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PAGESý, W&I'Y FM HPREdS%,WDEDy UY~~ The only Whitby Newspaper owned and operated by Whîtby reësidents for Whitby resîdentsl! Published"eve.ry WYednesday by 677209 Ontario mcl. at 131 Brook St.- N., Whitby, Ontarlo Il N- 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line.,427-1834, Doug-Anderwn -Publisher MaunoePither - Editor Alexandm'a Martin - Production Manager 2nd ClassPos tal Registration #0535-1 Reconsider To the Edîtor:, o p y cf an open ltter ta thi Yaur government-is Currenti cansldering major céhanges ta, thf Ontario Labour Rlations Act- in a attempit ta usher in, a noeweàra o co,-ope'ratIQn.e' ýýWhlle acknoWledge ýyour.-objective', bèlieve that there is already« balanced and flexible, environmeni for labour relations under thE exlstlng loglslation. Unidér the existlng legisiation, the province of Ontario has> growr ta bu the industrial leader of this wanderful country of- ours anc under this sanie, leg4satlon, the people cf this' pro- Ince have achieved a standard »oft'living envied by every country In the world. Mr. Premier, you tell us that the labour legisiatian has not buon changed for- 15. years in this province and 'It isr timie for a charMe. but you have' not oxplained why. Yau have also told us that Quebec has livod since 1976 with the type cf legisatian you are now praposing for the province cf Ontario" Rt may heip you ta understand same of- my concerns with -the proposed. changes to the regisation if you were ta review the toliowing: (a) total strikes In Quebec have numbered 4,408, to- 3,660 in Ontario since 1976; M. persqn days not worked in Que0 numbur 31,089,760, versus 25,329,490 in Ontario, for a difference of approxlmately six million days. The-. above statistics are even mare shockinM In light of Ontarios largor -population base., cd unempioyment rates In Ontario and Toranto- have been significantiy .iowor than In Quebec and Mantreal since 1976. The praposais buing cansidered now represent the most tar- reaching and fundamental restruc- turing. cf labour relations ever undertaken In Ontario. In the past, the, amendment process has always buen evolutionary. This graduai approach has not oniy ensured wide acceptance, but It has' aIso ensured a 'balance bunefiting bath labour and management. ecanamy, and thoný bethe catalyst ta pravide a business enviranment le that' wiIl put a#Il aur people ta work. 1 urge yau to put'the interests yof Ontario first and recansider yaur e labour iaw agenda. f 'Ray Gilchrlst 1 ~Ownerlopsrator, 1 McDonald'a Restaurant Whltby a e ~ Trafflo 4.would be à unbearable 'To the, Edîtor: Wake up, people in - hhy Broaklin, Myrtie and Myrt le Station. Hwy 12 goes right through the centre of y our tawns. - 0 The traffic an this highway is already averilowin9. Now there's the possibility this route couid, carry up to 30 trucks an hour carrylng,garbage ta a proposd dump site just north of Myrtie Station.. These trucks also have ta came back down the highway. This trafflc will' be unbèarablè ta residents.and businesses that are along the highwiay, not ta mention the additionai pollution it, wil cause. This traffic wiIl also create a very dangeraus situation whenever anyane trias ta . cross the road, Iespeclally during the winter. 1 was Sitting Wt Pearson Lanes Ithe other day, just ta watch how much traffic aiready goes through downtown Whtby. l coud not imagine ai shopping i n downtown Whtby now aih ail the t raf fic t h at Isared there. Ifdunp trcs are.addod to this,, 1 wuld, nvergo shopping In downtown.Whitby, or Brooklin, for that matter. The moise, congestion and smeil will kili ail taurism, plant lite and business alang this route. if you téel the same. way, and you should, camplaIn ta your town counicilior, mayor,, MPP and MP. Only the people'a Volces "can eliminate these, sites tram consideration. ft may« not be' in your, backyard but it will be travelling through your front yard. Ingrld Ankert Myrtie Station Viw w on.Canadian pride By*Stophen 'G. Lëahy Thia ,':year's celebrations cf Canada' brthday haive been the mast extensive, and have, had the moat participationý in many years. Events were held. in varlous places in Whitby as well asal over the entire raglan. On July, .It was plain ta aý ee, ýthat,: despite ,aur political troubles,Cadasar extremeiy praud 'of their'country., -Canadiant pride, has many sources., We'live inlà"the second-largest country in, the world. The sheersize of aur country Ila .hard' ý ta tully comprehend. For eëxaznple, mare than 90 per cent., cf Canada, is above the 5th,,parallel.,Vet. the 5Oth pa rallel Is ' many, kilo metrea north -of co mmunities such as Kapuskasing or Cochrane. To sameone living inthedeop south of Ontario, thase communit ies are far north 'frontler' iocales. We aiso live In, ane* cf:the, most uncrowded' countriesian the earth. As a resut, -'a nother, source of pride, In aur cu'ntryis" the pure, untouched wlderness heritage,*cf aur narth.-ý Our vast north ropresents - many- thInga-. uncountod atrearnis and lake s filled ,with fresh, cean wager, seemingiy endiesa forests- alive .with animais and, best of, ail, quiet places where' noanehas over booen befare. There, are many places.,In aur land where people, natives or otherwise, have nover set foot, but there la no, place left where the hand of mankind has. not touchod. Recent studios cýf, -reoate northern lakes -. accessibleaoniy' ,by fioatplanes and hundreds cf- kiiometres t ram ,any human doveiopment - show high levels of contamination by ,taxic organic methylmercury. ,Over 90-per ,cent of the tlsh sampled contalned hIgh leveIsî. Simfilar ku~dies In' the US and In al ,Scandinavian countries also'show high leveis'0f this'taxkic chemnicai In theIr remate narthern lakes. Haw can thîs bu? Nat that long'agoi, pulp mlIs and wmelters ciumpedmercury diroctiy Into aur ,waterways. But govern ment regulationhsla e beon falrly. effective ln. iimlting ,,thi. HàbWever, the o0verali1 leveis of mercuy in most,,places are lncroasIng and exIM, W-hIgh loveis ln lakes' hundrea f kilometres tram, the: nearest puip miii ar wmelter. How can aur sparking, virtualiy untauched lakes af, the far nafl h produce fish> that are. too toxic for us ta eaW? Similar questions were, asked a decaee aq'o about', the- increaslng aciddficatibnonf, some northern lakes. Afthaugh it toak years beoare mast wouid ag'ree', acid rain turned out ta be the cause. The tragedy of mercury ' in aur remate lakes has the samfe cause -- there is such a thing as morcury 'ramn. This is, how. mercury. rami s crae:elemental ,mercury .la reieasod inta the air tram the srmoke stacks of smeftersý, puipý mls gogeincinerWtors and ýespociaiy plants making chiorine, tram ai over the northeastern parts cf Canada and'the U.S. The mercuy can travel cansid erabl 'e distances in the air and returns ta earth in ramn or snaw. Elementai mercury-Is pisonaus but .the qujantit les found',,in précipitation are so minute t hey are. not, harmfui. >The mercury soon ends' up ln lakes and* streanis. A 'naturally accurring bacteria' that residle In lake orzstream, beds converts the mercury 'into -arïganlc 'methyl- mercury. This arganlo chemnicai then gets lflo the food -chain and isaccumuülated ln fish. While it doos not seem, 'ta harm the f ish, il Is a very -dangerausé poison ln humans -one that can be fatal. 'Unfortunateiy, otters,, fish- eating birds of prey and, other animais eating these contaminated fish are nat immune. Since fist i e the mainstay of their diet,' they end up with danerous levels- of,ý mercury. While 1flot an instant kilier, t he mrcr acmulates ln their bodies,rm atWalyshortens At, a time when aur unem- glioymnent rate- is so high, when T h d t r. usineas confidence is so low and whon'the challenge of competit 'ive- nosa .la so roaI, these proposed e»t changes do nothing ta put our Have resp etfor others economy back- on the road tal economic growth. tak feth Wenv *Only a renewed emphasla on To the Edîtor: cross tho rallway rcsatr h.hnv productivity, compotitivenesa and An article ln the June 24 editian crasalng signala have ongagodi yo Iilknc économic grawth wili give business of The Free Press stated that train iJntll they have disengaged. Ihoe re=dnt wl the ý,confidence ta invest and whlstles are heard.occaalanaliy atsinlarntjtwangto otersd consumnera the confidence ta the Gardon St. crossîna. are commandaý, justIlîke red lights a -resident1 spend. Town councîl has done overy-> at traffic intersecis. they areg Mr. Premier, j wouid thlng- possible.,ta terminale the To stop thase train whlstles crouldngtswn -respectfully request that yau, your noise of those- whIstles. Now Rf la completely, parents 'are goîngAteo ssTn 8T goenent, along with the twa area residents thomseivos wha have ta see that they, and flir Thch tailten the our . er you hear the whlstIe, low Rl was caused by'a iho has no respect for lenta. It may-have been in a rush ta gel where golng,, a residlent ýwho gt,. couldn't respect the Ioi yours-and. anly their lifespans1 and causes blrth defecta. Ther e la aotherséad fat Many, sprt.sfilshermen have. extremely, hlgh"mercury leveli inthplr badies right now. Sa do native peopjles. la' the' north. The wamlings about mercury ln fish came too laït or mnany. And the news, isn't gétting any botter. ln rocent years, the Ontario and faderai govemmenta, have been monitoring the water quaity in aur lakes, rivera -and ',streama - part icularly' those that are popular with flshermen. Each year- the Ontarioa' Ministry cf tý:he Environmeént, publishes thei Guide ta Eâtlng -Ontario Sport Fish. Theày liat-onl about 1,000 lakes cf the tons oftousands cf lakes ln' the' province. Each year, the guide tolls' us'that due ta organpic mercur «y,- PCBs.',andother, toxic chemicala found ln flsh, we should eai fewer' flsh and,0W a maller, younger flsh. it la ta. the point, now where chlldren under age15 and women of ýchild"- buaringage are tolu ta avoid froshwater tish altogether.- .Il lsaa great tragedy that those of us living in thli ast land cannot' live off the fruits oft the waters that, suported'the, many genoratiana that preceded u 1s. Nar la it enough for us 'ta simply 'Catchad rolease.' Too man 1y.other animaisý and blrda noed fish ta survive. Wlthout a doubtthereare other. aide' effecta cf high aganic mercuyý level s that we have not- yet realized. The abvicus and oînly answer la ta stop puttlngmercury Into theair and into the Water. In part, ýthat, meana we have ta refuselotacwceptý Incineration of ourgarbage as a solution»ta ar landfillprblm. The rosi problem. on tha' issue la 'that ,wo, simpiy Produce toc much waste. it also mans we haveý to, stop manufacturing,,the thinga that, produco harmfui bypraducta, even if Rf means we muaI o itou them. Sfwo can't d ihu chemicals like chlarine, thon there must bu strict' controis ta eliminate the omnissions cf elemnrtali morcury. The answers are nat sa, hard-to find. Living with the solu tions dos sem tabu a lot harder. The' truth: of what w. have dons ta much of the- land and water that we tfirat coli'led Canada 125 years ago la not- a source of. pride. Our matorli accomplishments, our civilization ha.s coat this land a great deai. 1If wo love this land thon we ought to show *t mare respect, .more care and mare reverence. W. aught ta bu a laI, Jas selish, in thinking a ur interesta and needa are thïe only ones that count. If w îruy lave this place we Cali Can aawe muaI show aur lave. by tinding ,ways ta y with minima impact»on thla preciaus, place. ia Whltby the author L-