BRook Review By JOHN ROBERTS In1 1955, Professor Mal- coln Ross of Queen's University hinKingston vas searchhing for a selection of Canadian novels to teach in hiis fledgling Canadian litera- turc course. The only niaterial available was in single copies at the university library. He mcntîoncd this to Jack McClelland, the driving force behind McCcll- and and Steward publishers in Toronto, and from their conversation came thc Newv Canadian Library, a series of Canadian reprints that now exceeds 140 titles. The series startcd with Grove's Over Prairie Trails and Callaghan's Such is my Beloved, both of which sold immcdiately, and now con- tains works by such prominent Canadian authors as Margaret Laurence, Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richier and Le£onard Cohen, to name but a few. Canadian fiction stili seems to take a back seat to the gaudy American paper- back that fis the shelves of Airpor lands study Council lias requested that a tcchnical co-ordinating commîttee be establishied bx' the region to co-ordinate the work to bc donc on special study area nurnber seven (the lands adjacent to thc Oshawa Airport). The committce would consist of planning staff' from the Town of Whitby City of Oshawa and Region of Durham. The region hias begun its investigation of this special study area to deternîine its future use. The study area is bounded by the Oshawa- MVhtby border, Rossland Road, Thickson Ruad and Taunton Road. Thc Town of Whitby is schcduled to initiate studies in thc area early in 1978. -Thc influence of the Oshawa Airport on thc lands witilin the study area will be the prime subjcct ofinvestigations by thc planning staff. May move to Whitby an y bookstorc in this country. The fact is tliat the Anîcrican books seil, and fromi these sales, of course, the Canadian bookscller makes his daily brcad. But there is no reason to ignore the Canadian classies, and those that are publishcd in the'* New Cana dian .Library will seli and be read long after the glafiour fiction of today is long forgotton on the back pages of the publishers' catalogues. There have been a number of significant tities published ini this series in 1977, from the more recent Scann by Robert Harlow and Mordecai Richlcr's The Apprenticcship of Duddy Kravitz to the truc Canadian classics, such as John Galt's Bogie Corbet, first published in 1831, and Antione Gerin-Lajoie's Jean Rivard, the classie novel in translation first published in 1862 whose themes have influenced French-Canadian literature for more than a hundred years. Poetry has flot been forgotten, for a popular selection of Irving L-avton's work mnay be found as well as radio play, The Damnation of Vancouver by Earie Birncy, the deail of Canadian poets, along with a collection of essays on A.J.M. Smith, a poct in his own right. The literature of our country niust not be lcft to the academ'ie mileau in which a Canadian novel or series of poemns are assigncd for a course at the university, and is put on the shelf or in the garbage when the assign- cd reading has becn coin- plcted. Instead, our . ricli and varicd cultural heritage cornes alive and takes on significance when cxpressed through the pens of our poets and novelists, and it is often surprising to be able to fînd the answcrs to some of our most pressing cultural and national problcms hiddcn away in the pages of a seemningly innocent novel. The New Canadian Library brings to life the literature of both our past and our recent present. In the series, the best of Canadian literature is presented in an inexDensive paperback format WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3,1977, PAGE 3 -Z- MEAWHIE, ACKIN TUrLE TRlENCHES Construction workers are deep in a trench, installing new sewers on Dunlop Street. This summier Dunlop Street will bc improved with curbs and gutters and stormn sewers fromn Brockç Street to Henry Street. Construction is currently proceeding between Brock and tentre Streets. Free Press Photo which offers something for more than 140 books in a and our presenit. There every reader, from the short column, so noattempt is no. better or more juvenile interested in animal will be made to delIve into the pleasarit way to do this than stories (E.T. Seaton, Wild contents of individual tities through a selection of New Animais 1 Have Known) to here. It remains for the Canadian Library tities. the classic poetry of Bliss reader to examine what is These and otherfrne paper- Carman or Sir Charles G.D. available and reacquaint backs are available at Plum Roberts. oneself with the literature Hollow Books, 135 Brock It is imnpossible to review of our qounr, our, past St. South, Whitby. ___ ThIe Pcdlar People Limited, a sheet metal company which has been located in Oshawa for mnany years, says it wants to move its rîewly acquired Beatty Faims ProduEts division to Whit by. President Graeme Kirk- land says the firrn is negoti- ating for an existing building in Whitby to house the operati(>n now located at Fergus Ontario. If a site is found, thc move could take place in October, says Mr. Kîrkland. This move would bring 15 new jobs to the town, he said.1 Pedlar People recently purchased Beatty Farm Products from Gereral Wares Ltd.