WHITBY FREE PRESS. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1977, PAGE 5 It was bound'to happen. -A well-known U.S. television network in its weekly programn has portrayed Toronto as a time bomb of racial tension. Thie NBC News airing its Weekend program, says Toronto is a city filled with racial t8»sions caused by unrestricted immigration. Predictably, the reaction from the local politicians was high negative. Ciied Toronto Mayor David Crombie: ."Bulfeathers!" Said Metro Chairman Pauil Godfrey: I have neyer heard such malarkey in my life: that kind of h[n My Opinion by Norin Mealing One weekago, in this space, 1 pointed out what, in iny opinion, is a deploral'le situation at the GO tra in station at Pickering. Parking is inadequate; access te the north parking lot is most difficult at the best of tines; and Mvien nature strikes in the form of snow, confusion and chaos reign. 1 also stated that the parking and acce ss probîlems have been around for a long time, and stressed tlîat tlîey lîad, thus far, been ignored by the authorities. As further examples of this indifférence, ]et mie share with you some of the facts given me by the informîation staff at GO Transit. Talking about parking, there are plains for expanding the north lot furthcr te the east, but these will be acted upon only if monev is available, and, even then, net until sumi-ner. The exit and cmtry probleins arc well-known, but there is no thought cf providing additiomial entr<y and exit routes (even with the increased parking), nor are traffic lights being considered for the entrances te Éither parking lot. 1In other wvords, the probleîîî is well-known, but nothing is being demie te orovide i solutioni. thing burns imy butt". And, neecdless to say, the weekly newspaper Contrast tuned in: "Torontonian's don't need NBC to tell thein about multiculturalisni-or indeed aboutý racismn in Toronto". Well, so much for the opposition. My personal yiews on this matter are entirely different. As an immigrant to this country, I can testify that, subtle racial discrimination exists* in Toronto and is qLîte wide-spread., This can be best noticed in classified ad sections-alost-in_ any daily newspaper-and also in the Personal colunins. 1 have heard myseif racial slurs in dance halls and bistros and, of lutte, on Yonge Street where people of différent backgrounds mingle. Once a si-naîl group'of blacks, acting in a juvenile manner on Yonge Street, called mce a "whitie" and tried to provoke ny feelings. I' simply chose- to ignore their untimely remark. It appears to mne that Toronto, like many other big North-American cities, is filled with immigrants who do not care about the Canadian unity and even less about the Canadian ooliticaml efrintiirp Mainilv hecatîse offl the min- And, meanwhite, the comrmuter continues'te suffer. It ham long been my contention that the eastern stem cof the GO Transit systemn receives lower priority in any considerations by thie powers that be. My reaisons for feeling this way are both nuinerotis and obvieus. For the last four years, for example, twe eastbomnd trains have been cancelled on thle days befere Christnîias and New Year's in faveur of additional trains travelling west. A minor point, perhiaps, but the trainr cancelled, the 4:53 p.nî., is one of the two miost hleavily tsed eveiling trains. Further, the 6:33 p.m:. train travelling cast wvas cancelled recently, leaving the commutter who misses thc 6:1 3 p.m. train an hour's xvait until the next train. Anothier example is in the area of schceduling. There is a nion-stop westbouind train to Oaikvîlle ait 5:19 p.mn. every evenling,ý. There aire nu eastbound non-stop trains fromn Union in tile evcning rush pcriod. The GO Transit people explain away this preferential treatmnent on the basis of -reater population, and greater usage iin the areas to the %vest linci northwest of Mletro. They, simply shirug, however, whlenl the increasing population, and usage in Durham Region airc pointcd out to thei. But enougli about tIlle prose ut. Wha t dues the fuîturc hold for the Duirliain arca . GO Transit coinîmuter? Nol tich by way of îiiprovermcît . l'mn afraid. 'vc aI rcady nicntioncd tic only planncd imiprovcmnen t - the add i t inal parking ait Pickering - and evemi tlat 's an iff*y proposi tion . Despite thli cntry and access proýbleis. no additioîîal acccss routes aire platnel. Dcspite tlhc incrcaiscd traffic tlîrougè li the turristiîes it IPickeringt. 110 iliîprovcmiieit s to tlhe prcsenit checked im-migrýation'policies, Toronto has becomne a citY with a conglomerate population (including this reporter) which has produced highly visible minorities. Therefore, some racial tensions have cent.red on thern., The obvious question, then, is:. 15 Toronto really that bad? In a nutshell-not THAT bad, but bad enough ., It is flot good enoughi to start using meaningless statistics in arguing the point. For instance, Metro with its 2.3 million inhabitants has had, only 49 murders last year. Detroit with a population of about 3.5 million people has had 710 homicides as of last, year. Figure-wise Toronto looks like a Utopia, but social conditions of these two ciies -are miles apart. One must only look at the slumn infested areas in Detroit, and you'll immediately see what 1 mean. In concrusion, 1 have to agree wholeheartedly with the NBC reporter's view of Toronto when he says: "There is apparently a slight flaw in Toronto the good and no one is talking about it". station are planned. Despite increasing population in the Ajax-Whitby-Oshawa corridor, no thought is being given to an cxtension of the rail service to Oshawa. In each case, money is being offered as the excuse for inaction - an additional ticket booth at Pickering would cost $45,000 extra per year in salaries, traffic lights are too costly, ful train -service to Oshawa would cost 40 million dollars - but mnoney is being found, to provide a new rail service to Richmond Hlili, an estimnated l0Oto 12 million dollars!' Froin my experionce, public services, and the extent of sainie, are in direct proportion to the level of pressure. It is one thing for the politicians to recognize that a problemn exists, but it is an entirely different rnatter when that reco gnition is reinforced hy public pressure for resolution. And, in my opinNon, public pressure is the only avenue available te the commnuter is hie/she wishes to see mnaterial improvenments in the GO train service. Commuters must mnake aIl levels of governm-ent aware of the need for an improverl, ançl expanded GO train service. Town and Regional Cotincil can, and should articulate this need to the province, and the agency operating GO, the Toronto Arca Transportation Operations Authority (TATOA). The Regioni's rele is crucial here hecause they must assume a leadership stance in dealing with T*ATOA. And our local MI.P.P.'s rnust represent the commnuter, and press our interests at Queen's Park. Ail this miust happen, arid the commi-uter has to start the bail rollingj by, creating the public pressure. It is, in my opinion,, the onily op)tion. Have you ever thought about what you migFht do if you weren't doing what you'fe now doing?? Did, you manage to figureout what I just said?? 've begun to think that if 1 weren't with the Free Press because the boss fired me for saying something about him in one of my clumns that 1 might just make it as a deckhand or seaman on a great lakes freighter. One thing for sure, l'm sure getting lots of basic training to survive for weeks at'a time on the water. Only a few nights at best out of a week do I not dreain about being on the water. Sunday nights 1 always drearn RESTAURANT I 20 BfOCW T. N. WITBY -TEL.: 66S-461 q*DoIiceaus Cuuiend Iatim .i.Diskes FAMILY WORSHIPI il a.m. each Sunday ST. MARK'S UNITED CHURCH Centre and Coiborne Sts., whitby Church School 668-3091 and Infant Care worship. INFORMATION 668-3602 while parents 668-97R9 about ships and %vater but tlhere's a special reason fo r that on Sunday nights because 1 always wvatch my favonirite programme, , The Onedin ino If vou haveni't seenit i you mliglit enjoy it bccausc i t*s set in Ithe I 800 in Plymou th and i t's about a family \vho mown a tecet of' sail in- su ips tha t carry cargo to imy an Mrts out tlecxvorld. 1I lvvr Il'in sure it isni't just that programme that p)romupts mne to dreain of boats and \vter. In fact Vin' alinost certain it's iy mater bcd that's catising rnost of mny dreains to be focussed on va t er. Dreains arc onfly one part (if ftic veird things to hiave to take inito accouint Mien you get a wvatcr bed. The prime consideration has to be the wý,eight' of tlic dam thing. 1 still remnernber how nervous 1 was the day 1 filled the thing up after having made the fraine for il anld getting it establishied where 1 wanted it in the bedrooni. Water weiglis close to 10 pounds a ealon and my bed holds well ver 150 gallons - WHITBY CHIROPRACTIC CENTRE 117 Byron St., North Whitby ~G.L. Adams DC. 668-7153 J.A. Knight D.C., ILJE'p i ML~LO~ ~A good cut, set, permanent or professional straightening can add life to duli hair. Professional hair coloring can highlight or change your hair for a totally new look. LA CONTI BEAUTY.LOý 119 Green- St. ESSA UNGE j 6618-9262 i 5(1 it ctosnt take mîuch ot a imîîteîatician te figure eut tuai if you don't comsîsder wvhere,t.e strongcst bearns are in your house you just mîiglît wind tmp with the bed in the living, roem bene-ath s*ome niglît. You haive to filI a water bed wi th a garden hose and 1 rememîber nervously imspecting the ceiling of the main floor beneaitl thc bedrocmn ais the hose was filling thîe bed. At the Cont'd on P. 14 THAPAR DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC 163 Simcoe St. S. Oshawa 579-8752 H ours Mon--Sat. & Evenings, by Appaintmeni OnIy M-