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OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, September 16, 2009 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 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 Regional 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 Running for Terry It's hard to believe that it was June 28, 1981 when Terry Fox drew his last breath. But despite the passing years, the memory of Fox and his Marathon of Hope is very much alive. Close to 800 Oakville residents donned their sneakers Sunday to carry on that Marathon of Hope on behalf of Fox and raise money to fight cancer. While the amount of money collected has yet to be officially counted, this Terry Fox Run, like all the others held across Canada, continues to advance Fox's legacy. We are still in awe over the fact that this young man from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, who had lost a leg to bone cancer, ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Québec and Ontario. However, after 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles) into his cross-country fundraiser, Fox was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ont. because the disease had spread to his lungs. At the kick off for the Terry Fox Run held earlier this month, Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn said Terry Fox was the average Canadian kid, someone's son, someone's brother. "Canadians keep the Terry Fox Run in motion and strides are being made in cancer treatment," said Flynn. That desire to find a cure for cancer is the momentum behind the Terry Fox Run. Those who are old enough to remember can recall vividly the last interviews Fox gave to the media. This gutsy hero, who galvanized a country, was so determined to fight on. It was not to be. It's heartwarming to see that Halton schools continue to educate students about the Marathon of Hope and this young person's desire to raise money for cancer research. Schools across the region hold their own Terry Fox School runs and, by doing so, educate a new generation about the young man with a mission. Today's generation meet Terry Fox as a Canadian hero and learn of his courage and his mission. Fox's journey became more than a fundraiser; his Marathon of Hope became the dream of every Canadian. While the number of Terry Fox runs held may vary from year to year and the pledges easy or difficult to collect, we must never forget Fox and his sense of purpose and drive. If you haven't already made a donation, please consider doing so. For more information about the remarkable man and his journey, visit www.terryfox.org. 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. Letter to the editor Island life seen as symbolic We have a new traffic island. It is symbolic of much of what is wrong with government. An Oakville Town-written flyer announced that a pedestrian island would be built on a straight section of Bayshire Drive, a twolane road near my house. It would be placed between two parks. I wrote the Town complaining about the following: · the plain extravagance of doing this on such a narrow road, especially as one could see vehicles for 150 and 300 yards from the intended placement. · that it would be a problem for snowplows. · that cyclists would be squeezed into storm grates. · it would offer a false sense of security to kids who may leave a bike wheel or puppy hanging behind them in the traffic lane. I thought I was being constructive. The mayor simply replied, "It is a safety component of the Town's Council-approved trails plan. I can send you the plan if you want to see the whole thing." I don't want to see the plan. I actually believe the island to be a safety hazard. Done deal. They built it over a four-day period with as many as six workers at one time. Two of them were flagmen who held Stop and Go signs, which they alternated for traffic flow narrowed to one-lane during construction. I found it was subcontracted by the Town, which seems not to be in tune with our recession. There is no stopping what is in last year's budget. The crew chief saw no idea why the island was needed. The Town's overseer said he was just doing what he was told. Letters to the editor 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. Opposed to methodone clinic I've been reading The Oakville Beaver with increasing frustration since Sept. 4 when we were made aware of a methadone clinic opening at Kerr and Rebecca streets. I'd really like to know where the people that wrote letters supporting the clinic live. It's easy to be supportive of just about anything when you don't have to live beside it. Ms. Pomeroy's comparison of a methadone clinic to the LCBO is completely preposterous. I'll be sure to include `Methadone close at hand' in my MLS listing. I've been a resident of Oakville my whole life and owned a home at Kerr/Lakeshore for almost a decade. I bought here when the neighbourhood was still in transition and now that it's See There page 7 New canvas reproduction awaits after mishap We are Joshua Creek Furniture owners Jim Hobbs and Joe Levine. We are looking for the customer whose husband put his toe through their canvas reproduction when it fell off the wall and he tried to save it with his foot. We felt badly so we ordered you a new one, but you did not leave us your telephone number or other contact information. If you are that couple, please call us at 905842-3739. JIM HOBBS AND JOE LEVINE JOSHUA CREEK FURNITURE See Islands page 7