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Grassroots report _ calls for _ megaâ€"city | model _ local group started making its Ag;{se for amalgamation last week releasing a report called Findâ€" ing a Better Way and launching a public consultation process with the hope of building citizens‘ support for oneâ€"tier government. Citizens for Better Government is a selfâ€"described local advocacy group that was formed two years ago with the belief that a better form of municipal government is needed for Waterloo Region. Headed by former Waterloo city counciliot Jim Erb, the collection of local business leaders and other comâ€" munity activists said that the region has been illâ€"served in areas like healthâ€"care funding, economic development and planning by the current municipal structure. While Erb didn‘t use the "A" word â€" amaigamation â€" he did say the area would be better off with one united voice to represent the region instead of 51 municipal politicians on eight differâ€" ent local councils. "Our vision is the creation of a single new city that would replace our twoâ€"tier system of eight municipal governâ€" ments," said Erb in a release that went along with the 30â€"page report. "We believe its structure can be designed to ensure it preserves and strengthens the unique identities, values and needs of existing municipalities while mare effectively delivering universally required services." Erb described the drive as a grassâ€" roots process being driven by members of the local community versus the topâ€" down approach to amaigamation seen in areas like Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton. Supporters of the approach acknowledged that there was little provincial will to deal with the issue in meetings with Ontario‘s Minister of Municipal Affairs John Gerretsen. The minister said it would need a By Bos VRBANAC Chronicle Staff Continued on page 4 t different times during the A}fl-candidates debate last ursday, featuring hopefuls for the local Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo riding, it was difficult to tell who the incumbent was. With Liberal candidate Louise Ervin having to defend the current McGuinty government from a long list of broken promises provided by the other candidates, some in the audience of more than 100 gathâ€" ered at Grey Silo golf course might have thought she was the sitting member of parliament. That distinction, however, belongs to Progressive Conservaâ€" Education and health care dominate candidates‘ debate Danielle Wang is one of 15 children to perform a traditional Chinese dance at an East Asian festival at the University of Waterloo‘s Renison College on Saturday. The festival featured art, music and flavours of China, Korea and Japan By Bos VRrBANAC _ Chronicle Staff tive candidate Elizabeth Witmer, and has for the past 17 years. Witâ€" mer is a former health and educaâ€" tion minister in the Mike Harris and Emnie Eves governments. She also had to address some pointed barbs about those previâ€" ous administrations, but the veterâ€" an of Queen‘s Park question period weathered most of those remarks. The only question that seemed to get a rise out of her was the issue of funding of religiousâ€"based schools made by party leader John Tory just before the start of the current campaign. The question was put to her a couple of times by a persistent audience member, and the former publicâ€"school teacher and schoolâ€"board chair said that Asian artistry nothing would be done on the issue until after an extensive conâ€" sultation process. "There would be at least a year of consultation on the issue before there is any funding for schools that fall outside of the current funding formula," said Witmer modifying the position of her party leader. Ervin, a former Catholic school trustee and president of the Canaâ€" dian and Ontario School Trustees‘ Associations, â€" didn‘t escape unscathed from the question that has become the central theme of the current election campaign. She said it was a tough fight to get fullâ€" funding for Catholic schools in the Continued on page 2 JENNIFER ORMSTON PHOTO WatertLOp "!lu: Paintballer making a mark/Page 27 Bianca Buchanan gets some help Includes up to 5L of 10W30 & Standard Filter 355 Weber St. N., Waterloo 519. 746.1070 _ $140995 _ from her friends/Page 12 circle of friends/Page 17 Edna Staebler‘s Arts Focus LUFESTYLE Sports