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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, November 11, 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 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends 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 Debt of gratitude As today (Wednesday) is Remembrance Day, we hope residents will always recall the sacrifices our valiant veterans made -- and continue to make -- to give us the freedom we enjoy today. According to Veteran Affairs Canada's website: "Every year on Nov. 11, Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our country during times of war, conflict and peace. "We honour those who fought for Canada in the First World War (1914-18), the Second World War (1939-45), and the Korean War (1950-1953), as well as those who have served since then. "More than 1.5 million Canadians have served our country in this way, and more than 100,000 have died. They gave their lives and their futures so that we may live in peace." Located inside the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa is the Memorial Chamber, which houses the Books of Remembrance. To date, there are seven volumes of these books that serve to commemorate the lives of every man and woman who has paid the ultimate sacrifice while in the service of their country. The first six volumes include those who died during the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, South African War/Nile Expedition as well as those serving in the Merchant Navy and those from Newfoundland who served prior to that province joining Confederation. The final volume -- entitled In The Service of Canada -- contains the names of all the valiant men and women who have given their lives while active with the Canadian Forces from October 1947 to present -- exclusive of the Korean War. Sadly, this last volume continues to grow in size with the names of Canadian soldiers killed while serving in Afghanistan. Veteran Affairs Canada provides online versions of these historic reference books at www.vac-acc.gc.ca/ remembers. Canada's last veteran from the First World War is now 109, while the average age of our nation's Second World War veterans is 87. In the not-too-distant future, they will all be gone, as will a vital living resource of our nation's history. For Canadians who truly value freedom, their appreciation will be shown in a tangible way today at the Remembrance Day services this morning at the Cenotaph in George's Square on Trafalgar Road. In exchange for the freedom we enjoy, we should make every effort to thank them -- not just today, but every day we are blessed with their presence. Let them know we will never forget them --or the sacrifices of their fallen comrades. 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 Council appointments warrant full disclosure I believe that all members of Council, who voted on Nov. 2 for the motion for new appointments to Town committees, owe an explanation to Councillor Knoll and the people of Oakville. In particular, Mayor Rob Burton, who chairs the Council, and Ward 1 Councillor Ralph Robinson who, put forward the motion, need to explain how this motion was compliant with the Town's policy, or fair. How can some councillors receive seven appointments and Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll none? As a resident of Ward 5, I am appalled that my democraticallyelected representative has been denied the opportunity to more broadly serve the residents of Oakville, as was Councillor Knoll's intention. The public should demand full disclosure of how these appointments were decided. It is the proverbial slippery slope when Council can exclude other councillors to promote their own personal agendas and disregard binding policies in the process. If we don't question their actions now it will be much easier to get away with the next time. LISA MCKAY 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 email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Ford letter raises questions Ed. Note: This letter was addressed to David Mondragon, president and CEO Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. and a copy was filed with the Oakville Beaver for publication. Re: An Open letter from Ford of Canada to the Residents of Oakville While I can understand your repeated attempts to distance your company from the distasteful proposed Oakville power plant, the advertisement in the Oakville Beaver, Nov. 4 and 6 leaves a number of questions unanswered. Will you add more air filters in the plants where the 3,000 Ford workers and 20,000 auto supplier employees will be working after the pollution count in the area is further impacted? The real estate Ford no longer needs presently fields a 10 MW power plant that once burned garbage, but was shut down due to emissions. Should we commend you for not taking our tax money (bailout) by permitting the operation of a 900 MW power plant on Ford lands? When a company is large enough to institute sweeping decisions that will affect communities over a long term such as 20 years for this proposed plant, should it not consider the downside of every agreement before proceeding? You state: "The energy from the proposed new power plant is not specifically for Ford's Oakville Assembly complex." Will Ford be paying for electricity and delivery at the same rate as other Oakville area businesses? Ford should understand that local residents are not looking for "increased information from the OPA." We want the proposed Oakville power plant stopped. Ford can help. DAVID HARRIS Political blunder Re: Carr responds to photo op criticism, Oakville Beaver, Nov. 4 Well it's not enough that he made a political blunder the first time around, now Halton Region Chair Gary Carr would have us believe that he is "leading by example." I don't think his type of example is what people care for and if he thought that people needed his encouragement to get this shot, he sadly misread the public. I never questioned if he was high risk or not, he should have been out in the lineup like everyone else. And then to defer the matter by thanking the staff is just incredible. CATHY GOETZ