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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, August 1, 2014 | 6 Frequently in this space, the Oakville Beaver offers public safety reminders to residents who are busy planning their leisure time. These public service messages often relate to health risks associated with such behaviour as drinking and driving, speeding and distracted driving. After some recent close calls involving local children, our attention has shifted to the number of senseless and preventable deaths due to drowning. The very real danger of leaving pets, young children or the elderly in parked cars on hot summer days has also been an ongoing message we've tried to disseminate to help prevent tragedies. With another summer long weekend approaching, we've devoted this editorial to another hazard that puts a staggering number of lives in jeopardy -- a peril many of us might not necessarily equate with the pursuit of summertime fun. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, melanoma skin cancer is the fastest-rising of all cancers in our country and we need to be doing far more to protect ourselves from damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes about 90 per cent of melanoma cases. An estimated 6,500 new cases of malignant melanoma and another 76,100 cases of non-melanoma skin cancers are expected to be diagnosed in 2014. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, with 1,050 Canadians expected to die from it this year. But they don't have to. "Skin cancer is a largely preventable disease if Canadians use proper sun protection and do not use indoor tanning," according to Dr. Prithwish De, an epidemiologist with the Canadian Cancer Society. While the rate of new cases and death rate for many types of cancer are going down in Canada, for melanoma the story is less positive. One in 59 Canadian men will develop melanoma in his lifetime, and 1 in 240 will die from it. One in 73 Canadian women will develop melanoma in her lifetime, and one in 395 will die from it. We raise this health alarm in memory of our colleague Rod Jerred -- former editor of this newspaper -- who lost his ght with melanoma in March 2013. Recent surveys nd while Canadian adults are spending more time in the sun during their summer leisure time, fewer report wearing protective clothing or hats or paying attention to daily UV index forecasts. The Canadian Cancer Society offers these simple ways of avoiding the UV exposure that can lead to melanoma: · Plan your outdoor activities before 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m., when the sun is not at its strongest, or any time of the day when the UV Index is 3 or less · Seek shade · Wear protective clothing, broad-brimmed hats and sunglasses · Use sunscreen properly -- apply to all parts of the body that are not covered by clothing · Don't use indoor tanning If you would like more information about Canadian cancer statistics, visit cancer.ca. Who's protecting you? B E C O M I N G Editorial B F F s A T "Connected to your Community" B E S T P A C K 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 52 | Number 92 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS The Oakville Chamber of Commerce hosted an After Hours event at Best Pack in July. The event is an opportunity for local business professionals to network. Best Pack works in partnership with Community Living Oakville (CLO) and employs people with developmental disabilities so they can lead active, rewarding and ful lling lives. Pictured, from left, are Janet Lorimer, CLO executive director; Tina Christie, CLO fundraising co-ordinator; Best Pack employee Hans Shonrock; Irene Cvetkovski-Dukic, day service director, Best Pack/CLO; Rosana Bilbija, Best Pack oor manager; Ivan Bogdanovski, Best Pack business manager; and chamber President John Sawyer. | photo by Franki Ikeman ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Letter to the Editor MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution Caution urged on discarding due to age Re: Bur oak tree may not stand much longer, Oakville Beaver, Friday, July 25, 2014 I read with interest that an Oakville family wants a 100-year-old oak tree cut down in their backyard. Fair enough. If two professional arbourists agree it poses a danger, then by all means, put the chainsaw to it. However, given its age, there is likely still some life in it, if only for a need of a bit of `trim-up.' But, just because the tree is old does not mean it has to go. Too many folks are in a hurry to get rid of something aged. Whether it's trees, houses, stores, or whatever. Or, grandmas/grandpas are old, do we have to go, too? And, Oakville loses another piece of its history in a rush to judgment. If the family is so dead-set against historical trees, then one could suggest the deletion of photos of children and family from the family camera and computer les. The same principle applies. Gord Young, Peterborough, Ont. CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager 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: A 100-year-old bur oak tree is the last remaining tree from the former Grand Oak woodlot in north Oakville, but its days may be numbered as it apparently is struggling. | Oakville Beaver le photo 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, 5040 Mainway, Burlington ON L7L 7G5 or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. 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.