PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby w Volce of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess, The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whit Published every Wednesday by M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-6111 'Ibé Free Press Building Publisher - Managlng Edtor*131 Brock Street North, tby residents for Whitby residents. P.O. Box 206, Whitby, On Community Editor Contributingtdltor Production Manager Print & Promotional Manager Ctasslfied Ad Circulation Manager n. rat. -Brian WInter -Jim Ouai -Marle Burgess - hRobinLtyn Leesa Menord. Mailing Permit No. 460 Member of the: Botter Business Bureauof Torontò Whitby Chamber of Commerce Dear Sir: On December 6, 1978, I commented that I felt the procedure used in allow- ing Walter Beath to cast a tie-breaking vote for himself as Regional Chairman was in error. I also stated at that time- that I would confer with those who voted for me as to what action should be taken. Notwithstanding the fact I sought and obtained a legal opinion that the procedure used was like- ly to be declared invalid, and notwithstanding my personal willingness to proceed with an action, I shall not be doing so. The reasons for this decision are based on the position taken by a min- ority view of my suppor- ters in that some could not guarantee continued support if the action took many months to obtain a decision. If the decision was in my favour another election would have to be held. In the absence of a commitment of complete support which would be necessary if another elec- tion were held, and con- sidering the time, poten- tfal disruptive effect on Council and the cost in- volved, this action is not being undertaken. I will, however, be pressing the Provincial Government to re-draft Provincial legislation prior to the next Regional Chairman's election in an effort to restore true democracy to our. elec- tions. Alderman Allan Pilkey Oshawa THE PICKERING 'GO" STATION I have had numerous inquiries and qluestions put to me, particularly in the past few months, regarding the Pickering GO station facilitiés and the traffic problems related thereto. It goes without saying that this problem has always been a high priority of mine on behalf of my constituents, and I an pleased to report to you the latest "GO" plans regarding the station and vicinity. Redevelopment of Pickering GO station is going ahead this year after expropriation of the property, required for expansion has been completed. The plan had been delayed while the Toronto Area Transit Operation Authority (TATOA), which administers GO Transit, awaited the results of two separate studies: Canadian National's major probe of track realignment in the area and the Region of Durham's regional traffic study. (The latter included studying the long-terni impact of the GO station on the whole community, based on no extension of GO rail service to Oshawa). . Design work is now underway and the redevelopnent plan, the timing of which hinges on the speed of expropriation, involves expanding parking capacity, improving access and building a new station with improved passenger comforts. Expansion of the south parking lot is cheduled to be carried out this year. The station's present parking capacity is 900 and the plan calls for an ultimate total of 1,500, with expansion staged as required. TATOA's schedule also calls for the start of construction of the new station on the south side of the tracks this year, with completion either by the end of the year or in early 1980. Local tran'sit and GO Bus access to the station will be separtaed forni other vehicular access, and bus passenger loading facilities will be enlarged. A designated kiss-and-ride area will also be built. ,Meanwhile, to help facilitate access, two measures have been taken. One is the installation of temporary traffic signals on Base Line Road at the existing south entrance; these will be relocated and become permanent when the two new south entraces are built under redevelopient. The other is an interini solution to the traffic congestion caused by southbound cars on Liverpool Road trying to turn into the north entrace; left turns from the entrance onto Liverpool Road are being restricted by point duty officers at the present time and will soon be officially banned during the evening rush hour period, Additionally, the Region of Durham traffic study has recommended to the Ministry of Transportation and Commu- nications that the Liverpool Road bridge over Highway 401 be widened by one lane...when completed this will greatly improve adcess to the GO station. TATOA recognizes that the need for redevelopmnent of Pickering station has been pressing, but could not set its plan in motion until now because of the complications noted above. I can assure all of im constituents that I will continue ta follow up with TATOA on the successful implemientation and completion of their plans, and continue to follow up with the Minister of Transportation and Communications for the permanent and much needed inprovements to the Liverpool Road Bridge and interchange. I w' Ottawa Report By Norm Cafik, M.P. In recent years there has been a tendency to reduce ail information to statistics and thus shed little or any light on the subject. There is a humorous description of this approach in a recent issue of the great British satirical journal, Punch. "The tragic trade deficit of half-past nine this morning was already offset at ten o'clock by forecasts of an unprecedented boom from Mr. Peter Walker. "The next twenty-five minutes or so look like being the best period for. British industry since the turn of the century, or, at any rate, since tea-time yesterday,'" he told economic journalists at his moring press conference. Unhappily, as they were leaving, the worst trade slump for many years struck the country, and share prices fell drastically, matched by a drop in the pound to slightly less than fourteen cents. But, as they turned and ran back up the stairs, an announcement by Mr. Anthony Barber who appeared on the landing, confidently assured them that an upturn in the economy was expected before lunch. During the early afternoon, however, the economy went bankrupt, and it was not until almost five p.m. that the Prime Minister was able to note that Britain was now enjoying a prosperity unparal- leled since breakfast." A new but related illness had emerged in our country--I would call "economic melancholia"-which is a morbid social depression resulting in a persistent and pervasive pessimistic outlook regarding any and ail economic news. We have ail brooded over the dangers of imminent deindustrialization, a plummeting dollar, the inevitability of soon freezing to death in the dark and sundry other horrors lurking just around the corner. I have observed that this . particular disease seems to be an occupational hazard of journalism (good news is not news) but ail of us suffer from it on occasion. The Canadian economy is a very complicated instrument for the production and distribution of goods and services. It has to this point in time served most Canadians remarkably well. Indeed its very success has served to highlight the weaknesses and problems which we now face. It is unreasoniable ta face the r future with the excessive melancholia of our present mood, but sporting rose coloured glasses is equally out of place. We should instead acknowledge the current realities and attempt to understand and deal with the constraints imposed by the past, the present, and the problems of the future. In the words of the Economic Council's Fifteenth Annual Review, "...It is a time for realism, but most of all, a time for reason." The facts simply told are that Canada's economic prospects are very good: Federal efforts to revitalize Canadian manufacturing are working. Canadian exports of manufactured goods increased by 21 per cent in 1977 and at an annual rate of 23 per cent in the first half of 1978; In the first half of 1978, real manufacturing output rose at an annual rate of 6.6 per cent, In the same period, manufacturing employment grew by over 4 per cent, or 78,000 jobs, reversing the dòwnward trend of recent years. There wee 23,000 more Canadians at work in November than in Octorber. Since November 1977, 381,000 jobs have been created in Canada-235,000 for women and 146,000 for men. In this period, manufacturing led the way with 123,000 jobs created, followed by services with 95,000, transport and communications with 70,000, and trade with 69,000 jobs. Net farm income in 1978 is expected to be 29 per cent higher than in 1977. The real production of goods and services will rise this year at a rate of close to 4 per cent which is not far below the long-term average. One thing overall that has struck me about our economic climate is this: if you try to fight your way into a downtown bar at lunch-time or a high-price restaurant at night, you will find it hard to maintain the idea that the middle-class is being oppressed by taxation. Let us not talk ourselves into a state of helpless depression-we could end up getting ourselves stampeded into a rush to the reactionary right. In the current national mood we need to listen to the voice of reason that quietly points out that things are not as bad as we imagine and the future loks quite good. But who is listening? Some of us seem to prefer to be pessinists. Pilkey won't contest Beath's election ruling rW'/ 7W£110/Ea/ 1,/6o#DA ,Y F)%5r INWN ?' mnommumum mFý