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2-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, August 31, 2004 Other centres currently up for sale from MINISTRY on page 1 Sound last montb bounced and she still hasn't been compensated for it. She said she did file a complaint with the I Noir v of 1 ahour Iu 'l'le Champion visiîcd Mr. Dodding ton's home recently to gel his response 10, former employees'cdaims of bounced cheques and improper compensation. Ms Lister was there and said they didn't want to comment. "Rumours are rumours," she said. "1l believe this is a privacy issue." After that, The Champion !eft messages for Mr. Doddington and Ms Lister on Friday and also delivered a letter to Mr. Doddington's home seeking comment again on the bounced cheque, the newslet- ters they put out and the Ministry of Labour investigation. At press time yester- day, they hadn't responded. Miltonian Linda Smigelsky is a parent who said her son attended Safe and Sound in the Pentecostal cburch. She said parents were only given 1l days notice before the centre closed, leavmng littie time for themn to tînd altemnative daycare if they didn't want to ransfer to another Safe and Sound location, which were stili open aI the lime. She said she's nol seeking a refund from Safe and Sound because once she found out the centre was closing. she issued a stop payment on the last cheque she had given theru. Other parents who say their children also attended Safe and Sound on Thompson Road contacted The Champion to discuss their experience with the daycare. However, none were willing to givi' ihtir locations, parents and stafi reccîved a letter August 18 from Mr. Doddington and Ms Lister indicating they were forced to close the centres because their bank accounts have been frozen. The letter states: "Mr. Doddingîon has nol been able, although there are numerous offers on the table, 10 effect a sale of the business due 10 a court order in place, accounîs have been trozen resulîing in staff not being able 10 receive psy cheques and threatening the qualiîy of care that we cao provide 10 our children, which is of the utmost importance." Il goes on 10 say, "Tbanks 10 ail of our very dedicated staff, we have been able 10, keep our doors open until 6 p.m. on Friday, even lhough lhey are ail aware that il will be some ime before things may bc ironed out wiîbin Safe and Sound and the matri- monial issues 10 allow them tIo receive those monies due and owing to ihem." The letter also sates that a "new propri- etor" wtirking to open a daycare ai Safe and Sound's old location in the cburch bas "provided us with a proposai wberein if al comes together and approval is granled by the ministry and Region. they would bc prepared bo offer ail tif our parents and children priorily for care and nol require any of our parents 10 advance any furtber monies for childcare for the balance of Augusî. "Fioer. ibev hbave sP(kei 1 xch of, our "OLI( tidb)lio, Pleaksed to ip OlIty aflyone of our current staff ai their location." The new daycare, Little H-ands Children's Centre, is operaîed by Kym Selg, wbo reported that about 25 children who used Safe and Sound are now being looked aliter at her faciliîy and about 10 for- mer enîployees have joined ber staff. She said wbile Little l-ands did offer 10 take in kids from Safe and Sound for free last week, il isn't affiliaîed wiîh the former daycare. "Teresa Lister is 001 with our company," she said. Safe and Sound has a long and compli- cated histoty. Il Was initially operaled by Edwina Doddingîon, but the business was pt in ber busband Peler's name. When the couple separaîed, he kept the daycare cen- tres and look tiver operating theru wiîb sev- cral other business people, %aid Ms Doddington. Now, the No. 3 Sideroad and Pine Street locations are up for sale. A listing for the business on a real estate Web site said the two daycares are 10 be sold as a package valued ai $1 million. The receni letter from Mr. Doddingîon and Ms Lister ended wiîh, "We deeply apologuze for wbere we are today and assure eacb tf yîu ibis %vas neyer where we expected to end up.* Me/uni' Heine'sse vtu/i be recîIed ut mhie'ioe's.t,.6rnitiilon(anadîunt.hanipi<în (to Public invited to find out more QIbodt gr-,-fov 111h management plan Local residents cma leatrn more about a recently-released provincial growth management strategy aI a public fo=u September 9. lhe session wilIl be held ai the Halton Regional Centre and will look at the paper from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Renewal called Places to Grow: A Growth' Plan for tbe Greater Golden Horsshoe. The document add usetde Pro>vince's visions for bow and wbere munficipalities will grow, along with infrastructur and environsmental impacts of Ibis growdL. "Public consultation lba always been an important part of Halton's plannig procesa," said Rqeionalhar Joyce Savoline. "Halton ta bostingtbie forum to receive input fnm the pubi- lic wbich wili assist us in developing our resne to the min- 'Mty, who have given a deadline of September 24 for comn- Presentation at 7 pan. The forum wilI SMtat a 6 p.m. with a dmop-mn open bouse, followed by a presentation at 7 pi. At Ibis time, the Province basn't confinned ils attendance aI tbe meeting. Regional cotaîcil wili consider staff 's report on Halton's response t ie miniatry at ie September 15 planning and public works cominittee meeting and aI regional council September 22. The public can view the plan, leamn more about Halton's forum and submiit commenta througb the Region's Web aite at www.region.hahton.on.ca. B Il N'N 1,N 4 'AS ENTERTAINMEIgT FOR TRE WMOLE FAMULY *Dally Parades (featuring antique cars, tractors & steam engines) eTractor Pulls e IDys & Models e Crafts e Skills Competition Kids Activities ENTERAINT M ONSTAGE FM. 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