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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, March 28, 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 Looking ahead When Queen Elizabeth Park Secondary School opened in the 1970s, it was poised to meet the future. With open-concept classrooms, a pool and several gymnasiums, a stage and theatre room, it was ready. The school faced -- and met -- challenges over the years, such as having those open-concept classrooms closed in. When it was impossible to keep its doors open because of changing demographics, the building soldiered on. With local champions in the form of residents and politicians, its potential was recognized by the community and local arts groups. After much planning and a $27-million renovation, QEP is once again poised to meet the future. It officially opened Saturday amidst as the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC). It is more than prepared to serve the recreational needs of local residents and be a home to many non-profit arts and cultural groups. It's meant to be a cultural hub and a home for the arts groups. The facility will cater to everyone from youths to seniors with centres for each also making their home within its walls. Located at 2302 Bridge Rd., QEPCCC has more than 144,000 square feet of activity space, making it one of the largest venues in Canada to house such a diverse collection of artistic, cultural and active-living opportunities. Mayor Rob Burton said the opening was "a great milestone" for the community. QEPCCC offers inspiring programs for all ages and abilities including classes, workshops, camps and drop-in activities. The facility boasts an aquatics centre, two gymnasia, a youth centre, an older adult centre, dance studios, a recording studio, fine arts studios, rehearsal hall, black box theatre, gallery, museum space, and more. See you there. 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. QEPCCC: A vision is realized in Oakville Letter to the editor 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. CCAC manages drug shortage The drug supply shortage is an unfortunate and unwelcome challenge for all healthcare providers. However, at this time, despite the unpredictable nature of the situation, all Mississauga Halton Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) clients are getting the medications they need. We currently manage care for 500 palliative and end-of-life clients in their homes who have, or may require, prescriptions for the medications in short supply. We are in regular contact with our pharmacy and nursing partners to monitor local availability of medications and impact on care. The prescribing physicians and pharmacists are working with the LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) and Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to ensure we have what we need to support our clients. Our clients' safety is our top priority. With the drug shortage expected to last for 18 months or longer, we are pro-actively managing the situation in our region to continue to provide the best possible care for our clients. We want to give our clients and their families accurate information. We invite them to contact their case manager or call our Contact Centre at 905-855-9090. Caroline Brereton, chief executive officer Mississauga Halton Community Care Access Centre Judi and I had the privilege of attending a special reception to celebrate the opening of the QEP Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC) last weekend. It is a remarkable transition and all involved should be commended on its outcome. It fulfils a vision that began with a grassroots organization in 2004 called MASS (Music and Art Shared Space), which later transformed into Community Art Space and more recently merged with the Oakville Arts Council (OAC). I, and I am sure many others in our community, wish to thank people like Susan Obermeyer, Jean Grieve, Kevin September, Tony Last, Jane Coryell, Carol Crotty, Bill Smith and Britta Martini-Miles for "standing" on the doorsteps of our Town for many years -- they saw the need for a facility that would bring individual artists and small and large groups together in an accessible multi-purpose facility to allow them to flourish. As was stated by the OAC, we are fortunate to have a very large arts community. It will continue to be vibrant because of the countless hours of volunteer time that so many contribute to ensure that dreams like the QEP transformation are realized -- we acknowledge the Town and the Province, not only for their financial commitment, but for recognizing the significance of arts and culture in our society. Don Pangman, founder, ArtHouse