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Times -Advocate, January 18, 1995
COMMJ JNITY
Your Views
Letters to the editor
Crime, not firearms, the priority
The end result is that a lot more
of your neighbours will become
criminals themselves ...
Dear Editor:
In the upcoming weeks, we Canadians will re-
ceive a number of very important messages from
our federal government.
First, Minister of Finance Paul Martin is going to
explain how all government sectors and programs
must share the responsibility of reducing Canada's
deficit and eventually Canada's debt. Lloyd Axe -
worthy, Minister of Human Resources, will tell us
just how these cuts will affect his department, spe-
cifically unemployment insurance and welfare, and
Minister of Health Diane Marleau will have to ex-
plain why transfer payments for health care will be
under the knife in her department. The list goes on.
My concern, and the motivation for this letter, is
for the contradictory message being sent by Justice
Minister AIIan Rock with his proposed firearms
control legislation. A package of legislation (sup-
ported by Prime Minister Jean Chretien), that in-
tends to create a new level of bureaucracy, further -
controlling our legally and safely owned firearms
and those responsible citizens who keep and use
them.
At a time when police budgets and manpower are
being stretched dangerously thin, AIIan Rock and
his Liberal associates have decided that Canadians
have the time and money to enter all legal rifles and
shotguns and their owners into a national Firearms
Registry.
I disagree. This is far, far from a priority.
Canadians have asked their governments for an
increase in cost-effective crime control, not a frivo-
lous squandering of more tax dollars on a registra-
tion system (bureaucracy) already proven to have
little effect on the actual reduction of crime in Can-
ada. Some 60 years of handgun and automatic rifle
registration in Canada have done little to reduce the
violent use of these weapons by criminals.
Further to this, the most commonly suggested
cost of registering rifles and shotguns is an initial 2
to 3 billion dollars with an unknown amount needed
for future renewals and additions.
We know who pays.
I'm sure most police forces could offer sugges-
tions of higher priority expenditures and time com-
mitments than those proposed by Allan Rock and
Jean Chretien.
Equally .as offensive as squandered tax dollars is
the inevitable contliuiation of the legacy that has re-
sulted in thousands of Canadians unknowingly be-
coming offenders under the criminal code of Cana-
da.
Thanks to Kim Campbell and the P.C.s, many
firearms owners (your friends, neighbours and rela-
tives) are now in contravention of the Criminal
Code of Canada because of improper storage of fire-
arms in their homes. Safely stored for many years,
mind you, but now illegally stored.
Now, courtesy of Allan Rock and Jean Chretien,
two new offenses have been proposed for honest,
law-abiding Canadians.
1) Possessionof a firearm by a person who does
not have a Firearms Possession Certificate (FPC).
2) Possession of an unregistered firearm (no FRC
- Firearms Registration Card) by a holder of an
FPC. This will carry a mandatory one year impris-
onment.
If these don't burn a lot of gas, time, and tax dol-
lars I will be surprised. Sadly, the end result is that a
lot more of your neighbours will become criminals
themselves by virtue of non-compliance.
Over a decade ago, New Zealand abandoned a
system of registration similar to that proposed by
Allan Rock. Excessive cost, bureaucratic error and a
burden on police time were cited as reasons. They
have since chosen a system similar to the one we
have had in Canada since 1977, requiring all who
wish to purchase a firearm to obtain a Firearms Ac-
quisition Certificate (F.A.C.). This document is re-
newable every five years for law-abiding citizens
over age 18 and now is available to a first-time ap-
plicant only upon successful completion of a manda-
tory course and test. This is accepted by firearms
owners as a necessary cost, expanded for the pur-
pose of removing intending felons from their ranks.
In conclusion, Allan Rock and Jean Chretien
would be well advised to pay heed to the U.S. Re-
publican Party's "Contract with America" that is
about to impose a mandatory 10 year minimum sen-
tence for anyone convicted of using a firearm during
a crime (Rock proposes 2 years).
In fact, Mr. Rock doesn't even have to look out-
side of Ottawa for sound advice. The Reform Party
of Canada, at the guidance of their membership,
have produced a sound package of legislative propo-
sals that focus tax dollars and government energy on
the criminal misuse of firearms (5 years mandatory
additional sentence), on eliminating our current au-
tomatic parole legislation, and on reforming the
Young Offenders Act. They are the only party that
has policy to protect the rights of law-abiding citi-
zens to own and use firearms.
Our MP Paul Steckle needs a clear mandate from
Huron -Bruce constituents to vote against Allan
Rock's proposed legislation, and he needs it now.
Call or write his office and ask him to stop this ex-
pensive, divisive and unwanted legislation.
Thank you for your co-operation
Sincerely,
Len Lobb
Clinton, Ontario
Zurich insurance costs rise
But a claim on the arena compressor is still outstanding
ZURICH - Rising municipal in-
surance costs have struck Zurich.
Village council approved an in-
surance package Thursday evening
for over $16,000 for 1995, when
the same policy cost less than
$12,000 last year.
"It's no secret we have been faced
with increases and changes," said
Michael Duhig from OME in-
surance, Zurich's insurers for the
past 14 years.
Duhig said insurance was profit-
able
roft-
able right through the 1980s, but in-
surers have lost millions in the '90s.
"In the '90s it seems like you
can't have a child slip and fall on a
swing...you can't have someone
take a tumble at the arena, without
getting a claim," said Duhig.
He said Zurich has been a good
risk overall with few claims. The
village does, however, have one
outstanding claim for a new
$22,500 compressor for the arena
"Quite simply, the rates have
gone up," said Duhig, stating that
policy underwriters now believe a
12 cent rate on property is not
enough, and are not asking for 20
cents.
He quoted a 1995 rate of
$16,060.56, including tax for the
village's, polycy, which council ac-
cepted over a $23,917.68 premium
quoted by Frank Cowan Insurance
agents the same evening.
Nevertheless, council expressed
concerns over their polic? with
OME, particularly over the claim
for the new compressor, and wheth-
er or not it will continue to be cov-
ered.
The arena's compressor for the
ice surface broke down on No-
vember 1 last year, but a claim for
its repair was paid, with a $1,000
deductible.
The machine, however, complete-
ly failed on November 16 and had
to be replaced, but again the village
had insurance to protect against
that eventuality.
Acting clerk Sharon Baker re-
ceived a letter on December 13,
stating that concerns over the old
compressor's condition and some
cracks in the floor meant. the vil-
lage's deductible was to be in-
creased to $5,000 and the com-
pressor would not be covered at all.
The letter said this was to have tak-
en effect November 15, the day be-
fore the compressor failed.
Council will be negotiating with
OME over their policy to make
sure the compressor is covered and
the claim will be paid, given the
timing of the letter.
Councillor Marg Holmes said she
would have liked to have seen the
village be able to afford a policy
with a more locally -based com-
pany, but she said municipality
could not bear the additional cost,
considering it would have effective-
ly doubled its insurance costs in
one year.
We want your
favourite recipes
With the great response to our Times Advocate
cookbook and the compliments that came with it,
we are asking for your favourite
recipes again.
We would like to print these
recipes in the newspaper on a
weekly basis.
This time, we would like you to
add some extra information.
Be it the place or person
that you attain`recipe
from - a family recipe passed
' down from your parents or grandparents - a
recipe shared between friends - or even a personal
concoction of your own, we know our readers
would enjoy the story behind them.
Please be sure to add your name and address for
our files and for the reader's benefit.
Please send your redpes to: Happy Cookin'
Box 850, 424 Main St.
Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6
(519) 235-1331
"Soup It up"
luncheon
GODERICH - Imagine having
12 varieties of hot, delicious soup
to choose from on a chilly day in
February. That's what the Huron
Chapter of the Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Ontario has planned
for Thursday February 2 at the
Royal Canadian Legion Branch
109 in Goderich from 11 a.m. to 2
p.m.
The "Souping It Up' luncheon is
the Huron Chapter's kick-off to
Heart and Stroke Month and eve-
rybody is invited to attend says
Greg Williams, vice president.
He went on to say that February
is the most important month for
the Foundation, and that in 1994,
40 percent of the donations re-
ceived came from the February
door-to-door canvass.
Most participating restaurants
will make heart healthy soup from
the Foundation's newest cook-
book, Simply HeartSmart Cooking
by Bonnie Stern, and which will
be available for purchase. Special
guests will he in attendance and
there will be displays and door
prizes to make the occasion spe-
cial.
Tickets are $5 each and can be
purchased at the Times -Advocate
or by calling the Heart and Stroke
Foundation office at (519) 524-
4440.
Recent advancements by Heart
and Stroke Foundation researchers
in diagnosis, treatment and com-
munity education are saving the
lives of 35,000 Canadians every
year. However, heart disease and
stroke remain Canada's #1 killer
of men and women by far, claim-
ing 80,000 Canadian lives annual-
ly.
Support the Huron Chapter of
the Heart and Strobe Foundation at
the 'Souping It Up' luncheon on
Thursday February 2 at the Royal
Canadian Legion Branch 109 in
Goderich, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Heart and Stroke Founda-
tion of Ontario is a community-
based volunteer organization
whose mission is to reduce the risk
Iof pictnature death and,disabUity I
from heart disease and stroke by
raising funds for research and
health promotion.
Dawn's
Esthetics
Manicure with
Paraffin and Pedicure
'AN°ARY ONLY
soot"' $3o
Savings of $20
Nature's Clinic
472 Main St. Exeter
235-4014
Optimists elect executive
The Crediton Optimist Club elected their new executive re-
cently. Shown above, back, Treasurer Lori VanValkengoed
and Sgcretary Rosemary Neeb. Front, President Barry South-
cott and Director Ed Laksmanis.
GB golden agers
GRAND BEND - Seventy-one
Grand Bend Golden Agers met
January 4, at 12:30 p.m. for the
monthly luncheon meeting.
Jean O'Rourke, Public Health
Nurse with the Huron County
Health unit was guest speaker. The
topic was Healthy eating for Sen-
iors based on the Canada Food
Guide.
Club member CIsarence Broad-
hagen and his son Garry enter-
tained the group with a selection
of music.
OFFICIAL OPENIM
FABRICS
This Thurs. to Sat.
January 19-21
Come in and have a coffee, see
our store and enter the draw for
a pair of Dressmaker Shears
Mon.-Thurs. 9:30-5:30, Fri.
9:30 -9, Sat.; 9:30-5
• FABRIC • YARN • NOTIONS
•ALTERATIONS •SEWING CLASSES
385 Main St. Exeter
235-4023
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