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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, June 8, 2012 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 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 IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: C Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member A THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association S Suburban Newspapers of America o Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver 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 KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Well-deserved In a fast-paced, big city landscape it can be easy to overlook the sometimes extraordinary efforts of ordinary people. Occasionally, society pauses for a moment to recognize those residents who truly make our community a better place in which to live. The Town of Oakville will soon be recognizing local citizens deserving of recognition through the annual Community Spirit Awards. Recently, the Halton Regional Police Service honoured officers, civilians and members of the media whose efforts help make our community a safer place. Last Friday, 15 Oakville citizens received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Another 15 citizens will be similarly honoured in the fall. Inspired by the Queen's service to the Commonwealth nations, the medals were created to mark the 60th anniversary celebration of Queen Elizabeth's coronation. However, as Oakville MP Terence Young phrased it, as he hosted the medal ceremony, "At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions in the community by individuals who have dedicated themselves to service for the fellow citizens, their community and their country." Young himself said those honoured were unsung heroes, those who work diligently within our community and we hardly, if ever, hear about them or what they do. Yet our community is significantly enriched by their efforts. A total of 30 Oakville residents will be among 60,000 Canadians to receive the commemorative medal this year. Impressive; however, even more impressive is the number of nominations that were considered for just the spring presentation, and just in Oakville. More than 100. And that is just those who were nominated. We know there are many, many, many Oakville residents who contribute to their home community and beyond, who were not nominated and go unrecognized for their efforts -- officially. Residents in Oakville and indeed Canada should be proud of their neighbours, from those whose heroic deeds demonstrate bravery and help save lives, to those whose volunteer efforts help make a neighbour's life more comfortable or those who help ease the burden for someone in their time of need. Failing a medal or a plaque or a photo in a newspaper, perhaps it is the least we can do to say a simple thank you to someone like this whom we know. After all, a community's true strength can be measured by how well (or poorly) it treats its most vulnerable citizens and these folks are the front line here at home. 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. Letter to the editor A fan f shows his respect Re: McDermott performs for fan who lost cancer battle, The Oakville Beaver, Friday, June 1, 2012 I was not at all surprised that internationally-renowned Canadian tenor John McDermott showed up to sing Amazing Grace at a memorial service in Oakville last week for Glen Wideman. A McDermott fan for years, I finally met the man just before his performance at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts this past January. I was interviewing John for a magazine article and the focal point of the story was his wonderful effort to raise i $3 $3.8 8 million illi t to enhance h and d expand the palliative care unit for veterans and First Responders, such as police officers and firefighters at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital through his charitable foundation, McDermott House Canada (www. mcdermotthousecanada.org). John has worked tirelessly on behalf of veterans in Canada and the U.S. for many years. While some entertainers might take up charitable causes as a way to garner publicity, there is no doubt in my mind that John is sincere in his deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by our veterans and his determination to help those who have served their country and now need our help. In fact, I had to pause in my questioning of John on more than one occasion while he wiped a tear from his eye and composed himself after getting very emotional about the plight of our veterans. If the people of Oakville want to show John their appreciation for coming to our community to help ease the pain of a grieving family, I urge them to do so by donating to McDermott House Canada, as my wife and I have done. I can't think of a better way to join John in thanking our veterans for a job well done. Tom Douglas, Oakville Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver r 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 r reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Letter was misleading: reader Re: Not the h time f for sleepwalking, l lk The h Oakville Beaver, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. I was also born outside Canada, and I am also an immigrant and I found your letter and your comments about democracy completely misleading. Whether or not you are pro- or anti-Bill C-38, what is going on in the government right now is the perfect definition of democracy. This is a country that holds elections quicker than some people change seasonal wardrobes, and they are held at a giant expense to this country. A year ago a "democratic" election was held, and the public "democratically" voted for its leader. In fact, the public was loud and clear about what they wanted, and I can only hope that means we don't have another election so soon yet again. Now, the government that was democratically elected, is following the required process to make some amendments to laws that affect the entire country so that they reflect the current needs of this country. See Democracy page 9 BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud