TRAGEDY TOMORROW, COMEDY TONIGHT! - In a ridiculously funny scene from Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, theslave Hysterium, played by Jonathon Keith (left) rebuffs the adoring looks and advances of his master, Senex, played by Shawn Elliott. Forum is the final offering for OnStageUxbridge’s 2018/19 season, and opens tonight at the Uxbridge Music Hall. For full details, visit onstageuxbridge.com, or see ad on page 8. Photo by John Cavers

by Nancy Melcher

Residential hospice care is coming to NorthDurham. Last Wednesday evening, the OakRidges Hospice held a public presentation atShobrook Gardens to give people an idea ofwhat could be expected at the new facility,which will be built on the former ImmaculateConception School property in Port Perry andwill serve Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock town-ships.

Residential hospices provide a place wherepalliative individuals, as well as their lovedones, are supported through their end-of-lifejourney. The vision of those involved with theOak Ridges Hospice is to provide is a tranquil,home-like setting where people with a terminalillness can live their final days with dignity andcomfort, while receiving the highest qualitycompassionate care. For those living with a life-threatening illness, or providing care for a loved

one as they near end-of-life, the hospice says itwill offer an alternative to institutional care fa-cilities and home care.

Oak Ridges Hospice will also feature a dedi-cated team of specially trained medical, nurs-ing, support staff and volunteers.

Hospice Board of Directors chair Dr. SteveRussell, a Port Perry physician, says, “Hospiceis a place that feels like home. Families canfocus on their loved one while support workerscare for their medical needs. It’s friendly, it’stranquil, it’s calm. The kitchen is a great hubof social activity, and there’s laughter comingfrom one of the rooms as family members sharegood times with a patient.”

Dr. Russell also said there will be a spiritualroom, therapeutic spa tub room, outdoor patioand gardens, quiet sitting areas, laundry area,nurses’ station, and separate space for staff.

Uxbridge Ward 3 Councillor Bruce Garrodattended the public presentation last week, an-

nouncing that the township will provide$25,000 to the hospice project. Scugog Coun-cil also agreed to support the initiative with afour-year, annual commitment of $37,500.

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has endorsed five private rooms,with the opportunity for future expansion to10 rooms. Every room is private, set up for onlyone patient. Family members may set up a bed-side cot to sleep and be near their loved one. The project is currently moving into the plan-

ning and design stage, and the hospice is ex-pected to be operational in 2020. The Oak Ridges Hospice, a registered charity,

is holding the Hike for Hospice on Sunday,May 5, starting at 9:30 a.m. in Elgin Park. De-tails can be found at oakridgeshospice.com

More information on Oak Ridges Hospicecan be obtained by emailinginfo@oakridgeshospice.com

Township supports hospice care in North Durham

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Volume 15 No. 13 YOUR UNIVERSE Thursday, April 4, 2019

Inside Your CosmosCemetery Rd. is alive with concerns . . . . page 2Epic poem for an epic season. . . . . . . . . page 5

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by Roger Varley

All good things must come to an endand the Uxbridge Bruins ' standoutseason closed last Wednesday as theywere bounced from the hunt for theSchmalz Cup.

e loss of four straight games tothe Napanee Raiders was not indica-tive of the Bruins' season in whichthey took first place in the PJHL'sOrr Division, winning a franchiserecord of 33 games against sevenlosses and two ties. e Bruins thenwent on to easily defeat the PortPerry MoJacks and North KawarthaKnights to take the Orr Divisionchampionship.But the Napanee team was another

story. e black-and-white cladRaiders outskated, out-hustled andoutscored the Bruins in all four

games, culminating in a last-minute4-3 victory at the arena last week.

e opening period was scoreless,with goalie Ryan McConkey puttingin an outstanding performance inkeeping the Raiders off the score-board. e Raiders stymied most ofthe Bruins' attacks and it wasn't untilthe last five minutes of the periodthat the local squad started applyingany sustained pressure on the Napa-nee net.It was past the half-way mark of the

second period when Napanee scoredthe first goal, which was followed justtwo minutes later with their second.Toby Cooper finally scored forUxbridge with less than two minutesremaining, assisted by Daniel Gior-gio, who made a beautiful pass frombehind the net. Once again, the Bru-ins waited until the end of the period

to apply pressure.Jackson Savery tied the game in the

third with a power-play goal, assistedby Stefan Palatsidis and Aiden Reilly.A power-play goal put the Raidersahead again, but, with less than 10minutes left, Reilly tied the game,also on a power play, assisted byJustin Bennett and Cole Bremner.But the Bruins' hopes of a reboundwere crushed when the Raidersscored the winning goal with aminute left on the clock.

e Cosmos named Reilly as theBruins' player of the game, withAustin Labelle named for theRaiders. But McConkey was thestandout player of the series for theBruins, despite losing all four games.He faced a total of 178 shots in theseries and allowed only 16 into thenet.

Thursday, April 4, 20192The Uxbridge Cosmos

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Bruins head for summer hibernation

by Roger Varley

A recent call by a developer to changethe name of Cemetery Road resultedin council receiving letters from anumber of residents of the street op-posed to any change. But councilfound out Monday morning that thename of the street is the least of con-cerns for residents.ey received two letters complain-

ing about the state of CemeteryRoad, with one writer, Paul Camozzi,saying: "We are now in an emergencysituation." His letter went on to say"this council and past has had almost10 years to implement change for asafer community right in the heart ofthe Town of Uxbridge. Time’s up.”Camozzi also appeared before coun-

cil where he reiterated his complaintsabout inadequate street lighting, lack

of sidewalks, crumbling pavementand the speed limit.

"is is complete negligence," hesaid. "ere's a feeling on the streetthat we've been neglected."

He said although Uxbridge is theTrail Capital of Canada, he cannotwalk on his street without fear ofbeing hit by a vehicle.Another letter writer, Jochen Heine-

mann, noted residents have had sev-eral discussions with the townshipabout the road over the past 10 years"and nothing has been done to im-prove the situation."

In a report to council, Ward 4Councillor Willie Popp pointed outthat "residents of Cemetery Road fre-quently walk on the road becausethere are no sidewalks and the shoul-der is not a viable solution in mostareas."

His report called for reducing thespeed limit to 40 km/h from 50km/h, that a large fluorescent sign beerected to warn motorists of the pres-ence of pedestrians and that an engi-neering report be done relating to thesafety of pedestrians.

e engineering report can not bedone until the road is reopened - itcurrently is closed at the south endbecause of construction work on anew townhouse development.

Meanwhile, a section of ZephyrRoad between Concessions 5 and 6will be closed for four months thissummer while the Region ofDurham reconstructs the road andinstalls paved shoulders and drainageimprovements, which include curbs,gutters and storm sewers.

The name's not the concern on Cemetery Road

by Roger Varley

Construction of a pump park at theFields of Uxbridge could begin as earlyas June 1, says facilities manager BobFerguson.In a report to council, he said all the

funding for the $350,000 project is inplace, thanks in part to the townshipproviding $25,000 in bridge financingto the Uxbridge Rotary Club. eclub had committed to providing$75,000 to the project: $50,000 thisyear, with the $25,000 bridge financ-ing to be repaid in 2020. Of the re-mainder, $150,000 comes from aTrillium Foundation grant, $75,000from the township, $25,000 from theOptimist Club and another $25,000from the Durham Mountain Bike As-sociation and the Durham Shredders.

Ferguson said the design and con-struction of the pump park will beabout $300,000 and, after a couple ofother incidental measures, $34,000would remain as a contingency fund.However, recreation manager AmandaFerrero said that because the designer

will also be the builder, there shouldbe no overage on construction costs.

Ferguson said some fill will be re-

quired to be brought in, but addedthere is some fill already on site atFOU which can be used.

Thursday, April 4, 20193The Uxbridge Cosmos

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The Rotary Club of Uxbridge is pleased to announce the winners ofour March monthly draw for 2019 Trip of the Month.

1st - 'Scenic Ski Adventure’ Trip won by Randy Hoban of UxbridgeTicket #131 sold by Lisa Brooks.

2nd - $150 won by Richard SolomonTicket #108, sold by Michael Banh.

3rd - $100 won by Johanna HomsmaTicket #271, sold by Dale Hickey.

Congratulations to our March winners and best of luck to all ticketholders for the April 2019 draw, themed ‘France Frolic’. Includesround trip airfare non-stop to Nice, France; 7 nights accommodationin the four-star Monsigny Boutique Hotel; city and shopping tour of Nice and tram to a beautiful beach!

MONTHLY DRAW WINNERS

From the MP’s deskcolumn by Jennifer O’Connell, MP

Budget 2019 benefits Uxbridge

Federal budgets are fundamentallyabout people. ey’re about outlin-ing a vision for our country, and de-livering on promises made.

As the Member of Parliament forPickering-Uxbridge and the Parlia-mentary Secretary to the Minister ofFinance (Youth Economic Opportu-nity), I’ve had the privilege of speak-ing to my constituents and touringthe country talking about the ex-traordinary steps Budget 2019 takesto improve the lives of seniors, youngpeople and middle class Canadians.

Access to high speed Internet is nolonger a luxury, but a necessity, and

has been for years. Too many resi-dents here in Uxbridge struggle withtaking part in our digital economybecause of a lack of high speed inter-net connectivity. Budget 2019 com-mits to ensuring every singleCanadian has access to this crucialservice before 2030.

We’re making it easier for youngpeople to purchase their first homewith the First Time Home Buyer in-centive, while helping them pay offtheir student loans and getting awell-paying job through the CanadaTraining Benefit.

We’re also helping seniors in our

community by making new invest-ments to make retirement more fi-nancially secure for moreCanadians—helping Canadian sen-iors keep more money in their pock-ets, receive the benefits they areentitled to, protect their workplacepensions and stay active and involvedin their communities.

at includes increasing the Guar-anteed Income Supplement (GIS)earning exemption and taking thenext steps to introduce NationalPharmacare by creating the CanadianDrug Agency, which will make pre-scription drugs more affordable andmore accessible to more Canadians.Over the past few months, I’ve spo-

ken to constituents and local towncouncil with updates on infrastruc-ture support for UxbridgeIn addition to the over $100 million

our government has already investedin projects like Durham RegionTransit and the Fields of Uxbridge,

Budget 2019 doubles the federal GasTax Fund transfer to address short-term infrastructure priorities in mu-nicipalities. For Ontario, that’s a totalinvestment of $819.4 million, pro-portioned amongst each municipal-ity based on the last transfer.Uxbridge’s gas tax transfer will bedoubled to $656,862.25, while theRegion of Durham will now receive$19,366,368.1.e fact is, the Government of On-

tario and Premier Ford have notcome to the table when it comes tosupporting infrastructure projectsand local communities. It’s been overa year since the Government ofCanada and the Province of Ontariosigned the $11.9 billion IntegratedBilateral Agreement for the Investingin Canada Infrastructure Program(ICIP).

ere has been no urgency fromOntario to open intake for all of thefunding streams available through

the Program. While the Province hasfinally opened the rural infrastruc-ture intake, only for roads andbridges (the smallest stream of fund-ing), that is only one important com-ponent of a program that’s meant tosupport local communities likeUxbridge.I remain concerned that the slow in-

take will cause us to lose another con-struction season and as we know, thelonger projects like the Uxbridgepool take to get built, the more ex-pensive they become, with taxpayersultimately paying the cost.I hope this budget update is helpful,

but should you have any additionalquestions, please don’t hesitate toreach out to my office. My commu-nity office located at Unit 4-1154Kingston Rd. in Pickering, is avail-able to assist you in your dealingswith federal departments. Visit orcall us at 905-839-2878, or at 1-855-275-2860.

Pumped and ready to go in June

THE REAL WINNERS ARE: Canadian Tire Jumpstart and the Uxbridge Legion! The two organi-zations were recently presented with almost $55,000 - their portion of the proceeds from theCatch the Ace Progressive Weekly Lottery. The inaugural lottery, run by the Uxbridge RotaryClub, was won two weeks ago, and a new “pot” was started last week. Presenting the chequeare, from left: Rotarian and Catch the Ace co-chair Terry Chapman, Pat Higgins of Jumpstart,Sherrill Hodgson and Bob Lewis of the Uxbridge Legion, and Ian Morrison, also Catch the Aceco-chair.

Photo by Cyndie Jacobs

Note: On the front page of last week’s Cosmos, Bob Lewis was pictured with Lottery winnerAngela Horne and was incorrectly identified as being with the Rotary Club of Uxbridge, whenhe is, in fact, with the Uxbridge Legion. The Cosmos apologizes for the error.

Thursday, April 4, 20194The Uxbridge Cosmos

The purchase by the Township of theCoffee Time and adjacent conven-ience store on Brock St. opens thedoor to a key step in the much-needed renewal of our ailing down-town. But it will take vision andcourage on the part of our Council,with the support of residents, tomake this happen.

It seems to be assumed that theTownship will eventually sell theseproperties, partly to recoup the $3million purchase price, and to enableappropriate commercial develop-ment on that site. But more storesalong Brock St. are the last thing weneed. Ten years or so ago, Council formed

a Downtown Renewal Committeeon which I sat. The most useful out-put from that committee was the de-velopment of a Downtown Visionwhich described, in pictorial terms,what our downtown could look like.That Downtown Vision was adoptedby Council, and integrated into theTownship’s Official Plan. It has re-mained a part of the Official Plan forthe past 10 years, and still remainsthe official view of what our down-town could look like, and a visionarygoal for planners.

Section 1.2.2 of the Official Plan,titled “Downtown Vision” includesthis: “A small park or ‘town square'in the centre of town provides a focalpoint for community activities, or forsimply relaxing in a pleasant park set-ting.”

Now that the Township owns thisproperty, it is time to start makingthis official vision a reality. Eventu-ally, the buildings need to be torndown, and a small park or plaza cre-ated. An attractive open space andgathering place would dramaticallychange the character of the perenni-ally-depressed “lower Brock street”.It would become a jewel of thedowntown community, and a spacewhere community gatherings and ac-

tivities could take place. It is my viewthat such a proposal would receiveoverwhelming community support— to the extent that some of the $3million purchase price could be offsetby community contributions over aperiod of time. We have a visionarymayor and a far-sighted Council.Such a step could, finally, be a much-needed turning-point in the renewalof our downtown, changing the char-acter of our community for ever. Dowe have the vision, and the stomachfor it? I would like to think we do.

Wynn WaltersUxbridge

I recently went grocery shopping, asI do bi-weekly, trying to hit the salesas advertised in local flyers. I havelived in Uxbridge for three years andup until now I have never feared mygrocery bill. I live on a fixed incomeas I am retired, so I watch my spend-ing carefully. I have to.When the weather is safe for driving

I venture to Stouffville's No Frills orPort Perry's Food Basics in order toafford fresh fruit and vegetables.Otherwise I'm at the mercy of Zehrsor Vince's food stores, which sadlyare expensive and overpriced.

Uxbridge's WalMart has no freshfoods section like Port Perry, whichconfuses me. With a large availableparking lot, there could easily be anaccessible, affordable food sectionbuilt on. Why isn't there?I recently bought one item from No

Frills, and the exact same product atZehrs. Neither were on sale. YucatanAuthentic Guacamole, 6pc cups -Zehrs cost $7.99 UPC76711952068. No Frills cost $3.79UPC 76711952068. Over twice asmuch.Whatever the big box stores wars are

is not my concern. My concern iswhat I am paying for groceries.

This is not due to transportationcosts. This is gouging and inflation,

because they can.I would like to know when

Uxbridge will allow food stores thatdon't offer kick backs, or independ-ent stores that will offer a fair alter-native as healthy grocery stores to thenot-so-rich, tax-paying residents?And while they are pondering that,

why not healthy fast food stores likeBooster Juicer, other than anotherpizza takeout? Possibly a Tim Hor-tons on the east side of Reach St.? Ican't buy a coffee until Whitby goingsouth on Lake Ridge Rd.

My health is important to me, aswell as my ability to afford freshfoods. It saddens me to think councilignores a population living withinUxbridge but are living on the out-skirts of a viable healthy livinglifestyle because of bureaucraticfavours.

Theresa PilniukUxbridge

Not impressed with this council andits budget. We are being hit withhigher municipal taxes, north of fourper cent. Yet inflation, as just onemeasurement, goes up by one and ahalf per cent this year. At the sametime, the ‘Hole’ project seems to costmore than it should. When the fedssay they will double the gas tax pay-ment to Uxbridge, our councillor,Mr. Garrod, decides we use the extrafunds for more projects, not tax re-duction. So low, fixed income andfamilies living on the financial edgesuffer. Not a people’s council in myopinion.

Wayne KeiltyUxbridge

Another Cosmos has arrived which Iread from cover to cover. Uxbridge islucky to have such a great local paper.However I can’t help but notice yetanother letter to the editor from BevNortheast.

...continued on page 6

Letters to the Editor

To begin, we hope that everyone enjoyed our April Fool’s article last week.We know we got a few people, but we didn’t get an angry phone call fromthe school board, so we must have played it just well enough to make surewe were absolved of all wrong-doing by the end of the piece! We so enjoycoming up with those pieces every year; they’ve become a bit of a “thing” forus. Ah, how nice to be known for our “fake news...”Some recent news that is not, apparently, fake news (although it was dropped

on April 1) - our premier, in his inimitable fashion, has decided that Ontario’slicence plate slogan “Yours to Discover” isn’t good enough any more, andwants to change it. He hasn’t officially announced what it will be changed to- he says he can’t do that until the budget is announced next Thursday. Butspeculation is it might be “Open for Business.” That sounds inviting totourists, doesn’t it? Americans will see our licence plates when we go south,and that slogan will be just the thing that entices them to come visit ourlovely province, don’t you think? Yuck. It’s cold, calculated and horrible.“Yours to Discover” has a whimsical, almost sensual feel to it, and it’s beenOntario’s tagline for 37 years. “Open for Business” says, well, nothing that asign you can buy in the dollar store can say. Perhaps we’re jumping the gun,perhaps that won’t be what Doug Ford chooses. But really, no matter whatHimself chooses, we like the slogan just the way it is. Doug, don’t try to fixwhat ain’t broke.

**********Something that is very broke is, as we know, our climate. The report that wasreleased by the federal government earlier this week about the state of the en-vironment and the climate in Canada is incredibly concerning, to say theleast. And to hear the words “it’s irreversible” is terrifying. We’re no experts,of course, but to say that our environmental warming is irreversible may beoverstating things. Nature always rights itself, all we need to do is get out ofits way. Problem is, the almighty dollar means more than the environmentdoes. This is where the so-called carbon tax comes into play. Lots of peoplemay hate it, but it’s going to hit people where it hurts, and that’s the bottomline. Carbon pricing is a market mechanism that induces people to cut theiremissions by perhaps buying a fuel-efficient car or turning down the ther-mostat. It accomplishes the same thing with companies that pollute by givingthem a financial incentive to become greener. We’re for it. Grab the green togo green. We have to. Or else we’ll pollute ourselves right out of existence.

**********While we’re having a go at all things national, we’d just like to note that wethink what’s going on in Quebec with regards to Bill 21, the controversialbill banning the wearing of religious symbols for some public sector employ-ees, is deplorable. To tell people that they can’t have any sort of religious sym-bol on their person while working for the government isn’t an attempt toseparate church and state - it’s blatantly flying in the face of freedom of reli-gious expression. It’s discrimination. As one opponent to the Bill put it, “Neu-trality of the state is exercised by the actions of employees and not by theirappearance.”We don’t give a hoot if a public service employee has on a crucifix or a hijab.

They’re there to do a job, not convert those they serve. Good God. Wait. Will they be allowed to say that?

Our two centsFake news better than the real thing

9,500 copies of The Cosmos are published each Thursday in the Township ofUxbridge: 8,800 delivered by mail, 700 available in stores and boxes.

Publisher/Editor Lisha Van Nieuwenhove 905.852.1900Advertising/Sales 905.852.1900

38 Toronto Street North, Unit One, Uxbridge Ontario L9P 1E6e-mail: Lvann@thecosmos.ca web site: www.thecosmos.ca

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Friday to 4 p.m. EDITORIAL POLICY: Opinions expressed by columnists, contributors and in letters to the editor are not necessarilythose of The Cosmos. Letters must be signed and the telephone number provided (number will not be pub-lished). Requests that a name be withheld will be honoured only if there is a compelling reason. Errors broughtto our attention will be corrected. The Cosmos reserves the right to edit and/or refuse to publish unsolicitedmaterial. ADVERTISING POLICY: Ad deadline is 12 noon Tuesday the week of publication. The Cosmos reservesthe right to refuse any advertisement. The Cosmos is not liable for slight changes or typographical errors inadvertisements or any other errors or omissions in advertisements. All material herein, including advertisingdesign, is copyrighted, and may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

Thursday, April 4, 20195The Uxbridge Cosmos

As presented to Council last Monday morning.

O lament, sons and daughters of Uxbridge,Let your wailing be heard far away;For that glorious mornWe all thought would dawnHas turned out to be dismal and grey.

So long did we bask in the sun-glowThat shone from the shirts of the Bruins.But the light's not so brightSince the black and the whiteLeft our dreams of more glory in ruins.

Troubles have long plagued the IrishAnd tragedy lives with the Greeks:But to lose four games straightIs an odious fateThat will leave us all wailing for weeks.

How far away seems last September,When the Bruins first strapped on their skates.They started off strong;Well, what could go wrong?We didn't consider The Fates.

O gods of Olympus, you taunt usAnd play us like puppets with glee.You string us along (if the pun's not too strong)Then jerk us around suddenly.

All season they teased us with first place:We are there, then we're not, nerves would fray.But when things were dire,Like Prometheus' fire,The Bruins snatched first place away.

The gods do not take it so lightlyWhen somebody hinders their fun.But they don't always act right after the fact;They just let a little time run.

So it was that we went to the playoffsAnd defeated Port Perry in four.What a boost to morale! Every fan and his palJust knew we were headed for more.

North Kawartha lies up in bear country,Where the Knights and the Bruins would fight.But to show us the Bruins Were not to be shoo-ins,The gods jerked the string the first night.

The gods then sat back, all a-chuckling:Mount Olympus knew what was in store.As for us, all the fright of that opening nightLeft our thoughts as we won the next four.

How eas'ly we handled the MoJacks;The same with the Knights from the north.But the Raiders down eastOn the Bruins did feastIn the first game right through to the fourth.

The gods now had finally acted,Avenging what they thought a slight.They threw down their wrathRight into the pathOf the Bruins, displaying their spite.

Though many go forth into battleThe names of a few will stand out.It's not that the rest did not do their best,It's just that a few had more clout.

Such clout was in Ryan McConkey,A goalie more fearless than most.Of the shots he has seen - (Eight score plus 18) Only 16 went in through the posts.

There's a few other names worth the mentionBut that would take up too much space.Thus, in scanning the data and rating pro rata,Aiden Reilly's ahead of the race.

As captain, he led by example,He played with his heart and his head.If he had some bad luckAnd missed on the puckHe'd take out the body instead.

Reilly played ev'ry shift like a demon,Asked no quarter and offered none back.He was always attacking,The will was not lackingTo get the team back in the black.

Displaying Herculean effort,He tied the score in the last game.But the gods were not doneAnd with seconds to run,They let Napanee douse the flame.

In battle, it's all the same story,Be it hockey or baseball or war:There are victors and vanquished.And I'm really anguishedThat we are the vanquished once more.

Parades will be held for the winners,The heroes can hear their fans yell:But when all's said and done,At the end of the runOur Bruins are heroes as well.

Let's defy all the gods of OlympusAnd show them that they hold no sway.Let's give them some clue-insHow we love our Bruins,Let council declare Bruins Day.

So, bringing an end to my story,To add the last note to my song:By the gods we were messedBut our Bruins are best.Now, I ask you, tell me, am I wrong?

The last time I spent time with Ted Arnold wasin 1991. He had contacted me about his SecondWorld War story. So, I travelled to Port Hopeand interviewed him. We communicated againlater in the year when he was holidaying inFlorida. And while I thought of him often afterthat, I never actually saw him again. His sonRick contacted me some years later.“We were wondering if you could help us?” he

asked.I said I would try and then Rick explained that

his father had slipped through the cracks at Vet-erans Affairs Canada. Partly because he wasborn in Argentina, but mostly because he fellinto an odd category as a veteran, the systemhad denied him veteran status, and therefore de-nied funds to cover the expenses at an assisted-living facility in Ontario.“As you know,” Rick Arnold went on, “he’s not

entitled to a veteran’s pension.”It was one of the vagaries of Air Force service

in Canada. In 1939, when Ted Arnold learnedthat Canada had declared war on Germany, hetrained, planed and hitchhiked from Argentinato Canada to enlist in the RCAF. Within a yearhe’d completed pilot training, but because he’dgraduated on top of his class, those running theBritish Commonwealth Air Training Plan de-cided to keep him in Canada as a pilot instruc-tor to teach the next classes of students comingthrough the Plan. He taught another course andanother. He never did get overseas to serve infighter or bomber aircraft. His file was marked“Too Valuable to Risk,” meaning that he wouldstay an instructor for the duration of the war.Flight Lieutenant Ted Arnold never left Cana-

dian shores, consequently neither the RCAF northe Canadian government considered him offi-cially a veteran. And when Ted lost his health inhis 80s, there was no safety net because he’dnever been considered a combat veteran. At thetime, I wrote an appeal explaining though F/LArnold had not flown Spitfires or Lancasters incombat in enemy skies, that he’d taught hun-dreds of others how to, and to survive. He’dgiven other young airmen the skills to win theair war, but because of the narrow definition ofveteran – someone who served offshore – in-structor Arnold was never considered like hisstudents, a veteran.

Things have changed for veterans … sort of.The Liberal government’s new medical benefitssystem kicked into effect on April 1, this week.It’s called “a medical pension for life” and is sup-posed to give lifelong financial support to vet-erans with physical or mental injuries associatedwith their military service. It replaces “lump

sum medical benefits,” a system that theStephen Harper Conservative government in-troduced to buy off veterans and eliminate themfrom federal budgets.

But the PTSD assessment portion of the plandepends on someone at Veterans Affairs Canada– a physician, a psychiatrist or a registered psy-chologist – conducting an interview with thecandidate to determine eligibility. In the newsystem, once the interview questionnaire iscomplete, VAC adjudicates each case. Accordingto Chris Rose, one of those psychologists assess-ing veterans, the problem is that the old ques-tionnaire included four types of post-traumaticstress disorder. The new one includes just one:“[Are you] re-experiencing traumatic events? Yesor No?” Rose told CBC Radio on Tuesday. “Andthat symptom [is] the only one that may or maynot be characteristic of PTSD on the entirequestionnaire.”

Rose said, based on the new questionnaire,PTSD no longer exists. In response to such crit-icism, VAC says that the shorter questionnaireand simpler definition will streamline thingsand ensure vets are better served. BetweenMarch and December of 2018, there were21,000 Canadian vets receiving disability bene-fits.

“It’s a useless document,” claims Barry West-home, a now retired warrant officer with theCanadian Armed Forces, also interviewed onCBC; he served in the Canadian operation toHaiti, and was diagnosed a dozen years laterwith PTSD. He used to help process other vetsseeking assistance, but has recently resigned inprotest. He suggested that attempting to com-plete the new forms for the “medical pension forlife” coverage and PTSD questionnaire are morecomplicated than figuring out one’s taxes.“This paper actually causes PTSD,” he said infrustration.Back in the 1990s, when Ted Arnold’s son and

I attempted to penetrate VAC’s red tape on theissue of who is a Second World War veteran, werealized that we couldn’t change the definition.We had to change the thinking. We had to puta VAC civil servant, who’s never faced whatCanadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew faced be-tween 1939 and 1945 into their shoes. Sadly,Ted Arnold died before we could win him ben-efits to cover assisted-living costs. Little haschanged, say the veterans. The system appears to follow an age-old axiom:“Deny. Delay. And die,” when dealing withclients.

For more Barris Beat columns, go to www.tedbarris.com

The Barris Beatcolumn by Ted Barris

Deny. Delay. And die.

Canadian Tire Uxbridge Service 905 852 9857 Store 905 852 3315

MARK YOUR CALENDARS LADIES!Our 12th Annual Ladies’ Night is Sunday, May 5th6:30 pm to 9:00 pmLots of Prizes!New Products to Showcase!Free Giveaways, Specials & Fun!

WIN!ONE LUCKY LADY WILL

WINA 6 PIECE LAZBOY AVONDALE SET!

Retail Value $1,699.99!

Am I Wrong?column by Roger Varley

The gods were not smiling

THIS WEEKENDFri., April 5: The Brook NeverSleeps! Uxbridge Town Hall, 9 a.m. - 3p.m. Free event for youth aged 10 andup. Explore Uxbridge Brook and learnabout local ecology from biologists. Ac-tivities, presentations and free lunch. Call905-862-3456 to register.Fri., April 5: Canadian BloodServices Blood Donor Clinic.Uxbridge Seniors’ Centre, 1:30 - 7:30p.m.

NEXT WEEKTues. April 9: Bethesda-ReachWomen’s Institute Annual Lunch-eon & Fashion Show. Trinity UnitedChurch, 12 noon. Fashions by WoodsClothing, Uxbridge. Tickets $25. Phone905-852-4024, 905-852-3925, 905-

852-5284 and the store.Wed., April 10: PROBUS club. MillRun Golf Club, 10 a.m. - noon. Guestspeaker: Cheryl Cooper, presents theWar of 1812 and its influences in today'ssociety. For more information visituxbridgeprobus.comWed., April 10: Uxbridge Horti-cultural Society meeting. UxbridgeSeniors’ Centre, 7 p.m. Guest Speaker:Ellen Chin, Chiropractor. Topic: “Garden-ing and a Healthy Back and Body.”Membership $20/yr.; guests $5/mtg. Fri., April 12: Epsom-Utica UnitedChurch Ham & Scallop PotatoSupper. Utica Hall 4:30 - 7 p.m. Adults$15, Youth $8Sat., April 13: 'Chiaroscuro', Mon-day Morning Singers. St. Paul's An-glican Church, 7:30 p.m. Directed by

Anne Mizen, accompanied by DorothyRice. This concert centers around localcomposer Christos Hatzis' composition“Agnus Dei.” Tickets $20 at Presents Pres-ents or at the door. mondaymorn-ingsingers.comSun., April 14: Violin Recital byDuncan McDougall, Trinity UnitedChurch, 2 p.m. Free admission. Pleasebring a donation for the Loaves andFishes Food Bank or the Uxbridge MusicScholarship Trust. For more info emailmcdougallduncan06@gmail.com

UPCOMINGMon., April 15: Claremont Gar-den Club - Scary Bugs and theWonders of Insects in your Gar-den. Claremont United Church, 7 p.m.Guest speaker Malcolm Geast. Refresh-ments (bring your mug). Free for mem-bers, $5 for guests. No need to be aClaremont resident. Follow on Facebookor visit claremontgardenclub.ca Tues., April 16: Seniors’ Lunch-eon. Annual Italian luncheon, cateredby Mary Evans. Uxbridge Seniors’ Cen-tre, 12 noon. Tickets $10 for members,available at Community Care office.Only 80 tickets available. No ticket salesat door.

COMING UP is a free community bul-letin board. If you have a communityevent for a charity or non-profit organiza-tion that you’d like us to mention (AS

SPACE PERMITS), email Lvann@thecos-mos.ca or call 905-852-1900. The dead-line for our next issue is 12 noonTuesday.

Thursday, April 4, 20196The Uxbridge Cosmos

COMING UP

3 Brock Street WestOPEN SUNDAYS 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.905-852-9892

SERIOUSLY - EASTER IS ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY!ORDER YOUR MEAT TODAY!

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR THIS WEEK’S SPECIALS!

www.themeatmerchant.ca

Please join David’s family for a Celebration of his Life at theRoyal Canadian Legion Br#483, 4937 Old Brock Road,Claremont, on Saturday, April 13, from 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Arrangements entrusted to Low and Low Funeral Home, 23 Main Street S., Uxbridge (905-852-3073). For online condolences, please visit www.lowandlow.ca

SMITH, David George

on or around Tues., April 9,wish him a happy

90thBIRTHDAY!

if you seeJim

Thomas

Lots of love from your family: Jean, Susan, Barry, Paul (2011), Cathy(Danny), Neil & Mary-Lynn (Len), and grandchildren Lindsay (Ian),

Bradley, Jeffrey & Mark McMullen, Rebecca & Rachel Phillips.

In Memoriam

Violet E. LintonIn loving memory of a dear mother and grandmother

who passed away 16 years ago, April 1, 2003.

Sadly missed along life’s way,Quietly remembered every day.

Forever in our hearts. John, Matt and Nina

As spring begins in Durham Re-gion, your government is workinghard to protect what matters mostto you and your families.

Our first budget, to be tabled onApril 11, builds on our importantwork to put communities across theprovince on a path to prosperity.

e previous government rackedup a $15 billion deficit, $348 bil-lion debt that, if left unchecked willput Ontario’s health care and edu-cation systems at risk. Ontario’s in-terest payments on the debt are nowthe fourth-largest line item on theprovincial budget. at means tax-payers are spending approximately$1.4 million on interest every hour. Since the day we were elected, we’veput forward a plan to modernizeour healthcare system. We cut redtape to encourage job growth – inthe last three months, Ontario hasseen a net increase of 95,900 jobs.We ended the job-killing carbontax, while introducing a Made-in-Ontario environmental plan thatwill meet our emissions-reductionstarget.

We’ve been successful in keepingthe Pickering Nuclear GeneratingStation in operation until 2024,protecting 4,500 local jobs in

Durham Region and an additional3,000 jobs across the province.We’re committed to cleaning up theLiberals’ hydro mess and loweringyour bill by 12 per cent. We are fos-tering the right kind of business cli-mate that will connect our region’sworkforce to good-paying jobs.When we say that we’re makingOntario open for business, thatmeans open for jobs.Our budget is built on your ideas.

Last November, I had the opportu-nity to host a pre-budget consulta-tion with Finance Minister Fedeliand Durham Region MPPs. econsultation gave us a chance to lis-ten and hear about what matters toyou, and what you want to see forour community and our province.

is budget will outline our planto return the province to balanceand protect what matters most toresidents of Pickering-Uxbridge. Itwill outline how we create and pro-tect jobs for Ontario workers, andput the people at the centre ofeverything we do in government. If done right, we’ll see a more sus-

tainable and successful Ontario –both now, and for future genera-tions.

Letters, from page 4

She is a great writer and I highly re-spect her opinions of our commu-nity. But what about me? Why doesshe get to have her insightful letterspublished each week and we arestuck on the sidelines reading herviews of how things should be? What about the rest of us that wantour names in the paper? Where is my15 minutes of fame?!

Peter Puhl Uxbridge

Editor’s note: the Cosmos always wel-comes Letters to the Editor. They canbe submitted at Lvann@thecosmos.ca,or through our website, thecosmos.ca

Protecting what matters mostwith Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge

7The Uxbridge Cosmos Thursday, April 4, 2019

SERVICESDECKS & FENCING: Does your deck or fenceneed repair? We specialize in decks & fencing. Nodeck is too small or big. Very competitive prices,20 years’ experience, 2-year written warranty, freeestimates. For all your outside upgrades & projects,contact RBC Decks. Ron, 416-705-9993. 4/25DOG-HAPPY Dog Training - Playing ‘GAMESthat TRAIN’ teach real life skills like focus,calmness, loose leash walking, impulse control andrecall while building an incredible relationship withyour dog! Best of all, games provide a fun andpowerful learning platform! Contact Julie 416-735-2117 | julie@dog-happy.ca | dog-happy.ca 4/18JASON’S PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.Eavestrough cleaning, grass cutting, springcleanups and all your outdoor maintenance needs.Call Rosemarie at 905-862-2644. 4/4TUTOR: I provide private tutoring in my home forelementary, high school, college and universitystudents. I also tutor adults who wish to improvetheir Mathematics and Literacy skills. 905-852-1145. 4/30OLE’ HANDYMAN. Waterproofing + mould.Electrical & plumbing. Licensed, insured &guaranteed. Big or small. Kitchen, bath,

stonework, cement, basements, flooring, potlights. Bobcat. 46 years’ experience. Financing.Senior discount. 905-473-5197 or 647-225-3311(cell). 4/25ALEXANDER COMPUTER SERVICES: Qualityrepair and sales from a local, experiencedprofessional. Call 416-629-6626 (ask for Kevin)or visit www.alexandercs.com 4/25EXPERIENCE THE COMFORT OF A GREATBRA. The Girls Bra Boutique, 6316 Main St.,Stouffville. 905-642-3339. An upliftingexperience! HOME-WATCH HOUSE/PET SITTINGSERVICES: Voted #1 for Protecting Your Homeand Caring for Your Pets. Home Owners havetrusted Heather Stewart for 16 years for herreliability and detailed professionalism. PropertyServices/Dog Walking/Cat Sitting/Doggie Sleep-Overs! Visit home-watch.ca for more info onHeather’s services. Call or text 905-852-8525,follow us on Instagram - HomeWatchUxbridge4/25 PROFESSIONAL RENOVATOR. Framelessshower doors. Shower conversion. Cabinet refacing.Painting. Full project start to finish in-house, nosub-contractors. Call Mark at 647-385-7334. 4/4

HELP WANTEDUXBRIDGE FALL FAIR. Volunteers neededbefore, during and after the fair, September 6 to8. Contact Bev at 905-862-0966 orchalnger@sympatico.ca 4/25UNITED SOILS MANAGEMENT LTD.Stouffville, Ont. To start immediately, Benefitspackage after 3 months. General Labour (full time/year round)$18 with advancement to grow. Monday - Friday,7-5 (additional hours as required, includingweekends). Valid G Driver’s License & reliablevehicle required. Must supply own safety boots. DZ Driver (full time/year round) $23 with advancement to grow. Monday - Friday,7-5 (additional hours as required, includingweekends). Valid DZ License & Driver’s Abstract.Onsite & local driving only. Must supply own safetyboots. Email resumé to bobmckenzie@rogers.com4/11CLEANING PERSON for new home, 2 adults, 2pets. Floors and toilets, no dusting. References.$20. Per. 905-852-4033 4/4MATURE, EXPERIENCED BARN HELPrequired for small private horse boarding facilityclose to Uxbridge. Alternate weekends, and 1day/week. Call or Text to (905) 852-3207 or(416) 278-8168 Milestone Farm. 4/25

EVENTSATTENTION UXBRIDGE LADIES! The Women’sInstitute Spring Luncheon is on Tuesday, April 9, at12 noon. Join us for a great fashion show, food &fun! Come out & support our yearly fundraiser. Callto reserve your tickets 905-852-5284. 4/4

CONCESSION 6 STUDIO SEASON OPENING!Art, Handcrafts, Woodworking. Saturday, April 13& Sunday, April 14, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. 11120 Conc.6. www.concession6studio.com 4/11

MINDFULNESS/INSIGHT MEDITATION - Apractice to bring clarity, calm & compassion intoyour life. 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month atBlue Heron Studio: 7 - 8:30 p.m. Experienced &those new to meditation are welcome. Contactghorner@zing-net.ca

CLASSIFIED

COSMOS BUSINESS BULLETIN BOARD

Classifieds are $10/week up to 25 words; $0.10 per additional word (plus HST). Payable in advance by cash, cheque, debit or credit card. Contact Lvann@thecosmos.ca or 905-852-1900 Deadline: Tuesday, 12 noon. Ask about online link possibilities, too.

Early Style CanadianHandcrafted Pine Furniture

905-852-2275www.gilldercroft.com

UXBRIDGE MEMORIAL COMPANY108 Brock Street West, Uxbridge L9P 1P4

Dave & Lori Tomkinson

Tel: 905-852.3472 • 1-888-672-4364 • Fax: 905-852-0085uxmemco@interhop.net

Windcrestelectrical contracting ltd

Paul FraserCell 416.527.0878windcrestelectrical@gmail.com

esa #7007893

“Watching what yousay can save you a lot oftrouble.” Proverbs 21:23

More Bible help at:www.biblesociety.ca/the_word_and_you

LIGHT FOR YOUR PATH

UxBRIDGE BRANCH

For all yourhome

projects

RON BROWN AUTOWe will not be undersold.

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DOOR SERVICE INC.Garage Doors

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Katie Clark MSW, RSWCounselling ServicesFinding Solutions TogetherIndividual, marital and

family therapyElgin Centre

304 Toronto St. S., Unit 214Uxbridge

905-862-4100kclarkmsw@gmail.comkatieclarkcounselling.ca

MARTINSPAINTINGInterior & Exterior

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• ISA Certi$ed Arborists• Bucket & Crane Trucks• Consulting• Fertilizing

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HOME IMPROVEMENTSERVICES

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oscarscontracting.ca 416-803-5866

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WATERFRONT COMMUNITY LUXURY HOMESSTARTING at $399,900. BUNGALOW, BUNGALOFT and 2-STOREY Detached Models with 2Car Garages. Premium Lots, Steps to Lake, Heritage Town, 1 hour from Uxbridge, Phase 1Now Open! 2019 Specials Include Stainless Steel Appliances, Granite Countertops, Hard-wood Flooring, Ceramic Flooring, 9 Foot Ceilings and much more! Call Direct 416-997-1678 Carrie Bergeron, Sales Representative, Century 21 Heritage Group Ltd. Brokerage.

8The Uxbridge Cosmos Thursday, April 4, 2019

Tickets online at onstageuxbridge.com Produced by special arrangement with MTI

April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 at 7:30 pm April 6, 7, 13 at 2:00 pmDirected by Cheryl AtwoodProduced by Krystyne Elliott and Cheryl Atwood Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry GelbartMusic and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Uxbridge Music Hall

Gerald LawrenceSales Representative

Shane CoxworthSales Representative

Gwen LaytonSales Representative

Judy EsmondeBroker

Dale O’NeillSales Representative

Marie PersaudSales Representative

Chris LarmerSales Representative

Judy Esmonde, Brokerwww.JudyEsmonde.com

Cell: 416-677-8709

COMING SOON!3 bed/3 bath Updated kitchen and bathsFinished basement. Fully fenced yard

Call Judy today for more info

Marie Persaud, Sales Representativewww.MariePersaud.caCell: 416-970-8979

FREEHOLD TOWNHOUSE2+1 bedrooms, 3 baths. Master w/ensuite &w/in closet. Full finished basement. Main floorlaundry. Walk out from kitchen to Fenced back

yard. Very well maintained home.Offered for sale at $595,000.

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Dale O’Neill, Sales Representativewww.DaleOneill.comCell: 647-924-0975

Interested In Knowing The Value Of Your Home?

Call Dale today for yourcomplimentary and confidentialproperty market evaluation.

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CMA

Shane Coxworth, Sales Representativewww.powerofbluex2.ca

Cell: 905-903-7965

SOLD IN MULTIPLE OFFERS!Custom designed home in Barton Farms

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Cell: 416-556-0238

Coach Style Bungalow. Fairfield EstatesEnclave. Immediate Possession.

Gas Fireplace, A/C. Incl: Lawn Care,Water, Softener.

Excl: TV, Internet, Phone.

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LEASE

Gwen Layton, Sales Representativewww.GwenLayton.caCell: 647-991-3276

ENTERTAINER’S PARADISESprawling multi-level home on 5.5 acresnestled amongst trees. Prestigious Chalk

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