets," Mr. O'Toole said. "We met with them in closed session and concerns were raised, especially after Lakeridge's cam- paign to raise funds through the municipal tax base." "A move by Lakeridge Health Corporation to have a portion of the regional property tax levy directed to health care failed despite an expensive media campaign and claims by health group members that patient safety could be compromised. - Mr. O'Toole said that the province has already moved to take away development of the new Regional Cancer Treatment Center, already behind schedule, away from Lakeridge Health. "Cancer Care Ontario, a board that is arm's length away from the government, is going to take the (the cen- ter) over," Mr. O'Toole sdid. "They will have to take it Please turn to Page 10 Snowblowers are here! ; ALs inception. Scugog Mayor never a fan of service board Mayor Moffatt bids farewell to despised GTSB By Rik Davie Port Perry Star Scugog Mayor Doug Moffatt will not be sad to see the expected demise of the Greater Toronto Services Board. The GTSB, which was created in 1998 by the province, is comprised of 42 members from all municipal areas in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and was a result of the province's move to download the cost of transit to the local municipalities. It has been plagued by strife and descent among the representatives from smaller munici- palities like Scugog and Uxbridge who felt like they have no say in discussions because they're outnumbered by representatives from larger urban centres. Mayor Moffatt was among the GTSB members to lead the charge to have the group-he called at the time, "a whole new level of government" abolished, almost from A "I sort of led a group of all of the rural mayors across the 905 (area code)," Mayor Moffatt said. "We had a num- ber of meetings amongst ourselves and we spelled out to the province that what was wrong with the GTSB was that Toronto and one other municipality together would have enough votes on the board to make decisions that would effect the whole of the GTA and carry those decisions at any meeting." He further explained that the group of mayors told provincial leaders that if the GTSB were to remain in place a restructuring to allow equal input was needed, or the board should be abolished. The mayor said that four of the mayors met with provincial officials, including Assistant Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Chris Hodgson, last month in Caledon on the matter. "We were told to keep the pressure on," said Mayor Moffatt. That pressure, it would seem, led to the announce- ment last week by the province that it would drop munic- ipality's funding levels for the cost of transit from 100 per cent to one-third of the cost and it was prepared to invest $3 billion over the next three years to improve and expand GO Transit in the GTA. The province said an immediate $100 million would be freed up for municipalities with their own transit sys- tems. The move, which takes away the only mandated func- tion of the GTSB, should sign its death knell, said Scugog's mayor. Please turn to Page 10 1223 King St., Manchester 905-985-9909