The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A 6 - The Oakville Beaver, W ed ne sd ay, F e b ru a ry 27, 2002 TH EO A K V IL L ER E IV E R Recognized for Excellence by Ontario CommunHy Newspapers Association ED ITO R IA LS M D LE TTE R S Office Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief MARK DILLS Production Manager KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOUU Photogmphy Director STEVE CR0Z1ER Circulation Director ROD JERRED Managing Editor THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL M EDIA SPONSOR FOR: IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher TERI CASAS U * a w d F W f l fM W W ig 6 D oktutng LB n U M N w # A A w t v . A M n HarM C oifM r. Arthur Enawpnw New*. Bam* k\ntxr BaryS Bty The Wetfc Botov Efterprw BnrrcKm Guvdtan, Burtngton f\» t. Ccnrwaon U r or Ef*> AOAcateCarfry Route EiottcoM Guardto. Flvnborough Poet Georgetown i W w*. Lnfcay Tba W M . MarWiam Eajncnvil & Sur M A n ^ t r a i a r g j c r i n M m r M«on Canadian Champion. Mutcn Stopping N tw i, M eusuugn Buarw a F r r w fc k M n v . OaM to Beaver Oafcrito Srvoppng ochwy News. OnOu Today, Oarui»»'Wv«yOarlnglDn Port Pwry Tho M n K Ovwn Soma Trfcune. Paknorcttv Otaaervnr PMrborough Tbo Week ftdon County Guide, Rictvnond vWTbomhfl/Vaugrian U t w * . Scartoroucfv Mrror. SkXjfMtoU&ndgB T itu w . Fowor >bung Ofy of YbrK Guardon ^ lo cp n gN m .C tyPurt C cA n ^ m x ^ M aso i 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax; 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Grculation: 845-9742 ym ca Q t& r O ^C N A t 4 Canadian Community N tw sp ipm Association m Jin & e BeM Fund m ss N0 8 C M Subwtan Nempapm < X A n w f k a O/iki'ilU gdttim St FO A BUSINESS BCEUfNCf iiuSmnM«SS fau/ |oakvlllegalleries| 9 1 ^ Thanks for the memories Raise your hand if you arrived at the victory represented a rare opportunity office M onday morning feeling a tad for us to outshine our wealthier, more giddier than you normally would at the powerful and often more brash cousins start o f a brand new work week. to the south. Thought so. It's not often w e can look our And if you eavesdropped on the con American neighbours in the face with versations people w ere having ju st the know ledge that, 'We're better than about everyw here you went on Monday, you in...' one topic dom inated - the Thanks to our men's and Canadian O lym pic men's w om en's hockey teams, Somehow, they hockey team s' gold medal long-track speed skater victory over Team USA in made the impossible Catriona LeMay Doan, fig Salt Lake City. possible, and in the ure skaters Jamie Sale and Hockey fan or not. it David Pelletier and shortprocess gave all was hard not to have read, track speed skater Marc viewed or listened to this Gagnon, we got to bask in Canadians a m arvellous achievem ent, the glow o f gold six times at memory more finally realized after a 50these Olympics -- the final year gold medal drought. precious than gold. victory sending droves of Even though our team celebrating Canucks into -- and that o f the U.S. -- w ere m ade up the streets o f every major city across our o f m illionaire National Hockey League great country -- including Oakville. stars, w hat was at stake during And the outstanding efforts o f our Sunday afternoon's gam e seem ed to three silver and eight bronze medallists, m omentarily suspend the concepts of made Salt Lake City Canada's greatest collective bargaining agreem ents, free w inter gam es ever. agency or perform ance incentives. W hen o u r m en's hockey team 's' Suddenly, for 60 minutes, and on a O lym pics got o ff to a nightmarish start m uch larger ice surface than North against Sweden, many felt they didn't A m erican players are accustom ed to have a snow ball's chance in Hades o f playing, these team s battled for som e striking gold.Somehow, they made the thing most fans would like to believe impossible possible, and in the process can't be bought -- national pride. gave all Canadians a memory more pre For Canadians everyw here Sunday's cious than gold. LETTERS TO THE EDITO R Protecting the environment is a matter of principle Kudos to Oakvillegreen for opposing devel opment of the north of Dundas lands. As a group committed to protecting the environment, this represents a principled stance -- the only stance, under the circumstances. While Oakville justifiably touts itself as a desirable place to live and work, make no mis take, the serious problems arising from urban sprawl plague us just as significantly as in other 905 communities. We suffer from the same depleted air, water and soil due to environmental degradation; from the same severe gridlock due to an overwhelm ing dependency on the automobile; and from the same lack of vision due to an impoverishment of the imagination. Before inviting thousands of newcomers, does it not make sense to address the problems currently threatening not only the quality of our lives, but also the very stability of our communi ty? That the Region of Halton would endorse development of lands north of Dundas, given the resulting environmental impact, reveals breath taking shortsightedness, That the Town of Oakville sings a similar mantra, in the face of stiff opposition from local residents, suggests members of council have lost sight of the fact they serve the people and not the other way around. Was veteran Councillor Keith Bird speaking for council when he commented: "It's not what the residents want, it's what we have to do before the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB)"? Who controls our destiny? Is it the develop ers, as many believe? Is it the OMB. as Councillor Bird would have us to believe? Is it the region or the town, as certain elected offi cials, who have strayed from the path, would have us believe? Or is it the people of Oakville, as I believe? It comes down to principles. Then again, it always does. Until Oakville puts its own house in order along with other GTA municipalities; until critical environmental issues have been addressed: until an effective funding formula for sustaining our cities has been obtained from Queen's Park and Ottawa, development of the lands north of Dundas is unconscionable. If fighting for the principle of a healthy, sus tainable community implies going before the OMB. and ultimately the courts, so be it. It's a fight worth pursuing. PETER PELUER Spot check breeds distrust The other day I, an 18 year old male, was stopped by the police while driving through downtown Oakville. The reason given to me was that there had been a num ber of break-ins recently, and they were looking for some one in a dark van. True, I was driving in a dark green van. However, it wasn't at 3 a.m. or any other suspicious time of night, but rather I was on the way home at about 7:30 p.m.to drive my parents to a restaurant. This `random spot check,' as the officer said, was not to be taken personally. `Random spot check?' I questioned. He had switched directions to follow me all the way downtown and then pulled me over. This doesn't strike me as random. But I did fit the description! A male teenager driving his par ents' minivan -- a rare site indeed in Oakville. If I fit the description, then we should see police pulling over about 25 per cent of the drivers! But, alas, I was not the person they were looking for. No police record, no outstanding tickets, just an unfortunate soul who happened to fall victim to a `random spot check.' Mothers and fathers, it is your children who are being pulled over nightly by our over-zealous police force, hell bent on catching the perpetrators of these break-and-enters. They are now harassing any teenager who looks suspicious which. I would hazard a guess, constitutes the large major ity of teenagers in Oakville. These spot checks are yet another symptom of the dis ease of ageism. Young people are increasingly being por trayed in a negative light, thereby justifying (I believe) the increased police harassment to the greater public. I wasn't doing anything wrong; I was just driving along, obeying the speed limit, obeying the traffic lights and the traffic signs and the general law of the road. I was not abused by the offi cer. In fact, he was quite courteous. However, it did further my distrust of police officers and harassment of my friends has done the same to them. If any one wonders why teenagers don't like cops, the answer can be found in the harassment and intimidation that young peo ple face whenever we are brought into contact with them. Granted, the problem is not nearly as bad for middle-class Oakvillians as it is for kids in poverty-stricken areas. But, to quote Martin Luther King, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' MATT MUNDY Bronte Village atmosphere threatened by development The early town planners for Bronte, in their wisdom, designed the streets of Bronte to run east/west, catching the morning and evening sun, and running north/south to view the lake and views to the north. These planners really showed great wisdom in creating such wonderful views of Lake Ontario from East Street, Nelson Street, Jones Street and Trafalgar Street (now Bronte Road). They certainly got it right in giving us the opportunity to enjoy the lake and our environ ment. Today's town planners have clear goals in spoiling that layout and blocking Lake Ontario from view. The only remaining street with a view of the lake is Jones Street. Go and have a look. You probably haven't much time left to enjoy that view created around 1850. Are we to lose Lake Ontario? To reverse this trend, we now have an oppor tunity to create in Bronte a marvelous outdoor, 1850s period, village port setting. Tourism and even TV/movie-making could benefit, but more important is the future enjoyment by residents. The area bounded by Nelson Street, Ontario Street, Bronte Road and Marine Drive is already 30 per cent there and should be designated a pro tected area and subject to special building permits. However, a stumbling block in retaining beautiful Bronte is the construction sites that are ongoing. Why is it four of the six sites have amend ment applications to their building permits? And, of course, the purpose is to increase popu lation density and building size. The Outer Harbour Development is one of them, and is region controlled, and seemingly exempt from the amendment process or public review. Beware north Oakville! What is planned and "approved" by the public has a 66 per cent chance o f being changed or amended, and with the purpose of increasing density and reducing "views". "Not so," our local politicians will say. but look at the Richview Golf Club lands where already an amendment is in process without a "sod being overturned". COUN DAVEY Hockey victory proves Canadians are superior To all the people in this great nation. On Sunday, Canada proved beyond a shad ow of a doubt that it's a better country than the United States. Each and every individual in this country, from the newly-born babe to the elder ly great-grandmother on her deathbed, is better than any American ever bom. How do we know this? Mathematics. We are a country of approxi mately 30 million people. The United States has roughly ten times the population of our land and yet we, as a nation, put together two ice hockey teams that were better than the best the Americans could send. Simple, eh? This is not an insult to our American friends. How can we expect any country to live up to the standards we Canadians have set? As a proud Canadian I would urge our coun try to smile down gently at our American cousins, much as one would look with kindness and tolerance on a relative who lost a little too much oxygen at birth. Even while they drool on your best shirt. It doesn't really matter that they have been our friends and allies through two world wars and numerous "police actions". It matters not that they protected us. pretty well free of charge, from the threat of nuclear holocaust during the Cold War. We should remember that they were kind enough not to make fun of our military when they showed up in Afghanistan with green uniforms. We beat them at ice hockey. And that's all that matters. MALCOLM REID Mike Harris' last hurrah The Oakville Beaver's editorial, A Hollow Boast, is flaw less in its candid analysis of the long-term effects of the Harris revolution on public education. The editor's assertion that many parents and administrators will recognize a lie when they hear Mike Harris state that he has rescued Ontario's education system has already been proven by a dismal two per cent response to the recent Parent Survey which was sent to every household in the province. It was undoubtedly the Tories' vain hope that parents from across the province would stand up and cheer their education revolu tion. Instead, the silence was overwhelming and damning. Premier Harris' speech to the Empire Club was more than a hollow boast. It was a last hurrah from the premier that rel ishes his war against all the so called special interest groups (teachers, administrators, students and parents) that our province could muster. Begging for his successor to stay the course demonstrates that Mr. Harris is fully aware that his efforts to reduce costs and promote private education will soon be reversed or dismantled. As Premier Harris rides off into the sunset he has to endure the sounds of Tory leadership hopefuls uttering promises to examine a flawed education funding formula. And over in the Liberal camp Mr. McGuinty is preparing to reinvest heavily in our schools, scrap the government's teacher recertification program and cancel the private school tax credits. TOM KOPERWAS Pud By STEVE NEASE