The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

flriiEiiriiliiEE School bus service for Breezewood? I am writing this letter on behalf of our Waterloo Subdivision, which is desperate- ly trying to convince the Waterloo School Board that our junior elementary children (approximately 30 in all) should be entitled to school bus service. Based on two Board guidelines of "distance" and "hazardous conditions." we felt that surely the Board would acknowledge our concerns for the safety of our children. However. so far this is not to be. What we have seen to date in the three meetings at the Facilities Committee level. is basically a refusal to not only acknowledge "hazardous conditions" but also to define exactly what constitutes same. in all fairness. the distance factor does vary at different points in the Subdivision. from just above to just below the guide» line. However. when combined with the cumulative hazards of the walk to school (along Erb Street, down Westmount Road and crossing University Avenue). We fell certain that more serious consideration would be given to our request. _ What isuppening herois that with all of the School Board concerns about setting a Residents of Elmira are no doubt - of Uniroyal Ltd's practice at storing' dangerous chemicals in areas near the plant. The company produced thousands of tonnes of herbicides. in- cluding 68] tons of 24D (agent orange) for the US. defence department. The fear surrounding this storage is that the chemicals may be leaking and subsequently getting into the water system of the community In February 1981. former Minister of the Environment, Harry Parrott said that if such leaking was taking place. the Ministry would remove the wastes. I questioned the Minister of the Environ- ment, the Hon. Andy Brandt last Friday to see if the ministry would test the waste material to determine if any leaking is taking place and also. if he was prepared to keep his promise and remove the chemicals, The Minister acknowledged the "strong possibility of leaking in the landfill site" pointing out FACT: The Canadian population is aging. Statistics Canada estimates at least a 100% increase in the over-65 age bracket in the next 50 years. 20% of the population will be comprised of senior citizens as contrasted to the current figure of 10%, Yes we're getting older...', It is important to anticipate the con sequences of an aging population. All sectors of Canadian social activity will be affected by such demographic changes The initiatives needed to ensure that more Canadians will be able to live comfortabh in their old age have become immediaw priorities In l982. the United Nations played host to the World Assembly on Aging (WAA). At that time an international action program was launched Emphasis throughout the proceedings was on the positive aspects of aging. When the Second National Conference on Aging convenes in Ottawa on October 24th. participants will pick up the debate where the WAA left off, The task ahead is to identity. among the queen 's Park Report WALTER McLEAN [11333 that his ministry has given the matter an “extremely high priority-" Moreover, the Minister hopesto implement "some definite plan of action before the end of the year." The site has teen in operation since MMI In a statement on the question of university funding, Sean Conway (Lib eral Universities Critic) pointed out that the Report of the Committee on the Future Role of Ontario Universities "clearly identified chronic underfunding as the underlying cause of the crisis. After two years. the only response by this Government has been the introduc- tion of Bill 42 which will impose draconian penalties on those universi- ties with 'unmanageable' deficits." He has proposed an amendment to strike out those sections of Bill 42 which give the Minister the "general and absolute power to place any Ontario university under her financial trusteeship." precedent, budget, etc., they have lost track of what should be their main concern. Le. the safety of our precious young children. What has happened to our priorities in life? Here is a multi-million dollar operation that doesn't seem to want to address the specific needs of our young children from Kindergarten to Grade 6, based on their own specific Transportation Regulations. On this same route a few years back. there was a young Kindergar- ten girl killed by a carafter school hours We don't want to lose another one of our precious children and I think that any concerned parent should be able to relate to what we are saying. A full meeting of Trustees will take place on October goth to consider our request. Will there be 21 open-minded caring individuals at that meeting or will they be just another "faceless bureaucra- cy" which all of us have had to face at some time or another in our life? We ask you to stay tuned for part two. one way or another. sixty-two recommendations of the WAA. those which apply to Canada. The Confer- ence will seek to priorize the issues according to the needs of the elderly over the next decade. The discussions at the Conference will address nine concerns: 1) health, 2) family support, in protection against crime, 4) housing, 5) transportation. 6) employment and retirement. 7) prepar'ation for old age, tl) research and training. and 9) the participation of older people in decision- making processes. The Conference will bring together representatives from all segments of the Canadian population. The Honourable Bob Howie. M.P, will reprc sent our PC. Caucus concerns at the Conference It is hoped that the 'dialogue' will lead to initiatives likely to improve the basic living conditions of the elderly. and will link this gathering with the objectives of the World Assembly on Aging, "irwGlrjor, Match. coaideratrte re- search has been done regarding the cancerns of the aged and the process of Bill Alexander. Chairman, Breezewood Estates Busing Committee Facts on aging Got this problem, see. it is time for me to buy a new car, No great revelation. People do it every day of the week. But when it is your turn, the event seems to take on much greater significance. But buy I must. No sudden decision, nothing catastrophic has happened to my Green Machine (the one with the wheels, not the one that laughs each time l attempt to withdraw money). Other than the fact my 1979 Granada has cost me about 150 per cent of its purchase price in repairs. it's been a dear, sweet 'little thing. But no more nickel and (liming for this cowboy. Ring around the driveway has informed me that the gas tank is not so slowly falling to pieces, and that, my friends. is the final straw. So what's the problem? Nothing serious (except for the fact that after that last statement, I will have to go to Punkeydoodles Corners to peddle the sucker for more than spare change.) aging. Dr. John Towler. a psychologist at University of Waterloo's Renison College, has devoted many years to the study of “am-ism" __ prejudice against the aged, Dr. Towler was awarded a grant from the Humanities and Social Science Research Council in mm. to conduct a study into the media practice of "atteism", What is worrying me more is the tendency of our society, especially thyse in the business world fast lane. to draw analogies between our four-wheeled friends and those who operate them. It seemed like just yesterday everyone was going around yipping "hey, try this yogurt. tastes like hell, but remember Eugene, you ARE what you EAT." While internationally the Queen Mother and Bob Hope, and locally Irwin Em and Harold Wagner. are seen as vital. active people land all are oetagenarians). we unfortunately do not see most elderly people this way, Dr. Towler maintains that this can be explained in that the television and print media teach us as children to regard the aged as decrepit. useless people, His conclusions reveal that older people are consistently presented as un- idimensional. uninteresting. and without status or dignity. No more. Hi tech has shoved the bottomless pit into oblivion. These days. my friend. you ARE what you DRIVE. And that's what worries me. You‘ve seen all the stories in the big papers. Reporter goes around. inter- viewing all the tall foreheads and chiffon sets. the people who count at cocktail hour and on the society pages. They all blab a few paragraphs about why they drive the car they do. and then reporter turns psychologist to explain the choice. Generally speaking, the operators of the sleek little sports jobs are supposed to be carefree. adverturesome. image- conscious thrillseekers. Of course the reporter will toss in irresponsible. im- mature and with misplaced priorities just to balance the seoresheet. "Both publishers and television produc ers have failed to rofleet the demographic change in society“. says Dr. Towlor. “Old Me and dying are topics that must be Owners of the small import gas-savers are tabbed as thrifty. realistic, level- headed and not nearly as much image- conscious. inferences to puddle-jumping do not bother them in the least. but. as the reporter would add, they also require two hair blowers in every household and have no hope of enhanc- ing their social life by flashing owner ship papers in crowded singles' bars. When-I purchased the Granada in 1980. I thought I was going for a rather spiffy go do the feeble numbers in your bank swam-I. m1. one. VI. "e-- The write car mid-sized sod reason. my Betsy, which has faithfully ttotmetotheBeasdanduceeverytime without I hitch, has drawn little - than sarcastic insults from passengers. Most of whom, I might add, have been women, though rarely the type one picks up in singles bars with ownership papers Can't you Just see it? "Hey babe, see this ownership card? It's your gateway to a cutaway vinyl bucket sent in my ‘79 Granada metallic green two-door sedan. Wanna‘come along and take a spin to Utopia in the lap of luxury? - “he? Hey. iweetheari, don't know what you‘re missing.. Oh, you‘ll let your imagination take ovtrr? or, oF, Bte." No, owners of midsized mobiles have a tough lot. They are pegged as practical only if they have three kids and need the room. They are viewed as boring, unwilling to go heavily into debt to snag the REAL thing. They are automatically earmarked as lower-middle income status, change the oil every 1.500 km no matter what, watch Monday night foot- ball (at home) and tell everyone the machine rides just like a Mercedes, Right. Speaking of the big buck brutes, their owners are often stereotyped as elitist egotistical. cigar-chomping boors totally consumed with status symbols. Unfair. I say. Only about 96 per cent of them are like that. The other four per cent have worked their buns off all their lives. sweated out a good living, and now. with a little plumper nest egg, can afford to go in style. To them, my hat is off. 5., ... .m. .v u...” -.' .__. -__ He"'"-" Unfortunately. I cannot count myself among them - yet, But 1 do, do. do want my next car to match my image in the worst way. Not for myself. I couldn't care two hoots. But for all those who stay awake nights worrying about such things, I want them to rest peacefully with the knowledge I have done my best to match myself up. So how about it friends? Help me out here. Knowing me as I do. it is your responsibility to write to me telling me what kind of car I should buy, and why. I'll print the best answers next week. and. who knows, maybe one of your answers might actually put me on to my next four-wheel friend. a If you need help getting the ball rolling. here's a few leads. rm tall (need plenty of headroom). dark (need econ- omy for those long vacations) and handsome (see explanation of tall). I'm a gambler at heart. like fairly high speeds. and have so much money I don't know what to do with it, -ihere. Hopefully that rules out the suggestion of a Studebaker. Now get writing. addressed in children's television and literature. This will enable children to develop healthy attitudes to the new demographic reality." Dr. Towler's research points out that increasing mobility and divorce rates mean grandparents . the traditional role models for aging V are not often around "Without first hand knowledge. children learn through the media, " the media fails to teach the truth. children will grow up mispereeiving aging and the aged". Dr, Towler notes in his study, lle predicts that "as the minority of old people gets larger and larger. there will be more demands for Iairneks in the media and elsewhere", ()ur communities must continue to be sensitive to the complexities of aging. It is not somebody else'? Problem. but yours andmino i? you'd ilke a copy ot the Conference Report. let me anw. and I'll get it to you