WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1984, PAGE 3 Export Club's creation spearheaded by Attersley .ast Tuesday mor- ning, a group of about 100 local business and government officials gathered to create the Durham Region Export Club. The drive to create the club was spearheaded by Mayor Bob Attersley and is in- tended to help businesses throughout Durham Region im- prove their export potential. The group was kicked Of by Joe Janthur, chairman Of the Association of Export Clubs of Canada and president of Depag Deposit Agency of Canada, Inc. Janthur told his audience that if business wants to sur- vive it must look beyond its own national boun- daries. "You have to be part of the global scene," he said. "We have to defend our markets by being able producers and exporters." He also told them that it is easier to take a small part of the foreign market than it is to secure a large part of the domestic one. "It is easier to hold onto a smaller part of the global market than to take all of the Canadian market." Janthur was quick to point out to his audience that they are practically within walking distance of the world's greatest market - the United Whitby Library reports growth The thriving Whitby Public Library has con- tinued to keep pace with the town's growth, ac- cording to chief librarian Margaret Mc- Fadyen in her 1983 an- nualreport. "The library touches the lives of half the population in essential ways that can be emulated by no other service," McFadyen said. Despite the fact that library visits per capita were down slightly from 1982, "circulation held its own at 9.6 items borrowed for every man, woman and child in the town," McFadyen said. Last year also saw the initiation of the Baby Book Bash, run by children's librarian Liz Shaw. This program in- volves the reading of stories to toddlers and their mothers and the provision of written handouts on activities they can do at home. "General reaction (to the Baby Book Bash) has been extremely positive and we will con- tinue this program in 1984," McFadyen said. "It is an age group for which very little is of- fered in either Whitby or Durham Region." Attendance at library programs was up 34.9 per cent. McFadyen feels this is an in- dication "that our programming staff are developing a good feel for the public's tastes and needs". As of last year, the library houses the records of the Whitby- Oshawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. "These are proving of great value to citizens in general who are doing research on their personal family histories," she said. The Brooklin branch of the library is "booming", McFadyen said. "In spite of small premises and a small staff, Brooklin con- tinues to be highly ac- tive and involved in its community." The library's outreach program to prisons, homes and senior citizen centres, among others, grew drastically. The library also sponsored a total of 809 programs last year with a total attendance of 19,047. "The use of both library facilities (Whit- by and Brooklin) has kept pace with the in- creasing population," McFadyen said. "I would like to express my thanks to ail the staff of both branches for their consistently good work and public service in a difficult time of administrative adjustment and fiscal restraint." French immersion survey conducted A survey to determine the interest of Separate School Board suppor- ters in a French immer- sion program has been commissioned by the Durham Region Roman Catholic Separate School Board. The results of this survey will help deter- mine the feasibility of such a progrm within the system. Survey forms will be sent home through the local schools, and are also available at the recep- tion desk of the education centre located at 650 Rossland Rd. W. in Oshawa. Forms can also be ob- tained at either of two general information meetings which will be Whitby bridge results The following are the results of last week's play at the Whitby Duplicate Bridge Club as reported by Mrs. Jim Whorrie. North and South: Bert VanNoord and Henk Hellendoorn, 74½; Mrs. Jack Frost and Mrs. Hugh Baker, 73; Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Win- ter, 69; Mr. and Mrs. Ken Cunliffe, 63½. East and West: Louise Peltenburg and Grave Swan, 74½; Mrs. George Steffler and Miss Georgie Bovay, 71½; Mrs. Bruce McColl and Mrs. Douglas Maundrell, 71; and, Mrs. Jacoba Schram and Mrs. Henk Hellen- doorn,70½. Ie results of each week's play at the club are reported in the following issue of the WhitbyFreePress. held for ail interested parents. The first meeting is set for April 9 at St. Bernadette School, 41 Bayly Street, Ajax beginning at 7:30 p.m. The second meeting will take place at the education centre on April10at 7:30 p.m. For more information on the French immer- sion survey, contact Yvonne Sabourin, co- ordinator of French Second Language Fren- ch Immersion Task Force, at 576-6150. States. "You are right at the doorstep of the world's greatest market - the United States," he said. "You have a tremen- dous advantage that you must use." The problems facing all exporters are easily overcome Janthur con- tinued if business people take the time and study the market they wish to attract. The federal and provincial governments have resource people available both here in Canada and in foreign countries able to provide accurate, up-to- date information to business concerning everything from specifications for manufacturing, weights and measures to banking and remittance and currency conver- sion proactises. Janthur encouraged his audience to make use of these services prior to making a bid to enter a foreign market. The association of ex- port clubs has grown considerably since the first one started in Toronto 19 months ago. There are now established clubs through Ontario and in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. Clubs wiil be established later this year in Vancouver and Calgary. Janthur said that the club is not an association of cor- porations rather is one of individuals working in the export field. He told them that it is: "An organization of people to provide an in- formal forum for the promotion of knowledge and awareness of inter- national business." The club will meet monthly. Any business person who is interested in joining the club but was not at last Tuesday's inaugural meeting should contact Mayor Bob Attersley at the Whitby Municipal Building. Perhaps the most in- teresting statistic given at the meeting was given by Ontario Government Services Minister George Ashe, MPP for Durham West. Exports, he said, ac- count for 30 per cent of Canada's gross national product. "If our exports were çut off tomorrow, we would lose 30 per cent of our standard of living."