Page 8, Whitby Free Press, Wednosday, August 31. 1994 Merchant to bilt Town for lotbusiness By Mike Kowalski A downtown merchant intende te bill the Town of Whitby for business losses ho dlaims were caueed by the Dundas Street East construction project. Paul Savage owner of a hobby shop at 214 bundas St. E., is funfous that accees te hie store and othor businosses in the simaîl plaza wae eut off fer six days the past wook. Savago centends that befoe work began last month, Town officiais promisod business owners affeeted by the construc- tion that the longest thoy would be without accese te Dundas is two days. This assurance was ono of the reasons why Savage and a few other merehants withdrow their threat of legal action te, stop the $1.3-million project, ho said. «W've been six days without accees, since ast Tuesday (Aug. 23),» Savage said Monda sre "They'ro working up tee and they've done nothing te re lae it (access),» ho said. ey tck he radeut. Yeu Savago insiste that befere work commencod, morchants wero told that tho most, they., would ho without access durin g the >eets 12- te, 14-wek duration is a "maximum» of two days. 1 That's the promise the Town made te, us," ho said. The Dundas Street reconstruc- tion includes the replacement of stormn and sanitary sewors and waterrnains from Brock Street to Hickory Street. The projeet is jointly funded by Whitbyr Durham Region and the Canada/Ontario Infrastructure Works prograrn. Athougfi Savage recognizes the need for the prject, ho dlaims that the access "promise» is net the only one Town officials have allegedly breken. "We were teld thoro would be regular communication (te pro- vont potential problems),» ho said. "But ne ono has corne in here and introduced thernselves." Howover, after Savage called the works department Monday manager paid him a vieit later thtday, heeaid. I tld im.what they had promised us and ho said that was outrageoue," said Savage. "Ho said they should have known it would take longer than one or two days.» Savage added that the site mana ger also teld him that wor- kers would re-instaîl the plaza's accese read Menday evening. Noither Výitby pùblic works director Wayne Hanok, nor project manager Gary CarroUj were available te respond te Savage's charges. Unlike other tenants in the plaza -- a law. office, insurance fIrm and dental clinie -- Savage said ho muet rely on «walk in" business te make a living. Anything that would provent a passing motoriet and potential cuetoer from cominiz into tho shep affects his lxvlihood, Savage said. Whilo ho has ne way of know- ing for certain how much busi- ness ho may have lost during the week, Savage said ho would esti- mntp iii» 1r.aqeq hv factoringi thé municipality. "rmn a businessman payinga lot of money for this aoe. l m sending a bill te the Town," he said. David Meadwell of Vick I- surance said that while the con- struction has been an «incon- venience» for hie clients and staff he has no major concerne. «We haven't notioed any real problems,» said *Meadwell. "Our clients corne in and say we've got a bit of a mess eut here, but we've had ne cern- Annual run for cancer rese.arch The Terry Fox Run for cancer research wil h held in Whitby on Sunday, Sept. 18. Fer information, eall Marilyn Peck at 666-2888. ness 15 a "service indu.tstry" and much of the work ig done by telephone. For those people who cannot make it on their own te the office, te pay a bill for instance, uwe go out and pick it UP,» Meadwell added. can't get in or out» norrig tICm U1piaGiI, k... *Lle mat ---- bý &.7 Keep hospials acute care services1 To Durhamn Region Acute Gare Steering Committee Re: Proposed closuro of Whitby General Hospital For the pat 17 years, my famiily and I have ownod and oprated a retail business in the Town of Whitby. We have aIse, lived in this Town in excess of 20 yoars. I arn extremely concernod that our only General Hospital le now in the precarieus position of potential clesiire. I don't believe that onough in-depth research hlas been done in relation te the far.reaching effecte this type of decision wil have on our community. In addition te the mnany critical health issues that have been addressed by many other membors of our cernrunity, I would like te point eut that rnany of our yeung (and eider) sports tearne are going te, have inadequate health care in emergency situations. It seems ludicrous te me that a hospital which is in sucli close proirniity te a sports cempiex such as the Iroquois Park faility, To Durham Region Mcute Gare Study Steering Gommittee We need an emergency unit 24 heurs a day. Dodd & Souter lias supportod WVhitby General Hosptal for approXimately 30 years, with donations, etc. Dodd & Souter did net donato te the hospital te see it becomne a rehabilitation centre. Dodd & Souter, aleng with plenty of others that we have takod te,- will demand our donations back if the hospital turne inte a rehabilitation centre. J.G. Dod4t Prosidentp Dodd & Souter Decor Centre Ltd. and ie serving a population in I excess of 60,000 people could be cloeed. Net only is this decision suspect, but it appears that Whitby General Hospital has T been eold eut by sommen, inE order te, expand tho OshawaS General Hespital. I arn therofore effonded by theE fundraising appeal soliciting our financial support of a hospital that le net going te ho in existence rnuch longer unlose there is a drastie change in thei rindset of the health council. h Linda PoackC Poaeock Sports ti To D)urharn Region AMute Gare Steering Committee Subject: Closure of Whitby General H-ospital as an acute care faility. On behaîf of Fisher Scieritifie ernployees in our Witby facilitY, I would like te express our dismnay and eoncern that ernergency care will ne longer be available te us in the mnunicipality, should the need arise. Over the years we have had' the occasional need for the services of our local hospital, andi they have always been there. One of the consideratiens in makcing the decisien te, locate Our faeîlity in Whitby, 18 years ago was that there would ho a hospital that could provide full timo emergency care. We new risk losing something that was prom-ised and used as a selling oot entice people te locate ihere. à Our tewn lias doubled its size rin the pastl10years anldwe are 1 cutting the essentiel services te, Our taxpayers. BretJoes Manager National Distribution Ctr. LFisher Scientific Liniitecl To Allen McPhail, Chair .........Region AueGr Study Steoring Commnitteo To Allan MePhail, Chair D)urhamn Regien Acute Study Steering Committee Gare Dear Mr. MePhail: As . eleeted union representatives Of the houriy-rated, workforce a Co-Steel Lasce, wo wish te take thie oppertunity te express Our ceneern regarding the proposed change in the designatiori of Wbitby General Hospital te a rehabilitation centre. We feel, as workers in a steel plant, that it le imperative that Whitby General Hospital continue te provide its current range of services. The risk of serieus injury le always present and, over the years, the ability of Whitby General Hospital te, provide the necessary medical attention has prevented many injuries from becomirig life threatening. Many of our inembers are residents of Whitby and, as sucli, rely on the Whitby hospitah as the main medical facility net oniy for in-hespital care but aise for emnergency and general out-patient care. We feel that removing thie facility from our area le net eniy inconvenient te our members but places many of us and our familles at risk when in need of emergeney or genera] medical care. With surreunding area hospitals already overcrowded, it does not appear te ho feasibie te burden these facilities with still more patients which net onhy causes undo stress te those coneerned but aise puts a strain on the nurses and docters. On béhalf of the unionîzed workforce at Co-Steel Lasce, we, the executivo of Steelworkers 1Local 6571, urge you te recommend that the statue of Whitby General Hospital romains Presidnt, Local 6571 United Steelworkors of America To Durham Region Aute Gare Steering Gommittee Re: Save our Canerai Hospital It lias recently been brought te our attention that the Whitby GneraI Hospital is destined te becorne a rehabilitation centre. For rnany years now, SklarPeppler Furniture Corporation has supported Whitby Generai Hospital. Our industry le extremely labour intensive and we have, at times, found it necessary te uilze the hospital for emergencîy services. It lias hoen reassuring te us as a manufacturing company in the area, and te our ernployees living in Whitby, te have this facility in close proKlmity. We find it unthinkable that in the future any emergenies will have te ho directed te Oshawa Canerai which le alreadY over.utiiized. Whitby lias grewn in size due mainly te the large manufacturiKig population in the area. We think that, given the pulatîonî and the nature of the ocal industries, Whitby Canerai Hospital shoulà d remain as an active treatment contre with emergency facilities. Mike Garvoy Vioe President, Operatimes ani Huinan Resources, Sklar-Peppler employer in Whitby, has the following concerne regarding the proposed change in the lesignation of the Whitby General Hospital te a rehab centre. 1. Co-Steel Lasco lias supported Whitby General Hospital since its inception, providing steel for the building and contributing financially to ail of the campaigris. Tis investiient was te provide a facility te meet the needs of our emnployees. Those needs includo omorgency caro, support facilities such as laboratery, x-rays, as well as in hospital care. We need this servi<èe te continue. 2. Co-Steel Lasce is considered "heavy industry' whero rieke of injury do eist for which we éhould ho prepared. 3. Our population je aging and je comprised mostly of mon, which increases the risk of ceronaries and strokes, etc. Prompt attention does save lives. 4. Our experience using the Wihitby Generai Hospial lias proven te ho superior te the alternative hospital in quality care, time saving and accessibility. We understand the need te evaluate the provision of health services in our region, but te further congest Oshawa General Hospital which. lacks space for growth and le a traffic hazard at present, both externally and internally, (eg. the ernergency department) does net make sense and muet ho stopped. We, as stakeholders ln the health and - safety of our workforee appeal te you te continue te provide ernergency care and hospitahzation at Whitby General Hospital. T.G. Newman Vice President and General Manager Co-Steel Lasco Pe..c..k.Sports 1