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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, January 17, 2013 · 10 Room for improvement Continued from page 6 healing centre/ice rink were made prior to Spence's election as chief. The extreme housing crisis arose as a result of a sewage system that failed causing raw sewage to back up into homes and the crisis ensued. Two years later, in 2011, the government committed $500,000 for housing renovations. If you've ever done a home reno, you'll have an idea of how not-very-far that would take you to improve housing for hundreds of people. Questions have been raised about the money Attawapiskat receives annually from DeBeers. The $5 million is shared between a number of bands such that Attawapiskat receives about $2 million per year. Under the trust agreement negotiated between the band, the government and the company, this money cannot be spent on urgently needed housing, but must be invested. The reason for this is because the mineral resources taken from the band lands will eventually be gone, but the band will continue to live on the land and require longterm stable income. It sounds more reasonable when it's looked at in that light, especially because when the deal was made the housing situation was bad, but not a crisis. Furthermore, this agreement was set up by the previous band council and when the chief sought to access the funds to build housing, she found it could not be renegotiated. I am not saying there is nothing wrong with Attawapiskat finances. Clearly, there is substantial room for improvement. And it is not right there are some people driving around in expensive trucks and living the good life when others struggle in what appear to be moldy, Third World shacks. But, when we think about it, the band seems to have the same disparity between wealthy and poor afflicting the rest of Canada and the world. It is a double standard to demand this small band be a social utopia where everybody is equally well or badly off when we just found out Canada's top paid executive earned $40 million last year. So, while I'm not giving her a gold star, it seems to me far-fetched that Ms. Spence went on a hunger strike to draw attention to herself if she were not acting in the best interests of her people. I think, for a start, she's asking for the same funding for her people as the residents of the City of Toronto receive. And I for one support her in that. Susan Berry, Oakville 40th Anniversary Avalon Waterways Cruise Contest DOWNTON ABBEY Highclere Castle is the actual setting for the popular PBS television series "Downton Abbey". The castle, designed by Sir Charles Barry, architect for the Houses of Parlaiment is open to the public for about 75 days per year and group visits for 2013 are already sold out. DHTour has three exclusive tours on offer that include admissions to Highclere Castle and Gardens and a vist to the village of Bampton in Oxfordshire, where most of the outside scenes are filmed. The three tours have very distinctive and different themes. Historic Royal Palaces 05-15APR13 includes Hampton Court and Kensington Palace, and a stay, with dinner, at Hever Castle, the childhood home of Ann Boleyn. Land only CAD2,980. English Literature and TV, 03-15SEP13 has a literary theme ranging from Doc Martin and Agatha Christie to Jane Austen and Shakespeare and includes a performance of Hamlet by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. Land only CAD3,520. Royal Residences and Castles, 20SEP-01OCT13 features visits to many of the current Royal Family's homes, including Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Sandringham, as well as the Middleton's local pub in Bucklebury. This tour includes an overnight at Thornbury Castle as well as a private visit to Highclere Castle with a tea and biscuits reception in the grand salon followed by a tour around other rooms used in the TV series. Land only McTavish Travel Visit www.mctavishtravel.com Click on the "Contest 40" tab to enter online CAD3,890. All fares are per person double (single supplements are offered) and include airport transfers, accommodations, full English breakfast daily, several dinners, all admissions per the itinerary, all taxes and service charges. We have brochures at our office. www.dhtourgroups.com We have limited space on an exclusive Caribbean Private Sale on SeaDream I, 31MAR13 ­ 07APR13, San Juan to Marigot, St. Martin. Rates are: Deck 2 USD2,399, Deck 3 USD2,699, Deck 4 USD2,999 per person double plus Government, port charges and fees of USD392. The 95 crew members of SeaDream I and II provide 5-Star service to just 112 pampered guests and include oceanview accommodations, gourmet meals, gratuities, wine with lunch and dinner, a watersports marina and a Champagne and Caviar Splash SEADREAM EXCLUSIVE Suite 300, Hopedale Mall · 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville 905.827.1100 travel@mctavish.com www.mctavishtravel.com Ont Reg No 1437985