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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-06-25, Page 4PAGE 4---GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1986 I'm finally getting to the age where I in - gore it. Both age and birthdays, that is. Once you're on the downside of 30, age is something you think about alot while preten- ding that it doesn't bother you or matter. Or so I have reasonedgainst all logic and reason. This week, Canada celebrates a birthday, its 119th to be exact. But that's hardly beyond the toddler stage in the aging pro- cess of nations. Compared to many established nations of the world, we're bare- ly out of disposables. More than just a long weekend, or a day off in the middle of the week, Canada Day gives us an opportunity to take a retrospec- tive and positive look at what we have achieved as a nation and people. It would be interesting to note how our pioneers and na- tion builders have viewed our progress over the past 100 years. pYKE While Canada is a country with a rich and diverse cultural heritage, Candians have often been accused of being a relatively bor- ing lot lacking a distinct identity. Our only identifying characteristic was that we lack- ed any identifying characteristics. Opinion Well as a Canadian citizen, I take offense to that. I may be boring but I'mnot to and Well,at least that's my I'm sticking to it. Like'any other normal Canadian I grew tip in a small town that, for some reason, didn't have a grain elevator. Every Canadian lives and. grows up in small towns ( with grain elevators) because the people are friendly, the air is clean , the water is drinkable and traditional values are an integral part of the social and moral fabric of rural communities. Life is idyllic in small town Canada. Regardless, we all have our own thoughts on what is distinctly Canadian. Warm per- sonal memories of growing up in small towns Canada piss different careers thingst larger oe different people. THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 the ,s,es�I m•�d�EBT ALL9 UND COMMUNITV NEWBPAPES 19 CANADA �li� �iiut T ir SI G N A L S AR p.O. BOX 220 ,HUCKINE ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK f30DEPICH, ONT. N7A 4B6 PUBLISHED BY SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED Founded in 1848 end Published every Wedneeday t Citizens , Ontario. . Memivi ober of t e CCNA rad and Ot NA Subecrlptiona payable In advance 822.00, (Senior Canada, $60.00 to U.S.A., 880.00 to all other countries, Single copies 60C. Display, National and Cleseified edvertleing rates available on request. Please ask for Rate Card No. 18 effective advertising 1, 1985. Advertising ie accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographicalnot charged forpied but thatby~ be alance of the advar iaement will be paid for atreasonableerroneous Item, together with the the app Iceble rata. In the evient ofbe typographical error advertising goods or service. at a wrong price, ((bode or services may not be aold. Advertising le merely an offer to °ell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star le not responsible ;or the lose or damage of uneollcited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing p f General Manager Editor rposes. Advertising Manager DON HUBICK SHIRLEY J. KELLER DAVE SYKES FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...plee6e phone [519)524-2614 CCNA Second class mail registration . number 0716 Member:►CNA 119 candles on the cake Canada is: A brilliant sunset over the waters of Lake Huron. A young boy with visions of a professional career playing endless hours of hockey on a frozen pond an rural Saskatchewan. The Rocky Mountains rising majestically over the site of Expo 86 at Vancouver The grace of seagulls in flight over miles of sandy beach in Prince Edward Island. Memories of Foster Hewitt screaming, "He shoots, he scores, Henderson." as Team Canada's Paul Henderson scored in the 1972 Canada -Russia ultimate eight - game hockey series. The old curmudgeon Gordon Sinclair ask- ing point-blank questions about salaries on Front Page Challenge. A misty sunrise over a sleepy, remote• fishing village on the shores of Newfoundland. 5 The beauty and simplicity of an Eskimo soapstone carving. The weatherbeaten face of a prairie farmer ora Maritime fisherman. The government debating the prime minister's hotel bill after a brief stay in Paris. Solemn Canadians standing for hours by a lonely stretch of railway track waiting for a train bearing the body of John Diefenbaker to pass by. Pierre Trudeau gesturing defiantly to a group of demonstrators. Harold Ballard facetiously thanking the media for its support on his electronic scoreboard in Maple Leaf Gardens. The Toronto Argonauts hopelessly losing another football game in impossible fashion. The brilliant spectrum of colours on a sun- ny September day in Northern Ontario. Freedom to pursue ideals and goals. The approach of another Canada Day holiday gives Canadians another opportunity to reassess the positive aspects of living in this vast, diverse country of ours. This year Canada is celebrating its 119th birthday and while that may not rank highly with the world's more established nations, the country is progressing with each year. There may be 119 candles on the nation's cake but we are mere children in the global league of nations. And yet, we play an important and integral role in the scheme of things. Since our nation turned 100 years old back in 1967 , few subsequent anniversaries have at- tracted attention. Then we played host to the world at Expo 67 in Montreal and looked ahead visions of prosperity. With great f • r +-:U out the Nineteen years later, and thousands of miles to the west, we have again laid out welcome mat to the peoples of the world for Expo '86 in Vancouver. It promises to be a great showcase For Canada and visitors have flocked to the west coast for Canadian hospitality. That Canada has survived as a nation despite its diverse mix of peoples; despite the ex- pansiveness of its borders; despite regional disparity; despite its relatively sparse popula- tion; despite its unique problems, is a fitting testimony to the generations of peoples who in- habit this country. each of the five towns in the county and Canadians are 'often al remindedsomething me even ns We take far granout ted and has even e country's rich multicultural d ]some bee greatly affected clinics. by a These reduction nle O°or as heritage and mix. It's almost so g �? absence of services as adult clinics would Village of Brussels through our Child Health serious reflection on the question of Canadian identity. ee] have to be cancelled if there were to Clinics. We try to see each kindergarten to offer the above services ervices to Each and every culture and language, beyond those citizens who are of French or English be layoffs. 1 mix and fabric. Many peoples and cultures ultimately have The Public Health Nurses also offer an ex- him/her and his/her parent. all age Each of the public health nurses is involy- Racing the waves By Susan Hundertmark Racing the waves Readers asked to supportpublic health Dear Editor: Several weeks ago there was an article in the paper discussing the financial problems LETTERS facing the Huron . County Health Unit because of .budgeft a sestriction5tA!frbm the Ministry of Health. The Health Unit parents having problems with preschollers .' employees have now received notice fromschool and parents ng problems people referredschols o the Board of layoffsfstatingrthat there `may us from the hospital, or doctor, the elderly, have to be during 1986 due to the those people experiencing emotional t d by the Ministry budget restrictions impose problems. of Health". As public health nurses employed by the Health, Unit, we are very As well the public health nurses offer an layofforfs withegeneral implications Ma of such extensive school health services program in layoffs awarere f whwe doo. and h thereforepeople each school in Huron County. Have you ever aredo not of what we ooreceived a phone call from your school b not understandurwhat a reduction to nurse? We areithe ones who do follow-up for absence of our services would mean to health problems, provide immunization • them. (booster shots) for your child, provide hearing and vision screening, Huron County has a substantial portion of follow-up for hea• ing a its population over the age of 65. In recogni- act as a source of information for your tion of the special needs of this group, the child's teacher and are readily available for Health Unit holds adult clinics in seven follow-up of communicable diseases e.g. areas of the county. Footcare, blood head counselling, chickenpox, s ables. infants,alt pressure screening, -hearing screening, and health counselliintare some -of the services preschoolers and adults; and vision and h ria screening are offered monthly in descent, adds to our culutura tensive home visiting program to g made their and haved this country truly unique and distinctive. d babies, ed in teaching prenatal and parenting And pe melting po We have classes throughout the year and are also classes throughout the year are also available to talk to groups upon request about various health issues. Our approach is health teaching and health prevention. Our counselling is aimed at helping people to readjust - or�° make changes in their lifestyle which would avoid •• a disruption in the family unit, illness or hospitalization. As public health nurses in- stituting such programs, we believe very strongly in health promotion and preven- tion. We wonder why the Ministry of Health cannot provide funding so that we can con- tinue our programs without disruption. If you are also concerned about the possi- ble withdrawal of reduction? of services, please contact the following people: Jack Ridell - Phone -, Zenith 147030 - Devon Building, 476 Main Street, EXETER, On- tario. NOM 1S0; or Murray Elston, Minister of Health - 357-2463 (Wingham) or 1-800-268-3747 ask for 965-2421 - 10 Floor, Hepburn Block, 80 Grosvenor Street, TORONTO, Ontario. M7A 2C4; or Brian McBurney, Chairman of the Board of Health, County of Huron. - 335-3761 - R.R. 1 WINGHAM. NOG 2W0. oUPPORT We need your .��. Sincerely, Marlene Price, BScN. Shirley Fisher, BScN. on behalf of the concerned nurses of the Huron County Health Unit. mark on Canada made perhaps that in itself speaks to the issue of Canadian identity. We are blend, if not a groups e.g. new mothers an a r �, ���O� Ttof cultures, idebloniea nod freedoms. listen to doctors been accused of being a non -entity; a people without a distinct identity, flavour we should or culture. But Canada, and Canadians, have much to offer and we can draw some measure of strength and identity from the pioneers and dreamers who carved a home in the wilderness and from the people who had the perseverance to link this country by rail and make it stick together. History tells us a great deal about Canada and the stuff Canadians are made of. But while we can draw strength and purpose from our history, we have the people and resources to feel good about what lies ahead. Canadians are in search of many things and with effort we can easily capitalize on those prosperous visions. The potential exists for all Canadians but it takes work, strong leader- ship and a sense of commitment. We have the goods ie our hands. D.S. Hang nmg tough on anti -porn, Those people considering themselves to be civil libertarians, opposed to all censorship, are up in arms over Crosbie's new laws against pornography the Listowel Banner says. While there is one phrase no-one supports, Crosbie and the Mulroney government are right to hang tough on their anti -porn stance. The poorly written portions of the bill can be eliminated or tightened. However the intent of the legislation -to crack down on pornography -should not be watered down. There's an old saying to the effect that one's freedom to swing a fist ends just short of anyone else's nose. Freedom of expression is one thing. The freedom to debase men, womena nd children through the depiction of violent and degrading sexual acts is quite another. To pretend the publication of such violent and degrading depiction of sex is not in- jurious to society is absolute rubbish. To pretend such material is only available in large metropolitan centres is also rubbish, It's available in every area of Canada. There comes a time when protection of the public transcends the rights of the individual. In the case of the publication of pornographic articles, films, songs, photographs etc. the time has come to put a stop to a business that is harmful to society. The fact that most Canadians have reached the conclpsion that pornography must be outlawed has nothing to do with any imagined rise of a moral majority. It'has to do with common sense, and a value for equal and decent treatment of all members of society. We welcome your letters Dear Editor, I find myself perpleked at the dichotomous reactions to doctors that I en- counter day to day. It seems that the immi- nent passage of Bill C-94 by the, Ontario Liberal government, and the resultant public and private discussion, has simply magnified these reactions. Apparently, the doctors can't win. On one hand, we expect them to be super - intelligent, highly skilledy-dedicated and compassionate professionals. We want them to be always available,. inerringly sound in judgement and uncannily sensitive to our spoken and unspoken concerns and fears. No room for human error here; we demand infallibility. On "the other hand, I detect a definite reverse snobbery amongst some of us. We seem to resent the doctors' education, skill, status and most obviously, their relatively high incomes. They would appear to awe and irritate many of us at the same time. Personally, I am impressed by the high degree of skill and dedication that I see in our local medical community as a whole. As for the accusations that they oppose Bill C-94 only out of•sheer greed, I am mystified. In truth, the vast majority of local doctors presently accept, and have always ac- cepted, partial payment of fees by OHIP as payment in full and have not sought to 'ex- tra bill', as is their prerogative. The Peterson government and some avenues of the media have attempted to con- vince the public that the central issue is not political expendiency and deprivation of constitutional rights — which it most cer- tainly is. They have constantly played an emotional tune oh the basis of such sen- timents as, "Why aren't they satisfied with all they have? What more do they want? They are an arrogant band who ought to be subjugated." It is my opinion that we should not let ourselves be duped by this sort of propagan- da. This is an important issue which con- cerns each and every one of us. We owe it to ourselves to discover the reality in all of this ' confusion, to sort out the facts from the fic- tion and make informed opinions. The do ►- tors are more than willing to talk abo and I believe they have earned the right to be heard. Whenever illness or accident strikes one of us or our families, we expect miracles from our physicians. It seems, then, that the very least we can do in return is to listen to the OMA and its members with open minds. After all, we can trust the doctors with our lives, can we not respect them enough to honestly hear what they are D dna saEinMcLellan 1 did my part for health care's future Dear editor, Yes, much has been written about the Bill 94 issue. Last week's letters to the editor were so misinforming that they almost defied a response. However, since they were printed I felt obliged to reply and write more about the Bill. Greed is not and cannot be the issue in this debate. Everyone knows that 90 per cent of physicians in Ontario do not bill above the OHIP rate. If billing was the only issue,my 10 per cent of doctors would be opposing the legislation. Yes, OHIP was brought in to make health care available to everyone and it is a good health care system. This• is because the medical profession has had a hand in its in- stitution and maintenance, thereby ensur- ing Its continued excellence. Government control does not maintain high quality health care --• ask anyone who has had to deal with health care in Britain. I am a physician, and entered the medical profession to "work with people, care for them and help in preventing illness, not for the almighty dollar". I want to continue do- ing this in a manner in which I was trained and as I think appropriate - for the sake of my patient - without the interference of the government. Physicians in this province have not gone through six months of stress, inconvenience, insults, and heartache fighting this issue because of dollars and cents. They didit because they are concerned about the abili- ty to continue caring for their patients. Each physician, as a professional, should be able to contract with each patient without a third party (the government) interfering. Currently there are long waiting lists for surgery, physiotherapy, cancer treatments, ete. Is this accessibility? Ask the elderly lady in a nursing home waiting for her cataract surgery to restore her vision so she can go back to her apartment. She has to wait two years because of government im- posed quotas. Is this accessibility? Physicians spend unpaid hours each week on hospital committees, on teaching duties and many other services either directly for patients, or ensuring continued excellence in medical care. This is not greed. I am not intimidating anyone to agree with me. I am not imposing my views on anyone. I am however concerned that peo- ple understand the issue before they impose their own Misinformed ideas on others. By the time this is printed, Bill 94 may already be law. Perhaps all of the hullaballoo raised over this will prevent or slow the next step in state controlled medicine. If so, then h1 canfutrest, e t, knowing I did my part of health care in Ontario - for the sake of, my patients. Sincerely yours, Nicolette Pearce, M.D., C.C.F.P. 1