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Beaver THE OAKVILLE Voted Ontario's Top Newspaper Four Years in a Row - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Oakville actor lands role in Vampire Diaries ARTSCENE FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010 1011 Upper Middle Road E. 905-849-4722 www.oakvilleshops.com OUT OF INK? REFILL AND SAVE UP TO 60% (formerly Island Ink-Jet) Upper Oakville Shopping Centre (Upper Middle & 8th Line) 905-842-5600 refill refill A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 48 No. 13 "USING COMMUNICATION TO BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES" 40 Pages $1.00 (plus GST) Road costs rising, while tree's health declining Bronte Road widening $4.5-M over budget By Tim Foran OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The health of an historic 250-year-old White Oak tree outside Halton Region's headquarters is reported to be in decline, but the budget to widen Bronte Road between North Service Road and Upper Middle Road, and around the majestic tree, is growing at a healthy pace. The road widening, which elicited a well-publicized save-the-tree fundraising campaign in 2006, will begin this spring, $4.5 million over the original budget and with the tree reportedly to be dying faster than expected, the Beaver has learned. Regional staff have said the new $11-million budget to widen the 1.6-kilometre stretch of road from two to four lanes is consistent with the $22.4 million it had to dole out to widen Bronte Road between Upper Middle Road and Hwy. 407. None of the extra costs, beyond the $343,000 staff originally estimated, are due to the decision to save the tall White Oak tree, which is located on Bronte Road just in front of the Region's Woodlands Operations Centre, said Mark Scinocca, Halton's director of financial planning. When council approved the road design in spring 2006, the budget was $6.4 million, an estimate based on an environmental assessment completed earlier in NIKKI WESLEY/ OAKVILLE BEAVER TO HAITI WITH LOVE: Organizers behind Containers of Hope for Haiti, (l-r), Judy Warrington, Victor Brewda, Barry Howie, Wayne Shantz, Meagan Shantz and Hilary Shantz are collecting sleeping bags, tents, medical supplies and food. To volunteer or donate, call Judy at 905-338-2304. Oakville group organizes Hope for Haiti A group of Oakville residents have devised a means to take emergency supplies into Haiti. Last weekend, a group of local residents -- with ties to Rotary, the Dominican Republic and Haiti -- put their heads together to see if, and how, supplies might be sent from Oakville to help Haiti's earthquake victims. They came up with Containers of Hope for Haiti. From Oakville, donations contributed here will be delivered to Haiti, thanks to the contributions of citizens, businesses and Rotary clubs -- in Oakville, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Heading the local committee is Judy Warrington, a retired teacher. Over the past few years, Warrington has organized more than 20 volunteer trips to the Dominican Republic and sent several containers of used school furniture and supplies for Dominican and See Giant page 9 See Donations page 3