PAGE 24. WEDNESDAY, MAY 21,i 186, WHI rBY FREE PRESS Liberal budget allocates $850 million for hospitals TORONTO, May 14 - the $850 million to On- tario hospitals, announ- ced by Treasurer Robert Nixon in Tuesday's budget, will finance an expansion of approximately 4,400 beds over the next few years, Health Minister Murray Elston today told- the Ontario Hospital Association. The capital allocation, the largest in the history of Ontario, is the first phase of a muiti-year capital plan for the hospital system, Mr'. Elston said. On top of this com- mitment, Mr. Elston said, a second phase of the plan wil provide for extensive renovations to hospitals to bring them up to current standards and to enable themn to meet future needs such as more out-patient ser- vices. "«We are taking this action in order to bring Ontario's hospital system into line with the needs of oui' population up to the late 1990s, " the minister said. Mr'. Elston noted that for many years there has not been any rational plan guiding. capital development of hospitals: "Because capital funds were allocated for hospitals on an annual basis, it was extremely difficult for hospitals to plan ahead on any long-range terms." Changing demogra- phics are putting pressure on hospitals, the minister said. "Current forecasts in- dicate that while our overail population will increase by about 17 percent by the end of this century, the elderly population will increase by 53 percent." Mr. Elston said that the bed expansion in the first phase of the capital plan will provide ap- proximately 1,400 new acute care be<is and more than 3,000 new chronic care beds. The exact locations of these beds within each region will take into account recommendations fromn district health councils. The .expansion represents an eight per- cent increase in the number of heds in the province. When it is completed, Ontario will have more than 55,000 hospital beds, up from the cui'rent 50,979. The minister said acute care beds will be added primarily in areas of Ontario where the population is growing rapidly. But, he added, the substantial increase in chronic care beds should free up acute care beds in al hospitals. The waiting period for a chronic care bed in some areas of Ontario can be up to two years, with the result that many people are waiting in acute care beds. The addition of new hospital. beds, the minister said, will be accompanied by. the ex- pansion of out-patient programs and new community-based ser- vices which will be designed to heip more people live independen- tly in their com- munities. If it were not foi' such innovative directions in health care delivery, even more new hospital beda would be needed, Mi'. Elston said. Women of distinction awards Once again the Oshawa YWCA is calling for nominations for the fifth Annual Durham Region Women of Distinction Awards to be held November 6. The primary purpose of the Awards Dinner is to honour womnen in the Corne see our new car âne Up ALL TRADES ACCEPTED 7.5% Special Fmnancmng or up to $1.000 cas h rebate on selected models. flogeTurA Mon Thur. 9 ni p. region for their excep- tional contribution to community -life. The Awards Dinner is also one of the major fund raising activities under- taken by the Oshawa YWCA. The proceeds from the dinner, are allocated to the World YWCA program of Cooperation for Development working in over 80 countries to help women participate fully in development and for various Oshawa YWCA special projects. The public is invited to share in this special occasion by attending the Awards Dinner and by nominating women in one or more of the following categories: The Arts; Community Service; Women in the Work force; Young Womnen of Distinction. Nomination torras are available from the YWCA office at 199 Cen- tre St. S. and will be received until October 3. Plan to participate in this regional celebration of Womnen's achievements. Novice swimmers resuits Novice swimmners from the Whitby Iroquois Swim Club travelled to Oshawa on May il for the Mother's Day Meet. Ail the Whit- by swimmers perfor- med well and should be congratulated. The following are the results: 8 and Under Girls: Jeanette Bradley: 4th - 50 breast, 25 fly, sth - 100 back, 6th - 50 back, 100 free. 9 and 10 Girls: Patricia Luke: lst - 50 breast, 2nd - 100 br., 3rd - 50 fly, 6th - 100 I.M. Kristina Kukk: 3rd - 50 br- 4th- 100 br.. 6th -50 bk. Leslie Clarke: 4th - 100 bk., sth - 50bk. 9 and 10 Boys: Neil Balan: 4th - 50 fly, fth - 50Obk. Il and 12 Boys: Chris Rushton: 3rd - 100 breast, 200 br. David Kidd: sth - 50 free, 50 fly, 6th - 200 breast. FROM PG. 1 Market like Decom market to the stand the town bas taken against the Decom proposaI. Decom is cui'iently being heard during an environmental asses- ment board hearing as to a proposed waste transfer station on Sunray St. The hearing was scheduled after the town turned down Decom's proposai and is currently on recess. It is sche-luled to resume June 4. "The town is against Decom because it is not the type of industry we want. If the town bas the FROM PG. 1 right to say it does not want Decom then it bas the right to say we*do-n't want a fiea market. " preliminary report told them yes." While the society is not rushing the preliminary report and are currently not looking foi- a place to store the artifacts should the house be demolished, Oyagi ad- mitted that when the time to make a decision does come 'I'm sui'e we will be rushed." FROMIPGA Gold mien e the world's deepest gold mine. To the best of my knowledge it's the only gold mine that wlll soon offer the public an opportun ity to go underground to get an idea of what's lnvolved l'n.bringlng ore to the surface. Jenny and myseif have been down in nickel mines and sait mines, but this was our flrst yen- ture Into a gold mine. My Timmins buddy, Yves St. Jacques, had arranged everythlng, and joined us as we rattled dlown to the 5,800 foot level in "the cage". We were met by Sal Salomone, a retlred mine captain who has been rehiredl by the Mclntyre to conduot the tours. Sal has been drllling ore for over 40 years. Cameraman Vince Robinet took shots of us walklng through the tunnels, the littIe lamps on our hard hats standing out In the darkness. When we arrlved at the spot where Sal was to demonstrate drillllng, 1 got my flrst lesson In how to cut into the ore using a hand-held drill called a "Jackleg". When I had drllled a small hole, Sal hauled out a few sticks of dynamite and stuck one In the holel I got out of there fast! Vince got some good pic- tures of my getaway. Before we Ieft, the Pamour people, who now operate the farnous mine, gave me some printed materlal about min ing. It wlll come in handy when 1 start ta, develop al the dlaims 1 intend to stake. Meanwhile, although I'm stilI not quite sure of the difference between a siope and a stope, l'm sure l'il strike gold just over the -ext rainbow. (