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 , N ov em be r 1 1, 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.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.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 GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER PERMISSION GRANTED: Oakville author Tom Douglas was a guest speaker at Oakville Museum Tuesday night for a special Remembrance Day event. Here, Douglas, left, reviews his book, Permission Granted, with Wesley McIntosh, the Second World War Royal Canadian Air Force veteran who is the subject of the book. ATHENAAward Guest Columnist Nov. 11, 2010 marks 92 years since the end of theFirst World War. Ninety-two years since morethan 66,000 brave Canadian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our country. Ninety-two years since the signing of the Armistice treaty between Germany and the Allies. And 92 years since silence descended on the battlefields of the First World War. Through the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, the mission in Afghanistan and countless peacekeeping assignments, Canadian troops have always stepped up to the task with courage, dedication and the determination to stand up for whats right. As Canadians, it is our duty to remember. We owe our freedom to the past and present sacrifices of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen. Thats why in communities, at schools and at memorial sites across Canada, we stand and remember the great sacrifices made by our brave soldiers who left the safety of their homes and comfort of their families to defend Canadian val- ues. While the battles fought today look much different from the ones fought by our grandparents and great-grandparents, one factor remains the same: Canadas soldiers are ready and willing to face danger on our behalf. But the men and women in uniform arent the only ones who make sacrifices. While our brave soldiers cross oceans to fight for a better and safer world, moth- ers, fathers, husbands, wives and children are left to make their own sacrifices as they support one another on the home front. On this years Remembrance Day, Canadians will also honour an important historical milestone. On Feb. 18, 2010, John Jack Babcock passed away. Mr. Babcock was Canadas last known veteran of the First World War, and his passing marks the end of an era in Canadas military history. We remember and honour all members of our military who have made sacri- fices, both past and present, to preserve Canadian values and help create a better and safer world for Canadians and people across the globe. I will be paying my respects at the Haltonville Memorial as well at cenotaphs in Halton. I hope to see many of you there. On behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and our Conservative govern- ment, I want to say thank you to all those who have served, and continue to serve, our great country. Lest we forget. Lisa Raitt is the Conservative MP representing the federal riding of Halton. Lisa Raitt, Halton MP Lisa Raitt T ank you The Oakville Beaver is a division of According to The New York Times, our so-called culture ofclean that has prevailed since at least the 1940s may beslowly going down the drain. The august publication recently noted there is a contingent of renegades out there at the forefront of a trend toward foregoing daily bathing and other gold standards of personal hygiene, like frequent shampooing and deodorant use. Now, before you get all up in arms (with your deodorant stick), and before you utter the inevitable yuck, gross consider that, according to author Katherine Ashenburg (The Dirt On Clean: An Unsanitized History): We have never needed to wash less, and we have never done it more. Ashenburg, whose friends just call her Stinky (okay, I made that up), says our pervasive need to power-wash should have gone out the bathroom window with the advent of labour-saving (and sweat-reducing) devices like the automobile, and when we quit doing manual labor in favour of sitting at a desk all day, sweating only if the air conditioner is down, or the heat is up too high. Instead, egged on by advertising that makes us loathe our- selves and our natural scents, many people seem more intent then ever not on simply showering, but on scouring. Face it, per- sonal hygiene and body odour are big business, and no one likes to think they smell like compost. Still, there are irrefutable, obvious benefits to not showering each day. These include, personal benefits: our skin is brimming with beneficial bacteria that kill off bad bacteria; shower too frequent- ly and youre just letting the bad bacteria win, and setting yourself up for untold ailments. Also, shower too often and your skin becomes so dry and irritated, it practically falls off, especially in winter. Furthermore, if everyone showered less it would be a big boon for the environment. Less suds down the drain, less water wasted. For every teenage girl who stands under the shower like our teenage girl stands under the shower seemingly for hours at a time something nearing the equivalent of one of the Great Lakes must surely be drained. Granted, this great drain is proba- bly offset by teenage boys who tend to go through phases where theyre altogether, inexplicably, averse to showering, or hygiene of any description save for the laying on of another layer of deodor- ant, or one of those body sprays that ensures theyll have untold success with the ladies. Personally, Im an avowed shower freak. My day cannot offi- cially begin until Ive stood under a hot shower, letting the pulsat- ing water pound the vestiges of sleep out of me and beat my skin a pleasing pink. I need this start-up like some people need their morning cof- fee; without it, Im non-functioning, a veritable vegetable. And, of course, on days when I work out, I find myself back under the nozzle, washing away the sweat from a run or cycle. All of which is to say, despite the obvious benefits, Id be hard- pressed to go with the trend toward less-heightened hygiene. Good bacteria and the environment be darned. Oh, and on a less-selfish note: if I were to stop showering, the world would be a lesser place without my sweet, shower-time vocal stylings. Seriously, when Im in the shower, I actually get requests. Just the other day, my wife asked if I could sing Far Away. Andy Juniper can be visited at www.strangledeggs.com, con- tacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, or followed at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. Trend toward less-heightened hygiene crimps his stylings Andy Juniper