467 Speers Road, Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 845â€"3824 Fax: 845â€"3085 Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or §45â€"9743 Ian Oliver Publisher Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager The Oakville Beaver, published every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, at 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, is one of the Metroland rinliza. Publishing Distributing Lid. group of suburban newspapers which includes: Ajaxâ€"Pickering News Advertiser, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, But lon Post, Colli Connection, Etobicoke Guardian, etown lent Acton Free Press, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist and Sun, Stoutiville/Uxbridge Tribune, Milton Canadian Champion, Mississauga News, Newmarketâ€"Aurora Eraâ€"Banner, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond HiV Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. All material published in the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyï¬ilgmm_ reproduction in whole or in part of this material is strictly forbidden witl consent of the publisher. Advertising is aczepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occuried by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable fate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize and reject advertising. in the event of typographical error, advertising goods or services at the iwrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. "AMERICAS CORIEST HOMEVIDEOS"WILL NoT BE SEEN TONIGHT: IN ITS PLACE We Preesenr "THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL: esd on e e e en y c aen. All material published in the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Any Tim Coles Production Manager reproduction P:uum«hpanamismmism Torbidden without tha consent of the publisher. Advertising is aczepted on the condition that, in the event of a typogm{;hical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable fate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize and reject advertising. in the event of typographical error, advertising goods or services at the wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. Ian Oliver Publisher Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager If the voters in Quebec vote for the Parti Quebecois, will they also support separation from the rest of Canada? Yes: 24 No: 16 When Ford of Canada first arrived in Oakville in 1952 there was some fear that it would ruin the town. Instead, both oakville and Ford of Canada have continued to prosper. Over the years, Ford of Canada has provided the town with millions of tax dollars and has contributed generously to numerous community projects, including the construction of the Oakville Centre and the expansion of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Indeed, it would be difficult to imagine life in oakville without the giant automaker and it is for this reason that we wish Ford of Canada a happy 90th birthday, and look forâ€" ward with them to many more years to follow. Coinciding with Ford‘s success story has been the growth and maturation of Canada and the rest of North America. While the computer seems to be the invention changing the face of civilization in the latter part of this century, it was the automobile, and the production of the automobile, which provided an overpowering influence on life in the 20th cenâ€" tury. Over the years, the automobile has advanced from a risky business venture to an integral part of North American Society. The advent of the automobile assembly line helped transform North America from a largely ruralâ€"based econoâ€" my into a giant industrialized power. There have been difficult times with layoffs, recessions, and overseas competition, but each time Ford has met these challenges with success. The early operation in Walkerville, Ontario was primitive by today‘s modern assemblyâ€"line standards. In 1904 17 employees produced 114 cars. For their services they were paid $12,000. Ninety years late Ford of Canada employs 14,500 employâ€" ees with an annual payroll of $1 billion. Today, it would take about 40 minutes to produce the number of cars built by the company in 1904. Canada seems to show little sign of slowing down. In fact, it appears to be heading towards bright future. Which is good news for Oakville and the rest of Canada, since the economic welfare of a major corporation like Ford, and the spinâ€"off industries and jobs it provides, has a major impact on our livelihoods. For a company celebrating its 90th birthday, Ford of But such was not always the case. Ninety years ago, Gordon Morton McGregor was operating a wagon factory when he took a gamble and raised $125,000 to start Ford of Canada. Happy Birthday Ford EDITORIAL _ _ RESULTS OF LAST WEEK‘S POL! Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 The Oakville Beaver, published every Sundag Wadne;m and Friday, at 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, is one of the Metroland nnlm ishing Distributing Lid. group of suburban newspapers which includes: Ajaxâ€"Pickering News Advertiser, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Bu lon Post, Colli Connection, Etobicoke Guardian, lown | V Acton Free Press, gmn This Wee% ’il.‘:ndst;xl‘rhis n:zk, % am Ecnomisl and Sun, ille/Uxbridge ine, Milton Canadian impion, Mississauga News, Newmarketâ€"Aurora Eraâ€"Banner, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond HiV Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. _ hn Are major league ballplayers justified in going on strike to protest the owners demands for a salary cap? Cast your ballot by calling 845â€"5585, box 5008 to vote. Callers have until 12 noon Thursday to register their vote. Results of the poll will be published in the next Friday edition of the Oakville Beaver. lon Post, Collin V Acton Free Press, Economist and Sun, :r and Friday, at 467 ishing Distributing Ajexâ€" Plckemg News â€"IS ITAFFECTING Y _ /_ Some experts feel the advent of the computer is as big a deal to the development of Forty years later, I can walk into Radio Shack and buy a machine that does twice the work. And I can pay for with a week‘s salary and carry it out of the store in one hand. It‘s an amazing development when you think about it. When I was knee high to a spreadsheet, the only computer in the world was a multiâ€"million monster called UNIVAC â€" so big and so complex it took up an entire city block in upâ€"state New York. Computers. They‘ve invaded all our lives; whether we love ‘em or loathe ‘em. Computers govern our grocery purchases, our income tax returns, and our traffic lights. And the other 70% of the audience? Forget them. They‘ve already flipped the page and moved on towards the Sports Section. Twenty percent of you would waggle your heads apologeticalâ€" ly. Yeah, you work with a comâ€" puter alright, but you don‘t want to brag about it. In fact, you don‘t much like even thinking about it. o. Is there a computer in S your life? If this was a kitchen table instead of a newspaper column, I know exactly what I‘d see when I asked that question. Ten percent of you would nod smugly. Of course, you have a computer. Used one for years. Don‘t know how you ever got along without it. Not everyone has been swept away in the tidal wave of computerization We feel like so many CCM oneâ€"speed bicycles quivering on the soft shoulder of the famous Information Highway. Secondly, there‘s the sheer, mindâ€"blurring instability of the computer world. Hardware and software innovations arrive at warp speed and yesterday‘s state of the art wonders are whisked into oblivion in a flash. Everyone I know is afraid to buy anything new. They know it‘ ll be obsolete before they get the wrapping paper off. Not to mention peremptory commands like TABS ALIGN, MERGE CODES, END FIELD, and MACRO DEFINE. Look at a computer keyboard and you see alien inscriptions such as SHELL, SETUP, ALT, CTRL. We resist for a number of reaâ€" sons. For one thing, the lanâ€" guage of computers is not exactâ€" ly seductive. They could be right. All I know is, it has not been love at first sight. Oh, kids seem to take to computers naturally, almost genetically. But a lot of ‘older folk‘ â€" and I reluctantly count myself among them â€" instincâ€" tively resist the computer tidal wave that is engulfing us. humankind as the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel. Make sure it isn‘t a computer printout, okay? Want to join the club? Couldn‘t be simpler. Just write to: The Lead Pencil Club P.O. Box 380 Wainscott, N.Y. 11975 And I don‘t want to tell you how to write a letter, but here‘s a hint. The Lead Pencil Club describes itself as ‘a pothole on the Information Highway‘. Members of the club vow to abstain from Eâ€"mail, voice mail, and fax machines. The club‘s credo warns that if technophiles (read computer nerds) have their way "We will have raced at incredible speeds on the Information Superhighway to reach our final destination â€" Nothing." What is the Information Highway exactly? Where does it run? Is there a cloverleaf that‘ll drop me off in my home town? How about Accommodation/Food/Fuel? If these questions about the Brave New Disc Operating System world perplex you, allow me to introduce the Lead Pencil Club. Ah, yes. The latest buzz phrase in the Computer World. The Information Highway is the thoroughfare all of us are supâ€" posed to be travelling, along with our computers, our modems, and our Internet access codes. If things get scary, can I make a Uâ€"turn and go back to good old gravel secondary roads?