-o' 6- The Canadian Champion, Friday, October 25, 2002 SCOMMENT THE CANADIAN CHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main St.E, Mlton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Ediloial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertising Fax: 905-876-2364 Classified: 905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 Ian Oliver Neil Oliver JUIl Davis Karen Smillh Wendy McNab Steve Crozier Teri Casas Tim Coles Publisher Associaie Publisher Editor-mn-Chiej Editor Adrerising Manager Circulation Manager Office Manager Production Manager The Canadian Champion, pubistied every Tesday and Fiday ai 191 Main St E.,Mîtoni, Ont, L9T 4N9 (Box 248), is one of The Metroland Printing, Publisting & Dstributing Lid. gînup ot sohourian compaties wlich inciodes Aa/Pickering News Aiteetiser, Aliston Heraid/Courier Barrie Adance, Barrys Bay Tiis Wrek. Blten Enterprise, Brampton Goandian, Bolingtoo Post, Blingtnn Shopping News, Cty Parent, Cty nifVYori Suardian, Colingood/Wasaga Connection, East Yrork Miror. Ein Aitocate/Coontiry Routes, Etobîcoke Suardian, Flamoroogh Pot, Poînonr Young, Geogetowon InependenE/Acton Pion Press, laton Business Timon, Hoonia Busnenos Timon. Kingston This Week. Lndnay Ths Woek, Manlham Economît & Sun, Midand/PeooiaOgoinhBOO Mitro, Mion Shopping News, Mîsssanga Bosneoss Timo, Mînnionooga Nes, NapaneGuide, Nasagamepa Nows. Newmarke/AuoOra Ea-Bannier, Nothumberland News, North York Mitro, Sakoitto Bovet. Sakoitie Shopping Nos, Odtîmeis Hockey Nms, Stîtia Today, OshamalWhiiii/Caringion/Pnri Peiry This Week, Ptrboogh Ths Wonk, Pîcion Coonip Guide, Rchmond Hiii/Thonhiii/haoghan Lierai. Scarhonough Mîror, SiootIiill/dohnidgo Trbune. Adeotîsîng is accepied on ihn condition mhai, inne vnof n a typo- graphîcai errer, mhai potion ni ihn adeerisîng space occupîed hp the erro- noositem. togeihor ih a reasonabin alowanco ion nignatureiii ot ho charged fo, Soi ion balance ni the adveentînment iii ho paid tot alihe appli- cahle rtain Tse pablsher tonnions the rghti to caiegorizo adveotisOmnts on declîne. Pie Milon Canadian Chapon is a Reeplabie Prduel Money well spent We applaud the Halton District School Board's decision last week to spend $1.5 million on hiring 54 new educational assistants to work with special needs students. The move will allow 27 special needs high school students, who are currently flot attendmng school or who attend on a limited basis, to return to the classroom fuli-time. Earlier this month, the Halton District Catholic School Board approved a $200,000 expenditure to hire 12 fuli-time educational assis- tants. In both cases, the boards don't have the money for these expendi- tures. And unless they corne up with some unexpected savings, both boards will likely wmnd up with deficits at the end of the 2002-03 budget year. But rather than callmng themn irresponsible with taxpayers' money, we prefer to congratulate themn on their courage in standing up to the Ministry of Education. Years ago, the provincial government mandated that special needs students couldn't be denied access to publicly-funded schools. Yet, while the ministry has provided funding for these students, it hasn't kept pace with the demand for services. As a restait, many students who require extra help in the classroom haven't been served. Hopefully, the extra educational assistants will alleviate this problem. OUR READERS WRITE Reader says he and wife witnessed smoking at local bar, despite town bylaw prohibiting it Dear Editor: On Friday, Oct. 11, my wife and 1 went to Tise Dickens restaurant in Milton for dinner. We are regulars and usually eat there three or four times a montis. We like the English pub atinosphere and the food and staff are excellent. One drawback when visiting this establishment prior to the non- smoking by-law was tihe second- hand smoke that you had to endure, plus tise smell of smoke that entered your clotises. We were pleased when the by- law was passed, as it made visiting this restaurant much more enjoy- able. You can imagine our surprise October il and smelled cigarette smoke and realized that there were at least four patrons smoking in the main bar area. It appeared other restaurants in the area were doing thse saine thing and there was a concern that busi- ness would be lost if they didn't do the saine thing. We live in Moffat, which is almost central between The Dickens and The Shakespeare restaurant on the south side of Guelph. The Shakespeare is also an English pub style restaurant with a similar atmosphere to The Dickens. The one advantage that The truly non-smoking establishmnent and ubeys the bylaw that's in effect there. We now have a choice to make. We can go to The Dickens and put up with second-hand smoke and al thse issues associated with it or we can go to The Shakespeare and enjoy a cleaner environent. Our politicians also have a choice. They can stand up and enforce the bylaw that they passed or do nothing and make thse whole, process and reasons for passmng thç bylaw a joke. Michael Blrka Milton 0.. .d. ~ d v, ii.~l Sit* Wliats the purpose oj uywaw wttrnutu t~& Milton's smoking bylaw is finatly being enforced - Ibougis not with much enhusiasm. This week saw the flrst tickets handed out t0 a bar. The Dickens received two tickets Monday for allegedly permitting smoking and isaving vis- ible ashtrays. Each fine is $190. As of press ime yesterday, The Dickens was the onty establishmnent in îown to be ticketed. t has taken longer Iban four monIbs of Iis new bylaw being in place before any substantial action was taken. Previously, Ibe closest thing to enfrcement was a sturdy waming. This s unacceptable. What's Ibe purpose of having a bylaw if enforcemetît is vitually non- existent? There was a hitch holding back enforcement. The Town needed approval of its fine structure froin the Chief Judge of Ontario - an approval that came laIe last week. However, seemng as this approval was neces- sary for enforcement, it should have been sought at tise ime the bylaw was set into motion, not in lte July, as was tise case. So now tise bylaw enforcement officers (of which the Town has two) and isealtis departmnent officiais can ticket smokers and bars. The problemn is, anyone caught smoking isn't legally obligatcd 10 disclose their nane 10 a bylaw enforcement officer or health departinent officiai. LfthIis bylaw is to be enforced 10 the extent the public was lead to believe by council, we need the police involved t0 collect naines and be a real deterrent. At Ibis point, the only ones tireatened by the bylaw are the bars and restaurants tieiselves - altisougi tise fines can add up. An individual or a Prom my perspective business could, in Ibeory, be ticketed repeated times a day, every day. In a recent investigation by The Champion, numerous establishments were permitting smok- ing, several of whicis iad been doing so for quite some time. How about spreading Ibe tickets around wiIb a litIle more zeal? I'm sure there's no shortage of tisere's smoking. Fourteen complaints were regis- tered with the Town in August atone and 50 since the bylaw camne into effect. AlI that aside, bar owners are scheduled to appeal 10 town council Monday in an effort to overturn or modify the smoking bylaw. There is no report from Town staff or recommendations scheduled for council's consideration at that time. Despite tise problems with enforcement, it would be to thse detriment of town council to pull an about-face on this issue now and I urge lisein flot 10 do so. It was strong public support which put the bylaw in place and tisat support, 1 believe, hasn't dwindled - only thrown ils hands in tise air out of frustration for tise lack of enforcement. Keep the smoking ban, enforce it and let every- one gel on with tiseir tives.