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6- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday August 30, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 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 Guest Columnist NEIL OLIVER Vice President and Group Publisher DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager 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 MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA ANCHOR Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver is a division of Harper ignores health risks Bonnie Brown, Oakville MP leaked document shows that last November the Harper cabinet approved a plan to cut funding to Bonnie Brown the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and to allow the food industry to inspect itself. Critical meat inspections, cuts to BSE testing and avian influenza preparedness would all be effected. Sure enough, last March this system was implemented without public knowledge or discussion. Federal inspectors now do random safety tests only a few times a year at any given plant and meat packers test each type of product only monthly. Under the old system, inspectors were present on the plant floor doing independent inspections themselves, with broad freedom to investigate. At the Maple Leaf plant behind the listeriosis outbreak, the government's inspection role was reduced to a single person who simply audits the company's self inspection paperwork. This person is also responsible for several other plants. Tragically, all of this only came to light after people began dying. A dozen Ontario fatalities have resulted thus far and with a 90-day incubation period, many more are feared. It is time for the Conservatives to be honest with Canadians. First they hid their deregulation plan, then they claimed it was only a discussion document, then they claimed it had not been implemented. CFIA meat inspectors have said that the new system did, in fact, start last March and that they are not comfortable with its efficacy because they are restricted to an office reviewing paperwork. It is now clear that the plan is real, it has timelines, and at least parts of it have been implemented. The deceit must stop. The CFIA needs to be strengthened not weakened. Does this story of the weakening of government inspection seem familiar to you? I'm sure you recall the same scenario over water inspection in Ontario. In 1992, the Harris government's cabinet approved a change from government water inspection to self inspection by water treatment plant employees. That decision led to the tragedy in Walkerton which included deaths and widespread illness among the local population. Jim Flaherty, John Baird and Tony Clement were part of the cabinet decision that, I believe, led to the Walkerton tragedy. Jim Flaherty, John Baird and Tony Clement were part of the Harper cabinet decision to weaken the rules around meat inspection. Either they learned nothing from the Walkerton experience or they have been willing on at least two occasions to take risks with your health. This is the team in charge of our country. If they are so careless with your physical health, what about our collective economic health and our environmental health? The listeriosis outbreak is a wake-up call for all Canadians to be aware of the multitude of changes to our institutions that the Conservative government has made and is making. A few years ago Stephen Harper said that if he were Prime Minister, Canadians would soon not recognize their country. Unfortunately, this seems to be the one promise he is really keeping. Nothing is more precious than the health of our families and our planet. We need a government that recognizes this priority, takes health risks seriously and responds honestly and proactively. IAN OLIVER President Media Group Ltd. Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora EraBanner, 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 A THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION The soaker of all summers surrenders to September L ate last summer a friend of mine confessed, as a school teacher, August is "a month of Sundays". He explained that just as it's hard to enjoy a Sunday with Monday lurking around the corner, ready to mug your mood, it's likewise hard to enjoy an August day knowing that once August ends, it's back to reality, back to the grim grind, back to school. My friend is not alone in his downbeat view of August. A recent article by David Poltz in Slate magazine actually called for the abolishment of August (cede some days of August to September, some to July and just get rid of "that most useless month"). August, Poltz wrote, is the "weak sister" of all months, so lame, the other months shunt on to it all the celebrations they didn't want: Air Conditioning Appreciation Week, Carpenter Ant Awareness Week, National Lazy Day and, National Failures Day (Aug. 15 ­ darn, I missed it again). Despite the obvious odiousness of August, here in Moffat we managed to make the most of the month, just as we made the most of a summer best described as The Soaker Of All Summers. While I believe everyone truly felt the exasperation of this summer's sogginess ­ golf games cancelled, outdoor events postponed, holidays washed away in the torrents ­ here in the wet- lands the extent of the record rainfall was particularly evident: a heron came to live on the lake that was once our front yard; the horses in our backyard had to learn new survival skills. Like treading water. And the backstroke. Still, we had a wonderful summer despite the elements, and despite the summer's inclusion of August. We Andy Juniper indulged in generous amounts of rest and relaxation. There were intriguing books read and engaging movies viewed. We had good visits with friends and family from as far away as Tanzania, and enjoyable travels of our own, from angelic Apsley, Ontario, to Ottawa to Niagara-on-the-Lake, to Chicago (all on one meandering road trip). And we learned little things. If you're driving to Ottawa for a wedding, don't drive through Renfrew, Ontario, on the day the town's celebrating its 150th anniversary with a parade, particularly if you want to make it to the wedding on time. Oh, and if some know-it-all insists that Ottawa is a dump, suggest he take a coffee for an early morning stroll behind the Parliament Buildings along the Ottawa River: then the know-it-all will discover that Ottawa has its definite charms. With all our enjoyable activities (and inactivity), the summer flew by. Just this week our middle son suddenly realized that in a mere matter of days he would be surrendering his freedom, saying sayonara to summer and heading back to school. Consequently, he asked if he could host an end-of-summer pool party. Which, of course, got his younger sister thinking she'd also like to host a party for her friends. How these parties came to collide is anyone's guess. But collide they did. Our son's soiree turned into a sleepover (only no one slept, including me). Then, just as I was rustling up breakfast for his overtired and peckish posse, the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of my daughter's friends. Ah, Round Two. Given how little sleep I'd had, I could have gotten a little agitated with the whole party overkill, but I knew that come Labour Day Monday, summer will surrender to September. And come Tuesday our house will be unsettlingly quiet. And by the end of week I'll be looking for someone to shout at: "Hey, keep it down!" Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajuniper@strangledeggs.com.