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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday June 30, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: IAN OLIVER Publisher WEBSITE Oakvillebeaver.com NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Manager TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Happy birthday Canada They are a world away, living in less than ideal conditions. They never know from hour to hour where they may be headed or if and when they will return. Their thoughts are often of their loved ones and the beautiful country that they call home. As we prepare to celebrate Canada Day tomorrow, we should all pause and think of the country's military personnel, who are risking everything in an effort to improve the lives of people less fortunate. This is not the time to politicize the war in Afghanistan. It is, however, the time to come together and appreciate the men and women, who are continuing to fight for the freedoms that we take for granted. Let's not forget, too, the thousands of Canadian peacekeepers who are selflessly working in farflung corners of the world to offer security and provide comfort by their very presence. We cannot possibly comprehend the living conditions ­ if you can call them that ­ in Third World countries. How could we begin to understand unless we have seen first hand the extreme poverty? Yes, Canada has its own homegrown problems, but nothing compared to the millions trying to eke out an existence in countries plagued by drought and disease. Our country is richly blessed with resources -- we have no reason to complain. We need to embrace all that Canada has to offer and celebrate loudly this wondrous nation. We are an impressive role model for how so many people from so many different cultures can live and work together. Canada Day is more than backyard barbecues, social events and fireworks displays. It is a day to acknowledge all that is right with our nation and feel proud that this is your home -- our home. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Halton Regional Campus is a fiscally-smart plan for everyone I live in Oakville. Although I do not have any children, my wife and I were raised under the Catholic faith. We are taxpayers, and as such have indicated our tax money is to support the Catholic board. When I read the article about the Halton Regional Campus plan being rejected I started to wonder if my money is going to the right board. When a fiscally-smart plan like this comes along, it is up to everyone involved to fully understand all implications of the move, not just the idea of maintaining the group's Catholicity. If this plan goes ahead, it will be a very interesting time for the HCDSB. I don't know how it will look having a separate area for the Catholic building. It may appear that we think we are better than the other board, and too good to share space with the Region and the police. In Mississauga, the two boards are on either side of Hurontario St. Why can't we have our two school boards that close together? I am all for maintaining our faith, but if that means that we can't share the same land with another school board then I guess I was taught a different kind of Catholic religion. What makes us Catholic is our faith. Not how far away from another school board we are. I would be very interested in why the other trustees voted against the proposal. I understand that people have their opinions, as I understand equally as well that they have the right to express those opinions. I would like to know, for instance, in their opinion, what is more important than saving the taxpayers 20 million dollars. Trustees who vote for or against proposals are doing so on behalf of their constituents, and thus it would be in their best interest to disclose the reason for voting that way. It would appear that the ones who voted for the proposal gave their opinions quite clearly. It would seem to me that Burlington trustee Bob Van de Vrande had made up his mind long before the meeting, before all the facts were in. If this is the case, then is he actually acting in his constituents' best interest? JOHN FERGUSON Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com More letters @ www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.