Whitby Free Press, 23 May 1979, p. 1

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Empressed with Longueuil twinning during Whitbyvisit Unity is Mayor Jim Gartshore's introductory remarks about Whitby's twinning with Longueuil, Quebec provided Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau with a good platform for a speech on Canadian unity during the prime minister's visit to Whitby Friday. Mayor Gartshore informed Mr. Trudeau ·that this year Whitby is having its lth annual twinning with Longueuil, and it is taking place because a number of citizens of both communities desired that it go on when there was some doubt that it would continue. Mayor Gartshore's comments about these two communities sparked Mr. Trudeau to remark that "Canada is a community of communities. We belong to communities," lie said, "because we can fulfill ourselves as individuals by living in a community. We want to see people around us who are happy fulfilling themselves. People fulfilling themselves to their potential-that's the meaning of community." Mr. Trudeau went on to suggest that the word community was not strong enough to express what he felt about Canada. "Canada is not just many communities coming together and throwing bridges between each other," he said. "Canada is a nation; it's a country; it's a whole in itself. "The separatists say they feel passionately about Quebec, but one does not exclude the other," he said. "You can have strong feelings about the country as a whole." "In this election we are seeing Canada's more than just 10 provinces or thousands of towns - thrown together in geography; they are a nation, a country seeking the best for themselves and their children," said Mr. Trudeau. "The country draws its strength from the ability of its citizens to transcend all these geographical distances." Trudeau's theme Mr. Trudeau told a packed hall at Henry Street High School that "in this.federal election we want to seek a team that can think of the country as a whole." Mr. Trudeau spoke of divisive factors in Canada such as provinces, languages and geographical areas pitted against each other, and warned that these were a very real danger. "We need a national government that sees it all and does not turn its back on any part of the country,"he said. Mr. Trudeau commented that "this election (held on Tuesday) is one of the most important in our history. We see how weak we would be if we divided ourselves," he said. "We need a national government to negotiate for all Canadians" on such matters as boundary lines and fishing zones. Mr. Trudeau pointed out that five weeks after Tuesday's election, Canada will have to attend a world economic summit at Tokyo to struggle with the problems of energy and inflation. "It is important for Canada to have one voice," he said. "We will do it together." Mr. Trudeau was interrupted three times by a single heckler, who shouted "What about unemployment, Why do we import so much foreign oil, and Is separatism dead?; you said separatism is dead." Mr Trudeau did not seem bothered by the heckler and switched to French when the heckler was shouting at him, about separatism which amused the crowd. On the question of unemployment, Mr. Trudeau.said: "Our jobcreation is greater than*any other industrial nation in the world." However he admitted that unemployi.ent is too high. Mr. Trudeau informed his audience that the federal government put $1¼ billion into the unemployment problem, half of which went to create jobs. He outlined how employers are given money to hirç young people out of school and employment tax credits are given to employers to hire workers. Mr. Trudeau also stated that the government had put $800 million this year into its manpower retraining program. "The problem is a faster growing work force than in any other industrial nation," said Mr. Trudeau, explaining that the children of the post-war baby boom are entering the work force now. He pointed out that it is necessary to retrain the work force, for the country will be short of skilled labor by the mid 1980s. Although the unemployed are worried about the future, said Mr. Trudeau, he considered the future and the present to be great, with the steel and forest industries working at 100 per cent capacity, and the textile industry in Ontario and Quebec also at 100 per cent. "We are also the number one fish exporter in the world," he said. "This is not a country with a gloomy present and a gloomy future. We've come through with a better performance than any of our competitors. The problem is the increasing price of energy." At this point the heckler asked why does Canada import so much foreign oil. Mr. Trudeau replied that the country hasn't got enough oil and gas to meet its needs. -In 1970, 50 per cent of our oil and gas was imported, he said but by 1979 that figure has dropped to 29 per cent. Ontario.andQuebec use Alberta oil, said Mr. Trudeau, but there is not enough Canadian oil to give to the Maritimes, so an agreement was signed to import oil from Mexico. "We hope to have enough oil in 10 years because we have Petro-Canada. We expect-to have enough oil and gas in the tar sands and the high Arctic by 1990. We can't wait 10 years; we have to import oil now," said Mr. Trudeau. Mr. Trudeau was introduced by Norm Cafik, Minister of Multiculturalism, who is running for election in Ontario Riding. Also on the platform was Oshawa Liberal Candidate Elizabeth Gomes. Des Newman, former Mayor of Whitby and a former federal and provincial Liberal candidate acted as master of cere- monies, and Liberal campaign worker Altamae Eberlee thanked Mr. Trudeau for his address. Music was provided by the Pickering High School and Anderson Collegiate bands. An enthusiastic crowd shouted chants of "Trudeau, Trudeau," as the Prime Minister arrived, and waved numerous signs. In his commentson Whitby's twinning with Longueuil, Mr. Trudeau said "I'msomehow a member of this community," as the first Trudeaus farmed in the Seigniory of Longueuil in the 1600s, and his mother was brought up in Longueuil. Following the speeches, Mr. Trudeau passed through the crowd, shaking hands, and met people in the cafeteria of the school who were unable to get.into the gymnasium where he was speaking. Land negotiations are proceeding for provincial building on Rossland Road THE TRUDEAU SMILEIN WITBY Photo by Mike Burgess Ontario Government Services Minister Lorne Henderson has confirmed that a new Ontario government building will be erected near thé Durham Region headquarters and the Whitby Municipal Building on Rossland Road. Mr. Henderson said his ministry is in the- midst of negotiating an agreement with the Town of Whitby for purchase of a town-owned site for a new court house and assessment offices. The cost of the new build- ing is estimated at $6 million to $8 million, subject to approved by the manage- ment board of the provincial cabinet. A report on financ- ing is required from the ministry before approval is given, said Mr. Henderson. He estimated it would be at least 1981 before design and tendering are completed. The province's. lease for the west section of the Durham headq'uarters expires in 1982, and. the province turned down an offer from the region to buy the 15-year-old building three months ago. Mayor Jim Gartshore said the town has made three proposals to the province, including a cash transaction and a land swap... E)E PI)n. E)s

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