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"WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2001 - 7 OPINIONS & HAPPENINGS Volunteers set to read The Bible in its entirety By Heather McCrae Weekend Star The sanctuary of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Uxbridge will be a busy place from Wednesday, March 28 until April 6. Proclamation, a public reading of the Bible in its entirety, will be undertaken by people representing all churches in the sur- rounding area. Volunteer readers are needed to help make this event a success. Already several people have signed up to read, but because of the vastness of the project, many more are needed. Proclamation, which is sponsored by the Canadian Bible Society (CBS), is the public reading of the Old and New Testaments. Co-sponsored by the Uxbridge Ministerial Association, it's a joint effort by all churches and faiths in Uxbridge, and pastoral charges of the surrounding area. Since the idea first surfaced, interest has grown immensely. "We feel it's very important," said Rev. Paul Kett, rector of St. Paul's. "God's word is something we all hold in common." Proclamation began in the Spring of 1995 when some 200 people, representing many different denominations and speaking 13 different languages, came together in the small Anglican parish of St. James in Rosemere, Quebec to read the Bible over a 10-day period. In 1996 the CBS adopted Proclamation as a district project, and orga- nized five different events. Since then, it has expanded to other parts of Canada. Last year 15 towns throughout Canada held a Proclamation, with some 400 people participating in readings. This year, 60 com- munities across the country are holding Proclamations, "and we are proud to be one of these", said Rev. Kett. "The response has been very favourable and has been met with much enthusiasm," said Brian Evans, vice-president of the local Bible society. All readings will take place in the sanctu- ary of St. Paul's on Toronto St. from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day, from March 28 through to April 6 with the exception of Sunday morning, April I, which has been reserved for regular worship service. On that Sunday afternoon and evening, several municipal and federal politicians will be reading. Forty-five minutes of every hour throughout these 10 days is filled with vol- unteers reading the Bible. Participants can choose the amount of time they wish to read; some can read for a few minutes, while others can read for an hour or more. People for whom English is a second lan- guage are more than welcome to read in their native tongue. : Proclamation is a public event. "Anyone who wants to participate is warmly welcomed," said Jim Campbell, a committee member who is also a member of the local CBS. "Very often people who drop in just to listen end up volunteering to read, too." : Even shut-ins who are unable to attend church but would like to read will have their chance. "We are arranging to have their portion taped and played at church," said Rev. Donald Eyre, President of the Uxbridge branch of the CBS. On the evening of Saturday, April 7, there will be a service of celebration at the Uxbridge Baptist Church which the entire community is invited to attend. Bernard Landry takes over in Quebec, and all of a sudden we're talking about another referendum. It shouldn't come as a surprise; it's the same old, same old. For Quebecers it must just be hell. major reason why Quebec is the recipi- ent of equalization payments. Low labour productivity and investment means less economic stability. What's disheartening is that this insta- bility flows into the rest of Canada. Landry is an uncompromising nut case. Lucien Bouchard on the other hand, although a nut case, was lucid enough to see the writing on the wall. Polls taken in Quebec show Quebecers are opposed to sovereignty. Look at Free Trade. Most people agree with having a free trade policy in place. Furthermore, people realize that globalization is placing some restraint on the idea of nation state. But Mr. Landry is still wallowing in some nationalist notion about nationhood that's rooted in the last century. Shouldn't a leader have the good sense to follow his or her people? If Landry wants to proceed with a ref- erendum this may be good, if once and for all the separatists are soundly beat- en. With support so low, this could very well be the death nail to the lunacy we've had to live with most of our lives. The Prime Minister's "clarity" legisla- tion should come in handy. Avowed sep- aratists don't have much use for the rule of law, and cheating to win a referendum is something they aren't above doing. The uncertainty this all causes is a Enduring a referendum may be necessary Straight Talk 37] ALEX SHEPHERD DURHAM M.P. This makes one wonder how Landry could possibly frame a referendum question that could get by the Supreme Court. | believe he will say he doesn't respect the Supreme Court, and then frame whatever question he wants. But even Bouchard respected the Supreme Court's verdict. This should make it hard for Landry to defend the legitimacy of his process. We are all looking forward to Jean Charest winning the next Quebec elec- tion. No Quebec politician, who wants to get elected in Quebec, can completely climb into bed with the federal govern- ment. This will force Charest to say things Canadians won't like. However, he does believe in federalism, and | believe he is in a position to beat Landry. And if he can't eradicate Quebec's separatist cancer, then at least he can put it in some form of remission. Canadians can't be lethargic when it comes to unity and the federalists are awake, watching how Landry and his separatist agenda unfold. I know most of us are pretty tired of all this, but one more go-around might put an end to the separatist cause. Maybe this is a good reason to put up with one more referendum. Palladini's passing a sad event for Ontario We were shocked last week by the sudden death of Al Palladini, former Minister of Transportation and, more recently, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. Al was a successful entrepreneur, and a good friend to the business and tourism communities of Ontario. He was also a good friend to me. This is a sad loss for his family and for the Province of Ontario. New Assignment in Finance As you may have already heard, | responsibility as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance. Finance is a senior portfolio and | am honoured by the confidence Premier Harris has shown in me with this appointment. Naturally, | am look- ing forward to the opportunity to work closely with my colleague and fellow Durham MPP, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, on the important issues facing Ontario. The economic forecast is soft- ening, so we must maintain our compet- itive tax structures while watching have a new expenditures. | hasten to add that serving the Durham Riding is my number one prior- ity. You are welcome to contact me at the Constituency Office with your sug- Staying in Touch NI0)S I COO MN NOI0) 0D \% 0 59 S08 DROS 24 § FAN\Y ( DFAS! gestions, concerns, and any other issues related to our province. If 1 cannot respond directly, my staff will assist. | am always informed of your inquiries and will follow up. We're here to serve. Farmers Deserve Fair Prices On March 6 and 7 Canada's agricul- ture ministers and farm leaders met in Quebec City to ask that the federal gov- ernment increase its farm assistance from the $500 million announced March I to $1 billion, plus provincial contribu- tions. , I strongly agree with Ontario Agriculture Minister Brian Coburn's view that a $500 million contribution from a government that has a surplus of $16 billion just isn't enough. We need to at least double that amount, and | am confident the Government of Ontario will contribute its full share towards any program that will ensure the survival of our farms. We will keep working with the province's farm and commodity leaders to develop effective, made-in Ontario safety net programs. But, we must also be able to count on continued federal involvement. Literacy Tests Much has been said about the results of the Grade 10 literacy tests released last week. The tests confirm what we had been told by parents, employers, as well as colleges and universities -- that some students don't have the read- ing and writing skills they need to grad- uate from high school. It is vitally important to have facts available through the testing process so we know which students need more help, and so boards, schools, teachers and parents can provide them with the support they need. In my view, the literacy tests serve the same purpose as the examinations students write throughout their school careers. Tests are used, not to criticize our students and schools, but to ensure our students recognize how they are doing and can take steps to improve. Ontario has provided $25 million in additional funding, so students in Grades 7 to 10 can get extra help in reading, writing and math and we are providing a further $70 million a year so students can improve their literacy skills at a younger age. Regular, standardized testing is an important part of our plan to ensure stu- dents do well. Legiskaters vs Durham Regional Police Ontario's MPP hockey squad isn't quite ready for Hockey Night in Canada. However, we do occasionally face off against community teams for charitable causes. Last Wednesday night, the "Legiskaters" were in Oshawa to play the Durham Region Police at Civic Auditorium. Most importantly, the game raised funds for Oshawa Minor Hockey. (And, no doubt, it raised the fitness lev- els of your MPPs). The Durham Regional Police deserve our thanks for joining us and for orga- nizing this event. And, since you had to ask, the score was something like 9-5 for the police. March is Nutrition Month, Red Cross Month, Learning Disabilities Month and Kidney Month.