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6- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 14, 2007 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: THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS A DIVISION OF Media Group Ltd. NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Take this message to heart February is Heart & Stroke Month. What better day than Valentine's Day to draw attention to the importance of taking care of our heart health? The statistics on cardiovascular disease are alarming. It continues to account for the death of more Canadians than any other disease. In 2002 (the last year for which Statistics Canada data is available) cardiovascular disease accounted for 74,626 Canadian deaths. Among all male deaths that year, 32 per cent were due to heart diseases, diseases of the blood vessels and stroke. Among women, the toll was even higher with 34 per cent of all deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease. According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, stroke mortality statistics for 2002 rate it as the fourth leading cause of death in Canada. There are about 40,000-50,000 strokes recorded each year with 16,000 Canadians dying from one. More women now die from strokes than men. Of every 100 people who suffer a stroke 15 per cent die, 10 per cent recover completely, 25 per cent recover with a minor impairment or disability, 40 per cent are left with a moderate to severe impairment, while 10 per cent are so severely disabled they require long-term care. A comparison of 30-year statistics show some promise. Through medical advancements and public education the number of male deaths from heart disease and stroke dropped 19 per cent between 19732003. Disturbingly, over the same period the mortality rate for women actually increased five per cent. Combining exercise -- 30 minutes of physical activity each day of the week is recommended -- with a nutritional diet while reducing other risk factors such as stress and smoking are proven ways to increase the likelihood of continued heart health. How can you help? When approached by a door-to-door representative of the Heart & Stroke Foundation this month, donate what you can so that research, health promotion, education and advocacy will continue. Donations may also be made online at www.heartandstroke.ca. This Valentine's Day, be sure to have a heart and give a loved one the gift of information that may help prevent theirs from breaking. 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 Voter feels betrayed by Garth Turner How can Garth Turner be so arrogant as to think that every vote he received was in support of his personal agenda, and not that of the Conservative Party which he represented? He is making increasingly absurd statements. His rationale for staying as our representative, and not stepping down for a by-election, is that he thinks it better that we be represented by him than by nobody at all. I respectfully disagree. My favourite is that he says he's still the same guy we elected. I don't know what that means, since the guy I elected believed in ideals directly opposed to those he now represents. Where's the integrity? Where are the values? I feel completely betrayed and embarrassed to say that I voted for the guy. While no politician ranks high in my trust and confidence, Garth Turner has proven himself to be a shameless opportunist, who can no longer make a believable promise. The only positive thing I can say about Garth Turner is that he has made me excited about the next election, truly looking forward to it. I don't know or care who runs against him, they have my vote, a sign on my lawn, and $20 in support of their campaign. Garth has inspired me to ensure that the three votes in my household, and as many others as I can influence, go to someone other than him. RENAUD CAMPBELL BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Voters should spurn Turner Has the entire population of Oakville become disillusioned by the actions of our rogue Halton MP Garth Turner, yet? It is time for this self-righteous sideshow to face a by-election. Mr. Turner had nothing but scorn for the David Emerson floor crossing one year ago in regards to its lack of accountability and the fact that it did not represent the will of the electorate. Garth's antics ran thin with the Conservative Party and he was ejected from the caucus. After a year of shameless attention seeking, bordering on ego mania, he has decided to join the Liberal Party. Tell me Garth, where is the accountability? You were elected as a member of the Conservative Party and joining the Liberals flies in the face of the will of the electorate. This one-time accountability vigilante has shown his principles are for sale -- he admitted one of his reasons for joining the Liberals was to be able to issue campaign financing tax credits. It is time for the people of Halton to show this arrogant narcissist the door. JOSEPH TAYLOR 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. Pud