WKYFY FREE PRESSl. WETI1ESDAY DECEMBER 23, 19111, 1>,&(.E Il Panel is biased.... OPSEU ~is on " witch hunt, QUEEN'S PARK - "I1t's a witch hunt." That's how Durham West MPP George Ashe described a panel looking into mental health care in Ontario. Ashe was referring to. Merry Chrisimas From PIZZA HOUSE ~1144Brock St. S. 668-8892 Firsi Anniversary of New Owners Speclal Dec. 18 - 31st With every 17.111 order you wilI recelve a bottie of Coke. % - Free Dellvery _ a panel, sponsored by the Ontario Public Ser- vice Employees- Union (OPSEU), that heard testimony from staff members of the Witby Psychiatric Hospital last week. The panel was told government financial restrairit was causiflg morale problems for staff and inadequate care for patients. Ashe, who also serves as Minister of Revenue, is skeptical about the panei's objectivity. "'That would not be called an unbiased. panel," he said. The Progressive Con- servation member dis- puted OPSEU's dlaim that there is a staf f shortage at the facility. "There is no staff shortage but there is a lack of maie nurses and on that, we agree,"l Ashe said. "It is unlikely that anybody within the labor movement.. would be puttîng for- ward the premise that there are too many staff,' he added. Ashe did admit that the mental care system in Ontario has problems but adds they are not so bad as thosefound in the United States. "The problems are not unique to Whitby," he said. The Ministry of Health is planning a $28 million reconstruction Mac Couley Aippkonces ...the perfect gifi LA-Z-BOY' SALE *owe fer a limitai lime, uu con buy OiwIYs 1irOamol et project for the IWPH and Ashe is confident that when completed, some of the problems will be resolved. "if you get something that's new, hopefully it's better. " Ashe also said that the governument provides a course, which ail staff are required to take an- nualiy, that teaches them how to calm people down. During the panel hearing, many WPH staff members claimed that they were flot able to deal with the violent behaviour sometimes exhibited by patients. If the situation is too explosive to handle, Ashe said that the police can and should be called in. The minister said that when the panel makes its report public, the government will not ig- nore it. Ashe said that Health Minister Dennis Tim- brell will study it and make a response on behaîf of the-goverri- ment. "II'm sure that he (Timbreil> will respond to it and put the whoie thing into context and perspective," he said, '"It's not a matter of put- ting it into file 13. " He also said that he did not know why the panel was com- missioned. III really dçon't know what their ultimate mo- tives are," Ashe said adding that it could be used to 1"play on the sympathies of the public." The Ontario goverri- ment has been under- taking "la different thrust in health care," Ashe said. "We have over the past few years been de- Sakm~4 $368 INFUSyie 0 --Styw " '&OUR AIM IS TO SATUSFY"y WHITBY ~uu~t.668-2081 Ashe emphasizing institution- alization," he said add- ing that many mental health patients are being cared for in the conununity. "lWe've had some reasonable success," with these outreach and community liaison pro- grams. "The number of people in institutions y s now are dramatically different than they were a decade ago, " he said. Right now, ail the government is doing is waiting to see what the panei's report will say. ",The minister will look on it in that light," Ashe continued. "Then he will respond to any- thing that wiil have to be responded to. " Town may spend $70,000 to instali gates oi The Town of Whitby will make improve- ments to the Garden Street CPR crossing if it cari find the money. Whitby Town Council made that decision last week even though they have been advised by the Canadian Transport Commission (CTC) that they would have to bear the $70,O00 cost alone. Should council decide to go ahead with the pro- ject, it will have an im- pact on the 1982 proper- ty tax bill. East Ward Councillor Joe Drummi has been calling for the improve- ments to be made. He adxnitted that the work will cost "«a lot of money and it will mean everyone's taxes wiil go G arden St. up." "I believe it's the responsible thing to do," he added. Drumm told council that he was concerned for the safety of children attending three schools near the crossing. The schoois are Whitby Senior Public and Flo- rence Heard Public schools and Anderson Colegiate. However, town staff and the OTO believe that there is no need for im- provements to the cross- ing at this time., According to public works director Dick Kuwahara, oniy three accidents have been recorded at the scene since 1979. None of them were fatal and one THECO1RPORAIOU~N- F E TOWN OF WHITBY HOLIDAY GARBAGE COLLECTION DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, THE NORMAL GARBAGE COLLECTION ROUTINE WILL BE CHANGED TO THE FOLLOWING: MONDAY DECEMBER 21) TUESDAY DECEM BER 22> WEDNESDAY DECEM BER 23) THURSDAY FRIDAY MON DAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY DECEMBER 24> DECEM BER 25) DECEMBER 28) DECEMBER 29) DECEM BER 30) DECEMBER 31) JANUARY 1) GARBAGE FOR THESE DAYS TO BE COLLECTED AS USUAL THERE WILL BE NO GARBAGE PICK- UP FOR THESE DAYS AND IT IS TO BE PUT'OUT ON VOUR NEXT REGULAR COLLECTION DATE GARBAGE FOR THESE DAYS TO BE COLLECTED AS USUAL GARBAGE NORMALLY COLLECTED ON THIS DAY WILL BE PICKED UP ON THURSDAY, DECEM BER 31,1981 ADOITIONAL MEN AND TRUCKS WILL BE USED IN THE WEEK 0F DECEMBER 29 AND CITIZEN CO-OPERATION 15 REQUESTED TO HAVE ALL GARBAGE OUT BY 7:00 A.M. ON THE COLLECTION DAY TO EN- SURE 0F PICK-UP. THIS COLLECTION SCHEDULE APPLIES TO ALL 0F WHITBY AND IN- CLUDES THE AREAS SERVICED BY PRIVATE COLLECTORS. YOUR CO-OPERATION AND PATIENCE DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEA- SON WILL BE MOST APPRECIATED. R.A. KUWAHARA, P. ENG. DIRECTOR 0F PUBLIC WORKS. I did not involve a train oniy a driver who loat control of his vehicle and went into the ditch. "The present warning system of signal lights and beils is adequate and sight lines are good 50 the additional crossing gates are not warranted," Kuwahara advised council. He told couineil that the crossing did not meet the CTC's criteria for the installation of gates. A minimum ex- posure factor of 100,000 is needed to instali them. The CTC says that ex- posure at the crossing is currently 20,800. When the CTC, aiong with town and CPR offi- ciais, inspected the crossing in October only 1,300 vehicles were. ob- served travelling across it. "Another factor," Kuwahara said, "is if a crossing is particularly dangerous but with only two serious type acci- dents, this does not rate, <as a particularly dan- gerous crossing. " The director said that he concurs with the CTC's f indings although he suggests that the crossing be monitored, regulariy to determine when the exposure is, high enough to warrant gate installation. However, Kuwahara advised council that "If the town wishes to proceed with the in- stallation of gates, then the cost of installation and maintenance would be solely the town's responsibility. " Therefore, neither the CTC or the CPR would share in the costs. However', Drumm believes that the money would be well spent. "It would be unwise not to do something now," he said. "We've got to do something now, because that $70,000 cost is going to go up to $140,000 in the next few years. " The matter was referred to the 1982 budget discussions. 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