Whiby Free Press, Wednosday,'March 27,19l6, Page7 I Scary scenes 1 Ltti snippets of the future trarnped _ across our televison ecreens this week Sorne were funny. Some, boring. Some were frightening. The boring part we can bypass a lot, since most news is by nature boring: unless, of course, the effects on you are direct, immediate and costly. The funny part? An Ontario cabinet minister leaping backwards into a stand of decorative sluiubs at Queen's Park. Hey, there are some NHL players who could take diving lessons fiocm this guy. .The frightening parts crefor two or three rather unconnected news items of the past few days. Number one. This could cre under the heading of The Boring Part: news reports from Bosnia. Since these do not affect moat of u's directy, irnmediately, or with discernable direct cost, news from Bosnia ham become the background noise by which we feed pets, help with homework, or complain about other more important news. What we do see, if we watch and listen, is horrilfring. Under shaking peace plans, Serbs vacate a city, setting fire te houses, police stations, apartments: stores only after stipping them of windows, doors, toilets, appliances. Why? Because Muslims will take over the city under peace arrangements, and the Serbs do not want thein te find anything of use. This is what four years of war can do to people who for generations were friende, neighbours, even in-laws through intermarriage. Number two. Seldom do I agree with anything the Reform Party.spouts. However, ]Reform members have been rightly concerned over the military aspect of the Quebec referendum. Reports seem te conflrm that just prior to the referendum, Bloc Quebecois ivited French military personnel te, joi a Quebec army should the vote be "Yes.'A Bloc spokesman now dlaims that soldiers of al ranke indicated willingness te becorne part of the Quebec armed forces, or the French equivalent. rmn not sure what motivates somne people, or where they get the porridgethat passes for thefr brains. But do Bloc members, or anyone else, think for a moment* that the Serbs, Muslims and Croats started out with a lust te kil1 each other? Civil strife requires at some point a first shot. Picture Quebec-based members of Canadian Armed Forces quietly marchingý off down the road, rifles slung over their shoulders, whistling teward thefr own version of nationil unity? Sure. Picture instead the skirmishes over equipment, resources, even bases. This is not something that can wait two, three years while politicians work their magie about terms of separation; it must be done immediately following the vote. Can you picture the separation of armed forces in the flrst 24 te 48 hoursaflter a ýyes vote being done without one inappropriate shot being fred? And after the flrst shot, then an inapropriate reply? You are soon bogged into a deteriorating situation, which is a code word for the beginnings of Civil War. That it's neyer happened in Canada doesn' mean it can't or won't. The third frightening picture this week arose out of the near-riot at the ýOntarie Legisélature on Monday. The public service strie, now in its fourth week,4 began te show its ful potential. For strikers,, the fun and euphoria have long gone. They are now faoed with empty bank accounts, little hope, and fear. Some realistic offer must now corne foeward. I WTBY9 PORT PERRY AND LINDSAY RAILWAY STATION, C. 1931 This brick station was built in 1871 where Hickory Street runs, west of Beaver Lumber. The station was closed as a freight office in 1963 and demolished in January 1970. Service froin Whitby to Brmoolin, Port Perry and Lindsay oeased in 1941 and the rails were sold for scrap for the War effort during the Second World War. Witby Arcbiv.u Photo 10 YEARS AGO from the Wednesday, March 26, 1986 edition of the WETBY FREE PRESS * Affor t.hr months of unoertaintyr, doctors at Whltby Psychiatrie Hospital have reached a conmrat agreement with the Provincial Goverrnent. *The old Brock Theatre on Brock street North is being converted into a teen-age dance hall called "the Playground." *Town Council has approved construction of an elevator at the Seniors' Activity Centre. *Parents are urging construction of a new school in Whitby by writing to officials at Queens Park. 35 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, March 23, 1961 edition of the WETBY WEEKLY NEWS * It is proposed to naine a new ecl afror Chicago resident David T. Campbell who was born in Whitby and died in 1956, who willed a fortuneto many Whitby organizations.. 0 Town Council bas established a Harbour Comrnittee to assist in development of Port WVhitby. a A murdered 24-year-old Toronto woman, whose body was found on the 9th Concession of Pickering, inay have last been seen in a Wbitby restaurant., a One hundred and twenty-five parents attended the first meeting of the R.A. Hutchison Home alnd Sehool Association. 100 VEARS AGO, from the Friday, March 27, 1896 edition of the WHJBYCHRONICLE * It was noted that a large attendance of ladies at the trials at the Court House was qute unusual.qu * Sixty daily newspapers are sold or delivered to subscribers in Brooklin. sJohn Hamn Perry, younger son of Whitby's founder Peter Perry, died on March 25 at the age of 69. *R.H. Bradburn of Bowmanville has opened an electric shop in Whitby. W --Ml-w 1 1 LI] fa 0 L- mmý un 1 il 1 ILI 1 . *L