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6 - The Canadian Champion Frîday December 13 2002 SCOMMENT +THE CANADIAN CHAMPION Box 248,.191 Main St. E. Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Editorial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertising Fax: 905-876-2364 Classified: 905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver Asoxxnuxe Pub/lxxlnex Jili Davis Fditaeo-tx-Chitxf Karen Smith Ednter Wendy McNab Advo'xttsxxtrtManaug er Sieve Crozier circuxlatieoxnMnt: Teri Casas Office' Managet Tim Coles Produtieon Manae t The Canadian Champion. publistted evety Tuesday and Friday t t91 Main St E Miton. Ont ,L9T 4N9 (Box 248), s one ut The Metroanit Prnting. Publishirtg & Distibuting [ttd grouu ot subottiri conmparues vvtiîcti inctudes AaxPickernig Nevs Adentser. Atiston Heratd/Courien, Barrie Adance Barry s Bay This Weeký Boten Entenytise, Bampton Guadian. Biintngton Pst Butington Shonpping News, City Ptent City ot York Giirdian GnttngoodWasaga onnectioi [aSt York Mrtur ri[n AnvocatetCountryi Routes, Etnticoke Guanian. ItaitbonnugO Post, [otevet Young, Geogetowne ndepettdert/Acton Fies Pess, Hattoni Business Times Hurnia Butsîttess Times, Kingston Ths Weetn Lndsay This Week. Maîkhaîn Economîst & Sun, MdadPenetangquisOene MirrcMton Shopping News Mississauga Bsîess Tmes, Mississau ga News, Napattee Guide Nassagatueyo News, NewmnarketiAitxoxa Ea-Bantien Notumberlantt Nous North notk Mirrorateitte Beoven TOakvitte Shoppng Newns. Octiniens Hockey Newns Oîtia Today, OshawalWhittIy/Ctaninigton/Port Penny This Week, Peteborough This Week Picton oonty Guide Rchmond HttThotntitt lVugian Linerat Scanboroogh Mîrton StOîîttvîtte/x Exidge Tiune. Advertisiriîg s accepted on the condin tO ltrn the event ot a topo- graphicat errnnttat portuon othte dertsiOig space occupted y thesetto- neous item, togethet wîth a esonotite attouancnonfto signatuite uiit not Oie cttanged ton. but the balance u1thte aduetsement unt tbe fiant ton t tne uptî coOe nte The puOtîsEen esenes the igEtt n ctegoie dventsemeits on dect tne The Mtnx anainChampoxx ina Fteyaute Produen * Il Gun registry a fiasco t appears that what was a well-intentioned initiative the federal gun registry - has tumned into a disaster. According to Auditor General Sheila Fraser, the gun registry, origi- nally pegged to cost Canadian taxpayers $2 million, will now cost a staggering $1 billion by 2004-05. How exactly could such a massive overrun occur? Was no one mmnd- ing the store? Canadians - including Liberal back-benchers - have every right to be calling for PM-wannabe Alan Rock's head because it was Rock, the current industry minister, along with current Health Minister Anne McLellan, who oversaw most of the development of the gun registry. Both owe it to Canadians to resign their cabinet positions for such a gross waste of taxpayers' money, but that's not likely to happen. Fraser's audit revealed the RCMP are so concernied about the high rate of error in data its own officers put into the system to screen gun licence applicants, that it fears it could be sued if a gun falîs into ïhe hands of the wrong person. As well, the RCMP's own internaI review found some applicants red- flagged, who shouldn't have been, while other potentially-dangerous gun owners weren't flagged. To top it off, according to Fraser, Parliament was kept in the dark about the mushrooming costs of the program. We have to agree with Halton MPP Ted Chudleîgh that this whole process has been a tragic waste of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. ** OUR READERS WRITE Reader says that Town'-s cautious approach to mid-peninsula highway project is sensible Dear Editor: t couldo't agree more witb the Town's go-slow approacb to mak- ing a recommendation on tbe mid- peninsula igbway projeet. In addition to tbe enviroomental issues cioed by the Town, 1 person- ally bave a number of other con- cems about the proposed igbway. This projeet represents an esti- mated $1 .2 billion expense at a time wben tbe Province is apparentty 50 cash strapped that we bave 10 cut- back healtt care and education spending. The cool of the highway could be offset through tolling. (The Ministry of Transportation hasn't indicated whether the mid-peninsu- la higbway will be a toit bighway.3 A toit bighway, however. would obviously be uscd less frcquently and therefore flot achieve the desircd alleviation of traffic on the QEW. If more automobile lanes arc really rcquired betwcen Niagara and Toronto, widening existing bigbways such as tbe QEW and effective. Widening existing roads woutd aver thBb property expropria- tions tbat would likely be required if the mid-peninBula were buiît, and would atho avoid paving over envi- ronmentatly-sensitivc sections of the Niagara Escarpment. It's good 10 see that our Town can't be butlied mbt making a rec- ommendation before att the alterna- tives are conidcred. Ion Stephenson Kingsleigh Court You can have your say wîth a letter to the edîtor. E-mail your letters to mltoned@&haltonsearch.com or fax to (905) 878-4943. Holiday season shouldn't drain your pocketbook t tink people tend to gel caugbt up witb att the boopla of Bbc holiday season and forget wbat's truty supposed to be cetcbrated. During the tast few wceks, the past one in par- ticutar, people bave been marcbing mbt malts and stores, Iooking for those perfect items to buy loved ones. People tend to tink tbe more expen- sive the gift is, tbc better, and then complain they wcnt over budget (again) this year. So why do wc feet its neccssary to buy tings wc cant afford? t'm of tbc opinlion il's because we feel Bbc persora reciving it woutd value it more if it came wiBb a pricey tag. But is Christrmas about draining your batik account or being thankful you bave fiends and famity to sbare tbis wonderful time of year witb7 Why do we put so mucb time and effort into sbopping for superficial items? 1 woutd bcecxcited bcyond belief if someone actuatly made me sometbing (as my fricnd made me a dreamn catcher for my birtbday) as opposed to picking something off a sheif or hanger. By making someBing you sbowed you put a litte somnetbîng extra into the gift, and bopefulty the person receiving it wiIt bc appreciative of your effort. Now, thats flot to say store-bought gifts arc tess speciat, but by making the present you save money and avoid the beadache of venturing off to the malt. Another tbing, gift giving shouldn't be a com- petition. As t was waiting in line inside Shoppers Drug Mart in Carniage Square last week, I over- beard two ladies bebind me discussing their toved ones wisb lists. One of the women said ber sister was going to psy for a cruise for Beir par- ents for Cbristmas and bow she can't possibly beat Bat. Beat that? Since wbcn is Christmas a contest? Wby couldo't she sce that maybe she wasn't in a position to give a gift of a cruise, but maybc she coutd buy lber parents Bbat something Bey've been meaning to get but neyer got around to? l'il admit, sometimes t too get caught up in Bbc wbole need-to-spcnd-a-lot-of-money mode but Ive been making a conscience effort to correct Bis. For exampte, my friend Staccy is Bbc hardest person to shop for (Bbc denies this). t atways stress out wben ber birtbday and Cbristmas roll around. Sbe made tbings casier for me tbis year by tctling me she wants Justin Timbertakes 'Justified' CD, but under no circumstances can t tell anyone she asked for il. Oops. In exebange, sbc said shes buying me a buncb of lip balins for me 10 carry around (in addition to the six t carry now) so she can bave a wide selec- lion for when we go out. t mean, you cao neyer bave enougbh p balms. People rcalty need to stop and think just wbat it is thcyre celcbrating. Il'sflot about buying tbe most expensive gift. I's flot about worrying if someone spent more on you than you on tbem. ln fact, i's flot even about giving presents. Il's about knowing you bave people in your ife wbo care about you for who you are rather than wbats in your bank account.