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6 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, September 15, 2011 OPINION Bridge the gap A number of residents in Georgetown South, particularly those on Danby Road, are fighting to keep a planned bridge that would extend Danby to Eighth Line from becoming a reality. The bridge, that would span the green space south of Argyll Rd and north of 10 Sideroad, would link the planned development west of the green space to the existing neighbourhood on the east side. Many area residents, not surprisingly, don't want to see what is now a dead-end road that ends at the 16 Mile Creek valley system, replaced by a connector road. While we certainly sympathize with the neighbours it must be pointed out that the plans to extend Danby Road have been in existence for years-- before the current homes on Danby were constructed. The fact some residents weren't aware a bridge was planned or believed it would be built years from now (when they likely had moved elsewhere) is hardly an argument against the bridge. Caveat emptor. Another argument that it is a "young community" is also weak. With every "new" housing development it is expected young families will be among its occupants. A school and park were part of this development's plans years ago. This was never expected to be a child-free area. According to Town Director of Planning, Development and Sustainability John Lindhardt Danby is considered a collector road designed to distribute traffic to and from arterial roads in an effort to connect neighbourhoods. Even the nearby fire department is firm there needs to be two ways to get to a fire in the area. Rather than simply opposing a plan that was in the works well before residents moved into the area we'd suggest residents, Town officials and the developer, Fernbrook Homes, work together to see if there are possible solutions that would satisfy everyone involved. 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 Give a farmer the thumbs up Dear editor, I felt the need to comment on the recent article about local farmers dealing with impatient drivers by Ted Brown. Residents of Halton Hills may not realize that all the land south of Georgetown to Steeles Avenue is hugely valuable Class 1 farmland (the best in Canada), and we are fortunate there are farmers willing to use this land for its best use-- growing the plants and animals that feed us. They make a very important contribution to our local economy, and as the population on the planet increases by something like 192,000 souls every day, their ability to grow food close to the GTA will surely be critical in the decades ahead. Unfortunately, there will always be a very small minority of inconsiderate drivers who behave rudely, and even dangerously, when encountering slow-moving vehicles, whether it be farm vehicles or tractor trailers or motor homes. Typically, in the case of farmers, the vehicles are on the road only occasionally and for very short distances as they move equipment to their fields. I agree with Ted Brown's advice that people should relax and not endanger themselves for the sake of gaining a few minutes. So, when we encounter farmers on the road we should make a point to give them a thumbs up and big smile as a thank you for not only providing us with food, but for being the stewards preserving the beautiful green countryside that is Halton Hills' most valuable asset, and that Halton Hills residents invariably say they want preserved. Laurent Thibault, Georgetown beyond the call of duty. Their professionalism, hard work and empathy are truly appreciated. To the paramedics who remained on standby, thanks for being there. We would also like to thank Halton Regional Police officer Rob Andrew who maintained an open line of communication, keeping us well informed (and calm) while the fire department did their job. Thank you to the ER triage nurse and the team at Georgetown Hospital who quickly and kindly saw to our care while dealing with a nuisance health issue when we were at the height of exhaustion and emotional frailty. Our family, friends and neighbours have been incredible. We are overwhelmed by the generosity around us and are grateful for your support which has helped provide some normalcy in our lives. And to the Quinton family who literally gave us the keys to their house while watching over ours, we feel like we won the neighbour lottery. The staff at the Best Western Inn on the Hill have been incredibly accommodating. We thank them for their compassion and thoughtfulness. In spite of our misfortune, we truly feel like the luckiest people in town. Joanne Markus and Francois Godin, Georgetown WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.independentfreepress.com) Do you intend to vote in the Oct. 6 provincial election? · Yes (84%) · No (12%) · Undecided (4%) Fire victims grateful Dear editor, On July 24 our family experienced one of the scariest things possible...we had a fire. The culprit was an electric venting fan on the roof. If we hadn't caught it when we did, the situation could have been a lot worse. We are grateful to the Halton Hills Fire Department for their fast response and amazing effort. Led by Deputy Chief Harry Olivieri and Captain Rob Clark, the HHFD went above and 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.