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12 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Sunday December 24, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com Carr calls for changes to ease gridlock By Melanie Hennessey SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr says provincial legislation has to change so Halton can get infrastructure in place before new homes are built, thus easing the local gridlock. The new head of regional council said the Development Charges Act limits the decisions the Region can make on when and how much money can be collected from developers for roads. But in order to get services up to speed prior to new residents moving in, Carr said he thinks more development charges need Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr to flow into the Region's coffers well in advance of groundbreaking for a subdivision. "We need the freedom to make the decisions ourselves (on development charges)," he said. "We'd like to have more flexibility." He went on to say, "It comes down to the whole principle of growth paying for itself. We need to have the full amount of development paid for by developers." Carr said the issue will be at regional council in the new year. "They (councillors) could pass some type of resolution that may call on the Province for changes to the act," he said. He pointed out that recently, regional council passed a motion asking for another change to the Act so that GO Transit growth-related projects are fully funded by development charges. With a provincial election on the horizon for 2007, Carr said he plans to press the local candidates on what they would do when it comes to development charges and the GTA pooling system, which sees millions of Halton's tax dollars go toward helping Toronto pay for its social services. "That pooling money could be used for our services," he said. Carr said he thinks Halton needs to deliver a strong message to developers -- "When you come into the community, understand that we need to have services in place before you build, not after. "We incur traffic congestion because we allow development without building the roads to handle the increased volumes of traffic," he said. "We are going to take a very hard line with developers." He also said the Ontario Municipal Board reform has a role to play. "We must fight to get the changes by the Province that will allow us to make the decisions about our development here in Halton, not by the OMB," he said, noting local councillors are the best decision makers when it comes to when and where development should go. He said he plans to use his office and his background as a former MPP to lobby the Province on other growth-related issues, like school and hospital funding. -- Melanie Hennessey can be reached at mhennessey@miltoncanadianchampion.com. BOXING WEEK SALE All Christmas Décor Mild temperatures delay Glen Eden grand opening By Melanie Hennessey SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER 40% OFF All Home Décor Accessories All Mirrors and Wall Art All Fireplace Floor Models Up to 40% Off 20% OFF 20% OFF WE CARRY BARS & BARSTOOLS, POKER TABLES, MIRRORS AND HOME DÉCOR ACCESSORIES 3495 Laird Rd., Unit 14 & 15 (Hwy 403 & Dundas Area) Mississauga 905.569.3876 www.downtownelectricfireplace.com Unusually mild weather has forced the Glen Eden Ski and Snowboard Centre to delay its grand opening for the season. While the local recreational facility was slated to kick things off this past weekend, it has now pushed its opening date to after Christmas. "The snow-making system is up and running, but now we need at least 48 hours of continuous cold temperatures," said Hassaan Basit, a spokesperson for Conservation Halton (CH), which operates the ski hill. "Our crew is ready to go as soon as the forecast changes." The weather also means Week One's Christmas Camp lesson programs won't be happening, which were originally scheduled to run Dec. 27 ­ 31. Conservation Halton's website says it's still too early to tell whether Week Two's camp will continue as scheduled. Last year, mild temperatures worked against Glen Eden as well. The number of visitors fell during the 2005-2006 season to about 137,000, which is thousands less than the previous three seasons. "We really hope this year isn't a repeat of last year," Basit said. Earlier this year, Conservation Halton crafted a beefed-up marketing plan to ensure the coming season is more successful than the last one. It includes doing more advertising, and Basit said so far, he thinks it's paying off. "Our goal is to market Glen Eden as a good option for people in the GTA and especially in Halton," he said. While results from the advertising campaign won't be known until the end of the season, Basit noted that annual pass sales, which provide admittance to CH's parks, are up by 30 per cent to date. The ski hill's operating budget for 2006-2007 has been based on the expectation of 144,000 visits to the park this winter -- a figure Basit said he's certain won't be impacted by the delayed opening. "The target is to meet our projected numbers and hopefully exceed them," he said. "I think we'll do ok." Basit explained currently, the limited amounts of snow that've been made are being stockpiled and will be spread on the slopes when it gets colder. While the ski hill can operate during the day even if the temperature is sitting one or two degrees above the freezing mark, he said that can only happen if it gets colder at night. Glen Eden is a 20-hectare facility located within Kelso Conservation Area that offers 12 slopes for visitors. It's been owned and operated by CH since 1967. To check Glen Eden's ski conditions, visit www.gleneden.on.ca or call its snow line at 905- 878-5011, ext. 503. -- Melanie Hennessey can be reached at mhennessey@miltoncanadianchampion.com Metroland Request your copy of... Canada's FILL OUT THIS BALLOT FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! or you can enter online at contests.metroland.com MAIL ENTRIES TO: SEARS TRISHA ROMANCE CONTEST, Metroland Corporate Sales, 10 Tempo Ave., Willowdale, Ontario M2H 2N8 Live It! NewHealth and Wellness Magazine www.live-it.ca For more information call: 416-493-1300 ext 335 or email: info@live-it.ca NAME: ADDRESS: POSTAL CODE: EMAIL: TELEPHONE: Yes, I wish to receive information from Sears on upcoming specials, contests, promotions & events. CONTEST RULES: Contest opening date: Monday, December 4, 2006 12pm. Closing Date: January 12, 2007 12pm. 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