The Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-08-22, Page 5•
Who can we trust
to save VIA Rail?
Dear Editor:
As the campaign to save VIA Rail
rolls into high gear, perhaps your
readers may wish to view the issue
in its full political context — and
the real reason VIA is so vulnerable
to the cuts about to be made by the
Conservative government.
VIA was created by a Liberal
government as a means of bailing
out Canadian National and Canadi-
an Pacific Railways, thereby allow-
ing CN and CP to concentrate on
more profitable freight services.
The first spike contributing to
VIA's death was due to the Liberals
forcing VIA to pay between $70 and
$80 million to CN and CP for their
dilapidated rolling stock. No com-
pany could survive on its own with
that degree of debt.
The second Liberal spike was the
refusal to introduce legislation giv-
ing VIA the power to control its
own destiny. VIA remained captive
to the scheduling and costing deci-
sions of CN and CP.
The third Liberal spike was the
refusal to provide VIA the neces-
sary funds to re-equip its passenger
fleet in order to properly serve the
Canadian traveller.
The fourth Liberal spike was the
1981 unilateral decision by then --
Minister of Transport Jean Luc Pe-
pin to cut 19 per cent of VIA's ser-
vices -- without holding public
hearings. As a result of these cuts,
VIA's deficit increased $27 million
since rail costs are relatively fixed
while revenue will change accord-
ing to ridership.
This. i¢ now • where the. VIA story
takes a, bizarre ;twist, • ,
After the 1981 Liberal, 'cuts the
Opposition Conservatives conduct-
ed a cross -Canada tour to save VIA
Rail. In 1981 they campaigned on a
platform to replace the routes cut
by the Liberals, to purchase new
rolling stock and to enhance VIA's
operation.
Once elected the Tories did re-
establish the routes eliminated by
the Liberals but that's where it
stopped.
In spite of ongoing insistence by
the NDP Transport critics, the PC's
reneged on their promise to pro-
vide new passenger cars and failed
to follow through with VIA Rail le-
gislation. •
Now, the most bizarre twist of
all. In the name of deficit reduction
VIA is to be dismantled, leaving
only a few unconnected routes in
place.
In 1981 the PCs were outraged by
the Liberal tactics of using Cabinet
decree to make their cuts. Now, in
1989, the Conservatives are going
to make their decisions in secret
and now allow any public hearings
either.
It is clear the Conservatives are in
an ideal position of attempting to
dismantle VIA. Past neglect and de-
liberate policies of the former Iib r
al government have ensured this. 1
As the Opposition Liberals hold
VIA hearings in a few major cities
in this country your readers should
ask themselves if the Liberals can
really be trusted to save our passen-
ger rail system any more than the
Conservatives could.
I personally don't think so.
Yours truly,
Iain Angus, MP
(Thunder Bay-Atikokan NDP)
Teeswater reunion
coverage poor
Dear Editor:
I have your paper of Aug. 8 in
front of me. I fully expected•to see a
full write-up of the great celebra-
tion of the Teeswater Old Boys'
Reunion.
I felt the paper in Wingham
would take great interest in the cel-
ebration going on in a,neighboring
village. Instea.d, :what is in the
paper? A very poor picture of one
horse and buggy. On checking fur-
ther, I find virtually no publicity
was given to the Teeswater Reunion
Celebration at all. What a shame.
Of course, as usual, the celebra-
tion was a tremendous success;
many thousands of people were
there to enjoy the celebration. But
once again you missed an opportu-
nity to give credit to your neighbors
in Teeswater. v [ tc,n , • • .
,,, ,..i..,�•' rrp2 ..;'! :,Ire
r,.r, ' J.C, McIntyre
Onaping Falls
QUESTIONS
ABOUT
CHEMICALS?
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non -emergency information
about chemicals, call the
CHEMICAL
REFERRAL CENTRE
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between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Eastern)
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•
Ontario has ct ,muted $9 million
to a joint federal -provincial pro-
gram aimed at providing financial
support to some older workers who
lose their jobs because of large-scale
layoffs and have little chance of
finding new work.
The "Program for Older Worker
Adjustment" (POWA), provides
income support to permanently
laid -off workers aged 55 to 64 who
have exhausted their unemploy-
ment insurance and have no realis-
tic prospects of re-employment.
Under the terms of the program,
eligible workers will receive an
amount equal to 70 per cent of the
unemployment insurance benefits
that apply to the worker's. regular
salary at the time of the layoff.
The agreement between Ontario
and the federal government calls
for Ottawa to fund 70 per cent of
POWA's costs and Ontario the
remaining 30 per cent. The prov-
ince's $9 million commitment
toward the program was an-
nounced in the 1989 budget.
In announcing Ontario's partici-
pation in POWA, Labour Minister
r_m.•., y Phillips said it is impertaa t
that help is on the way for the
workers who, because of their age,
are particularly disadvantaged by
major layoffs and plant closures.
The labour minister expressed con-
cern, however, about the number of
laid -off older workers in the
province who could find them-
selves ineligible for benefits under
POWA's current rules.
Under POWA rules, benefits will
be made available to workers
whose employment has been ended
by "major permanent layoffs" lead-
ing to "severe hardship" for a "sub-
stantial number of older workers".
But affected workers will not quali-
fy for benefits automatically; their
eligibility will be determined lay-
off -by -layoff.
A committee made up of mem-
bers from Labour Canada and the
Ontario Ministry of Labour will be
responsible for identifying layoff
cases, analyzing each ease to deter-
mine whether or not it, could he
designated as a "major permanent
layoff", and advising the federal
and provincial labour ministers
accordingly.
In discussing POWA, Mr. Phillips
expressed his hope that the pro-
gram criteria will be interpreted
flexibly so that workers in both
large and small urban and rural
centres will be able to qualify for
benefits. "We have urged the -feder-
al government to make the criteria
for eligibility simpler and less strin-
gent,'
trin-
gent" he said, "and we will contin-
ue to do so."
Huron County Photo Contest
Following the popular response
to last year's Huron County Calen-
dar which I produced out of my
Queen's Park office, I am again this
year inviting, entries for the 1990
calendar, which will be distributed
free of charge to all residents of
Huron County.
Guidelines are as follows:
Scenes should be from Huron
County or surrounding area. 'r*.,
erence will be given to scenes.
which best reflect the character and
lifestyle of Huron County
Photographs can. be current, or
older ones of historical interest.
Black and white reproduces
much better than colored, although
the latter car} be usgpl.'
Because dist Prohibits me from
printing in color, the most effective
photos will be those which rely on
composition rather than color.
A total of 12 photos will be cho-
sen; each entrant receives a prize.
All photographs will be returned
to the owner following the publica-
tion of the calendar.
The contest will be open Sept, 1.
Watch your local newspapers for
further reminders as the deadline
date draws nearer.
Deadline for entries is Friday,
Nov. 3.
ALL photographs must be
marked clearly with the LOCA-
TION of the subject matter; and the
name, address and telephone num-
ber of the person entering the
photo.
Last year these people saved the lives
of 480 children - simply by sending
all -occasion greeting cards from
UNICEF.
Marj & Howard
Barker
G's!
unicef
To order a new full -colour brochure or for information contact:
UNICEF Ontario 333 Eglinton Ave. East, Toronto, Ont. M4P 1 L7
OR call toll-free 1-800-268-6364 (Operator 509)
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357-2323
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