Service Medals presented to L-R Shirley Caron, Lillian Belliveau, Pam Jones and Addie Beaulieu of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary Br. | Pesticides | -- Aneffective pesticide spray program must be carried out this year against both spruce and jackpine budworm in- festations across northern Ontario to effectively - minimize further timber losses, says the Ontario Forest Industries Association. As the result of recent discussions with the On- tario Minister of Natural Resources, on what it calls "*the budworm crisis"", the OFIA and the Ministry are working together to develop an effective spray policy for the province. The association, which "represents most of On- tario's forest products in- dustries. says the budworm menace. if not properly checked, could threaten enough timber to produce more than $14-billion worth of newsprint alone. On the same basis, the wood already killed by the budworm during' the last five years, represents an additional $2-billion, plus. 'Recognizing that this is only part of the total forest area and that many other forest values are at stake, the necessity for an effec- tive and immediate spray 'program in 1985 is one of 'economic common sense. No further delays can be justified,"" says the OFIA. dit cites the Ministry's brochure entitled "In Answer to Your Concerns abbut Aerial Spraying in Northern Ontario Forests" as Stating fhat 'fin 1982, the spruce budworm infesta- tion covered 8-million hec- 'tdres of spruce and fir forests and destroyed as much timber as was harvested'*.. (12,237,322 cubic metres). Control of the budworm does not rest solely with in- secticide application. Areas of damaged timber should be harvested as rapidly as possible to minimize fibre loss. In fact, the affected companies have re-directed the harvesting plans to do this to the extent' possible. The forest industry is calling for "meaningful"' participation in all phases of the protection program, and says this participation should come in_ three distinct areas: - the present" Ministry nolicié< 'an aeriak snpravine "tion in Ministry 9 of must oe assessed and re- written to provide a more realistic approach to cur- rent problems. Recognition should be given to (a) a separate policy for spruce budworm and_ jackpine budworm, and (b) protec- tion programas must not be limited to stands that are to be harvested in the next few years. - determination of the ac- tual areas to be recom- mended for aerial protec- tion. Mills are in business on thedong' terns. - planning of the various steps of the Spray program. The OFIA says the forest industry and the pro- vince 'share an equal con- cern that the farests of On- tario must: be adequately protected from the ravages of insect attacks: The OFIA says it is of the utmost importance to publicly recognize that the tool of ingecticide applica- tion must be aVailable for use when required. It also notes that it is equally im- portant to tell the public that it will be used in con- formance with all provin- cial and federal regulations. The present policy and procedure for budworm spraying in Ontario was developed in 1979 in response to a specific situa- Northeastern Ontario. However, the expansion of the budworm (both jackpine and spruce) in On- tario has escalated the pro- blem to a point where pre- sent policy is unable to keep. resource loss to an economic acceptable level. The OFIA also recom- mends that: - a joint OFIA-OMNR committee be established immediately to revise ex- isting policies and pro- cedures to be in place by July 1, 1985 - public recognition and commitment by. the Natural Resources that aerial spray- ing of pesticides is an in- tegral and essential compo- nent of Ontario's forest management program - the process of program approval must be advanc- ed so that tendering of air- craft and materials can be done in the Fall to ensure availability and competitive pricing. Page 8, Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Wednesday, April 10, 1985 223. Far right is District representative Audrey Adams. Motorcycle fatalities Toronto -- Ontario Minister of Transportation James Snow said recently that "1984 was the worst year ever for motorcycle fatalities," according to a preliminary report. It showed 136 motorcy- cle fatalities occurred last year, an increase of 16 per cent from 1983 when 117 people were killed. In 1983, motorcycle deaths had declined by seven per cent from 1982, the previous worst year on record. '*Motorcycle fatalities continue to be one. of my major concerns, particular- ly in light of these latest figures. I was optimistic that 1983's decline in- dicated motorcycle fatalities were on the decrease, but the study in- dicates otherwise," Snow said. up in 1984 Factors in fatal motorcy- cle accidents continue to be the same as those in previous years with alcohol remaining a major pro- blem. In addition, more than 60° per cent of the drivers were under 25 years old and 14 per cent failed to wear helmets. The report also revealed half of all the fatalities oc- curred in single-vehicle accidents. The most frequent driver errors were speeding and losing control of the vehicle. Of particular significance is that one- third of those killed were not licensed to operate a motorcycle and another 25 per cent had held their licence for less than one year. '*Last year, we increas- ed the emphasis on motor- cycle safety and introduc- ed a revised, more com- prehensive motorcycle driver's handbook, and a new written examination for beginners. Motor- cyclists are more vulnerable to serious injury from accidents and need special skills to reduce the risks," Snow said. '*Yet it's obvious, we need to take further steps to improve motorcycle safety on our. roads~ and highways."' In April, MTC will host another seminar with representatives of the motorcycle community to discuss methods of improv- ing motorcycle safety. At the time, they will explore the concept of tough motorcycle training courses as a means of reducing user accidents in Ontario. Are You Considering Home Repairs by ROBERT F. CHEETHAM Northern Affairs Officer Problems with- fly-by- night home improvement and repair contractors can be avoided by consumers who are cautious, say of- ficials with Ontario's con- sumer ministry. "'Most contractors are honest and competent, but, there are always a few who try to take advantage of the public," says Ontario's Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations. Reputable contractors rarely ask for a deposit of more than five to ten per cent of the total price. If a contractor says more is re- quired to pay suppliers for materials, the homeowner should be wary. It could mean the contract has not been able to establish a line of credit with the supplier. If suppliers don't trust a contractor, there's no reason the consumer should either. In some cases, homeowners have paid the entire cost of the job before work was started, and never seen the contractor -- or their money -- again. For major projects, many builders require pro- gress payments as certain stages of the job are com- pleted. These payments should only be made as set out in the contract -- not before. The Construction Lien Act requires the consumer to hold back 10 per cent of the total contract price or 10 per cent of each pro- gress payment until 45 days after the job is completed. If the contractor has failed to pay sub-contractors or suppliers, this will protect the consumer from having liens placeld on his or her property. The best way to select a contractor is to ask friends and neighbours if they can recommend someone they have dealt with. If a con- tractor comes with recom- mendation, references should be asked for and contacted. Consumers should be especially wary when dealing with door-to- door sales representatives: Sometimes, entire neighbourhoods will be canvassed for potential customers. Common sales vitches are that the com- pany is working on other jobs in the neighbourhood and can offer a deal if a contract is quickly signed, or that a repair is urgently required before the house deteriorates further. Consumers should never allow themselves to be rushed into signing a con- tract. To be safe, three written estimates should be obtained on the job. This helps ensure the work is really necessary and the price quoted is a fair one. Contractors should be registered and bonded under the Consumer Pro- tection Act. This can easi- ly be checked by telephon- ing the Consumer Ad- visory Services in Thunder Bay at (807) 475-1641. Contracts signed in the home may be cancelled under the Consumer Pro- tection Act. To cancel, the consumer should send a registered letter to the con- tractor within two days of when a copy of the contract was received. Under the Consumer Protection Act, home im- provements and repair con- tracts must contain specific information to ensure the homeowner knows exactly what is included in the job. A contract is a legally- binding document and when it comes down to the crunch, you will get only what is specified in it. By law, contracts must include: -- Name and address of the _ seller and buyer -- Description of goods and services to be provided -- Itemized prices of goods and services, and a detail- ed statement of terms of payment -- Warranty, guarantee or statement to that effect -- Signatures of the buyer and seller Many other factors in- cluding responsibility for cleanup and start and finish dates are not required by law, but should also be in- cluded. By the end of the job, a number of small, unplanned-for expenses can add up to one big headache. It's also a good idea to find out if the local municipal building permit office requires expensive drawings to approve your application. Drawings are often required for major renovations and additions. For additional informa- tion, a brochure on home repairs is available at your Northern Affairs 'office located on the lower floor of the Peninsula Building, 2 Gilbert Street, Marathon or by telephoning (807) 229-1153 or Zenith "'Ontario". i.m. dodick -- R.O. optometrist 1119 Victoria Ave. THUNDER BAY Phone 622-7726 Thank You | would like to thank my family, friends, and neighbours for their concern and kindness during and after my stay in Toronto Hospital. The cards, flowers, and food sent to the house was greatly ap- preciated. Your thoughtfulness will be remembered always. Debbie Schmiedchen 1 Schreiber Figure Skating Club General Meeting April 15/85 8:00 p.m. Schreiber Public School Flag Chairman 402 Scotia St. Reg Bailey (L) 100th Birthday Congratulations To: Township Of Schreiber Centennig: ws" saat Donald Smith (C) + Branch Manager Bank of Montreal WIN THIS FLAG as a momento of Schreiber's Centennial. Draw to be held Saturday July 20; 1985 at Wind-Up Dance. Full draw details available at Bank of Montreal. eas Bankof Montreal 824-2060 pee: pontoons fl ---- = Fred Harness (R) Centennial Committee Chairman Schreiber