6- The Canadian Champion, Friday, July 6, 2001 SCOMMENT THE CANADJAN CHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main St. E. Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-234 Editoriai Fax: 878-49ý Advertising Fax: 876-231 Classified: 875-33 Ian Oliver Publi, Neil Oliver A.sociate Pui Wendy McNab Adverti.cîng Me Karen Smith Steve Crozier Teri Casas Tim Cotes Proaductionn Manager Circulaatioan Ma The Canadien Champion, publisheit every Tuesday and Friday ai 191 Main St. t., Milton, Ont, L9t 4N9 (Box 248), is one of The Metolaid Prmnting, Pubtstsng & Distriuting Ltd. goup ot suburttan companes wtitct incuides. Aa/Pickering News Aduetise, Alliston Herali/Cournen, Barrie 1 Adance, Baniys Bay This Weet, Bolten Enteprise, Brampton Guadian, Bulington Post, Burlington Stiotping News, Ciy Parent, City ot Yorkr Guandian, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East Yorke Mîrur, Ein 42 Adocate/Countny Rnales, Etioicoke Guadian, Famborough Post, Foever i43 sYong, Geogetown lndependentiAclon Free Press, Haleon Business Times, Huronia Business Times, Kingston This Week, Lndsay This Week, Maktam ý64 Economisl & Sun, Midland/Penrelanguisttene Mnno, Mieux Shopping News. Mississauga Business Times, Missssauga News, Napanee Guide, 300 Nassagaweya News, NewmarketlAunura Ea-Bainnen, Northumbelandt News, NorthtYork Minnur, Oairville Beave, Oukuille Shopping News, Oldtimers isher Hockey News, Oilia Today, OshawaltNtitby/ClaringtonlPort Pery This Week, Peterboroughi This Week, Pîcton Coanly Guide, Rchmond iblisher HillfThonhilNaughan Libenal, Scanhonough Mîru, Stouttilelhxbridge Tibane. aneger Adertising ru accepted un the cundiun tira,"n the event ut a typo- gaphical enno, hat portion ot the advetising space occupieit by the erru- Edieer neous item, togettr with a easorable alowarrce tor signature, wciI nul be Fngrchanged to, but the balance uftIhe adetisement wîl be paîd ton al the appli- ungrcabe rate. The pubtîshen resecues the right lu categucize adveenhements on ITe Moln Canadian Champion in a Rec>v&le rtoedaci In reality, poor aren't really getting ficher Depending on whose statistics you choose to embrace, Halton resi- dents are either better or worse off than they have been in recent years. On one hand, the provincial govemment reports that 81 per cent fewer people in the region are on welfare compared to five years ago. But in apparent contrast, the Halton Social Planning Council, in its latest poverty report - The Hidden Faces of Poverty - indicates the number of poor families in Halton climbed by 52 per cent in a recent five-year period. On the surface it would seem the two conclusions couldn't possibly co-exist. But upon dloser inspection it's possible that one statistical trend may be directly influencing the other. What the welfare caseload statistics don't tell us is how many people coming off social assistance are actually achieving a better life for themselves. If a single parent leaves social assistance for a job that pays margin- ally more, and must then contend with the cost of day care, has their quaiity of life really improved or have they simply joined the ranks of the working poor? It appears the provincial government's approach is in fact reducing welfare cases, and taking some of the burden off taxpayers, but it's not the answer to poverty. OUR READERS WRITE En gland native shares writer's outrage over removal of Canadian flag at war memorial Dear Editor: A friend of mine in Milton sent me a recent clipping of a letter pubs- lished in Tise Canadian Champion, submitted by Doug and Karen Card af Mary Street. Tise subject being tise deliberate insuit to tise Cassadian people by tise removai of tise Canadian flag and tise substitution of a foreign emblem an tise Milton war memoti- al. 1 sense tise anger and resentment in titis letter. Aititough Britishs, I feel autraged too. As tise authors of tise letter say, try a similar stunt in tise US. by removing tise American national Witat has this to do with an aid guy in Engiand? Weil, being a frequent visitor ta Milton and having served in tise Batile of tise Atlantic, I feel justified in passing comment. My only brother was gunnery officer on HMS Itdsen tise SQO. of the 9tit Canadian Escort Group, comprising, HMS Itchen, destroy- ers HMCS St. Croix and HIMCS St. Francis, corvette HMCS Citambiy, HMCS Sackville and HMCS Morden. On tise September 22, 1943 witile covering convoy HX256, St. Croix was torpedoed and my brotiser's Titen the British corvette Polyanthus was sunk and again, Itchen rescued tise survivors. At that ime she had aboard her neariy three siips companies. Itchen was then herseif itit in thse f'wd magazine by a torpedo fired by U666, the ship biew up, ail those young lives bast. Now Amercan movie tycoons insuit the memory of sa many fail- en soldiers with the desecration of your town's war memorial. Tise people of Milton shouid feel out- raged, too. Roy A. White <Ex R.N. WW2) South Yorkshire, England It didn 't take me long to get that small-town Jeel Milton definitely isas tisat small-town feel. 1 know tiis because I recentiy moved isere and have picked up on a iew ai tise sure-fire signs. One ofthtie biggest tip-affs you're in a omal town is tise way everyane drops what tiey're doing ta chseck you out. Titis past weekend - my first weekend living in town 1 might add - despite tise leos titan per- fect weather I decided ta stroli around and see wisat titis town isas ta affer. On my tip, botis driv- en and walked, I witnessed ties mall town pise- namenan tisat is intense curiasity. Nearly everyone I passed took tise tinte ta stop wisat tisey were daing ta see wha tise new lace in tawn beiongs ta. Many people even went so far as ta approacis me and say, "hello." Severai mare people stopped ta investigate tise new veiicle parked in tise neigitbourisaod. I must conieus a moderate degree ai uncom- fortably wisen approacised by complete strangers, but tisat subsîded afler I realized tiseir frendly intentions. City dweilers seldam notice smali changes ta tise structure of their neighbourhoods. Otiser than immediate neighbours, few people seem ta go out af tiseir way ta meet or greet newcotners. I guess I became accustomed ta tise anonymity ai tise city. The second tel-tale sign yau' re in a small town alsa came ta me during my travelo. I didn't count isow many I saw, but Milton isas an incredible amount ai green space witiithtie seutlemtent area. Even in Guelpis, my hametawn, where consid- eratian isas been given ta tise image ai tise Royal City, you become accustaîned ta cancrete. It doesn't matter isow many tlowers are there, yau stili notice tise concrete box they're in. Tise final sign ai a small town I naticed Finm From my perspective sure will came as no surprise ta anyone wiso lives itere. Witi tise exception of tise bar scene, there's natiting ta do in tawn. Milton seems to have its fair sisare ai bars, but little else. There's no movie tieatre, no bowling alley (nat that 1 would use it), and no significant live entertainment venues. I've iteard tise com- plaints that tise youth have nathing ta do, but I Even as I talked witis people around town I was instructed 1 must leave Milton to fond entertain- ment value of any sort. To me, one ai tise biggest benefots of living*in Milton is tise close proximity ta nat oniy Tise Big Smoke, but aisa Hamilton, Oakviile, Burlington, and Mississauga. Tiis is where I'm told to go if I'm looking to isave fun beyond enting a videa and sitting still. 1 would prefer ta be able ta waik ta my enter- tainment destination, but since tisat seems impos- sible in Milton, I will contribute ta tise summer smog. Aitisougis I'm sure same wili disagree, I can't say Milton isas anytising that wouid set it apart from any atiser omall Ontario town. Green space is weIl and goad, but it takes more tisan tisat. r Office Manager dectînle. Â 1 .0.«w Am 'w