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PLEASE CALL US Story or picture idea: 549-2012 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ------------ "Information is the hallmark of democracy" ee Organizers still need your help WE ARE ENCOURAGED by the amount of support this year's Penetanguishene Winterama Committee has been receiving as it plans next month's annual winter car- nival. As the oldest winter car- nival of its kind in Ontario, Penetanguishene Winterama takes weeks if not months to prepare. New programs have been added this time around and from all reports, weather permitting, next month's event should be the biggest and best yet. Organizers still need help. You can call either Bob Delorme or Joyce Sauve. They'll be glad to hear from you. And so as Winterama gets closer, things are really starting to shape up. Tribute at this time should also be paid to Marg Laurin who has taken on the responsibility of handling the annual Queen Contest, for the past 17 years! Well done Marg and well done to Mary Dubeau who has been helping Marg during the past 10 years. Your efforts are ap- * preciated. Brian Orser wins our best wishes BRIAN ORSER, Penetanguishene figure skating sensation, is in Halifax where he competes tomorrow, Friday and Saturday at the Canadian Figure Skating Cham- pionships. Last year at the nationals he placed fourth in the senior men's division. Several weeks ago he topped a field of four to win the "Easterns" at Ottawa. He clinched the title there by placing third in figures and then going on to victory by capturing first in his short two-minute program and another first in the tiring five- minute program. The 19-year-old figure skater is getting over suf- fering two broken bones in his right hand following a non- skating mishap earlier this year. All of us will be pulling for Brian as he tries for the elusive national senior men's figure skating title. He's an exciting performer dedicated to his craft. It is our hope his herculean efforts will be rewarded in Halifax this week. Over the years both Brian Orser and indeed his family have had to make many sacrifices and now that he is on the threshold of possibly winning a national senior men's figure skating title let it be known we are all behind Brian. 100 percent. Good luck Brian. The Midland Times Second Class Mail Registration Number 3194 The Penetanquishene Citizen Second Class Mail Registration Number 2327 The Elmvale Lance Second Class Mail Registration Number 0991 -- Published every Wednesday by Douglas Parker Publishing Lid i -- 309 King Street, Midland, Ontario. 526-2283. Publisher - Douglas Parker J: Douglas Reed, managing editor Christine Mackey, Eimvale editor One Year Subscriptions (carrier delivered) $13.00 One Year Subscriptions (by mail) $14:00 U.S.A. and Foreign $30.00 per year Member, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations Page 4, Wednesday, January 28, 1981 ek Se Se y= he l Ped GL 4: 20 years ago Penetanguishene Winterama is the oldest of all the annual winter carnivals to be staged in Ontario. Organizers are already making plans for next month's. Here's a photo flashback. It features the ' = " ar Rl me Down Memory Lane } they Commodore Hotel's float that was entered in the 1961 Winterama. Remember that day? Wasn't it cold? Do you have a flashback you'd like us to publish. Please call our editor for more details. Dp Oy 6H My 2a '.d ac eeers FT Our readers say... Family 'Y' president says thanks Dear Sir: The Board of Directors of the Family "Y" wish to express their gratitude to individual donors, and the business and industrial firms of the area, who have shown such exceptional generosity to the financial needs of the area "Y"'. May we also pay a special tribute to Mr. Fred Hacker, the Campaign Chairman, whose tremendous enthusiasm, drive and motivation was a constant inspiration to so many fine workers. ; Sincerely, Jean Hartman President, Family Y Writer from Parry Sound is concerned about oil spills Dear Sir: It happened again! You will recall that on the 23rd of December 1976. while moving through ice covered waters during a heavy snow storm, the tanker Imperial St. Clair went aground on Telegram Rock in the entrance channel to Parry Sound, puncturing her hull and spilling about 60,000 gallons of mixed gasoline and diesel fuel into the Georgian Bay. Public outrage, immediate and continuous led to the cancellation of any further shipping into Parry Sound that winter, and in October 1977 to the issuance by the Canadian Coast Guard of Notice to Shipping To-2565. This Notice to Shipping, which has been re-issued annually since 1977, reads in part: "Tt is recommended that transits of the Parry Sound Channel be made only during daylight hours. with clear visibility, when there is no probability of ice sheer occurring, and there is no flowing ice. Before commencing in-bound or out-bound transit (from Sequin Rock to the Parry Sound dock). clear visibility (six to twelve miles) without forecast of reduced visibility four hours prior to the start of the approach should prevail. The latest marine weather information should be obtained before proceeding into the channel or leaving port.' On 19th December 1980, the five to eight inch thick ice cover was moving steadily south before a 25 knot wind. At 7:30 a.m. just before sunrise, the tanker Lakeshell, inbound for Parry Sound, went aground on Telegram Rock, puncturing her hull and spilling a quantity of gasoline into the Georgian Bay. Clearly the ship, it appears was attempting to transit the Parry Sound channel during the hours of darkness, in visibility well under six miles, through flowing ice, when she went aground. The captain. is a veteran of the Parry Sound run, and unquestionably had expert knowledge of the channel, the existing conditions, and the Notice to Shipping. 7 ' Why he chose to ignore the Notice to Shipping will probably never be revealed, but disaster resulted. Other than the damage suffered, no penalties will be levied against either the ship or its Captain. Notices to Shipping are only recommendations, and NO LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY for en- forcing them exists. Captains take their ships wherever and whenever they see fit, and even if this could lead to irreparable ecological disaster, there is no deterrent to such action. Clearly this situation should not be allowed to continue. The Canada Shipping Act is currently under study for revision and this would be an opportune time to make the needed legislative changes. If you share our concern for preservation of the ecology, write to the Prime Minister, your MP, your MPP and your cottagers and trade associations and let them know your feelings. In our governmental system, words have POWER! Use yours effectively. Yours very truly, Harry Marwood What's i} B Your Opinion? The Midland Times, The Penetanguishene Citizen and Elmvale Lance welcome Letters to the Editor. They must be legible, signed, (by hand) and carry the writer's address and telephone number for verification purposes. Pen names are not allowed and anonymous letters will not be published. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity, good taste and libel. It should be noted letters that are typewritten and brief have the best chance of being published. a * more letters on page 6