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ADVERTISING 905-640-2612 Classified: 1-800-743-3353 Fax: 905-640-8778 Kfifi-fiim is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. lire York Region Newspaper Group also includes The liberal, sewing Richmond Hill and Thomhill, Vaughan Citizen,The Era-Banner (Newmarlret/Aumra). Markham Economist York Region Media Group community newspapers The Sun-Tribune, published every Thutsday and Saturday, is a division of the Metmland Media Gmup Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. Metroland The Sun-Tribune welcomes your let- ters. All submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number. name and address. The Sun-Tribune reserves the rig“ to publish or not publish and to edit for clar- ity and space. Lotta: to the Editor. The Sun-Tubune 6290 Main St W. 0N L“ IN Sun, Georgina Advocate, York Regen Business Times, North of the City, yorkregionmm and Yom Region Printing. Med Manager Bonnie Rondeau cmatfarlaneé’yrmgcom DISTRIBUTION Circulation Supervisor Carrie MacFarlane mbanuillernng.com Fax: bmndeau@yrmg.com Carolyn Norman cnorman@yrmg.com Dawna Andrews dandmwsOyrmg.com EDITORIAL lim Mason jmason@yrmg.oom ADVERTISING Retail Manager Mike Banville Jmason.yrmg.com PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION 905-640-2612 lETTERS POLICY 905-640-2612 11: 905-6408778 Advertising EDITORIAL MIA his week, we launched Cross-Border Care, an investigative series that highlights the extent to which not only Ontario residents, but the provincial gov- ernment itself, have come to rely on the United States to provide timely and state-of-the-art health care. The eye-opening three-part series is the inaugural effort of Metroland Media Group’s new special investigative projects team, of which York Region Media Group's own Ioe Fantauzzi, a for- mer resident of Stouffville, was a member. The series continues in today’s Sun-'Ifibune and wraps up Thurs- day. While we will always focus on our local community in our pages, this special project means, several times a year, you’ll also read top-notch, hard-hitting investigative series on topics that have provincial â€"â€" if not national â€"â€"impact. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Artists work all year HAVE YOUR SAY, for Stouffville tour WH "CHURCHâ€" Re: Get inside the studio with STU“ FFVI LLE 7’ It's a “priceless benefit of being a reader of a community newspaper produced by Metro- land, the largest news-gathering Re: Get inside the studio with artist, Oct. 1. We wish to thank all the people who helped to make the ninth annual Whitchurch- Stoufl’ville studio tour such a tremendous success. We especially want to thank all those who came to the par- ticipating artist studios. Everyone was so encourag- ing and supportive. They truly seemed to enjoy the tour. We continue to have such won- derful response from all who attended. We gratefully acknowledge the generous financial support of our sponsors and hope the artists and their patrons will in turn patronize them. tinued support with its excellent coverage and photographs. You can read letters, columns Our congratulations go out and stories from The Sun-Tri- to Susan Campolongo, the prize bune at yorkregion.com We’ve all experienced health care chaos Thank you also to the Stouffville Sun-Tribune for con- tinued support with its excellent coverage and photographs. winner in our $200 draw. Finally, we would like to pub- licly thank the 26 artists who so diligently worked all year, not only on the organization of the tour, but who consistently proâ€" duce such a high calibre of art See you neXI year for a spe- cial 10th anniversary tour. Thank you. VStouffville, on behalf of the Whitchunchâ€" Stoufiville studio tour. > What do you think of these issues or others? E-mail letters to the ediâ€" tor to jmason@yrmg.com operation in Ontario and one of the largest in Canada. We begin with a bang with Cross- Border Care, which told the story of thousands of Ontarians stuck at the back of the line â€" and of thousands more unwilling, or unable, to wait any longer for diagnosis and treatment. This month, nearly 140,000 people are waiting for CT scans and MRIs. Billions of dollars are poured into health care â€" $11 billion in Ontario and $183 billion in Canada this year â€"â€" yet most of us have real experi- RAY MCNEICE WHITCHURCHâ€"STOUFFVILLE STUDIO TOUR Debora Kelly SW-Tribune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot ence with the chaos in the system. For me, it was watching my Dad wait weeks to see a specialist to confirm he needed a new hip. Then came months of discomfort and pain and an active lifestyle put on hold. Six long months later, he had hip replacement surgery. For me, it was also helpless- ly watching a co-worker’s health decline with heartbreaking speed as he waited nearly three months to see a cancer specialist. Wait lists that stretch for months, unavailable procedures and tech- nology and limited access to physi- cians are the everyday realities of health care in Ontario. We know there are problems â€"â€" and have accepted this. Accepted it to the point that, last year, 12,000 of us willingly crossed the border to pay for the care we once thought would be there for us when we needed it. After reading our series â€"- after seeing the scope of the crisis, after hearing the stories of people affect- ed â€" I think you’ll agree it’s time to demand accountability and action from the province. OHIP approval for out-ofâ€"coun- try care has skyrocketed 450 per cent in 10 years, partly because the 6290 Main St Stouflvilie. ON. MA 167 myoflwegonmm No surprise then that Ontario's spending on out-of-country medi- cal care has tripled in five years â€"- to $164 million in 2010. Ontario became a bulk buyer of health ser- vices with 40 American providers this year. province has lost step with advances in technology and therapies. Burton IN Camp Debora Kelly What may have been a temporary solution for “at risk" patients sounds as if it's becoming an entrenched practice. Why isn’t the money being invested here, so we can tackle the problem here? The dirty secret is out. Shovelling more Ontario taxpayers’ dollars across the border and forcing desperate residents to pay for (are themselves, has to stop. Busmnss MANAGER Robert Lazurlco For me, it was also helplessly watching a coâ€"worker’s health decline with heartbreaking speed as he waited nearly three months to see a cancer specialist. Dummn, Anvmmsmc, Dls'numrnou Nicole Fletcher Damon. Omxnous Barry Black