The record, 3 décembre 2003, mercredi 3 décembre 2003

THE UNIVERSITÉ BISHCTS UNIVERSITY 8 Register today tor winter evening courses.(819) 822-9670 RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 Doggie gets new digs.See Brome County News 70 CENTS WWW.SHERBROOKERECORD.COM Wednesday, December 3, 2003 Sherbrooke facing affordable housing crisis Gov’t must increase number of units By Rita Legault Sherbrooke f.|"'^here are fewer apartments avail- ! able for rent in the Sherbrooke area and low-cost housing activists are concerned needy families could end up in the streets come moving day on July 1.The comments followed the most recent statistics released by the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation which show Sherbrooke has the second lowest vacancy rate in Canada.Only Quebec City has a lower rate with only .5 per cent of apartments on the market available for rent.But that rate is an improvement over an all-time low of .3 per cent last year.The vacancy rate in Sherbrooke dropped from 1.8 per cent in October 2002 to .7 per cent in October 2003.The annual rental market survey shows PERRY BEATON Tenants rights activist Normand Couture said one low income family could be on the street in days.Sherbrooke’s vacancy rate has been dropping steadily over the past five years from a high of 7.6 per cent in October of 1999, it fell to 4.7 in 2000 and then to 2.3 in 2001.The vacancy rate is far below the 3 per cent level which shows a market balanced between supply and demand and the federal agency warns it will inevitably lead to higher rents.According to CHMC, the average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Sherbrooke rose from $369 to $385 over the last year - an increase of 4.3 per cent.The cost of a two-bedroom rose from $456 to $471, an increase of 3.3 per cent.Tenant rights activists in Sherbrooke point out the cost of rent is increasing faster than the cost of living as well as the allowable rent increase set by the provincial rental board better known as the Régie du Logement.The Association des locataires de Sherbrooke, which has predicted a worsening crisis for the next three years, said the crunch will only worsen if the government doesn’t move ahead its plan to build more low cost housing units.Currently, there are only 21 three-bedroom apartments on the market in Sherbrooke.Of those, many are too expensive for low-income and single-parent families.In many the landlords will not rent to families on social assistance.There are 50 available two-bedroom apartments, which are the most sought-after by single-parent families and low-income couples with one or two kids.Normand Couture said the association is currently seeking an apartment for a low-income family which may end up in the streets in the next four days if they are unsuccessful.“The situation is critical,” he said, noting the the CHMC recently pointed 1 out that the only new construction in the region are luxury apartments.“But v that’s not what we need .” Couture said the Liberal government has promised to build some 13,000 low-cost housing units over the next five years.Please see housing Page 10 Sears unable to sell Trivial Pursuit in Quebec By Stephen McDougall Special to The Record People wanting to order the 20th anniversary issue of the Canadian Trivial Pursuit game for Christmas are out of luck if they live in Quebec.“We cannot sell this game because it has not been issued in French in Quebec," said Sears official Claude St.Charles.“The Quebec language laws do not permit it.If you want the game, you have to get a relative or a friend in another province or in the U.S.to get it for you.” St.Charles said Sears also has to have a printed disclaimer in their catalogues distributed in Quebec that states games like Trivial Pursuit with no French version cannot be sold in Quebec.“The government will not allow us to even hand out the catalogue unless the disclaimer is in it," he said.“It is very frustrating, but the law is the law." He said a recent small catalogue flyer inserted in The Record last Friday showed a picture of the 20th anniversary Trivial Pursuit game but did not include the disclaimer.“It was probably an error,” he said.“If anyone tries to buy the game in our Quebec stores, it will not be on the shelves.” St.Charles said other stores also have to follow the provincial law, which means they are dependent on the toy or game manufacturer to come out with a French version.“Four or five years ago, there were about 20 to 25 toys that we could not sell in Quebec,” he said.“This year, the number is more like 10 or 12, which means more of the manufacturers have come out with a French version.” The law is article 54 of the French Language Charter, commonly known as Bill 101, which was passed in the Quebec legislature in 1977.Please see trivial page 9 Convoy through Kabrook TOM PEACOCK Record reporter Tom Peacock was embedded with a convoy of troops that set out Monday on a simulated exercise.For a detailed report, please see Page 4-5.I page 2 Wednesday, December 3, 2003 ! THE » i RECORD Liberals are working on health care: Vallières By Rita Legault Sherbrooke Richmond MNA Yvon Vallières told The Record Tuesday he is concerned about the Sunday closure of the emergency room at the St-Louis Hospital in Windsor and his government is working to resolve the problem as soon as possible.On Monday, dozens of concerned citizens joined community leaders to launch a petition demanding the Liberal government ensure there are enough doctors to keep the emergency open at least 12-hours-a-day, 7- days-a-week.Some commented the Liberals were elected on a pledge they could and would resolve crises in the health care network.They demanded to know what the Liberals were waiting for to act.“We indicated as soon as the problem arose they could count on us, but the problem cannot be resolved overnight,” Vallières said from Quebec City.“It’s not because I’m not fighting in the streets that I am not acting.” The MNA, who said he has been discussing the problem and possible solutions with Health Minister Philippe Couillard, was particularly offended by remarks from neighboring Parti Québécois MNA Claude Boucher who demanded to know why they Liberals had not acted.“If the PQhad not dismissed so many doctors, maybe we could find some to come to Windsor,” he said, recalling a PQ move that allowed a massive number of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to take early retirement.“I don’t want to throw the ball in Boucher’s court, but before he blames our government for the problem, he should take a look at what his government did,” Vallières said.“We don’t have any lessons to learn from the Parti Québécois.” Vallières said it will take some time to train new doctors and health care professionals.In the meantime, he said the regional health board and health ministry officials will help the Windsor area recruit more doctors.“It’s not easy,” Vallières said, noting that Asbestos experienced the same dilemma a while ago.The emergency room there was forced to close on weekends and even weekdays due to the shortage of local MDs.Vallières said the region managed to recruit some new doctors, but the situation remains fragile.The emergency room at St-Louis covers the Val St-François regional municipality (MRC) which has a population of 28,000 and Vallières admits the cuts at St-Louis and other regional emergency rooms have a direct impact on the number of people going to emergency rooms in Sherbrooke.He notes one of the advantages of the emergency room at St-Louis is to de-congest the CHUS.Vallières said that private medical clinics operated by family medicine groups FILE PHOTO “We don’t have any lessons to learn from the Parti Québécois,” - Yvon Vallières.also provide relief for emergency rooms.The groups of family doctors practicing together and offering walk-in clinics in the evenings and weekends is the government’s preferred solution for relieving congestion in hospital emergency rooms.Such groups have been formed in Sherbrooke, Magog and Coaticook, but so far there is no proposition from doctors in Val St-François, he said.Vallières said there is a shortage of about five doctors in the Val St-François and the long-term solution will be to re cruit new doctors.While young doctors are required to do some hours in emergency rooms and CLSC clinics, established ones do not face the same obligations.He said the region needs to recruit some young doctors, but the government cannot force them to go where they are required.Despite the shortage of doctors and the difficulty in recruiting, Vallières said he is convinced the region will be able to find a timely solution to the shutdown.“If we work together we could find a way to encourage new doctors to set up practice in our area.” Cop for a Day COURTESY CHRISTOPHER WOJDA Sûreté du Québec officer Christopher Wbjda from the Haute Yamaska detachment recently spent a day breaking in two rookies from Waterloo Elementary and L’Ecole Centrale in St.Joachim.Two elementary students took part in a random picture draw for Kindergarten through Grade 3 students concerning school bus safety.The winners got to spend half a day with one of the provincial police's best.Waterloo Grade 2 student Cameron Shanks and St.Joachim Grade 1 student Francis Dubois dressed up in a real police uniform and visited the Haute-Yamaska station in Waterloo.They also drove throughout the region in a police patrol car.“We had lots of fun, took lots of pictures and gave the students a chance to see what a police officer does throughout a day,” said Wojda."I like taking the kids out, and it’s lots of fun for me too.” — David Weather Today: Cloudy with sunny periods.60 per cent chance of flurried.Winmds northwest 20 km/h.High minus 8.Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud.Low minus 14.High minus 8.Friday: Sunny.Low minus 14.High minus 8.Saturday: Sunny.Low minus 14.High minus 6.Ben by Daniel Shelton MOMMY'S HAVING, ¦N0TWER &A&Y.'( \ YEEEW/ WELL, THAT WENT OVER RATHER WEU* WOULDNT YD(J SAY?MOMMY' ^RECORD, Wednesday, December 3, 2003 page 3 Lenn residents fed up with winter construction Rocky road causing delays By Debbie Tacium-Ladry Record Correspondent “It’s been a noisy, frustrating three-and-a-half weeks, and now they’re blasting.” For those who are wondering what it’s like to have their entire street dug up after nearly 40 years of peace and quiet, Mrs.Edna Evans of Wilson Street in Lennoxville can fill in the daily details on the myriad inconveniences and downright discomfort of municipal/res-idential sewage pipe replacement works.“First of all, we can’t get in and out of our street with the car.We’re parked on Warren, one street over, and that’s a 1,500-foot walk.It’s a 15-minute walk in snowy weather or ankle-deep mud, and try that with a week’s worth of groceries.” “There are 30-foot holes in front of houses, and no road left, from Gordon Street up.” Mrs.Evans adds that residents of Wilson and Howard streets have relied on the kindness of friends on neighbouring streets who allow them to park in their driveways.It’s easy to imagine that such conditions are particularly trying for seniors and families with small children.To add to the frustration of no parking, and the need for rubber boots when out walking, Mrs.Evans adds that the water has been shut off on four different occasions, each time from 8 am to 4 pm between Nov.17 and 27.“I suppose our situation is worse because we’re the last house on the street (going uphill).The mail comes only every two days - it’s hard for them to get to the houses.We haven’t been getting any deliveries, no garbage or recycling collection, and I wonder how an ambulance or fire truck un y / / /I l f PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL This is the view from the Evans’front window.But the look is the least of the problem.Trudging through ankle deep mud and snow with a week’s groceries is a bit more of a nuisance.would get through.” She notes that the best service has been from her Record carrier, Nelson, who has faithfully delivered the paper every day, braving 20-foot deep holes that span the entire street.Although it had initially been projected that the sewage works would take approximately one month to complete, it has been nearly four weeks so far, and the end is not quite yet in sight.The principal factor in slowing down the work is the rock ledge that workers have recently discovered contains “very, very hard rock”.Daniel Leblanc, infrastructures en- gineer with the Ville de Sherbrooke, says, “We didn’t know precisely the location and the strength of the rock.In places where it was softer, we were able to use a kind of giant jackhammer, we even thought we’d be able to get away without using dynamite.But the work started to slow________________________ down, and we were p- n only progressing by M t EZ K about 5 m per day- (last Friday).That was much too slow and costly.Plus, it must have been very wearing for people to hear ‘tock-tock-tock’ all day long.“Now, we’ve changed methods and we’re going with dynamite.It’ll be quicker, and it’s very safe.As an extra security measure, we’ll be installing carbon monoxide detectors in people’s basements - carbon monoxide is a subtle danger, but not a major concern.” Leblanc didn’t want to commit himself to an estimate on the remaining duration of the works, but promised that it would be over by Christmas.As for repaving and repairing lawn and street damage from the excavations, that won’t be done until next spring, as soon as weather permits.To keep mud to a minimum, gravel will be spread over the road so that it resembles a country road; admittedly, residents can expect that come spring, they will pay the price in terms of the efforts required in keeping gravel and dirt out of the house.The need for these new sewage works, in his view, is uncontested.“The sewage pipes were broken in many places, and the diameter was totally insufficient.The required water flow for fire protection services (hydrants) was completely inadequate.” Leblanc notes that the budget for the work is $400,000, and has been assumed jointly by the Ville de Sherbrooke and the infrastructures program Québec-municipalities.Brief A national day of remembrance December 6 is a national day of mourning.On this day we remember all women who have been killed by violent men, especially the women murdered by Marc Lepine at Montreal University’s école polytechnique in 1989.Since then, memorial services have been held each year in cities across Canada, including Lennoxville.To mark the 14th anniversary of this sad event, the Lennoxville and District Women’s Centre and the Bishop’s University Women’s Studies students are organizing a vigil.The vigil will take place on Saturday, Dec.6 at 5 p.m.in Bandeen Hall located on the Bishop’s University campus.As in previous years, the bilingual service will include speeches, poetry reading, music and a candle light procession.After the service refreshments will be served.All are welcome.Cheryl Gosselin Women’s Studies Coordinator Bishop’s University LDWC Member CAREER • i JlJL t i Stanstead College - School Nurse (Part-time / Occasional) The ideal candidate will be a Registered Nurse (CPR certification and active membership with the OIIQ with some experience working in a pediatric setting.Time commitment - occasional weekends, option for some weekday hours.Acute assessment of sport injuries and communicable diseases would be an asset.Applications should be submitted in writing with a C.V.and personal references.All applications are welcomed, but only finalists will be contacted for an interview.Write to: Cynthia Roberton, RN Health Centre Stanstead College j 450 Dufferin Stanstead, Quebec JOB 3E0 croberton @ stansteadcollege.com Stanstead College - Computer Teacher Established in 1872, Stanstead College is a small coeducational university preparatory boarding school located on the Canada/US border, 160 km southeast of Montreal.It has a student population of 230 boys and girls in grades 7 to 12.Stanstead College has an international student body and highly structured academic, residential and athletic programme preparing students for entrance to North America colleges and universities.The school is now accepting applications for a two-thirds position of COMPUTER TEACHER from January to June 2004 with the possibility of renewal thereafter.The ideal candidate should have knowledge of Microsoft Access and Visual Basic.Stanstead College has a benefit and salary remuneration package above provincial scale.Qualified candidates seeking to fill this temporary position should call the school at 819-876-2702 or send an email to admin@stansteadcollege.com page 4 Wednesday, December 3, 2003 ¦ THE wm RECORD On patrol with the 5 Mechanized Armoured Brigade By Tom Peacock The following is an account of a patrol mission in the north sector of the city of Sherbrooke (or Kabrooke) this Monday.Despite a vehicle breakdown, an encounter with some terrorists and a fierce November blizzard, embedded Record reporter Tom Peacock made it back to the office to tell his story.08hl3 Receive call from Captain Mike Mailloux with information that there is a space for an embedded reporter on lOhOO patrol.Rendezvous is set for 09h30 at the four stop signs outside the Camp Julien base in Fleurimont, just outside On December 3rd, the biggest stock market winners will be children.On December 3rd, CIRC World Markets and CIBC Wood Gundy will donate their fees and commissions to children’s charities.CIBC World Markets Children’s Miracle Foundation www.chxldrensmira.cle.com ' TOM PEACOCK 10h30 - Cpl.Eric Beauclair spots a Kabrooke citizen running suspiciously across Grandes Fourches.Kabrooke.0813-09h30 Shower, dress warmly, eat large high-carb breakfast, pack lunch.No time to brush teeth.Drive to designated rendezvous site in unmarked civilian car.09h30-10h00 Sit through debriefing regarding rules for embedded journalists.“We ask that you play the part of a journalist in Kabul, so the troops get used to having you there.” “We ask that you not take pictures of any of the communications equipment.” “We ask that you stay with the patrol.If you leave the patrol without permission, you will be repatriated to Canada.f?) lOhOO Sgt.Serge Litalien is waiting for a new radio frequency, then the patrol will depart.“C’est une patrouille de presence,” he explains.“We have no mission exactly.We will patrol an area of about 10 square kms, and report anything out of the ordinary.” 10hl6 The patrol — two BV 206 all-terrain caterpillar tracked vehicles carrying eight solders, one missile launcher, many guns, and one reporter wearing inadequate footwear — departs Camp Julien.The population seems peaceful; most residents of Kabrooke are staying off the streets due to adverse weather conditions.Approx.10h30 Cpl.Eric Beauclair spots a Kabrooke citizen running suspiciously across Grandes Fourches.“It’s not in our zone de responsabilité,” says Sgt.Litalien, after Beauclair draws attention to the man.“Yes, but he ran across the road after the bus turned, that's why I mention it,” Beauclair responds.The soldiers are alert and ready, prepared for any event.Beauclair holds his stubby C-8 automatic rifle — designed for close quarter fighting -on his lap.llhll (Blvd.Industriel, near St.Elie d’Orford) The patrol stops in a parking lot.Litalien reports that the other vehicle in the patrol is experiencing mechanical difficulties.“They have no power,” he says.Regardless, the patrol continues on, with the compromised vehicle leading the way, on into the dangerous wilderness regions bordering- Kabrooke.Ilh23 An air of apprehension prevails as the patrol makes its way down Gendron Road through a subdevelopment of suspicious looking prefabs, then turns around, then turns down St-Joseph Road, then turns right on Hamel Road.Litalien says we are verifying certain objectives.The BV-206 engine screams, and the wind howls through the cracks in the canvas covers : «THE ¦ RECORD Wednesday, December 3, 2003 page 5 V '•«* "If*''’ Wê-ï 12h00 - Two Afghans wearing traditional robes and headdress, possibly Taliban or Al-Qaeda are questioned.Approx.12h00 Encounter two Afghans wearing traditional robes and headdress, possibly Taliban or Al-Qaeda (though as Beauclair explains later, it’s usually impossible to tell, since even law-abiding, peace-loving Afghans are inclined to throw an automatic rifle over their shoulder for a jaunt to the corner store).The two suspicious men are standing beside a mini-van with a Canadian soldier who is wearing a radio on his back.After a short consultation between Litalien and the Canadian soldier, the patrol continues.Approx.12h03 The patrol turns around.Approx.12h04 The patrol turns around again.Some thing is afoot.The patrol encounters the two Afghans again.They seem to be arguing now.The Patrol stops.Litalien gets out and confronts the two Afghans, who seem to be wearing Canadian military uniforms under the gowns.Beauclair and the other soldiers in the patrol secure the perimeter.The mini-van is nowhere in site.Litalien appeals to the two men to stop arguing, but their dispute grows more heated.The argument centres around some stolen vegetables.12h05 The mini-van comes tearing down the road.The person at the wheel is driving erratically.The soldiers scatter.The mini-van pulls in front of the BV-206, the driver disembarks.Shouting and screaming in an incomprehensible language, he runs into an adjacent minefield and blows up.Shots are fired.Warning shots?Litalien orders his soldiers to move the BV-206 parked near the minivan.But it is too late.The Canadian soldier wearing the radio informs the patrol the mini-van has just “exploded”, disabling the BV-206 and injuring two soldiers.:.PEACOCK is?’ y mm 12h05-12h30 The two injured men are given first aid, but driver Sebastien Dussault is in bad shape.Apparently, he has suffered wounds to his abdomen and face.Calls are made for a medivac, the local Kabrooke police, a wrecking crew to haul away the broken BV-206 (not the one that was damaged by the fake explosion, but the one that is actually broken, and stuck on the side of the road), and a troop transport to take us back to base.13hl5 A medivac is on its way, but it is too late for Dussault.The driver is informed he is now dead.He removes the bandages from his wounds, and digs into an American ration bag, leftovers from the exercise last week at Fort Drum in New York.14h00 Unclear now whether anyone at central command knows or cares about the whereabouts of the patrol.The unfortunate soldiers and a frozen embedded reporter stand on the side of the road for what seems like hours awaiting news.Finally, it is time to take evasive action with regards to the cold, and seek shelter in the heated rear cabin of the broken BV-206.14hOO-16hOO Hours and hours of waiting pass pleasantly in the company of Cpl.Maxim Desjardins and Cpl.Stéphane Cyr, who recall the time at Fort Drum they spent 72 hours in the back of one of these cramped vehicles.Desjardins and Cyr discuss their feelings about going to Afghanistan next year.“We’ve been training for one year for this.The guys are tired.At one point you just want to go and do what you’ve been training for,” says Cyr.Desjardins says base life has also begun taking its toll.“We’ve spent maybe two weeks at home over the last two months.” he says.Approx 15h30 The wrecking crew shows up with a giant truck to tow the disabled BV-206 back to the base.Litalien receives word the troop transport is finally leaving the base, some 20 km away.The tow truck cannot leave until the patrol is picked up.16h00 More waiting in the back of the vehicle.Outside, a blizzard rages, while inside, the chugging diesel engine and the heaters lull the reporter into a pensive mood.A quote floats into his sleepy head: “War is long periods of boredom, punctuated by moments of stark terror.” If that car bomb and the mine field had been for real, where would he have run?What would he have done?What pictures would he have sent home to Canada?Would we be left sitting in these broken vehicles in a dangerous part of town for such a long time if we were actually in Afghanistan?Would we not be sitting ducks, if that happened?16h30 The troop transport has been delayed indefinitely.The decision is made to pile into the tow truck and the functioning BV-206 for the ride back to base, since we are not permitted to sit in the broken vehicle for the ride.'The missile launcher is placed in the disabled BV-206, to make room for the soldiers.16h30-17h29 The convoy makes its way back to base in terrible weather.The tow truck driver negotiates Kabrooke’s best black ice fairly well until he reaches the top of the King Street hill, where the tow truck begins to slide uncontrollably.The tow truck slides right through the intersection of King Street and Wellington Street, eventually stopping just short of a lamppost.17h30 The vehicles make it safely back to base in time for dinner.CAREER Parks Canada Parcs Canada Interpreters PARKS CANADA AGENCY The Parks Canada Agency wishes to fill interpreter positions at National Historic Sites of Canada in the opposite mentioned locations.You will earn $16.95 per hour.To know more about selection requirements and to apply on-line, before December 19,2003, quoting reference number 2004-MTL-200, visit our Web site or dial INFOTEL at 1 800 645-5605.Preference will be given to Canadian citizens.We are committed to Employment Equity.Howick, Lachine, Coteau-du-Lac, Chambly, St-Paul-de-llle-aux-Noix, Compton, Montréal, St-Lin-Laurentides and Montebello (Quebec) ,ca7 Canada 12h05: Driver Sebastien Dussault appears to be in bad shape.Really, he’s okay. page 6 Wednesday, December 3, 2003 JŒCORD, Community Forum Letters to the editor Insisted on enforcement of zoning bylaws Dear Editor, I would like to make a comment regarding Mr Keyserlingk’s article that was published in The Record Oct.29, “Time for a clean sweep on TBL council.” I believe, much of that article was intentionally misleading and ethically questionable.At this time however, 1 will only address the zoning issue, which he referred to.In the article, Mr Keyserlingk makes reference to the fact that I had previously stated “the laws are there to protect the democratic process” and then he stated “the sad joke is that after TBL (the Town) spent thousands of precious tax dollars in legal fees in order to uphold the bylaw.etc”.Mr.Keyserlingk had been previously employed at the capacity of a prosecuting attorney, as such, one would think that having held that position, he would not consider it to be a “sad joke” that I had insisted in the need of enforcement of our zoning bylaws, or question why we followed the democratic process.He apparently fails to understand (even though The Record has written much on the subject), that the zoning change request which he was referring to had already been defeated through a referendum ( another democratic process which took place), even before I was elected.If anyone were to refer to an article written by the TEMPO in November 1999 (pg 4/5), they would have noticed, even back then, that I had stated I was open to a zoning change in that area.The property owners should have known before buying the property what they were legally permitted to do on that property, and yet they chose to challenge the Town in spite of this.With the zoning change re- quest having already been defeated, the most democratic way left to allow any zoning change was, therefore, through the Master Plan process.The readers may be interested in knowing that the zoning change that is being recommended through the Master Plan (a plan based, on public consultation) IS NOT exactly what the property owner(s) had been fighting the Town about since he/she purchased the property (the property was purchased in early 1999).I would have thought that The Record would not have allowed anyone, especially someone that should have been legally informed, imply that I had done anything wrong regarding this issue.I found it even more interesting when I considered another article that had been published by The Record on May 22, 2002, the article was entitled, “Everything you wanted to know about defamation”.Stanley Neil Citizen and taxpayer Fulford Lac Brome Story was appreciated Dear Editor To Catherine Campbell, Thank you very much for the lovely article you wrote about the CEPWE year end banquet held on Nov.22.It was well written and both my daughters Lindsey and Cheryl were so pleased to see their achievements recognized by the public.They do work very hard to get to that level and I appreciated you mentioning that fact in the article.Thank you again for coming to the banquet and for the write up, it is very much appreciated from us all “including Grand-ma” ! Merry Christmas and Happy healthy new year to you and yours.Lucy, Howard, Lindsey and Cheryl The Petersons RECORD P.O.Box 1200 Sherbrooke J1H 516 or 1195 Galt E, Sherbrooke JIG 1Y7 Fax: 819-569-3945 e-mail: newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Website: www.sherbrookerecord.com Randy Kinnear Publisher .(819)569-9511 Sharon McCully Editor .(819) 569-6345 Jamie Zachary Corresp.Editor .(819) 569-6345 Richard Lessard Prod Mgr.(819) 569-9931 Serge Gagnon Chief Pressman .(819) 569-9931 Francine Thibault Prod.Superv.(819) 569-4856 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .(819)569-9511 Advertising .(819)569-9525 Circulation.(819) 569-9528 Newsroom .(819)5696345 Knowlton office 88 Lakeside, Knowlton, Quebec, JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada: 1 year 114.40 8.01 9.18 S131.59 6 MONTHS 59.00 4.13 4.73 S67.86 3 MONTHS 30.00 2.10 2.41 S34.51 Out of Quebec residents do not include PST.Rates for other services available on request.The Record is published daily Monday to Friday.Back copies of The Record are available.The Record was founded on February 7.1897, and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Gazette (est.1837) in 1908.The Record is published by Hollinger Canadian Newspapers L.P.Canadian Publications Mail Service Product Agreement No.0479675.Member ABC, CARD, CNA, QCNA Secretary of state for political cowardice It’s time to denounce an offensive and dangerous statement on homosexuality.No, not the self-immolation of Alliance MP Larry Spencer.His remarks were ugly and we said so, but they were obviously fringe.Liberal MP David Kilgour, on the other hand, said something that was less ugly, but also far less marginal.The Secretary of state for Asia and the Pacific broke two months of silence last week to explain why he ducked the Sept.16 parliamentary vote on same-sex marriage.“If I voted with the opposition, I’d have to resign from cabinet be fore doing so under the rules of cabinet solidarity.On the other hand, I couldn’t vote against a clear consensus of constituents I In my mind, abstaining was the least worst position.” Ambition versus principle in a first-round KO.When a politician finds himself at odds with constituents, he has several principled choices.One is to declare with Edmund Burke that, “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion” and risk being tossed out at the next election — as Burke was.Another is, like some Reform populists, always to vote the wishes of constituents if they can be determined.A third option is to quit, and a fourth is to defy constituents on some issues and obey them on others, ideally telling them in each case what you’re doing.A fifth is to say, as one 19th-century Ottawa area MP did, “My opinions are mine, but my vote belongs to my party” which is the real story on many issues and if it were not, Parliament could not function.Mr.Kilgour rejected all these options, and instead clung to the greasy pole, then tried to hide in plain sight.It’s ugly.What’s worse, it may work, which is why it should be opposed.Not least because it is conduct unbecoming someone who sits in cabinet.— CanWest News Service The Record welcomes your letters to the editor.Please be sure to sign your letter.Only signed letters are considered for publication.YlLSK WmT'5 emppooR * l .m mm me ¦m.con :-¦THE » RECORD Wednesday, December 3, 2003 page 7 Perspectives I never said our criminal justice system was perfect While our criminal justice system is respected around the world even to the point where other countries consider it as a model for their own legal systems, it never prevented those of us who worked within the system from recognizing its weaknesses.Even as a young crown attorney I wasn’t always convinced that the use of criminal law was the most appropriate tool to deter crime.However, rigid public policies during the 70s coupled with the lack of reasonable alternatives, time and human resources meant that it was the only available recourse.Government programs designed to decriminalize less serious offences were simply non-existent in those days.Recourse to criminal law, especially during my early years, was seen as the universal solution to socially inappropriate behaviour.Those who proposed alternatives to punishment and incarceration as a way of rehabilitating offenders, were often labelled as being too soft on crime.As prosecutors we were never lacking occasions to prosecute offenders.Not only were the police reports piling up on our desks faster than we could handle them, they were becoming more and more demanding due to their complex legal issues.It didn’t help that we treated minor offences in much the same manner as serious offences even when they didn’t always constitute a true threat to society.Like revolving doors, many of the convicted wrongdoers were in and out of court on new charges before they even terminated their original sentences.Whenever the public felt threatened by either a new form of anti-social behaviour or by a rash of crimes, the tendency of our lawmakers was to respond by criminalizing the behaviour or increasing the existing penalties.The speed in which they reacted often depended on just how angry the press appeared.In doing so, our legislators rarely addressed the root causes underlying the behaviour.Nor did they appear too preoccupied by the lack of human resources to enforce the Criminal Code amendments.To paraphrase the words of the Law Re form Commission of Canada, in 1975, by always resorting to criminal law, we were absorbing too many forms of socially problematic behaviour, a trend that had to be reversed.It was only much later that the use of criminal prosecutions was tempered by more moderate policies aimed at reducing the congestion of the courts .At the same time they allowed us to spend more time on serious crimes.It didn’t take us long during the 80s to realize that witnesses and crime victims alike were becoming progressively disenchanted by our criminal justice system.Even the public perceived it as being time consuming, costly and confusing.More and more they would complain that the remedies available through our justice system were unable to answer their needs.Instead of stiff sentences, many of them were far more interested in renewing their sense of control over their lives or restoring a relationship that had gone sour.Because of our long court rolls there was little time available to listen to their concerns or even explain to them how the system worked.Furthermore , it was much easier for us to cope with the assembly line of cases by focusing on the offenders and their crimes rather than dwelling on the plight of the victims.The fact that we were conditioned to believe that the public was the primary victim of any crime made it that much easier.It was only much later that victims gained an enlarged role in our justice system .Many of us hated to lose our cases and as a result were inclined to see ourselves as winners or losers depending on the decisions of the court.The many tough courtroom battles didn’t make it any easier to interpret an acquittal as an equally valid confirmation of justice.As for prison sentences, the longer they were the more some of us felt validated in our duty to protect society.However, even when we asked for prison sentences in order to demonstrate the community’s denunciation of crime, we knew very well they could rarely repair the damage caused by the crimes.Despite the many stirring pre-sentence pleas by the defence attorneys, it wasn’t as if we were always convinced that their clients had truly accepted the responsibility for their actions.Sentences aimed at repairing the traumatic harm that they had caused were just as rare as those dealing with the issues that contributed to the wrongdoing.What with the growing number of cases and the lack of personnel, we weren’t the only ones trying to keep our heads above water.Police, courts and corrections professionals were in the same predicament.They too had reached the limits of the system’s capacity to respond effectively to crime.Because so many of our traditional methods, policies and practices failed to produce the desired results, everyone from the public to the experts, began searching for new methods to improve the efficiency of our justice system.During the course of my career, I was lucky enough to witness an impressive number of positive changes.Without a doubt, the most meaningful one was the full protection of rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 which was followed by other provincial Charters governing rights and freedoms.Other changes included Quebec’s recognition in 1988 of the basic principles of justice for victims of crime.Equally important in the 80s was the introduction of community work as a sentencing alternative to prison.This was followed in 1992 by the process of decriminalization in respect of minor criminal offences which had been sponsored by the Quebec Department of Justice.Then in 1993 came the introduction of conditional sentences by the federal government which allowed convicted offenders, under specific conditions, to serve their “ time” in the community and thereby reduce the spiraling costs of housing prisoners.Other important developments included the use of DNA fingerprinting to solve crimes in 1995.By the time I retired in 97 the federal and provincial governments had already agreed on major Criminal Code amendments to fight organized biker crime.Even the way we perceived our role as prosecutors evolved over the years thanks in large part to a number of landmark court decisions.By the time I had retired, the number of prosecutors just in the Montreal office had jumped from under 50 to more than 200.Thirty years have already elapsed since my very first case and our provincial and federal justice ministers are still trying to find ways to improve the efficiency of our justice system while cutting costs.If they succeed in main- taining the same momentum during the next 30 years we should be in for some very pleasant surprises.Proud parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, show off your pride and joy in our annual New Year’s edition of The Record featuring babies of the Townships born in 2003.Although all babies are welcome and will be featured in our special issue, only those born in 2003 will be considered for a cover photo and story (randomly selected for this honour).Mail a photograph of baby with: baby’s name, birthday, parents’ name, hometown and 10 words describing the little tyke, along with $15 and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The Record in Sherbrooke or Knowlton.Deadline: December 19.Published on December 31.Prizes to be won: 1st place: $100 gift certificate from SEARS 2nd place: $50.00 baby gift basket from Lennoxville Tri-Us 3rd place: $50.00 gift certificate from 4th, 5th, 6th place: ____~ 3 month subscription to RECORD Henry R.Keyserlingk ; ?**«*ISJ RECORD page 8 Wednesday, December 3, 2003 Our School s Page Sherbrooke Elementary annual Christmas Concert, to be held on Wednesday, December 17, in the school gym.Two performances have been scheduled.At 1 p.m.students from Kindergarten and Grades One and Two will be joined by the school choir for the first show.At 7 p.m.students from Grades Three, Four, Five, And Six, along with the choir and the violin club, will present another performance.A Remembrance Day Tribute to Veterans A solemn school assembly was held at 11 am.on Nov.11 to honour living Canadian military veterans and to remember those who died.The simple ceremony included the singing of 0 Canada, a reading of the poem In Flanders Fields, the playing of the Last Post, a moment of silence, and a moving rendition of Ed McCurdy’s Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream sung by the entire assembly.Special guests Paul Pelchat, John Colton, and Harry Blue, all Air Force veterans, participated in the ceremony.The are pictured here with a group of students who presented commemorative wreaths.Enhanced Learning Initiative Moves Forward In November representatives from the E.T.S.B.met with teachers and administrators who were involved in the pilot phase of the Board’s Enhanced Learning Initiative at our school.Together they celebrated the success of the program so far.The project is now fully implemented at the Grade Five and Six Duncan, S.E.S.Vice-Principal, Ms.Gail Kelso, former Grade 5-6 teacher at S.E.S., now Principal at A.C.E.S.and North Hatley, Ms.Faulks, Chair of the E.T.S.B.Commissioners, Ms.Carole Macknish, S.E.S.Principal, Mr.Glen Faucher, new lead teacher at S.E.S., and Mr.Ron Canuel, Director General of the E.T.S.B.used books and other items.In addition, there will be a raffle for an authentic Montreal Canadians N.H.L.jersey autographed by all of the current players on the team.Proceeds from the bazaar, which is organized by the school's parent organization, will go to fund various school activities.The second event is the Grade Four Vaccinations Grade Four students recently received their second Hepatitis B vaccinations from a small team of nurses from the C.L.S.C.1 he third and final shot will be administered in April 7.004.In the photo a C.L.S.C.nurse and an already vaccinated Grade four student demonstrate for the camera how the procedure is carried out.Holiday Events Two major events will highlight the holiday season at our school.The first takes place this Saturday, Dec.6, from 10 a.m.until 2 p.m., in the school gym.The annual Christmas Bazaar will feature craft tables, fresh baked goods, a silent auction, and “new-to-you" tables with After School Gymnastics Every Monday afternoon several groups of students participate in the popular after-school gymnastics program directed by Ms.Sunita Budhiraja. Wednesday, December 3, 2003 page 9 CÜU4J» '*$ÊÊk CINEMA 9 IS RENAMED GALAXY CINEMAS SHERBROOKE ! Enter to win : Galaxy/Return of the King contest The Record.1195 Galt East, Sherbrooke JIG IY7 Name: Address : Postal code : Tel.(home) _Tel.(work) : _ Coupon will be published on November 26 27.28.December 1st.2nd and 3rd.45 winners will be notified by phone and will be asked to pick-up their double pass at The Record.A drawing at random will take place on December 8th at noon at The Record.Value of the prizes : 800 S.Rules available at Groupe Popcorn.Sponsored by RECORD KF.rnim Investment will keep tourist train on the rails By Nelson Afonso East Angus Already vocal supporters of the Haut-St-François tourism train since it was founded by East Angus native Donald Thompson in 2001, local municipalities and economic development agencies agreed recently to put their money where their mouth is by investing $250,000 in its future.“A $200,000 part of that will be used to give the project a more solid base," said Claude Bérubé of the East-Angus-based Centre local de développement (CLD) du Haut-$t-François.“There is a willingness in the community to share the train with the rest of the Eastern Townships and the province.” An additional $50,000 investment from the Conseil régional de développement de l’Estrie and the municipalities of East Angus, Dudswell and Weedon has also been secured to commission a feasibility study on incorporating the train into the region’s tourism plan.“The money will be used to make the train a must-see attraction for not only people in the Eastern Townships but those around Quebec and elsewhere,” said Thompson, the Roman Catholic chaplain at the Talbot prison in Sherbrooke.“We want people in Montreal, Magog and everywhere else to need to see this attraction.It almost has to be something subconscious.” The Train du Haut-Saint-François is comprised of two buddcars which both have their own diesel engines — one at Trivial: Cont’d from Page 1 The charter restricts the use of English in many forms in the province.The charter’s creators said English had to be restricted in the province to prevent the francophone majority from being assimilated.Article 54 states that games that use printed language or voices can be banned from sale in Quebec if there is no equivalent French version.“If we sell just one game to someone who has a Quebec residence, either in a store or over the phone, we can be fined,” said St.Charles.“Our biggest problem is with computer games that are made in the U.S.and don’t have a French version.” Trivial Pursuit, which was invented in the late 1970s by three Montreal men, has translated previous games into French.But according to an employee at their Downsview, Ont.offices, the decision to make a French version rests with the games distributor Hasbro Inc.of Boston, Mass.each end, so they can travel in either direction.It now runs six days a week between mid-May and mid-October and on weekends throughout the winter to places such as Dudswell, Sherbrooke, Beaulac, Coleraine and Vallée Jonction.East Angus is also a participant in the train’s development, and presently owns four additional buddcars that may be used by Thompson’s group.The municipality has also improved its old train station, the Vieille Gare du Papier, by installing, among other things, retro-style lighting.The Vieille Gare will soon build a new addition, called a freight shed, that will house an exhibit on pulp and paper, a gift shop, a conference room and miniature train shop.Thompson’s plans to bring users to more locations are not new.Father Thompson said last month he was looking into the possibility of using the old Dépôt 5treet Sherbrooke train station as an embarking point for his customers.The old station near Lac des Nations will be transformed into a public market as part of the Cité des Rivières tourism project.He will also try to extend his operation westward towards Magog, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu and eventually Montreal.Thompson’s ultimate goal is to link Old Montreal and Old Quebec.The Train du Haut-Saint-François welcomes more than 10,000 passengers per year, with 70 per cent of those coming from outside the Eastern Townships.Angela Hukari, Hasbro’s public relations officer in Toronto, could not be reached for comment at press time.In other years, shoppers have complained that popular toys and games cannot be bought for Christmas because of the provincial law.Last year, a watch that used a voice system to tell the time for children as well as for the blind and the elderly was not allowed into Quebec because it only said the time in English.In 1999, the popular Pokeyman and Digimon cards could not be bought for children because the printing on the cards was in English only.St.Charles said the law does not help stores in Quebec because it means each toy or game has to be checked for a French version before it can be put on a shelf in this province.A similar law is applied by the province’s film board, which does not allow any films to be distributed for sale if they have not been voice dubbed or subtitled in French.“It is unfortunate for us and for the customers,” said St.Charles.“We are in the business to make sales.The government should not be involved in any aspect of this business.” / New name / 3 new auditoriums / 1st phase of construction now complete / Giant wall-to-wall screens / All stadium seating / Big comfy chairs ?Dolby digital sound JOIN US for the GRAND OPENING of THE NEW AUDITORIUMS at GALAXY CINEMAS SHERBROOKE and EXPERIENCE the PREMIERE of THE TUESDAY DECEMBER 16 at 7:00 PM 15402 page 10 Wednesday, December 3, 2003 RECORD Brome Lake’s 2004 budget to be unveiled Dec.15 By Maurice Crossfield In Brome Lake council news: • Brome Lake’s 2004 budget will be passed at a special meeting on Dec.15 at 7:30 p.m.The budget will be a serious test of Mayor Richard Wisdom’s campaign promise of a two-year tax freeze.The problem Wisdom faces is the new triennial evaluation role, which saw property values skyrocket as much as 45 per cent in some sectors.Adding to the challenge is that while values increased more in some areas than in others, the municipal residential tax rate is uniform for the entire municipality.Another wrinkle will be the requirement for the town to spend an extra $100,000 in the coming year for police and fire upgrades.A 7 p.m.meeting will be held to cover other matters, with the separate budget meeting (as required by law) held at 7:30.• A registry to protest the municipality’s revision of zoning bylaws will be held Saturday.At issue are the changes in Brome Lake’s land management practices, commonly known as the Master Plan.If 489 eligible voters sign against the Master Plan, the matter can then be put to a referendum.If not, then the new Master Plan will go into effect.Anyone opposing the Master Plan can go to the Brome Lake town hall in Knowl-ton between 9 a.m.and 7 p.m.Bring two pieces of identification.• Due to snow removal requirements, there will be no parking on Knowlton r PHOTO Newly elected Brome Lake mayor Richard Wisdom will face his first test when he presents a budget for the town of 5,000.streets between midnight and 7 a.m.from Dec.1 to March 31.Ignoring that bylaw could result in a $30 fine and the cost of towing your vehicle, if necessary.• Brome Lake will be changing 9-1-1 service providers.The council voted unanimously to switch from Bromont-based Gestion C.Laplante, Inc., to a service based out of Sherbrooke.“They have better equipment there for a better turnaround,” Wisdom said.“They are more up to date technologically, much faster and can supply the town with a better service.” • As of January council meetings will be held at 7 p.m.instead of 8 p.m.The time change wasn’t unanimous, with councillors Don Gagné and Tom McGovern voting against it.Council meetings will continue to be held at the Legion Community Centre until March, at which time the council will decide if it will continue holding sectorial meetings.• The Centre Local de Développement Brome-Missisquoi has given Brome Lake $15,000 to study and put together a project for a new community centre.The grant will be used to study possible locations and what would be needed in a new building.• The speed limit issue on Papineau Road has not been resolved yet.In July council passed a bylaw reducing the speed between the school and Route 215 from 70 km/h to 30 km, due to the presence of the school, golf course and a new housing development.However the Ministère des Transports refused the reduction, because of the higher speed limits at the ends of the zone in question.Monday night council adopted a revised bylaw calling for the speed in that zone to be reduced to 50 km/h.The transport ministry will now have to decide if it will accept or reject the bylaw.• Leaves have proven to be a headache in recent weeks, with the regional dump site no longer accepting them.Mayor Wisdom said the town is looking at a project for next year.As an example he spoke of Sherbrooke’s project, which has residents buying biodegradable leaf bags.Those bags are picked up at specific times and taken to the leaf and branch dump on Moffatt Road.Sherbrooke residents can go to the compost site and get bags of compost the following spring.Wisdom said he wants to see a similar project introduced in Brome Lake.• The town zoning committee issued a total of 22 construction permits for the month of November, for a total of $537,950 worth of construction and renovation work.ÿ RECORD Qfaristmas OfpetiaC It's quick & easy and.there's no line to stand in!!! Give RECORD as a Christmas gift for only $123.00 (for 12 months) or $63.00 (for 6 months) or $33.00 (for 3 months) (amounts include taxes): %o:______________________________________________ (Sjrotn:__________________________________________ Tel.: Tel.: Send gift card: ?No ?Yes from:_________________________________ For all “new gift” subscriptions, RECORD will send a package of coffee.Start the gift subscription: ?Now ?Jan.2004 ?extension on current ?other Payment by: ?cheque ?money order ?M/C ?Visa Credit card #: card expiry date: * Coffee offer applies to NEW GIFT subscriptions only.RECORD P.O.Box 1200, Sherbrooke QC J1H 5L6 (819) 569-9528 Offer valid In Canada until December 31, 2003 •Subscription amounts include GST and PST.RECORD Housing: Cont’d from Page 1 “But they need to build them faster or there will be a catastrophe,” he warned, noting that municipal housing offices across the province are making the same comments and demands.Couture said the government needs to review its priorities and put tax cuts on hold.“Will we cut taxes and end up with families on the streets?” Couture remarked that the Liberals are promising tax cuts of about $500 a year for middle income families earning between $30,000 and $50,000 a year.In the meantime, other government decisions such as the rise in Hydro-Québec electricity rates and a $2 a day increase in the cost of daycare per child, will end up costing those families a little more than $1,000 a year.Couture said the only families who will save money will be rich families earning more than $100,000 a year.Those high income earners are expected to save $2,500 on their tax bills.Couture’s association suggests that rather than cutting taxes, the Charest government should invest more in social housing.They suggest that as the Liberals set their new housing policy that it build another 8,000 low-cost housing units, including 4,000 municipal run HLMs (Habitation a loyer modiques) where needy families pay according to income, and another 4,000 for nonprofit groups who provide housing for such groups as the disabled and battered women.Currently there are some 700 people on the waiting list for HLMs in Sherbrooke.And when residents find a job, some are unable to move out because they cannot find affordable housing in the private sector.CHMC points out that there is an inadequate supply of low-cost housing.“At the most affordable level, there is still an inadequate supply of units,” said CHMC chief economist Bob Dugan, noting there is a need to add to the affordable rental stock.“The fact is reinforced by evidence that a large proportion of low-income families have to pay more than 30 per cent of their income for rent." While the number of available apartments is dropping in Sherbrooke, elsewhere in Canada, the trend is going the other way.The average vacancy rate for 28 metropolitan areas is 2.2 per cent - up 5 per cent from the year before.Vacancy rates in nine of Ontario's 11 metropolitan areas rose by at least one percentage point.The situation also improved in other large urban centers including Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.Even in Montreal, where dozens of families ended up in the streets last July, the situation has improved with the vacancy rate rising from .7 to 1 per cent.Only Trois-Rivières and Sherbrooke saw their vacancy rates decline in Quebec. 348 Boutique t'Oao, Suuhsk Ulo*^ ^Quîck & \ Court*°us 1 Service^ Call me 4 AUSTIN GLOVE Scarves & Socks Jj Ski & Work ru.j__i'TCy Ililtf» numérique Ste*ÏL G»ï# 218, Alexandre st.î* Sherbrooke 564-0033 Dili* mil 1446 Wellington St.South SHERBROOKE* 819-821-2492 www.sportweilington.com 3333 King St.W.Sherbrooke • (819) 564-8525 THE RECORD Wednesday, December 3, 2003 page 11 topping Saps ‘Beautiful selection of gifts for "Mer andlHim’ Sweaters • Cashmere Sweaters • 'Kilts • Scarves Shirts • Qloves ‘Mohair Soclqs Throws • Sappers • Scented Candles .andCots more! 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SINGER THE WORLD’S FAVORITE SEWING MACHINES Model Quantum 7312 "Give the gift of Learning' For evening course information and registration details call: Continuing Education Bishop’s University Lennoxville QC J1M 1Z7 I UNIVERSITÉ BISHOP’S UNIVERSITY (819) 822-9670 • 1-800-567-2792 ext.2670 Hmgtan campea ( SPORTSFORALL SEASONS ) Italian Sports Design \o • Free arm • Top-drop in bobbin • Drop feed • Adjustable pressure $ Model may differ 64, 7th Ave.N., Sherbrooke 819-569-3268 DESPRES LAPORTE Restaurant Equipment * Gourmet Sommelier Boutique | The renowned place (or uline and cuisine connoisseurs Top quality brand names used by professionals: Riedel • Pcuqtit • Uqwtt • Smc* • CeMin • KitcheM • Caisiiurt • Scrtitful! • Irmsthem • Pulltep Gift certftcates available Sherbrooke 185, Burlington Granby 44, St-Jude Sud Sherbrooke J1L 1G9 Granby J2G 8C8 Tel.: (819) 566-2620 Tel.: (450) 777-4644 1-800-376-2620 1-600-378-4644 Sewing machine and vacuum cleaner repairs Jean-Guy Caron Make your Christmas shopping easy this year with (THE alternative to BELL!) 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Have a telephone jack installed Residential customers only.Limited time offer.-and get a FREE* phone “To“ Telephones • Jacks • Repairs • Wire Verification ‘til (Cfjrisittnas URTLENECKS .OVES FUR TRIMMED HATS VISA DUR AY with HOURS Monday-Friday: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.Sunday: Noon • 4:30 p.m."1 Socks KODIAK KOMBI Dr Art at/Sana fiafmg Nrm on gloves, scarves, socks coupon Valid til Dacembar 13,2003 One coupon per customer.Cannot be combined with any other promotion.¦ ®'i 1140 Panneton St., Sherbrooke • 569-2531 page 12 Wednesday, December 3, 2003 ; ¦¦THE ii RECORD Family tree program helps Signs that seniors families in need may necc^ housing Canadian Tire donating funds to good cause Canadian Tire Associate Dealers in Quebec officially launched their holiday season fundraising campaign today to help families in need.Until Dec.27, $5 from the sale of every full size artificial tree sold at Canadian Tire stores will be donated to the Canadian Tire Foundation of Quebec.In addition, when purchases are made on the Canadian Tire credit card or Options MasterCard®, $10 will be donated to the Foundation.Last year, the Family Tree program raised $130,000 in Quebec alone thanks to the generosity of Canadian Tire customers and the contributions of associate dealers.Since the Family Tree program began five years ago, nearly $500,000 has been raised by the Canadian Tire Foundation of Quebec to help Quebec families in need.Nationally, Canadian Tire stores across Canada have raised more than $3 million to benefit family shelters, food banks and other organizations in local communities.This year, in addition to showcasing Christmas trees on a number of popular television programs, the Canadian Tire Foundation of Quebec is being supported by the talent and generous spirit of its spokesperson, Jici Lauzon.“Through the Family Tree program of the Foundation, we are able to give a helping hand to Quebec families in need throughout the year”, said Michel Thibaudeau, associate dealer in Granby, who recently began a two-year mandate as President of the Canadian Tire Foundation of Quebec.Thibaudeau also presided over the organization from 1999-2001.We Need Your Help This Holiday! Cheques should be made payable to AGRHS - Gift Basket Campaign.Mail to: AGRHS P.O.Box 5002 Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z9 XLSrSL Tri-Us 3 Belvidere Lennoxville (819) 822-2632 Let’s make sure the food pantry is Mi A f m really stuffed this holiday season! We want to collect canned goods for Alexander Galt Christmas Basket Campaign - and we need your help.Just bring your donation of canned food (please, no fresh or I RECORD 1 1195 Galt East j frozen products) to these participating sponsors.Sherbrooke 1 All food is needed at this time of year to help less fortunate (819) 569-95251 families - that’s why we need a ton of help to collect a ton of food.Ask friends, neighbours and family to help.Please bring your food items to any sponsor before December 13 th.Gifts for children are also needed, if wrapped please indicate boy/girl, age group.The baskets will benefit families within the Eastern Townships School Board.NUTs aNDH3N6ir iNaTRee,.,?y we Maoe SRsciatTrears übp.THe Birds in school ToDaY?n-^ lasTes a Lime EucaLYPTOSK [pMc?iWV .iyfoM=»ki Email: Soup2rtutz@cox ne' page 18 Wednesday, December 3, 2003 Call Sherbrooke: (819) 569-9525 between 8:30 a.m.and 4:30 p.m.E-mail: classad@sherbrookerecord.com or Knowlton: (450) 242-1188 between 9:00 a.m.and 4:00 p.m.RECORD CLASSIFIED 035 For Rent 100 Job Opportunities 100 Job Opportunities i^Miscellaneous Services 230 fires LENNOXVILLE Renovated apartments, 3 1/2, 4 1/2, 5 1/2.Pool.Close to town and buses.Includes hot water.(819) 823-5336.NORTH HATLEY -HOUSE, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, laundry room, fully equipped, riverside, dock, large piece of land.$1,000./month.Call (819) 842-2725.100 Job Opportunities HOMEWORKERS WANTED.$529.27 weekly.Process mail or assemble products at home.(416) 703-5655, 24 hour message.www.TheHomeJob.ca or write: Consumer 599B Yonge St.#259-430, Toronto, ON.M4Y 1Z4.LUXURY CONFERENCE SALES.Able to earn $240,000.year one.Company training.No MLM.1-800-775-0713.RELIABLE CLEANER WANTED, approx.20-30 hours per week, $9.00 / hour, early mornings, in Lennoxville.Call (819) 562-4589.Transport Eastern Inc.OFFRE D’EMPLOI RÉPARTITEUR / TRICE US & Ouest canadien Entreprise exerçant ses activités dans le domaine du transport routier au niveau international est à la recherche d'un(e) répartiteur (trice) pour son département des opérations.TÂCHES À EXÉCUTER - Planifier et coordonner quotidiennement les besoins des clients - Faire exécuter les commandes par les chauffeurs par une attribution efficace des équipements et du personnel COMPÉTENCES REQUISES - Bilinguisme - Deux ans d’expérience dans le domaine - Bonne connaissance des environnements informa- tiques : Windows, MS Office - Sens aigu de l'organisation - Bonne connaissance du réseau routier (Américain et canadien) - Approche client attentionnée, serviable, amicale et vendeur Programme de rémunération concurrentiel selon l'expérience.Ce poste est au siège social à Asbestos.Faire parvenir votre CV avant le 8 déc 03.M.Mario St-Hilaire, P.Log Directeur des opérations Transport Eastern Inc 405 boul Industriel Asbestos.Qc, J1T 4C1 Fax: (819) 879-6713 Courriel : info@transporteastern.com 105 Sales Reps Wanted 145 Miscellaneous Services LIGHTING.Sell stores, offices, industries.Commission.Established 1945, call 1-800-2 6 3 - 4733 or Box 909, LCD#1, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3P6.GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH - OUR CLASSIFIEDS ARE ON LINE! www.sherbrookerecord.com LENNOXVILLE PLUMBING.Domestic repairs and water refiners.Call Norman Walker at (819) 563-1491.150 Computers NEED A COMPUTER?Don’t have cash?The original IBM Pentium 4 PC for $1.a day! Fast delivery! Free digital camera! Call now! 1-866-286-3701 .www.brandsnow.com WINTER TIRES with wheels and VW caps, 195/65/15, Nordic Icetrac, like new.Fits on 5x112 bolt patterns: VW vans and Passat, Audi and Mercedes.$400.Call (819) 566-0446.290 Articles For Sale 160 Music HONOLULU MAGI MUSIC, 201 King St.East, Sherbrooke, (819) 562-7840.Sales, trade-in, rental, repairs, teaching of all musical instruments.Full warranty since 1937.Visa, Mastercard and layaway plan accepted.Honolulu Orchestra for all kinds of entertainment.BUY, SELL AND SERVICE new and used snowblowers.Pick up and delivery.Dougherty Equipment (819) 821- 2590.DAN’S SERVICE -Service on household appliances: washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, etc.Tel.(819) 822-0800.190 Cars For Sale 1999 MALIBU, 33,000 miles, mags, CD cassette, sunroof, a/c, cruise control.Excellent condition.$7,500.Call (450) 405-3407.230 Tires 4 STEEL RIMS, 14”, fits on Ford Contour 1996.$100.Call (819) 564-8158.Deadline: 12:30 p.m.one day prior to publication Or mail your prepaid classified ads to The Record, P.O.Box 1200, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5L6 290 Articles For Sale THULE ROOF RACKS and ski box (6 pairs) for most cars, bars and locks.Ski and bike carriers available.Also other car attachments available.$200.each.Call (819) 566-0446.Have something to sell?Make your classified stand out.For $10.00 more per day, run a photo with your classified! Deadline: 2 days before publication.Drop by our office in Sherbrooke or Knowlton.(819) 569-9525.JOINTER, 6”, Beaver, $200.Bushhog, 4 ft., $600.Lumber: 400 board feet of dry Cherry, 1” thick, $3.50/bd.ft.Call (819) 842-2644.MASTERCRAFT D28 DEHUMIDIFIER, $100.Call (819) 566-6790.VW GOLF FACTORY roof rack, fits only on VW Golf 2-door, 1999-2003, complete with lock, like new.New value with taxes $250.Selling for $150.2 VW Trek bike carriers available, $150.Call (819) 566-0446.330 Pets EMAIL YOUR CLASSIFIED TOUS! Fast and convenient! ciassad@sherbrookerecord.com 42S Bus.Opportunities CANDY ROUTE1 Canada’s Best! Many Success Stories! www.uturncanada.com?440 Miscellaneous CRIMINAL RECORD?Pardon: permanently seals a criminal record and removes the obstacles.Waiver: allows you to legally enter the US.Free information booklet.Call 1-800-661-5554.www.pardonservicescanada.com 450 Prayers 430 Personal MYSTICAL CONNECTIONS.Top psychic service! The very best! Only $2.99 min.Love, Money, Life?24 hours, 7 days, 18+, 1-900-677-5872 or 1 877-478-4410 Visa / MC.www.mystical-connections.ca.THANKS TO GOD for favor received with promise to publish.May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised, adored and glorified throughout the world forever and ever.Amen.DK Check out the classifieds on our website! www.8herbrookerecord.com .ooking for a new home for your pet?Make your classified stand out.For $10.00 more per day, run a photo with your classified! Deadline: 2 days before publication.Drop by our office in Sherbrooke or Knowlton.(819) 569- 9525.We ll give you 4 million.More thon four million Canadians hove arthritis.Find out how you can help by participating in marathons around the world.Train.Travel.Triumph, JOINTS TRAINING TEAM For more information, coil 1-800-321-1433 or visit us ot www.arthritis.ca/jointsinmotion TO PLACE YOUR PREPAID CLASSIFIED AD: TELEPHONE: (819)569-9525 (450) 242-1188 BY MAIL: Use this coupon IN PERSON: Come to our offices 1195 Galt E., Sherbrooke, Quebec, or 88 Lakeside Street, Knowlton OFFICE HOURS: Sherbrooke: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.Knowlton: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.DEADLINE: Sherbrooke: 12:30 p.m.working day previous to publication Knowlton: 10 a.m.working day previous to publication ALL ORDERS MUST INCLUDE STREET ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER THE RECORD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT OR EDIT ANY ADVERTISEMENT.PLEASE Minimum charge $6.50 per day for 20 words or less; .25C per PRINT additional word.Discounts for prepaid consecutive insertions without copy change: 4 to 20 insertions - less 10%, 21 insertions - less 20%.CATEGORY NAME________________________CATEGORY NUMBER______________________ ADVERTISERS NAME________________________________________ ADDRESS ____________________________________ PROVINCE_____________POSTAL CODE____________ TEL( )__________________________________ PLEASE CHECK FORM OF PAYMENT: CHEQUE ?MONEY ORDER ?CREDIT CARD ?CREDIT CARD PAYMENT: MASTERCARD ?VISA ?CARD NO.____________________________________ EXPIRATION DATE_____________________________ MAIL THIS COUPON TO: The Record P.O.Box 1200 Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5L6 COST OF ADVERTISEMENT: (Min.$6.50) $ 0.25C x_words x.(20 words) .days - $ _ (multiply) x .07 GST SUBTOTAL, (multiply) x .075 PST _ TOTAL.Special Take a classified ad for 6 consecutive days and we’ll give you 2 consecutive days more FREE.NO REFUNDS Wednesday, December 3, 2003 page 19 RECORD Your Birthday Wednesday, Dec.3,2003 SAGITTARIUS (Nov.23-Dec.21) - Any situation that requires a managerial touch will be your cup of tea today.You’re good on your own, but will be a stand out if you have a number of competent assistants to help you.CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan.19) - Don’t get in the way today of people who are trying to bring under control a matter over which you have little or no command.They’ll make sure everything will work out to your advantage.AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb.19) - This is a good day to make amends with an old friend who you’ve been neglecting lately.The measures you take will assure this person that she or he still means a lot to you.PISCES (Feb.20-March 20) - Today will be favorable, especially where your career or finances are concerned.However, it will be up to you to make the most of the opportunities as they develop.ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Look to your past experiences for solutions to solve problems which confront you today.You possess the necessary knowledge that will get you over any current rough spots.TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — It’s best not to discuss any confidential or sensitive information you posses about the affairs of another with those who are not directly involved.Staying mum assures privacy and success.GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — If you have something beneficial to share today, first contact your old friends to see if they are interested in receiving it.They deserve the first option to take it or turn it down.CANCER (June 21-July 22) - It could prove important to give priority today and tomorrow to matters that can further your personal ambitions.At this time, this is the area where you will be the luckiest.LEO (July 23-Aug.22) — Situations which others may find far too difficult to manage could turn out to be remarkably easy for you to handle today Step into the breech when you see others floundering.VIRGO (Aug.23-Sept.22) — Use your talents and abilities today to implement needed changes that you know would enhance the security of your entire family.The peace of mind it brings promotes accord and harmony.LIBRA (Sept.23-Oct.23) - This could be one of the better days to iron out matters of importance that affect both you and your mate.Your chances of finding better courses of action are currently excellent.SCORPIO (Oct.24-Nov.22) — Events triggered by someone who has previously been helpful could once again prove to be extremely useful in achieving material gains from others than your usual sources of income.Wednesday, Dec.3,2003 North 12-03-03 A A 9 6 4 3 ¥ 6 4 ?A 6 5 3 2 A 6 West East A K J 8 A 10 5 2 V K 8 3 ¥ Q 9 7 5 2 ?Q J 7 ?K 10 8 * J 9 5 3 A 10 8 South A Q 7 ¥ A J 10 ?9 4 A K Q 7 4 2 Dealer: South Vulnerable: Both South West North East 1 «fc Pass 1 A Pass 3 A Pass 3 ?Pass 3 NT Pass Pass Pass Opening lead: ¥ .3 Seeing in your mind what they will think By Phillip Alder Willem de Kooning, a Dutch-born U.S.artist who died in 1997, said, “Style is a fraud.I always felt the Greeks were hiding behind their columns.” Bridge players have different styles.Some are technicians, always trying to find the theoretically best action.Others play much more by feel, using their table presence to choose the winning move.In this column, which would you be?Yes, you may hide your answer behind your breakfast! You are South, the declarer in three no-trump.West leads the heart three: four, queen, ace.How would you continue?There are two possible lines of play.One is clear-cut: You play clubs from the top, hoping for a friendly — but unlikely — 3-3 split.However, at the table, West won the fourth club and shifted to the diamond queen.When he was allowed to win the trick, West led his diamond seven.Declarer called for dummy’s ace and played another diamond.But East continued the excellent defense by switching to a spade.Now South had to finish one down.One declarer had an imaginative idea.At trick two, he led a low club! As South hoped, East won the trick and returned the heart five, his original fourth-highest.After South covered with the jack, West won with the king and returned his last heart.Suddenly South’s hand was back in the sunshine.He got one spade, two hearts, one diamond and five clubs.Away from the table, it is easy to say that the defenders should have played differently.But I think South deserved success for his enterprising effort.CROSSWORD ACROSS 36 Tony-winning musical 1 Nabisco cracker 39 Military post 5 Info 40 Annexes 9 Quips 41 Author Zola 14 Piece of land 43 Tie-breaker periods: abbr.15 Comic Sandler 44 Ballet bend 16 nous 45 Search-party member 17 Author of “The Necklace” 46 Eavesdropper’s post 20 Polish companion 48 Nightstand’s location 21 Can.province 49 Comic Philips 22 Part of an audio system 50 Tilden of tennis 26 Former Netherlands currency 51 Non-member sympathizers 30 Lincoln’s V.P.59 Citrus fruit 31 John Wayne film, “True ” 60 Sudan river 32 Tin Man’s tool 61 Diva’s number 33 “Tuesdays with Morrie” author 62 Gossip 34 Kind of contract 63 Santa’s sackful 35 Pale 64 Medical shot?24 Ambassador’s headquarters 44 LA.suburb 25 Unchallenged 45 Individuals 26 Metric units 47 Spartan serf 27 African caftan 48 Onion roll 28 Breathed out 50 Vivacity 29 “The Bridge of San Luis ” 51 Picnic pest 31 Test score 52 Shoe-box letters 34 Classic track 53 K-0 connection 35 Summits 54 Blasting letters 37 Plowed but left unseeded 55 Too tolerant 38 Implement with an eye 56 Miss a step 39 choy 57 Narrow inlet 42 Afore 58 For instance A N T E s F 1 R S T B L U T O C H 1 A R K 1 Ç R 1 L ¦ O V O S E A T 0 E N D A P B S T O O L L E S S E O N C E 1 T S A R H E R s Tuesday's Puzzle Solved N S L E| E E Dj I G "si (C)2003Tribune Media Services, Inc.I B A S H E L L E W A 1 L R A N G E E R S O N C E O U S E P A N T S Iy U L E S K A L E N S E X A C H B L 1 S S O 1 N K S B O G 1 E 12/3/03 DOWN 1 Worn cloth 2 Hosp.area 3 Attempt 4 Londoner’s last letter 5 Moisten 6 Oil-well firefighter Red 7 Like a drumhead 8 Unit of elec.9 Follower of St.Ignatius of Loyola 10 Photographer Adams 11 Bake-sale holding grp.12 European eagle 13 Ready to go 18 Inuit 19 Eagle of stars 22 __Na Na 23 Hand-shaped By Janet R.Bender 12/3/03 >age 20 THE RECORD Wednesday, December 3, 2003 HOME A HmRHNN The best protection we've ever offered on all 2004 Dodge Caravan models.7 year or 115,000 km powertrain warranty plus 24 hour roadside assistance." GM, FORD, HONDA AND TOYOTA DON'T MATCH IT.mstMÈâà p.-.in I w i Hi is C3S0HRS R| Caravan CANADA'S FAVOURITE MINIVAN — & § ¦ïïSïïïff Purchase for 22.988 2004 Dodge Caravan UfVeJtfW' Anniversary Edition 7 m* 115,080 KH *nw*rr ilijilc