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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - December 6, 2005
To The Editor;
I found Brad Hope's letter regarding the proposed coal burning power plant very interesting. His points about mercury and adverse health effects are scary.
I would like to comment on the economic effects. For most of Princeton's history the town's economy has been based on resource extraction and has been at the mercy of fluctuating commodity prices.
It the past two years the economy has begun to shift. Princeton has become popular for retirement and recreation. This change has many benefits. It brings in money from outside the local area and is helping local businesses.
There are two things that can disturb this positive trend. The closure of the hospital or the perception that Princeton has traded in our clean air and water to become an energy colony.
People are moving away from polluted places. I agree with Mr. Hope when he says that there are clean businesses and industries that will want to locate here.
They will bring good jobs and increased tax base to fund community projects.
Our new council has an oppourtunity to influence future growth in a positive way.
I hope they have the vision and courage to do so.
- Dan Pippin, Princeton
To The Editor;
This letter is intended to give some information about the Diabetes Association.
My name is Joseph Dube. It was a privilege to do a financial campaign for this association in the month of October. The generosity of the people of Princeton was overwhelming. That means that people are aware of the problem of diabetes.
However, I noted that not enough is known about the Diabetes Association itself and what it does for the diabetics. Hopefully, the following will help in filling some of the information gap.
Charles Best, the co-discoverer of insulin, had a vision. Very early on he saw that Canadians with diabetes were going to require an organization to serve their needs. In the late 1940's, the Diabetes Association of Ontario was formed.
As the provinces and territories formed their own associations, it became clear that if the provincial branches combined their resources they could more effectively serve their membership. This culminated in the formation of the Canadian Diabetes Association in 1953.
Established over 50 years ago, the Canadian Diabetes Association is a charitable organization that has grown to include a presence in more than 150 communities across the country. The Canadian Diabetes Association promotes the health of Canadians through diabetes research, education, service and advocacy. The nurse and the dietician serving the diabetics in our community are specially trained in the needs of the diabetics by the association.
One other way that the association can help the person afflicted with diabetes is by updating a web page bringing the most recent information to anyone who has access to the internet. Since there is too much information to deal with on that web page I'll simply give you the address:
www.diabetes.ca
Feel free to have a look for yourself or if that is not possible get in touch with your support group in Princeton at (250) 295-0195.
If you wish to book an appointment with the dietician or the nurse, phone 1-800-707-8550.
- Joseph Dube, Princeton
Dear everyone;
I hope you are all fit and well!!! It seems ages since I heard from you. Time does fly by and even though I keep thinking of Princeton a lot, I didn't write you in a very long time and I'm very sorry about that!!! But at last I found the energy to put pen to paper!!!
You may wonder how I am doing especially if you've seen on the news what is going on in France right now...First I've got to say that even though it is frightening to see people fighting an burning everything they can in the streets of oneself's country, don't worry for me, because I'm safe where I am! These incidents began in Paris (only in a few 'bad' areas) and expanded to a few other cities, but not in Angouleme.
I'm not sure you all know how it all began so I'm going to summarize it very quickly: one night two guys (immigrants from North Africa) died electrified as they were hiding from the police (wonder why they were hiding...). Almost instantaneously the immigrants felt the French Police was responsible for the two guys death and that's how they saw the whole French society as the 'black point' of the story. They felt it was their duty to venge their 'brother or friend' like they say so they came down to the streets to manifest their anger by burning and breaking everything they could (it is known that when people who do not have a good education feel offended, they don't have words to express their anger, so their only way to react is to ACT!).
Of course that was a huge disproportioned reaction but I suppose it was meant to be since all these immigrants came to live in France but haven't been given the chance to 'feel French' they are kept apart from our society (like in ghettoes) and so they tend to form a nation within the French nation, keeping their original identity! It's like they feel we feel superior to them...and of course they don't accept it! Nobody would!! Anyway it seems they're taking it easier now but that's evident that we all have to re-think about immigration and how to manage it! It is a thing to accept someone different in our country but it is also very important to give him chances to feel like a new member of the society!!! Not that he has to change but that the society has to accept him with his differences!
That's when I thought the Rotary Youth Exchange is so great: during my year in Canada I had been given the chance to meet young people from all over the world and learn how to live with their differences, but I also learned how to become a part of a new country, and this was mainly thanks to all the Canadians who made everything to make me feel part of it. I realized I was very lucky!!! This small aspect of immigration the Rotary creates sure shows that peace comes with understanding, tolerance and respect, and not by keeping different people as far away as possible...so this is it, I hope you feel relieved for me and understand more about the origin of the actual problem in France. It is a very deep problem and that's why it shows so much violence, which is a shame, but...
Now, I have tons of questions to ask you: HOW ARE THINGS IN PRINCETON? What have you all been doing? How are you doing and feeling? I don't forget you at all! I keep thinking of you and all Princeton was made of: all the places I've been to, all the people I spent time with, I don't and will never forget all those memories!!! I'm really looking forward to hearing from you!!!
It's all for now, I'll tell you more about me later, take care, lots of love, Cyrielle.
(Editor's Note: Cyrielle Bon was last year's Princeton Rotary Club Exchange Student).
