The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

8- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 30, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com New St. Thomas Aquinas will be an environmental disaster It is with some disbelief that I find myself writing this letter. Can it be possible that in this early part of the 21st Century, (surely to be known in historical terms as the time of environmental awakening, enlightenment and struggle around the world,) can it be that the Town Council of Oakville is considering allowing an environmental disaster to occur without a single shot fired? I am, of course, writing about the proposed tarmac outrage at St. Thomas Aquinas School on Lakeshore and Dorval. LETTER TO THE EDITOR A proposal that will destroy 100-year old and newer trees, wetland area and general forestation that is home to many species of birds, insects and animals. How can a Town Council in this day and age agree to this proposal when there are so many alternatives that are available INGRID'S 1ST ANNUAL BIRTHDAY BASH! POP A BALLOON FOR anything, that is for sale in the store 10% - 25% OFF · MIRROR DOORS · TABLE TOPS · MISCELLANEOUS GLASS BACK BACK BACK DOOR SALE ON CHIPPED, SCRATCHED A CHIPPED SCRATCHED E SCRATC S OR MIS-MEASURED ITEMS BBQ'D · SHOWER DOORS CAKE · SEALED UNITS HOT DOGS BALLOONS SALE N SA SALE ON SATURDAY AUGUST 2 ONL ! ATURDAY AUGUS Y AUG S , ONL O Y! Y 550 Bronte Road, Oakville 905.827.2951 and indeed preferable? It would appear that the Catholic School Board in our region believes that they do not have to answer to the Town Council of Oakville, that they can go ahead with their plans, completely ignoring neighborhood concerns; town planning requirements; environmental issues and traffic problems. They are going ahead with talks with Oakville Transit to get more bus services to the school to accommodate the increase in students after hours, does one do this if there is even a doubt that plans may not be approved? It is understood that schools need to expand with our growing population, however, this proposed plan goes far beyond expanding the school and is, in fact changing the entire landscape of this area. The Catholic School Board, amazingly, has a website committed to Environmental Progress and Issues in all their schools, and yet in Oakville the Catholic School Board is forging ahead with their plan to eliminate all green and environmentally friendly aspects of this school. Why? Surely hundreds of square feet of tarmac where once were green fields and trees is an enormous double standard. I would like to know if the Town Council has done any environmental studies; do we know if there are any endangered species of wildlife, wild plants or insects that use those same green areas? Further, it is ludicrous for the Catholic School Board to carpet the fields with astro turf when there are perfectly good fields of natural grass already there; they also propose to light the night skies with bright field lights, creating huge light pollution This will not only have an impact on any remaining wildlife in the area, but included with the noise pollution from the proposed association uses of this land, it will make this a truly unpleasant area to live in. Perhaps council can explain why a high school needs to have parking for up to 300 cars, as part of these proposed changes? Is the school changing it's zoning designation? Every spring, summer and fall in the evening and on the weekend if the councillors chose to walk past the school grounds, they would have seen many local people and teams using those green grass fields, people exercising themselves, their children and their animals on that greenspace. Is the Town of Oakville uncaring, do the people who have voted the councillors into place mean nothing? The Town of Oakville has a wonderful website for their Environmental Strategic Plan (ESP), their vision for this plan is exemplary, their guiding principles a model for town councils around the world; but it is all empty words and promises to the residents of Oakville. If the Town council can allow this travesty to take place, what hope is there for the rest of Oakville. After all, precedents will have been set and allowed here in this last little "forest area of Oakville". Imagine the youth, environmentalists and general populace of our province, country and world as they look at the Town of Oakville and their wonderful environmental disaster! Used to be people were proud to live in Oakville, proud of what it meant, what their council believed in and upheld. How long can we continue to feel that way? Help us by leading the way to a better, more environmentally safe and secure town, and please start with a little corner of Oakville known as the 12-acre stand for St. Thomas Aquinas School. KATHY RECOURT Vision ­ To be the most livable town in Canada Notice of Completion of Class Environmental Assessment McPherson Road at Bronte Creek Tributary Structure Replacement The Town of Oakville through their consultant, Hatch Mott MacDonald, has generated a preferred solution for replacing the bridge structure on McPherson Road at the Bronte Creek Tributary. The preferred solution is to remove the existing bridge, realign/connect McPherson Road to the South Service Road to bypass the water crossing (negating the need for a bridge). It is anticipated that construction of this project will take place winter/spring 2008/09. The above project is being carried out in accordance with the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) guidelines as a Schedule B project. The EA was completed in the spring of 2008. A Public Information Centre (PIC) was held on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 to present the project to the public. The recommended plan for the removal of the structure and supporting information has been documented in the EA. The executive summary of the EA is available for review on the Town of Oakville Web site: http://www.oakville.ca/11635.htm. The full EA report can be viewed at: Town of Oakville, Department of Engineering and Construction, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario, Tel: 905-845-6601 Interested persons should provide written comment on this project within 30 calendar days from the date of this notice. Comments should be directed to: Mr. Dave Johnson, Project Leader - Capital Projects, Town of Oakville, Engineering and Construction, 1225 Trafalgar Road, P.O. Box 310, Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 Phone: 905-845-6601 ext. 3326. Fax: 905-338-4159. email: djohnson@oakville.ca. BU RL ES T SE RV I CE RO A N M CP HE SO UT H D Site W RS ES T ON RD W AY ET H BE T BL VD QU IZ A *map not to scale If concerns regarding this project cannot be resolved in discussion with the Town or their consultant, a person may request the Minister of the Environment make an order for the project to comply with Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act (referred to as a Part II order), which addresses individual environmental assessments. Requests must be received by the Minister of the Environment, at the address below, by August 30, 2008. A copy of the request must also be sent to the Town Clerk. If there is no request received by August 30, 2008, the Town of Oakville intends to proceed with detailed design and construction as presented in the Environmental Study Report. Minister of the Environment, 135 St. Clair Avenue West, 12th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1P5. This Notice first issued July 30, 2008 QU Mr. Philip Murray, M. Eng., P. Eng., Project Manager, Hatch Mott MacDonald Consultant, 2800 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2R7 Phone : 905-403-4265. Fax: 905-855-2607. email: philip.murray@hatchmott.com. CR OF OR EE TR N D R. H . D. K EL IZ A W AY O AB EA ST W . Key Burlington EL K EE RE D W YE N OA