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w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Th ur sd ay , Se pt em be r 1 6, 2 01 0 6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver 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.Pho e (416) 340-1981.Advertising is accepted on he condition that,in the event of a typographical error,that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item,together with a reasonable allowan e for signa ure,will n t 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.Editorial and adv rtising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. United Way of Oakville Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America NEIL OLIVER Vice-President and Group Publisher, Metroland West 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 WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER NO IDLE ASK: Mrs. Rudnicki's Grade 4 class, Mrs. Guerin's Grade 2s, and Mrs. Greer's Grade 1 class petition parents and bus drivers at St. Andrews Catholic School last week to be idle-free while waiting for students. Signs were donated by DADA (Dad's Against Dirty Air) a parent-led group that is donating 12 Idle-Free Campaign in a Box kits to Haltons public and Catholic school boards (worth $10,000) to be passed on from school to school to assist parent councils, staff and eco clubs in running an idle-free campaign. ATHENAAward Letter to the editor Is Oakville ready to adopt Sustainable Development? This is the question we should ask the candidates for Town and Regional Council in the coming election. Sustainable Development must harmonize four basic elements: land, energy, archi- tecture and nature. Their initials make of LEAN a most appropriate acronym. Today we face the dire consequences of indulging uncontrollably in our planets nat- ural resources. We have taken nature for granted, and in the process, have been poison- ing the essential elements that sustain life: the air, the water and the earth. We have even succeeded in altering the climate and threatening our future on Earth. Today, envi- ronmental awareness is finally taking hold. But there is no time to procrastinate in changing our mentality and ways. Development must become sustainable. Much has been written about sustainability, its definitions and principles. The terms of green, sustainable, living and lately, regenerating buildings, have been widely used, and sometimes confused. But ultimately, the goal is to sustain human civilization on Earth in harmony with nature for many generations. This goal could be attained only by replacing the conven- tional practice of planning, design and construction with an integrated process in which the main elements involved in development are addressed in a sustainable fashion. The first and most important element is land. Its availability is limited and therefore it must be used wisely and efficiently, as an irreplaceable commodity. Specifically in Oakville, development should occur mainly in midtown, which is presently underutilized and ideal for convenient and efficient transportation. Since becoming the dominant specie at the top of the food chain, humankind has assumed control over land, in direct conflict with all other creatures. We have used our superior intelligence to dominate all other animals in order to prosper, but in the process, we have spoiled the natural world. We have misused and wasted too much land. For example, speculation with farms has resulted in the urban sprawl, which is choking our cities. It is time we reverse this process by redeveloping intensively existing urban areas, rather than continue destroy- ing farmland and natural habitats. This must become a prerequisite for a particular development to be qualified as sustainable. Energy is the second basic element for appraising the sustainability of development and should be obtained only from renewable sources. Oakville is blessed with such resources: cellulosic materials for producing biofuels, hydroelectric potential of its creeks, winds on the lake, and of course the sun. When planning development, we must consider all the activities that generate ener- gy consumption. The list is long and includes: extracting raw materials, manufactur- ing, transporting and constructing building materials, heating, cooling, ventilating and lighting required over the lifespan of buildings, transportation required by people, sup- plies, maintenance, etc. The energy evaluation of these activities is a very complex and laborious task. To be sustainable, a development should be at least energy neutral, if not produce more energy than it will consume. Thirdly, there is architecture, which is a harmonious marriage between the art and Is Oakvill prepared? The Oakville Beaver is a division of In a matter of weeks our daughter turns 15. It seems like justyesterday that I was writing about her as a baby, and callingher, aptly enough, Hurricane Haley. Nowadays, if I dare write (anything) about her, I tend to get my head bit off. No, its not easy being the father of a teenage girl. Its a delicate balancing act: knowing what to say, what not to say and, all importantly, when to say it (or, ah, not say it). Its about trying to relate to things you honestly cannot really relate to if men are from Mars and women are from Venus, teenage girls are from a galaxy far, far away. Also, its about being an authority figure, a guiding-light and a buddy all at once. Its like Modern Familys Phil Dunphy says: Act like a parent, talk like a peer. He calls it peerenting. Which may explain why, when I enter a room crowded with my daughters friends, I like to shout, Sup, dogs? Oh, yeah, Ive got this father-daughter thing down pat. To the point where envious dads seek my advice on how to relate to their teenage daughters. First thing I remind these men is that its not easy growing up in this day and age, and the teen years are always hell a period of incredible awkwardness fraught with drama wherein even a small pimple can be a big deal. So, if youre a dad, be sure to let your daughter know that you are by her side as she navigates the moguls of modern mat- uration. It helps to say supportive things like: Boy, honey, are you ever going through an awkward phase! Or, Wow. I can really relate to that zit on your fore- head. I used to get doozers, too! Another thing daughters love is when old men (read: fathers) put the word the in front of their favorite things. For instance, The Google. The Facebook. The Messenger. It makes a guy sound hip and on top of the latest technology and trends. Just the other day my daughter was asking for help with her homework, and I suggested that she research it on The Google. Now, Ill grant you, she seemed a little perturbed, saying some- thing about my not caring, and actually storming off in a huff, but I think thats because unlike The Dad, The Google takes away from her time on The Facebook and The Messenger where she incessantly talks with The Boyfriend. Speaking of The Boyfriend, a teenage girl wants to know that her father is intimately involved in every aspect of her everyday life, but in particular, her love life. To remind her of just how involved you are, say things like: So, how are things in the romance department? She may cringe at the question, but thats because your interest enthralls her. In fact, you can take it a step further and ask her about past boyfriends when her current beau is in earshot. Just yesterday I asked my girl whether she thought her old boyfriend still harboured feelings for her? Teenage girls think its The Bomb (that just means cool) when their fathers ask them about boys who are harbouring feelings or carrying torches or wanting to come a courtin. Now, when you say things like wanting to come a courtin, your daughter might get an odd expression on her face, like youre a circus freak. I know mine does. But thats because she cant believe what a great dad you are. And when she calls you King Dork, well, thats just her way of saying how much she appreciates you. Dont believe me? Hey, look it up on The Google. Andy Juniper can be visited at www.strangledeggs.com, con- tacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, or followed at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. Timely tips for frazzled fathers on how to relate to teen girls Andy Juniper See We page 7