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26 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 16, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Tell the Region your plan for the future of Halton A new online feedback form offers residents the opportunity to provide input on Regional Council's draft themes and goals which will make up the 2007-2010 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan reflects Council's vision and priorities for the next four years. The feedback form, available at www.halton.ca/stratplanconsult, lists Council's draft themes and goals as well as a draft vision statement for the purposes of receiving public comment. The online consultation complements the Community Open Houses scheduled in each of the four municipalities. All comments will be provided to Regional Council for their consideration as they finalize the Strategic Plan over the coming months. "Our goal as always, is to encourage public input by offering a variety of ways for people to tell us what they think," said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. "This online feedback form makes it easily accessible for us to consult with Halton constituents, and for the public to give us their feedback without having to take time out of their busy schedules to attend a meeting." Residents can also learn more about the Strategic Plan at one of the upcoming community open houses: · Monday, March 19, 5-7 p.m. (presentation at 6 p.m.), Halton Regional Centre, Auditorium, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville. · Tuesday, March 20, 7-9 p.m. (presentation at 7:30 p.m.), Halton Hills Cultural Centre, The Gallery, 9 Church Street, Halton Hills (Georgetown). · Wednesday, March 21, 7-9 p.m. (presentation at 7:30 p.m.) Hugh Foster Hall, 53 Brown Street, Milton. · Thursday, March 22, 7-9 p.m. (presentation at 7:30 p.m.), Burlington Public Library, Centennial Hall, 2331 New Street, Burlington. Information about Halton's Strategic Plan is posted at www.halton.ca/strategicplan. The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 400,000 residents in the City of Burlington and the Towns of Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; regional roads and planning; emergency medical services; waste management; public health; Ontario Works (formerly social assistance); children's and seniors' services; social/non-profit housing; heritage programs; emergency management and business development. For more information, visit Halton Region's website at www.halton.ca. Oakville's history tied to its harbours Continued from page 23 Summer's coming hot & heavy. Be cool, book early. 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Not valid in conjunction with any other discount or promotion. Not available in all markets Use your Sears Card or Sears MasterCard and to talk in the Oakville/Trafalgar Rooms. First up was Walter Jennings, a long time member of the Oakville Historical Society, who led the audience of about 60 people through his visual display showing how the town has changed since 1827 when William Chisholm first bought the land around the mouth of the Sixteen. Lorne Joyce, from the Bronte Historical Society, delivered an animated talk about Bronte harbour through the years. Joyce, born in 1926, gave the audience an intimate glimpse of the early harbour, its fishing boats, sailing sloops, stone hooking boats and fishermen of their time. His voice crackled with excitement in describing boyhood antics, and cracked with emotion recalling some Bronte sailors who did not make it back home, like First Mate, James Baker, who went down with the schooner Magellan in 1877. "The Magellan was coming back from Chicago with a full cargo," he said, "John Belyea was her master. She was cut down in the middle of the night by the steamer J.L. Hurd and the J.L. Hurd never stopped. There were no survivors. The only body that came back home was Jimmy Baker's, one arm torn off." Shelley Gautier, of the Ontario Disabled Sailing Association, was eloquent in describing her own experiences and the experiences of other disabled sailors in sailboats ­ notably the Martin 16 sloop - designed and rigged to adapt to particular challenges. Although Gautier, currently the Commodore of her Association, spoke passionately about her own competitive nature, and the dignity, confidence and motivation sailing can offer to disabled sailors, Ratty's whimsical words from The Wind in the Willows also seem relevant, and they apply to everyone: "There is nothing ­ absolutely nothing ­ half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." 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