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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-02-11, Page 4Page 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1987 The Clinton News -Record is published each Wednesday et P.O. Bon 19, Clinton. Ontario, Canada. NOM 180. Tel.: 403.3443. Subscription Rate: Canada • 811.00 Sr. Citizen.- 110.00 per year U,S. A. foreign 560.00 per year It is registered as second class mall by the post aHice under the permit number 0117. The News -Record Incorporused In 1934 thoNuron News -Record. foandod In 1101. and The Clinton News Era, founded le 1169. Total press runs 3,700. Incorporating THE BLYTH STANDARD ANNE NAREJKO - Editor FREDA McLEOD - Office Manager SHELLEY McPHEE HAIST - Reporter DAVID EMSLIE - Reporter JANICE GIBSON - 'Advertising LAUREL MITCHELL - Circulation/Classified GARY HAIST - General Manager CCNA D eA MEMBER BLUE RIBBON AWARD Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Card No. 15 effective Oc• fober 1.1904. Language referendum needed Dear Editor: Ontario's three political parties, led by Premier David Peterson and assisted by most of the news media, quietly pulled off one of the cutest conspiracies in Ontario history recently. The victims: the 95 percent of Ontario's population who don't speak French. They now become second-class citizens in their own province. The Liberal premier called unanimous passage of his French -language services bill "a giant step" toward his goal of making Ontario an officially bilingual province. Legislation was passed unanimously, with Tory header harry Grossman conveniently excusing himself from the Legislature. NDP leader Bob Rae gave 100 percent support, claiming it didn't go far enough. And the media helped by providing Ontarians with almost no stories about the legislation prior to its passage. The new laws require the province to pro- vide services in French throughout most of Ontario Metro Toronto, Mississauga and Hamilton. It's bilingualism through the back door at an unstated, but you can be sure, very ex- pensive price to Ontario taxpayers. However, estimates I've received from Queen's Park sources put the initial cost at $500,000. extra for each department - or $8.5 million for 17 departments. Translating laws will cost more than $9 million. The tab for a commission to implement and police the imposition of French will be $700,000. It was passed despite the fact that the last census of 1981 listed only 475,605 in all On- tario as French-speaking - just five percent of the total population. The French-speaking population of Metro Toronto has been listed as :12.115 or 1.6 percent of the total, despite higher claims. Thus. 95 percent of Ontarians now become second-class citizens because only those fluent in both French and English will have Letters top priority in becoming provincial govern- ment employees and of gaining advance- ment. Those now employed can look for- ward to having their advancement cut off. It will require similar French service for publicly -financed bodies such as hospitals, welfare agencies, community colleges, nur- sing homes and the like. The legislation is ironic when you realize that Quebec is now an officially unilingual French province where the French language only is legal on street signs, store and restaurant signs and, of course, in all government services. Quebec has language police to enforce it and prosecute offenders. In Quebec, 15 per- cent of residents are listed as English speakers. But from a legal standpoint, English has the same official status as Swahili or Sanskrit. One Quebec prosecution this year was against a Hull restaurant owner whose menu listed some items in English only. Can you imagine the uproar if similar pro- secution was attempted in Ontario? This goes on in Quebec and the Liberal= Tory - NDP pack in Ontario doesn't offer a word of criticism - in ,either language. Of course, the pressure build-up for Ontario's new French legislation was generated by special-interest groups here funded by the federal government since the days of Pierre Trudeau. And former Tory Premier Bill Davis added more taxpayers' funds and manpower to their efforts. Those investments are now paying off - while 95 percent of Ontarians are quietly reduced to second-class status. Mr Asa Deeves Hensall, Ont. Health concerns need action I )car Editor. As a former School Nurse and Supervisor of Nurses of the Huron County Health Unit; 1 um writing this letter with deep sorrow and regret, on behalf of the Public Health Nurses and the Public Health services in Heron County. After having spent 35 years of my life in the field of Public Health, i cannot unders- tand why the Board of Health, an autonomous body, is allowing this situation to remain to the detriment of the health ser- vices of the taxpayers of Huron County. i would suggest that the board members isit other health units, one in particular, The Hastings and Prince Edward Counties al Bcllevi11e where, with the help of the pro - '.ince ,ind the municipalities involved, erected a million dollar plus building hous- ing all health services and community and social services, all capably accomplished under the supervision of the board of health, the medical officer of health and the administrator. I feel some personal pride having organiz- ed and set up the health unit in hastings with the co-operation of the provincial health department and served for seven years as their director of nurses. i sincerely hope that the situation will be corrected in Huron County. Public Health is on the move in other areas, let us see it hap- pen in Huron County under the direction of a good Medical Officer of Health. Yours truly, .Jean (Falconer 1 Hyatt Reg.N., C.P.H.A. Looking for old photos 1 k'ar Editor. 1 ast week I February 4 ( the News -Record published a story and pictures regarding the Farran-Rance Home in Clinton and the renovations that are taking place there. i am hoping that some readers might have old photographs that 1 could borrow for a short time to help me with some further renovation ideas. It is very easy to let older buildings fall in- to disrepair and it is difficult to renovate them to look as they originally were built. Some old photos showing older buildings and different angles would help make my renovation work easier. Allied Air Forces reunion is scheduled Dear Editor We are trying to locate the wherabouts of All - and RADAR AIR or Ground who served in or with the R.C.A.F. during the Second World War. We wish to inform him of a reu- nion to he held on October 2, 3, and 4 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. If by chInce this is you or you know how we may contact them, we would appreciate hearing from you. We are also interested in other ex -members who would be interested in attending the reunion. To complete our files we prefer, if possible, names, address, squadron( s ) on which they served, and their trade. , We include air crew and ground crews ( technical or admin.). These names will he added to our mailing list. A newslet- ter concerning the reunion will be mailed out in early July. The registration contained in the newsletter .must be mailed in prompt- ly as we have limited space in the Dining Room. Address for the registrations will be in the newsletter. A full refund will be returned if Thank you, Dave Mustard 482-9803 4 Child care report , This week, Community and Social Ser- vices Minister John Sweeney reported to the members of the Legislature on his recent meeting in Ottawa on the future of child care in Canada. Mr. Sweeney informed the House, that, along with his provincial counterparts across Canada, he was successful in reaching a consensus about the provision of genuine choice for. families. to select the form of child care best suited to their needs. Moreover, the ministers responsible agreed that each province must have as much flexibility as possible to shape their child care systems to meet their different needs. "We affirmed that provinces retained full responsibility for the design and delivery of child care services with the federal govern- ment as an equal funding partner," Mr. Sweeney said. In addition, Ontario will continue to press the federal government, through a series of bilateral meetings, to develop and confirm a national strategy for child care. Taking in- itiative, Mr. Sweeney said he is committed to providing an early indication of Ontario's through sickness or other unforseen emergency, by writing the treasurer at the registration address. - Each year specific Squadrons are honored at the reunion, but all Airforce Veterans are most welcome. For the year 1987 the com- mittee has designated 405 and 418 squadrons. Additionally, operational squadrons who flew from the home war establishments in Canada, members of the Women's Division, and the ex -members of the WAAF will be honored. Any assistance you can provide will be such appreciated not only by our group but also by reuniting crew members ( Air or Ground )gwho may not have seen each other since the war. Since we do not charge Dues or Fees, 2 dollars towards our mailing costs would be appreciated. All checks are to be made payable to the Allied Air Forces Reunion. Yours truly, Joyce Inkster Registrar Toronto program plans. "This government has inherited a child care system in which half of the licenses spaces are the commercial sector. We want to ensure that families using those existing spaces receive the same quality of care as that offered in the non-profit sector, while at the same time encouraging the growth of non-profit child care," said Mr. Sweeney,. Premier David Peterson returned from Washington after taking Ontario's concerns directly to the protectionist legislators on Capital Hill. Tough talk on the steel industry with Senators Heinz of Pennsylvania resulted in the Senator's admission that the efficient production of Canadian steel is not part of the problem faced by U.S. steel producers. As Premier Peterson said in the legislature, "Senator Heinz said' to us that he does not believe that the Cahadlan in- dustry is subsidized and he thinks Canada is trading in a fair-minded way." "What we are saying to him is that Canada is a free trader. We are not the pro- blem; therefore, we are not part of the solu- tion. The problem is the lack of com- petitiveness of the U.S. industry.` PAY EQUITY Ontario has moved another step closer to pay equity for the private sector and the broader public sector. On Jan. 28, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues, Chris Ward, moved second reading on the Ontario Government's pay equity legislation. ' Today, women make up 44 per cent of the Ontario work force. Today, these two million workers take home 66 cents for every dollar earned by men. Mr. Ward pointed out that the Ontario Government's pay equity legislation isl ,y designed so that employer's costs are minimized and spread over a number of years. SUMMER JOBS Skills Development Minister Gregory Sor- bare announced that his ministry will spend $45.1 million to create 62,000 summer jobs in 1987. This number is up by 1,000 jobs over 1986. As well, special attention will be paid to Northern Ontario where summer jobs are more scarce. Programs for 1987 include the Student Venture Capital Program, that provides , interest-free loans for summer businesses. As well, the Ontario Summer Employment Program pays employers $1.25 an hour Turn to page 5 Shelley McPhee Ilaist Readdressing -education Once a month, the first Monday of the month to be exact, you can find me at the Huron County Board of Education offices here in Clinton. There I report on the business of the board of trustees for our newspaper. i first went on the board of education beat with little understanding about the system. I have since learned that the education system in the county involves a .complex process, administeredand studied by a dedicated group of men and women. An old play on words joke refers to the "Bored" of Education. However, I can assure you that a Huron County Board of Education meeting is never dull and the trustees who serve on the board are certain- ly not a tiresome Tot. They appear as a dedicated, committed, enthusiastic group of men and women who are prepared to meet the challenges and the overwhelming task of providing good education for our children. "The challenge is to cooperatively create a Huron County Education that provides an 'appropriate' education for our students." Those words were the main thrust of a speech made by Art Clark, chairman of the Huron County Board of Education in his in- augural address to the board this January. Mr. Clark noted that the development of such a system is a great challenge and, "a rather ominous task" considering that the public school system here serves some 10,102 elementary and secondary students. "it is a task that can only be achieved through cooperation and consultation among the constituent groups. Achieving this cooperation may be the biggest challenge we face, since to cooperate means to give up a part of our group or personal power." It appears that the Huron County Board of Education trustees are positively working toSvards that aim of providing "appropriate education." What does the provison of "appropriate education" for a student in the Huron Coun- ty public school system entail? Currently the board at various committee and ad- ministrative levels is working on some im- pressive programs and studies to identify such needs areas and special concerns. At the Huron County Board of Education, this appropriate education means many things. It means working to identify the special needs of students within the system, to pro- vide programs of education that are design- ed to aid both the disadvantaged and the ex- ceptional student. It calls for more emphasis placed on technological studies and employment training within the school system, with ac- tive support from community business and industry. Such initiatives are illustrated through recent board decisions to support adult academic upgrading and employment preparation programs with Conestoga Col- lege and Canada Employment, and, in the board's approval of the learning program which sees Goderich District Collegiate in- stitute and Champion Machinery sharing their special areas of knowledge. It calls for further development of life skills programs. By September of 1987 the board aims to provide Family Studies and Industrial Arts education to Grade 7 and 8 students throughout the county. It means working as a member of the Huron County Community Services Council, a 35 member agency that was established to review the service needs in Huron County. Among the agency members are the public and separate school boards, children's men- tal health, youth probation services, and the child and family services agency for the county. As part of their study, the council conducted a Youth Needs You assessment. That youth project includes a number of recommendations related to health, recrea- tion, 'social and education services. The reports from this council and the in- itiatives that have been) recommended are positive forces in the aim of providing ap- propriate education for Huron County students. Part of that study looks at drop-out rates and reasons why students leave secondary school before graduating. The people who are working on this study now face the task of tabulating the data that they have compil- ed, with the aim that it can be presented to the school board and that changes may be made to reduce the drop-out rate. Bernard Shapiro, deputy minister of education in Ontario has suggested that the high school drop-out rate in the province may be tied into the fact that many students go through our school systems without lear- ning the basics of education - reading, writing and arithmetic. it seems that the time has come to return to grassroots levels of education. In the 1960s we were caught up in the fren- zy of new math and an open classroom con- cept of education that allowed students to work at their own levels, and at their own whims. In the 1970s the education system was plagued with teachers' strikes, declining enrolment in the schools, sky rocketing ad- ministration budgets, and opposition and dissatisfaction from the public. in the 1980s, school boards continue to face financial difficulties with inflation and government funding that does not meet the needs within the systems. In the decade of the lawsuit there has been greater emphasis placed on teacher -student relations with concerns about discipline and liability in the forefront. And there are calls for greater employ- ment opportunities as parents ask for more education for their children that is geared for the job market. it's no easy task and in Huron County the board of trustees is reaching out to parents, to professional groups, to taxpayers, to teachers, to students in an effort toiremold and redevelop the system as needed.