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Ferryboat becom es a.carnpaign issue. ByMik eKowaiski The fo rmer ferry boat in Whitby harbor lbas become an issue i the provincial election campaign. Durham Centre Progressive Conserative candidate Jim Fia- herty accuses the Ontario g vernment and Liberal incum- bnt Alian Puriog of failhi.q te do anything abut the Prince Edward Island ferry boat docked at Whitby harbor. Flahierty daims res bii lies withe rovince frt e removal of PCB-contaminated où contained i the vessei's two transformer&. Furlong responds that the federal e.overnment is respon- s ibie while the boat is i the water and atny blame shouid be directed at that level.. His argment is supported by officiais from both Eniroinment Canada and the Ontario Minis- try of Environment. But as long as the PCBs are sqçrethe. s- nothing any government can do about the *situation, say officiais. Fiaheqrf, however, does not accept thus argument. Mat couid have been done should have been don. in Aprii,4 said Flaherty, when the Town of Whitby assumed control of the harbor. He said the contaminated oul couid easily have been moved'te an approved storage site at that time. "It daesn't have te o far, Lasco bas a safe facility.Why it was not don. is a mystery te me " said Flaherty. 9ii.vessel isno operabie and not seaworthy, you cant sali it out of WhItby harbor.» 'Tih. Prince Edward Island has been a source of controversy for the- past four years as various levels of government battie over who has j«risdiction. Owndbà Whitb business- man At oinson, t eoatwas ognaiiy destined for the Carri- benas a floating generating station until the deai feul tlirough. Tii.e presence of PCBs has resuited ini renewed efforts te, remove the vessel from thie har- bor. . PCBs,. (poiychiorinated biphenyls) were cont' ' ed * Iis used as coolants for electricai transformers and !capacitors made between 1930 and 1977. Tests have linced PCBs te causing cancer and other heaith probiems in animais. Earlier this year, the Town laid trespassing charges against Robinson. A Nfovemr court date has been scheduied. The Town's action was the resuit of Whitby harbor being reclassified as a smail craft har- bor, thereby gving the uiia iiycontrol of t he waterfront area. The Town had tried te force the owner te, move the boat two years ago but was thwarted by the federal government. Town officiais were not aware that the government was coliect- ing docking fees from Robinson. Flaherty said h. has been teid that Robinson considers the boat te b. only suitabie for scrapping, o there shouid b. nothing pre- vent.ing the province from order- ingthe removai, of PCBs. "Tii. ministry can act fairiy quickiy when it wants te,» said Flaherty, referring td6 the govern- ment recentiy ordering York Region's achool board te, remove nine PCB-contaminated transfor- mers from a Richmon.4 1-Hlui high schooi. "Tus shouid have been done five months ago. Tii. Ship has banged inte tthe wali a numbr of times. If it sinka we wouid have a ajr problem," said Flaherty. «Tefrie department won't board it and I don't blame them.» Last month Whitby fire chief Ed Crouch declared the boat an unsafe workplace. Firefighters will tae whatever stops they can te extinguish any blaze that may occur, provided they and the public are safe. Water could b. pumped onte the sh from the dock for instance. Ïgaherty said it is wrong te blame Ottawa for the impasse. «TMe.federai- government did its job, it went through a lot of hoops te transfer the harbor te the Town. Tii. Town is now waiting for the province' »- ý Flaherty,.sagid'.F uriong's oniy involvement was te write a letter te Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradie. "H. s 0h'dhave caiied Bradley SEE, PAGE 23 ArreBst madle after robberies Durham Regional Police have arrested a man in connection with three robberies in Durham ]oetJohn ]Reynolds, 32, of no fixed address was arrested at the Metro East betention Centre in Toronto. He was charged with robbery and attempted armed robbery, in connection with the Juiy 31 rob- bery of the K-Mart stere in Whitby,*the July 23 robbery of the a National Trust bran ch in Whitby, and the. JuIy 12 robbery of a Scotiabank branch in Ajax. Ini ail three robberies, a man used a note and said h. was armed with a gun. CLOWNING AROUND . PARTICIPANTS compare feet i the second annuai street party -heid at Woodstone Place, Whitby on Saturday. A bike parade, picnic, games and street dance made up the day o e 1dnso the street in the Rossland/Garden, area subdivi- sion, wVith money raised for the Whitby General Hospital Firet Glass Fund campaign. rPwpht fDurhaqm East can-di dates Govermment blamed for rent hk noenrnated ___________ale Ontariectoawsmue order covers 248 imita in the. two ings were originaly constructed Onirioren cotro ias matbuildings. with the help of 'federai govern- * pae 2b. strengthened te stop landiords StrenWrhen Whule rents vary, $625 for ment subsidies. from passing on thefir basses te one-bedroom is not unusuai. "If ypulre using tax dollars te tenants, says Durham Centre rent cont roi During a meeting with about subidie a seniors? building, how NDP -candidate Drummond 75 anr tenants last week can you then charge an armn and White. £làWS, says Wh leamed. the Libeýralleg or et iehr? se No lone muet tenants b. D government for allowing this te White. eixected to absorb a landlord's ND caFZLUUte occur. Wiien on. woman accused financial losses when a building "Your outrage us highly justi- White of merely giving a «politi- changes handa as is now the fi-dsaid White. "Wiiat we have cals h"é1,»he agreed. practice, says Wuite. %orking is a systemi which us set "You're right, it us a political' H.eiias demanded a change in in 1987. up for the benefit of devélogers speech because it's a political legisiation in order te prevent Tue increases include an and which victimizes tenants., issue. rmn running te, represent E n Vogue r7epeat episodes of the. situation upfront figue of 11.38 per cent, White said Goldwin was fully you and rais. t;hese issues at; now facing residents of two pus an addtonal 4.98 per cent aware when it uchased the- Queen's Park,» said White. Witby senior citizens' apart- inibcret six-yeaui-old buildings that it When he atempted te explai Smepan ment buildings. Te arrears average between could pass its basses onto that an NDP governinent would' 17 -19 Tenants of 225 Hickoy St. and $300 and $600, depending on the. tenants. insiat that Ian dlords make their 15 Regency Cres. have ben ht monthly rent paid b)y tenants. «Tii. rent review board is sup- financial records available te, with rent increases totalling However, some residents have posed to b. exactly that, rent tenants, on. man said the iaw r r9more than 16 per cent. been asked to py as much as review, riot a rent approval board now permits it . Tue increases were granted te *$1,000. as what it seems te b. now,» said «Al l 'y heard so far is nhe- the landiord, Goldwin Group of Goldwin was ateda rent Whiite. teri*» said tii.man. j Downsview, te, offset financial icrease in Mar or t s esi,, He called the increase an "un- I-ereplied that tenants, bosses. suffer.d bY the, com y plus. back rent,- te eda s- consionabje, act,," especialycn AM