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Pressrun 21.900 28 Pages Wednesday, February 21, 2001 Optional 4 week delivery $5/$l newsstand Fuelish thinking Wheels Pullout The goal that cost it all Sports, page 8 Clarington Firefighters 'Association claims staff shortages in document refuted by municipal CAO Fire staffing report sparks dispute She Canabtan late an • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • BYJACQU1E McINNES Staff Writer CLARINGTON - A contentious contentious report over staffing levels levels in Clarington's fire department department has sparked a clash between die local firefighters' association and the municipality's CAO. The dispute centres around an association report contending the municipality is eight firefighters short of meeting staffing standards standards set at all other Durham departments. departments. The report was sent to each Clarington councillor for consideration, says Tim Calhoun, president of the Clarington Fire Fighters' Association. Newtonville gas station evacuated NEWTONVILLE - An area service centre was evacuated evacuated as a precaution Monday evening after someone saw fluid leaking from a transport truck known to be carrying chemicals. chemicals. But "it was much ado about nothing," since the fluid turned out to be water, says Durham Regional Police Sergeant Jim Grimley. Police and firefighters were called to the scene at about 7 p.m. when a transport truck carrying carrying containers of a resin solution solution pulled into the service centre centre just off Hwy. 401 westbound, westbound, near Newtonville Road. "Someone had followed (the truck) in and seen what they thought was something leaking," leaking," says Clarington Fire Chief Michael Creighton. Firefighters secured the area, helped with the evacuation, determined determined what chemical was on the truck, and called chemical experts to determine the safest way to deal with the situation before approaching the truck, says Chief Creighton. The off-ramp to the service centre centre was re-opened just before 11 p.m., says Sgt. Grimley. It was released to The Statesman Statesman Monday on die heels of a separate warning to council earlier earlier in the day from the Ontario Fire Marshal's office. The Fire Marshal's office has determined Clarington has less than half the appropriate number of fire prevention prevention officers on staff, a separate separate but related issue. The association's report contends contends Clarington is also short on fire suppression staff. The association association says Clarington is the only Durham municipality which mans its trucks with three firefighters firefighters while all others use four per vehicle. "It's an unsafe condition for us," maintains Mr. Calhoun. The association's report has raised the ire of the municipality's municipality's Chief Administrative Officer, Frank Wu, who suggests it contains contains inaccuracies. Mr. Wu also contends the union is guilty of inappropriately inappropriately lobbying council during collective bargaining arbitration arbitration on its upcoming contract and adds the report should not have been made public at this time. "The firefighters are lobbying lobbying council on matters that belong belong in the collective bargaining process," he says. "They unofficially gave a copy (of die report) to every member of council. They should not have lobbied council through this report. It should have been done through die municipal management." management." Mr. Wu also disagrees with the association's position on the need for additional firefighters. firefighters. Although he would not say publicly the specific points where he disagrees with the report, Mr. Wu did say, "there is no legitimacy" legitimacy" to the conclusions it reaches. "Clarington is absolutely not under-serviced. We have the highest firefighter numbers per capita" in Durham Region when the full-time and part-time con tingents are accounted for, he maintains. That position contrasts directly with the association's assertion assertion that Clarington has the least firefighters per capita in Durham. The association suggests suggests Clarington has only half of the recommended contingent of firefighters. Mr. Calhoun admits his numbers do not account for part-timers, but adds even when they are factored in, it still leaves die force eight firefighters short. If a new regional dispatch system is implemented, he adds, only four new recruits will be required because Clarington's current dispatchers dispatchers are all qualified fire- RON P1ETRONIRO/Statesman photo They'll be back in aflashover CLARINGTON - Clarington firefighters prepare to enter a training unit located at Clarington Clarington Animal Services. The unit simulates dangerous fiashover conditions in a controlled environment and has been purchased by five lakeshore fire departments. See our story on page 4. Seeking a cure for doctor shortage Clarington hangs out the 'help wanted' sign BY JENNIFERSTONE Staff Writer With sniffle season officially officially upon us, local residents may be rushing to make an appointment appointment with their family physician physician ... that is, if they aren't one of the huge number of Clarington inhabitants who don't have one. According ' to Lakeridge Health Corporation spokesman Linda Robinson, it is estimated that 15,000 Clarington residents residents do not currently have a family doctor. Ministry of Health guidelines say, ideally, there should be a physician for every 1,380 residents of an area. At the moment, Lakeridge Lakeridge Health Corporation is actively advertising for five family doctors for Bow- manville, as well as a general surgeon and an emergency room physician, notes Ms. Robinson. Chris Kooy, Chief Operating Operating Officer at Lakeridge Health Bowmanvillc says, though a lack of family doctors is a problem everywhere, Clarington Clarington faces a special chal- fighters and can be added to the fire suppression staff. Mayor John Mutton confirms councillors did receive the association's association's report and suggests it is something council may take into consideration at a later date. "The firefighters are going into arbitration with the municipality. municipality. That issue has to be dealt with first and hopefully will be resolved very quickly. Then we can move on to staffing issues. I welcome input from the association association but any time there's arbitration arbitration over contracts there's always hesitation to deal with some of these issues." NDP leader gives Bowmanville a sales pitch to raise wages WALTER PASSARELLA/Statesman photo Brian Lemon, chief executive officer of Lakeridge Health, strolls outside the Bowmanville hospital. He says Bowmanville Bowmanville is particularly short of family doctors. lenge. "We are actively recruiting, but we're having a hard time keeping up with the growth" in population, she says. In an effort to deal with the shortage, the hospital has been offering some incentives to doctors who do come to the community, including office and secretarial support, and signing bonuses, says Ms. Kooy. As well, the hospital has linked with the University of Toronto, and has a family practice practice residency program in Bowmanville, in the hopes that some new doctors will come back to Clarington when their training is complete. Bowmanville isn't the only part of Durham seeking doctors. doctors. "In virtually every community community in Durham, there are fewer (family doctors) than would be ideal," says Brian Lemon, Chief Executive Officer Officer of Lakeridge Health Corporation, Corporation, noting the exceptions seem to be Port Perry and Uxbridge, where the ratio of family doctors to patients is fairly good. "Whitby is particularly short, as is Bowmanville," he notes, adding there's no real way of knowing exactly how many doctors would solve the problem. See SHORTAGE page 5 BY JACQUIE McINNES Staff Writer BOWMANVILLE - Ontario Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton came to Bowmanville Bowmanville to sell business on the merits of raising the minimum wage to boost the local economy, economy, and planted a seed for co"- operation between business and unions. At a Clarington Business Group meeting Tuesday morning, morning, Mr. Hampton told business owners he believes increasing the minimum wage from the current $6.85 to $7.50 per hour would give a boost to local business, not hamper it. "I believe the minimum wage in Ontario ought to be raised. It has been frozen six years. It's now much lower than our major trading partner, the US." But, Mr. Hampton wasn't asking business to consider the idea on moral grounds. He suggested suggested companies would benefit benefit directly from the move. "Minimum wage workers tend to spend in the local economy," economy," he said, noting in the United States, "they found when they raised the minimum wage it didn't result in inflation. inflation. The biggest (beneficial) impact was on small business in the local community." Mr. Hampton also took the opportunity to raise concerns about the new provincial labour law expected to be finalized finalized at Queen's Park in this Inside Wtft Statesman WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page 6 Sports 8 Classified 11 GIVE US A CALL General 623-3303 Distribution .. .579-4407 Death Notices 1-905- 683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamnews.net judi.bobbitt ©durhamnews.net FAX 623-6161 Cowan PONTIAC-BUICK GMCTRUCK 166 BUNG ST. E., BOWII8AEW1M.E 623-3396 2001 Sunflre 2 Dr Coupe 5spd, spoiler, 15" wheels, CD player ONLY 215km, (not a misprint two hundred fifteen kilometers). Yours for only tons of warranty left ANDREW IWANOWSKI/ Statesman photo NDP leader Howard Hampton Hampton spoke Tuesday at the- Clarington Business Group Breakfast. He told businesses businesses raising the minimum wage would benefit the economy. session and to assure businesses businesses they can prosper in a unionized unionized environment. "The most advanced parts of the world economy are all heavily unionized," pointed out Mr. Hampton. "Workers join unions not necessarily for financial financial issues. The top of their list is respect and dignity." He encouraged businesses to strive to have their employees work "smarter" not "harder and longer," noting that is the key to productivity. /SoN c ONTARIO'S DRIVE CLEAN ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY •An official mark of the Province of Ontario used under licence. WHITBY - OSHAWA MWBJ1 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY LOCAL (905) TOR. LINK (905) 666-1772 686-1745 www.hondal .com Sco Friday, Feb. Clarington This Week