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THE INDEPENDENT 50 cents (+GST) Vol. 130 No. 26 Wednesday, September 12, 2007 44 Pages Circulation 21,220 www.independentfreepress.com The Essentials are ready to open Acton Fall Fair Page 26 Officials investigating farmhouse blaze Page 16 Kinsmen Girls wrap up ball season Page 20 Donor wall unveiled at new centre Page 13 INSIDE Like a much-anticipated best seller whose publication date keeps being pushed back, the planned $11.5-mil- lion expansion and renovation of the Halton Hills Cultural Centre and Library has been placed on hold. Speed-reading to the back page theres no water at this time to build more homes, and without more devel- opment theres no more development charges (DCs) and without DCs, theres no money to pay for new Town facilities. Were in a real serious situation, said Mayor Rick Bonnette, right before a unanimous council vote to place the project on hold at a special council meeting Monday night. Were look- ing at close to $19-million in capital projects for the two fire halls as well as the library and the Cultural Centre, and we just cant go-ahead without knowing where the money is coming from. Director of Finance Ed DeSousa painted a grim picture of the future financial standing of the Town should no water be found to build more development. The need to build capi- tal projects fire stations, libraries, arenas, parks, roads etc. would out- strip the ability to pay. Halton Region has been attempting to get approvals from the Ministry of Environment (MOE) to draw more water from Lindsay Court and Cedarvale groundwater wells in Georgetown and from the Prospect well in Acton. In a meeting with the MOE recently, the Town and Halton Region learned those approvals are not Editorial 6 Rick Bonnette 7 Entertainment 16 Calendar 18, 19, 22 Sports 20, 21 Classifieds 27-30 The town's future as a "green community" got a boost when municipal experts shared their "can do" attitude at a forum last week. See details Friday. FRIDAY... REFINANCING? PURCHASING? BOB WOODS Mortgage Specialist (905) 877-1490 *Rate subject to change 360 Guelph St., Georgetown Prime 2.6%ri Variable Rate (905) 873-1655 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown APPLE Auto Glass Truck Accessories Upholstery Heavy Equipment Glass Window Tinting GEORGETOWN CHRYSLER We handle all insurance work. GEORGETOWN CHEVROLET 33 MOUNTAINVIEW, GEORGETOWN (JUST NORTH OF HWY. #7 ON MOUNTAINVIEW) 905-877-6944 2007 CHEVROLET AVEO SEDAN 1.6 Litre DOHC, 5 Speed Transmission, AM/FM/CD/MPS, P185 14, Front & Rear Floor Mats. Stk #065260 *Frt., admin., taxes & license fee extra ** Lease based upon 48 mo., 80,000 free km, frt., 1st, admin., taxes, lic. fee due on signing $12995* $19700** excludes frt No Money Down per month per gallon 46 MPGyes yes For breaking news go to: www.independentfreepress.com Halton Hills award-winning newspaper A cut above Bryan Couture makes short work of slicing through a log during the West Coast Lumberjack Show at the 161st edition of the Georgetown Fall Fair Saturday. An estimated 6,000 people attended the three- day event at the Georgetown Fairgrounds. For more coverage see page 3. Photo by Jon Borgstrom Library project put on the shelf CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer See LACK, pg. 3 Halton Police have charged an off-duty Peel Regional Police officer after an investigation into a domestic incident in Georgetown. On Monday, Sept. 10, at 1:45 a.m. Halton Police were called to investigate an altercation at a Georgetown residence. Officers responded and learned that a man had entered the home of his ex-wife. Once inside, he assaulted the womans boyfriend and left. Police were called and the man was later located at his residence in Georgetown and arrested. Jason Ross, 34, faces charges of assault, being unlawfully in a dwelling house and breach of recog- nizance. He had a bail hearing yesterday (Tueday) in Milton Court and will be held in custody until Friday, Sept. 14. Ross has been working as a Peel officer for seven years. The circumstances of this incident are being reviewed by the Peel Police Internal Affairs Bureau. Halton Police are also continuing to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Milton Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825- 4777 or 905-634-1831 ext. 2420 or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Off-duty Peel police officer charged after altercation