Continued from Page A6- that errors were made in the counts. Regardless of whom one is scrutineering for, it is of the utmost importance that all ballots be counted accurately, which is the full responsibility of the returning officer, so that.each candidate receives his or her fair share of the votes. Caroline E. Whitehead Sidney Shocked by government bill Editor: Some issues like Free Trade and the GST receive more media atten- tion than others that are equally important but have not caught the public eye. Bill C-69 “Govern- ment Expenditures Restraint Act” is a case in point. Who can argue with that catchy title? However, the Canadian Council of Social Development is alerting Canadians that our federal govern- ment plans to phase out its contri- butions to health care and post- secondary education by the year 2004. The provinces would have to make up the shortfall of $9 billion dollars! In addition, this bill would cap, at 5 per cent, federal cost sharing increases over the next two years for income assistance and s)cial services in the provinces of B.C., Alberta and Ontario, because they are considered to be the three wealthiest provinces. Yet, one half of Canada’s poor live in these “rich provinces.” We know that one in six Cana- dian children are poor; that poor children are twice as likely to die in the first year as those whose parents are well off; that the high school drop-out rate among poor families was more that twice than among children from non-poor families; that the 1989 Canadian Hungercount found that 40 per cent of the people using food banks each month were children under the age of 18. To cap federal cost-sharing increases when even our minister of finance, Michael Wilson, was forced to utter the word “reces- sion” is a mean-spirited decision and one that does not sit well with Capital Families Association. We have written to Perrin Beatty, Min- ister of Health & Welfare and the Prime Minister to express our displeasure. We support the B.C. government’s move to challenge the federal government’s decision. Our association is committed to work for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Only a few weeks ago we wrote to Perrin Beatty congratulating him on his initiative to set up a Children’s Bureau, the first within his depart- ment. Please write to Perrin Beatty, Federal Minister of Health and Welfare, your local MP and/or join Capital Families Task Force on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Bernice Levitz Packford President Capital Families Association Good reasons for Light Rail Transit Editor: A response to Mr. Rod Clack’s letter of Nov. 28, under the head- line: Where LRT goes, so will population. Historically, railways have opened up the land for develop- ment, for the settling of popula- tions. We have only to realize the impacts of our own and the Amer- can transcontinental railways. These railways were developed long before the massive use of the automobile to which we are pres- ently addicted. Our modem urban and particularly suburban areas have been designed and built around the automobile, nothing but. The Peninsula, in fact much of the Capital Region District, is splattered with small develop- ments, a clump of houses here, condominiums there, and cluster houses elsewhere. Such spreads have been predicated upon auto- mobile use. Without the automobile we might well have established envir- onmentally-sane villages with “Luxury living in a natural setting” a unique blend of 75 adult orientated carriage homes nestled throughout 75 acres of manicured and prestine parkland. OPEN DAILY 10-5 1255 Wain Road, Sigeey 655- dil tions left in our ord and Final Stage interconnecting public transit sys- tems of one kind or another. But, with the car, the truck, almost every nook and cranny of land is within access. To therefore infer, as Mr. Clack does, that Light Rail Transit will urbanize the Peninsula is way out. Furthermore, as Mr. Clack is well aware, the general public is very concerned about growth, espe- cially growth that will further destroy the very essence that makes this region attractively liva- le. Although future population explosion may well take place in the Western Communities, ferry passengers, particularly tourists, could constitute a mass of LRT users, especially if plans go ahead for people ferries. Two very important points have been overlooked by Mr. Clack. The first is the need to reduce gaseous emissions into the atmos- phere which will contribute to Global Warming. This can be achieved by eliminating many vehicles from the highways by establishing public transit systems. Second, there is an imperative need to conserve oil. The U.S.A. will, according to its Federal Department of Energy, exhaust its indigenous supplies of oil by the end of this decade. Canadian reserves to exhaustion are reputed to be 12 years. Thus, it appears essential we develop prolific pub- lic transit systems in the very near future. An excellent system candi- date is Light Rail Transit. — As an ordinary member of the Victoria Electric Railway Society I cannot speak on their behalf, how- ever, their desire to have LRT plugged fully into a comprehen- Sive transit study equation within the CRD makes eminent sense. Derrick Mallard Citizens Association to Save the Environment TheReview Wednesday, December 12,1990 — A MEL COUVELIER MLAR WORKING FOR SAANICH NORTH & THE ISLANDS Py Constituency Office: 2388 Beacon Ave. Sidney, B.C. 656-6232 Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 4:30 ART — THE LASTING GIFT ..-or Christmas Gift Giving... RECEIVE A 50% DISCOUNT ON Custom Framing of any Art Work Purchased from Our Gallery > PRE-FRAMED 25% DISCOUNT CONTINUES - GIFT PRINTS FROM $14.95 (incl. discount) yes Brentwood Gallery IN THE BRENTWOOD BAY SHOPPING CENTRE . “we WITH ROYAL BANK 652-6801 DEEP COVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Would like to thank the following businesses for their generous donation to the Deep Cove “Christmas Fair’ Cameo Beauty Salon The Brat Pack Sweet Talk and Lace Crazy Mike's Video The Bank of Nova Scotia Cornish’s Book and Stationery Tivoli Gallery Tanners Buddies Toys Pet Food Delights Christine Laurent Jewellers Thrifty Foods Harvey's Sporting Goods Mangoes Merry-Go-Round Maternity Big T Adera Nurseries Puckett's Nobel House of Karate Peninsula Recreation Commis- sion Pat Bay Pottery. Snapdragon Nurseries Slegg Lumber Victoria Garden Center Rodco Draperies Deep Cove Store Deep Cove Garage Sue McTaggart-Veterinarian Pacific Paper Greetings Case Machinery The Bay Marilyn Cowland-Discovery Toys Hazelmere Farms THANK YOU! Sidney Home Hardware Sidney Natural Foods MACLEODS Hardware Ty's Greeting Cards and Gifts The Feed Barn Tanners Hobbies and Crafts Safeway Dairy Queen Bunsmaster Sheena Lott Deep Cove Chalet Hartshorne Tree Service Ltd. Old Country Rentals Ltd. Muffet and Louisa € Gibsons Studios Ltd. a Joanna Campbell-Saanich Pe- ninsula Therapeutic Massage Centre sidney Service Above Self ee SKI GLOVES # DAY PACKS # REEBOK PUMPS # AEROBIC WEAR Come See Our Table of Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas And SAVE 20% OPEN SUNDAY DEC 16 & 23 FOR YOUR SHOPPING CONVENIENCE