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The Pickering On the world What does the SPRING MAINTENANCE PACKAGE Being • Oil & filter change • Tire rotation wide web Are You budget offer? • Coolant check • Brake Inspection $150 Value We take a look at See how For Only $$5599..9955 905-831-5400 municipal websites Durham fared 575 KINGSTON RD www.pickeringhonda.com NEWS/7 Served? NEWS/2 ✦ 60 PAGES ✦ Pressrun 51,400 ✦ Optional delivery $6/Newsstand $1 ✦ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008 Get local 24/7 newsdurhamregion.com PICKERING STUDENTS DRUM THEIR WAY TO A FUN-FILLED DAY Ron Pietroniro/ News Advertiser photo SCARBOROUGH — Students from Frenchman’s Bay and Fairport Beach Public Schools ough Tuesday. The kids spent the day learning about Yoga, nutrition and enjoyed a hands-on spent their chosen Elective Day at the Bikram Yoga Studio near Port Union Road in Scarbor- drumming class with Master Drummer and Percussionist Muhtadi. Mental health beds moving from Ajax hospital Health officials criticized “Again, everything moves to Centenary,” backs. RVHS plans to cut up to 220 jobs over ceives. for lack of consultation Bill Parish said. the next three years - 60 from the Ajax site “On top of this, our projections show that The RVHS Board of Directors approved the - to help get it back on financial track. if we did nothing we would run up further Deficit Elimination Plan and Hospital Ser- RVHS president and chief execu- huge operating losses, which we simply do By Kristen Calis vices Accountability Agreement yesterday. tive officer Rik Ganderton said the not have the cash to support,” he said in a [email protected] A December, three-member, peer review re- ball has to get rolling right away. press release. port criticizing financial mismanagement in “We need to do it quickly,” Mr. Ganderton If nothing was done, projections in the re- DURHAM — Mental health patients have RVHS prompted changes to both of RVHS’s said. “We can’t afford to do this by death by port showed the hospital system would run become victims of the Rouge Valley Hospital Ajax and Scarborough sites, especially with 1,000 cuts.” up a net deficit of $21 million in fiscal year System’s deficit elimination plan, says the RVHS’s $78-million in long-term debt and Board chairman Tom Atkins said during 2010/2011. co-chairman of the Friends of Ajax-Pickering capital deficiency. Letters were circulated the past eight years, RVHS has accumulated hospital. last month warning staff of upcoming cut- huge deficits by spending more than it re- ✦ See Hospital, Page 2 DURHAM CREDIT ZONE Get approval anytime at www.durhamcreditzone.com A DIVISION OF AJAX NISSAN Private, friendly % Approval OAC FREE CONSULTATION no money down We’ll 10 0 make it happen! Interest rate may vary from 0 to 29.9% depending on credit history, some down payment 1-866-355-4495 may be required. Fin. Example: $10,000 @ 0%=$208.33 mo. for 48 mo. with $0 down. P PAGE 2 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, March 26, 2008 durhamregion.com Training central to provincial budget Durham College Conservative MPP need for the Province and federal government ham Region Chairman Roger Anderson. “It’s gets money to says budget won’t to work together, especially to help Ontario greatly appreciated.” workers get their fair share of Employment The money will mean that in the future, attract businesses Insurance benefits. buses will run every 7 1/2 minutes along Hwy. invest in training “We have a plan to cope with the challenges 2. The Province is also funding more infra- By Kim Downey facing Ontario,” Mr. Duncan said. “But we structure improvements like roads and bridg- [email protected] could get better results, faster and in partner- es and increasing spending on social housing, By Josie Newman ship with the federal government.” all issues that needed to be addressed, Mr. [email protected] But Oshawa Conservative MPP Jerry Ouel- Anderson said. DURHAM — Local residents can expect to lette said the Liberal budget falls short of “They have done an awful lot for munici- DURHAM — A $1.5-billion Skills to Jobs benefit from a provincial budget that includes addressing the needs of individuals and busi- palities,” he said. “There’s a lot of money on Action Plan announced as part of the Ontario millions in funding for transportation and nesses. “We lost 194,000 manufacturing jobs the table. There is an extra $400 million out- government’s budget will see Durham College infrastructure projects, and millions to retrain in Ontario and yet they announce a program side of Toronto and we in Durham will qualify receive more money for its investment in sec- unemployed workers. to assist 20,000 individuals to retrain; what for that.” The Province is also boosting fund- ond careers strategy, apprenticeship training, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan called the happens to the other 174,000 individuals?” ing for job training, education, health care and funding for capital renewal of equipment “centrepiece” of the budget the investment of Mr. Ouellette said in a telephone interview. while balancing the budget. and facilities. “We haven’t received precise $1.5 billion over three years in a Skills to Jobs There has to be a plan to attract businesses The budget also makes significant invest- dollar figures yet, but they do talk about ex- Action Plan. and “I don’t see a plan here,” he said, add- ments in health care, education and infra- panding apprenticeship training. That’s very The plan will train unemployed workers for ing more needed to be done to create an structure. But Bob Malcolmson, CEO of the important for the college. We’re excited about new careers, expand apprenticeships, build environment attractive to business retention. Great Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, raised capital funding because we like to have state- more spaces in colleges and universities, and Manufacturing has been hit hard by the rising concerns about manufacturing and Hwy. 407 of-the-art equipment,” said Durham College help students with education costs. loonie and the weakened U.S. economy, he funding. president Leah Myers, shortly after the bud- Some 20,000 unemployed workers will get said. “The budget doesn’t go far enough to ad- get was tabled in the Legislature. long-term training that launches them into Hopefully, Durham College and UOIT will dress the long-term impacts of the high Cana- Of particular importance to Durham Col- new, well-paying careers through a $355- lobby for a “fair share” of the funding to re- dian dollar on core industries such as manu- lege is a plan to expand its skills training million Second Career Strategy, Mr. Duncan train people, Mr. Ouellette said. facturing and, in particular, the auto sector, centre, located on the Whitby campus, by said. Mr. Duncan said the budget will pour more which in the past has been the leading job and 40,000 square feet. “We’re hoping to add new An additional $750 million over four years than $82 million in transit improvements wealth creator in Ontario and Quebec,” Mr. energy programs and energy retrofits, too,” in new business tax relief to lower costs for along the Hwy. 2 corridor, part of a multi-year Malcolmson said. ”That the Ontario govern- said Ms. Myers. Students at Durham College Ontario’s businesses was also highlighted in $17-billion investment. ment still has not addressed in the budget the will also be able to receive some funding as- the budget speech at Queen’s Park in To- “It’s great that the Province recognizes how funding of Hwy. 407 across Durham Region sistance when purchasing textbooks -- $150 ronto. important transit is in Durham and they’re causes this chamber great concern.” per student in 2008, $225 in 2009, and $300 in The finance minister also mentioned the prepared to support us on this,” said Dur- -- With files from Reka Szekely subsequent years. Hospital officials say emergency rooms will remain open 24/7 ✦ Hospital from page 1 chosen simply because “we don’t have fur- stetrics and pediatrics will continue at both. ther bed capacity to consolidate it at the Ajax Mr. Parish criticized the lack of consulta- RVHS will have a $6.5-million deficit for site.” tion with the community on the process, say- 2007/2008, but officials believe the changes Dr. Steve Fishman, RVHS chief of psychia- ing public town hall meetings should have will lead to a balanced budget by the fourth try, supports the plan, saying it will enhance been held in Ajax, Pickering and Whitby. quarter of 2008/2009. the quality of care for the mental health pa- He also criticized the timing of the town hall Mr. Ganderton acknowledged hospitals tients while improving access for outpatient staff meetings. that run efficiently receive more govern- mental health services. “Having town hall meetings (for staff) ment dollars. He said running the hospital “There will be some inconveniences for after the decision is made is not enough,” he more efficiently will include increasing the families who have to travel to visit in-pa- said. average occupancy of beds in service and tients, but since fewer and fewer mental David Brazeau, RVHS director of public discharging patients earlier who are ready to health patients tend to be hospitalized this Staff at the Ajax-Pickering hospital site will be affairs and community relations, explained go home. impact should be minimal,” he said in a cut by about 60 with officials hoping most of Mr. Ganderton has been vocal about the those will be through early retirement. “The reason we’re able to cut jobs is be- press release. hospital’s situation for the past year.