PAGE 6,WEDNESDAY D ECEMBEIR 28, 1983, WHITBY FR EE PRESS -~ d~Imm 1 '83 IN REVIE rf'hedo suire plan for Durham Centre forDevelop STURM WINlDOWS & 00018 RADIANT - RELIAB LE - RUGGED IN ANY OF 12 ATTRACTIVE COLOURS Manuasclu.d by Fr'ee Ei'mates*OuickOehivcry£ Installation (~I~BJ' 728-1633 1.151FACTORY & SHOWROOM 45 FAREWELL ST. OSHAWA L ALUMINUM LIgfTEO PNRM O-1 102 undas St. W.,4KWhglt. 66879479- e8522 The Ontario govern- ment's plan to close six institutions for the men-- tally retarded is a poor- Iy planned scheme con- cocted without consult- ing those most affeted, the Ontario Liberal par- ty charged last week. Liberal social ser- vices critic Don Boudria, who toured the Durham Centre for the Developmentally Han- dicapped last Wednes- day, says the govern- ment hasn't bothered to gather even the Most basic facts about the closing and relocation of residents, nto the comn- munity. "We asked the minister (Frank Drea) howmany residents are currently on waiting liststo get into commu- nity group homes," -Boudria said. "And he couldn't give us a figure. ..he doesn't know. ", Boudria said the gov- ernument did flot consuit local associations for the mentally retarded, staff, parents and public service unions before decîcling to close the six institutions. Boudria and Liberal MPP Jack RiddelL (Huron Middlesex) are conducting a tour of -the six institutions to gather information for use in parliamentary debates on the plan to relocate I PUBLIC'NOTICE THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY 0F DURHAM INTHE MATTER 0F: The Municipal Act, Sections 298 and 301 (R.S.O. 1980) TAKE NOTICE THAT the Couoncil of the Regional Munlcipality of Durhamn may pass by-Iaws authorizing construction of the following projects: ROAD ROAD NAME MUNICIPALITY LOCATION NO. 1 Brock Road Pickering Passing lane from Regional Road 31 northerly for approximately 0.5 km iBrock Road Pickering Passing iane from Highway 7 northerly for approximately 0.3 km 5 Ninth Concession Road 22 Bayly Street Pickering From Regional Road 1 easteriy for 2.0 km Ajax 26 Thlckson Road Whitby 29 Liverpool Road Pickering 33 Harmony Road Oshawa North From west of Valley Road to west 0f Regionai Road 24, Church Street From Regionai Road 36, Consumers Drive, to NIchol Avenue From Sheridan Mail Parkway to north of Highway 2 Fromn Regional Road 28, Rossland Road, to Pinecrest Road (Inciuding MoskIn Bridge) Plans showing details of the projeots and the lands affected may be seen at the office of the Road Design Engineer of the Durham Works Department, 105 Consumners Drive, Whitby, Ontario, Telephone 668-7721. Works Committee, being deiegated by Regionai Council as the hearing body, shall hear ln person or by his or her counsei, solilcitor or agent, any person who claims his or her land wiil be prejudiciaily affected by the by- iaws and who applies on or before December 29, 1983, to the undersigned to beheard at a meeting of the Works Committee on January 10, 1984. DATED at Whltby this 29th day of November, 1983. G. EMM W.A. TWELVETREES, P. ENG. WORKS COMMTE CHAIRMAN COMMISSIONER 0F WORKS the institutionalized res dents in community group homes. "If the governument doesn't 'even know how many are on the waiting lists before they go ahead and close the in- stitutions, -how can people 'believe they. know what they are doing?" Boudria asked. The Liberals contact- ed 12 of Ontario's 132 associations for the Tnentally retarded and found that in those 12 alone, more than 500 residents are awaiting placement in group homes. "What kind of service are these people going to get?" asked Boudria. "Not e veryone in an in- stitution can be moved iîite'the community ez if' 'there were enough group homes. " Like many opponents of the plan, the Liberals say the closings are a cost-cutting measure that ignores the plight of the retarded who will most likely be sent to large, impersonal insti- tutions instead -of com- munity homes. ,Boudria and Riddell say they believe that most residents will en dup in the -larger insti- tutions, defeating the stated 'purpose of the plan to "integrate" the retarded into the com- munity. "'Two things are going to happen,". Riddell said. "We'llsee an en:' largement of the already toc large insti- tutions, and the, that we'll see soi end up on the strq no place to go. " What the1 want, say Boud Riddell, is a J from the. gove that residents wi' good or bettei when the inst, close as, they a, sently getting. "If he (Drea) pared -to assui people that there support services community that good or better th. they're getting that's f ine," said. "'But he's not that... .he simply, meet with anyont In a Torontoç ticle last week, was quoted as sa- wouldn't close ai tutions until a pl the res-dents ha found. "I'm cautious] mistic that we r able to chang, policy," Riddell really think he has made a mista Concerned citi, Durham Region Ajax Monday ni discuss the imp the centre'sc slated for some -t 1987. The open J facilitated by the Pickering-Whitby ciation for the M Retarded, .focusg the need to esi adequate housir residents once th FURNITURE & IPHOLSTERY LTD. -FOR SALE-- PINE DRY SINKS * PINE WASI- STANI V icTORIAN Si DECHAIRS *CEDAR CI PINEAPPLE BIED * ROUND OAK TABI S413 Dundas St. E., Whitby 668-5481 _ other is me who reet with Liberals lria and ,promise ernment ill get as r care titutions are pre- Sis pre- ire the ewill be. s in the tare as ian what now, Riddell tre has been closed. Riddell said last week fie believes other alter- natives should be con- sidered before the cen- ires are closed. "The first step should be to phase out th e larg- er institutions such as Huronia (in Orilia) and* put the, residents in the smaller institutions," Riddell said. "I 'happen to believe there is room for the smaller institutions. as an interim step before *they go into the commu- L uuiigi Durham parents are ie."9 .r pooling their profession- cDrea tional talenta and @Mo>- ying he tional energy to haît the ny insti- proposed closing of 4ace for Durham Centre for the ad been Developmentally Han- dicappedý.- iy opti- At a meeting of par- rnay be enta and families in ge this Osha wa last week, said. "I about 40 people gather- (Drea) ed to elect a committee ake. " which will fight the zens in closing in a systematic met in and determi ned fashion. iight to Durham Centre is one of pact of six smaller institutions closing, in Ont.ario slated to tmin close by 1987. ime in It wVas an organiza- tional meeting, but testi- forum, monials to, the abhor- eAjax- rence with which these yAsso-, parents vîeèw the closing [entally emerged spontaneously. ed on. These people fear their ;tablish children will end up jiot ng for In community group he cen- homes as, the gover- nment plans, but rather in large institutions such as Huronia Insti- tute in Orillia. "I have a brother who was up in Orillia, " one woman said. "When he used to 'come home, he was like a zombie, and when we took him back he'd be kicking and screaming. We wouldn't even have to &et close... IDS he knew where he was IEST going. There has been ýE nothing like that since he has been in Durham Centre." _Bhupatrai j3huta, one parent who bas been a driving force behind systematic opposition to [p the closing, described Durham Centre as heaven compared to p Huronia. "'How can we accept CE the transfer of children from, heaven to, helI?" he asked the group. "We must stop. this mentally retarded goverrnent from closing the ceryt'es for the developmentally nity," Riddelî said. "We're trying to show that they are people of- dignity and worth," he said. "By throwing them out into the com- munity before they are ready, we may be jeo- pardizing that. " TÉhe liberal members pledged to "keep pluggîng" at the govern- ment until the proper support services. are in place for residents leaving the six institu- tions. handicapped.'" Nine people were ap- pointed to the W-orking roup and tentative ob- jectives were set for the fight. SBhuta offered five steps he believed the group should take to show the Ontario goverument how strong- ly families object to the closing: - meet with Social Ser- vice Minister Frank Drea and present peti- tions - failing this, the group should obtain legal ad- vice and bring an in- junction- against the closings on the basis of the federal Charter of Righta *through media partici- pation, increase public awarenfess of -parents' concerns *organize a rally, at Queen's Park a produce a film using actual résidents which describes the emotional and physical trauma of movement to a Jarger institution. "Ail of this will re- quire time, energy and money," said Bhuta, adding parents can con- tribute as m uch- of each as they are able. The Ontario Public, Service Employees Un- ion ,(OPSEU> offered their printing facilities to the group. "OPSEU will be a resource group, " execu- tive union member Fred Upshawv said. "But the parents will run their own show. Who else can more' aptly put their story than they can? " Similar working groups have 'been organized in the five other communities who will be affected by the Ontario government's plan to close institu- tions. DOCTOIL'I JOSEPH A. WOOLLEY, PROI HONDA AUTO REPAIR SERVI OperQted by WOL-KAR INC. 40 RUSSETT AIVE UNIT NO. 2 OSHAWA DOC TOR H 728*-726 8 RAISED .PRU NTING - - - ý -1-1-1-1-1 -- ý .11, -1- mý - ', :. , ': 4;ýi ý ï ",;7wml . ýl