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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 17, 2013 | 6 Editorial Sexual violence is a crime It goes without saying there are far too many cases of sexual assault in Canada -- especially when studies show only about 10 per cent of them are reported to police. May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and it's a reminder of some of the disturbing statistics surrounding sexual violence in our region, province and country. · In Canada, 427,000 women over the age of 15 reported they had been sexually assaulted in one year alone · In 2012, 195 sexual assaults were reported to Halton police (Halton Regional Police Service, 2013) · Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16 (Violence Against Women Survey, Statistics Canada, 1993) · In Ontario, 27 per cent of girls from Grades 9-11 have been pressured into doing something sexual that they did not want to do (D. Wolfe and D. Chiodo, Sexual Harassment and Related Behaviour Reported Among Youth from Grade 9 to 11, 2008, Toronto Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2008) Numbers like these deserve our attention. There are ways we can help curb these appalling numbers, such as: · Challenging stereotypes of sexual assault, including victim-blaming · Developing a clear understanding about consent. Only `yes' means `yes' · Never engaging in sexual behaviour with someone who's under the in uence of alcohol or drugs/medication · Questioning the actions of others if you see harassing or inappropriate behaviour and, if possible, intervene if you think someone is in trouble. People must understand and spread the word that sexual violence can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, or socio-economic status. It is never the survivor's fault. It is a crime. We must put all the blame for a sexual assault on the perpetrator and not take aim at the victims of these crimes. By doing so, it only serves to make victims hesitate to come forward and nd the justice they are guaranteed under Canadian law. Halton has a number of support resources available, including: · SAVIS (Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Services), 905-825-3622 · Access Counselling and Family Services, 905-637-5256 · Halton Family Services, 905-845-3811 · Halton Women's Place, 905-332-7892 or 905878-8555 A concerted effort by all of us is needed to help bring justice for victims of sexual violence. "Connected to your Community" 467 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Fax: (905) 337-5566 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 59 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Sunset Cinema replaces OTMH Classic As the past co-chair of the OTMH (Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital) Classic committee, I am grateful for the hundreds of people who have supported this hospital fundraiser over the years. With community attendance at this event steadily declining in recent years, we took that as an indication that after 16 years, OTMH Classic was no longer a signi cant community draw and we should look to provide something fresh for our sponsors and participants. And that is just what we did. Although we have retired the OTMH Classic Run/Walk, in its place we are excited to launch a new free family event to take place on June 14 called OTMH Sunset Cinema, presented by title sponsor (and former OTMH Classic title sponsor) Oak-Land Ford. Letters to the Editor MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager The event will be on the grounds of the Sixteen Mile Creek Sports Complex and will feature a barbecue, entertainment for children and as the sun sets, an outdoor movie, chosen by the community. Stay tuned on Twitter, Facebook and in the Oakville Beaver for more details. I hope to see this great community of ours show their support for our hospital by joining us on June 14. Thanks to generous sponsorship from many local businesses, we have a fantastic event planned so grab a blanket, get your lawn chair and bring the family to OTMH Sunset Cinema. Lynn Pike, committee chair OTMH Sunset Cinema www.oakvillehospitalfoundation.com Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Understanding the need for public transit Following the Oakville Beaver's recent series on poverty, the Halton Poverty Roundtable (HPR) commends Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray on his decision to extend GO train services to Oakville and Burlington to every 30 minutes. This creates greater exibility and access for those dependent on public transit; and increases its attractiveness to all: reducing congestion and stress, improving our envisee Get on p.13 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. 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; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter.