The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

6-Tho Canadian Champion, Tueaday May 20, 1997 COMMENT THECNADtN CHMPIO Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 876-2364 Classified: 875-3300 Publisher Asseaciae Publijher Generai Maeager Ediiaar Circulaion Muanager Office Manager Proaductioan Manager The Canadian Champion, published twie weekly ai 191 Main St. E., Mîlion, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Box 248), is one of The Mtroiandi Priniing, Publisim & Distribtroing Ltd. group of suitorban compa- nies witich includes: Ajax 1 Picktering News Adveriiser: Allîsion Heralitlçoutier: Barrie Adoance: Brampton Guardian Burlînglon Posti. City Parent: Colliitwood / Wasaga Conneciion. East Yorkt Mirror. Etobicoke Suaritian: Georgetown lndependentl Acion Free Press; Kingston This Weela: Lindsay This Week: Markhiam Economisi & Sur; Mîdiand / Penetanguisitere Mitron, Mississauga News; Newmarkei / Aurora Era Banner: Northutmberland News; Northr York Mitror; Sakoille Beaver: Seillia Today; Oshtawa i Whity / Clatingion I Pno Perry Titis Week: Peterborought Titis Weeiî: Richtmond Hll / Thottitili / Vaughtan Liberai; Scarborougit Mitron; Uxbridge i Stootfille Tribone; Taday's Serions. Adueriising os accepteit on tire condition tial, in the tuent of a toîpogtapitical ennoir, lthai portion Bftihe adoertising space occupied by thte erroreoos item, iogeitBtr wlith a neasonable allowarCe ion signature. wiii roi be charged ion, Sot te balance ai the adoertiisemeni xiii Se paid fortai the applicable raie. The pobtisiten tesetoes tite igit to caieguoie adverlisements on uiecline. Vigilance is warranted The controversy surrounding legalized gambling is on the one hand an issue of broad moraiity, and on the other a more nar- row question of scope. Treated broadly, the question confronting ail of us is; how moral can it be to entice people into vices, no matter what the purported payoff? Viewed more narrowly the query is, perhaps, when is enough enough? 'Me libertai-ian will say it is a matter of individual will. Those who choose to gamble should be free to do so. Others will mounit an assault on that logic's underpinnings, noting that if such is the case the governiment may as well seli heroin too, since it is a proven money making business and there is an appetite for the drug, aibeit usually among the genuinely downtrodden. In Ontario today, the state appears poised toi give legalized gambling a pervasive foothold it has neyer enjoyed before, and -indeed one shared among few jurisdictions. Video lottery gamrbling terminais, it would appear, are going to be relatively commonplace, and casinos will flot be hard to find. In defence of this, the provincial government indicates that the money will go to a, higher good and not simple greed, since charities and indeed the people at large, through provincial debt reduction, will benefit. But of course, many private sector firms and organizations will benefit too, such as the Ontario Jockey Club, which is lining up its tracks to take advantage of the coming legalized gambling boom. The premise that the government appears to be working on is that vices are okay until they becomne habits - or worse. If everybody gambles a littie bit, nobody can be hurt very much, and in fact we might ail be better off because using the newfound cash to pay down Ontario's debt means tbe tax burden can be iessenied. Ihis is precarious reasoning. People tend to abuse vices, and marketing vices tends to get out of hand. The habit of smoking cigarettes was at one time viewed as almost wholly innocuous, even sophisticated. Nowadays you can't smoke in most places, various governments are suing tobacco companies to recover health care costs for ailing smok- ers, and tobacco advertising, after a few glory decades, is severe- ly restricted. What if gambling goes through the same cycle, with high- budget ad campaigris and discount trips enticing people to resorts built around gaming? What if video lottery terminais start pop- ping up virtually everywhere? Perhaps in time gambling ads will be restricted too, and gambling companies subjected to heavy taxation as the societal ilis surrounding the activity* become more apparent. Big-time gambling has already come to Ontario and it is about to grow again. The dlock can't be turned back. But it is an industry built on greed a.nd forlorn hopes, and it must be strictly regulated and kept in its place. Vigilance is warranted for this somewhat tacky prosperity.RoKel Pages of the Past One YearAgo From the Septembçr 4, 1996 issue - A series of changes to the Municipal Act, recommend- ed by the Who Does What committee, inciuded a measure that would see voters heading to the poils in October rather than November. According to Mayor Gord Krantz this wouid encourage a higher voter tumout. - Young film maker and recent graduate of Ryerson Polytechnic University's media arts prograru Tina Hahn selected Milton as the site to shoot her upcoming film. "TMe Tinker" was to be a coming of age tale set in rural Depression-era Ontario. The main shooting area would be Cowboy Jim's, a farru and petting zoo north of town. Ms. Hahn was funding the production via a grant from Ryerson's December 6 Memorial Fund and was pursuing additionai funding from the the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council. 2 0 Yea rs Ago Fromn the September 7, 1977 issue - Milton Minor Hockey Association (MMHA) officiais were feeling the heat over their decision tor not allow an 1l -year-old girl to register for house league hockey. Tracy Homne had spent the previous two years playing left wing in a girls' hockey league in Burlington. But when her par- ents tried to do away with the 40 mile round trips to Burlington by registering Tracy in Milton, they ran into a brick wail. "The MMHA goes by the OMHA ruies," explained Jim McLean who was in charge of registration procedures, "and they currently don't allow girls." It appeared though that this could change. The OMHA was presently involved in a court case withl 11-year-old Gail Cummings who wanted to play goaltender on a boys' team in Huntsville. "If the OMHA rules change," explained Mr. McLean, "we'll be most happy to take hier." Ibis welcome was flot widespread however. MMHA President Joe McCann related a possible OMHA rule change with ..opening a can of worms." -50 Years Ago Fmom the September 4, 1947 issue - The Milton Juvenile basebaîl team won their second consecutive Halton County Championship by sweeping Oakville in their best of three series. Walter Hayward and D)on Tolezka coached the boys through their second cham- pionship season. - A flash fire caused by gasoline totally destroyed a garage and threatened to engulf the brick house on the farm of William Cross on Highway 25. Fred Cross, who was helping his father in the filds, had been sent toi fetch more gas for their jeep and as he was pouring the liquid into a can, a flash occured and the ire started. The entire garage was destroyed. Losses were estimated at $500. a The Lome Scots Band of Georgetown finished in sec- ond position in the Class B competîtion for banda at the Canadian National Exhihition in Toronto. Many members hail from Milton and Acton. Pud by Steve Nease Ian Oliver Neil Oliver David Bos Rob Kelly Karen Huisman Teri Casas Tim Coles rj.'%.. i