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6- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday March 24, 2007 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 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. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary www.oakvillebeaver.com Guest Columnist Strong communities: growth and our town Kevin Flynn Oakville MPP IAN OLIVER Group Publisher NEIL OLIVER Publisher TERI CASAS Business Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ROD JERRED Managing Editor WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com Metroland Media Group Ltd. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Caledon Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Kevin Flynn I took the opportunity in my recent column to talk about results. I wanted to highlight the tremendous transformation our province has embarked upon and some of the great accomplishments we have achieved THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION together. Our health care and our education systems, as well as our province's books are all much better off since the McGuinty government took office. We continue to attract investments, to create jobs, and to keep our economic fundamentals strong. The 2007 budget builds on these successes by continuing to work with and invest in people, and our communities. Additionally, the recent budget also announced a plan to phase out GTA pooling starting this year. Thus, eliminating a tax burden established under the previous government in 1998, and returning $40 million in funds annually to the Region of Halton for our community when fully phased in. Our government established the Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and Service Delivery Review to look broadly at funding, service delivery, and governance issues to ensure that the best possible services can be delivered in an affordable way. Furthermore, budget 2007 also provides Ontario with fair and predictable property tax assessment by moving to a four year reassessment cycle, immediate decreases and a mandatory phase-in of assessment increases, as well as enhancements to the fairness and effectiveness of the assessment appeal system. One of the major issues facing Oakville and the Golden Horseshoe Region prior to 2003 was unbridled and poorly planned growth. As many Oakville residents know, our community is changing. We are still one of the most desirable places to live with an attractive quality of life. As more people decide to call Oakville home, we must invest and plan accordingly. When we think back over 10 years ago, there was little discussion of growth, because there was no provincial plan. Development simply marched ahead. There was no understanding of the connection between the health of our communities and that of our province, between growth and investment for the future and a healthy environment. Many people in Oakville, myself included, fought against this irresponsible approach. And we know we cannot go back to the years of harsh budget cuts, deficits, and downloading of recent Tory governments. While simply blaming past governments will not solve our current challenges and infrastructure deficit, it does serve as a lesson in what not to do and gives us some perspective on how important it is to both plan and invest. Ontario's internationally award-winning Places to Grow strategy sets forth a broad framework to ensure we are thinking strategically, and sustainably, about our community's growth. The focus of the 25-year plan is to create complete communities, with a sustainable mix of housing, parks, businesses and services that will make them more livable. The plan sets clear standards for growth and development, while giving See Investing page 9 Sometimes it takes patience and poutine to connect with a kid E ver have one of those unexpected moments when you really connect with one of your kids? When you bond as firm and fast as Crazy Glue? When you look at your offspring and readily recognize that the proverbial apple truly has not fallen far from the tree? I had such a moment a few weeks ago with Scott, our 17-yearold son. To be honest, there hasn't been that many of these treasured moments of late. While I take enormous pride (and pleasure) in keeping connected with my kids, 17-year-old males have a tendency to be a little, well, aloof. Put it this way: if men are from Mars and women are from Venus, 17-year-old guys are from another planet in another galaxy altogether. On the day under examination -- with our eldest son away at university and my wife and daughter off doing their own connecting (that is, shopping) -- Scott and I found ourselves alone. Together. We played a game of pool in virtual, albeit comfortable, silence. And then I asked whether he wanted to go out for a bite to eat. You see, if you want to connect with a 17-year-old boy, food is the conduit. We ended up in a cozy restaurant in a nearby town. I ordered something boringly healthful and he ordered a heaping plate of poutine -- you know, French fries, curd cheese, nutritiously slathered in gravy. Mmmm. I was about to go all parental and criticize his choice when, instead, I tripped down Memory Lane, reminiscing on the food choices I made when I was his age. While he had difficulty imagining me slouched over my favorite -- fries and gravy, washed down with a Coke and a smoke -- he Andy Juniper grew giddy over the mental image. From that point, the conversation just opened up. My son and I share a love of music. We listen to a lot of the same contemporary artists (Bright Eyes, The Shins, etc.). Well, imagine my surprise to learn that the little sneak had been stealthily dipping into my music collection of late for some samplings of ­ get this ­ The Beach Boys. Seems he's got it bad for Brian (Wilson, that is, enigmatic leader of the Beach Boys)! I was pleasantly shocked. What an incredible conversation. What an incredible connection... Ever have one of those moments when you really disconnect with one of your kids? When you clash as quickly as Simon and Ryan on American Idol? When you look at your offspring and wonder: where the heck did you come from? I had such a moment recently with Scott, our 17-year-old son. And the smoke is still billowing out my ears. It was during March Break. My wife and I had whisked our daughter down to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a little getaway ­ do some shopping, enjoy some incredible cuisine, that sort of thing. While we were away, Scott travelled to Toronto to attend a concert. He and a female friend arrived at the venue ridiculously early (ah, he does have the Juniper penchant for impatience leading to premature punctuality). So, to kill time, they wandered around. That wandering took them to a piercing parlor where they proceeded to mutilate, er, pierce, their faces. Suffice to say, the warm and fuzzy feeling we had upon returning from our soothing sortie to Niagara was instantly frosted and frayed the moment we saw said son, the (previously parentally prohibited) ring dangling from his swollen lip. It's going to take some serious connecting ­ and probably pounds of poutine ­ for me to get over this baby! -- Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajuniper@strangledeggs.com.