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E-OOPINMIONz System falure Z Are you fed up with waiting for an appointment with a ti medical specialist, an MRI or a medical procedure? You're flot atone. According to a three-part Metroland Media Group special Sinvestiganive report - launched in today's Champion - an .~astounding number of Ontarians are being sent south of the SCanada/U.S. border in order to receive medical treatment Sthey might flot get here for weeks, even months. And we're talking about tbousands of Ontario patients Ievery year. According to figures uncovered by Metroland journalists, long waits, unavailable proceclures and poor physician access bas the Ontario Healtb lnsurancc Plan (OHPl1) fot- i ng the bill for millions of dollars worth ol out-of-Canada medical services. Since the stant of ibis decac, OHIP approvals for ont-of- country care hiave r ien 450 liercent -mhin a total nIf11 I approved procedures in 2001 b I 1775 lasi y'ear. In the last five years, the cosi of these out-of-countrv medical visits to OHIP has triplcd, from $56.3 million in 2005, to an anticipated $164.3 million in 2010. There are no signs on the horizon that the desperate shortage of access to health carenin this province is siahiliz- lng. In its October economic forecast, the p)rov-incial go\ cmii ment said it would need to increasc health spending hi\,$700 million to cover 'higber than anticipatedi" 0111 Pc oxîs. including oui-nf-province services. While our government claims to bc working tmxýarcl improving access to bealîh care in Ontario, the Province ha-s had to become a major contractor and bulk bover of American health services in order 10 enstire thai Ontarians, wbo se health is at risk, can obtaîn the care tbey neeci as quickly as possible. There's something fundamenîally wrong wiîb this p)ic- ture. Once considered the envy of nations around the %,xorlcl, the Canadian approach to healtb care is no longer xorkîng in Ontario. Its time for our leaders to admit tbe sysîemi isn'î working, recognize it can't continue ibis wý,ay andt ien agree to sit down to find a non-partisan cure for a system thats laul- ing - and ailing - ail of us. MAKING TRACKS: Sh-aron Deery dfld childrer Caitlîi, Jocelyn ana Jacob visit Fisherman's Wharf - wîth Alcatraz Island in the background - n San Francisco. TaKe yoar community newspaper on your r ext vacation and send your 'Champion Tracks' photos ta editorial@miltoncanadiancharmpîain.com, Be sure to irîclude destination information and everyone's namres. Readers Wri"te Emil ra.ý'Ocn clt 1.<011.îLlwa 1,î41. îfl1 ' lu. 'M 1 ,Iil -L.,t rlad l . t v ýi irieiili 1U Great support for charity bonspiel DEAR EDITOR: O)n ht-hall o ii het iicd WaN. of \iitoî. I x c iithanik ailotl n irse involvcl xviih ilcr cni ling bonspiel ltli Oc toher 27 ati t he \1ilion Curling ( Ilh. [l w xas a firsi lfor the Uniîtcl W\\a nf Milton. antId xexxee c eliî plcased xiibibe support of îot tcomn moinilts 'Ose raisetl more than SI -7.400. l biank yon ii curirwo tille sponsors -Union Clis antI MattamvIy lomecs - anidtic th- ans oîhicî con1panîicit ancd mc(lix ilnii1ls x\\ho lptcl nliake t lie c\ cnit sLtih a stc c's hucgh chuinaition, antd financial suipport. A special ilhan k xl\oigoes m iut iiiIatt- '-hlie r\ oot1 (avyt- Ilarli ng andc (îmntnnitx Liv ing \ortbil falton - lo iii pîrt'inig moii lunithantI tlirnt'i - atîtli also lii ,ll tic-support ocir group rc-ceîvcdtl lîniltht Milton tCurlinîg Chlob PAUL CRIPPS, VICE-PRESIDENT UNITED WAY 0F MILTON lEbe Qaîabîan (CDampicn Milon's Community Newspaper Since 1860 555 Industial Dr. Milton, Ont. L9T 5E1 905-8I78-2341 Editorial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertiaing Fax: 905-876-2364 Classified:905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 wvww.miltoncanadianchampion.com V.P. - Group Publisher Neil Oliver Regional General Manager D ýVi Harvf,-y General Manager Editor in Chief Managing Editor Production Manager Tlyr CCotes Circulation Manager Office Manager The Canadian Champion, published every Wednesday and Fnday, is a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Att.eftt.tnq St o opteo 'tn te ondtion tat, ,'ýh ,vent cf, r'nogrp uor ut etor t onfth i ie utec n tq t toý ý(cped b te t"oneouo'ot' e7 tet o tetonato e o owafo e fot Stqn)turte vw ýnoi Se cnutged I huitthe nàiance icftthe rltemert wln e puti to u' tne ppo uOote a Ty, ni,5tet teseves'n toc"p outeoce udveIoem"'o,tîtot' 'ect 't CCAB Audited Cucao ommn5, CC A Newspapers Assoctation M@ Subuitun Newspapers _4 of Amertnu ForanAffairs Milton flot just bad traffic and cheap real est at e During the past year, there have been a few curious îbings Ive corne across while working in Milton. The firsi is the number of people who move to the community for its quaint down- îown, relatively quiet neighbourhoods, and small-town, family-friendly atmosphere but who then proceed to drive everywhere, shop ai big box stores, and complain about the morning traffic on the way t0 Mississauga, Brampton or Toronto. Second is the number of people who make the largesi investment of their lives but don'î hire a lawyer or do their own due dili- gence to find oui what the officiai plan allows for the property next door or wbat îhings tbeir bomebuilder must do, raîher tban promise to do. And finally. theres stîl a con- tingent wbo say, "No one ever asked me if I wanîed Ail iis growth," an odd comment wben tbe man who supported it al - Gord Krantz - is enîering bisÀ 3Oth consecutive year as mayor and was first elected before Cyndi Lauper sang lime After Tme. Yes, there are negatives 10 the changes in Milton. a Traffic will neyer gel better; it will only get worse, and dont believe anyone otherwise. ,r No malter bow many regional roads they expand or bigbway lanes and interchanges hba, are evenîually built, the 401 , Dcrry; Biitannia inter alia ai geiiing better. Not until mb ioeffect. Tbe GO Train is fine if voure goîng to Mississauga and Toronto. Bt GO'S not planning for ail-day, two-way service to Milton until sometime afier 2020, îbougb l'm sure you'Il ftnd a politician or two who'll say its on is way in a couple of years. asee TOWN on page A7 H nton Heaiihcaue UCOME* Jingle Bell Fund UNITED WAY OF MILTON SAwards MILTON SANTA CLAUS PARADE SYMICA l'le ilttiCandiiiC!ýiip.Ui ý Reycabl PM t,