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

6 - The canadian Champion, Friday, May 25, 2001 <~COMMENT THE CANADIAN CHAMPION Main St. E, Mlton, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Box 248), is one of The- Metroland Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Printng, Publishing & Dstributing Ltd. group of suburban compaties wtoch icludes: Ajax/Picteng News Advettisen, Allston Herald/Courier, Barrie AdacBarys Bay This Wetk, Bolten Enterprise, Brampton Guandian, (905) 7 8 -2 3 1 Bulngton Post, Burlngton Shopping News, City Panent, City ot York Guandian, Colingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirron, brin Edioril Fx: 78-943 Advocate/Country Routes, Etobîcoke Gnardian, F:mborougtnPost, Forever AdvrtiingFa: 8 6-2 64 Huona Business TmeKingston Tis Week, Lindsay This Week, Mankharn Advetisng ax:8762364 Ecoomit &Sun MidandPentanuiseneMitron, Mton Shopping News, Mississanga Business Tmes, Missssaoga tNews, Napanee Gaidte, Classified: 875-3300 Nassagaweya News, Newmake/Anora Ea-Banner, Northumberland News, Nornt York Miron, Gakoitte Beaner, Oakoitle Shopping News, Otimens Ian Oliver Publisher Hockey News, Orillia Tontay, OshawaWhitby/Clarington/Port Penny This Week, Peterborough This Week, Picton Connty Goide, Richmond Neil Oliver Asoeciate Pubisher Hit/ThrnhilNaughan Libena, Scanbonougtn Mitron, Stouttoiltelbxbnidge Tribune. Wendy McNah Advert.nîng Marnager Advetising s accepted on the condition that, in the event o a typo- Kare Smih Edneargraphicat erno, that pontion ofthme adtteising space occupient by the enno- Karen S ith Ed t eon item, together witb a easonable atewance ton signature, wîttnt be Steve Crozier Circulatioan Manager changed to, but the balancentf the advenisement wnII be paid ton at the appli- cabte rate. Tht pobistrer resennes the nght to categorine adetisements or Teri Casas Office. Maunnnr decine. Tim Cotes Proaductmian Manager Th Mittoen Canaetiaer Chamrpion in a %ccloable Podant We hope you enjoy our stronger voice Welcome to our stronger editorial voice. In response to feedback from readers, we've rejuvenated Friday's editorial and op-ed pages to include regular columns and more letters to the editor. Readers have told us they want more columns and local features, and comments made by judges scrutinizing our issues in community news- paper competitions have indicated we need a stronger editorial voice. So our editorial staff will write weekly columns on local issues start- ing with today's feature by Steve LeBlanc. And on behaîf of the Milton Historical Society, former Champion publisher and local historian Jim Dilis will look back at events from the town's early days through excerpts from old newspaper editions in the new 'Time Capsules' series. Changes to Tuesday's editorial and op-ed pages are coming as well. Please keep those letters coming, and we welcome anyone with an interesting column idea to contact us. ~~IIIhI OUR READERS WRITE Dream won 't die thanks to caring community Dear Editor: Dreams do flot die. Two weeks ago our grade 1 and 2 students were badly shaken hy the thet of thetr long planned-tor veg- etable garden box. Due 10 fear of another theft of vandalism, we wanted 10 set aside our dream, 10 quit. But today, the generosity and encouragement of some special Milton people have restored our dreams. Cathy Tanguay and ber family came 10 the school 10 share with us Iheir personal philosophy - neyer give up!. Neyer surrender! Their business, True North Landscape Design, off ered to replace our box and soul because they believed that dreams, especially childhood dreams, should neyer die. Now our classes wiIl again begin to, plan their dream and 10 carry il out. We would like 10 sincerely thank John King of Humber College's Landocape Design Department, who huilE our original dream; the people who called and wrote 10 express their concemn; and the Tanguays and True North for their caring and generosity. As Milton enters a period of new growth, we will need 10 continue 10 develop a strong sense of communi- ty caring and sbaring 10 help us 10 "Neyer give up and neyer sunren- der!" wben we're faced with chal- lenges in the form of crime and van- dalism. Carol Hyde, teacher Martin Street Public School I'm guilly as charged of a brush with intolerance Weil Miltonians, the wait is nearly over. In thse next several weeks the first wave of new residents will be flocking 10 town - marking the start of our beloved community's long-awaited population boom. During recent jaunIs Ibrougisout town I've come across counîleos people concemed over Milton's future - many of whom worry tisatil' Il wind up mirroring tise likes of nearby centres like Brampton and Mississauga. While Milton may be poised 10 lose ils omaîl- town status, our small-town appeal won't neces- sarily be ot in the shuffle - not completely anyway, if we approach the change with enougis tolerance. That's not 10 say we have 10 like every modifi- cation tisaI comes our way, but a general accept- ance of newcomers - from ail walks of life - wîll go a long way toward minimizing any prob- lems tisaI mày lay aisead. But as wiîis most tiings in life, tbat's easier said than done. And tbougb difficult 10 admit, I repre- sent a prime example of Ibis. Altisougis I've always considered myself 10 be a very accepting sort - the kind that judges peo- pie on wbo îbey are rather than wbat îisey are - 1 stand guîlty of a brus witis intolerance during a recent visit 10 my local bank. You see, one of tise lellers there happens 10 be deaf and my first encounter witb ber was met witb some initial trepidation. Upon firot realizing tisaI a deaf teller was beiind the couniter, my firot tbougbt was, bow could Ibis woman possibly conduct banking busi- ness wiîis the same efficiency as ber bearing counterparts? How could 1 possibly relay my financial intentions without looking foolisb 10 those around me - or worse yet, taking up a lot of lime? Tisese questions arose from self-consciousness and general seltisbness - simple buman tenden- cies tisaI wbile certainly not acceptable, didn't go away even after other customers completed their business witb ber. 1 started wisbing I'd picked anotiser day 10 conduct my transactions or that timing would direct-me 10 the bearing îeller's bootb - wbere tiere'd be no caîl for extra effort on my part and no opportunity 10 look foolisb try- ing 10 break the communication bamier. I guess sometimes you just need that proverbial Up front slap in tise face 10 break off tise sisackles of igno- rance and intolerance - and in my case, the slap was bard and long-lasting. Tumis out Iis deaf teller was - and is - more tisan capable of ail the responsibilities of anyone else in ber position, and if tise transaction took any more lime or effort on my part, il was bardly noticeable and certainly not wortis my initial con- cem. I lefItishe bank that day wiîis a rather shameful feeling that - unlike your run-of-the-milI bouts of embarrassment - didn't pass witb my nexl errand. Had I really been so self-centered as to be wor- ried about looking a bit foolisb or isaving 10 make a little extra effort - wisicis would have, 10 say tise very leant, paled in comparmson 10 tise enor- mous challenges tbis woman bas to undertake eacis day 10 overcome ber limitation. Okay, perbaps Ibis is small potatoes compared 10 many situations of intolerance. Afler ail, it's not like 1 wisised any ill-will upon Ibis woman or even uîîered concems of our firot encounter aloud. But that makes it no leas acceptable. AIl il takes for intolerance and prejudice 10 blossomn is a little ignorance and laziness. Tbat's a scary notion - but certainly true, and sometising 10 keep in mmnd over the coming montiso and years as our town expands t0 include a mucb grander etbnic and cultural mix. So 10 the nice teller at my bank, 1 apologize 1 didn't tiink you were up 10 tise task aI band and that wasn't fair. I'm glad you proved me wrong. And to aIl those Miltonians wiso'll be greeting our new neigbbours will the same level of accept- ance as existing residents, I say tbank you - your efforts will go far toward keeping Ibis a wonderful place 10 live. LA