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547 Trafalgar Rd. 905-845-7579 2212 Wyecroft Rd. 905-847-2595 www.carstaroakville.com HALTON TRANSMISSION 559 SPEERS ROAD, UNIT #3 (905) 842-0725 www.brantfl orist.com/ob 905.639.7001 www.dentistoakville.com 905-842-6030 A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 48 No. 149 USING COMMUNICATION TO BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010 Beaver Trails Travel 24 Pages $1.00 (plus tax) SNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010 ONTARIOS TOP NEWSPAPER - 2005-2008 By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A gay Oakville Catholic school trustee says his lifestyle is not an issue. A Catholic news agency LifeSiteNews.com pub- lished a story earlier this week stating concerns that Oakville trustee Paul Marai, 21, a gay activist, could put the Halton Catholic District School Boards equity policy in jeop- ardy. I cant believe were hav- ing this discussion in the 21st century, said Paul Marai when contacted by The Oakville Beaver. I wonder if these people have been living under a rock for the past 20 years. I think a lot of people, a majority of peo- ple, in Oakville would say the same thing. Marai, who was elected to the school board in October, is a co-chair on the Out on Bay Street organ- ization. The gay activist group seeks to help gay busi- ness and law graduates and students land jobs in Torontos business sector on Bay Street. He himself is currently employed at a Bay Street company after graduating from the University of Toronto this spring. He said hes a practicing Catholic and is gay. CatholicCanada.com also picked up the LifeSiteNews.com story. Marai said the Equity and Inclusive Education pol- icy has already been decided passed by the previous board on Nov. 2 and is no longer an issue. Gay lifestyle not an issue for Catholic school trustee EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Four-month-old Crista Wood checks out the teddy bear that Firefighter Jason Barrett brought for her first Christmas during the annual visit by Oakville firefighters and Santa on Tuesday to distribute gifts to patients at the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Board page 4 Firefighters and Santa deliver By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Town council voted Monday to amend its Health Protection Air Quality Bylaw and give affected businesses more time to pre- pare for its impact. The bylaw, which was passed Feb. 1, 2010, aims to make Oakville an easier place to breath by requiring all facilities that emit fine particulate matter, or other pollutants, which produce fine particulate matter, to make a one-time report of emission levels to the Town. Further reporting is only required if there are changes in those emission levels. Facilities classified as major emitters of air pollutants, based on standards determined by the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), will need to go through a $25,000 town approval process during which council will decide whether to Paul Marai Businesses get more time to deal with air quality bylaw See Deadline page 3