The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday June 16, 2006 - 23 Shaping the future direction of YMCA Canada YMCA of Oakville CEO, Bruce Ireland, attended YMCA Canada's annual general meeting (AGM) from May 26-28, at which some 200 volunteers and senior staff leaders representing 50 YMCAs and 10 YMCA-YWCAs attended nationwide. The key focus was a national strategic planning consultation that will help define the future direction of YMCA Canada and support the work of YMCAs across Canada over the next three years. Using external and internal environmental scans, discussions centered on Canada's changing demographics, the growth of the YMCA in Canada over the past 10 years, the number of participants in Canada and their diverse program participation, as well as future trends affecting the YMCA in Canada. "This annual general meeting was an important forum for YMCA and YMCAYWCA leaders to share their opinions on issues their communities and associations are facing, and potential responses that can best be addressed collectively to make a bigger impact in the community of Oakville, regionally, nationally and internationally," said Bruce Ireland. Federal Finanance Minister Jim Flaherty spoke at the AGM and commended the YMCA on its reach and scope of diverse programs to Canadians. During his remarks he offered the federal government's ongoing financial support. "On behalf of Heritage Canada and al involvement, guest speaker Oscar Escalada, Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs, and the Mexican Federation of YMCAs, provided insight into the work of the YMCA in Latin America, the Caribbean and Mexico. There are 31 YMCA international partnerships between Canadian YMCAs and overseas YMCAs that are based on mutual growth and learning and promote sustainable long-term development to meet the most pressing social needs. "YMCA Canada will continue to consult with associations over the coming months to set future directions and develop the ideas identified this past weekend as we continue represent the interests of YMCAs and YMCA-YWCAs in Canada," said Michael Weil, President and Chief Executive Officer of YMCA Canada. As a values-based charity dedicated to health promotion and healthy living, the YMCA of Oakville serves women and men, children and families of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, in all stages of life. The YMCA of Oakville is a charitable association open to all, dedicated to providing life-long opportunities for health enhancement and personal growth. For more information contact the YMCA of Oakville at 905-845-3417, or go to www.ymcaofoakville.com. -- Submitted by the Oakville YMCA. BERTIN STABLES Spring Lessons & Summer Camps · Weekday Lessons 4/$107 or $35/Lesson · Saturday at Farm 10am-3pm $40 (Children 5-12 yrs.) NOW BOOKING Minister Beverley Oda, the federal government is pleased to announce the renewal of our commitment to partner with your organization on the YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada program and commit $8.7 million to over the next three years," said Flaherty. The YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada program pairs groups of Canadian youth, ages 12-17 years, with other same-age groups of youth from across Canada, for an exchange experience that is rewarding, and often life-changing. This program specifically reaches out to youth who are from low-income families, visible minorities, Aboriginal, live in rural or isolated areas, or have disabilities. Last year, 2,300 youth built leadership, social and life skills while developing an awareness and appreciation of Canada's cultural diversity. This program is delivered by the YMCA of Greater Toronto on behalf of the YMCA in Canada. Speaking to the YMCA's internation- (905) 827-4678 www.bertinstables.com INTERNET · STOCKS · CRAPS · CASINO · LOTTERIES · SLOTS · BINGO · HORSE RACING · INTERNET · STOCKS · CRAPS · CASINO · LOTTERIES IS THE GAME PLAYING YOU? Services WINDOW AND DOOR WE CAN HELP! A.D.A.P.T. Problem Gambling · Free · Professional · Confidential REPLAC EMENT sale windows your way Beautiful. Affordable. And professionally installed. · Quality windows, patio doors and entry doors to fit your style and budget. · Flexible financing options. · We handle installation -- start to finish. Oakville · 905-847-6547 SLOTS · BINGO · HORSE RACING THE CONSERVATION ZONE LANDSCAPING FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY Peter Love Chief Energy Conservation Officer of Ontario Invites you to... Dinner and a movie You could win a $50 gift certificate to Philthy McNasty's, & 2 passes to any Famous Players Cinemas just by becoming a new pre-paid reader! Not only will you be entered into this fantastic draw,The Oakville Beaver will donate $20 from every subscription started in May & June to the Oakville Relay for Life $ each installed Pella® replacement window* 50 250 off $ THE PELLA WINDOW & DOOR STORE 1195 NORTH SERVICE ROAD WEST (QEW BETWEEN 3RD LINE AND 4TH LINE) OAKVILLE 1820 BAYVIEW AVENUE (JUST NORTH OF EGLINTON, PARKING IN REAR) TORONTO SM off each installed Pella® replacement patio door* Financing Available* Call Pella now or visit www.pella.com to request an in-home appointment. ORDER FORM YES I would like to become a Pre-Paid Reader $72.00/year Payment: Cheque Visa MasterCard American Express Card # ______________________________________________________________________ Exp. Date: ___________________________ Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________________________ Postal Code:_____________________________________________ 6400 SHAWSON DRIVE (WEST OF DIXIE ROAD, NORTH OF HWY. 401 AT COURTNEY PARK) MISSISSAUGA Cheques made payable to: Mail to: 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON L6K 3S4 800-320-7937 All Pre-Paid Readers are Automatically Entered! * Does not apply to ProLine® products. Other restrictions may apply. See stores for details. Must be installed by Pella professionals. Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Valid for replacement projects only. Prior sales excluded. Financing available to qualified customers only. Offers end June 30, 2006. © 2006 Pella Corporation Phone 905-845-9742 Email: acalhoun@oakvillebeaver.com $20.00 from every subscription started in May and June will be donated to the Oakville Relay For Life My role as Chief Energy Conservation Officer is to ensure that conservation and energy efficiency play a vital role in Ontario's ongoing energy strategy. "The Conservation Zone" is designed to help you find easy ways to start saving energy and become part of Ontario's growing conservation culture. With Environment Canada's recent prediction for another hot, dry summer, it's even more important for all of us to think about how to manage our power consumption. In this column, I'd like to "plant" a few ideas about integrating energy efficient landscaping at home. Cool Landscaping Ideas for Hot Summer Days Have you ever noticed that parks and wooded areas often seem cooler than a street landscape? It isn't just your imagination: shade from trees can reduce surrounding air temperatures by as much as 5°C. Through the strategic planting of deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves), evergreen shrubs and other vegetation around your home, you can reduce your need for air conditioning. Trees are very effective in shading windows, while cooling breezes pass underneath and circulate around your house. If they're tall enough, they will also help to shade your roof and keep your attic cool. Bushes, shrubs, hedges and ground-cover plants also have an important role to play. They fill in rapidly to begin shading walls and windows, and also help to block heat reflection from patios and pavement. When planted around your central air conditioning unit, they serve to pre-cool the air going into your home. Remember to keep all shrubs well-pruned and remove grass and leaves around the unit to ensure good airflow. Quick-growing climbing vines on a lattice or trellis are also an excellent natural shade device, especially for patio areas. Planting trees and shrubs in key areas around your home will also help reduce heating bills by providing protection from winter winds and cold. In fact, putting a little thought into energy efficient landscaping is a great long-term investment. As Chief Energy Conservation Officer, I issue a friendly challenge to all Ontarians to think about how we use energy every day, and to find ways to conserve and use it more wisely. I hope you find these columns useful. www.conservationbureau.on.ca