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VIEWPOINT by John B. McClelland pd Scugog Citizen -- Tuesday, March on 1993 --9 LETTERS TO EDITOR "Give me a mandaté and you won't recognize this country in ten years." Those words were spoken in 1984. If you guessed it was Brian Mulroney who uttered them, go the the front of the class. He made a lot of promises in the course of perhaps the most controversial Canadian political career this century. That is one he sure as hell kept Canada, in this cold, snow choked, brooding winter of 1993 is not the same country it was in 1984. Nobody can dispute that. And it didn't take Mulroney ten years to put a brand new stamp on this land, a stamp millions of Canadians abhor. Personally, his announcement last week that he's getting out of politics left me with mixed emotions The country needs some fresh blood, new ideas, new faces and a new style at the top. Ten years is long enough (many would say too long) for any party leader or Prime Minister On the other hand, I must admit that fundamentally | agree with some of the tough policies his Government has implemented The GST is an enormous pain. | hate it. But the pain it is causing the country is not as severe as letting the national debt continue un-checked Our foreign debt is so high we are in danger of becoming a "junk bond" nation My quibble about the GST is that it is too broad, hits the poor and rich alike, and for small business, anyway, itis a nightmare. Even though it has sucked billions from the Canadian economy, the federal debt goes up. OK, that's the GST. The other major policy of the Mulroney era is Free Trade. Canada can't have it all ways: we either trade (compete) with the rest of world or we tuck into a shell, throw up tariffs to protect the weak, sell our prime resources til they're gone, then go to the rest of the world, cap in hand, begging for our supper. Free trade has caused a lot of dis- location in the Canadian economy. Not as much as some would have you believe, but certainly a lot. However, in the long run, Canada will come out ahead. Constitutionally, I feel a sense of ambivalence towards Mulroney's policies. Frankly, I thought things were OK before Meech and Charlottetown. The referendum I supported, sort of, but when it went down in flames, I didn't sit up all night gnashing my teeth. , What I will remember most about Mulroney long after he has retreated to the pin-striped boardrooms is his style: far too presidential for my liking, His love of fine threads, limos, travel and all the trappings of power left him far removed from work-a-day Canadians, out of touch with the real world He was too ghb, too smooth, too un- compromising, too partisan, too self- centered, and in public anyway, too quick to point out that he was the PM and the rest of us just rabble who should be content with our beer and Hockey Night in Canada A dose, even a pinch of genuine humility from time to time would have gone a long way in selling Canadians the tough medicine the country absolutely needed. I always found it strange that Mulroney who came from rather humble origins (the boy from Baie Comeau) had such a craving for power, title and luxury. Just once I would have liked to see him, stubble on the chin, hair tussled, soiled shirt with sleaves rolled up, blue jeans, boots covered in real mud, having pizza and beer with down-to earth Canadians who aren't afraid to get a little dirt under their finger nails. Ah well, | guess humility and a sense of the little guy don't come with a Prime Minister's job description I hope in ten years, Mulroney's laudible efforts to control the debt and kick Canada to the front of the pack in world trade are paying off. My three kids (who do not attend fancy schools in the States) hope so, too. Maybe then, I will have forgiven him for his style and for forgetting where he came from. IN CLOSING: If you're looking for a theatrical experience of a different kind consider the Borelians production of "Night of January 16th." They will take you right inside a courtroom where a person is on trial for murder, and the theatre audience is challenged to come up with a verdict of guilty or not guilty The show continues this weekend at Port Perry's Town Hall 1873 Scugog cuts back spraying program I was encouraged to learn that the Township of Scugog has decided to cut back the spray program of our municipally owned parks and sports areas to just once a year Apparently, Ward 2 Councillor Marilyn Pearce feels these areas should be sprayed while school 1s still in session. | agree! If spraying must be done at all, it would make sense to release these chemicals when children are not out for summer break Certainly we all have the right to know when and where pesticides/herbicides are to be sprayed, so that we, our children, and our pets can avoid direct exposure Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to control wind direction, or pesticide residues in our soil, water, and many of the foods we eat, while these chemicals are still in use This so called "right to know" should be honoured by private citizens as well as our municipal governments. | can think of a number of times I have been out walking in the summer and have come across a home owner busily spraying his property on a windy day with either no knowledge or concern for the possible hazards to him/her self and others There are many groups of concerned citizens working hard to increase pesticide awareness Recently, Port Coquitlam, B.C. began maintaining 160 acres of parks, without the use of synthetic chemicals. Cambridge, Ontario is currently using [.P.M. or "Integrated Pest Management" to reduce, and eventually eliminate chemical pesticides and fertilizers in their parks. Hopefully those who are still spraying will take note of the positive changes these municipalities, and our own Township of Scugog are making. Lastly, the article regarding Scugog's weed spray cut-back, pointed out that the township had received many calls of complaint regarding the spray-program. As a result, the township began investigating alternatives: Evidence that we can talk to our politicians, and we can help make changes! Just think what we could do if more people called their councillors or approached their particular interest group, their business, their neighbours. Granted, getting a lawn "off drugs" does take knowledge, and a concerted effort. Changing peoples attitudes about weeds is not always easy but the benefits down the road far out-weigh any inconvenience or apathy we need to overcome today Maybe we can be known not only as the Purple Martin Capital, but as the first pesticide-free township in Ontario (my apologies to any township I have overlooked who currently hold this title) Brenda Stevenson Seagrave Hey you two lads! We're ticked off To The Editor Hey! You two young lads who saw fit to creep across backyards from your getaway car parked on Donelda Ct, Monday night Feb.22 at 11 p.m Your tracks went along the hedge and around the pine tree and you were going to break into our shed There's no gas in there. We drained the lawn mower and roto tiller There's no gas in there. I guess you didn't have much luck when you tried to syphon it from our vehicles in the driveway last week Had you come and asked if we needed help shovelling the driveway, we'd gladly have given you a bit of work and paid you for it We don't have a snow mobile because we can't afford one. Maybe you can't either. Ticked Off! UNSILVED MYSTERY - SILV ED] The Choir of the Methodist Church, Greenbank, Ontario - April 1911 Top row: Name unknown - a young man who pumped the organ, Tyson Lee, Richard Woon, Charlie McKague, Joe Fitchett (Teacher), Wesley Real, Ryerson Beare. Standing: Norman Phair, George Love, Leslie Beare, Clara Barrett (Mrs. Thorne), Mrs. Ernest Jamieson ( Organist), Rosella Woon, Bert Ward, Fred McKague, Ernest Phair. Chairs: Mrf™W6orman Phair, Mrs. Ed Ward,, Mrs. Isaac Beare, Elsie Real (Mrs. Ryerson Beare), Bert Real (Mrs. E. Leask), Ernest Jamieson (Choir Leader), Edith Phair (Mrs. Armour McMillan), Arvellee Real (Mrs. Leslie Beare), Miss Jennie lanson (Mrs. Nodwell), Laura Beare (Mrs. Wlllie Leask). Floor: Olive Real, Hattie Beare, Tillie Real (Mrs. F. Dure), Stovin, Pearl Real (Mrs. Joe Phoenix). Gertrude Thank you Mr. Wilmot Phair