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stouffville suntribune thursday june 30 2005 stouffvhie suntribune a metroland community newspaper 34 civic ave 3rd floor stouffville on l4a 7z5 publisher ian proudfoot editor in chief debora kelly business manager robert lazurko director production interactive media johnfuthey advertising director retail fixer sales nicoiefleteher advertising director classified real estate events management gord paolucci distribution director circulation barry black director circulation systems lynn pashko marketingpartnerships director debra welter york region printing general manager bob dean editorial celebrate all thats good in canada eh so another canada day is upon us but the country is in a different piace than it was just a year ago and you would be hardpressed to find anyone who would suggest its a better place last year we just finished electing another liberal government to power when canadians celebrated the coun trys birthday one year later that government is hanging on to power through parlia mentary strategy and deal making the situation in ottawa has become so precarious some of the countrys top ceos have declared canada adrift the business leaders say ottawa is frittering away economic gains as political policy takes precedence over the economy on the other end of the spectrum rocker turned social activist bob geldof is slagging canada for not living up to its promise to give 07 per cent of its gdp to foreign aid mr geldof gets attention and he has put the heat on canada meanwhile canadas health care sys tem continues to lag spotlighted by a- quebec supreme court decision that pointed out the public system isnt help ing patients quickly enough and who could forget the adscam scandal a political quagmire that proves canadian governments can be seduced by corruption as easily as the next country oh canada your image has taken a hit no doubt about it but those are big picture problems theyre not what the average canadian will be thinking about tomor row and its not what canadians should be thinking about when they cheer what most still believe is the best country in the world tomorrow is a day to celebrate canadas good its ability to welcome all peoples of the world its willingness to speak out for the disadvantaged on the world stage its also a time to remember that canada is still a place people from around the world long to live despite our current domestic issues so forget the naysayer headlines tomorrow think about the good things this country still has to offer theres still reason to celebrate deep down every canadian knows that no matter where their political beliefs lie next year at this time canadians may be looking back on a better year much of that has to do with canadas citizens not just its leaders frwtteae06s letters to the editor parkview decision more costly than failed tatoo parlour bylaw re failed tattoo bylaw cost 14400 june 16 to print the cost of whitchurchstouffville council seeking a bylaw is a bit unusual if it had passed and not been rejected would the cost have been mentioned one gets the impression that only bylaws that pass council are worthy and representative of the constituency if you really want the pulse of the constituency then have a referendum this of course cannot be the norm the deci sion to not allow stouffvilles parkview home cer tain tax incentives was costly it cost nonprofit organizations and many public groups and indi viduals why dont you print that amount by the way even though it did not pass council we still would spend the money to try again dandwyer stouffville old new friends came through for stouffville family re cancer hits home even during a champi onship jim masons column may 19 this is a letter of thanks and appreciation to all of our friends who organized the amazing fundraising banquet on behalf of our family thank you to our friends who arranged the donation of the hall to all those who donated the merchandise for the silent and live auctions and the band which was wonderful everything was absolutely amazing thank you to friends who worked tirelessly all evening at the door andrunning theauctions arid the stouffville suntribune welcomes your letters all submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number name and address the stouffville suntribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to editfor clarity and space write letters to the editor 34 civic ave po box 154 stouffville l4a 7z5 email jmasonyrngcom bar tliank you to our friends who prepared all of the food for the buffet thank you to all of our friends both old and new who came to this wonderful party it is quite amazing to know we touched so many lives in one way or another thanks to au of you for your support and friend ship during this time the madigan family stouffville baptist church children helping families in wartorn countries vivian baptist church would like to thank everyone for their generous support of the sunday school childrens june 11 yard and bake sale we are pleased to report they raised 588 for boxes of basic hygiene supplies for operation fresh start a program of euroaid the money will be used to buy seven family boxes six single mother boxes three senior boxes and three baby boxes the program helps people left in poverty in the aftermath of wars such as those in the former republic of yugoslavia ginnyokim whitchurchstouffville editorial production managing director new editorial editor manager business flyer sales 905640261218668461889 jim mason jmasonwyrngcom pain nichols pnicholsyrngcom dawna andrews dandrewsyrngcom fax9056408778 advertising administration advertising new business manager 9056402612 classified office manager classified manager steve kane 18007433353fax 905853j765 vivian oneil ann campbell skancyrngcom voneilyriigcom acampbellyrngcom managing director distribution 9052948244 events management retail manager real estate shows manager stacey allen sallcnyrngcom mike rogerson mrogersonyrngcom cvoitfmlaall p dpe bonnie rondeau aodtbomlmmitkr brondeauymgcom suntnbune 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 thomhill vaughan citizen the economist sun markham the erabanner newmarketaurora stouffville suntribune georgina advocate york region business times north of the city yorkregioncom and york region printing off the top with jim mason our festival grew from humble stock theyll be wolfing down prime rib and berries and riding the tilt-a- whirl hopefully without incident in memorial park tonight candy floss and fireworks for a nightcap tomorrow pancakes in the park saturday morning and chardonnay and a side of live rock n roll that afternoon in civic square more berries with your sunday church service greetings from the whitchurch- stouffville strawberry festival its our 21st annual long weekend festival of delights gastronomic and otherwise its right up there with the kinsmen santa claus parade as mustdo events in the home town folks weather permitting main street will be curbtocurb saturday with vendors hawking antiques crafts and cold water and those who buy the same the grandstand should be filled with the home team plays in the pee- wee boys elimination fastpitch tour nament organizers have laid out an impressive schedule of events tweaking a successful formula over the last few years it hasnt always been this way flash back to the early 1980s when the canada day weekend in stouffville was a fledgling slopitch tourney accented by a food booth and a few crafters that was it but thanks to festival pioneers like ged stonehousebill kamps jim heidema and jim kidd it grew into the ontario bicentennial celebra tions of 1984 and on into the berry bash we know and love in the 2 1st century there are no guarantees for long- term survival in festival land next door in uxbridge the spring waters day that dwarfed our festival sank- while locals fret over the poten tial loss of small town values with so much growth on stouffvilles hori zon the strawberry festival can live on one only has to look south down hwy 48 and kennedy road to the markham village music festival arid uniohville festival held this spring to see the roots of ontario festival country alive and well in suburbia see you at the festival dig in jim mason is editor jhe sun- tribune