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6 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,July 26, 2011 OPINION All for one Dear Kathleen Wynne, With a provincial election just around the corner we're sure you are quite busy. However, we'd like to discuss recent local developments regarding the GTA West Corridor option 4-3. As transportation minister, you no doubt know this is the proposed new east-west highway corridor your government is considering that would stretch from York Region in the east to the future Tremaine Road/Hwy. 401 interchange in west Milton. Option 4-3 would require building this new road between Five and 10 Sideroads in Halton Hills-- in essence cutting a swath through prime agricultural land. In case you haven't noticed, in recent years development in Halton has significantly impacted the amount of farmland to the point there is precious little left. Paving over this portion in south Georgetown would be a grave injustice. That is the view of more than 6,000 local residents who have recently sent you cards of protest (by the way, more are coming). Halton Hills council has also indicated 4-3 is a mistake. And lest you think the Town is anti-highway, we should remind you the Town has shown little opposition to option 4-2-- a north-south highway that would cut through Halton Hills and Brampton. So, the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) argument often heard when it comes to any development doesn't seem to apply here. Even Halton Regional council, which hasn't always been concerned about the needs and wants of Halton Hills and its residents, has voted against option 4-3. While it came down to a tie vote, Milton council also chose not to endorse 4-3. Three LOCAL councils have said option 4-3 is not the best plan. That should tell you something. As we said, we know you are busy planning your strategy in an effort to keep your job and we wish you well. While a provincial Liberal has not been elected here since Julian Reed was using training wheels, we would hope politics would be put aside when it comes to such an important decision. Sincerely, the editor 905-873-0301 Publisher: Ken Nugent General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@theifp.ca) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Letters policy Letters must include an address and daytime phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Publication is not guaranteed. Email: jmcghie@theifp.ca Steve Nease Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters to the editor Province needs corridor `vision' Dear editor, Re: GTA West Corridor. Congratulations to the Town of Halton Hills and Halton Region for opposing the Ministry of Transportation's proposal to pave over a swath of the southern portion of town and their efforts to facilitate the communication of residents' views to the minister of transportation. Ontario seems to have lost its way in developing any long-term vision in planning for economic development and providing the infrastructure for that to occur in an orderly manner. In the 1950s visionary planning resulted in investment in Highway 401 from Windsor to the Quebec border, providing the incentive for a corridor of economic growth that now supports not only Ontario's, but also much of Quebec's, trade with the United States. Queen's Park needs to wake up to the fact that the 401 corridor is now at capacity. Instead of tinkering around its edges and paving over the remainder of the Golden Horseshoe, the Province needs to develop a new east/west corridor for economic growth-- perhaps a transportation corridor linking Belleville, Peterborough, Barrie, Alliston, Orangeville, Fergus, Stratford, and London. It would be refreshing to have a debate about economic development alternatives during the forthcoming Ontario election. Instead, puerile partisan advertising similar to what we endured in the federal election will likely assault us. Rod B. Taylor, Georgetown year-old how to take her father's pulse. Thank you for showing my 12year-old what it feels like to be in shock. Thank you for allowing them to watch how to extract their father from his car because you forgot what a stop sign was for. Thank you for giving me the experience of that terrifying phone call that every wife and mother dreads. It is exactly as I imagined and I am so grateful that you finally made it happen. Thank you for showing our five children their father is not invincible. Thank you for destroying our car, thus allowing us to depend on our family and friends to transport us to and from hospital and doctor appointments. Thank you for the loss of wages from missing work, in order to help my husband walk around his own home. My one-year-old daughter thanks you for creating confusion when her daddy is unable to pick her up. Most of all Hayden. 16, Kristen. 15, Sarah, 12, Gavin, 9, and Caera, 1, thank you for not killing their father. Sarah O'Donoghue, Georgetown Drunk driver `thanked' Dear editor, My husband was recently involved in an accident which was the result of a drunk driver. Fortunately for us he came away with a broken elbow and the inability to walk easily due to muscle pain in his legs and back. We are so grateful that this was not as bad as it could have been, however we are all marked for life now that we have experienced the stupidity of one individual's decision to drink and drive. As a result I have written a letter to this driver: Dear drunk guy in the BMW, Thank you for teaching my 15- WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.independentfreepress.com) If you had to choose between two extremes would you prefer to deal with the current heat wave or put up with bitterly cold temperatures? · I like it hot, hot, hot (53%) · Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow (47%) The Independent & Free Press The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.