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H tM K M T H U M . .0 O AXVIlli, 90M ,M 444 S k in le s s ,B o n e le s s C h ic k e nB re a st S I 1.00 k NOR A Metroland Publication Vol. 40 No. 75 R I C A 'S M O S T "U SIN G C O M M U N IC A TIO N TO B U ILD BETTER C O M M U N ITIE S " OAKVILLE BEAVER On stage at the Oakville Waterfront Festival A rtsc en e Armfuls of Suburban Newspaper Awards S tory page 5 y Mercedes-Benz Q.E.W. & Dorval Dr. vwwv.oakvteDeaver com AWARDED COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2003 56 Pages $1.00 (plus C ST) Pub and bar group says smoking ban hurting business By Adam Bogle S PE C IA L T O T H E BEAVER An Ottawa-based lobby group, the Pub and Bar Coalition o f Canada (PUBCO), says beer sales in smoke-free communities like O akville have dropped drastically in the past year. Using data supplied by the Brewers o f Ontario, PUBCO compared beer sales from September 1, 2000 to May 1 2001 and sales from September 1, 2002 to May 1. 2003. The study found that Oakville's sales dropped the most out the other communities analyzed. Oakville's sales dropped 16 per cent, while other sm oke-free areas like Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo saw their sales drop 11 and 12 per cent respectively. "These are attributable, in our opin ion, to the smoking bans. It's the only thing they (smoke-free communities) have in common," says Barry McKay, PUBCO's general manager. In contrast, the study showed neigh bouring Mississauga, which did not have a smoking ban in restaurants and taverns, experienced only a five per cent sales drop. PUBCO was formed to unite busi ness owners against 100 per cent smok ing bans saying they are, "disastrous for the pub and bar industry." It has been just over a year since Oakville Town council voted to ban all smoking in all public places. There's a wide consensus, amongst opponents of the bylaw that the reason Oakville is suffering so much is because neighbouring M ississauga and Burlington have yet to go smoke free. This allows smokers to go elsewhere. The Ontario Campaign for Action Against Tobacco, (OCAT) an anti smoking advocacy group based in Toronto disagrees. They believe PUBCO's finding are suspect. OCAT's Director Michael Perley says PUBCO's beer sales study doesn't consider many other factors that may affect the beer sales like changing demographics. "This is an extremely (See 'Anti-smoking' page A8) Harrison Smith · Special to the O akville B ea ver Firew orks lit up the sky over C oronation P ark on Friday and S aturday n ig h t Pictured here are a couple of spectators enjoying F riday night's light show. Waterfront Festival kicks off summer with a bang Button sales were brisk on Friday night as the long-awaited warm summer weather brought thousands to Coronation Park for the 12th annual Oakville Waterfront Festival. Blue skies and sunshine were the backdrop for what appeared to be the best-attended and activity-packed festival in recent years. All activities took place within Coronation Park. While attendance figures have not yet been tallied, advance but ton sales hit a high on Thursday and Friday as the weather improved. The event, including everything from big name entertainment to local acts, buskers, amusement rides, a craft market tennis lessons, a classic Ford show, beer garden and a dog show featuring a pot bellied pig literally ushered in summer with the first heatwave of the year with near record temperatures. David Usher played to a very appreciative crowd to open the festival on Friday night. On Saturday, up and coming sensation Skye Sweetnam made a surprise appearance opening for In Essence and Remy Shand to the delight of fans of all ages. Sunday's performance by Jim Cuddy had the entire crowd tap ping their feet and singing along to not only his solo pieces, but also to many Blue Rodeo favourites. Fireworks lit the night sky following the Friday and Saturday night concerts. Saturday's All Ford Extravaganza Car Show was a huge hit with more than 80 glistening classics on display. Alex and Christie McClure received the Best In Show Award for their superbly pre served 1955 Montclair convertible. George and Sonia Chisholm's 1967 Cobra won the People's Choice Award. Students Mike Rheault and Mike Cino from S t Thomas More High School in Hamilton placed first in the Ford/CAA National Auto Skills Challenge. Their instructor at St. Thomas More is Barry Taylor. Family events at the fesjival were a success, with perhaps the most popular attraction being Robertson's Amusements theme park, in Coronation Park for the first time. Buskers, also at the festival for the first time, amused large crowds at Coronation Park. Silver Elvis (Peter Jarvis), The Fire Guy (Brant Matthews) and a couple of 10-feet-tall stilt walkers from Zero Gravity Circus nearly stole the show and kept the crowds in stitches. A crazy drum bike called a `Zoosemobile' (brought in by Peter Jarvis) kept hundreds of children occupied. One lucky Festival-goer has yet to claim their prize of an allinclusive one-week vacation for two in the Bahamas, compliments of Adventure House Travel, Air Canada Vacations, and the Radisson Cable Beach Resort. If you are the holder of festival admission button number 201%, hold on to it and call the Festival office at 905-847-7975. * . Raffle winners of VIA Rail trips and destinations, are: Kara McGaw of Georgetown, Ottawa; Elsie Backus of Oakville. Ottawa; Roy McEwen of Oakville, Montreal; Leo Ostner of Waterdown, Montreal; Linda Greco of Oakville, Quebec City, and Michel Guenette of Oakville, destination Quebec City. Editorials............ .......... A6 Focus.................. ........... B1 Canada Day.......... .......... Cl ArtScene............. ........... B4 Classifieds............ ........... C5 Sports................. ........... D4 Auto.................... ........... 01 S V L C (Support Your Local Carrier) DELIVERY For home delivery St customer service call (905) 845-9742 Mon., Tues., & Thurs. 9 am. - 6 p.m.. Wed. & . Fri 9 ant - 8 pjn. or Saturday 10 am. - 4 p.m. For new subscriptions, call (905) 845-9742 or subscribe online @ wwwioakvilkbeaver.com Partial Defray: Sports Chek. Rona, Making Waves Swim School, MA.MJ Ltd., Mississauga Booster, Holland park Gallery, Little Caesars Pizza, Zellers, Sears. The Bay. Home Depot R A M A D A ® IN N & CO N V EN TIO N C EN TR E O A K V I L L E Harrison Smith · Special to the Oakville Beaver Fire G uy B ran t M atthew s was one of several w andering buskers who entertained the audience throughout the three-day festival a t C oronation P ark. F or m ore W aterfront Festival pictures see Focus and A rtscene in today's paper. Come See The Difference 905-845-7561 , RCHASE IANC1NG Dodge ( p Grand Carav. YOU GET 0% PURCHASE FINANCING. he gets anything M * a fc T g "See dealer far detail HE WANTS. NO CHARGE ^ .D V D , 1 ------ A I " -- ' ) 175 Wyecroft Rd., Oakville J 905.845.6653 R (betw een Kerr & Dorval) CERTIFIED Oakville's 2000 -2003 five Star Certified Dealership ·Largeselection of fram es ·D octor's appointm ent arranged W eaccept a ll vision ca re program s 5 0 2Off Top Brand Names - All Frames Storewide with purchase of your Rx lenses Space Optical invites you to come in and see all the new latest styles in eyewear. 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