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PAGE 16 TERRACE BAY NEWS AUGUST 31, 1977 LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE ALASTAIR GILLESPIE: Continued from page 14° .... considerable distance from existing refineries in Ontario. Exactly the same price prevails at Parry Sound even though a good portion of their gasoline requirements are brought in bv boat (consider to be the cheapest form of transportation save a pipeline). It is my understanding that your government imposed an export tax on oil to the U.S. for the expressed purpose of subsiding consumers in eastern Canada who have to pay the world price on oil coming from the Middle East and Venezuela and this is as it should be. How- ever, when one analyses the total picture it is found that the price of a gallon of gaso- line in Trois Rivieres is 90 cents per gallon and in Riviere Du Loup is 93 cents per gallon which is up to 14 cents per gallon cheaper than along the north shore of Lake Superior in the heartland of our great country. This means that consumers in northwestern Onario are paying an unfair and inordinately large proportion of this subsidy under this price stabilization and equalization program. It is also my understanding that in the four- year period to 1977 your government has accum--- lated a $476 million surplus in your export tax account which was designed to protect eastern Canadians from rising energy costs. An analysis of this pricing policy reveals that those users who are enjoying the subsidy in eastern Canada are paying 10 to 12 cents per gallon less than the consumer in north- western Ontario. If our region is to be competitive we must have a portion of that $476 million surplus to subsidize industrial, commercial and indi- vidual consumers in northwestern Ontario. "~ May I respectfully suggest that most of the differential could be taken care of by re- moving the 10 cents per gallon excise tax im- posed by your government. With a sparsely populated region such as ours and the great distances which have to be travelled to and from employment and essential services and the harsh climatic conditions you can readily ap- preciate the reliance upon large quantities of petrolium products. Anything you can do to redress this inequit- able and intolerable price differential will be most welcome and greatly appreciatedl neg Yours sincerely Jack Stokes, MPP Lake Nipigon (signed) Shutter [ FOT0] 101 SUBWAY ST, SCHREIBER 10 A.M. - SEPTEMBER 3rp, 1977 COLOR "4, PORTRAITS {yp RIT AGE OF MARR =.$1.35 FILM ; PROCESSING Re: Ea PAss Pro ORTS QUALITY FILM 110 & 126 - -12 EXPOSURE Builders Supply Vinyl Siding Aluminum Siding Windows Doors Lumber Roofing Carpentry Custom Bui lt Homes FREE. DELIVERY -- FREE ESTIMATES SAULT DOMESTIC IMPROVEMENTS LTD. 12 KING STREET - SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO PHONE 705-949-7474 or locally 825-3892