Zurich Citizens News, 1976-05-19, Page 5Jottings by Jack - from Queen's Park
Closings ruled invalid
A divisional court has ruled
invalid four of the provincial
government's closing orders for
hospitals -with respect to Clinton
Public Hospital, Doctors' Hospi-
tal in Toronto, Durham Memorial
Hospital, and Chesley and Dis-
trict Memorial Hospital. Not-
withstanding the court's ruling,
the government has indicated
that it does not intend to abandon
its hospital shutdown pro-
gramme, inspite of continuing
Opposition attempts to persuade
it to do so. In an oral decision,
Mr. Justice Peter Cory said the
Public Hospitals Act was regula-
tory in nature and was not intend-
ed to be used to close hospitals
for financial reasons. He stated
that the four hospitals had
contravened no regulations, oper-
ated efficiently and have main-
tained the quality of patient
care.
The Ontario Government
intends to appeal the decision
of the divisional court on legality
of its hospital -closing procedure.
If the appeal fails, the govern-
ment has said it will possibly
introduce legislation to close the
hospitals concerned. According
to the Acting Health Minister,
the four hospitals will receive
provincial financing for up to six
months to allow them to stay
open during the appeal process.
If the appeal takes longer than
expected, the hospitals will re-
ceive an additional six months'
financing.
The Acting Health Minister has
also announced that 'Chedoke
Hospital in Hamilton will not
have to close all its 187 active -
treatment beds as originally
threatened by the Ontario Minis-
try of Health as part of its pack-
age of restraints in medical costs.
The Minister announced that the
hospital will reduce its active -
treatment beds to 150 as soon as
possible after June 1st and will
be developed as a rehabilitation
and chronic care centre as well
as a community health centre.
The Minister of Transportation
and Communications has an-
nounced that lower speed limits
and complusory use of seat-
belts in the Province have saved
almost a life a day. Also the
number of speeding charges laid
by Ontario Provincial Police
has risen 36% in the three
months during which reduced
speed limits have been in effect
New home
for family
from India
By Hilda M. Payne
I apologize for a spelling error
when welcoming the Maliks
of Hensall last week. Mr. Malik's
first name, is Parkash. I hope this
has not caus6d Mr. Malik any
inconvenience or embarrasment.
Mr. Malik tells me that he is a
graduate in Engineering and Post
graduate in Economics with
honours from Kurukshetra Un-
iversity, India. His wife is
also well educated, speciali-
sing in Child Psychology and Ed-
ucation.
Before choosing Canada, Mr.
Malik was well settled in his own
country and was working with
the Government of India on a
responsible position. He landed
in this country in June last year
and came to this village in
July to join Bendix Home Systems
Ltd. Later, in the early months
of , this year his family
joined him. They found the
people of the village very friend-
ly and co-operative towards them.
Mr. Malik, as an Economist
foresees a bright future for
Hensall with the agriculatural
village developing into an indus-
trial town.
Mr. & Mrs. Malik appreciate
the people of this village for
welcoming them in their village.
on our highways, according to
a police spokesman, who also said
that the total was 55% higher
for April this year than for April
1975. Speed limits in Ontario
were reduced to 60 m.p.h.
from 70 m.p.h. on freeways and
to 50 m.p.h. from 60 m.p.h. on
other highways on February 1st.
According to a report tabled in
the Legislature by the Minister
of the Environment, it has been
recommended that continued
efforts be made to reduce lead
emissions from smelters. An
Ontario inquiry board has recom-
mended that tests of children
and pregnant women for undue
intakes of lead be built into
routine public health procedures
in the areas close to Toronto
smelters. The Government
expects companies to pay for the
work of replacing heavily contam-
inated topsoil around lead plants
in Metro, replacing it, or paving
over the area. If the Companies
refuse to pay for the work, the
Government will have it done and
try to recover the money from
the companies. It is also possible
the work could be done by the
companies under the pressure of
provincial control orders.
The Minister of Colleges and
Universities has told the Legis-
lature that more than 14% of the'
16,500 full-time graduate stu-
dents at Ontario's universities are
foreigners. Some 5% of the
province's 130,600 under-
graduate students are foreigners.
The figure for the 55,300 com-
munity college students is about
4%. He has also announced that
university fees for new foreign
students will increase from $585
to $1,500 next January, and
community college fees for such
students will go from $250 to
$750 this fall. Foreign graduate
students will have their fees
raised from an average of $877
to $2,250.00.
Mr. Hugh O'Neill (L-Quinte)
asked the Minister of Transporta-
tion and Communications,
whether he was aware of the
differential in the price of gaso-
line between highway service
centres and off-highway service
stations and what action the
Minister proposed to take. He
also wanted to know what effect
government leases with oil com-
panies have on the prices charged
for gasoline at service stations,
in view of the increases in federal
excise tax and fuel prices gen-
erally.
Mr. Snow responded that he
was aware of the substantial
differential between the prices
charged. He said there are 23
service centres on our express-
ways and the reasons the gaso-
line prices are higher at the 23
service stations on Highway 400
and 401 than elsewhere, is the
leasing arrangement the com-
panies have with the ministry.
The lease agreements call for a
percentage of gross sales, not a
per gallon rate. When most of
Citizens News, May 19, 1976 -Page 5
Jack Riddell
these leases or contracts were
drawn up, some of them quite
a number of years ago, fuel was
at a much more reasonable price
that it is today. Mr. Snow said
that the revenue the Province
of Ontario is receiving for these
leases has gone up considerably
with the increase in. the price of
fuel. He said they are looking
into some way to alleviate some
of this situation, and that he had
a full investigation of the leases.
The leases, he said, vary greatly
in precentages and in terms but
that they are looking for some
adjustment in their lease arrange-
ment.
Wettable
powder herbicide
For
Pre -emergent
weed control in
soybeans, field beans
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snap and
lima beans.
Why spray for weeds you
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velvetleaf, cocklebur,
thistle, yellow nutsedge or
bindweed, but you do have
troublesome grass
problems like crabgrass,
green foxtail, witchgrass,
and weeds like Iamb's -
quarters, black nightshade,
pigweed or ragweed, then
Patoran is your most
efficient and most
economical weapon against
weeds.
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