t' PAGE 6, WHMTBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1988 w VOICE 0F THE COUNTY TOWN F Published every Wednesday Published every wedriesday By 677209 Ontario Inc. Phone: 668-6111 Doug Ander son Publisher Editor Maurice Pither Editor Peter Irvine Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Manager The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents Brief but informative was the discussion that took place between councillor Joe Bugelli and Mayor Bob Attersley at a Whitby council meeting Monday night. The subject -should Whitby hold public meetings on the issue of Sunday shopping? Council members have already gone on record as saying they are opposed to a plebiscite on the issue but have never men- tioned the possibility of public meetings until Monday night. While councillor Bugelli did not come right out and say that he would like to see public meetings, he did ask his fellow councillors to consider the matter. We suggest our councillors give serious consideration to the idea. A good example is North York, where two public meetings were held on whether or not Public input, please that city should hold a plebiscite on the issue. The plebiscite was defeated but many North York councillors received valuable input from their constituents. Whitby councillors could only .gain by seeking that.same input. Mayor Bob Attersley said Monday that coun- cil members were elected to serve the public and so act on their behalf, making a public meeting seem unnecessary. But we point out to the mayor that when he and his fellow council members were elected back in 1985, Sunday shopping was not an issue during the election campaign. Now it is. One method of input is face-to-face com- munication. Even'a scan of letters to the editor in this newspaper and others shows how con- stituents feel. Whitby councillors themselves have also received letters on the topic, most opposed to Sunday shopping. But if the provincial government goes ahead with its plans to give municipalities the power to decide Sunday shopping and that legislation is in place before November's municipal elec- tion, our councillors will be forced to declare how they stand on the issue. The can offer this community no more than allowing each and every resident and merchant to speak their mind in an open and public forum. Council did it with the strip parlor bylaw. The Sunday shopping issue deserves the same treatment. LETTERS FROM ()oUR REA)ERS Sunday shopping could endanger our culture To the editor: Copy of letter to Premier David Peterson Dear Mr. Peterson: We applaud you for the concern you have shown in recent months for the preservation of Canadian culture. However, we are deeply disturbed that your decision regar- ding the Retail Business Holiday Act will endanger that very culture. The resulting erosion of Sunday as a day of rest would lead, we fear, to the complete commercialization of Sunday as is the case in many states south of the border. By abdicating responsibility for the regulation of retail business hour and putting the onus on local authorities, your government would virtually ensure the even- tual opening of stores across the province. For it will be difficult in- deed for any municipality to withstand commercial pressures, if neighboring areas allow Sunday shopping. Similarly, commercial businesses which wish to remain closed will be forced to open if competitors open on Sundays. We object to the change in existing law not only on religious grounds. Certainly forced Sunday employment would render Sunday observance more difficult for many Ontario Christians. But for the sake of our society as a whole, it is essen- tial that families have the oppor- tunity of being together on a regular basis. The family unit today is threatened in too many other ways, to have this time taken away from it. Even those who choose to worship on a day other than Sunday would be done no favor by the commercialization of Sun- days. Westrongly support the principle agreed upon by the all-party Select Committee on Retail Hours. This committee said that it "supports the principle of a common pause day in Ontario. · legislation regulating retailing onholidays, in- cluding Sunday, should therefore be structured to support the main- tenance of such a common pause day, or day of rest." We demand that the Peterson government show* leadership in this area, by upholding the principle of a com- mon pause day and maintaiming existing legislation intact. Yours truly, Rev. Charles Bull Secretary, Whitby Ministerial Association Objeections raised to Sunday shopping To the editor: The Sunday shopping question raises many concerns. Family togetherness would indeed be ad- versely affected, while store em- ployees who oppose the accepted day of rest being part of the work week, would be expected to per- formtheir regular duties then as well. While there may likewise be fur- ther logical reasons for opposing Sunday shopping, more fervent ob- jections on my part are those based on religious grounds among which would be that such is against that Extra services, cost if Sunday shopping allowed? Copy of letter to Premier David Peterson. Re: Sunday opening. Dear Mr. Peterson, I concur with some of your con- cerns with regards to such matters as free trade, and the loss of any matters considered to be truly Canadian, in other words, Canadian culture. I consider the way Canadians have made Sunday a day of rest fron the six days of toil and strain, a day when families of many nationalities and culture meet together to give thanks for their many blessings, particularly in the "Province of Ontario." Surely, you cannot lightly toss aside the culture of our own pioneers who worked from sunrise to sunset weekdays but not, I repeat, not on Sunday 'The Sabbath Day.' I have former friendsas I an sure you have thaï only do necessary chores on Sunday and spend the rest of the day in peace and quiet. 1 have no doubt whatsoever that you are familiar with the fourth of "The Ten Commandments." A few things come to mind in a lighter vein. Will Sunday opening demand other services such as ex- tra police services, transportation, traffic control, etc., and at what cost? Will the politicians be in their of- fices on Sundays? I do not like to think the words "chicken," "Passing the Buck," "Hot Potato," truly describe the situation you find yourself in, but I do believe now is the time to show leadership and declare every Sunday a common pause day, as I understand the existing legislation demands. Yours truly, L. Harry Inkpen Whitby taught in the Bible, and also that time now devoted to religious wor- ship and church attendance would be still further diminished, With the entire issue of whether or Wot to permit Sunday shopping being thrust by the Province on in- dividual municipalities to decide, it remains a political issue -but one wth a very significant difference and implication. Churches, in general terms, have too often, by not speaking out, washed their hands on many issues, where a stand taken by the church could have brought inestimable benefit in a Christian sense to society at large. Their stock argument has been that they must not become involved in things political. The Sunday shopping debate by municipal councils across the province is not merely another political issue, -it is a Christian SEE PAGE 13 M 41' zmzý The Free Press-Building 131 Brock Street North. P.O. Box 206. Whitby. Ont.