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4 THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012 EDITORIAL with Frances Niblock Did Jeffrey Sandles die in vain? No amount of time served will ease the trauma and ongoing pain for the families and victims of Todd McGowan, the 23-year-old Mississauga man sentenced this week to seven years ­ minus two years for dead time awaiting trial ­ for a horrific single-car crash that killed his friend, Jeffery Sandles, 23, and injured four others, one who is now a quadriplegic. Some of the victims relived the tragedy on Monday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice as they read their victim impact statements, detailing how in an instant on April 3, 2010, their lives were changed forever, and how their scars constantly remind them of their emotional and physical pain. The details provide a cautionary tale ­ six young people GREAT GRUB: The Men's Toonie Breakfast at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church on Satmorning was well attended as Gert Kollenhoven helped serve the hungry boys and men out for a high speed ride after a night of drinking ­ the three urday as they lined up for the monthly event. ­ Melissa Paul photo teenaged girls had met McGowan, his cousin and Sandles just scant hours before the crash, but willing got into a car with healthier citizens. ly planning can complement some one they knew had been drinking. The car belonged to Making cities more livable well-designed public transporSandles, but McGowan was behind the wheel. with lower environmental tation systems. It is McGowan's cowardliness that stood out in all of the impacts requires a range of One of the first steps is to reBy David Suzuki bloody, horrible details. After the crash at the Queen Streetsolutions, including growing duce local traffic speeds. "It's a Cities cover just two per cent food so we don't have to import real paradox," he said. "People Young Street curve, he climbed over his dead friend ­ who he told the court was more of a "brother" ­ and over the bodies of the world's land area, yet they so much, improving energy ef- actually want to have 30 kiloof the four people in the back seat, including the three girls account for about 70 per cent of ficiency in buildings, increasing metres an hour in their own greenhouse gas emissions. Ac- population density, investing in neighbourhood, but where they who were screaming in pain. In a remarkable show of compassion, outside of the court, cording to the United Nations, public transit, and reducing re- don't live they want to go fast." per cent of us now live in liance on private automobiles. Reducing speeds also saves Sandles' dad Brian said he could forgive McGowan for the 59 cities; in developing countries, Gil Peñalosa, who will open lives. According to the Euroaccident, but not for fleeing the scene in hopes of avoiding 81 per cent of people are urbanand close the conference, says pean Transport Safety Council, arrest. Sandles' mother Cindy said if the prison time forces ites. And those figures are rising Vancouver has done a lot for if a car hits you at 30 kilometres McGowan to straighten out his life ­ he has a criminal record every day. cycling but it's "not great yet." per hour, you have a five per stretching back six years ­ then her son didn't die in vain. Even though cities are a Peñalosa, director of the Can- cent chance of being killed, but They hope the sentence might stop others from drinking and major source of emissions fuel- adian non-profit organization at 65 kilometres an hour, you ling climate change, "they are 8-80 Cities and former com- only have a five per cent chance driving. also places where the great- missioner of Parks, Sports and of surviving. Hopefully, they will be right. Science Matters Looking Back · Six Hamilton teens were arrested following a high-speed 35-kilometre chase of a stolen vehicle through Acton. · Several local business owners were unhappy with the Town's plans for dramatically more restrictive smoking rules as the Town moves towards being 100 per cent smoke-free by 2003. · For their 25 years of organizing the Acton Santa Claus parade for the Acton Firefighters Association, Acton's Diane and Bill Spielvogel were named Citizens of the Year. · A fitness centre, restaurant, daycare and medical offices were approved as allowable uses for a site on the northwest corner of Queen Street and Tanners Drive, adjacent to the Honeyfield subdivision. Ten Years Ago est efficiencies can be made," according to Joan Clos, executive director of UN-HABITAT. "With better urban planning and greater citizen participation we can make our hot cities cool again." The benefits of doing so go beyond reducing the risk of global warming. Cities designed for humans rather than cars are better places to live, with lower pollution levels, less traffic congestion, more parks and public spaces, improved opportunities for social interaction, and Recreation in Bogota, Colombia, believes North American city dwellers could learn from Europeans when it comes to encouraging cycling. "Even in Europe, a lot of the bicycle infrastructure has been done in the last 30 years. And it didn't get there by chance," Peñalosa said in an interview with the European Cyclists' Federation, noting that in Amsterdam, cycling infrastructure and rates increased only after active campaigning by citizens. He also said that bicycle-friend- The next step in encouraging cycling is something Vancouver is moving toward: "You need physically separated bike ways. And you don't just need one separated bike path. You need a whole network," Peñalosa said. The European Cyclists' Federation says that providing segregated bike lanes on arterial and other busy roads in urban areas isn't as big a task as many would expect, as these roads typically represent only about five to 10 per cent of the urban landscape. Five Years Ago Publisher Ted Tyler Editor Frances Niblock Angela Tyler Distributed to every home in Acton and area, as well as adjoining communities. Every effort will be made to see advertising copy, neatly presented, is correctly printed. The publisher assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors or omissions in advertising, but will gladly reprint without charge that part of an advertisement in which an error may occur provided a claim is made within five days of publication. All articles, advertisements and graphic artwork appearing in The New Tanner is copyrighted. Any usage, reproduction or publication of these items, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher of The New Tanner is a copyright infringement and subject to legal action. Editorial Contributors email: thenewtanner@on.aibn.com 373 Queen Street East, Unit 1 Acton, Ontario L7J 2N2 Advertising and Circulation Marie Shadbolt (519) 853-0051 Fax: (519) 853-0052 Composing Traci Gardner, Iain Brennan Typesetting Melissa Paul