YF Ed \ye» * | 0 im !a f wl The Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by the Fairway Group, owned by CityMedia Group Inc., a subsidiary of Torstar Corp. 886â€"2830 Fax: 886â€"9383 editorial@waterloochronicle.ca sales@waterloochranicle.ca composing@waterloochronicle.ca WATERLOO CHRONICLE Mgr. 623.7218. 623â€"7218, Ei. 208 + / Bxut 210 The Waterino Chromcle welcomes letters to the Editor They should be signed with name. address and phone number and will be verified for accuracy No unsigned letters will be published Submissions may be edited for length . so please he hrief Copyright in letters and other matenials submitted to the Publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author but the publisher and its hcensees may freety repmduce them in print. electromic or other forms Our mailing address is 75 King St 5. Suite 20) Waterioo. N2] IP2 The views of our columtusts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper Group Publisher : Group Sales Director/ Associate Publisher Manager, Ext. 230 s.;g, Exi 223 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario N2J 1P2 Andrea Bailey Bob Vrbanac Editor, Ext. 227. Sports Editor, Ext. 229 International Standard perial Number flasr Matthew Gerry Mattice Advertising Composing. _Advertising Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number Letters Policy Ext Bart ISSN 0832â€"3410 Audited crculation 27.538 Dwayne Weidendort Sales. Ext. 222 Mart Mitler The new high density designation of the Cataliâ€" na Community Neighbourhood will encourage developers to purchase freehold units as they come on the market, rent them (perhaps to stuâ€" dents) until sufficient freehold units have been amassed, then tear them down and build highrise apartment buildings of up to 25 storeys. The residentâ€"owners of the Catalina Townhome Neighbourhood strongly object to both the high density designation and the planned rezoning ven with only the designation in place, any highâ€" rise developer can apply for rezoning which will be readily granted because the high density desigâ€" nation of the Catalina community is now part of the official plan for the City of Waterloo The residentâ€"owners of the Catalina townhome neighbourhood will continue their efforts to rescind the designation and protect their neighâ€" bourhood from the planned rezoning. The Catalina townhome community is a neighâ€" bourhood just like any other Waterloo neighbourâ€" hood. The fact that more than 90 per cent of the resiâ€" dentâ€"owners joined in the common cause to sign the petition strongly objecting to the high density designation and rezoning to allow 25 storey buildâ€" ings is proof that it is a closelyâ€"knit neighbourâ€" hood. By changing the designation of the Catalina community neighbourhood, council has gone directly against principle #3; it has destroyed the stability of this neighbourhood, rather than enhancing or maintaining it. When a delegation of the Catalina community neighbourhood approached the director of planâ€" ning and development at the community informaâ€" tion meeting of Oct. 7, 2003, (delegation) was told that "We (the City) made a mistake in 1997 in rezoning the Labatt lands to medium density and we are now correcting this mistake." The Catalina community neighbourhood knows the council of the City of Waterloo has made a mistake now,"and two wrongs (ar misâ€" takes) do not make a right. Council of the City of Waterloo has ignored the objections of its citizens with regard to the desigâ€" nation and planned rezoning of the Catalina comâ€" munity neighbourhood, as the following facts indicate * The Sept. 22, 2002 written objection to the council of the implementation of the Height and Density report was ignored and no acknowledgeâ€" ment or reply was received. Council appraved the Height and Density Policy study implementation report, including the proposed Official Plan amendments on Sept. 29, 2003; * It was only after the residentâ€"owners of the Catalina townhome neighbourhood submitted a petition, with the names and signatures of more than 90 per cent of the residentâ€"owners, that the council of the City of Waterloa took notice and postponed the formal public meeting of Nov. 3, 2003 to deal with the zoning bylaw changed result â€" ing from the Height and Density plan; * Maintain or enhance the stability of all resiâ€" dential neighbourhoods as per page 5 of Report No. DSOâ€"2â€"58 of Oct. 11, 2002. Council has also gone against the intent of the {previous) council that, in 1997, rezoned the Labatt lands from industrial to mediumâ€"density townhomes to create what is now the Catalina community neighbourhood. By changing the designation of the Catalina community neighbourhood, in fact by adopting the entire Height and Density Policy, council has made a decision that it should not have made, as the issues need to be studied more, and more input is required from the people of Waterloo. he new Height and Density Policy for the I City of Waterloo is based on the "Nodes and Corridors" growth model of October 2002. Principle #3 of the "Nodes and Corridors" growth model is to: Nobody listened to our objections VIEWPOINT Still, there were enough tapics to provide discussion. Anyhow, Waterloo folks should be happy to know their troubles are at their worst. * Still, the conflict didn‘t stir the heat, given the RIM Park fiasco which provided the setâ€" ting for hostilities. With that in mind, the debates didn‘t get that warm. A New Chapter: it looks as if the Liberals are headed for a gala jubilee. Sheila Copps is going to bid adieu with a withdrawal speech which will leave Paul Martin breathing free Oh yes! Rock star Bone is going to lead off the show with a plea for the starving in Africa. About all that will be missing will be a declaration from Jean Chretien that he will quit forthwith. _ This would send the delegates leaping in ecstacy and send Martin into the PM‘s job Well, that‘s the Waterloo voting for anothâ€" er three years, and the election signs will vanâ€" ish in order. The losers will be the first to go while left to last are the placards for the winâ€" You have to keep in mind that few of the candidates had a hand in the fiasco and thus weren‘t vulnerable to criticisms about it. It means that anything that happens will be an improvement A Long Shot: Don‘t wager a drachma on the success of the coalition of the right in its pursuit of federal pawer. As they _ f say, it has only two chances, slim and none [( )\( ‘ Leaving aside the frictions within the bloc, some leaders said the cause had a setback when Mike Harris declined to run. Yipe, any cause that could count Harris as leader has to be almost in need of artificial resusâ€" citation. To be obvious, he speaks no French, something vital in a national leader. Second, his perâ€" sonal life is a subject for gossips. True, that should make no difference, but it does. So the new cause is still hunting a leader Ah yes! There was one point that should have drawn cheers: Brian Mulroney counted himâ€" self out Ah yes. leaders always go down in history same further down than others. Post Mortem: After a slow start the Waterloo election got down to the nittyâ€"gritty in its closing stages. Martin‘s feet are on the ground tONMICT SANDY So far Martin hasn‘t put a foot wrong in his switchover to PM, and most Canadians will wish him well. Let George Do It: George Dubyah is still harking from army camp to army camp and holding a fundraiser on the side. He‘s raised gazillions this way and kept the hooting to a minimum. For a chap who‘s never been on active service, he swaggers and strolls as if he were born in a uniform. It used to imposed by the municipalities only after the neighbouring farmers had their chance to protest. It had something to do with the fact that cows didn‘t sport watches and were used to being milked on standard During the Second World War the British Isles operated on Double British Summer Time which gave summer the benefit of a twoâ€"hour builge on sunshine. It was just great Say, did you know that Daylight Saving Time is founded on the old Indian idea of cutting off one end of the blanket and sewing it onto the other end to make the blanket with a zillionâ€"dollar grin and the best wishes of most Canadians. But it probably won‘t happen because Jean Chretien is nothing if not stubborn and he‘s never been a bosom friend of Martin. It‘s a pity the Democrats can‘t get their act together and rally around a couple of stanâ€" dard bearers. Still, the Democrats have at least four candidates that dwarf George Dubyah‘s popularity has sagged, but it will still be enough to grab the loyalty of patriots who are enthralled by the red, white and Memmrakce â€" blue U ' Maybe it‘s old age comning on. but there are those of us who remember the farmer protests at any kind of daylight saving. Dubyah Yes sir‘ For Americans, true patnotism is the conviction that the United States is superior to all countries because you were born in it. Darkness Looming: Never, but never, have [ heard as many complaints about the end of daylight saving. It‘s enough to make you weep. And it may be imagination, but days seem to be ending earâ€" lier ang earlier and are making the supper hour darker and