Loading...
Times Advocate, 1996-10-09, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, October 9,1996 Publisher & Editor: Jim Dec kett Busines Manager: Don Bradt Production Manllger: Deb Lord d Serb Conan had Ealy fkus; Heather MW, suis Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke g> qp; Alma Balladry, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Tr gi blOOD:Al Rynn, Ai Hodgen Elaine Pinder, Sue Redings, Ruthann Negrljn, Mita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Tlmes-Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and Infom ettion leadership • • pinion ________,Th ,,_ [„,,,--,,,,---„,.:,,,:„,,_ ,' 1 -1 VLY i r, i, , Hay Township holds all aces he future of the Zurich Arena and Community Centre depends on in- creased funding. Deficits in the range of $35,000 are too much for the village to absorb, es- pecially when one of the larger users of the facility is Hay township. A letter read at a well -attended public meeting recently in Zurich by Zurich Chamber of Commerce president Joan 'Carstens pointed a finger squarely at Hay Town- ship Council. "It appears that the current level of contribution from Hay township rate- payers does not adequately reflect the benefit township residents receive from the facility." Apparently requests for Hay to pay their fair share are falling on deaf ears. The township has indicated their grant for 1997 may be reduced from the $10,000 operating and $5000 capital funding grant paid out in 1996. It's understandable why any munici- pality is reluctant to increase the burden on their taxpayers, but, at the same, in fairness, how can Hay township allow this discriminatory situation to contin- ue? If Hay residents are getting value from using the Zurich facilities and the coun- cillors are convinced the centre is being properly managed, they should do the right thing and contribute on the basis of usage. Raising fees of facility users could re- sult in a sharp decrease in the number of people taking part in recreational pro- grams. If the residents of Hay continue to get a better deal for recreation than their neighbors, who, in effect are subsidizing them, it won't be long before one of the most important focal points in the com- munity will begin to suffer. Strong com- munity centres are one of the corner- stones of any small village. Zurich is no exception. This latest example of cooperation be- tween neighbors will undoubtedly be used as an argument to bring on amalga- mation as soon as possible. wItt Protectmg the unborn "Dur community must work together to support families and ensure that pregnant women receive the help they need to deliver healthy babies." Dear Editor: The courts have stated that a woman has the right to control what happens to her own body, and that, therefore, she has the right of "choice" in pregnan- cy; to abort or not. What is less clear is the right of a mother to abuse her own body at the expense of a fetus she intends to carry to term. In the recent Manitoba case of the young pregnant mother addicted to glue sniffing, the presiding judge, Justice Perry Schulman, tried to get her into treatment, for her own sake, as well as for the sake of the child she was intending to deliver. He pointed to the siblings of that child, who are already living with foster families, and who suffer from a number of problems due to maternal addiction. These chil- dren may now require treatment and special school- ing. Even if a mother gives her child up for adoption, society, as well as the innocent child, must continue to pay the cost of that pre -natal abuse in physical, emotional, and financial terms, for the rest of that person's life. I implore the Minister of Justice, Alan Rock, to re- consider the rights already implicitly recognized by our own health care system - that of an unborn child to receive in -utero emergency treatment. When an unborn child dies, no matter what the reason: auto- mobile accident, illness, or other injury, the family who wanted that child grieves for the loss of a per- son, a human being, not the miscarriage of a piece of tissue. Remember the saying, "It takes a whole village to raise a child"? Surely it is also our responsibility as a society to ensure that pre -born children receive the treatment they require to become healthy, contribut- ing members of that society. That should include freedom from pre -natal abuse. Our community must work together to support families and ensure that pregnant women receive the help they need to deliver healthy babies. Canada's future depends on it. Roberta Ann Walker, Grand Bend A View From Queen's Park TORONTO -- Premier Mike Hams, who is becoming a bigger name in reducing than Weight Watchers, has proved that Ontario can manage with a small cabinet. This may have encouraged the Progressive Conservative premier to introduce his latest legislation to cut the number of members of the legislature. Harris slimmed the cabinet to 19, including himself, in his first act as premier and, although he recently upped it to 20, it is still by far the smallest cabinet in three decades. ler cabinets under successive Tory, Liber- al err ew Democrat premiers had an average 26-2,. The biggest was 33, oddly un- der anMTory premier, Prank Miller, who -awarded ainwat every MPP who supported .arn for leader with a cabinet seat. Millet had itifidatats of transportation, north- ern transportation and urban transit trying to ft everyone in, add more ministers than back- benchers. The opposition Liberals used to say it was lu.. By Eric Do lL dicrous that Tory cabinets had so many minis- ters when the world's most powerful nation, the United States, managed with a cabinet of only 16. Liberal leader Robert Nixon liked to recall his father, Harry, being a minister in a Mitch Hepburn cabinet in the 1930s that had only 11 members. But Hams is the fust premier who really cut the cabinet, and a year later it cannot be said it has suffered by being much smaller. Many obviously will quarrel with the Hams gtivemment's direction and policies, but it can- not be argued they would be much different with more miniatas. The major policies of the Harris govt are dictated by the premier and a few advisers, some in cabinet and sotnti unelected, just as were tet by a banditti in Liberal, New and previous Tory governments, tet way raises mhdstets do no taus than sign oh the dotted line, Rands giverhotent policies also were virtually all set out in his plglbrm, 1.) V -'11 Publications Mail RSOstration Number 0388 One yew rata for Ontario subscribers - S35.00 + QST Two year rate for Ontario subscribers - 583.00 + QST roWAIMPLAMBESSUMSMagagiga One year subeodpdon - S63.00 + QST Aro year subscription • $318.00 + OST OTHER RATES Outside Canada - $88.00 + QST Published Each Wednsedey Morning at 424 Main It., Exeter, Ontario, NOM lie by J.W. lady Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-112.2361331 • Fax: 110,2360768 caws Ubssstinessasivoostelhoeilli.00me LILT. /R302210sia Breast Health Month The Canadian Cancer Sol- ` ety is promoting October as Breast Health Month and en- courages women to learn more about breast cancer and services available in the lo- cal community. The Exeter Cancer Society has distributed coin boxes and pink ribbons to local hair salons in addition to local pharmacies, promoting the Pink Ribbon Campaign. As well, Avon has pink ribbon pins and pens available. Wearing a pink ribbon is a symbol of breast health awareness. The money from the sale of the ribbons is used to fund breast cancer re- search projects across Cana- da. Breast cancer is one of the leading types of cancer in Canadian women and it is estimated 18,600 new cases will be diagnosed iii 1996 in Canada. The Cancer Society predicts there will be 5,300 deaths as a result of the can- cer - 2,000 of these will be in Ontario. Although the cause of breast cancer in unknown, early detection is considered the best method of saving lives. Women aged 50 or over should have a mammogram every two years and all wom- en should have a regular physical examination of their breasts by a trained health professional. Women can also take re- sponsibility for their own health by doing a breast self - exam (BSE) every month. Ask your doctor how to do a BSE or call the Cancer Infor- mation Service at 1-800-263- 6750 for service available in your community. In Exeter, a trained volun- teer is available to present a free Breast Health Presenta- tion. If you or your organiza- tion would like to arrange for this service, call Norma at 235-1682. The aim of a BSE is to de- tect changes in the breast. The examination should be done at the same time each month, seven to 10 days after each menstrual cycle begins or on a specific day each month. If any change is noticed during a BSE, see your doc- tor. Although most breast lumps or changes are not can- cerous, only a doctor can make a diagnosis. For women who have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer, the Exeter Cancer Society also has a Reach to Recovery program. Contact Margaret at 262-2319 for more information. There are several major risk factors for breast cancer in- cluding increasing age, pre- vious breast cancer and a strong family history of the disease. A smaller cabinet The Common Sense Revolution, a year before the 1995 election. The document even spelled out their timing and ministers have had little more to do than be around to carry them out. Harris made his cabinet small mostly by hav- ing one minister handle jobs previously done by two, but this has not overloaded his ministers with the exception of Ernie Eves, who coped for a time as both treasurer and house leader when the latter job was onerous because the To- ries tried to push through huge legislation with- • out giving opposition parties time to debate. Harris also has been helped in managing with - a smaller cabinet because government is not ex- panding into new fields, as it was for most of recent decades, but retreating. A municipal affairs minister can also manage housing because the province has stopped ac- quiring housing. Art energy minister can look after environment at the same time because Harris is reducing environmental controls. Much of the Morris cabinet effort is being put into downsizing, although this also requires skills. Some ministers have been caught badly unin= formed. David Tsubouchi had difficulty ex- plaining new welfare rules and Al Leach set a precedent by admitting he could not explain government legislation and asking opposition parties not to question him on it. But these were the result of ineptness rather than being overworked in a small cabinet. Leach would be a poorly -informed minister no matter what the cabinet size. Harris now plans to reduce the number of MPPs from 130 to 103, which should be wildly popular because cutting is the order of the day and it has become well established that much of the public distrusts politicians. The opposition parties will find it difficult to argue against him, but many individual MPPs do a lot of un- sung work for constituents and they will be missed more than some members of cabinet.