The record, 23 octobre 2006, lundi 23 octobre 2006

THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 — 1 ~—~~~'"~""""""*Êl*ÊnÊÊIIÊÊÊÊlÊÊlÊÊÊÊÊt*~-+‘^*ÊlÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊIIKÊÊÊÊÊIÊamÊÊiÊaÊmmmmmÊÊÊmmmmi,< 9 2006 WINNER CCNA BETTER NEWSPAPERS COMPETITION Literacy cuts will hurt anglos.See Page 5 75 cents + taxes PM#0040007682 Monday, October 23, 2006 New seniors’ service is ‘stupid’ Oxford transit watchdog calls it ‘discriminatory’ By Joshua Bleser Sherbrooke Sherbrooke’s public transit corporation’s latest attempt to improve service to a sector of the Lennoxville borough is “inadequate” and “discriminatory”, according to the head of a local tenants’ association.The Société de Transport de Sherbrooke announced a “taxibus” pilot project that will, starting Monday, Oct.30, ferry senior citizens from Résidences Oxford on Artie-Mitchell Street and Oxford Crescent down College Street.“It’s stupid,” said Jean-Raymond Houle, the president of the Résidences Oxford Tenants’ Association.“It’s going to cost them $12,000 per year [$6,000 of which is subsidized), whereas the two old bus routes brought in revenue of $2,000 per year.” Besides the cost, Houle said the plan to offer the shuttle service three days a week is not enough.Houle also claimed the taxi scheme, which is only available to those 65 and older, violates the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.“I’m over 65, so I’ll be allowed in the taxi, but my wife isn’t, so she’ll have to run along behind the taxi,” he said.According to an official with the Commission de la protection des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, Houle may be right.” On the face of it, it could be discrimination,” said Jacinthe Gagné.But, she continued, “there are a whole slew of factors that would have to be taken into account.We would have to analyze the case.” Gagné said the charter guarantees equal rights regardless of age, unless a law says otherwise.For example, senior citizens’ homes with age minimums benefit from an exemption because they are exclusively devoted to people’s well-being.Gagné said she’s not sure a similar justification exists for the taxi service.Finally, Houle said he’s concerned that residents with mild physical impairments won’t be able to get in and out of the taxi, but that the STS’s adapted transport service is only available to people in wheelchairs.As it turns out, though, that’s not true.An STS spokesperson said that adapted transport is available to Weedons State of Emergency T V PHUtY BEATON The 70 millimetres of water that fell on the Eastern Townships this weekend was an annoyance for many (pictured is Grandes Fourches in Sherbrooke), but more serious for others.Waterflooded out some residents of Lennoxville.And the mayor ofWeedon called a state of emergency.Please see story on page 3.Please see Transit on Page 4 pack 2 Monday, October 23, 2006 RECORD In Death, Life wmwmm mm |JSr»‘ •* ÿfl ¦ fJÊ ¦HI .rTjJTf % si iJPf m kxL '*H T- rèË t » m l .jjfc fJ-h ^ % » j 1, j PHRRY BRATON/SPECIAL llwsc who have given organs to help others were honoured at a special ceremony on Friday morning in Sherbrooke's Cathédrale Saint-Michel.Most of the awards were posthumous, given to the 190 people whose deaths led to organ donations.Five living donors were also recognized, as well as the 62 police officers and volunteers who work to promote organ donations.Honorary patron and Quebec Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault was in attendance, as was Sûreté du Québec head Normand Proulx.Draw Results 2006-10-21 I O I O oui lit « WINNt.M 6,458 02 04 25 29 41 42 38 bonus 3/6 126,033 2/6+ 79.238 PRIZES $4,652,148.00 $156.142.80 $2.659.50 $75.70 $10.00 $5 00 Total sales $15.079,948 Nnxt grand prizes upprox | $4.000,000 14 22 29 il 43 42 OS bonus 6/6 5/6+ 5/6 4/6 3/6 Venins totales WINNERS PRIZES 0 $1,000,000.00 1 18 786 14,619 $50,000.00 $500 00 $50.00 $5.00 $470,367 00 I KQtni 0379948* $500,0001 ** Mm (imposable in both directions Draw Results; 2006-10-20 03 05 13 12 20 35 il 25 KQtra 8204 7 94*5500,000 ‘decomposable in both directions WINNFRS 7/7 0 6/7+ 4 6/7 76 5/7 4,738 4/7 96.124 3/7+ 88,437 3/7 793.865 Total sales Next grand prizes (approx.) PRIZES $2,500,000 00 $32,245.20 $1,697 10 $92 50 $1000 $1000 Free play $11.421,570 $5,000,000 /-nVTÏ+Pn^ $25,000 A DAY ! IT'S WRITTEN IN THE STARS ! Itancy bntwwwi mis bit and the oMicial winning list of Loto-Québac.Ihe latlei shall prevail Briefs Russia drops beef with cattle Russia will lift its ban on importing Canadian breeding cattle."The Russian Federation has also indicated that it intends to lift its ban on the importation of certain boneless beef products, subject to final approval of technical conditions.Russian officials will visit Canada to approve beef plants and shipments of live cattle,” states a press release from the Canadian agriculture ministry.The announcement was made last week.“We also look forward to working with Russia to strengthen its own livestock and dairy sector,”stated minister Chuck Strahl, because the deal includes Canadian involvement in the development of Russia’s livestock sector.“Both sides agreed to form an agribusiness working group” under the umbrella of the Canada-Russia Intergovernmental Economic Commission, a 1993 initiative created to boost trade between the two countries.Before Canada’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was detected in May 2003, Russian imports of Canadian breeding cattle and beef were more than $4 million.UPA meets in Estrie More than 150 people connected to agricultural production spent Friday at the 74th annual meeting of the Federation UPA-Estrie, held in Sherbrooke.President Noël Landry said in a press release: “Quebec has benefited from a more stable revenue from that of other Canadian provinces.This is in large part because of the collective tools put into place by Quebec farmers.” UPA-Estrie will celebrate its quarter-century anniversary with special activities, including a book on its history and a special Grande fête des producteurs in the summer of 2007.The UPA-Estrie is at www.upa.qc.ca.Weather Today: Snow changing to periods of rain mixed with up to two cm.wet snow in the morning.High plus 4.Tuesday: Showers.Low 3.High 7.Wednesday: Showers.Low 3.High 4.Thursday: Cloudy.Low minus 1.High 3.Ben by Daniel Shelton 1 im &MA WEU., J HEdRP ’BUY T» GRANPA A FUT ‘SCREEN j ^ ru&MA TM.r._ J ~ ~~ ^7eur abyss' I WEH6ARWW4T S N \ W£ WANT TO.PIPY0UHUZ TH4T2ALÉCSAIP ‘I LCVE YOU, m SSUU RKVVO TT' GRANM4/\0U'RE -l THE BEST/' ^ s/ Brini s ‘Suspicious’ fire A suspicious fire in Saint-Hyacinthe has caused thousands of dollars in damage to a pavilion owned by the Casavant school.Sûreté du Québec spokesman Claude Denis said emergency crews were alerted to the fire on 700 Casavant St.E.around 10:20 p.m.Saturday.Denis said it started in a hut alongside the pavilion.No one was injured.It took firefighters around four hours to bring the blaze under control.Firearms found in car An Eastern Townships man will face charges of impaired driving and negligence with a firearm after the Sûreté du Québec searched his vehicle Saturday night.SQ spokesman Claude Denis said police intercepted and searched a vehicle around 2:15 a.m.They were responding to a call from a Sawyerville resident who heard gun shots.The suspect’s ex girlfriend had been staying in the Sawyerville resident’s home that night.Denis said the man was found with two firearms in his vehicle and also failed a breathalyzer test.He will make an appearance at the Sherbrooke courthouse this week.Robbery suspect sought Sherbrooke police are looking for a man suspected of armed robbery.A theft took place Oct.3 at a Video-Flash on 991 Gibraltar.Police say the suspect, last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt with a white logo in the front and jeans, entered the movie rental shop around 10:45 p.m.He was brandishing a stick with black tape around the tip.The Caucasian, French-speaking man, who also had a white scarf covering half his face, ordered the clerk to hand over money from the cash register before fleeing on foot.The suspect is estimated to be between 18 and 25 years of age, five foot six inches tall and weighing around 170 pounds.Anyone with information is asked to call detective Claude-Jean Chénard at 819-821-5544.Cars stolen from garage Two men in their twenties will face theft charges after allegedly stealing two automobiles from a Sherbrooke garage on King E.in less than 12 hours.Sherbrooke police spokesman Yves Rancourt said the first vehicle, a Subaru, was stolen around 9 p.m.Friday.Someone drove away with the second vehicle, a Plymouth Sundance, around 6:30 a.m.Saturday.Police spotted the Sundance shortly after and arrested two men.The Subaru was also located.Rancourt did not have the suspects’ ages nor the name of the garage.RECORD: Monday, October 23, 2006 page 3 Homeless in Weedon Deluge a ‘state of emergency’ By Brion Robinson Sherbrooke Some 200 Weedon residents are homeless after surging water levels in Lake Louise and the St.Francis River flooded out their homes Saturday — and their numbers are expected to rise.“We’re in a state of emergency,” said Weedon Mayor Jean-Claude Dumas, noting rising water continues to invade dry homes.Some 70 millimetres of rain fell in the Eastern Townships from Friday to Saturday.Flooding also occurred in the Asbestos region, Richmond and Sherbrooke’s Lennoxville borough — washing out roads, sports fields and flooding homes.Dumas said the Quebec government should also share some of the blame.“They had a lack of foresight,” the 66-year-old mayor said, noting dams were not opened to control water levels around Weedon’s residential areas.“This is the worst flooding I’ve ever seen here.” About 60 families in the municipality of some 2,700 residents were taxied from their homes Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m.Emergency crews rounded up other people with a zodiak pontoon boat, Dumas said.“There was no other way to reach residents.” About a dozen of the homeless, who could not find shelter with friends and family, spent Saturday night at Weedon’s community centre.Red Cross volunteers provided food and amenities.Last night, those who could not find shelter were assigned accommodations at local inns.Dumas said the municipality will host an information session for residents about the flooding on Tuesday night at the community centre (at 7 p.m.).Lennoxville feels it too In Lennoxville, the St.Francis River temporarily inundated parts of the Little Forks Road and sports fields used by Bishop’s University.Entry points to the university were also immersed in water.Sherbrooke police spokesman Yves Rancourt said flood barriers were removed Sunday afternoon and no injuries or ¦Safa -M” ¦ÆM •* PERRY BEATON Water levels rose in downtown Sherbrooke, as well.Make The Record part of your life.Savour it by subscribing how: CLAUDIA VILLE MAI RE This road in the Richmond area was washed out.damage were reported.The city’s emergency services evacuated some people from their homes and the water barricades were up and ready, said Lennoxville Borough chairman Douglas MacAulay.Radio-Canada also reported The Beauce region endured heavy flooding.Minor flooding was also reported in Montérégie, Gaspé and the North Shore.$36.46 O $77.79 0 $136.74 O 3 months 6 months 12 months RECORD Let the readers know about your products and sen/ices.JO-ANN HOVEY Advertising Consultant jhovey@sherbrookerecord.com (819)569-9525 Fax (819) 821-3179 or.$11.40/mon lh Pre-Authorized Poymenl Plon (just send a "VOID” cheque) (Amounts included GST and PST for Quebec residents.) Name: _____________________________ Address:___________________ _______ Postal Code: ______________________ Tel.No.: _________________________ Pleas* mad Mfltuawnent to THE RECORD P.0.Box 1200 Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5L6 819-569-9528 • 450-242-1188 1-800-463-9525 Subscribe today! pack 4 Monday, October 23, 2006 RECORD Transit Cont’d prom Pagf.1 people with both physical and intellectual disabilities, as long as the disabilities are permanent.She also said that people with permanent mobility problems may be granted access to the service even if they use only a cane or a walker.jbleser@sherbrookerecord.com The details of the new taxi shuttle service The Sherbrooke transit corporation's new taxi bus service along College Street in Lennoxville begins running on Monday, Oct.30.And Doug MacAulay said it's a use-it-or-lose-it situation.“We’re going to monitor it,” said the Lennoxville borough chairman and vice-president of the Société de Transport de Sherbrooke (STS).“The bus service we had before wasn't used that often." he said.“But I’ve been fighting hard to get this back." Money for the trial project has been set aside for a year, said McAulay.The cheap taxi is only available to se- Quebec adds $297 million to forestry bailout Decades of forest over-harvesting in Quebec, plus a brutal combination of harsh market conditions have combined to create “the worse crisis in the history” of Quebec forestry sector, Charest said.To emerge from it in competitive form will require effort, and compromise, from labour, industry, municipalities and aboriginal communities, Charest and his cabinet colleagues said.The $296.8 million package announced Friday provides $54.8 million for workers, mostly senior workers, while $45 million has been earmarked for communities hardest hit by the crisis.About 250 communities in Quebec are dependent on forestry sector jobs.Another $197 million would be invested in “a new approach to forest management” and would involve the Quebec government paying for — in full or in part — an array of measures including reforestation and fire fighting.The tax credit for forestry roads, which are widely used by outdoors enthusiasts and hunters, would be increased to 90 per cent from the current 40 per cent.Already announced, and outlined in previous provincial budgets, is another $425 million in loans or loan guarantees that would allow industry to modernize or acquire assets.FILE PHOTO «F1SJu ^ *85 4 *xvi.v it:-* % *. .ENOLXSM REASON .TO TRACK HIM DOWN AND FINO OUT.’ vlANWMIte, AT iwe RCSlOCNCC to oe ¦wORKiNft' we or «.OSCAR boom.ou*.SHOULD SCt SOME.OSCAR’ «eaucre soon L'tSL Arlo & Janis what ir fo N BLEW A PATTLE.AOAKI?ictueeM, The Born Loser I PULLED» A, CAUSCL6 IK fK< Qf STOfAAOA ! /7i ho—eating! 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