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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1988-08-16, Page 5WK. 4t;-1`4°' ki• 0.• Group claims Mulroney unwilling to meet them Dear Editor: Kindly publish this open letter to Prime Minister Mulroney. Thanking you for your anticipated help and in the name of peace, Jim Hollingworth Organizing Member Canadian Peace Pledge Campaign for Huron -Bruce Dear Mr. Mulroney: It was with deep regret that we heard of your unwillingness to meet with, members of the Huron -Bruce Peace Pledge Campaign when you were recently in Goderich. It is difficult for us to understand why' you would not give ten minutes of your time to, meet with the pro - peace, anti-nuclear lobby of the Huron -Bruce riding. As requested by your office, we are now sending you details of our ideas, together With a gift of the Nide° "Choices for the Future". We hope you will watch the video with your family. Like the, majority of Canadians, we are in total favor of Canada maintaining and developing a defensive , military position. However, under your goverment, Canada is developing, testing and helping to , manufacture , many offensive, destabilizing weapons systems. The planned purchase of attack nuclear -powered submarines, the contfnuing testing, of .the Cruise missile, the continuing export of enriched uranium and tritium, the permission for Canada to be involved in the Air Defence • Initiative, the allowing of Canadian companies to be involved m "Star Wars" contracts, the possibility that the North Warning Surveillance System. may be used in SDI, the frequent visits_ to our ports of nuclear -powered and possibly nuclear -armed war ships, and the frequent B-52 flight training exercises in British Columbia, Alberta and Northern Ontario are examples of the offensive, escalat- ing, militaristic policies that your government is pursuing. You and your ministers speak of peace, while your collective behavior is that of preparing to wage war. We are reminded of a saying by an old Chinese sage: "Unless we change our direction, we are likely to end up - where -we are headed." • - We Would now like to outline the tremendous role that Canada could play if defensive policies and sur- veillance were the hallmarks of the nation's, military activity. Firstly, Canada should be declared a nuclear weapons free zone. In doing -this, Canada would become a neutral territory between both super powers in the nuclear arms race. Secondly, by increasing our surveillance of the Arctic — which can be done readily without the purchase of the nuclear - powered submarines — we could report any intrusion into the Canadian Arctic by either of the super powers to an international body such as the United Nations, This would take the pressure off both super powers, since both would be reassured of a truly neutral country between them. As you are aware, such a neutral Canadian position has been well researched and recommended by many Canadian defense experts. We deeply hope that you will consider changing from, an offensive, destabilizing,, military position, to one involving neutrality, surveil- lance and defence of Canadian, terri- tory. Each one of us is responsible for the future. We recognize that it is time for us to return to common sense and to make conscious choices about how we live on this fragile planet Earth. We are_ not just passengers on spaceship Earlik:We are the crew. We are not just the residents of this planet, we are the citizens. The difference in both cases is responsibility. We urge you ,now to model this responsibility and join us in, making a conscious choice for peace. Peace is longer- a philosophical ,choice, it is a survival choice. In the name of peace, Jim Hollingworth Jane McClinchey Fran McQuail Dianne Klopp Pauli Sommer Brigitte Wolf AY. • • BRUCE McCALL, MVCA chairman presents Conservation Award of Distinction to Lorne Murray of Mary - borough Township during the semi-annual general meeting of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority held fast week in Wroxeter. An award of distinction was also presented to Holmesville-area farmer Donald Lobb. • ;L. A training package developed to educate workers about hazardou§ materials in the workplace has been unveiled by Ontario Labor Minister Greg Sorbara. The package was prepared as a result of amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and is designed to assist employers in: meeting the requirements of legislation which comes into effect on Oct. 31, 19 . Under the legislation, Ontario becomes a partner in the new national Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). The WHMIS requires the uniform labelling of all hazardous workplace materials and the creation of, material safety data sheets. Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act require ,all employers to provide training for employees working with, or in proximity to, hazardous, materials so that they know the danger and are able to deal with emergencies. The package will serve as a basic educational tool for employers and employees, and contains training modules dealing with the WHMIS Teg.14atictrIS,. information delivery, basic occupational health, control, and emergency. Co-ordinated by the Ontario Ministry of Labor and the Occupational Health and Safety Education Authority of the Workers' Compensation BOard;„ the training package has been develOPed as a joint effort by employer safety asso- ciations and the Workers' Health and Safety Centre. The development of the training materials and the training of WHMIS instructors who will deliver programs across the province have both been funded by the ministry of labor. Where a workplace lacks facilities for formal training, employers and employees will be able to take advantage of courses offered at the by Huron • Jack Ridd611, Agriculture and Food Minister community level. The training package can be ordered by contacting the Occu- pational Health and Safety Education Authority at (416) 927- 4175, any safety association, in. the Workers' Occupational Health and Safety Centre at the Ontario Federation of Labor in Toronto. Training Boost Almost $2 , million has been awarded to 54 of Ontario's community industrial training committees for operating costs, Skills Development Minister Alvin Curling has announced. A further $400,000 has been given to 29 committees to conduct labor market surveys which will help determine local training needs. As autonomous organizations funded by provincial and federal governments and, made up of volunteers from business, industry, labor, government and education, the community industrial training committees identify and respond to local training needs. Conducting local surveys on train- ing needs, recommending training course content, and 'acting as resource centres for skilled workers seeking upgrading are-som th activities of these committees. Grant Announcements Health Minister Elinor Caplan has announced a one-time special em- ployment equity grant to Seaforth Community Hospital. A grant of .;$2;,500 plus reimbursement of ' consultant expenses up to $1,000 Will assist the hospital in undertaking a review of hospital policies, employment systems, recruitment and hiring practices, and access to staff training and development opportunities. The Town of Goderich will receive a $40,000, municipal road subsidy from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation for work on Suncoast Drive West. This is in addition to the regular grants provided by the ministry. Writer concerned about rush to abandon rail lines Dear Editor: I am concerned about the sudden rush to abandon railway lines across the country and especially in Ontario. I see railways as an alternative to the ever-increasing proliferation of separate fossil fuel - burning highway vehicles. It, may well prove necessary and, beneficial to , make greater use of the fundamentally , more energy- efficient and environmentally less - damaging rail network as an alternative. The interests of the nation must lie in: –Conserving energy supplies –Reducing pollution (carbon diox- ide, lead and.asbestos). –Slowing down the onset of the greenhouse effect which is heating the planet, and which is caused by burning fossil fuels. –Increasing highway safety by reducing the, mix of heavy trucks with smaller automobiles. –Reducing the costs to taxpayers of an ever heavier duty highway system. --Maximizing opportunities for regional development (rail access for industrial parks, commuter and tourist trains). I feel that it is essential to dev p a . Mechanism to assist lean, motivated r Iona' entrepreneurs who would be willing to grow with the communities they serve in the reactivation of rail lines, which the large centralized companies wish to abandon. I recommend that interested citi- zens write or send a clipping of this letter to: The Honorable Benoit Bouchard, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, Canada, KlA ON5 (no postage required), and Mr. Michael Farquhar, Director, General Rail Policy, Transport Canada, Place de Ville, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A ON5. Ask them to protect Canada's remaining railway lines for the reasons listed ... and please add any other reasons. Ask them also to reverse recent decisions to abandon rail lines until it is possible to produce new Canada -wide transpor- tation -energy policies which take the environmental impact of various transportation modes into serious account. Copies to your MP and MPP would also help. Sincerely Ross Snetsinger Toronto ' 0-0-0 Absurdity: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one'S own opinion. Ambrose Bierce "The Devil's Dictionary" 0.4