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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 14, 2008 - 3 Region balked at taking over DND water system Continued from page 1 "The Department of National Defence is actually maintaining the water system now for their residents, but once they're off the site they will no longer be maintaining the water system," said Knoll. "Because of the lead in the pipes it requires specialized water treatment. We were originally under the impression, from our initial conversations with DND, that they would continue to maintain it, but that was dispelled at the Friday meeting, unfortunately." Information that the housing could only be there until May of 2011 also hurt the Region's plans. Regional officials initially believed the housing could be in place for Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll five years or more. However, Knoll noted the 2011 timeline is a best-case scenario and the Region might have still been willing to proceed had it not been for the water system issue. The Region had been planning to spend $100,000 to fix up three of the vacant homes at the DND lands for use as temporary transitional housing for families in crisis. The proposal drew considerable criticism from Oakville's Town Council, with Mayor Rob Burton voicing concerns that any use of the existing buildings, no matter how temporary, could get in the way of the redevelopment of the area when the federal government vacates. During a public meeting earlier this month, residents in the surrounding area also expressed concerns about the proposal. Their concerns ranged from fears their property values would plummet to feelings that enough social housing already existed in Ward 2. Others, however, pointed to the desperate need for transitional housing in Halton -- the Region's waiting list currently sits at around 1,800. "I'm terribly disappointed. We should have been doing this long, long ago when the houses were still viable without dramatic renovations and when the DND was still onsite," said Knoll. "The federal government has been supporting these properties in this ghost town-like state for well over a decade now. That is a shame when you consider that while these houses are sitting empty, people are living under bridges and we are having to ship families out of our community or put them in substandard motels." While Knoll has suffered a disappointment on the transitional housing front, his efforts to find it are continuing. During a meeting of the Region's Health and Social Services Committee on Thursday, Knoll introduced a motion to create a Housing Task Force to recommend housing options within the Region of Halton. Exactly what this task force will do and who will be on it will be spelled out in later meetings. A meeting about the transitional housing on the DND lands that was planned for Tuesday, Nov. 18, has been cancelled as a result of these developments. Hearing aid not doing its job? · Unable to use the phone with hearing aids? · Hollow-sounding or echoing voices? · Not hearing voices well in noise? · Too much whistling? No matter where you purchased your hearing aid, we will test it to see if it is giving you the best sound possible. At Hopedale Hearing Clinic we will maximize the performance of your hearing to suit your listening needs. Free hearing test for 55 years or older Call for appointment · Home visits available · ADP, DVA, WSIB authorized vendor · On site hearing aid repairs by appointment only (usually while you wait) · Complimentary clean & check hearing aids Grand Open ing! Hopedale Hearing Clinic 1515 Rebecca Street, Unit 38, Oakville · 905-827-7333 Sign up on Line w www. ultimatedrivers .ca DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE, LET US HELP YOUR EARN IT Six Programs to choose from: · Defensive Driving Certificate Program Minimizes Road Test Time and Qualifies for Maximum Insurance Discount · Advance Defensive Driving Program Minimizes Road Test Time, Qualifies for Maximum Insurance Discount and Teaches You Emergency Skills · Driver Retraining Program for Reinstating Driver's License · Complete Refresher Program Prepares you for G2 or G License · Refresher Program Helps Reviewing your Driving Habits for Test s r r · Preparation and Evaluation Warm Up Practice Before the Test TM 17 Year s nt of Excelle Service Choose from one of our 6 programmes on-line to suit your needs. * $ SAVE 50.00 Valid on Defensive Driving Program Only Gift Certificates Available 905-825-1172