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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 21, 2007 - 3 Sending unanimous message to Province By Kim Arnott SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER New residents don't just need houses to live in. They also need buses to ride, roads to drive on, schools to attend, hospitals to help them when they fall ill and recreation centres to play in. A growing population means a need for additional police and fire stations, water and sewage treatment facilities, courthouses and a myriad of other services. But while Halton has been absorbing thousands of new residents, it's falling behind in providing the new facilities needed to accommodate those people. Right now, the region estimates that the infrastructure deficit ­ or the amount of money needed to catch up to demand in Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills ­ is about $300 million. Local politicians, who fear the problem will only get worse without significant changes to provincial policies, are drawing a line in the sand. In a resolution passed unanimously by Oakville council on Monday night, politicians are telling the provincial government the region cannot accommodate the growth targets in the Places to Grow plan without more money. The provincial plan calls for Halton's population to grow by 68 per cent over the next 25 years. By 2031, the Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn region is expected to house 780,000 residents, up from the 468,000 who live here today. Accommodating those people with hospital beds, schools, community centres, roads and all the other services they need is estimated to cost about $8.6 billion. To provide the necessary funding, the province must make changes to the Development Charges Act, GTA Pooling requirements and provincial cost-sharing requirements, as well as providing an enhanced Municipal Infrastructure Program, says the resolution, which has now been approved by Burlington and Halton Hills, as well as Oakville. It will be considered by Milton council next Monday, and at Halton Regional "We don't intend to let this message be ignored." Rob Burton, Mayor of Oakville council on March 7. The intent is for what Oakville mayor Rob Burton described as "a show of region-wide cooperation, collaboration and maybe even unanimity." "We don't intend to let this message be ignored," said Burton, who noted that residents of Halton, as well as other GTA municipalities, will be receiving information on the issue as part of the Halton Campaign for Fairness. With a provincial election scheduled for this October, Ward 5 Councillors Marc Grant and Jeff Knoll suggested the timing is good to put pressure on provincial politicians. "We don't have the capacity to deal with (the population) we have now," said Knoll. "It's time for the pain to end and for the province to be realistic. They have to be taking back some of these services, or adequately funding them." O a k v i l l e 's Liberal MPP Kevin Flynn admits some sympathy for the resolution, despite its "inyour-face" tone. "Having spent 18 years on council, I understand where this is coming from," Mayor Rob Burton he said. "I'm quite prepared to work with the town and the region on the issue of population growth," Flynn added. "This is something I've been championing for the last three years already." Flynn added that the province has made some changes, including providing 90 per cent of the funding for a new hospital planned for north Oakville. He noted that the Liberals have also established a Municipal Fiscal and Services Review, to look at how services are provided and funded. "I agree wholeheartedly that growth shouldn't be borne on the backs of existing taxpayers," Flynn said. Students score transit For $10 per month, Oakville students can now purchase freedom from begging for rides or slogging through the snow. Beginning next week, Oakville Transit will be selling a new "Student Freedom Pass," which will entitle students aged six to 18 to unlimited bus rides every weekday evening after 5 p.m., as well as on weekends and statutory holidays. The March 2007 pass will also allow students unlimited daytime travel during March Break (March 12 ­ 16). The pass will be launched by Oakville Mayor Rob Burton at Iroquois Ridge high school tomorrow, and will be sold at all town ticket agent locations as of Feb. 26. Burton, who promised such a pass during last fall's election campaign, said he anticipates the pass will raise additional revenue for Oakville Transit while introducing kids to the habit of riding the bus. "Transit gets new riders who learn to like it," he explained. Dr. Otto Weiglein You're invited! Thursday, February 22, 2007 If you'd like to look years younger, Dr. Otto Weiglein can help. Join Dr. Weiglein for an informative & interactive presentation. 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