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6 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 4, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS 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 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. 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 MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Alvin Duncan's lasting legacy While the passing of any resident is a time of sadness, especially for friends and family members, it is somewhat appropriate that Alvin Duncan's death occurred on the eve of Black History month. In his 95 years, Duncan lived a full life, which spanned two world wars, the civil rights movement and finally, the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American president. Duncan was many things to many people -- a war veteran, a father and a small businessman. In Oakville, however, he might be best remembered as a local historian. Duncan was the great grandson of Samuel Adams, a slave who fled the United States via the Underground Railroad and settled in Oakville, where he became a prominent businessman. Duncan never forgot his roots and thanks to his volunteer associations with the Oakville Historical Society, Oakville Black History Society and the Ontario Black History Society, Duncan helped establish the Black History Exhibit at the Oakville Museum. "Alvin Duncan's personal knowledge, enthusiasm and generosity were all integral in the collection of Oakville's Black Heritage. He eagerly shared his information through narratives, personal accounts and photographs, all of which help us tell Oakville's Black history," said Carolyn Cross, collections curator at Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate. Thanks to his tireless efforts and generosity, Oakville's role as a final destination in the Underground Railroad and the legacy of many of those fleeing slavery and their descendants has been preserved for generations to come. During his life, Duncan received many accolades and awards, including a nomination for the 2002 Heritage and History Award, the Oakville Community Spirit Award in 2002 and was recipient of the Governor General's Golden Jubilee Medal. As we enter Black History month, we feel a debt of gratitude to Duncan for his efforts in preserving an important part of Canadian history. He will be deeply missed, but he won't be forgotten. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Re: Children should not be used as pawns for parents' agendas, Oakville Beaver, Jan. 30. If anyone should be "ashamed" of their actions regarding the accommodation debate raging in Ward 4 it should not be the student delegates of Ecole Forest Trail (EFT), or their parents, but rather the president of the Pilgrim Wood Home and School Association, Lesley Dalgarno. We are disappointed that she would use her letter of Jan. 30, along with her delegations to the Halton District School Board (HDSB) on Jan. 7 and Jan. 14, to express misinformation and half-truths and further inflame a tense situation. Her letter has no place in a community where the majority of us are constructively and respectfully working to come to the best possible solution regarding accommodation. Dalgarno is wasting the board's valuable time and energy by repeating misinformation, which is clearly refuted on the Board's website. Issues relating to the 2008/09 transportation deficit and Special Education programming have nothing to do with French immersion program delivery and French immersion parents want stable future yet she continues to take great pains to tie these issues together to serve her purposes. While it is true, as Dalgarno stated, that recent survey results showed 10 ­ 13 per cent of their families will leave the French immersion program if it is offered in only dual-track schools, what she failed to mention is the same survey also showed that 84 per cent of EFT parents prefer single-track French immersion and that 40 per cent (27 per cent undecided plus 13 per cent decided) of the families may leave the program if it is only offered in dualtrack settings, while 60 per cent believe so strongly in the French immersion program, they would choose to place their child in a dual-track school as a last resort. Dalgarno asks us to re-examine our steadfast refusal to go to "multiple" dualtrack schools. However, while her proposal for "multiple" dual-track schools benefits her school by taking it to capacity without going over capacity, it has a very negative effect on the French immersion program. French immersion offered at multiple dual-track schools would lead to split classes for French immersion students, insufficient French immersion resources at any one school, the inefficient use of already limited numbers of qualified French Immersion teachers and a lack of any real feeling of French culture at the school. One of us has a child in single track FI in Ward 4 and has had another child in dual track FI in the Halton Catholic system. Yes, dual track can work where there is no other option. However, where the demand supports a single track French immersion model, as is obviously the case in the HDSB in Oakville, it is the preferred delivery method for parents, children and for many boards of education across Canada. Dalgarno asks "what are we fighting over?" As parents of children in the French immersion program in Ward 4, we are fighting to have accurate information available to the public regarding this issue, we are fighting those with personal agendas who are trying to change a French immersion program that works, we are fighting for a stable future for our students and we are fighting to keep our children in a quality program that has a proven record of success. LISA GUIMARAES AND LISA CUMMINGS Soldiers enjoyed care package We have enjoyed reading your "up-lifting letters" of good Samaritans of Oakville (ie. wallet returned to owner, neighbours shovelling for seniors). We feel that you may be interested in our experience as it involves a very thoughtful and generous deed on the part of the wonderful staff of Shoppers Drug Mart at Kerr and Speers Road. See Soldier's page 9 This week's poll This week's question is: Should the federal government respond to President Barack Obama's Buy American stimulus package by enacting a Buy Canadian stimulus package? · Yes · No To vote, visit oakvillebeaver.com Last week's poll: Do you think the Tory government's budget will provide a stimulus to the Canadian economy? · Yes 76.92% · No 23.08% Total votes: 26 votes 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.