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Between You and Me Ul By RUHCCOES BITS AND PIECES, ODDS AND ENDS. Today my husband and I are out on Lake Simcoe in a canoe, hurriedly paddling back to shore before the waves wash us over. When we started the water was very blue and as smooth as glass, now it is a lovely greenish shade and very rough. The water temperature is about the same as Lake Ontario this week, cool for Simcoe which because it is so shallow warms us early in the season but due to recent cool nights it takes a few hours of sun each day to warm up again. This lake is one of the most treacherous in Ontario and no one, even those who have known it for years can gauge its behaviour from hour to hour. My husband has studied water motion and wave action which explains the situation and when he explains it all to me and I understand VII' write about it. We had a good visit with Staff Sergeant Len Don- ner who is i charge of the police boat which covers Lake Simcoe and who shares responsibility with other police forces in the area when needed. The boat, a 25-foot, 165 horsepower twin engines, is a beauty, white with brown trim and fully equip- ped for any emergency. Len Donner and his mate, Constable John Clark fight fires, rescue people in distress, give first aid, treat injuries and recover drowned bodies. What applies to water safety on Lake Simcoe, of course, applies everywhere including Whitby's Lake Ontario. Both my husband and Len Donner feel all boaters should take the Canadian Power Squadrons Course to become knowledgeable about ll aspects of boating and water safety. I think this particular patrol began in 1971 and by their promotion of water safety which has been an ongoing thing the number of infractions has* lessened very much. People are learning the rules and realize they must have great respect for this body of water. As an example of the treachery of this water the deaths of five R.C.M.P. officers on June 7, 1955 is a prime example of what can and does happen. On their way to Georgina Island the water was not un- duly rough until they got to the open stretch of water and then suddenly it was very bad, a very heavy "sea" which was their undoing. As Staff Sergeant Donner and Constable John Clarke say, "York Regional Police tamed this by their persistence in promoting water safety and boat handling." Now to move across the world from Canada to Israel with a few thoughts. Israel, as I wrote in a column a few weeks ago, has always been a contra- diction to me. We hear people talking about a feeling of euphoria, magic and peace while visiting and at the same time guns and war-like acts. After reading The Ion Effect written by a Canadian who has researched the subject from and because of health problems we may have a few of the answers. Ions are tiny electric particles floating about in the air and this author says they can increase your sense of well being or make you feel terrible. Cer- tain parts of the world, often mountainous regions are plagued by "Witch's Winds" which is said to cause people to commit suicide among other things. As far back as the-1700's the natural philosophers talked of electricity in the atmosphere and then in the 1890's the scientists found that electricity came from charged molecules or ions. It has been realized by some that these ions have a great deal to do with plant and human life. This has all been very slow to develop but is being researched and studied now by some clever people. In Israel, the wind is called Sharav and has been known for generations to cause changes in people's mental and physical being. This apparently gives newcomers to this land a great feeling of euphoria which accounts no doubt for the words, magic, peace and so on. A fascinating book, The Ion Effect, is well worth reading and may enlighten many people. Some of us are neyer affected by anything in the atmo- sphere, at least not that we know of but for others who are il will give them a greater understanding of what their problems are. Now back to Toronto and the Ex as Torontorians are wont to say. Why anyone compares the Canadian National Exhibition to any other form of amusement on entertainment is beyond me. It is s0 unique, so very different to anything else and I guess in its way so old fashioned. Many years ago, before the war there were sam- pIes given away and I wish Ibey would do il again. So many samples in large bags, they to were sam- pies and ose needed severai to carry the "lo." Halloween is nothing to this. At every booth some- thing was given away from soap to cornflakes. When you think of the exhibitors at the fair you gel a fair idea 0f how mnuch you had to carry borne. For weeks we played store and ate goodies which we shared with the family and our friends. What a way to advertise and certainly not as ex- pensive as otner torms of advertising and public relations. This no doubt drew many people to the Ex and with free food samples there were few restaurant meals to pay for. The Ex and the beginning of the new school year go hand in hand. A great way to end the summer holidays for the young and young at heart. Report from Queen 's Park . By THE HON. GEORGE ASIE, MPP (PC - Durham West) Ontario Minister of Revenue While many of you are able to work close to your home, others have to travel some distance to get to their places of business. As I am sure you know, commuting is both costly and time-consuming, especially if you make the trip alone. In an effort to conserve energy and provide a valuable new com- muter service, the Ontario Energy Corporation has established the Ontario VanPool Organization (OVPO). Since the first van went on the road just over a year ago, there has been such a popular response that OVPO is quadrupling the number of vans on the road. In the next few months, 100 customized maxi- vans will be inoperation. The popularity of this innovative commuting con- cept comes as little surprise. OVPO has created a system which provides its clients with substantial cost savings, plus the ease and convenience of a personalized service. Anyone holding a class-F driver's license can establish a vanpool. All you need to do is get a group of ten or eleven individuals together, including a back-up driver. who all live and work near one another. The driver picks up the other members every morning and takes them home in the evening. After that, the van is available to the driver for his personal use at a mileage cost. OVPO takes full responsibility for the purchasing, maintenance and administration of each van. Each driver pays a fare which reflects the capital, administrative and operating costs, as well as the distance of the daily round trip. For exam- ple, for a minimum daily round trip distance of 75 kilometres, each passenger pays a weekly bill of $16. At the moment the longest round trip distance is between Kitchener and Toronto. The weekly cost of the daily 250 kilometre trip is $27.50. This form of energy conservation makes good sense. Since commuting accounts for about 20 per cent of the gasoline used in Ontario (usually by people driving alone) the vanpooling concept means important energy savings. In fact, for a person who travels 70 kilometres each day, vanpooling could save about 7,500 gallons of gas a year, and cost almost $34 less per week than taking the car. In addition to the important cost savings andcon- venience commuters are looking for, employers get substantial benefits too - increased employee pun- ctuality and improved productivity through less travel fatigue. And the energy savings offered through vanpooling benefit all Ontarians. For further information please contact my consti- tuency office at 37 Station Plaza in Ajax (telephone 683-6707). HeIp M I-EART FUNYD' TYPEWRITERS ADDING MACHINES • CALCULATORS SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS "'sa poor day when we haven't helped~ a ustomer" WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUSI- 26, 1981, PAGE P) Planning department responsible for moulding town's character One of the most com- plex matters that the Town of Whitby is responsible for is plan- ning. The town's planning department is respori- sible for designing the shape and character of the town. The area of planning is probably one of the most misunderstood in the municipality and in an effort to correct this situation, the town's planning department is holding an open house during the week of Sep- tember 21 to 25. According to Regional Councillor Gerry Emm, the chairman of both the department and Whitby Town Council's admini- strative committee, the purpose of the open house is to inform the public about the depart- ment and its functions. The open house will feature many different displays including maps of the various sub- divisions scattered throughout the town, maps of the new roads that are being or will bc constructed, as well as maps of the industrial and commercial areas. The department's staff will be on hand to explain the diversity of the urban planning field and to answer any questions from the public. "The open house will try to build a better relationship with staff and the people," Emm said. The open house will growing and will attem- pt to show that the department Is trying to plan the town so that its character and lifestyle are preserved. Emm said that the staff will try to explain the complexities of zonings, officiai plan amendments, develop- ment and subdivision agreements and other aspects of the planning function. For more information about the open house call the department at 668-50. m DDdyn Truclis