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Pun “l,\l\l IR l’l‘HI Isl“ it I:l)ITUR cu 239 tdnmmlm "aterloochromcle m wpnrle‘“alcrlmwhmnlrlc m a. WAI emu: (MmlCll'. . Wedntiday. “rubber " at07 Irtrrlt “(I M Bub VRBANAt bturort ml 31 Jrnnllcr ()RMS'II IN RI.I’URTI:R cu 101 tortttstottta waterloshrooclr ua Gerry MATTICP. cu I R) RITA" SALES MANAGER male-d" txaterioochromcle c4 Norma CYCA an 223 "cycaV watcrtoochronrcie ca Bill PIHL'RA ext 228 bpihuraerwatedoochrumclc ca Carly GIBBS L'KL 222 cgibhsewaterloochromclexa Alicia DE BOER ext. 202 SALES REPRESENTATI V125 adeboerewatrrioochropicleia CLASSIFIED S I 94195-5210 CIRCULATION 5l9-88fr2830 cu 213 ADVIVRTISING Canadian Publications Mail Sales Ptrblication Agreement Number 40050t78 tntematioaal Standard Serial Num ber ASSN 0832-3410 Audited Circulation: 31,292 ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL The Wanda) Chronicle is a member of The Onrario Press Council. which considers complains against mem- ber newspapers. Any complaint about news, opinions advertising or conduct should Grst be taken to the newspaper. Unresolved complaints can be brought to: Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton Street. Suite The Waterloo Chronicle is published each Wednesday by Metroland Media Group Ltd. COPYRIGHT The commits of this newspaper are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal "Ort-tmer- cial purposes All other rights are reserved and commercial use " pro- hlhlled To make any use of this matenal you must first obtain the pcrmlssmn of the owner of the copy- right, For further information con- tact Bah Vrbanac, Editor. Waterloo Chronicle. 279 Weber St. N.. Suite 2fl, Waledoo, Onlzno N21 3H8, LETTERS POLICY hum lo the erhtor must comam the wnter's full name. sugnamrc. address and telephone number Addresses and Idcphnne numbers In: used only [or verification purposes and WI" no! he published Names will not he wtth, held We turn: the nghl In edit. cun- detrse or relec1 any contribution for brew) or legal pummc» Lemn may he suhmlllcd by fax to fu9.fl8tp9383 or by tmal' to edrtoroWwater, Imvchmm-ch ca or hy mall or dclnr and In Waterloo Chronicle, 279 Weher St N _ Suite 20. Waterloo. ()nlanu N20 VH3 1706. Tomato. ON, MSB H3. WATERLOO CHRONICLE YN Welter St N . sue Jo Raterko, ”nurlel Trtit ‘Mmlxiul-u Minimum! u m u xxaIerkrtihrurticlr L A FAX “945mm“ leAll. mmmm-mk-m e general sentiment of last week's provincial elec- I don campaign was that the Liberals didn't so much win it as the Camservatives lost it with their faith- based school funding scheme. What that did Wis make it a single-issue campaign instead of being a true measure of the past four years of the Dalton McGuinty government. _ _ A _ it also put some important issues on the back burner including Ontario's struggling manufacturing sector. it's declining environment and real concerns over the increase in child poverty. The funding issue also took away from other school - related issues like fixing the flawed funding formula, and addressing some of the accessibility issues associat- ed with post-secondary education. In fact. while McGuinty might have over-promised and underperformed during the last election he did quite the opposite this time around. His 2007 campaign promises will be remembered for the number of prom- ises that didn't leave a mark except for a new long week- end starting this february. Maybe E's symbolic that he chose to start his second term with a holiday, but hopefully his second term doesn't turn into a permanent vacation. - - __ It just felt that something was missing from this last campaign, including a substantive debate. And just because the Liberals got one free ride they shouldn't be expecting another one during the next four years. He might have a blank cheque because of the inef- factual opposition he faced this election, but this doesnt mean that he can float pet projects and stay away from issues that really matter to most Ontarians. Your "fears is a long timé for a malaisé to settle in when the provincial government faces major issues in health and education. Ontario needs a government that is both quick to tis, ten and responsive/o those cpncerns. Here's Hoping the Liberals take those concerns to heart and don't make it a four-year long victory lap. The free ride is over VIEWPOINT She went to her cup- board to get her dog a bone, but when she got there, the cupboard was bare and that poor old dog went hungry. Well in this case, it was the shelves in the Food Bank of Waterloo Region that were bare. was recently reminded of lit' nursery rhyme Old Mother Hubbard, one of my favourites as a child. Shelf after shelf after shelf sat empty: A And, rather than a tic- tional dog it's local msi- dents in need who might have had to go hungry. Before the holiday, I was at the food banks annual Thanksgiving food drive kick off, which aimed to col- led 350,000 pounds of food. "There's a huge need for a successful food drive," Wendi Campbell, the orga- nization's executive director. told the crowd that had gathered that day. -e "There are a a of holes in our racks this year, and we need to get them filled." I'll admii, that day was a real eye-opener for me. __ To be there and actually see for myself how real the food bank's need was made me feel sad, and perhaps a bit guilty. While some people went without over the Thanksgiv- ing weekend. I overindulged on turkey [three nights in a row). One of the nights I over- ate and subsequently went to bed with a tummy ache thanks to my sheer lack of l t M 1 (“RUN willpower. And that's where the guilt factor comes in. I called Campbell last week to see how the drive came along. _ It's too early to tell if they will hit their target as dona- tions are still coming in. But she's optimistic they will and the shelves are no longer bare. The conversation got me thinking about the fact peo- ple aren't just in need of food around the holidays though - for some, it's a daily struggle. In fact, about 25,000 Peo- ple throughout Waterloo Region turn to the food bank at some point during the year, Campbell said. They might be living on a fixed-income or a pension, or unemployed. And it's not just one group of people They may be single. or families. Whatieve/ their circum, stance, the food bank is there lo help them through tough times in their lives. And the local organiza- tion shouldn't have to get into the predicament it was in prior to the recent drive. For that to happen, how- ever, the public has to con- tinually contribute. Food can be donated at grocery stores year- round, and it's not that hard to buy an extra can of soup. tuna or fruit when you're picking up your weekly supplies. V "The neird ii ihere every day," said Campbell. "Every day there are new challenges and new obsta- cles in people's lives, and the agencies and programs that we serve serve the commu- nity all year-round. 'And the need is fairly consistent." That being said, it does go up slightly in the winter because of the additional budgetary challenges peo- ple face. 7 And changing tempera- tures tell us that time of year is right around the comer. fhere are so many ways to make a difference. For starters, it's not too late for companies to get behind the food bank by starting workplace food drives. And cash donations can be made online at www.the foodbank.ca or by calling 519-743-5576. Regardless of the size of your contribution. whether it's a can of peas or a size- able cheque, it will ensure someone doesn't go to bed hungry.