Loading...
Times Advocate, 1994-7-20, Page 4Page 4 Tintes-Advocate, July 20, 1994 Publisher: Jim Beckett News Editor: Adrian Harte Business Manager: Don Smith Composition Manager. Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Theresa Redmond News; Fred Groves, Catherine O'Brien, Ross Haugh Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert front Office & Accounting; Norrna Jones, Elaine Pinder, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald CCW • • 'M 'IAN COMgh/ pinion Although/frequently referred to under the kindly term of "Granny flat" legislation, the provincial government last week passed a law that trims the zoning powers of Ontario's municipali- ties. Bill 120, also trumpeted as the "Resi- dent's Rights Act" grrints an amnesty to 100,000 illegally -converted apartments in homes across the province. People living in basements, attics, above garages, and in converted back bedrooms will now have the right to complain about their living quarters to local building inspectors. The government benefits from the possible creation of additional apart- ments in houses - low-cost housing without requiring government invest- ment or regulation. What the municipality loses is the right to decide where such apartments should go. As the law stands, anyone who can meet certain simple require- ments can put an apartment dweller in their home. , Not all apartment dwellers are noisy or unruly additions to their neighbour- hoods. Unfortunately, not all are quiet and well-mannered. That isn't the issue anyway - it's the fact that zoning re- quirements for single family dwellings no longer apply. It may never pose any serious problems in towns such as Exet- er, but it nevertheless represents yet an- other leg knocked out from under good land -use planning principles. Town councils have been concerned adding units to homes that were other- wise single-family might put an unfore- seen burden on servicing capacities. Tlic government argues that apartments in houses really don't add much to the EDITORIAL A new, lower standard Publications Mali Registration Number 0388 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: CANADA Within 40 Mlles (88 km.) addressed to non litter carder addresses 830.00 plus $2.10 0.8.T. Outside 40 miles (85 km.) or any letter canlsr address 830.00 plus $30.00 (total 80.00) + 4.20 Q.B.T. outside Canada 899.00 (includes 888.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Morning M 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S8 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-515`2381331 Q.S.T.1R1052L0S3b IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT overall lot density - simply because in many cases such apartments only re- place children who have moved out. That may indeed be true -when the aver- ages are spread out over a large urban area such as Etobicoke, but what of the small town that has a couple of streets of semi-detached homes? Should they sud- denly become four -unit buildings, the effect on hard services couldn't be ig- nored. Are such convefsions the answer to Ontario's housineneds anyway? After a couple of tragic bas ent apartment fires in recent months, it fighters could be seen shaking their heads wondering why the province wanted to 'ere to more potential problems. Will safety egula- tions really be followed to the let er by homeowners wanting an extra in ome without spending too much on re o tions? Although Britain's Thatcher govern- ment was despised for many things, one impressive achievement was their policy on government housing in the 1980s. Realizing that far too many people spent their whole lives depending on a district housing authority to put roofs over their heads, the government put thousands up for sale. All of a sudden, people who had never expected to own property got mortgages, took pride in their homes, and invested in renovations and up- grades. Basically, the, government set, a higher standard for housing in the country, and people found a way to live up to it. The question is, does Bill 120 set a higher standard for apartments in Onta- rio, or does it just create a new, lowest common denominator? Your Views Letters to the editor Fifth consecutive award "My sincere thanks for recogniz- ing ecognizing our fine sport..." Dear Editor: Recently I was presented with a record fifth con- secutive Ontario Publicity Chairperson Of The Year award at the 28th Ontario Five Pin Bowlers' Associ- ation Convention President's Awards Dinner at Muskoka's Clevclands House. The Ontario Five Pin Bowlers' Association annu- ally bestows this award to the zone publicity chair- person who has most effectively used all branches of the news media during the howling season. Your excellent co-operation in the processing of my weekly bowling news copy has contributed greatly to my continued success in'winning this spe- cial award once again for the Bluewater Five Pin Bowlers' Association. My sincere thanks for recognizing our fine sport and i look forward to the same friendly communica- tion with you and your quality newspaper in the 1994-95 season. Sincerely, Ron Dann, Bluewater 5 Pin Bowlers' Association The New Democrat government has an- nounced the start of its most controversial law in the middle of the night or as close to it as procedurally possible. - The NDP waited until four working days af- ter the legislature recessed for the summer to say its employment equity law, which will give women and visible minorities preference over white males in getting jobs, will get underway on September 1. The legislation is potentially so divisive that the screaming match in which gay couples failed to win spousal including adoption rights may wind up seeming minor tiff. The em- ployment equity law will affect many more people. The NDP with its majority pushed its law through the legislature last December and sup- porters and critics had waited for an announce- ment of when it would start and sometimes wondered whether it ever would. The Liberals and Progressive Conservatives Hold that thought... By Adrian Harte No cultural value I'm not sure exactly what he was fishing for, but Harry Stemp of the Ontario Communi- ty Newspapers Association got answer he didn't want to hear. Stemp, executive director of the association representing most weekly newspapers in the province (including the Times - Advocate) wrote to Anne Swar- brick, Ontario's minister of cul- ture, tourism and recreation. Stemp was asking about the ministry's grants to magazines, which has dished out more than $5 million in support to Ontario magazine publishers since 1991. Stemp, on behalf of the OCNA, was questioning the size of some individual grants, as well as the fact there is no simi- lar program for other publica- tions. I don't really think he was hoping to see gr Qts extended to community newspapers. There have been some real horror sto- ries across this nation in the past when governments have provid- ed grants to set up papers. In some cases, new publications have used grants to divide mar- kets, force older established pa- pers out of business, and then go out of business when the grant funds ran out - leaving the area without a paper at all. My guess is Stemp was just wondering why magazines are so blessed, in the government's eyes. , Swarbrick's answer was to point out that the Canadian pub- lishers of consumer magazines face stiff competition from huge American publications - some of which are using split -run loopholes to draw advertising from Canada. Then Swarbrick went on to state that "the community news- paper publishing sector, while certainly an essential contributor to Ontario's economy, is not considered a core cultural indus- try, and I regret that it is not en- compassed by this ministry's cultural industries programs..." Not a core cultural industry - I am to assume then that publish- ing magazines that review the latest in Japanese Cameras or snowmobiles, Italian motorcy- cles, American powerboats or whatever, are of far more cultu- ral significance than community newspapers. Funny you know, all this time . we small -paper journalists were counting our blessings, deluding ourselves that at least we hadn't sold out our writing talents to create product reviews and puff pieces for consumer magazines. At least we write news- the stuff that really matters to people - or so we thought. Boy, have we been told. Well, what do we care what the government thinks about us. The less they worry about us the better, I say. After all, it just proves the old adage: "Those who can't do teach; those com- pletely out of touch get a cabi- net appointment". No, the saddest part is that the government has passed a grim sentence on our readers' lives. Everything we publish has to do with what people around here do in their spare time, recrea- tion, at work, or in local poli- tics. Imagine then that your lo- cal municipal council, your hockey league, fall fair etc. is all without cultural importance. Reading a magazine article on dressing up your kitchen with the latest in track lighting - now that's culture. Within the next few months, there's bound to be an election. if the NDP government contin- ues to ride so low in the polls, it may he they who discover they are of no core cultural impor- tance in this province. kept asking when it would start so they could discuss it. Supporters who mostly are benefici- aries were so despairing a start would come soon that in mid-June they held a rally at the legislature demanding urgent action. When the NDP eventually announced the start, it presented a wordy package explaining every wrinkle from ifs view and there is no doubt it could have made this public before the legislature recessed. But by announcing after MPPs went home, the NDP ensured the opposition parties would not have an opportunity to question it in the legislature and use it as a forum for criticism nor be as readily available at Queen's Park. One assumption will be that the NDP feels it cannot comfortably defend its legislation and it is a fair one. The law will require companies with more than 50 employees to start checking their workforces to find out how many they have in four designated groups judged to need help, which include aboriginals and the dis- abled as well as women and visible minorities. Can the NDP defend its equity bill? Each firm will have to find out -how many in each group live in its community and draw up plans to make its own workforce eventually 're- flect' the community by employing them in the same proportions. If 21 percent in a community are visible minorities, for example,,a company will have to employ 21 percent visible minori- ties. Each firm also will have to reflect the desig- nated groups 'in all occupational categories and at all levels of employment', which means that if 12 percent in a community are aboriginals, 12 percent of a firm's security guards will have to be aborignials. And about 50 percent of managers theoreti- cally will have to be women, although many women may not be as committed to staying in a workforce and working their way to thetop, but naturally and justifiably take time off to raise families. Most people will agree that many in the des- ignated groups have found barriers to obtaining jobs and promotions, but critics have argued reasonably it would be fairer to educate em- ployers to accept them and to help them to a better education so they will be in more de- mand. Opponents also have pointed out the legisla- tion does away with the worthwhile principle of awarding jobs on merit, because its founda- tion is to require jobs filled on the basis of such factors as race and sex. They also have complained it is unfair to em- ployers, because it denies them the right to hire those they judge most qualified to help theta in a competitive marketplace. But the legislation nonetheless has been given a surprisingly easy ride, partly because the NDP has argued it does not set quotas, a dread- ed word, and some even in business have fallen for this (although it say the workplace must re- flect the community, w ch at some point has to be translated into nu rs.) Now wonder the NDP feels the less notice it attracts the better.