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economist suntribune weather thursday july 4 2002 17 i i cut back on air conditioning hydro marketers advise from page 1 drew significant levels of humidity up from the southern united states result ing in the sticky oppressive conditions weve endured for the past couple of days mr choquet said that by yesterday the system was dissipating but offered little hope of any extended relief this upper ridge is starting to break down a bit but its only temporary by the end of next weekend i think well be back into a heat wave mr choquet said from the comfort of his aircondi tioned office speaking of air conditioning were all being asked to scale back our depend ency on the ac the independent electricity market operator imo issued an alertearlier in the week warn ing increasing demand sparked by the scorching temperatures is putting a strain on power supplies localized blackouts were being reported in some toronto neighbour hoods wednesday the imo is asking people to cut back on power usage wherever possible including setting air conditioners at a minimum of 26 degrees and refraining from the use of major appliances until after 8 pm meanwhile increased demand sent hydro prices on ontarios newly deregu lated market soaring they peaked during the supper hour tuesday at about 47 cents a kilowatt hour nearly 15 times the normal rate extreme temperatures coupled with poor air quality prompted york regions health department to issue warnings to residents about keeping cool and avoid ing strenuous work or exercise while the heat wave endures oryst zyhar director of health pro tection with the region said this type of weather combined with heavy smog can add up to poor air quality its a compounding factor he said of the humidity for some even moderate exposure to ground level smog can result in eye nose and throat irritations as well as coughing wheezing and shortness of breath for the very young and elderly as well as those with respiratory problems the consequences can be more extreme mr zyhar said some are more suscep tible he said the health department works to increase and sustain awareness of the correction notice in the saturday june edition of the markham economist stouffville tribune the telephone number for colournet paints was incorrectly printed the correct telephone number is 4701099 we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused colournet paints and their customers home office water delivery cbwa member 1 ooyear cooler rental 705 4371991 hazards that come with the heat said vlcki morley a community health man ager with the department that includes not only publicizing the symptoms of heatrelated illness dizziness headache nausea vomiting and loss of consciousness but also encouraging people to approach their routines differently to avoid exposure to the most brutal conditions obviously our concern would be for the most atrisk people young children seniors and people who are working outdoors ms morley said the department has begun working with employers to promote sun sense measures to reduce exposure to extreme heat or help mitigate its effects we have some draft policies devel oped and some of the employers have expressed an interest in that ms morley said she said working alternative hours early in the morning and late in the day is encouraged where possible above all be aware of the effects the heat is having on you and others ms morley said and be sure to keep hydrat- ed by drinking plenty of water and if you have time seek places to cool off like the many municipal pools and splash pads that are attracting a lot of traffic these days people breaking the pattern of poverty uscs seeds of survival program will benefit generations to come call 18005656 usc to pledge your support today 56 sparks st ottawa on k1p5b1 wwwusc4anada0rg this message brought to you as a community service of economist suntribune 11 hi ontario mayors chambers of commerce and community organizations celebrate with office depot at special ribbon cutting ceremonies at its 12 retail stores office depot inc the worlds largest seller of office products celebrated a special event by hosting individual grand opening ribboncutting ceremonies at its 12 ontario retail stores as the company changed its name from office place to the office depot brand name throughout ontario individual grand opening ribboncutting ceremonies took place at all 12 stores on friday june 21 beginning at 1100 am with the exception of its markham store which began at 1130 am all cere monies featured lively music from local band favourites mayors officials from chambers of commerce and childrens community organi zations across ontario joined office depot senior executives as well as the ontario commu nity for the festivities office depot has been a part of the ontario community since 1992 under the office place brand name we are thrilled to now brand our stores under the office depot brand name and are honoured to share this important day with those from the ontario community we invited our ontario customers to celebrate our renaming we know our customers will find the same great service and selection at office depot that they have come to expect at their neigh bourhood office place store said jerry colley office depots president of north american stores our cus tomers will still work with the same friendly and caring staff that is dedicated to providing the knowledge and support our customers need to help them succeed and grow their businesses also underscoring the companys charitable mission of directly impacting the lives of childrens education chioma a motivational speak er who addresses high school students with her message of respect restraint and responsibility throughout the greater toronto area was a special guest at the festivities at the companys celebration in markham chioma presented local resident and honour stu dent suzanne nguyen from weston collegiate institute with this years chioma talks scholarship this is the second year this special schol arship has been awarded expansion plans for the scholarship will be announced at this special event the schol arship is presented by chioma productions in partnership with office depot formerly office place and provides a student with a new computer printer and a cheque for 1000 during the ribboncutting ceremonies across ontario office depot also presented childrens community charities with inkind donations sym bolic of their commitment to making a difference in lives of childrens education health care and welfare in addition customers were invited to enter a special store sweepstakes that offered the chance to win a grand prize of attending the molson indy which will be held on july 7th the instore sweepstakes began on june 21 and ran e through to june 28 2002 and customers entered at all 12 par ticipating stores in ontario office depot currently operates 35 stores in canada store operating hours for all ontario stores are monday through friday 800 am to 900 pm saturday 900 am to 600 pm and sunday 1100 am to 500 pm depot what you need what you need to know-