PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Voice of the County Town Michael lan Burgess, The only Whitby newspaper independentlv owned and operated by Whit Upcoming Quebecvote wiIl affect Whitby On May 20, the people of the neighbouring province of Quebec will go to the polis to vote whether or not to give Premier Rene Levesque and the Parti Quebecois a mandate to negotiate with the rest of Canada the means of establishing what he has refered to "sovereignty-association." Many of us In the Town of Whitby have been wit- nessing the ongoing debate within Quebec and between Levesque and the federal government and wondering how these changes of events affect our life here in Southern Ontario. No matter what the outcome of the referendum vote, the effects will be far reaching touching every town and city and every individual within Canada. But what about Whitby, should Quebec achieve sovereignty-association or even independence, what would happen to us? Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, there would be a shift in our economic life. After the United States, Ontario's'largest market lies within Quebec. Should that province leave Confederation, no one knows what would happen to trade. Assuming that trade with Quebec Is cut off, by any government, it would not be Illogical to assume that local and regional Industry would suffer a slowdown until that market is either re-opened or new ones are found. The other most notable change would be a political one. Canadians could possibly travel in Quebec without a passport, but they would become foreigners in a land that was once theirs. There would also be a sudden change in the at- titudes of government. Parliament would no longer have members from Quebec, in fact, almost all the members would be English-speaking. There would also be a change in administration. The Liberal Party would be devastated, the loss of their French-Canadian caucus would leave them with as much political clout as the New Democrats. The Progressive Conservative Party would become the largest political voice in Ottawa and they would form the federal government. This shift would produce many changes in the country in an incredibly short period of time. Almost overnight, the political actions of this country would turn from left leaning, policies of the Liberals to the right of centre policies of the Tories. Instead of three, there will be two major and political ideas and parties in the country. Assuming that the no-vote wins in Quebec, again there will be many changes in this country. If the no-vote is successful it would probably mean the downfall of the Levesque government and Claude Ryan and his Liberals wiIl take over. However, Ryan has said repeatedly in the past that he wants changes in the constituatian and a change of attitude towards Quebec. Canada will be changed no matter what the out- came of the referendum and that change will affect the lives of each of us. Whitby is obviously part of Canada and just as obviously anything that affects Canada, affects us. Sovereignty-associationl is nat a warkable solution for the problems of either Quebec or the rest of Canada and total independence is nlot a desirable thing either. jublished every Wednesday by M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-61Il The Free Press Huilditi Publisher - Managing Editor 131 Brock Street North, by residents for Whitby residents. P.O. Box 206, Whitby, 01 However, in order for Canada to survive as a nation, some give-and-take is needed from all Canadians. We have, in English-Canada, needs and desires that Quebec must recognize and in turn we must recognize their needs and desires. Whether or not a Quebecker should be able to speak French anywhere in Canada is not the issue, the issue is whether or not English and French Canadians are willing to keep this country Report from Queen 's Park By GEORGE ASHE. MPP (PC-DURHAM WEST) Since the laying of the first cord road, transportation has been a key factor in Ontario's development. Today's challenge is in adapting our transportation methods and habits to the realities of rising energy costs and the necessity for pollution control. Urban transit is an area that will continue to offer new op- portunities in the field of transportation during the eighties, and the GO transit system will continue to play a vital role in providing this urban transit, particularly in rapidly expanding A thank-you to the rec dept. Dear Sir; We wish to extend our thanks to the Recreation staff of Whitby Psychiatric for the lovely semi-formal "Spring Fling" dance at Iroquois Park on April 17. One and ail, we want them to know how much we enjoyed selves, enjoyed disc jockey and lovely buffet. Sincerely yours, Eastern B. Bldg. Whitby Psychiatric Hospital very our- the the GomuIt dior .-lmmKrM Production Manager Mari Burge•• Advertising Manager .Karen Thompson y y,. g. tnt. together. The residents of Whitby do have a role to play and are in fact playing one. The twinning of Whitby and Longueuil, Quebec is one way in which we are communicating with our fellow citizens. More can be done. More will be done, but the survival of our country is too important an Issue to be left strictly In the hands of the politicians. Remember, we here in Whitby are affected by this too. communities like Ajax, Pickering and Whitby. The Ontario Government is presently participating in a major feasibility study to examine the electrification of the GO train. The Task Force on Provincial Rail Policy will he taking an indepth look into both passenger and freight tran- sport throughout the province. As well, the Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority (TATOA) has recently asked CN Rail to undertake a detailed study and produce costs for the captial construction required to expand the CN train and signal system to allow GO trains to operate beyond Pickering, as far as Oshawa, with stops in Ajax and Whitby. Further, the Region of Durham has been requested to study and report to TATOA on the passenger demand for such a service. In the past, CN has told the Provincial Government that this extension would be too expensive, as their rail plant is utilized close to capacity east of GO's Pickering station where much freight traffic joins the line. Unofficial cost estimates have placed the figure as high as $56 million, much of which would be taken up with bridge construction. However, in light of the energy crisis, the cost deterrants of the past may not appear to loom as large to either CN or the Provincial Government today. The Government of Ontario has made a positive commitment to finding energy and cost- efficient means of transportation in Ontario. This means that our approach to transportation is fundamentally important, particularly because of the tremendous amount of gasoline consumer, and because most vehicles cannot readily use other types of energy. If the Task Force finds it is feasible to convert the GO trains to electricity, and given the changing attitudes of citizens and government alike about commutor transportation, it is con- ceivable that the GO train system to Oshawa could be a reality in the not too distant future. However, before this decision can be properly made, several issues must be considered. We must minimize the affect of ad- ditional rail lines on the adjacent communities; our electricity generating capacity must be able to meet the new demands, and we must ensure that the end product will be used (and not wind up with another Mirabel). I know the wheels of government often appear to grind very slowly, and sometimes unnecessarily so. In this case, I am sure most of my constituents will agree we should move with caution. I want to assure you that I will be personally keeping in very close contact with the Minister of Transportation and Communications on the GO train expansion issue, with a view to seeing that the wheels do continue to move along, with all possible speed. vol