November 26 2008 - Low
Transcription
November 26 2008 - Low
Oshawa Generals next home game Thursday, Nov. 27 VS Peterborough Petes and Sunday, Nov. 30 VS Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors at GM Centre $1.00 www.oshawaexpress.ca Well Written, Well Read Vol 3 No 57 Wednesday, Nov 26 2008 More cuts for GM and no word on bail out By Cynthia McQueen The Oshawa Express General Motors of Canada announced plans to shut down the Oshawa truck plant six weeks earlier than originally scheduled. The closure of the plant that makes the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra will put 2,600 people out of work. Buses go green at Durham Originally, the automaker scheduled closure of the plant for July 1, 2009. As a result of unstable market conditions in the United States the closure is now set for May 14. “The only positive out of this situation is that our members would have worked six weeks before the closure and now with the new closure date they’re David Paterson Chris Buckley going to work 13 weeks. “They’re doubling up (on their last shifts),” says Chris Buckley, president of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Local 222. However, “All this is subject to change and it’s all based on the market. GM could change direction on us at any given moment,” says Buckley. CAW’s Local 222 president also notes GM’s planning for an additional layoff week in January at Oshawa’s car plant. This will be the second week cut from production at the car plant in Oshawa. The company announced just two weeks ago it would temporarily lay off 500 people from the car plant at the beginning of 2009. See RESTRUCTURING Page 5 Olympic torch in Oshawa By Cynthia McQueen The Oshawa Express By Katie Strachan The Oshawa Express It’s cheap, it’s green and it runs on batteries. It’s an electric bus and the newest addition in a research project at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in the department of engineering and applied science. You plug it in to charge it, it’s as clean as electricity and the batteries are recyclable. While this all sounds too good to be true, as Dr. Greg Rohrauer says, “Seeing is believing.” Rohrauer, assistant professor in the faculty of engineering and applied science at UOIT negotiated the purchase of the buses, saved them from destruction and brought them to the campus where they have been refurbished and are being Oshawa will get an even bigger taste of the Vancouver winter Olympics in 2010. “I’m pleased to announce that the city of Oshawa has been selected as one of the 200 cities that will host the Olympic flame torch for the 2010 Olympics,” announces Joe Kolodzie, City councillor to a packed room at the Legends Centre. The Olympic torch will come through Oshawa on Dec. 16, 2009. “It will only stay in Oshawa for a couple of hours,” says Dan Carter, Television host of what from what station. “It will leave a prolonged legacy that will live on well past 2010,” adds Kolodize. “It ensures that every Canadian has the opportunity to be inspired by the Olympic torch,” says the enthusiastic councilor. Unfortunately, Mayor John Gray was unable to be there to break the news to residents, dignitaries, environmental activists and business owners but he did send his message in a video. “This is a unique opportunity to celebrate our community,” Gray says. “The torch is a symbol of unity and will be carried by thousands of See ELECTRIC Page 8 Photo by Cynthia McQueen/The Oshawa Express Photo by Yinuo Zhang/The Oshawa Express Staff and students at University of Ontario Institute of Technology took a ride on the electric bus this week. Santa visits Oshawa Ruby red noses glowed in the snow with proud dad Drew Allan, and his daughters Genna, 4, and Jamie, 2, keeping warm with Granny Allan while they waited for Santa at Memorial Park. See ALL LIT UP WITH SANTA TOO on Page 9 for the full story. See SYMBOL Page 10 Bomb scare in Oshawa The Glazier Medical Centre in Oshawa was evacuated Tuesday Nov. 18 after a suspicious package was left behind by a patient. Durham Region Police responded to the call around 10:45 a.m. after witnesses saw a man leave a package at the clinic on Gibb St. Witnesses say they heard the man say it was an explosive device. A 53 year-old man has been arrested and is undergoing a mental health assessment. For safety reasons, the surrounding streets were closed. A nearby elementary school was also advised to secure the side closest to the medical clinic. The DRPS Explosive Unit was called in and the package was dissembled at 3:40 p.m. inside the centre. Thankfully, the box was found to be innocuous and no one was hurt. Home invasion in Oshawa Three armed men broke into an Oshawa home last week and Durham Regional Police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspects. The home invasion and armed robbery began while the young couple living in the Taunton Rd. E./Ritson Rd. N. area were sleeping. At about 12:15 a.m., three men barged into the home and took the couple to the basement, while their three-year-old was sound asleep upstairs. One suspect was on guard, armed with a taser, while the other two suspects searched the residence. They stole an Xbox, a digital camera, the victim’s wallet and purse and a Sony PlayStation. All three are described as black, 18-25 years old. Suspect one was wearing dark baggy clothing and a bandana. Suspect two was wearing bag black clothing, a hooded sweatshirt and a white mask. Suspect three was wearing black baggy clothing, a hooded sweatshirt and a black scarf/bandana over his face. Investigators think this may be a case of mistaken identity and have not ruled out a connection between this incident and another home invasion earlier this month. An 82-year-old Port Perry woman was killed after her car collided with a flatbed truck in north Oshawa on Friday. Officers were called to Winchester Road and Ritson Road at approximately 4:45 p.m., following a report of a car crash. Witnesses reported that a white Pontiac van was southbound on Ritson Road and had stopped at the stop sign at Ritson Road/Winchester Road. The van then accelerated into the intersection and was struck by a flatbed truck traveling westbound. The driver of the flatbed truck, a 49-year-old Welland man was not injured. Woman dead after fatal collision Stabbing in the city A 34-year-old Oshawa man was stabbed with an edged weapon in the back of his neck two weekends ago. Shortly before 4 a.m. on Nov. 15, Durham Regional Police were called to Lakeridge Health Oshawa after a man showed up with a stab wound to his neck. The victim however, was uncooperative and police are looking for any information. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tipsters may be eligible for cash rewards. The roads to investments unpaved without regional money By Cynthia McQueen The Oshawa Express Region R.J. Clapp says, “Any tributed to the amount of traffic on provincial money that is in the that corridor also,” says Neal. Councillor John Henry looks to budget is allocated, but is on top of With new and higher property the property tax payers piece of the the improvements as a good investment in the future of the region and taxes and provincial funding in the budget.” millions, it would seem the region Likewise, regional council chair the future of Oshawa, “(We) have to recognize all should be able to complete pre- Roger Anderson identified a 25% scheduled works projects. reduction in building permits for work around the university must be However, as Oshawa’s council- 2009, which will affect the 2009 pushed forward because the education industry is always expanding lors pointed out, there are many that budget in a significant way. even in times of ecohave fallen off the map Anderson nomic strain.” for 2009 public works pointed out that Speaking to another projects. revenue for the road left to disrepair, Oshawa councillor region is subCouncillor Brian John Neal has worked stantially based Nicholson inquired on getting Simcoe St. on building perabout what he called a mits and around the university cow path. Commissioner traffic lights According to of Finance for “I’ve been working Nicholson the work the Region R.J. on this for eight years scheduled on Thornton Clapp confirmed and it keeps getting John Henry John Neal Rd. should have been that this is in moved back.” completed by now. fact a significant “This council has Referring to this road as a road as been battling to get the intersection reduction in budgetary revenue a “1950s style road that’s in no betat Niagara and Simcoe to get traffic funding. For the work on Simcoe St., the ter shape than when it was a cow lights,” says Neal. While the street was slated for region would need to allocate 7.2 path,” Nicholson noted the road is curwork in 2009 that work has now million by 2012 and councillor Neal rently incapable of coping with the been pushed back to 2012 by the wants it pushed up to 2009. It was pushed back, “much to my traffic it currently experiences. region. Likewise, with the road running Commissioner of Finance for the dismay and that’s why I went over all the way to the 407 there because I Region R.J. Clapp comand acting as a thorrecruited some of mented that when works ough fair for the smart my Oshawa counbalanced municipal projcentres in the area cil to speak in ects with regional around Stevenson, the support of it. requirements, “Simcoe is one of many regional I’m still workroad needs attention as projects that slid.” ing on it,” says a well-travelled route In terms of how or Neal. says Nicholson. why these projects have Recently, Commissioner of slid, it’s difficult to say. Oshawa council Finance for the However, some passed a resoluRegion R.J. Clapp changes in taxation, tion to have the says, “Because we Roger Anderson Brian Nicholson provincial funding and street widening, have to fly over the building permits could explain at installation of traffic lights and tracks, it’s an awkward and expenleast where some income will be other work in the area of Simcoe St. sive project which can’t be affordlost in 2009. completed earlier and reconsidered ed.” The Regional Municipality of by the region. Likewise, Clapp clarified that Durham received more than 10 mil“Seniors can’t cross at that road because the railway existed before lion dollars from the province for there is no major intersection,” the road, any improvements or their operational budget. explains councillor Neal. changes to the road are the sole And the four per cent hike in “With the amount of traffic there responsibility of the region. property taxes residents of the and the amount of accidents that can Whether these roads have fallen region will be experiencing in 2009 happen you don’t want that on a off the works agenda due to budgetis in addition to that amount. major arterial road like Simcoe St., ary constraints or not, the fact still However, there remains a fund- which also feeds our employees that remains that there is an economic ing gap for many and various proj- are going north and south into and hole in the revenue normally generects throughout the region. out of town. ated by the region despite a tax Commissioner of Finance for the But the university has really con- increase. Doctors turning down patients By Katie Strachan The Oshawa Express throats,” says the senior citizen. The couple filled out applications with the urgent care clinic on William Mullin, 81, certainly Simcoe St. and Adelaide St. and they feels the effects of the were told they would doctor shortage every be contacted when an time he drives the occurred. “They just want opening lengthy commute to A couple of months Scarborough for a later they were called to pick and regular check up. back to see a doctor at choose their While reports show the clinic. that the doctor shortAt that time, they patients. They age in Oshawa is no went over their status, longer a crisis, he feels want patients who current medications otherwise. and general health And His frustration simply have sore with the physician. is increasing by the Then they were throats” day. given the news that Mullins and his -William Mullins there would be more wife Betty moved here family doctors with a year and a half ago openings coming from Scarborough and around Christmas have been unable to find a family time. doctor in the city. “Now we have to continue to “It looks to me like they don’t make the trip into Scarborough and want to take patients that are my I’m 81 years old,” explains Mullins. age,” says Mullins. With the bad weather just around “They just want to pick and the corner, Mullins fears he won’t be choose their patients. They want able to get the care he needs and will patients who simply have sore be forced to pay the $70 odd dollars Page 2 to be treated at the urgent care clinics. “I’m going to have a heck of a time getting to Scarborough,” he adds. His patience is growing thin, especially with the doctor they seen at the Simcoe/Adelaide St. clinic. “We’ve been there (the Adelaide/Simcoe clinic) twice and have got no where with a doctor,” Mullins adds. “I’d certainly like to have a doctor here in Oshawa.” Louise Parkes, City Councillor, says before the Physician Task Force began recruiting doctors for Oshawa, she received about seven to 15 calls from elderly residents that could not find family doctors. Now the calls have slowed to about two or three a month. “Almost always it is patients with multiple problems that can be described as high needs. I believe the focus has to change to recruiting family doctors willing to take on these high needs patients,” says Parkes. NOV 26 2008 Special Olympics get a helping hand gymnastics and swimming. Although Heeney didn¶t compete in the most recent games, she was an ambassador for them. She spoke to schools and service organizations about the Special Olympics. Today¶s hefty cheque brings the money raised by DRT to date to a total of $185,000 since they began working with the Special Olympics in 2005. Galinis and Phil Meager, Durham Region Transit Deputy General Manager presented the giant cheque to the athletes in Regional council chambers. Deputy Chief Chuck Mercier, who is heavily involved with the Special Olympics, was on hand for the presentation as well. The funds were raised through the Durham Region Transit Charity Golf Tournament, which was held in September at Wooden Sticks Golf & country club. MacDonnell made the pitch to DRT to take on the Special Olympics organization as their ³Charity of Choice´ three years ago. The team at DRT accepted the position and the two groups have worked together since then. Special Olympics Canada is a national notfor-profit organization that is dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with an intellectual disability through a sport. They provide sport training and competition opportunities for 31,000 athletes of all ages and abilities. The games are held every two years, alternating between winter and summer. ³Thanks so much for the support and thanks for believing that all the hard work is worth going for and you¶re making it go,´ adds MacDonnell. Photo by Katie Strachan/The Oshawa Express Melissa Shaw, Jan Heeney and Jason Smith were on hand to accept a $40,000 cheque from Durham Region Transit on behalf of the Special Olympics and to show off the medals and ribbons they won at Durham College·s Special Olympics. B y K at i e S t ra c h a n The Oshawa Express Special Olympians have become quite the celebrities in Durham Region. Medalists Jan Heeney, Melissa Shaw and Jason Smith accepted a $40,000 cheque from Durham Region Transit (DRT) on behalf of the Special Olympics. ³The money we raise in Durham, stays in Durham,´ says Ted Galinis, Durham Region Transit General Manager. ³Durham Region Transit has been a leader, not just within the region, but a catalyst for action and support right across the province,´ says Glenn MacDonnell, president and CEO NOV 26 2008 of Special Olympics. The athletes, adorned in their medals and ribbons, stood in front of council with smiles from ear to ear. Shaw won her medal in basketball at the most recent Special Olympics held at Durham College in May. ³Next year, we¶re going to play in Windsor,´ says Shaw of her co-ed basketball teams next journey. Smith is on Shaw¶s basketball team, so he too brought home a medal in the sport. He also earned a medal in baseball as well. Heeney is a Jill of all trades. She took home gold overall at the Special Olympics in Nova Scotia. She also snagged gold in rhymic Page 3 Bailouts for unsustainable futures Everyone’s feeling the strain of the recession whether technical or not, as referred to by our government. Maybe none feel the pain more so than our local autoworkers. Since change is in the air in post-elections Canada and the United States, and with the advent of everything green, a bailout is not in order for a dying industry. However, having said that, a healthy investment in sustainable vehicles of the future, like those that run on the cleanest energy source we have available, say electricity or the once popularized hydrogen-powered car, is in order. Given that the VP of Corporate and Environmental Affairs has communicated his pride in the hybrid models ready for production, why not go one step further and take the leap into the world of the future, and become a star in the ride at Disneyland, and produce the electric car? Canadians, like most people value fuel economy, reliability and value for their money when buying cars. So, let’s make cars that are just that for Canada. For example, the Smart Car sells at a reasonable price and has an engine with the capability to take you to Montreal and back on one tank of gas. It has a maximum speed of 221 km/h and accelerates up to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. What more could you ask for? How about a similar model that goes one step beyond and runs on batteries alone? Dr. Greg Rohrauer is currently working in the ECOcar at UOIT and has a battery that is 100 per cent efficient in terms of charge and discharge. Sounds like science fiction doesn’t it? Why don’t GM and UOIT get together and sit down on one of our local green chairs for a little chat about what makes sense for the future of the planet? Currently, a gas-powered vehicle idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting your car. Likewise, idling your gas-powered car for 10 minutes a day uses up to more than 100 litres of gasoline per year. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the transportation industry is the single largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. There are many things in the air with these facts, and one of them is not the smell of a new gas-powered car. It’s the smell of change and the future coming to knock on the door of all auto manufacturers in Oshawa, Canada and the world. Page 4 600 Thornton Rd. S. Oshawa, ON L1J 6W7 news@oshawaexpress.ca phone: (905) 571-7 7334 fax: (905) 571-0 0255 NOV 26 2008 Volume 3, Number 57 Publisher Greg McDowell Advertising Director Kim Boatman Sports Editor Wally Donaldson sports@oshawaexpress.ca Contributors Bill Fox Jennifer Weymark Glen Goodhand Reporters Cynthia McQueen cmcqueen@oshawaexpress.ca Katie Strachan kstrachan@oshawaexpress.ca Letters to the Editor Economy front and centre Dear Editor, The global credit crisis has now placed the auto economy front and centre in economic discussions in the United States, Canada and indeed worldwide. There are two important questions we have been receiving more than any other: What can struggling auto companies do to change and become sustainable? And how did we get to this? The largely under-reported (or ignored) answer is that a profound, massively expensive transformation has taken place over the past 2 years at GM that now sees us offering more new hybrid models in the 2009 model year than any other auto manufacturer, leading on R&D and the introduction of electric cars, winning many prestigious new car and green technology awards, and, most important, placing GM's cost structure (including our labour and legacy costs) on track to be among the lowest of any global auto manufacturer. That transformation continues with enormous investment and not a small amount of pain. At GM we are focusing our resources on our new fuel-efficient vehicles and advanced environmental technologies - and a new sustainable, profitable global business model for the future. So then, how did we get to today's discussions about the sector needing loans to keep operating? How is it that we suddenly appear to have literally hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake? Put simply, while we have invested in massive change, the sudden credit crisis (that has now left over 3.5 million homes in the US without owners) leaves many auto companies without access to the cash or credit needed to ride out what has become the worst US new vehicle market decline in 25 years. Having made massive investments in new technologies and in our own transformation, GM now faces a US market decline that in just one year is larger than the entire Canadian auto sector. Put another way, you could now close down Canada's entire auto production and there would still be oversupply in today's US market. The US economy and auto market will eventually recover. Until it does, auto companies need to keep employing, purchasing, researching, developing and building the cars of the future. Public and pundit perceptions of GM have understandably not caught up with changes that have and are being made in GM's business model. Consider that: ·In the 2009 model year, GM offers more hybrid vehicle models than any other auto company ·GM Canada was the first auto company in Canada to build hybrid and fuel cell vehicles ·GM does more R&D in Canada than the rest of the auto industry combined ·GM Canada sells the most small cars of any automaker in Canada (more than Toyota, Honda, Mazda or Nissan in 2007) ·GM won North American Car of the Year in each of the past 2 years ·GM won the best new small car in Canada in each of the past 2 years (Pontiac Vibe 2009, Saturn Astra 2008) ·GM is on track to sell the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle starting in 2010 ·GM will close 4 large truck plants in North America and increase production of new small fuel efficient cars ·And GM has made (and continues to make) cuts and changes that put us on track to reduce our global cost structure to among the most competitive in the industry by 2010. And we will continue to do so beyond that date GM and others in the industry need to complete the job in this credit crisis. We need to keep employing, supporting suppliers and dealers and developing the cars of the future. Canada needs us to do that too. That's what the public expects from car companies. And that's exactly where we are driving at GM. David W. Paterson, Vice President of Corporate and Environmental Affairs, General Motors Canada, Ltd. Veterans relatives outraged Dear Editor, I have heard and read of many disgruntled complaints by relatives of veterans. Did you know? Many relatives are upset because they are unable to receive benefits they know others have received and theirs didn’t.Why? because they haven't got the documents required and no one listens or takes time to research to find out why. The simple answer to most is: The veteran didn't return to be properly discharged....His fault. At one stage, those who did 28 days digger time were to receive a dishonourable discharge. So, they didn't return to be properly discharged…Government’s fault. Others heard about the Dishonourable discharge scuttlebutt...wouldn't take a chance they might get one...besides it was only a piece of paper…Government’s fault..No action to counter this scuttlebutt. And, without the proper discharge papers, relatives cannot get their medals either. William "Sam" Magee Discharge staff Publications Mail Agreement 41268024 Return undeliverable Canadian address to: The Oshawa Express 600 Thornton Rd. S. Oshawa, ON L1J 6W7 ISSN 1715-9 9253 The Oshawa Express is a publication of Dowellman Publishing Corp which is located at 600 Thornton Rd. S., Oshawa, ON, L1J 6W7 (905) 571-7334, Fax (905) 5710255, E-mail:sails@istar.ca. All advertising and editorial material published by The Oshawa Express and Dowellman Publishing Corp is for exclusive use of this publication and cannot be reproduced elsewhere without prior permission. Advertising Policy: Advertisers must check immediately after first insertion of their retail or classified advertisement to ensure there are no errors in the advertisement. The Oshawa Express and Dowellman Publishing Corp are not responsible for second or further insertions of the incorrect advertisement. Further, The Oshawa Express and Dowellman Publishing Corp are not responsible for costs or damages for a non insertion of an agreed upon advertisement. The editor has the right to edit, change in any way, or classify an advertisement. The Oshawa Express and Dowellman Publishing Corp are only responsible for the cost of the advertisement space that is taken up by an incorrect insertion, except in the case of failure to notify The Oshawa Express of any errors after the first insertion and then there would be no responsibility on the part of The Oshawa Express and Dowellman Publishing Corp. Letters to the Editor The Oshawa Express publishes every Wednesday in the City of Oshawa. Send us your comments, letters to the editor, suggestions. We’d like to hear from you. Please write to: The Oshawa Express, 600 Thornton Rd. S., Oshawa, ON L1J 6W7 or email: news@oshawaexpress.ca NOV 26 2008 Lakeridge Health opens District Stroke Centre Small window of opportunity for stroke “The word stroke often (receives the response) it’s not going to happen to me,” says Lavoie. But 10 years ago that all changed in a short period of time when, “My body told me you have to call 911.” At the time of his stroke, Lavoie was transported to Sunnybrook in Toronto from Oshawa because Lakeridge Health did not have the first response drug known as Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Lakeridge Health was designated a District Stroke Centre and can now offer 24/7 access to the clot busting drug and highly specialPhoto by Cynthia McQueen/The Oshawa Express Stroke patient, Claude Lavoie told his personal experiences with stroke ized staff for Durham region to a room full of health care professionals at Lakeridge Health as they patients. Dr. David Crisp, a neurolwelcomed the announcement of the opening of a new district stroke ogist at Lakeridge who will centre at the hospital. be heading up the new department explains, “tPA By Cynthia McQueen gives a 10 per cent benefit in the outcome of a The Oshawa Express stroke. The major benefit is that it can stop the After Claude Lavoie experienced a loss of speech or prevent paralysis (the major headache he joked that it was because of his after-effect of stroke).” A stroke is the sudden loss of brain funcwife’s cooking, but a stroke is no laughing tion. It is caused by the interruption of the flow matter. of blood to the brain or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain. The drug tPA dissolves the clotting, can stop the disabling effects of stroke and even assist in recovery. Recently, testing on the drug extended the window of opportunity in which the drug can be administered to three to four and half hours. Lavoie told the audience at Lakeridge, “As it turns out, I didn’t need tPA. And, there’s nothing left as a side effect aside from the waver in my voice.” Lavoie was, as stroke survivors are concerned, fortunate. However, because he was at Sunnybrook, his wife had to travel back and forth on the 401 to visit her husband, which he told the crowd, “terrifies her.” Now that Lakeridge is a District Stroke Centre, family and friends of stroke patients in the area known as Central East in the Local Health Integrations Network (LHIN), which covers Scarborough to Northumberland up to Halliburton will no longer have to travel to Toronto, Barrie, York region and Peterborough for access to these services. Thankfully, with the new designation for Lakeridge, Foster Loucks Chair of the Central East LHIN Board of Directors says, “This will lead to better care for those people who suffer from stroke. Now we can focus on prevention to reduce the burden of chronic diseases on people, their families and the health care sys- tem.” Chris Kooy, Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Lakeridge Health recognized the hard work of her staff and all those involved in making sure Oshawa became a District Stroke Centre. “Nothing comes without a lot of hard work,” says Kooy. There were tears in the eyes of many staff members and health care professionals who were overjoyed by the new development for Lakeridge Health. Councillor John Henry was in attendance and extended gratitude from Oshawa city council and the region for the hard work of Emergency Response Staff, the Durham Regional Police Service and the Fire Department. “As a politician I just want to say thank you,” says Henry. Approximately 100,000 people live with the effects of stroke on an annual basis in the province of Ontario. Common signs of stroke include a sudden loss of strength or sudden numbness, trouble speaking, vision problems, a sudden severe headache and dizziness and possibly a sudden loss of balance (especially with any of the other signs). Stroke is the leading cause of death across the country and costs about $2.7 billion annually in healthcare. Restructuring plants for green future costs GM From MORE Page 1 “They’re reducing line speed at the Chevy Impala plant. They’re going from 66 jobs per hour to 45 jobs per hour, which is a reduction of 500 people,” Buckley explains. “It’s not a good way to start off a new year,” comments Buckley. Newly named Industry Minister, former Health Minister Tony Clement went on a factfinding mission this week to talk with executives from the big three, GM, Ford and Chrysler, about a joint bailout from the Canadian and American governments for the auto industry. At the time of this publication, Minister Clement was unavailable for comment. “Our industry is in severe crises. We’re not asking the government for a bailout we’re asking to give them a loan to help them get through this terrible time. I’m also calling on our government to act immediately and not wait for the American government. I’m very concerned if our Canadian government doesn’t act immediately there’s a very real possibility that we will lose GM in this city and our country. That will have a devastating impact on all of our communities,” says Buckley. David W. Paterson, vice president of Corporate and Environmental Affairs, General Motors Canada, Ltd issued a letter to the editor this week explaining where the company stands with its finances. “The largely under-reported (or ignored) answer is that a profound, massively expensive transformation has taken place over the past two years at GM,” states the letter. Paterson is referring to outfitting manufacturing plants with the technology to produce a 2009 hybrid model. At the same time, the letter notes that GM is leading research and development for the introduction of electric cars. “That transformation continues with enormous investment and not a small amount of pain. At GM we are focusing our resources on our new fuel-efficient vehicles and advanced environmental technologies - and a new sustainable, profitable global business model for the future,” says Paterson. According to Buckley, “We have the ability in the city of Oshawa to build whatever products GM wants to introduce. We have a state of the art paint facility and a flexible manufacturing facility, which is capable of producing a number of different vehicles on the same assembly line.” NOV 26 2008 the auto industry is a direct result of the amount of import vehicles coming into Canada. “We’re calling on our government to address unfair trade policies. At the very least, if we can’t enter foreign markets with our vehicles, then the offshore competitors that sell in our market must be made to produce in our market therefore creating good paying Canadian jobs,” says Buckley. In response to allegations that the bailout comes in the wake of increases to labourers wages, Buckley had this to say: “Out last round of negotiations saved GM over $300 million. We froze our wages, we froze our cost of living Photo by Katie Strachan/The Oshawa Express allowances, we changed our benefit Chris Buckely rallied unemployed autoworkers at a demonstra- structure, we agreed to co-pay on tion in front of Jim Flaherty’s office in Oshawa in last month. prescriptions (we pay a percentage). We did a host of things but at the end of the day we saved them $300 “GM has spent billions of dollars on restructuring and retooling, but we’ve had a number million,” notes Buckley. of obstacles hit us such as the rising cost in Likewise, Buckley clarified, “Only 7 per cent fuel, a slumping US economy, the most recent of the price of a vehicle (the sticker price) is credit crisis and for decades, unfair trade,” related to labour.” Speaking to the cross-border relationship comments Buckley. Buckley believes the current state of decline in between supply and demand in both markets, Paterson clarifies, “GM now faces a US market decline that in just one year is larger than the entire Canadian auto sector. Put another way, you could now close down Canada's entire auto production and there would still be oversupply in today's US market.” Page 5 New citizens welcomed by Durham Region By Katie Strachan The Oshawa Express Phil Gaynor was a new citizen to Canada Page 6 when he was 18 years old and more than 18 years later he welcomed 41 new citizens to Durham region by swearing them in as a judge. “It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this most momentous occasion in your life,” says Judge Gaynor who presided the ceremony in Regional chambers yesterday. The Health and Social Services Committee, Durham Regional Police and Durham region hosted the citizenship ceremony in order to welcome the new citizens to the Country. “I know that you’re very excited and I need you to know that I’m just as excited,” says Judge Gaynor who took part in the same ceremony when he moved to Canada as a teenager. The new citizens practiced their bilingualism repeating the oath in both French and English following Judge Gaynor. They were each presented with certificates of citizenship and a single red or white rose to celebrate Canada’s true colours. “It’s now my pleasure to inform you that you are citizens of Canada. We have just welcome 41 new people to the Canadian family,” exclaims Gaynor after the oaths took place. Leaving a home country behind is not easy, according to Gaynor. “We ask that you bring the best of your homeland’s customs to continue to enrich the country, “adds Gaynor. “You are now in Canada. A country that has been and continues to be enriched by those … who choose to make it their home,” says Gaynor. The newest residents come from all over the world including England, India, China, Nigeria, the Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Photo by Yinuo Zhang/The Oshawa Express Venezuela, Saudi Arabia to 41 new citizens were welcomed to Durham Region yesterday. They name a few. came from countries all over the world. “It’s a wonderful day in “Feel free to approach any of our officers Canada and it’s because of you new whenever you need to,” continued Ewles. Canadians,” says Senior Judge Springate. This is the second year in a row that “Hopefully you’ll never need to call the police Durham Region Headquarters has hosted a though.” The ceremony wrapped up with the singing citizenship ceremony. “We do hope it becomes an annual tradi- of the national anthem in both languages. “I hope that your time in Canada will be one that tion,” says April Cullen, city councillor. “We are so proud that you have chosen is peaceful, prosperous and healthy,” says Durham region as your home,” adds Police Judge Springate. Chief Mike Ewles, who was also on hand for the ceremony. NOV 26 2008 Toys for tickets Pay your parking ticket with toys! Ticketed motorists in Durham Region have the option to make someone’s Christmas better this year by paying their parking tickets in toys. “Toys for Tickets has become a holiday tradition in Oshawa and we are really excited about the community goodwill that the program generates,” says Laura Hicks, Supervisor, Parking and Vehicle Enforcement. All the toys will be donated to the Durham Regional Police Food and Toy Drive, which helps make Christmas morning a little more special for less fortunate kids. “Last year the pilot program was well received by the residents. We received positive comments from citizens who felt good about buying a toy in lieu of payment for their parking ticket and staff felt great about helping to make a difference in the community. Our goal is to exceed last year’s donation of collecting over $1,000 value of gifts,” says Hicks. “Last year was our first year running this program and was a great success. In light of the current economic climate, this program presents a win-win opportunity for everyone involved,” says Robert Lutczyk, City Councillor. The toy must meet or exceed the amount owing on the parking ticket. Gifts will be collected for newborns to 18 years of age. On Dec. 10 and 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., motorists can bring in their parking ticket, a new unwrapped toy and the receipt for the unwrapped toy to the City of Oshawa Parking and Vehicle Enforcement office at 1 Mary St. N. The program only applies to City of Oshawa parking tickets issued from Dec. 1 to Dec 11. Tickets issued for illegal parking in accessible spaces are not eligible. For more information on the program, visit www.oshawa.ca The City: Briefly Speaking City pitching in again Pitch-in Ontario, a national non-profit organization that works to improve communities and the environment, is requesting the city’s financial help again. In 2008, the city supported the program and volunteers that work to clean up and beautify neighbourhoods, undertake projects to reduce, reuse, recycle and educate children about the taking responsibility for the environment. The organization is asking council for a donation of $1,250 based on the city’s population. Parking issues for schools Parking upgrades and continued construction activity at St Christopher Catholic and John XXIII Catholic Elementary School will force some staff members to park on surrounding streets. This new parking arrangement, scheduled to last the month of Nov. through to June 30, 2009 will pose problems for snow removal in the coming winter months. The vehicles will be clearly identified with an on-street parking permit issued by the city. The pass will only be valid Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any cars without a tag are not authorized to park on the street. A stroke of genius means a stroke of hope Art is the expression of your mind, and Painting with Purpose wants those with special needs to express what’s on their minds. The charity is asking for individuals with intellectual or learning disabilities to pick up their brushes and paint a picture for the charity drive. First time around the goal was to raise $150,000 for children that suffer from cerebral palsy. This time, they hope to raise $375,000 for children that suffer form Down syndrome. Anyone with an intellectual disability can participate. While John and Chris Thornham creators of Painting with Purpose have yet to decide what charity the remainder of the proceeds will go to, they are still searching across the country for children with special needs who would like to paint a picture. Painting with Purpose sells digital copies of paintings created by the children with special needs to raise money for a variety of charities. The artwork that is chosen for the contest will be displayed over the Internet for everyone to see. For more information visit the website www.paintingwithpurpose.com or send mail to Painting With Purpose 3-644 Portland Street, Suite 137 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada at B2W 2M3. NOV 26 2008 Page 7 Electric battery powered buses burn clean From BUSES Page 1 researched. “There would be no compromise between this bus and any conventional fuel bus except that it would run off the plug and be extremely clean,” says Rohrauer. The major difference between the two is cost, “Electrical vehicles are around one fifth or one sixth of the cost of petrol,” says Pierre Hinse, a graduate student working with Rohrauer. Hinse is conducting tests to measure speed, elevation changes, battery life, energy efficiency and consumption as well conducting a cost benefit analysis on the buses. He explained, we’re trying “to predict in a normal operating day the exact energy needs of the bus and then from there how far they’re going to get and how well they will operate.” In terms of the technology itself, Rohrauer remains humble about the capabilities of the buses, “(They’re) not perfect, but it’s pretty much the best technology ever made.” The one thing that makes these energy efficient, greenhouse-gas-free buses flawed is their out-of-date battery technology. Based on the new lithium batteries that exist today, and if the funding existed, as Rorhauer says, the buses could have batteries that are five times better than what they currently have. “The batteries that I’m testing in my laboratory right now have close to 100 per cent columbic efficiency. That means the electricity that you put in comes back out and there are no losses. The losses are less than one per cent,” says Rohrauer. As far as electricity running a car, it can certainly run a bus and then some. “We predict that we could have this bus running at maximum speeds of over 50 miles per hour with a 250 mile range,” says Rohrauer. “You could run an entire shift, an 8- or 10hour shift,” explains Rohrauer. In order to fully charge the current batteries, because they don’t have the original chargers, it takes two days to achieve a full charge. The original chargers can have the bat- teries ready in three to four hours and Rorhauer is working on getting those in his lab. Currently, the buses battery life runs between 80 to 100 miles. However, Rohrauer clarified with the same batteries being used in the Eco car project, the bus could run more efficiently. “(Battery) cells are cheaper today than they were in the day the buses were made. We’re talking roughly one dollar per kilowatt hour (kWh),” says Rorhauer. “There are 116 kWhs on board now. If I were to upgrade, I’d put 250 kWhs in, which would make the batteries $280,000 and that type of battery would last the life of the bus and you could run them daily.” “The payback’s small, but it does make sense especially when it’s as clean as your electricity is and it doesn’t produce greenhouse gases.” The price of the batteries may seem scary now, but Rohrauer explained that based on predictive pricing the cost will be $200/kWh in a few years, which is five times less than it is now. “At that point it really does make sense,” says Rohrauer. Taken in perspective, the buses were originally sold at a subsidized price of $208,000 in 1997. With the service range they were designed for, the analysis done in the day indicated that there would be a savings. And, as Rohrauer points out, “We’re only going to get better with today’s technology. It’s getting more efficient. The batteries themselves are more efficient, there’s less energy loss when you’re charging and discharging and the payback periods are something in the five to six year range,” says Rohrauer. “We’d like to have a two year payback, but we’re not there yet,” says the engineer. Only 29 of these buses were ever built. Rohrauer calls them the first edition. They were specially designed to be the lightest weight, most efficient buses and were used originally to shuttle tourists around the Grand Canyon in Arizona by the Navajo people. Photo by Cynthia McQueen/The Oshawa Express From left, Dr. Ron Bordessa, president of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Bill Robinson, Senior Vice President of Nuclear Refurbishment at Ontario Power Generation, Peter Hinse, graduate student in the faculty of engineering and applied science at UOIT and Dr. Greg Rohrauer, professor of engineering at UOIT share a laugh while disembarking from the first public pilot ride of the electric bus at UOIT this week. The buses remained in service until 2004 but were decommissioned because the technology for the batteries lagged behind the technology for energy capacity. “It’s getting to that point where the evidence is simply irrefutable that there’s no better means than to go fully electric on urban bus routes,” said Rohrauer. And because seeing is believing, the project leader is hoping to use the bus as a shuttle between the new downtown campus and the university’s main campus. The sole roadblock for the little buses that could is funding. “Like any bus, it has an operational budget, but unlike other buses, we don’t have an operation to take revenue from,” jokes Hinse. For better visibility in the community and as an educational tool, the APS Systems Electric Bus is available for rides and will be touring around to local schools. The project is currently funded through a partnership between UOIT and Ontario Power Generation. Eventually, the research will be used to attempt to launch the passenger vehicles to a major city transit system for implementation. For more information contact Dr. Greg Rohrauer at greg.rohrauer@uoit.ca. Christmas for young son of murder victim By Cynthia McQueen The Oshawa Express When Chad Collins found out his fiancée Amber Francis Young was murdered, he was left with a 13 month-old son to care for. Monday Oshawa’s Family Court awarded sole custody of Gavin Collins to the proud father who calls his son his shadow. Page 8 “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I’m looking forward to raising him. I love every minute of it,” says Collins. While Collins is trying to get his life back on track, “It’s hard because (Gavin will) lay down on his bed and cry ‘cause he misses his mommy. He kisses her picture every night and he kisses my chest because I have a tattoo of Amber on my chest and we cry.” “I cry everyday. But I got to keep it together for my boy,” says Collins. “She was the love of my life and yeah it’s tragic and I never would have wished this upon anybody,” says Collins. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that “my son’s growing up without a mother.” And a group of Chad and Amber’s friends are putting together a fundraising Christmas event for Gavin in hopes of providing the Christmas his mother would have wanted for him, appropriately called Christmas for Gavin. “I have three kids and everyone should have a Christmas,” says Christine, a friend of Collins’ who considers him like a son. “I’m hoping that it’ll be a big event and I’ve got a lot of people helping,” says Christine. Speaking of an old friend of Young’s who’s stepped in to lend a hand, Christine says, “CJ’s gone the extra mile to help.” CJ Redcliffe was a long time friend of Young. When CJ reconnected with Young recently, “The first thing out of her mouth was I have a baby.” “It seemed like she had gotten everything right,” says Redcliffe. Commenting on Young’s troubled childhood, Redcliffe offered, “She had a difficult childhood just like anyone else, but she got away from that crowd.” Many friends of the couple are organizing Christmas for Gavin and fully expect to provide the toddler with all the love, presents and Christmas joy he can handle. Christmas for Gavin will be held at Le Skratch on Friday, Dec. 21. The event includes a live and a silent auction, door Photo supplied Baby Gavin is looking forward to a great Christmas and all his friends and family are putting together a fundraiser on behalf of his late mother to make his holidays full of toys, joy and presents. Christmas for Gavin will be held Friday, Dec. 21 at Le Skratch with live entertainment, auctions and more. prizes and live entertainment, including Two for the Show. For more information join the Christmas for Gavin Facebook page organized by 17-year-old Tiffany Noseworthy or call Christine at 905-240-0860. NOV 26 2008 Ruby red noses all lit up with Santa too were naughty or nice many parents in the crowd volunteered their children in both categories. But, Santa was jolly as ever and reassured young ones by the hundreds, “All I see is good boys and girls in Oshawa.” Santa brought cheers alive again when he gave the kids the perfect recipe for keeping Dancer to Blitzen and the his own round belly happy on the night before Christmas morning. Santa told the crowd that to keep the reindeer super-charged for the long night of delivering presents they’ll need carrots. And as for Santa, he stuck with his usual diet - one half glass of milk and a chocolate chip cookie. Before Santa’s arrival, another man that runs the show arrived on stage, but some of Photo by Yinuo Zhang/The Oshawa Express the younger folks in the crowd weren’t sure who that was other than Santa, until they The Traveling Red Hat Diva's were out in fine form sporting their ruby red hats to welcome were introduced to Mayor John Gray. the man in red at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Memorial Park. Mayor Gray was one of many people in the crowd who answered that they’d be putBy Cynthia McQueen ting up their Christmas lights in the freezing cold this weekend. The Oshawa Express Some of Mayor Gray’s little helpers came out for some hot Ruby red noses were striking Rudolph poses all throughout chocolate and to help turn on the lights for the tree to welcome Memorial Park for the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Santa to town. Ceremony. Councillors Mary Creighton, Joe Kolodzie, Nestor Snowsuit wearing little ones made snow angels and threw Pidwerbecki, and John Henry were on stage to count down the snowballs all night while they waited to hear the sleigh bells lighting of Oshawa’s new permanent Christmas tree. that brought Santa into town a little early this year. The tree, Johnston says, “Is six years old.” Santa arrived onstage to cheers from the crowd that were The radio host told all the six year-olds in the crowd that quieted quick when Terry Johnston from CKDO joked that kids they would always be able to visit the tree and tell their friends should be in bed at “What 3 or 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve? And, they’re “the same age as the tree.” don’t get up before 6 a.m,” advised Johnston. The O’Neill Senior Collegiate Choir warmed up the crowd When Johnston asked Old St. Nick if the kids in Oshawa and so did the hot chocolate until Terry and Rick got everyone dancing with some Jingle Bell Rockin’ good tunes to light the tree and bring Santa to town. Parade of lights Photo by Katie Strachan/ The Oshawa Express Correction In the Wed. Nov. 19 edition of The Oshawa Express, the article entitled Boundaries excluded some kids on page 10 referred to O’Neill Collegiate as O’Neal high school. The Oshawa Express apologizes for any confusion this may have caused. Shopping for carpet? Consider these questions (NC)-The more hectic our lives become, the more we value our homes as our private place to unwind, relax and renew. Creating the perfect home sanctuary involves choosing home décor materials that promote health, happiness and comfort. That decision starts from the floor up. The choice of flooring sets the tone for the entire room. You want to choose something that embraces your lifestyle, looks great and feels good. The unique characteristics and versatility of carpet still make it the most sought-after choice for rooms where softness, texture, color, luxury or comfort are important, whether your style is NOV 26 2008 classic, casual or contemporary. When it comes to selecting what is best for you from the endless styles, patterns, textures and colors of carpet available, here are a few important questions to ask yourself: 1. What are your short and long term plans for your home? Choose a product that meets your immediate personal needs, and remember that a good quality carpet will help sell a home. 2. What is your décor style? Classic elegance, casual comfort or urban contemporary? Gather together your favorite clippings from décor magazines to help identify your personal style. More information on defining your écor style and recommended carpet choices by style is available online at www.yourhomestyle.ca. 3. What areas will you be carpeting? Different carpet fibres and constructions offer different performance properties. Entranceways, hallways, stairs and children's bedrooms require a better quality, more resilient carpet to withstand the traffic. A flecked or multi-toned carpet, in a loop or cut-and-loop pattern, does a great job of hiding wear and dirt. A contemporary shaggylook frieze is the perfect choice to cozy up a family room or home entertainment centre for both comfort and sound insulation. Sculpted carpets in subtle florals, waves, stripes, checks, pin dots or 3-D geometric patterns add the right touch of visual interest to the floor in living rooms, formal dining rooms or master bedrooms. 4. What is practical for your lifestyle? If an easy-care is important, consider earthtoned patterns, textures or looped carpet styles that hide footprints and dirt and are easily cleaned with a good vacuum. Look for stain-resistant or soil-resistance treated carpet for extra insurance. 5. What color options will work best? Light or neutral colors will make your room feel cooler and will make a small space appear larger. Darker colors can add warmth and can make a large space cozier. Do your research, follow your instincts and have fun. Advanced fibre and manufacturing technologies have ushered in a whole new revolution of carpet flooring possibilities with a myriad of colors, textures and patterns available. There is a carpet for every décor. Austin Smith at 174 Mary St. N. , Oshawa offers carpet cleaning, stain removal and restretching as well as steam cleaning of area rugs and is Oshawa's only in plant rug cleaning. Pick up and delivery of your area rugs is available. Denver Carpet is able to provide quality carpeting and installation. There's still plenty of time to freshen your home for the upcoming holiday season. - News Canada Page 9 Symbol of unity brings Oshawa together From OLYMPICS Page 1 Canadians.” In fact, 12,000 hands will raise the torch high in the air as they run a total of 45,000 kms across the country. “We hope that you’re as excited as we are to be able to get the torch to your community,” says John Furlong, CEO of the 2010 winter games. “Wherever you are in Canada, these games are just as much yours as the people of Vancouver,” Furlong adds. The famous flame will visit 1,000 communities in just 100 days. The Olympic torch will be lit in late Oct. next year and will make its debut in Vancouver for the opening ceremonies on Feb. 12, 2010. Jerry Ouellette, Oshawa’s MPP, was among dozens in the room that had no idea what the big announcement city staff made. “We’re here to celebrate something great,” says Ouellette. Photo by Yinuo Zhang/The Oshawa Express “Oshawa comes to the Dignitaries, city councillors, and other key figures held the banner high for the 2010 Vancouver forefront to represent Olympics after the city announced it will host the Olympic torch in December 2009. Canada because of all the nesses to help out and to get the overall spirit flowing. great things that are happening here,” Ouellete says. “I’m really excited. It’s going to show a real good image of “Only about 3 people in the room knew what was Oshawa,” says Jeremy Thompson, a local business owner from going to be announced,” says Carter, the Master of Oshawa who was on hand for the announcement. Ceremonies for the day. “Let’s show the country that Oshawa is the place to invest, “I encourage all of you to get involved and take the place to raise a family, the place to start a business,” says advantage of this great opportunity. It’s a once in a lifeCarter. time opportunity,” adds Mayor Gray. “This is something you’ll never forget. This will be the time Carter encouraged teachers to get their students of your life,” exclaims Furlong. involved, residents to hang their flags out front, busi- Art on city hydrants Downtown is beginning to look a little more festive. That’s because students from O’Neill Collegiate participated in “The Fire Hydrant Festival” over the weekend, and they didn’t let the cold slow them down. O’Neill visual arts students, under the direction of their art instructor, Craig Wildman, painted the fire hydrants in the central business district right downtown. The hydrants were painted with winter or holiday themes as part of their course requirements. The Downtown Oshawa Board of Management sponsors the program. The students in the program at O’Neill are invited to take part in this celebration each year, twice a year. The festivals take place in November and in April. Photo by Katie Strachan/The Oshawa From left; Mike Ekker, Maddie Tur and Evan Ezesky, students at O’Neill Collegiate in Oshawa braved the cold in the name of art and painted a winter scene on this fire hydrant downtown. Photographs of the finished fire hydrants can be seen on the downtown Oshawa website which is w w w. d o w n townoshawa.ca. Page 10 NOV 26 2008 NOV 26 2008 Page 11 Math in motion with eggs in the air By Katie Strachan The Oshawa Express Fifteen high schools plus 100 girls equals Math in Motion. The young ladies from high schools across the region extrapolated exponential numbers exactly as the participated in the program for Grade 9 girls from across Durham. “It actually came about in a bathroom,” jokes Judy Shanks, organizer of the event when asked how the idea was thought up. She was attending a course and met a professor in the bathroom who encouraged her to adopt the idea from the University of Waterloo’s similar program. The one-day event was filled with new and classic games like the annual egg drop, which is a hit with all the participants. It allows the girls a chance to build a special device, using a plastic grocery bag, masking tape and straws that would protect an egg from the long drop. Girls crowded around the inside of the Durham District School Board (DDSB) building to watch as their team’s egg safePhoto’s by Yinuo Zhang/The Oshawa Express ly, or not so safely in some cases, hit the Grade 9 girls from 15 high schools across Durham Region took part in the “Math in Motion” program at ground. “The sole purpose of the event is to the Durham District School Board headquarters recently. The program was created to encourage girls to encourage girls to study or consider study- enter math related fields. ing in math related fields … like computer sciences or engineering,” says Shanks. Sophie Chrysostomou, is a specialist in has been happening for five years at the And four female presenters working in Mathematics. Since graduating from the DDSB building. math-related fields, once egg-tossers them- University of Toronto she became a professor A program held at the University of selves, shared their stories with the young in all things mathematical. Waterloo for about the last eight or nine girls by way of encouragement. Fiona Dunbar has a Masters in years, which has the same fundamental prinMathematics and teaches uni- ciples, inspired the Math in Motion program. versity algebra and calculus. The only issue was since the course was Sandy Graham is a lecturer in Computer Science at the so successful students were being turned away because of space issues. University of Waterloo. That’s when Shanks stepped in and conJennifer Stott has held various positions within RBC vinced the DDSB to adopt the program so Banks such as Technical that Durham girls could experience the Systems Analyst, project man- same math related course. “It’s just a really fun day,” adds Shanks, ager and Business Systems “We want to encourage them to get to know Analyst. A keynote speaker from each other,” Seventeen schools from across the region Cobalt Engineering, Meghan Patterson also shared her story were invited to participate in the day’s events. A total of 15 were able to make it. with the Grade 9 students. The girls were divided into 25 groups of She attended the University of Queens for mechanical five or six. Each girl in the group was from engineering. She now works a different high school. Grade 9 girls from schools across the region participated in the Judging by the schoolgirls cheers of as an intermediate designer for Math in Motion program. Here they drop their eggs from up high excitement, overall the day was a smashing to see if their makeshift parachutes and protective cases will keep the company. The Math in Motion event success. their eggs from shattering. Action packed kids Get your kids moving with Durham lives! Durham Lives! is providing all Grade 5 students in Oshawa and the region with an Action Pass for all recreation centres and arenas. This Action Pass grants all Grade 5 kids free access to both public swimming and skating at local recreation centres. “Durham Lives! promotes physical activity, healthy eating and smoke-free living to help contribute to a healthy community,” explains Brian Dallaway, coordinator of the Durham Lives! coalition. “We expect the Grade 5 Action Pass will help motivate students to make healthy lifestyle changes and become more physically active as a result,” says Dallaway. According to the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey, 41 per cent of Durham youth don’t get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most, if not all, days a week. Durham Lives! aims to slow the increase in rates of overweight and obese children and youth by increasing the proportion of children who are physically active. “By taking away the cost of participating in physical activity, we hope to see a lasting change in physical activity levels of the participating youth,” adds Dallaway. Grade 5 students can visit their local municipal recreation complex or the Durham Family YMCA in Oshawa to pick up and activate the Action Pass. Students need the letter they received from school, as well as proof of address and date of birth. When activated, the pass is effective throughout the school year and summer. Durham Lives! is a coalition of individuals and agencies working together to prevent chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes by promoting physical activity, healthy eating and smoke-free living. For more information about the Grade 5 Action Pass or other Durham Lives! initiatives call 905-668-7711, ext. 3172. A look back at the White Hurricane of November 1913 There’s a strong history of winter storms in November. Oshawa has seen some great ones starting with snow and ice, turning to gale force winds, and getting so out of control as to be described as hurricanes. As we look out our windows and the first real snowfall of the season, let’s look back at a great November storm that struck shortly after the turn of the century. It was early November 1913 when Oshawa saw a storm like no other experienced in the entire Great Lakes area. The storm was known as the White Hurricane. It lasted four days, killed 250 people and brought with it deadly snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Ships that were supposed to be “unsinkable” had sunk. Page 12 William Percy Judge, a resident of Oshawa, wrote about this storm in his memoirs. The following is Judge’s description of how the White Hurricane affected Oshawa: “I recall the impact of the great storm of November 1913 on Oshawa’s lakefront. The storm changed the shoreline, ripped up the pier, tore out the bridge where the creek entered the lake, wrecked the boathouse and dock, tore down the Ocean Wave (and) destroyed the sandy bottom and the beach, left gravel in place of sand, tore down most of the trees in the picnic grounds, wrecked tables and benches and broke many windows in the pavilion. Some waves were as high as the pavilion and water ran across the car tracks and road and into the cat-tail swamp. I had heard of the storm from the tele- graph operator at the Grand Trunk Station. Before the storm was over, thirteen large ships had been sunk and more than two hundred people had lost their lives.” The morning of the storm, Nov. 7, gave no warning of the terrible weather to come. It was apparently, a beautiful warm, in fact, unusually warm, and windy day. However, an Arctic blast of extremely cold air collided with the warmth of the Great Lakes and caused the White Hurricane. In his memoirs, Judge provides an explanation for the terrible turn in the weather: “Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes, but is very deep. In the center, the bottom is almost five hundred feet below sea level and because of this, much of the same water could remain(s) near the bottom of the lake. The current carries the water on top over it like a river. Because of its depth, it takes a longer time and really big blow to cause Lake Ontario to go mad. The conditions were right – so, mad she got.” The storm that so battered the Great Lakes concluded with blue skies and temperatures so warm that all of the snow melted by the end of the week. NOV 26 2008 To have your baby included in The Oshawa Express Echo Baby, please send a photograph of your child (infant to 2 years) to: The Oshawa Express, 600 Thornton Rd. S., Oshawa, Ontario, L1J 6W7. Email: kstrachan@oshawaexpress.ca This is a free service. Photos will be available for pick up at this location. Baby Connor, 1, is always smiling no matter what life throws at him. He loves hanging out with his big brother Cayden. Ready....set.....go baby Conn!!! The Oshawa Express would like to remind its readers to still send Express Perfect Pet pictures in to run bi-weekly in the Echo Baby feature. ARIES March 20 to April 19 An extremely loving cycle, a secret romance could become public knowledge. More diplomatic, it is easier to sell your ideas, products or services. New opportunities to travel open up. TAURUS April 19 to May 20 Think twice before you “burn any bridges” or try to convert others to your point of view. Seek your own personal truth and learn as much as you can. Restructure your financial goals. Plan for unexpected expenses. GEMINI May 20 to June 21 Family and career issues are the main focus. Showcase your skills and talents and move ahead with definite career plans. Good time to apply for a loan or a mortgage. Help out a loved one. CANCER June 21 to July 22 If you are involved in a long-term relationship, you and your partner can discover amazing things about each other. For singles, a dating relationship could become serious. Team up with a friend to get fit. LEO July 22 to August 22 It is time to exert personal control over your work, daily routines and physical body. If you are unhappy with your job, it may be time to change careers. Allow your creativity free reign. VIRGO August 22 to Sept 22 Set common sense limits for your children, but guard against getting involved in power struggles with them. For singles, a chance encounter could lead to a new romantic relationship. LIBRA Sept 22 to Oct 23 Because you want to make your home more attractive, you may be considering a remodelling or redecorating project. Consider all the pros and cons before starting a home-based business. SCORPIO Oct 23 to Nov 22 Years of pressure on your personal finances have finally come to an end as Pluto moves into Scorpio’s sector of communication, education and siblings. Take the opportunity to upgrade your education. SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 to Dec 21 Happy Birthday Sagittarius! Think about what you would like to achieve during the coming year. Curb your spending over the next few weeks, since you may want to buy luxury items. CAPRICORNDec 21 to Jan 19 You have the determination, inner strength and will power to accomplish just about anything you set out to do. So take it easy on yourself and the people close to you. Go for a make over, look and feel your best. AQUARIUS Jan 19 to Feb 19 Deal with any issues left over from childhood. Pay attention to your dreams and intuitions, since they are particularly significant now. A heart-to-heart talk with a friend will lift your spirits. PISCES Feb 19 to March 20 Old friendships not connected to your life’s goals can come to an end, but you will also attract new companions who share your ideals and sense of purpose. You could receive a raise or bonus for work done in the past. Nov. 19 Word Game answers The Stars Say is provided by Joan Ann of Oshawa. For personal readings, call 905-725-9179 or visit her website at www.astroconsultation.com PRIZE: Bring in your completed and correct Express Crossword puzzle before the answers run in the following Wednesday edition and you will receive an Express T-shirt. Limit is one t-shirt per person for the year. NOV 26 2008 Page 13 Wed. Nov. 26 Sat. Dec. 6 Come rummage through used clothing and accessories in the church hall at Harmony Road church from 10 a.m. to noon. The Oshawa Community Museum & Archives is hosting their annual Lamplight Tour. The museum consists of three restored homes, which visitors will tour by lamplight, sampling holiday treats and hot apple cider while being entertained by the Durham Benefit Wind Ensemble. Tours are from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information call 905-4367624 ext. 106. Thurs. Nov. 27 Join in a discussion of Success and Learning Disabilities with Dr. Kwan, Executive Director of the Oshawa Psychological Clinic. Kwan will share his firsthand knowledge of overcoming the challenges of learning disabilities. The event starts at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at McLaughlin Library. For more info contact 905-579-6111 ext. 5264. Wed. Dec. 3 Candles make the perfect holiday gift! Learn how to make two different types of candles at this exciting craft programme. Craft It! Candle making Jess Hann Branch at 7 p.m. Space is limited. Registration is free at any branch. Envirosponsible, Recycling Your Home, strives to make green living attainable and its founder Chad Pescod will teach you how at 7:00 p.m. at the McLaughlin Library Auditorium. Come learn about the numerous benefits that a community recycling centre can offer, such as, green alternatives for remodelling your home to saving water usage and accelerated composting. Registration and refreshments are free at any branch. Free parking after 6:00 p.m. Thurs. Dec. 4 Deck the Halls open house at the Northview Community Centre. The event will include live entertainment, carolling, crafts, games and a special visit from Santa Clause. The event is free and runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sun. Dec. 7 Centennial Albert United Church is holding a Blue Sunday Service at 3 p.m. This service embraces those who grieve during the Christmas holidays. Refreshments to follow. The Loreley Singers will perform an Advent Concert in German and English at Club Loreley at 389 Dean Ave, Oshawa. The show starts at 2:30 p.m. For further info please call Helga at 905 576-1648. Free admission and free parking. Tues. Dec. 9 Not sure what to buy? Come and make your own holiday gifts for family and friends. We’ll make photo albums, gifts in a jar, and bath salts. Craft It ~ Make Your Own Gifts! at McLaughlin Auditorium at 7 p.m. For teens ages 12-19. Registration is free at any branch. Wed. Dec. 10 Join your fellow chocolate lovers for Indulgence: An Evening of Chocolate at McLaughlin Library Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. A Taste For Chocolate is Toronto's premier independent chocolate tasting company. Like fine wine, fine chocolate should be savoured - learn everything you wanted to know about chocolate and discover how to get the most enjoyment from each bite. Free registration is limited to 30 people. Free parking after 6:00 p.m. Nov. 19 Crossword answers Fri. Dec. 12 and 13 Enjoy County Town Singers at St. Mark's United Church, 201 Centre St S, in Whitby. Join in on the festivities with some very special arrangements, old favourites and fantastic new treasures. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or in advance by Doreen at 905-655-9505. $15 for adults and $12 for seniors/students. Page 14 The Oshawa Express would like to remind readers to send in their jokes and interesting quotes. Please send them to The Oshawa Express 600 Thornton Rd. S, Oshawa, ON L1J 6W7 or e-mail them to news@oshawaexpress.ca. While working at a pizza parlor I saw a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before responding. 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.' day, 7 days a week.' He responded, 'Is that Eastern or Pacific time e?' While looking at a house, my brother asked the real Estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?' When my brother explained that the sun rises in the East, and has for sometime, she shook her head and said, ' Oh I don't keep up with all that stuff.' I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area, so I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me, has your plane arrived yet?' I used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day I got a call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was open. I told him, 'The number you dialed is open 24 hours a My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk. Yep, They Walk Among Us! They Walk Among Us, and they Reproduce, and Worst of all .........THEY VOTE Whitby AMC 24 Body of Lies Bolt What’s on at the theatres..... Cineplex Odeon Oshawa Twilight Quantum Of Solace Role Models Madagascar: 2 Four Christmases Bolt-Digital 3D Transporter 3 Australia Changeling Eagle Eye The Express The Haunting of Molly Hartley Pride and Glory Quantum of Solace RocknRolla Role Models Saw V Twilight Zack and Miri High School Musical 3: Senior Year Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Passchendaele NOV 26 2008 Generals gunned down in shootout By Wally Donaldson The Oshawa Express How’s this for honesty and sincerity? The veteran winning coach of last Sunday’s Ontario Hockey League (OHL) contest at the GM Centre would, given his druthers, take the shootout format to the nearest cliff and with one big slap shot, send it to oblivion. And in his final season of coaching following an illustrious 34-year career on junior and professional levels, “Killer” will gladly take the 4-3 win over the Oshawa Generals, which ironically was determined by a shootout. Former Oshawa forward Corey Cowick, involved in a deal between Kilrea and former Oshawa coach and general manager Brad Selwood during the off-season, notched the tunities in the second period en route to a 3-1 lead. Logan Couture tallied a pair for Ottawa with Ryan Martindale adding the other. James DeLory opened the scoring midway through the middle frame for the Generals. The impressive comeback unfolded in the final stanza when the Generals collected two shorthanded goals by Brett Parnham and Nagy to throw the game into extra play. Nothing was determined during the fiveminute frame, although some fancy stick-handling by Tavares almost paid off before a stubborn Ottawa goalie Chris Perugini managed to keep the puck out of the net. Enter the shootout segment. “Whether you like (the shootout) or not, you’ve got to deal with it,” says Oshawa skipper Chris DePiero. Couture of the 67s’ missed his attempt on Oshawa net-minder Neil Conway, who really has been a positive force for the Generals these past couple of weeks, even with the losses. Following Tavares’ miss, Cowick took the puck at centre ice and approaching the Oshawa net, beat about his 17 goals isn’t accurate either,” says Kilrea. DePiero concurred noting, “Corey has a great wrist shot and he can be tough. He was a force for us last year in the playoffs.” The Oshawa pilot and perhaps even the players have had no alternative but to deal with the media in regards to the status of Tavares. A Toronto radio station last Friday reported a deal was in the works to send perhaps the best junior hockey player in Canada to either the Kitchener Rangers or London Knights for three players and three draft picks. Not so, according to DePiero. “I know absolutely nothing about that. Someone out there is making this up. Maybe one day we will sit down and make a decision. Right now, though, John is a big part of this hockey club,” says DePiero. DePiero also emphasizes the Tavares issue has not had an adverse effect inside the dressing room. Generals were without the services of Conor Stokes, serving a 15-game suspension, Alexander Denezhkin and Matt Seegmiller (day-to-day injuries), Nick Esposto and Brendan Barletta. Generals have a busy schedule ahead. Perhaps none more significant than Thursday’s outing against the Peterborough Petes when hockey legend Bobby Orr will be in house. Indeed, a full tribute to this former Generals wonderkid is on the slate before a sellout crowd at the GM Centre. Orr’s No. 2 banner will be raised before fans, current players and a host of dignitaries. This celebration to a hockey hero begins at 7’clock.Generals are in Ottawa Friday night and return to the GM Centre on Sunday evening for a matchup with St. Michael’s Majors, starting at 6:05. Photo by Wally Donaldson/The Oshawa Express Oshawa Generals goaltender Neil Conway follows the bouncing puck in front of him while defenceman John Quarrie keeps Ryan Martindale out of harm’s way during Sunday night’s OHL game at the GM Centre. “I don’t like it. Never have,” says Brian Kilrea, head coach of the Ottawa 67s. “Nobody can convince me otherwise. Hockey is a team sport and with a shootout, it becomes a goaltender’s win. I certainly didn’t grow up with it. It’s not the conventional way for people my age.” Kilrea, 74, should know. During his brief stint in the National Hockey League (NHL) at a time when Canada was celebrating its one hundredth anniversary, he tallied the first goal ever recorded - the conventional way of course - by the Los Angeles Kings. NOV 26 2008 only shootout tally to seal the deal. Michael Del Zotto, John Tavares and Kory Nagy failed in their bid to vault the Generals to a win before a crowd of 5,132 patrons, which included Canada’s world junior hockey head coach Pat Quinn, who was on hand to size up the talent. It marks the second straight outing where the Generals came up on the short end of a shootout, having suffered a similar 4-3 outcome to the St. Michael’s Majors last Friday evening in Mississauga. The 67’s jumped on two power-play oppor- Conway on a backhander. Cowick can be aggressive and he can handle the puck. His 17-goal performance early in this OHL season has pleasantly surprised Kilrea. “When we got him, I knew he was a good player. But to say I’m not surprised Page 15 Optimist Club of Oshawa rolls out the red carpet Watts, Kyle college scholastic recipients By Wally Donaldson The Oshawa Express Ken Babcock appreciates the importance of maintaining both quality academics and varsitylevel athletic skills. The former Durham College student and current athletic director played basketball for the Lords. It is a juggling act from studies to practices to travelling time and of course, the games. It presents a special challenge for those wishing to take that giant leap forward. The keen academic athletes recognized this year are soccer talents Derek Kyle and Katie Watts. And the Optimist Club of Oshawa makes certain people like Kyle and Watts are recognized for their achievements. The Optimists held their annual Durham College athletic scholarship awards night last Thursday evening, in recognition of past members’ Sydney Breland and Thomas Scero. “To play varsity sports and still maintain grades takes a special person,” said Babcock. “You have so much going on around you from the practices and travel, many also have parttime jobs. And a club like the Optimist that takes on the responsibilities of helping two of our athletes yearly is greatly appreciated,” Babcock commented. Each student received a $500 bursary from the Oshawa Optimist club. Kyle is part way through his second season at the college, enrolled in a Police Foundation program and focusing on becoming a member of a SWAT team – just like in the movies. “Actually, it all started when I was little and I enjoyed watching cops and robbers on the TV,” he laughs. “And when I got into high school, I saw the Photo by Wally Donaldson/The Oshawa Express Katie Watts and Derek Kyle of Durham College front in centre received prestigious awards for combining sports with academic achievement. Optimist Club of Oshawa has presented for the last six years a bursary to a female and male athlete at the college. They are surrounded by men’s soccer coach Stan Bombino, athletic director Ken Babcock, Optimist president Petrina Perrineau and women’s soccer coach Vaso Vujanovic. movies and I really thought to myself, I can do this.” A graduate of R.S. McLaughlin Collegiate, Kyle was a highlight for the Lords’ soccer side this season, although the team failed to qualify for post-season play. Durham men’s coach Stan Bombino commented that Kyle’s work ethic makes him an individual with “the heart of a lion.” “Derek knows what to do on the pitch and he just goes out and does it. He keeps an optimistic viewpoint about all situations and that makes him a valuable addition from a team concept,” says Bombino, who played men’s soccer at Durham under the guidance of current women’s soccer coach Vaso Vujanovic. Kyle is hoping to carry this positive aura into police enforcement and once again on the pitch for the Lords next season. “I’ve played soccer since I was three years old,” Kyle offers with a huge grin. “Actually, I was a goalie up until I was 14 (years of age) and I moved on to be a striker. I found it more fun to score goals.” Watts set her own standard on the ladies soccer pitch this season as a freshman, amassing 20 goals on the campaign to set an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) scoring single season record. And Watts is confident of parlaying a successful soccer stint at the college. As for the future, Watts hopes to own her own daycare centre one day. With a focus on Early Childhood, academically she is planting the seeds for a fulfilling career. “I’ve always wanted to work with kids,” she says. “They’re a lot of fun to be with. It’s an ongoing thing, keeping them occupied. It’s something I really enjoy.” Finding the back of the net is something Watts also enjoys, although there was a downside to the season when the Lady Lords succumbed to Humber 2-0 and Seneca 1-0. The potent offense had nothing left in post-season play. “No excuses, but the weather was bad,” she recalls. “It was raining and we were all over Seneca. Just didn’t get the bounce.” Vujanovic, the eternal optimist, well, most of the time anyways, is looking forward to camp which opens in January. “We have a good program here and I’m expecting us to be strong next year,” says Vujanovic. “We need players like Katie to keep the program going. She’s a very good player who knows how to score and keeps busy academically. Those are two excellent attributes.” Bruins blow past opposition at Big 8 tourney played. Lords dropped an 85-67 decision to the Alison Griffiths and Stephanie Casperzik of Algonquin College this Saturday and entertain Humber Hawks in their opener and in a hard- Fanshawe, Brenda Carachure of George Brown St. Lawrence on Tuesday, Dec. 2, noted as fought consolation final, they suffered a 66-63 and Kari Barmore of George Brown. The Lady Holiday Toy Drive Night. Game time is 6’clock. Lords, with a 1-10 overall record, are at overtime setback to the Huskies. Nobody was able to keep up with the Bruins, however. Sheridan blew past By Wally Donaldson Jamestown 81-42 and who with his macaw Frankie were (WWE). advanced to the final The Oshawa Express Any attempt to add up the number very popular at one time. with a 68-55 win over I gotta fess up. I truly enjoyed this of wrestlers who performed at the the Seneca Sting, who During the days of writing for a Civic is fruitless. Most are out of the card. Sure, the lesser names of had won this tournadaily newspaper in this city, I was business and it is very unfortunate Crazzy Steve and Otis and Asylum ment the past two seaalso kept busy interviewing and writ- that too many have passed on. were not the household names of sons. ing for a magazine, which at the time In particular Martel, Miss wrestling. But they truly did put on Tournament allwas put out by the World Wrestling Elizabeth, Chris Benoit and an entertaining show for the diehard stars were Jeralyn Federation (WWF). Junkyard Dog, to mention a handful. fans. Espiritu of Sheridan, And part and parcel to performing And we should expect nothing But there are a few WWF grapmy duties to color-up the pages plers who still want to put on a show less on Sunday, beginning in the somewhat, I had Brutus “The for the crowd. afternoon when the original Barber” Beefcake put me in a headMost recently, Koko B. Ware wrestling diva, “Sunny” Tammy lock, I was slammed against the headlined a card for the Great Sytch, formerly with WWE, Extreme ropes by Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart Canadian Wrestling (GCW) at the Championship Wrestling (ECW) and and I was roughed up (well, not real- Oshawa Legion Hall. World Championship Wrestling ly) in the corner ring by Sensational And Beefcake will be the headlin- (WCW) makes her GCW debut. Sherry Martel. The women’s lineup also features er for Sunday night’s card, also at the Guess which I enjoyed the best? Legion Hall, in what is touted to be a current WILD champion Miss It was a time when professional full day of exciting wrestling action. Danyah, Jennifer Blake, Cat Powers, wrestling wasn’t quite ready to come Full as in the Wrestling Mary Lollypop and the first lady of out of the closet, so to speak, about Independent Ladies Division hardcore, LuFisto. the emphasis on entertainment, as (WILD) competing at 2 in the afterBeefcake, a trainer on Hulk opposed to their profession being a noon with the men taking centre Hogan’s Celebrity Championship true sport. Wrestling, will be at the top of his stage, starting at 6 o’clock. Wrestling fans, and there were game and if only a handful of the Now, you need to know this. many, enjoyed a myriad of cards at Having been familiar with the big grapplers who were on the Koko the Civic Auditorium through the show of WWE over the years, I card are on hand, you will be years organized by Oshawa’s Pat admit to approaching the GCW card impressed. Milosh and Frank Tunney, former a week ago with little regard. It’s a lot of wrestling for one day, president of the WWF. Strictly a secondary show for but you can put the money in the Photo by Wally Donaldson/The Oshawa Express The WWF is now known as wannabees, is what I thought, with bank – it will be entertaining. This player with the Durham Lady Lords drives the ball down court during the World Wrestling Entertainment the exception of Koko, of course, weekend’s basketball tournament at Durham College. If there was any doubt as to the depth of the Sheridan Bruins, it was clearly showcased at last weekend’s Durham College Big 8 Classic Basketball Tournament. The girls were clearly in sync on the court, rolling over the opposition 219-135 en route to the title. Capping the drive was a sound 70-38 victory over the Fanshawe Falcons in the final last Saturday evening. Nakia Arthur led the defending Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) champions with 16 points and deserved most valuable player honours. Meanwhile, the Jamestown Jayhawks had an easy time in the consolation final, blowing past the George Brown Huskies 57-37. As for the Durham College Lady Lords, they had their hands full in the two games they Page 16 Lots of wrestling action on Sunday NOV 26 2008 Bonspiel, zone playdown makes club busy By Wally Donaldson The Oshawa Express A scheduled annual mixed curling bonspiel and an unscheduled Ontario Curling Association (OCA) event made the Oshawa Curling Club one hectic place last Saturday afternoon. The Oscar Parker Mixed Open Bonspiel was front and centre as scheduled with a visiting foursome from Minden claiming top honors. Meanwhile, the OCA junior mens and women’s zone playdowns were transferred to the Oshawa ice following a compressor malfunction at the Whitby Curling Club, where the playoff was to be staged. Michael Bryson and his Pickering Annandale foursome copped the A side to advance to the regional playoffs this weekend at the Oshawa downtown club. Oshawa’s Nick Moffatt, curl- ing with Wesley Forget, Todd Johnston and David Langford, won the B side to become the second team to advance. In the women’s playdown, Lesley Pyne of Annandale and Tam Heather’s Laura Arbour qualified for the weekend event, which will feature zone survivors of 5, 6 and 7. The regional playoffs will be held Saturday at 9 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 7 in the evening. Jack Taylor, along with Winn Taylor, Steve Robson and Audrey Robson of the Minden Curling Club captured the main event at the Oscar Parker bonspiel, outlasting Doug Gorrill of Unionville. Second event winners for the Margaret McEwan Trophy were Don Jenkins, Darlene Jenkins, Ray Blais and Heather Ball of the host club. A total of 14 teams participated in this ‘spiel. PREGAME PREAMBLE BY ROGER LAJOIE Photo by Wally Donaldson Oshawa Curling Club was one busy spot last Saturday with the staging of the annual Oscar Parker Mixed Open Bonspiel and the Junior zone playdowns. Gryphons stump the Ridgebacks 5-1 Guelph Gryphons scored early and never looked back en route to a 5-1 victory over the Oshawa University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks in women’s hockey action at the Campus Ice Centre. Gryphons struck with the game only 1:36 old and held a 31 edge heading into the final period. Vanessa Johnstone notched her third goal of the season for Ridgebacks later in the opening stanza while enjoying a powerplay advantage. UOIT forced Gryphons into several penalties on the night, compiling nine minor infractions. Making her third goaltending start in four games, Emma Thompson made 32 stops in net for the Ridgebacks. Photo by Wally Donaldson UOIT, with a record of two wins in 14 outings, have anothThe junior event was shuffled to the Oshawa rink following a compressor malfunc- er weekend series at home as they take on the University of tion at the Whitby Curling Club. Windsor on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and then host the University of Western Ontario), beginning at 3:30 p.m. Pro hockey’s only military team Throughout the years there have been some unusual fraternities connected with Canada’s National Sport. In 1937, Colonel McLaughlin, owner of the Blackhawks, iced a team for a few games made up entirely of American-born skaters. In 1957-58 the WHL Regals split their home games between Saskatoon and St. Paul, Minnesota. But the most unique scenario takes us back to the 1916-17 National Hockey Association (forerunner of the National Hockey League), when pro hockey boasted its only ever military sextet. At that time, with World War I having reached its zenith, there were 17 exclusively soldier squads in the (Amateur) Ontario Hockey Association, and virtually every team at every level saw some of its competitors wearing khaki. This prompted suspicions to run rampant that a NOV 26 2008 number of these organizations, loaded with former civilian talent, would apply for membership in the paid circuit. The most aggressive of those teams that aspired to be part of the pay-for-play scene was the 228 Battalion, the Northern Fusiliers, who were recruited in Sudbury, but were sojourning in Southern Ontario. It was no great surprise, when at the October meeting of the NHA, they were admitted to shinny’s elite circle. Since headquarters had ordered them to “winter” in Toronto, it created a natural rivalry with the incumbent Blue-shirts. Rounding out a roster was no problem for Captain Reade, who had been given the manager’s mandate. The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) released Howard McNamara and Goldie Prodgers. George McNamara, Art Duncan, Eddie Oatman, Amos Arbour, Roxy Beaudro, Gordon Meeking, and Jack Brown were added to complete the line-up. The great Percy Lasueur, already a part of the troop, was expected to stand between the pipes - but was usurped by an unknown, a certain Private Lockart. “Duke” Keats, another serviceman with the Battalion had hoped to represent his corps as well, but he was already under contract to the Blue-shirts. When the schedule opened on Dec. 27, history was made. Clad in khaki from head to toe, with the exception of their battalion insignia emblazoned on their chests, the Fusliers became the first openly professional military team to compete in a league. They got off to a blazing start, handily whipping the opposition by one-sided scores. When they faced their Queen City rivals, 5000 crowded into the arena to see the soldiers shut out the civilians 4-0. By January 15, having lost only two matches, they were perched atop the standings. But the tide began to turn. They began to their “fighting spirit” on the ice, with Howard McNamara especially incurring foolish penalties for over-aggressiveness. And, whether indifference set in or whether it was rumours of their being dispatching to overseas or whether the “leaves” of some key players affected them, they never won after the Jan. 25! For no apparent reason they “postponed” their game with the Wanderers on Feb. 3. A week later the expected orders came in and it was time to ship out. The aftermath of it all left a bad taste in the mouth of the hockey world. A scandal arose when it was revealed that Meeking and Oatman may never have actually been in the service, and had worn their uniforms under false pretenses. They were both discharged in St. John. What should have been a shining milestone in the game’s history ended on a sour note! Bobby Orr has never been forgotten by Oshawa Generals fans and after Thursday night, he will be a permanent part of the landscape at the General Motors Centre. The Generals will officially retire the No. 2 jersey worn by the legendary Orr before their game with the Peterborough Petes at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday. The game is a complete sell-out so no tickets are available, but all of the festivities will be broadcast live on Rogers TV. Orr came to the Generals as a 14-year-old whiz kid from Parry Sound, Ontario and helped the Generals to advance to the Memorial Cup, becoming one of the most electrifying players in hockey history. He went on to an illustrious career in the National Hockey League (NHL) culminating with his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is considered one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. Ontario Hockey League Commissioner David Branch and several special guests, including many of Orr’s former Generals teammates, will be on hand for the festivities in what is sure to be an emotional and memorable evening. If you don’t have tickets be sure and tune in to Rogers TV (Channel 10) for complete coverage. Orr’s No. 2 will be the third jersey in the rafters at the GMC. When the arena opened, The Generals started retiring the jerseys of their alumni greats based on their availability and timing. Red Tilson (No. 9) and Eric Lindros (No. 88) have already been immortalized. Several other players will have nights in the coming year as the process continues. On Friday the Generals head to Ottawa to meet the 67’s and then start a stretch where they play six of their next seven games at the GMC, beginning with a Sunday date with the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors at 6:05 p.m. The Generals also play four more home games before Christmas, including Thursday, Dec. 4 against the Belleville Bulls at 7:05 p.m. That night is the annual Teddy Bear Toss Night and fans are asked to bring a new or gently used stuffed toy to the game to toss on the ice after the Generals score their first goal, continuing a decade long tradition near the holidays at Generals games. The annual Home Hardware NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game and Skills Competition takes place at the GMC in January. The Skills Competition is Tuesday, Jan. 13 with the game slated for the next night at 7 p.m. The top 40 players eligible for the 2009 NHL Draft as selected by NHL Central Scouting will be on display, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets as soon as possible. Tickets for the two-day event are $49, which includes both the Skills Competition and the game. There are also special holiday ticket packages available which include this special event. Contact Jason Hickman for more information at 905-433-0900 ext. 2226. Generals notes – The Generals Store located inside the GMC is open for extended hours over the Christmas holidays, starting Tuesday, Dec. 2. Visit www.oshawagenerals.com for details. Page 17 Residential Classified Ads Call 905-571-7334 $25 (plus gst) for 25 words Business Classified Ads Call 905-571-7334 $25 for a 1 col x 1” (Boxed) (plus gst) $42 for a 1 col x 2” (Boxed) (plus gst) ANTIQUES ANTIQUES EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT APARTMENTS RENTALS CLEANING WILL CLEAN YOUR HOME Two Women Cleaning 16 years experience Excellent rates Call Bonnie 905-720-0420 Caught something amazing on camera? Call 905-5717334 or email See something newsworthy? advertising@osha waexpress.ca Email Express Reporter Katie with your story at kstrachan@oshawaexpress.ca DENTAL DENTAL DENTAL LOST AND FOUND REAL ESTATE APARTMENTS For Rent OFFICE SPACE - 800 sq. ft. Office Space, Hwy 401 location in Oshawa. Lots of parking, large, open space, move-in ready. $500/ mo, util. incl. Call 905434-7409. Bachelor Apt. Private entrance. Bus at door. Parking. Suits student, working single or retiree. Non-smoker LOST PUG DOG $595.00 905-728-1517 5 years old, neutered, fawn colour Hwy 2 Loblaws, Bowmanville area on Friday November 14. Reward offered. (905)419-1880 (519)619-9924 UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS FOR RENT www.oshawaexpress.ca EVENTS EVENTS EVENTS FINANCIAL www.oshawaexpress.ca FINANCIAL 2 Bedroom Apartment Wilson/Olive $800 per month Heat,hydro +water included. Available Dec.1 1 km to UOIT Contact 905-243-7402 1 Bdrm. $675 incl. all Util. 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Page 18 Phone: 905-571-7334 Fax: 905-571-0255 STORAGE Indoor Storage cars,boats. bikes etc. Available till May Call days 905-243-0033 Evenings after 6 p.m. 905-655-4683 Email: advertising@oshawaexpress.ca Nov 26 2008 Residential Classified Ads Call 905-571-7334 $25 (plus gst) for 25 words Business Classified Ads Call 905-571-7334 $25 for a 1 col x 1” (Boxed) (plus gst) $42 for a 1 col x 2” (Boxed) (plus gst) SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES OBITUARIES OBITUARIES OBITUARIES LEWIS Lawrence Edgar “Larry” (Retired Manager Unemployment Insurance Commision, Veteran WWII – Artillery) Suddenly at Lakeridge Health Corp. Port Perry on Friday November 21, 2008. Larry, Dearly beloved husband of Rita (nee Murphy) for 62 yrs. Loving father of Greg and his wife Eileen Lewis, Gail Kemp, Karen Graham, and Gary Lewis. Fondly remembered by his grandchildren Tricia Kemp, Jenny Kemp, Carlie Graham, and Scottie Graham. Great-grandfather of Carson and Ella. Predeceased by his brother Brian Lewis. Brother in law of Eileen Jordan, Ignatius Murphy, and predeceased by Joe Murphy. Relatives and friends were received at McINTOSH-ANDERSON FUNERAL HOME LTD. on Tuesday Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday November 26, 2008 at 10:00 am ST. GERTRUDE’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 690 King St. E. Oshawa. Donations in memory of Larry to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or St. Gertrude’s Church would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences may be made at www.mcintosh-anderson com. PIERSON Olive May (Member of Emmanuel Baptist Church) Gone to be with her Lord and Saviour. Suddenly after a brief illness on Sunday November 16, 2008 Olive (nee Paulson) in her 93rd year. Beloved wife of the late Ernest Pierson and Frederick LeCraw. Mother of the late Verna Robichaud and remembered by son-in-law Gerald Robertson. Fondly remembered by her grandchildren Gerald and his wife Karen Robertson, Ricky and his wife Linda Robertson, Paul and his wife Pam Robertson, Diane and her husband Doug Hughes, Linda and her husband Laverne Howe, Marion and her husband Tom White, Julie and her husband Mark Rose and by twenty great-grandchildren and twenty four great-great- grandchildren. Sister of the late Arthur E. Paulson. Remembered by relatives in Lindsay, Orillia, Fenelon Falls and Norland. Relatives and friends may payed their respects at McINTOSH-ANDERSON FUNERAL HOME LTD. On-line condolences may be made at www.mcintosh-anderson.com. 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