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The Pickering
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Says Foreign Affairs
offered little support
in her safe return
By Kristen Calis
kcalis@durhamregion.com
PICKERING — Despite the cold weather,
a harsh contrast to sunny Kenya, Danica
Francis is happy to be safe and sound at her
Pickering home.
The 23-year-old spent the past six months
working as an intern for the Canadian Inter-
national Development Agency in Mumias,
a small farming village in western Kenya.
While everything was peaceful prior to the
recent election in the African country, it
suddenly erupted into ethnically motivated
violence when it was announced Mwai Ki-
baki had won.
“On the 27th, I heard gun shots,” she says.
“We didn’t know if it was gunshots at the be-
ginning. I’d never heard gunshots before.”
Ms. Francis soon learned she was being
mistaken by some as a Kikuyu, the targeted
tribe of Mr. Kibaki, and she wanted to go
home.
“By Dec. 30, all Kikuyu houses and shops
had been burnt down,” she says.
But, there was no way to leave safely, and
the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi
was of little help, she says. Despite register-
ing there upon arrival in July, no one had
contacted her, even with the eruption of vio-
lence. Since she expected the high commis-
sion to call her, she didn’t contact them, and
fled in a car with her boss at the AIDS orga-
nization for which she worked, James On-
yango, and his family to Teso, Kenya. Along
the way, they came across Luhya men who,
angered by the election result and searching
for Kikuyus, thought she was a member of
the targeted tribe. Luckily, Mr. Onyango’s
brother had taught her some Luhya, and she
was able to say she wasn’t.
“If I didn’t know that...I don’t know what
would have happened,” she says.
Ms. Francis got her first phone call from
the high commission on Jan. 5 after her
mother made some calls. They told her to
stay put, and she did since she felt safer at
that point.
But, soon, the violence got worse, and her
mother, Lilieth, contacted Ajax-Pickering
MP Mark Holland for help. Mr. Holland’s of-
fice made numerous calls to Foreign Affairs,
telling them to intervene, but was disap-
pointed with its slow response.
“I think one of the things we expect as
Canadian citizens when we’re abroad is if
we get into trouble, the embassy is going to
help us get out of it,” he says.
After numerous calls to the high commis-
sion when she returned to Mumias (and her
phone card running out on one occasion),
her area warden, whom she only recently
found out existed, suggested she take a bus
to the airport.
“No, I’m not going anywhere by myself
by public transportation,” she thought at
the time. She also turned down the next
suggestion: taking a minibus, another com-
monly used form of public transportation in
Kenya.
Shaun Tinkler, spokesman for Foreign Af-
fairs, says the office provided Ms. Francis
with safety information and advice.
“Ms. Francis declined our offer to arrange
secure protected travel due to the cost,” he
says.
Ms. Francis says she was surprised to
Pickering woman escapes African violence
AJ Groen/ News Advertiser photo
Danica Francis was an intern with the Canadian International Development Agency serving in Kenya
when civil unrest broke out. She said the Canadian embassy was of little help in getting her home
again.
✦ See Foreign, Page 4
newsdurhamregion.com
Watch a video interview at
newsdurhamregion.com
‘We didn’t know if it was gunshots
at the beginning. I’d never heard
gunshots before.’
— DANICA FRANCIS
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durhamregion.comA/P PAGE 2 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, January 23, 2008
Be careful
with tritium:
British scientist
No need to worry, says CNSC
By Keith Gilligan
kgilligan@durhamregion.com
DURHAM — A British scientist says tritium
levels coming from nuclear stations in Cana-
da are too high and pose a significant health
risk.
Dr. Ian Fairlie, who authored a report on
the potential tritium hazard for Greenpeace,
told the Durham Nuclear Health Committee
the radioactive material is “ubiquitous.
“In my view, we have to be careful with
tritium. Once it gets there, it stays there. It
binds,” Dr. Fairlie said. “We don’t really know
where tritium goes when it gets into the body.
If you want to know how dangerous tritium is,
you have to know where it goes.”
He said the level of tritium permitted in
drinking water in Canada is too high and
should be drastically lowered.
“My recommendations are not lightly
made,” said Dr. Fairlie.
The standard in Canada is 7,000 becquerels
per litre, while in the United States it’s 740 b/l
and in Europe it’s 100 b/l.
It “likely increases cancers, leukemia and
birth defects. It’s hard to pick up in epide-
miological studies,” he stated, adding nuclear
workers are at a greater risk of developing leu-
kemia. “More work needs to be done. I don’t
believe the workers are aware of the risks,” Dr.
Fairlie said.
Rachel Lane, a member of the Canadian
Nuclear Safety Commission, disputed Dr.
Fairlie’s charge.
“There’s a wealth of epidemiological stud-
ies of workers. Their risks of developing can-
cer are very low. Their tritium dose is less
than what a whole body dose would be,” Ms.
Lane said. “There’s no increased chance of
having birth defects or developing cancers.”
During a meeting of the Community Ad-
visory Council last week, Mary-Anne Pietru-
siak, an epidemiologist with Durham Region,
spoke on a study done last year on radiation
and health.
“The perception is the high rates of cancer
in Pickering is because of the nuclear station.
I get calls like that from time-to-time. The
data doesn’t support that,” she said.
The study done last year was an update of
one conducted in 1996. Ms. Pietrusiak said
the 1996 report found the “pattern of results
did not suggest adverse health effects” were
caused by the two stations.
“The main health concern with low levels
is cancer,” she told the CAC. “It’s important,
any high rates aren’t automatically attributed
to nuclear plants.”
She noted in the second report there was
a higher rate of leukemia in males living in
Clarington, compared to the 1996 report, al-
though rates for females living in Clarington
weren’t higher. For males and females living
in Ajax and Pickering, the rates of leukemia
weren’t elevated.
Five were hurt
in Ajax melee
By Jeff Mitchell
jmitchell@durhamregion.com
OSHAWA — A trial has begun for one of
the young people accused of taking part in
a shooting spree that left five people injured
on Halloween night in 2006.
A publication ban has been imposed on
evidence being heard in the trial, which
began Monday in Oshawa.
Ontario Court Justice Donald Halikowski
ordered the prohibition to ensure a fair trial
for other accused people who are still await-
ing trial.
The incident, which occurred during a
confrontation between two groups of youths,
occurred near a footpath on Rossland Road
near Westney Road as residential streets
were filled with families out trick-or-treating.
Investigating officers at the time expressed
amazement that no one was killed.
Five people sustained bullet wounds in
the melee.
A lengthy investigation resulted in the ar-
rest of four teens, all of whom were aged 17
at the time of the incident and whose identi-
ties are protected under the Youth Criminal
Justice Act. The accused face charges includ-
ing aggravated assault, discharging a firearm
with intent to injure, and weapons offences.
The incident has been linked by police to
a retaliatory attack in which shots were fired
at a house on McDermott Drive in Decem-
ber of 2006.
Jason Liebregts/ News Advertiser photo
An up-and-down assignment
PICKERING — Jordan Kennedy places a ball bearing to start his team’s roller coaster. Teammates Jon Burtry, left, Brandon LaTona and Darek Dufaj
are pictured behind. The Grade 12 students demonstrated their physics roller coaster project at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School recently.
Trial for accused in Halloween shootings begins
DURHAM — The 7th Pickering Scout
Group has issued the Soups to Nuts food
bank challenge to everyone in the commu-
nity.
The group is collecting for the Salva-
tion Army and despite the name, Soups to
Nuts, they are looking for all non-perishable
foods.
The scouts invite people and businesses
in the community to help out with this col-
lection. The Salvation Army distributes the
collected food to families and individuals in
need. “We never really know what circum-
stance we could be facing and we like to
think that if we were in a bad spot that other
people would help us out. We are just trying
to offer a little bit of light to someone at the
end of a dark tunnel,” says Al Harris, group
commissioner for the 7th Pickering.
Last year, Mr. Harris and his scout group
collected more than 3,000 bags of pasta as
part of their Great Pasta Challenge. This year
the stakes are raised as the 7th Pickering
hopes to collect even more food.
“We are trying to bring in more food this
year, concentrating on soup and peanut but-
ter, but it’s open to anything. If you’re in the
grocery store and beans is what you want to
do, bring in beans.” says Mr. Harris.
Food items can be dropped off at any of
the 11 a.m. Sunday services at Amberlea
Presbyterean Church, 1820 Whites Rd., be-
tween now and when the food is donated
on Feb. 24. People interested in donating
can also arrange for a pickup by contacting
scouteral@rogers.com.
Pickering scout group wants
food for Salvation Army
The Durham District School Board
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THE NEWS ADVERTISER, January 23, 2008 PAGE 3 A/P
Thursday, January 24th
‘til Sunday, January 27th
pickeringtowncentre.com
WINTER SIDEWALK SALE
FREE
Fruits & Passion®
Radiance Discovery Kit
when you spend $50 or more
at one or more Pickering Town Centre stores,
restaurants or services.
*
(Radiance Discovery Kit: 20ml Exfoliating Gel, 5ml Instant Glow Gel
and 15ml Vitamized Hydra Cream. Retail value $29.99)
*Receipts must be dated after January 23rd, 2008.
Same day sales, before taxes. One gift per person, per visit.
While quantities last. Offer expires on Sunday, January 27th, 2008
at 6pm. See Guest Services for full details.
Get Fit in 2008
Log on to pickeringtowncentre.com
for your chance to
WIN a one-year fitness membership
courtesy of Womens Fitness Clubs of Canada.
Contest closes Jan. 31/08.
durhamregion.com
V
I
D
E
O
S
O
N
L
I
N
E
Town on hook
for $8,000
clean-up
AJAX — A recent spate
of vandalism in Pickering
Village will cost the Town
about $8,000 to clean up.
Jeff Stewart, the manager
of environmental services
for Ajax, says graffiti was
sprayed in several loca-
tions between Jan. 15 and
17, and again over this past
weekend.
In the first incident, the
vandals targeted the Vil-
lage arena, the library
branch, seniors’ centre, the
StoneCircle Theatre, the
playground, tennis courts
and a storage facility.
“They hit again on Sat-
urday night. Durham Po-
lice advised us on Sunday
morning.
There was graffiti on a
few of the same buildings,
the Village library, the Vil-
lage arena, in Hermitage
Park,” Mr. Stewart states.
There was also graffiti
on the Hwy. 2 bridge in the
Village, he says.
“It’s derogatory com-
ments about the commu-
nity, some profanity, stu-
pidity,” Mr. Stewart notes.
In addition to the cost
of cleaning up the graffiti,
there’s also a disruption in
services, he adds.
“It makes it difficult for
us to carry on the day-to-
day services for this com-
munity when we have to
back track and clean up
people’s mess,” he notes.
The clean-up takes about
one full day and special-
ized equipment has to be
brought in to do the work.
Each incident costs the
Town between $3,500 and
$4,000, Mr. Stewart says.
“If anyone witnesses
this, report it to the police,
and if they could follow-
up with us, by calling our
anti-vandalism hotline,”
he states.
The 24-hour anti-van-
dalism/anti-litter hotline
is 905-619-2529, ext. 2273.
Submitted photo
Recent graffiti sprayed at various location in Pickering Village
cost the Town $8,000 to clean up.
Vandals target
Village with graffiti
Meet, question hopefuls
on Feb. 13
AJAX — Voters in Ward 2 will have plenty to
choose from when they head to the polls in the
upcoming byelection.
There are 10 candidates on the ballot for the
March 1 vote. Nominations closed on Jan. 16
and prospective candidates had until Jan. 21
to withdraw their names.
The candidates are, in alphabetical order:
Renrick Ashby, Christopher Crawford, Ray-
mond Durrani, Oliver Forbes, Brian John-
son, Kevin Kretschmann, Chandra Kumaran,
Randy Low, Uthayakumar Nadarasah and Al
Williams.
Advance voting is from Feb. 23 to 25.
The winner fills the Ward 2 local Council
seat vacated by Joe Dickson, who successfully
ran for MPP in the recent provincial election.
The current council term runs to Nov. 30,
2010.
To help voters learn more about the candi-
dates, the Community Development Council
of Durham is holding a Meet the Candidates
Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 7 to 9
p.m. in the council chambers. The format for
the forum will include opening remarks by
the candidates, then a question-and-answer
session, and only written questions will be ac-
cepted.
Questions can be submitted at the forum or
by e-mail to bearle@cdcd.org by Feb. 12.
Following the formal part, there will be an
informal meet and greet.
Ward 2 is roughly bounded by Westney and
Knapton roads to the west, Hwy. 401 to the
south, the Whitby border to the east and the
Pickering border to the north.
learn of the cost, and instead of paying the
high commission close to $300 as it had re-
quested, she paid Mr. Onyangu’s brother to
drive her to an airport in Kisumu instead.
She arrived in Pickering on Jan. 16.
“What is the point of the embassy? Why are
they there?” she says.
Ms. Francis said she got used to the violence,
and can now hear the difference between tear
gas and gun shots.
“I’m 23 and I’m from Canada,” she said. “I
should not know the difference between those
two.”
durhamregion.comP PAGE 4 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, January 23, 2008
For more information
please call: 905.683.5110 ext. 230 or email: lmccaig@durhamregion.com
Sunday, February 24, 2008
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Retirement Residence
THE SECURITY I WANT
Ten candidates want
to replace Dickson
on Ajax council
✦ Foreign from page 1
Foreign Affairs
wanted $300
to help woman
Ajax residents
bring dot calm
theme to shelter
By Jillian Follert
jfollert@durhamregion.com
DURHAM — Wendy Leed-
er tries to walk the halls of
Adelaide House without cry-
ing, but it’s difficult to keep a
dry eye.
Fortunately, the tears are
happy ones.
“Look, in this room they’ve
even put a housecoat and
slippers in the closet,” says
the co-executive director of
YWCA Durham throwing
open the door to what was
once a bare bones, shelter
dorm room.
Now, it beckons with fresh
paint, throw pillows, silky
curtains, candles, and doz-
ens of other carefully chosen
details -- right down to the
slippers.
Over the past two months,
a team of 60 volunteers has
been working feverishly to
transform Adelaide House
from an emergency shelter,
into “second stage housing”
for single, at-risk women.
The change comes after
a lack of funding forced the
hostel to close its doors for
good last fall.
The new second stage pro-
gram will offer 33 beds in
single or divided bedrooms,
which will be rented on a
sliding scale, geared to in-
come.
A meal plan offering
breakfast, lunch and dinner
seven days a week will be
offered for $20 a month, and
the tenants will have access
to laundry, shared bath-
rooms, common rooms with
phones and cable TV, along
with counselling, advocacy
and skills training.
Over the holidays, YWCA
staff invited local artists to
help decorate Christmas
trees and rooms at Adelaide
House, and that quickly
snowballed into people vol-
unteering to give the bed-
rooms a makeover in antici-
pation of their new tenants.
Local businesses, non-
profit groups and families
formed teams and adopted
bedrooms and bathrooms,
donating the materials, vi-
sion and time to transform
them.
“Each room is different,
but the end result in all of
them, is a warm place of
healing,” Ms. Leeder said,
while touring the rooms as
designers put the finishing
touches on this week. “We’ve
never seen support like this.
The time and thought people
put into the rooms is unbe-
lievable.”
Volunteers Sandy Reid
and Sharon Wright drew on
their experience working at
Surefit Home Furnishings
in Ajax, to create their “dot
calm” theme.
Pale green paint blankets
the walls and polka dots show
up everywhere, from the soft
beige and white comforter,
to the curtains flecked with
shimmering round jewels.
A white canopy floats over
the bed and an ornate dress-
ing table beckons with a
leopard print seat.
It even smells like home
thanks to an apple cinnamon
air freshener.
“We wanted this room to
be like a hug,” Ms. Wright
said. Down the hall, profes-
sional renovator Brenda
Hadden is going for an art
deco feel with dramatic
burgundy paint and a 1920s
replica radio. Other rooms
are ready to welcome new
tenants with intricate cozy
quilts, gift baskets, and
bookshelves stuffed with pa-
perbacks. Staff still need to
obtain building permits to
complete some renovations,
but Ms. Leeder expects the
house to open sometime in
the next month or two.
Because it is no longer a
hostel, the Region of Dur-
ham won’t be providing
funding for the new venture.
However, revenue from the
women’s monthly rent com-
bined with funding from the
United Way, will be enough
to run the program, and the
Province will provide $40,000
a year for a staff position.
Dickson
220 Harwood Ave. S. Ajax
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Must be an Ontario resident over 19 years of age. Selected entrants must consent to
urine test to confirm non-smoking. Skill-testing question required.
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THE NEWS ADVERTISER, January 23, 2008 PAGE 5 A/Pdurhamregion.com
Jason Liebregts/ News Advertiser photo
Powerful help
AJAX — Diana Hills-Milligan, bottom left, Veridian campaign
chairwoman, passes a donation to Jim Witty, co-chairman of
the 2007 United Way of Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge campaign, with
the assistance of Veridian employees. The employees raised
$42,724 for the campaign, 30 per cent more than last year.
RSS UPDATESRSS UPDATES
newsdurhamregion.com
Volunteers transform Adelaide House from bare bones
DURHAM — Being a care-
giver is an often thankless
job.
To help caregivers deal
with issues such as resent-
ment and confusion, St. An-
drew’s Presbyterian Church
in Pickering Village presents
Heal Thyself on Sunday, Jan.
27.
Using vignettes, the pre-
sentation will be of interest
to all caregivers.
St. Andrew’s is at 35
Church St. N., Ajax and the
event begins at 7 p.m.
A freewill offering will be
taken and everyone is wel-
come. For more informa-
tion, call 905-683-7311.
Program offers aid to caregivers to help them heal thyself
‘Each room is different but the end result in all of
them, is a warm place of healing.’
— WENDY LEEDER
This Week
How concerned are you about the recent
massive losses on the stock market?
Very
Somewhat
Not at all
Last Week
Do you get Ontario’s new holiday, Family
Day (February 18), off?
No: 51 %
Yes: 49 %
Total votes: 209
Online Poll
Vote @ newsdurhamregion.com
We think...
e-mail responses to
mjohnston@durhamregion.com
NEWS ADVERTISER
130 Commercial Ave., Ajax ON L1S 2H5
newsdurhamregion.com newsroom@durhamregion.com
The News Advertiser is a Metroland Media Group newspaper. The News Advertiser is a
member of the Ajax & Pickering Board of Trade, Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc.,
Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., and the Canadian Circulations Audit Board. Also
a member of the Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton St., Suite 1706, Toronto, M5B 1J3, an
independent organization that addresses reader complaints about member newspapers.The
publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement
limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the News Adver-
tiser is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
& Editorials
Opinions
Tim Whittaker - Publisher
Joanne Burghardt - Editor-in-Chief
Mike Johnston - Managing Editor
Duncan Fletcher - Director of Advertising
Andrea McFater - Retail Advertising Manager
Eddie Kolodziejcak - Classified Advertising Manager
Abe Fakhourie - Distribution Manager
Lillian Hook - Office Manager
Janice O’Neil, Cheryl Haines - Composing Managers
News/Sales (905) 683-5110
Classifieds (905) 683-0707 Distribution (905) 683-5117
Fax (905) 683-7363
Give new MPP a break
To the editor:
Re: ‘New MPP needs to remember his
roots’, Jan. 16 News Advertiser.
John Haste really needs to step back and
give Joe Dickson a chance to grow into his
new role as MPP for Ajax-Pickering.
He’s only been our representative since
October and already Mr. Haste is expect-
ing him to single-handedly invoke major
reforms. That’s totally unrealistic.
Instead, constituents look forward to
Mr. Dickson being able to influence pro-
vincial spending and legislative initiatives
to the benefit of his riding. Some of the
most effective changes he may be able
to make will likely be behind the scenes,
or attributed to the responsible cabinet
member.
There are far more important priorities
than Family Day, abandoned legislation,
and direct election of the regional chair
that will merit his attention.
The last thing that lifelong Ajax resident
Joe Dickson needs to be reminded of is
his roots.
Kim Sadler
Ajax
Get more information
on incineration
To the editor:
Re: The CAW Incineration information
evening.
Dr. Paul Connett is not familiar with our
region.
The incinerator is slated for industrial
land, not residential land.
There is no municipal water near the
proposed location as of yet.
Peel Region has an operating incinerator
and the fly-ash is not taken to a hazardous
facility.
Air samples at the Peel incinerator are
taken twice a month and must comply
with government regulation, not twice a
year as stated by Dr. Connett. Genocide is
not happening in Peel Region.
And, all incinerator facilities are not
large, dull grey buildings.
Durham Region diverts a high percent-
age of waste from landfill already. That
percentage will increase, not disappear,
with the building of an incinerator.
The public needs to be more informed.
Oleh Perun
Clarington
Build affordable housing
in mixed-use areas
To the editor:
Re: Affordable housing gets a 131-unit
boost, Jan. 20.
I was pleased to read the announcement
about more affordable housing in Dur-
ham Region.
But, as I read on, I was shocked to see
that one of the projects was to build 12
more units on Lakeview Park Drive, fur-
ther ghettoizing an area that is already
referred to by residents as “the ghetto.”
Even with respect to the other projects -
- why not partner with developers to build
12 mixed-use projects instead of buildings
that will be identified as social housing
units?
When will our politicians ever learn that
locating a large block of public housing in
one space simply leads to more hopeless-
ness, a negative connotation of the area by
the general population, a concentration of
crime, etc.?
It is far better to spread subsidized hous-
ing out so that residents are not stigma-
tized. The children grow up with kids from
upwardly mobile families and the parents
keep their self-respect.
If a few houses in a “respectable” area
or 10 per cent of units in an apartment are
subsidized, the neighbours never need to
know and there is a greater incentive for
the families involved to try to keep it so.
Coral Petzoldt
Oshawa
Give cellphone a rest
To the editor:
Is it just me, or have we lost the basic
ability to be polite in public?
When we are paying for purchases, in
line for a movie, in a movie, in the car, at
the drive-thru window, we cannot let go of
our cellphones. We are always connected
-- is it really necessary? Do you have to
discuss the purchase of an I-pod while in
line for a movie? Does everyone in line
really need to hear it? What did we do
prior to the cellphone revolution?
In the “me me” society that we live in,
we need to take a moment and think
about someone other than ourselves for a
moment.
Beverly Sabiston
Clarington
e-mail letters to mjohnston@durhamregion.com / max. 200 words /
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Our readers think...
PAGE 6 ◆ NEWS ADVERTISER ◆ January 23, 2008P
Afghan
mission
comes into
sharper focus
T o the central question of should we
stay or should we go in Afghanistan,
John Manley says we should stay --
with conditions.
That was the conclusion Mr. Manley -- a
former Liberal cabinet minister heading up
a panel tasked with coming up with options
for the Canadian mission in Afghanistan
-- has reached.
His report was delivered Tuesday morn-
ing to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and
suggests we extend the Canadian mission
in Kandahar past February 2009 provided a
number of requirements are met.
The key point is that a new battle group
be deployed by the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) to help take the
pressure off Canadian forces in Kandahar
and allow them to focus on training the
Afghan National Army. Also, as part of
the report the Manley Commission wants
Canada to get medium-lift helicopters
and high-performance unmanned aerial
vehicles (known as UAVs) to Afghanistan by
February 2009 at the latest.
But he was also clear that he doesn’t
believe Canada’s commitment to the
Afghanistan mission, “has not yet been
completed.” And the panel doesn’t believe
the mission can be finished by February
2009.
Mr. Manley’s report will surely provide
plenty of grist for the mill when Parliament
resumes sitting this Monday. While there
are certainly other items on the agenda --
the recent problems with the economy, cli-
mate change and gun crime come to mind
-- Afghanistan will be front and centre.
That’s because there is not much time to
come up with a decision about our future
in the war-ravaged country.
And should the minority Conservative
government fall this spring, surely the
Afghanistan mission will be one of the key
questions campaigning politicians will face.
We have paid a heavy price for our
involvement in Afghanistan these past six
years with 77 soldiers killed to date and
many more wounded coming home from
battle. Canadians have shown time and
again that they clearly support our troops
but need more clear information about
precisely what the mission’s goals are
and stated benchmarks and timelines for
achieving those goals.
Surely the ultimate aspiration is to turn
over security to the Afghan National Army.
Everything Canadian troops do in Afghani-
stan should focus on that long-term plan.
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