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6 stonffville suntribune u thursday jan 27 2005 1 stouffville suntnbune a metroland community newspaper 34 civic ave 3rd floor stouflvilie on l4a 7z5 publisher ian proudfoot editor in chief debora kelly business manager robert lazurko director production interactive media john futhey advertising director retail flyer sales nicole fletcher advertising director classified real estate events management cord paolucci distribution director circulation barry black director circulation systems lynn pashko marketingpartnerships director debra weller york region printing general manager bob dean editorial regional effort could draw investment york region is a vibrant thriving community that must work to sustain economic growth the regions own survey last year indicated a better strategy is desired to achieve this and as it works on a 2005 economic plan over the next few months it should initiate a strategy to aggressively promote each of its nine municipalities and what they have to offer in the regions survey community leaders and business owners offered suggestions on what it needs to do to sustain prosperity attract new business and increase the number of work opportunities within its burgeoning borders regional leaders are well aware of the challenges york faces community leaders offered a solid suggestion that above all the region needs better coordination between local regional and senior levels of gov ernment to enhance economic vibran cy a prime example is a strategy for attracting new business as one of canadas largest and most prosperous communities the region should have a concise and coordinated advertising campaign to sell itself as a whole rather than each municipality flogging its merits separately in patch work tv radio and overseas ads while highprofile campaigns might draw all kinds of businesses not every business is the right fit for every town the creation of clusters of appro priately aligned businesses and services would benefit all areas since ironically the smaller municipalities that need to attact new business are the ones that can least afford such an undertaking a coordinated regional marketing strategy would alleviate this problem it would also cut municipal taxpayer costs and avoid duplication correction page reprinted page 6 in the jan 20 issue was inadvertently reprinted from the jan 13 edition the suntribune regrets the error congratulations sis am t an aunt or ah uncle letters to the editor police cant determine marijuana impairment re family wants name cleared jan j3 it is ridiculous to think police officers who have far less medical training than doctors can determine by use of some roadside tests if someone is impaired by drugs it must be obvious to everyone by now police are are just trying to hold on to their huge budgets this drugged driving legisla tion currently sneaking through parliament will give police the opportunity to profile young drivers and people with brown skin or long hair we have all seen peoples ability to drive impaired by alcohol prescription drugs loud stereos rowdy kids passengers or pets in the car cd players cigarettes huge coffee cups cell phones inexperience bloodsugar imbalances oldage fatigue and just plain old stupidity to choose one drug as an impairment fac tor is arbitrary and discriminatory cannabis affects every user differently if any impairment occurs at all it is usually gone in 20 to 60 minutes but thc can be detected in urine and blood for weeks after the last puff to be booked for impaired driving simply because there is a trace of thc in your system is much like having one beer tonight and get ting nailed for impaired driving five days from now add the fact that study after study from europe has shown cannabis users drive slower and more cautiously than nonusers and the notion of cannabis as a major contributor to traffic accidents seems ridiculous the stouflvilie suntribune welcomes your letters all submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number name and address the stouflvilie suntribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space write letters to the editor 34 civic ave po box 154 stouflvilie l4a 725 email jmasonyrngcom where are the official numbers what offi cial study was ever done in canada just where do police get these statistics russell barth educators for sensible drug policy ottawa councillor paid for shovels i am writing this letter as an appreciative parent and a member of school council at my daughters school a short time ago we had shovels stolen from our kindergarten area so i decided to bring this up at our meeting well the discussion did not have to go very far because a gentleman attending our meet ing as he always does spoke right up he gra ciously provided canadian tire money from his own pocket to replace the shovels i would like to applaud this man councillor harry bowes thank you sir and might i add the children are smiling again christine ferguson stouffville editorial editor jim mason jnuisonyrngcom assistant editor news frank king jkingymgcom administration office manager vivian oncil voneilymgcom production manager pam nichols pniclwlsyrngcom advertising classified manager ann campbell acampbellymgcom managing director new business flyer sales dawna andrews dandrewsymgcom new business manager steve kane skaneyrngcom managing director real estate mike rogerson mrogersonymgcom events management shows manager staceyallen sallenyrngcom editorial 9056402612 fax9056408778 advertising 9056402612 classified i8oo7433353fax 905853765 distribution 9052948244 caudbn amotion luhd auksaxd member onum press counca suntribune a york region newspaper group community newspaper the suntribune published every thursday and saturday is a member of the metroland printing publishing and distributing ltd a whollyowned subsidiary of torstar corporation metroland is comprised of 70 community publications across ontario the york region newspaper group includes the liberal serving richmond hill and thomhillvaugfian citizen the economist sun marwiam the erabanner newmarkev aurora stouffville suntribune georgina advocate york region business times north of the city yorkregioncom and york region printing off the top with jim mason paving paradise to put up parking lots drive along windswept hwy 48 south of stouffville road and look to the east through the snowclad corn fields if you squint strongly enough and imagine a little like kevin costner in field of dreams you can see them call them big box stores call it a power centre if the developers have their way with this town it will be built in this quadrant of stouffville just make sure you call it ugly if indoor shopping malls such as markville in markham and upper canada in newmarket were the future theyre now the distant past unfortu nately vaughan mills the megamall that opened late last year in southwest york region was the first covered mall built in thiscountry in 14 years yet indoor shopping is exactly what a country with a twomonth summer should be prescribed its a throwback to the main streets of old stores on top of each other providing a multitude of services in a competitive marketplace all under one roof it doesnt seem that long ago we were laughing at scarboroughs famed golden mile and other strip plazas they were dinosaurs massive ugly and grey parking lots fronting stores on main drags funny but thats how every power centre looks a group of big box stores is supposed to appeal to the modern shopper who is willing to drive longer distances and walk miles of store aisles for lower prices it sounds so cosy and good luck get ting the same clerk twice in a 100- squarefoot craft supplies or building materials store a boutique this isnt civil libertarians in hartford conn are concerned residents access to free speech is being curtailed at privately owned big box developments in a way it never was on main street forget the ability to protest its our lost sense of community and steam- rolled countryside we should be worry ing about more shopping opportunities and new residents are welcome making this town look like every other community on the continent isnt jim mason is editor of the sun- tribune