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*-tUw4.i.~PIOn~.~~û-------- --- ----_______________________________ SCOMMENT'Ng Halton has right idea Halton Region's health and social services committee members are to be congratulated for their innovative stance with regard to combin- ing treatment for youths afflicted by mental health and drug abuse problems. In truth, any uine drawn between the two problems is arbitrary since ail substance abuse is rooted in some sort of psychological malaise. It's hard to believe that the provincial govemrment, or perhaps more accurately the bureaucracies that have grown up within the govemn- ment, have evolved two distinct armns to cope with these ilînesses, one to address mental health and the other substance abuse. It is harder to believe that the two ministries "don't talk," as noted byIn Seat pksesnfrHlo' usac bs rai Stwra pkseso o ato' ustneaue raia The potential financial fallout of youth substance abuse and mental health difficulties is far grater than than the $463,000 being solicited. The expense of having a significant portion of these unfortunates end up in the criminal justice system, as Burlington Councillor Lynn Schreiber points out, is far greater than any preventative measures being proposed. This program proposai is correct, moraily and practi- cally. Rob Kelly SO UR READERS WRITE It was an award-wInn1na aevent ail ý*on Parkway the key toi comîng blîght + THE CANADLIN CIHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main St. E., Tbe Caian Champion, publshtd avtry Tuesday and Friday Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 at 191 Main Sf. t., Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Box 248), saone of The Metroiand Printlng, Publishing & Dlstributlng Ltd. group of sab- O~O j lAI urban companies wilich Includes: Ajax 1 Picketring News (905)878-3 41.I Advtrtistr, Alliston Htraid/Courier; Barrit Advanct; Brampton Guardian; Burlinglon Pont; City Parent; Coilingwood 1 Wasaga Editorial Fax: 878-4943 Connection; East Yort Mirror; Etobicokt Guardian; Georgetown Independont/ Acton Frtt Press; Kignton This Wttk; Lindsay Tihis Advertising Fax: 76-2,364 Week; Marttham Economist & Sun; Mldland / Ptnefanguishtnt Classified: 875-3300 Mirror; Mississauga Ntws; Ntwmorktt I Aurora Era Banntr; Northumberfand News; Northl York Mirror, Oakviiit Btaver, Orillia Ian Oliver Publisher Today; Oshawa / Whitby / Ciarlngton 1 Port Paty Tihis Wttk; Pettrborough This Wtek; Richmond Hill I Thorohili I Vaughan Neil Oliver Associate Publî.nher Liberai; Scarborougil Mirror; Uxbridge I Stouffviif e Tribunt; BiliBegin General Manager Today's Seniors. Rob KIlly ditor Adnerlising Is accepttdl on fthe condition that, In tht avant of a Rob Kelly Ed tfypographicai arror, tilat portion of tht advtrtising space occu- Kareni Croea Circulation Manager pitd by file erroneous itom, togetiler with a reasonabit aliowance Ter Ca OficeMangerfor signaturt, wiiI sot be cilarged for, but file balance of tht Teri aaaa Offie Maageradnertistment Aiti be paid for at tilt applicable rate. Tht pabilsiler TInt Collea Production Manager reserves tht rlgilt fo categorize adnertistments or dectine. Dear Editor: This letter is regarding tise James Snow Parkway extension. On April 28 I met with five members of tise James Snow Parkway Envîronmental Assessment Study (EAS) Team. Several weeks ago, I had wnitten bo the Ministry of the Environment requesting a bump up on tise study for this project. A lump up involves a change in tise status of tise project from requirmng a Cisass Envirosamental Assessment 10 requiring an Individual Envîronmental Assesament. An Individual Assesament is a more detailed in-deptis study of tise envi- rosmental impact of the project. Tise notification of tise proposai to extend tise James Snow Parkway 10 Oakville was in Tise Canadian Champion on Marcis 8, 1999. Public commenta on tise Environmental Study Report were due by April 8. Tise proposed route for this park- way is between Fourts and Fîftis limes. Initially tise roadway will be two lanes, later widened 10 four lanes. Tise concernas I have witis tise James Snow Parkway EAS are: 1 am not convinced tisat tise pro- posed location of this nortis/souts moute la optimum. A number of woodlots in tis ares will be negatively affected. One woodlot will he cul in two and anotiser will be separated , from a nearhy pond, leaving thse amphib- ions tisat inhabit tise woodlot with- out a breeding site. Also, tise park- way will cul tisrougis a large wood- ed area wisere il crosses Sixteen Mile Creek. No significant altemna- tive routes were investigated for tise cmossing. I am also concerned about tise natural environment surveying to0 determine tise type and number of species that would be displaced or eliminated tisrough tise develop- ment procesa, wisicis was conduct- ed during tise monts of September and Ilwemnber of 1998. Last year was one of thse drient on record and hence I expect the number and variety of species t0 be recorded to be uncharacteristically low. Conducting a survey over five visita in the fall is simply moade- quate 10 document tise presence of flora and fauna. Since construction of this park- way is key t0 starting tbe develop- ment process that wiIl bring an additional 50,000 people to Milton, I think tise impact of botis of tisese projects should be considered in this assessment. That is, tise envi- ronmental impact of tise construc- tion of tise paskway should not be considered in isolation from tise impending development. The entire perimeter of Lake Onatario is becoming a sea of devel- opment. Our communities are growing at the expense of where we grow our food, at the expense of our dlean air, our wildiife, our natural areas, our dlean water, and our cleansing forests. esee HOW on page 7 Pud by Steve Nease