Tingatndfo em ocracy Thie Whitby'Free Press will not colleet the GST BY Doug Anderson, Publisher The GST may be the law of parliament; it ia not the law of the people. .Canada ie a democracy. That is supposed to mean that we, its citizens, control the government.. Yet, in spite of 85 per cent opoito totheC Sin poll afier poil. over the la tZTwoyas h federal government has plowed ahead and forced this new tax upon Us. .Even the legal status of the GST has yet to be determined as court challenges are pe iding from coast to coast against bott the tax itself and the manner in whichit wasfr through parliamnt. asfre The issue is no longer whether this tax is good or bad (t he people have decided overwhelmingly that itis bad). The issue is democracy. Now is the time to take a stand. The Whitby Free Press selis advertising which under the GST legisiation is taxable..We have decided not to charge it. We hope that other businesses will take similar action. Consumers would normally have no choice but to pay this tax. Only business can give them that choice. If enough stores opt out, consumers will be a ble to choose where to shop. Other retailers will then be forced to "axe the tax" as well in order to remain competitive. If 10,000 businesses, or less than .1 per cent of ail Canadian companies, were to refuse to collect the GST, the SEI PAGE 13 More time tio diea up boat By Mike Kowalslkl The owner of the derelia ferry boat ini Whitby harbour hs been allowed another month to dlean upthe vessel. Environment Canada ha. given Art Robinson until Jan. 31 ~to remove ail -ois, including PCB-contaminated material. from the Prince Edward IsianA ferry. Federai officiais initially un- posed a Dec. 28 deadline on Robinson for removn the oil, but; shortly before Chrstmas an extension was granted. According to a letter to Robin- son'. attorney from the ministry, the decision was based on the boat being «repositioned" en Dec. 20 therebiy reducing «t a small degree" -the environmental * threat. However, the letter stresses * that the vessel is stili considered to be a threat and the original order stands. e, The year in review Pages 2, 3,94,5 10,q 119 16 Subdivision allowed - in stages Page 10 A spoesman for Environment Canada was flot available for immédiate comment on the extension. Robinson was slapped with a clean-up order last month after the boat sank to the btom, of Lake Ontario. 'Although* two transformers containing PCB. were not in immediate danger, an inspection determined there was a release of «deleterious substances" into the lake. The substances could have in- cluded bilge oil, diesel oil or lubricatingoil. Fire -forces evacuation An eariy morning fire forced hundreds of tenants te evacuate a west Whitby apartnient build- ing last week. Aout $200,000 dam e resul- ted to the 20-storey building at 101 White Qalce Ct., south of Dundas St. W., iast Thursda. No tenants were hredbut two Whitby firefighters were treated and released from hospi- tai for injuries suffered while battling the blaze. Deputy fire chief Ton y Van Doleweerd said officiais believe the accidentai fire was caused by an eiectric heater coming in con- tact with <combustible materiaiY» Pire was iargely confined to a fourth-floor apartment but there was heavy smocke and water damage te both the third and fourth floors. The fire was reported about 12:30- a.m. Ail tenants of the 200-unit building were evacuated safeiy by fireflighters and Dur- hamn Rgonal Police. Many found shelter, with friends and relatives while oth- ers, took refuge in the loblies of other higli-rise buildings in the saine complex. Tenants were allowed back into the building late-r that day. The fire was the second major apartment building blaze in Whitby during the past three months. Last October, a $3 million fire ieft 200 residents of a Gar4en St. apartmentbuildinghomeles. CrSTN MACINJTOSH got an un- expiected welcome front a Siberian husky last week at Cuilen Garden&. Several events, iucluding the Shan- :nikip huskyi uled ries, wore held as part of st week's winter oernivaL Ciuls E~hpho. 9 Izguqer p 00