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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 7, 2006 - 11 Change You Can Trust Who is Chris Stoate? CHRIS HAS BEEN AN OAKVILLE TOWN COUNCILLOR, representing Ward 3 since 2003. Despite family and business obligations, Chris entered municipal politics because he knew the best way to make a difference was to get directly involved and learn how municipal government works. CHRIS IS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF LASERNETWORKS, a company he founded in 1987. LaserNetworks employs 100 people in North America, including 60 in its Oakville head office. The Company has appeared three times in Profit Magazine as a high growth company, has twice been a finalist in the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence, and in 2002 was the winner in the Manufacturer of the Year category. Chris believes passionately in working to improve the quality of life for the people of Oakville. Rather than sit on the sidelines and complain about the problems, Chris made a commitment to become part of the solution. Chris is the only candidate in this election with proven business success combined with experience in municipal politics. What Does Chris Stand For? Chris strongly believes we need a new attitude of how to get things done, rather than wasting time and energy explaining why we can't. As Mayor, Chris believes he can make a difference in the areas that affect our quality of life: 3-Recreational and Arts Facilities Oakville is behind other GTA communities in ice surfaces and soccer fields per participant, and its arts and culture facilities also fall short. In Chris' vision of Oakville, we would have more locations for unsupervised, spontaneous play and interaction: · More indoor and outdoor ice rinks, which could be used for lacrosse, ball hockey and roller blading in the summer · More soccer fields, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts · BMX and skateboard parks · More venues for cultural activities There's no reason Oakville should be lacking in these areas. 1-Planning and Development Development should improve our quality of life, not diminish it. We need predictability and fairness in how we develop Oakville. We need to preserve its character and plan our growth to make Oakville an even better place to live. During his time on Oakville Council, Chris has concluded we need to do three things in this area: 1. Gain an equal footing with developers in negotiations. 2. Urgently review and revise our Official Plan. 3. Engage in a proactive approach with the development community and the residents to build the Oakville we want. 4-Property Taxes It isn't fair that our current residents are paying too much for growth that's being forced upon us. We have to push back. It isn't fair that the Province's process of assessment is so superficial and so arbitrary. Today's reality is this: if you get a big gain in the value of your home, you will pay more in tax. As Mayor, Chris will work to achieve tax fairness for the residents of Oakville. 2-Business Friendly Community Chris has been lucky enough to live and work in Oakville and to make it possible for his employees to do the same. People who live and work in Oakville spend more money on local businesses and are more committed to the community in part because they have the time to get engaged. This increases the business tax base, reducing the burden on the homeowner. Chris will focus on attracting more employers to Oakville with our enviable well-educated workforce and by continuing to protect and enhance the qualities of our community. Chris served on the OEDA (Oakville Economic Development Alliance) to help build strategies to do this. One practical issue is to ensure the supply of employment land. Chris will also encourage mixed-use neighbourhoods which will benefit restaurants and facilities by increasing their day and evening trade. 5-The Environment Oakville should be an environmental leader. At LaserNetworks, Chris didn't just talk about protecting the environment, he took action. The company uses only unbleached boxes and packaging made entirely of recycled materials. To minimize greenhouse gas emissions, natural gas and diesel vehicles are used wherever possible. This year, LaserNetworks will be introducing an employee incentive program to use hybrid or diesel cars or public transport, and committing to a green power purchasing policy. Likewise, as Mayor of Oakville, Chris would set targets for reduced commuting by improving the business and residential mix. He would encourage public transport use by improving service. He would find ways to promote green building strategies and design the community to reduce the heat effects that drive up air conditioning use. VOTE STOATE November 13th To learn more about how Chris Stoate will make a difference, visit us online @ www.votestoate.ca