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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, February 10, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 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 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor 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 In recognition Every February, Canadians are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that recognize the contributions of black Canadians, past and present. On Tuesday, Feb.14, at 12:15 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m., the Halton Museum Foundation will present The Spirit of Harriet Tubman at the Milton Centre for the Arts. This one-woman show follows Harriet Tubman's life from her early years of slavery and then Underground Railroad conductor, to being a social justice advocate. "Many may not realize the ties Halton Region has to the Underground Railroad," said Regional Chair Gary Carr. "As Oakville once served as an end point for African Americans who fled to Canada, this story is part of our history." Harriet Tubman is just one of many black Canadians who helped shape this nation. They include: · The first named black person to set foot on Canadian soil, Mathieu Da Costa, a free man hired as a translator for Samuel de Champlain in 1605; · Mary Ann Shadd, the first woman publisher in North America, established the Provincial Freeman, an abolitionist newspaper; · Anderson Ruffin Abbott became the first Canadianborn man of black heritage to be a licenced physician in 1861; · Lincoln Alexander was born of West Indian immigrant parents and sworn in as Ontario's Lt-Gov. in September 1985, the first black person to hold the viceregal position in Canada. He was also the first black MP and cabinet minister; · Captain Robert Wilson, who lived in the Mariner's Home on Lawson Street was a Great Lakes ship's captain who helped slaves escape to Canada. Following the American Civil War, African Americans in the Oakville area celebrated Emancipation Day at George's Square and would also visit Wilson's home. Captain R. Wilson Public School is named in his honour. Through their contributions, and those made by many other black Canadians, our country and our world is a richer place in which to live. This month the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) hosted an evening at Town Hall to celebrate Black History Month. It featured a performance by award-winning blues duo and gospel singers Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley, and the travelling black history exhibit presented by the Oakville Museum, as well as a collection of African Canadian art. To learn more about Oakville's black history, visit the Oakville Museum and its exhibit called, The Underground Railroad -- Next Stop, Freedom! 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 e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Parking at hospital too costly Today my husband spent two hours and four minutes at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Almost all of that time was spent at the kidney clinic. More than five minutes was spent driving around looking for a parking place and later waiting in the lineup at the exit. So, my concern is twofold. First, had I been charged as the sign indicates -- only for parking space -- then my time charged would have been less than two hours and would have been $13 not $16.25. I would not have been charged $3.25 for five minutes. My second concern is with the parking charges in general. We have no choice. Public transport is not an option for us. Taxis would cost even more than the parking. So we are truly stuck. My husband makes regular visits to the hospital and the parking does add up. Could there be some policy that differentiated patients from visitors? Patient charges could be free or much less than visitors. Elka Enola, Oakville By Steve Nease neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud 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. There is a lot of communication from the Town of Oakville on how beneficial Smart Growth is for us. It promotes higher density housing and is to be more pedestrian-friendly by keeping us from relying on cars. At the same time, the Halton District School Board (HDSB) is again about to embark upon another school closure study in a mature part of southwest Oakville. Just like the schools closed in southeast Oakville recently, these sit on what is now desirable and, therefore, valuable land. In theory, the sale of this land can fund new, bigger schools built in new developments, which aim to encompass a larger area. This results in more kids being driven to school. It seems wrong that a new area only gets a public junior school at the expense of another area. One of the schools in question is named after the first female school inspector who also held the role of school trustee and teacher, Gladys Speers. She donated this parcel of land for the sole purpose of a children's school to be built on it, not to possibly be sold one day for profit. Her spirit lives on, as local students/parents raised money recently (along with a generous donation from Mars chocolate) to fund a new playground for the children. We have a national walk to school day, but if there is no local school to walk to, it's just a moot point. The HDSB states it will conduct a study before any changes are final, although this fact does not necessarily ease any concerns, as with many studies, community input is a mere formality as the original agenda is always fulfilled despite residents' opinions. A local elementary school not only serves as a place for youths to gain an education, it becomes a community hub where children meet and play. Areas, both old and new, need this to both benefit existing residents and to continue to attract young families for a diverse and vibrant community. Stephen Collins, Oakville Is this really `smart'? Letter to the editor