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18 T H E O A K V IL L E B EA VER Friday October 13, 2000 Employee called Ministry of Labour over asbestos concerns (Continued from page 1) According to Wood, a Town employee recently contacted the Ministry of Labour to complain that four areas previously identified in that May 1999 report had not been removed or sealed. Wood agrees. "It wasn't done, I'll tell you that right up front," said Wood, who added that air quality readings con firmed that the four areas are safe. Kim Galione, vice-president of CUPE Local 1329, representing inside workers at the Town, said the municipality is complying with the necessary regulations to clean up the asbestos. As for the Town's handling of asbestos in the past, Galione said "we're still looking into things." Four overlooked pockets of asbestos were removed from Town Hall Wednesday night, as ordered by the Ministry of Labour. Wood explained that this involves asbestos removal in 1999 during the replacement of the air handling sys tem in the older part of Town Hall. All documentation concerning that project is being assembled, Wood added, at which point air quality results taken at the time will be shared with employees. As for the asbestos removed as part of Town Hall's ongoing expan sion, Wood maintains that the mater ial has been disposed of safely and securely. He explained that most of the asbestos was removed over the holiday weekend from the south wall tw * Money for OTMH facility still unknown (Continued from page 1) of Town Hall as part of construction. "We're doing everything to the letter of the law and then some," said Wood. This includes adhering to "terribly stringent" regulations mandated by the provincial government. On the weekend, for example, the affected areas of Town Hall were completely sealed off and trained contractors in protective suits cleared out the asbestos. Wood went on to say that the Ministry of Labour was also on hand and that tests confirmed that air qual ity was well within limits. Because of concerns expressed by employees, an action plan will be rec ommended by the Town manager to Council. This includes a update or new study of asbestos in all Townowned buildings; developing a reme diation plan based on the study; an asbestos management program based on new legislation and staff educa tion on asbestos. I Z w 2 A P R O j E C T E x p e r i e n c e six t e r r i f y i n g l y d e licio u s pizzas. C h o o s e f r o m T h e S p e llb in d e r, P e p p e r o n i Possession o r f o u r o t h e r specially p r i c e d pizzas. on emergency rooms, rather than a set fee for each procedure performed. "We are providing an incentive for physi cians to work in emergency rooms, ensuring appropriate staff are in place to provide quali ty care to patients," said Witmer. Although the exact amount of OTM H's por tion was not known at press tim e, the announcement was welcome news to Halton Healthcare Services president and CEO John Oliver. "A ddressing ER pressures is our m ost important challenge," said Oliver. "These new payment arrangem ents'w ill be a real help in our efforts to provide the best possible em er gency services." Tuesday's announcement marks Phase III of the province's introduction of alternate fu n d ing plans (AFPs) to O ntario hospitals. Smaller, rural hospitals were done first in July 1999, followed by m id-sized facilities in December. Phase III for larger institutions brings the total to $187 million and includes 143 hospitals. OTMH chief o f staff Dr. Lom e M artin said that, given the newness of this inform ation, he can't say how many local doctors will take advantage of the AFPs. Oakville MPP Gary Carr, also in attendance at Tuesday's announcem ent, said Oakville res idents are sure to benefit from the new initia tive. "Timely access to em ergency rooms is an im portant part of overall excellence in health care d elivery," he said. "T oday's funding announcem ent will help ensure that appropri ate m edical staff are in place in our emergency rooms to provide quality care." to win f re a k y p r i z e s « r e m e r W I N » t r i p f o r tw o lo Angeles V a lid f o r d in e - in o n ly u n til O c t . 3 1 , 2 0 0 0 . W h i l e q u a n titie s las t. "> Boston Pizza - Oakville (QEW + Winston Churchill) 905- 829-8370 Boston Pizza www.bostonpizza.com Open House We invite you to visit Fern Hill School's 22-acre Burlington campus for a tour on Saturday, October 14th, 2000, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Our engaging programmes provide students with a wide range of challenging academic and creative activities. Fern Hill' s specialized Arts, Music, Computer, Science and Physical Education facilities, advanced academic opportunities and motivated teachers prepare students for academic and personal challenges of the next level. Preschool to Grade 6 2000-2001, to Grade 7 2001-2002 and to Grade 8 2002-2003. Limited spaces available for 2000-2001. Applications are being accepted now for September 2001. Admissions Testing will be held on Saturday, January 20th, 2001 . For more information, please call Laura Beamish, Director o f Admissions A winter check-up m eans peace of mind through the tough driving season C A A has a num ber of Approved Auto Repair Service specialists ready to assist you in preparing your car for winter. Q Battery [_} Engine Oil Cooling System Heating Systems Exhaust System Q Ignition System Q| Windshield Wipers Q Lights (905) 257-0022 or (905) 634-8652 Q j Tires Reduced prices are available at m any C A A A pproved Auto Repair Service locations. 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