EDITORIAL: Try paying your taxes late? Try paying less than invoiced? 7-9-23

Nuclear emergency evacuation information/procedures

There was much foot-dragging in getting this valuable information updated and published for the safety of all of us.

Governments are exceptionally efficient at tax collection, tax invoicing and getting on you if they want something done by you. Action on their part, not so much.

AGEISM: old codger mistreated by local political big whigs:
We have been lamenting, complaining, whining, and more about the ‘foot dragging’ by the Durham Regional Council and secondarily, the Pickering Council in regard to the NUCLEAR EMERGENCY EVACUATION procedures for the residents of the region for months now…to no avail. I have been laughed at, dismissed like the boy crying ‘Wolf,’ deflected and even simply disregarded. My questions have been dismissed and rejected as fear mongering and old codger’s whining. I guess I don’t matter anymore. Doesn’t the safety of all our residents matter though?

We have brought it up in regional council meetings…pffft.
We have brought it up in Town Halls….pffft.
We have brought it to the attention of the Durham Region Nuclear association…a bit more concern, showing of respect, but in the end, ….pffft.

The Durham Nuclear publications
The last time we dealt with the Durham Region Nuclear we focused on two people: one, a bureaucrat in the organization who likely has no power to affect change; the other James Kilgour, top dog at Durham Region Nuclear. Lots of discussion, lots of agreement, even home-delivery of their latest evacuation booklet, “At the Ready.”

We compared the new booklet with the earlier evacuation procedures booklet, “Are YOU? Ready.” The new version seems like a change for the sake of change, not improvement, no straightforward instructions. Somebody thought let’s update the brochure, so they made changes, in-house, without input from anyone outside of the Durham Region Nuclear organization. Talk about blinkers and the resulting brochure confirms this if you received one.

We deserve better
The residents of Durham need up-to-date instructions and information if a nuclear emergency should take place: where do we get updated information during the emergency? Radio station? Local TV? What are we to do during the emergency? Hunker down in the basement? Not go outside at all? Should we have supplies prepared in case of such an emergency? What about those iodine pills? What about our kids, grandkids, at schools? Spouses at work?

Chances of a nuclear are very slim, but still very real when you consider how old the Pickering Nuclear plant is. It was supposed to be mothballed a couple of years ago…but it is still operating and producing radioactive waste, stored locally in the plant as far as we know.

I have addressed a number of important politicians with my concerns but the squeaks coming from an old codger have fallen on deaf ears.

Here are the big whigs I have addressed to no avail:

Mayor Kevin Ashe, Pickering
Councilor Maurice Brenner, Ward 1, Pickering
Kevin Kilgour, CEO, Durham Region Nuclear

If this inaction by these government agencies and political big whigs bothers you, try your voice at Ph: 311

If it doesn’t bother you, then sleep well.