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A6 - The Canadian Champion, Thursday, December 29, 2005 * The Canaidian Champion 1* 8-2341 r ~ r! 11. 11058 <6-23,04 ',j r ' i ' I>ublisher r (i)(5) 87 Ianl Oliver "vil Oier lêrri ('asas ri,,ociia CCAB Audited RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BV THE CANADIAN CHAMPION IS A PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: j iTV Aitetitt UITED WAY CI AOF LOtN Shîuweasc' Milton ' it --,1- Milton Santa Claus Parade T,.eMAI Ca ,, Camp,.,,ýiRe,5,rî,r.r,.rdrr IF I 2005 year of storm A vear aeo this \xeek cixý peuple kucîsý the s' urd tsunamiî it- o\ bart r nîant. HolIxeer by the ttnrc the rie\\ ýca rollcd atrornd. tsunauOt o Ias unr es Cres hCjps and mncins as the ssurld joied tiether ni an outpnrurtng otf support for the Asiair and African nattons affected by the glatît waves that killed about 23 I (XX) people. Jr oas arguably the greatest natural disaster in the pasi century. but ivas only a portent of things to corne in 2(X)5 as Mother Nature wvielded ber fttry ttme and time agalîr. ln October. a massive earihquake in nurtbern Pakistan killed busanuis uf peo- pIe and lefi millions bomeless. Tbe soutbern United States and Caribbean were bit wiib a record number of tropical storms and burricanes thai spanned several monthi before reacbing a merciful end in November. The mosi devastatîng of these hurricanes was une thar came only balfway tbrougb the hurrcane seastîn Katrina. Belying ber prerty name, this storm slammed inro the U.S. Deep Soîuth svitb a ferocity ('ci could recaîl. She wiped oiut large parts uf' Newx Orleans and sur- rotinding areas. leaving bundreds rot thou- sands hîmnrels hundreds dcacl nid cori lcss rithers c ristc bîrtî tlirattiall and eirurtnally. Once airain, tIre isiîtrpetrcd ris Ileart andc tIre rebt llîîîg, beil alo x rorîrriecliately liere at thontie, a kîtîterert stoit iii .1 breingir. T he year begati o îth tire I iberals en(tryitig a slraky tiitrrity gos errîricri that gýre\x es et mrt iristable as Justice John Giomery hecard restiiruy intu the Quebec sponsirrsbip scandai and rerrdered bis cIl sio i n the lare surnmer. lits rep(rrt pointed the firger ai several bigb prufile Quebec Liberal party members l'or taking kick- hacks and sxasring millions in raxpayers' dollars. Hîs report ivas undoubiedly the key facitor, among orbers. in the NDP deciding to, join the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecitis in brtnging dtrwn the Liberais in laie November and sending tbe country iii the poils in a rare winter ellection. Locally. the Halton District Scbirol Board creaîed lits uîsn storms by unexpecredly showtng director Dusry Papkc tbe dotir watcbing several senior staffers leave and leas.ing, new director Wayne Jîurie tu play reterce arnitiretbe bickering tristees. Ail in ail 2WX5 Oas a stttuoy ',ear. We sin- cciely hirpe 200(6 hrittgs calmrer concdittins. * Our Readers Write NEC made the rîght decision regardîng CHP Di)ura Editor: O ihtait oiitIe Cotalitioin ii tire Niarisara 1lscrirpiuieit (CiN> I o oulci like io tend rrry support iii tbe Niagara 1Esýcaqriitt Communissioni (NE5C sith respect ru iii recent clecîsîtrî that ill prevent cars frîîm being stîîred ai Ctountry Hieritage Park (CHPI rbrougb tbe ixinter. We cen'tainly support tbe efforts ut' tbe vîrlunteers svbo bave kepi the park running since tbe Ontario gov- ernment withdrew lti interesi in 1996. 'Mis ls an important beritage site nurr only ('tr Miton but tor souiberti Ontarioi as a wbole. Huwever, uts nor tbe rote ut the NEC tir ensure îhaî this noix privare enrerprise is tinancialiy viable. Tire commrtrissioni acis iviti i sirecitic leiaI lt'arreo rk tire Nirirrai a Escarîrirrett Plaît tîtat adtdresses lanrd us planning iarters tn tire escarpirretit. It 's bouird ti tiI trýIs the purpirse. tobjectives atic potictes tri the plan. wvîicir dîrîr allox the proposed land tise ut ('HP. hi cani play lavîrurites witb i- vîclual prîrperties. Tir do str svîuld ruake a mirckery tri ibe provincial planning apparatus. CONE underitands that the NEC bas aixu receîved complaints xvitb respect tir other properties being used by tbe Torontor Autor Auctron ru store lits cars. Tbe comrmission is dealîng svitb those complaints. The Niagara Escarpmeni ivas neyer intended tir be an industrial park. If the Trunîto Autor Auctiîrn -a civsisimn trif a large U.S.-based mrultinattional cîrmpany -- wishes tir pur k its cars iii the s iciiiryI sîrrll purcîrase acîditittral s acatt inctustrial la irt Mrilton (cr titis purpuse. Tbis îxîuld prîrvide a ring-terni tax advanrage for the municipality tit land already deenred suitable foir ibat specifie use. CHP ls certainiy a jeivel. and tbe Torwn otf Milton, Haîron Region and provincial govemment sbould belp fund it approprately. CONE applaudi the recent deci- sion by the Ministry of Agriculture. Food and Rural Affairs to provide almîrir $1 million in bridge funding to CHP. Tbe park shouldn't be iorced ru destroy itself witb inap- propriate land uses in order to sur- vive. Bradley Shaw, executive director Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment It was another sensational year for Milton sports Il there's one thints, ris ( '.tiaiia spîris tanis love tir dot. it's dîsagree. Let's face jr. no 23-player cîrrubînatirîn pîckecl last sveek ('or our Olyrtîpie men's horckey teant would bave been immune ru criticism. Scratch Todd Bertuzzi and the arir-chair general mn- agers wîll stîli find fault witb sonne area otf the line-up. Bey, that's natural. Tbat's expected. That's even bealtby for iprit. lits part tif wby we love tbem su much. lits alsr svby I figure that amîrng thirse wbîr fol- low tbe local sports scene cluisely there wîil bc surme secrînd-guessing aburut thîs year's Sports Year in Review selectirîns -wbicb can be rea in toiay' Champîion on page A 16. Nîîw I wîînld bardly rate îîy decîsuîrs as impoîrtant as tiose regarding wbîr sbould go rît luiii ir ltstly tri lebritat y. bot rîrîcîr Iike Watynte (iret/ky and c'tiipaiy I rail sonîie irriglty tiougi chîtîces tii ittake. I'd tiriginally planîrec tit duting îîrly tbe tîit 10I spîîrting tmomrîents tif' 2(W5, but cjuickly dîscuîv ered -lîke I strîuldîr't rave already knorîn that wîîuld be jusi tîru difticuli. Heck even cinr- pîling a torp 211 lisi ixas tîrugh enougb. and meant leaving tiff a irumber otf nrîtewortby feats by local teams and individuali. But ibar goes ru shorw yuru juir buîw talent-ladien our sports scene is. Yîru know a turwn is aibleti- cally gifted wben yîîu can leave off' a baîf-a- dozen national cbampionsbip wins, countless more prorvincial vîcrorres and other things like a player coîîrpeîîng ait the Memitrial Cnp and still comrrise ai jitierbuose rîvervicwofthe jiast 12 mîîntbs. Like nry prelude tir the Sports Year in Review indicates. tbere ivere plenty mitre clubs aird atîr leres wvbî eamned distinction in 210 and rber accuniplishmenrs are iii tit xvay dimînîsied by not being nanîed. lits jusi thit witb any lisi yîîu've gor iii draix the fine sîîmexvbere. TItis yertr's lIîst Crs e'. as rîrccî c'îîrsîdeî atu tir ceadet inîerest as hîrs pi'esttitiis al Club tir- arli lete's successes isere. undit onrie tirai upn lengtliy reviesiý I 'ccl ctîtfrrtt'able x tir. But lîke I sajîl, there's alxvays rooin l'or debare. I expeet lit, and evei sselccîrine lt. One thing that's beyîrnd question tbougb. isjuir burw great our sports scelle rruly is. Looking back over the pasr 52 weeks of papiers, the amount of cbampionsbip wins and exent of diveriy of our athletie accolades -xvîth succesi coming in eveîyrbing lrorm hockey and football ru mouniain bikîng and laîxî boswling - s qurte overtvhelm- iris' 5cr ti ail those xvbu did us proud in competition ihis pair year I say cungrars -and thanks for the rrenrres. Sc yîru agîtin in 200hf. ttr'r,, r, ,,,rr, 'rr tir . r r , r r r t)rrr , tir,',, 'r r t'r,',lr,, r. r irri rt.,,, te rf l"I ,,,r, III r rA Mr , [ i l r0 ., ,,n l rl, SK~