Pubdate: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 Source: Brandon Sun (CN MB) Section: View From The End Of The Hall Copyright: 2005, Brandon Sun Contact: http://www.brandonsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2437 Author: Ewan Pow HIGH MARKS FOR METH FORUM All too often in society, we are reactive instead or proactive. So I was pleased to see 402 people crowded into the cafeteria Wednesday evening at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School to hear about crystal meth taking a proactive approach to a dangerous drug. Kudos to the Brandon School Division for co-ordinating the public forum and to the Community Drug and Alcohol Education Coalition, which has been in existence since May 2004, who sponsored it. In addition to the school division, partners in the coalition include the police service, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, the Brandon Regional Health Authority, Child and Family Services, the Brandon Ministerial Association, Manitoba Justice and the City of Brandon. The school division spearheaded the coalition as it has witnessed drug and alcohol abuse in its schools. BSD superintendent Donna Michaels told the crowd while crystal meth is rare in our community today, it has the potential to spread quickly. Brandon Police Service inspector Ian Grant concurred, adding crystal meth has the potential to spread through the city quickly because it so easy to produce. Unfortunately, recipes for this brain-damaging drug are available on the Internet. The fact so many people showed up to learn about how crystal meth is made, how prevalent it is and what can be done to stop its spread is very encouraging. This was a positive first step in preventing an unbridled proliferation of crystal meth in our community. *** When Belinda Stronach bolted from the Conservatives to join the Liberals, one of the most complimentary things said was that she was an opportunist. John Loewen jilted the provincial Conservatives just over a week ago when he resigned his Fort Whyte seat to run federally for the Liberals in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia. He too was branded an opportunist. My guess is Peter MacKay will flee the federal Tories and head home to Nova Scotia, where he will make a run at the provincial Conservative leadership and the premier's chair. Will he too be branded an opportunist? In recent interviews, he said he has work to do in Ottawa, but he didn't close the door on heading for Halifax. Mr. MacKay is a political animal with prime ministerial aspirations and his instincts should tell him to distance himself from the federal party. Peter MacKay's career path over the next several years might look something like this. Go back to Nova Scotia and serve a term as premier, return to federal politics as Conservative leader once even strident Tory faithful realize Stephen Harper has to go, and lead the party to a victory over a tired and corrupt pack of Liberals. Only time will tell. *** This and that from a week that was The Canadian Automobile Association is actively lobbying the federal government over unsafe highways. Missing from the list of most dangerous roads was the Trans-Canada Highway at 18th Street on Brandon's North Hill. The high volume of traffic moving at high speed through that intersection is a recipe for disaster Laura Rance, who cut her teeth as a reporter here at the Sun, won a couple of Canadian Farm Writers' and Broadcasters' awards recently. Ms. Rance is the associate editor of the Farmers' Independent Weekly and her column appears in our Sunday edition each week The Brandon Regional Health Authority will cover the $808 ambulance bill for Vicki Rockley. Ms. Rockley's plight was trotted out in the Sun's news columns a couple of weeks ago. I say covering the ambulance bill looks good on the RHA, but why does Manitoba continue to put the health authority in such embarrassing spots? Health Minister Tim Sale has said provincial policy needs tweaking but can't say when it will be addressed. For the good of Westman you'd think Mr. Sale would make it a priority In his opinion column in last Thursday's Brandon Sun, Fred McGuinness presented topics and his opinion and invited readers to agree or disagree. I agreed with his opinion on most topics and disagreed with a couple of them. One that I heartily agree with could be coined Civics 101 -- the need for citizens to engage themselves in affairs of state whether it be municipal, provincial or federal. Mr. McGuinness urges you to share your opinions through a letter to the editor. Be a Canadian Citizen, First Class our Comment page columns are waiting for your letter. Ewan Pow is the Brandon Sun's publisher and his office is at the end of the hall. He can be reached at --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D