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"WEEKEND STAR" THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2001 -7 HAPPENINGS & OPINIONS BROOKLIN PROFILE - BY ROXANNE REVELER Library going to the dogs Saturday The Saturday Matinee Movie this week at Brooklin Branch Library is 102 Dalmations, the Walt Disney movie that shows Cruella De Vil get- ting out of prison only to go after those "damned puppies" once more. All school age children (that's five and up) are welcome to attend free of charge. Please call the library at 655-3191 and book a spot for your child. Do Drop In The Brooklin Optimists' Drop In Club programs are under way. They are held at the Masonic Hall on Cassels Rd. E. The Teen program is held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. Membership is a flat $25 the first time you go. Take your favourite CD, game, etc., and join in the fun. There are also programs for the younger set on the same days at the same place. Small Fry Rangers, " Grades | to 4 from 3:30 to 5:45 p.m. and Junior Rangers, Grades 5 to 8 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. The Optimists would also like to ask high school students to volun- teer to assist with the two younger programs one of the nights per week. Call William Magee at 576- 1198 or Brian Wick at 430-7939 for added information or to volunteer. There is also a Moms and Tots program under way from 8:30 to 11:15 a.m. and a seniors, retirees and shift worker program from 11:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. This is a great opportunity to get out of the home, enjoy lunch, social- ize, play a game of chess or checkers (bring all your own stuff with you) and just plain have a good time. ~ Victoria Tea Party Lots of advance warning on this one because I'm sure tickets will go fast and furious. Group '74 will be holding a Victorian Tea Party on Saturday, May 12 (the day before Mother's Day) at Brooklin United Church from 2 to 3:30 p.m. For.a $5 admission, you will be entertained by "Lady Cordelia Victoria" from England, who will teach the fine art of "High Tea," have poetry readings, teach you the prop- er way to courtsey and regale you with lovely stories. One thing that Lady Cordelia does ask is that all those that attend bring their favourite tea cup and saucer ... a mug just wouldn't do you know. There will be door prizes and oh so much fun. _ For more information call Sue at 655-7850. Golf Tourney The Brooklin Men's Hockey League will be trading blades for blades of grass on June 23 as they hold their annual golf tournament. This year it's at Winchester Golf Club. Call John Vipond at 433-7686 for more information and tickets. Also note registration for next year's team play -is up for grabs. Last year's members will be given first kick at. the can. Have your cheque or money order for $290 in by June 15, after that any spots left will go for $340. You can dwop them off at Rick Ferguson's new place at the south - west corner of Thickson and Winchester, right opposite from the "vets." Where's the proof To the Editor: At the last meeting of the Durham Taxpayers- Ratepayers Advisory Council, Durham Council approved the Official Plan Review Procedure as being satisfactory. This in spite of these facts: 090 per cent of all pop- ulation must live in the nuclear danger area. 0 85 per cent of all Durham Region is out of bounds for family housing. it is suspicious that such a plan has been tol- erated in the past, as it endangers the coming generations. There 'is no proof that this is good planning, nor did council require any proof. Not one. councillor spoke against this treacherous plan. Who. controls all this of good planning? planning? Council or the land | speculators? There is need for an immediate explanation of how this form of obviously unprofessional and very costly abuse of our land, and, more important, the threat to 90 per cent of the citizens of Durham; The Provincial Policy encourages building homes away from the dan- ger area such as the nuclear area, yet region planners want council to build all future homes in the nuclear area. And millions of your tax dollars are spent for this scary planning. Doug Wilson, Oshawa Health care commission struck Province honours its volunteers Canadians are passionate about their public health-care system. But as things stand right now we don't feel that it is functioning adequately. Last week the federal government appointed former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow to head a commission that will look into the future of health care in Canada. The commission will travel across the country and conclude with drawing up policies, that hopefully, will show us how to maintain our publicly funded, univer- sally accessible health-care system that will provide quality service. Of course the commission will be respectful of the jurisdictions and pow- ~ ers of the provincial and federal govern- ments. The strong public endorsement our health-care system enjoys is premised on the cooperation between the federal and provincial governments. And | believe the federal government has an obligation to see that the provinces play an important role in the commission process. One of the things the commission should do is to draw upon and build on the work previous provincial commis- sions undertook. ; Last September provincial premiers unanimously endorsed the Health Action Plan and said they are committed to the five principles of the Canada Health Act which are: portability, accessi- bility, universality, comprehensiveness and public administration. The Health Action Plan was designed to relieve pressure on the system with $18.9 billion in new federal transfers to the provinces for health over five years, and $2.3 billion in federal investments to help provinces address immediate needs. An agreement between the federal Straight Talk by ALEX SHEPHERD DURHAM M.P. government and the provinces on what joint priorities should be was also part of the Plan. Now the time has arrived to build on this foundation and to focus on the long- term sustainability of public health care. Canadians want their hospitals and 'health-care system to be well prepared for the major technological - develop- ments taking place, and more important- ly, to meet the needs of an aging society. This will place tremendous pressure on the health-care system for years to come. : As a former premier Roy: Romanow possesses an excellent understanding of provincial views and the administration of health care. He has already starting working with a number of premiers and will consult with them on an ongoing basis. One of things I've learned as the MP for Durham, and what came out quite clearly when | hosted in Bowmanville a public forum on health care is that Canadians demand access to health-care services. They want to be involved in discussions about our health system. "This commission will give them an opportunity to be heard. We all understand that our public health-care system defines who we are as Canadians. Canadians have worked hard to build it and we have a responsi- bility to preserve it for the future. I will keep you posted on when the Commission will be in our area. | was pleased to have the opportunity to meet so many of Durham Region's vol- unteers last week at the 2001 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards presentation. The program, held in Whitby on Wednesday, April 4th, honoured close to 300 Durham Region residents. Of course, representatives of service and community organizations in our Durham Riding were very well-represented at the event. I regret that there is not space to list each person. However, Brenton and Jean Rickard deserve special mention as recip- ients of the 50-year volunteer service awards. Brenton is active in the Lions Tlub and Jean volunteers with the Horticultural Society. Ontario's volunteers perform millions of hours of work annually. In fact, their con- tribution is the equivalent to 220,000 full- time jobs or four per cent of the labour force. In this International Year of Volunteers, it is especially important that we recognize the long-serving volunteers and encourage the recruitment of others to become a part of this important tradi- tion. ~ Nominations Invited Each year, the Government of Ontario designates June as Seniors' Month. One of the ways we celebrate the experience, accomplishments and contributions of seniors is through the Senior Achievement Awards. These awards recognize 20 individuals over the age of 65 for voluntary or profes- sional achievements in many fields. Past recipients have included men and women who made outstanding contributions in areas such as: arts, community services, education, voluntarism, the preservation of history, sports, environment and humanitarian service. This year's deadline for nominations is May 2, 2001. If you or your organization would like to Staying in Touch JOHN R. O'TOOLI MPP DURHAM EAST nominate someone, please contact the John O'Toole Constituency Office for fur- ther information. You may also call the Ministry of Citizenship at (416) 314-7526 or visit their web site at http://www.gov.on.ca/mczct/. Preventing Foot and Mouth Non-essential visitors from Europe and Britain are advised not to enter Ontario's farms as a precaution against foot and mouth disease. Essential visitors, such as family members returning home from Europe, are advised to wait two weeks before returning to the farm. It would also be wise to check with local agricultural orgdnizations, the constituen- cy office, or the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food for detailed advice on the full range of precautions to take. You can contact me at 1-800-661-2433 or (905)-697-1501. Taking a Stand for Air Quality Late last month, Environment Minister Elizabeth Witmer announced strict emis- sions limits for power plants. The pro- posed caps would mean a 53 per cent reduction for nitrogen dioxide (which con- tributes to smog) and a 25 per cent reduc- tion in sulphur dioxide (which contributes to acid rain.) These would drastically reduce the limits on six. fossil fuel plants owned by Ontario Power Generation. Minister Witmer also announced that the Lakeview Generating Station in Mississauga will be required to cease buming coal by 2005. BAL A AG PR SEU Cai a ai ah nO HR SEA Bs