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Georgetown resident named to Canada's national junior baseball squad PAGE 22 ADAM ANDERSON Look inside today's special section for gardening tips VICTORIA DAY INSIDE www.theIFP.ca Thursday, May 19, 2011 Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper serving Acton & Georgetown 64 Pages 50 Cents (+GST) Councillors unhappy with ministry's highway sales pitch By CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer Ministry of Transportation (MTO) officials endured "a hostile environment" at a recent Halton Hills council meeting when they presented their plan to build a new transportation network-- one that includes new four-lane provincial highways through a large swath of southern Halton Hills. But Halton Hills council members were unconvinced by the "sales pitch" and demanded more time to submit a report objecting to MTO's plans. "Given the negative comments heard tonight, it would be prudent for the Ministry to wait for the Town comments," said Jin Wang, MTO project coordinator for the GTA West Corridor Study, promising to talk to his superiors, but would not commit to an extension on the early June deadline for public comments. Wang is in charge of the project looking at a future transportation strategy (including rail and transit) in an area stretching from York Region to Guelph to accommodate the future population growth of three million people. On March 7, MTO released its preferred options after the first stage Environment Assessment (EA). Those options include two four-lane highways through rural Halton Hills to be carried forward to a second EA stage-- a north-south link that terminates at Hwy. 401 and Hwy. 407, and an east-west link that ends at Hwy. 401 west of Milton at Tremaine Rd. The exact alignment of the 175 metre wide (12-lane) corridor will be determined through the next stage of the EA process but MTO has tentatively mapped out a preliminary route through rural Halton Hills between 5 and 10 Sideroads, stretching from its west border to its east. Another segment for the north-south link stretches from Steeles Ave. to 10 Sideroad (from Eighth Line to the eastern border). See HIGHWAY, pg. 3 Norm McGowan delivered his final letters for Canada Post last Friday after more than 41 years on the job, including the past three decades in Glen Williams. A reception in his honour will be held Friday evening. Photo by Eamonn Maher The last post for Glen's Norm By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Making the rounds on his last day on the job after 41 years of delivering the mail in Glen Williams, Norm McGowan admits he shed a tear or two while exchanging greetings with his "second family." The 62-year-old has officially retired from Canada Post and local residents will gather this Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the Glen Williams Town Hall to pay tribute to the man who has been a fixture on the streets each weekday for over three decades. He began hauling a bag on Dec. 1, 1969 in See 'NORM', pg. 5 7e HANDLE ALL INSURANCE work. Georgetown Volkswagen 203 Guelph Street 9 0 5 . 8 7 7. 5 2 8 5 georgetownvw.com Thinking of buying or selling? sTruck Accessories s5PHOLSTEry s(Eavy %QUIPMENT 'LASS s7INDow 4INTING 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown (905) 873-1655 0% APR up to 36 months* on our most popular models Dir: 416-991-4247 EFFIEatDIMOU 905-456-1000 at Sales Representative www.georgetownrealty.ca edimou@georgetownrealty.ca at Call Effie Dimou for all your real atneeds. at 905-456-1000 905-456-10 905-456-1 at estate 905-456-1000 Realty Services Inc. Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated *see Georgetown Volkswagen or georgetownvw.com for details. SO LD