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% C h is h o lm (9 0 5 ) 8 4 4 -3 2 4 0 SCHOOL SUCCESS www.chisholmcentrr.t'om Mercedes-Benz Q.E.W. Sc Dorval Dr. www.oakviIlebeaver.com B E A V E R M M UN IT Y A Metroland Publication Vol. 40 No. 144 "U S IN G C O M M U N IC A T IO N T O B U IL D B E T T E R C O M M U N I T I E S " NEW SPAPER (plus cst) W EDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2003 56 Pages $1.00 Here we grow again M e tr o la n d p u rch a se s w ill c o m p le m e n t m a g a z in e o p e r a tio n s By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing, parent company of the Oakville Beaver, is growing again. On Monday. Metroland's Halton Division, which operates the Beaver, announced the purchase of two local companies. Formula Publications and graphics company Silva Litho Solutions Inc " We're thrilled to have these compa nies as part of our team and look forward to working together," said Beaver pub lisher Ian Oliver, who heads the Halton Division. The purchases, said Oliver, represent a " substantial" investment by Metroland, and its parent company, Torstar, in its Halton Division. The Halton Division operates several newspapers including the Oakville Beaver, Burlington Post, and Milton Canadian Champion, publications like City Parent and Forever Young, as well as West o f the City, On Site and Wine Connection magazines. It also spear heads numerous consumer shows. " It's a good synergy. The companies can feed off each other," said Formula owner and publisher Scott Robinson, who also co-owns Silva Litho With its president Ivan Bogdanovski. Both men are Oakville residents. The purchases will cement the foun dation of a magazine division for Metroland -- one of the company's goals this year. "These acquisitions represent a com mitment to our strategy of forming a sep arate magazine division. Formula and Silva will provide the base for our expansion in this area," said Oliver, not ing, " An added advantage is that both businesses operate from Speers Road in Oakville." In fact, the Beaver, Formula and Silva are all neighbours. Robinson said, the acquisition deal has been in the works for seven months and believes it's a good deal for all three operations. " Metroland's purchase was the best fit for our companies. Our philosophies are quite similar and most of our staff live in this area." said Robinson. " Metroland wanted to grow its maga zine division and we've got the expertise (See 'Metroland' page A2) Christmas break comes early for Ford Freestar plant workers By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF F o rd o f C a n a d a 's O akville A ssem bly P lant (O A P) will be sh u t dow n the w eek of Dec. 15, says a spokesperson fo r the au to m ak er, because o f a rail c a r sh o rtag e an d a lack o f space to store finished vehicles. According to Ford spokesperson Lauren More, the reason for the shutdown which w ill also see the O AP dark on Dec. 22 and 23, then for the scheduled Christmas break, Dec. 24 through Jan. 5 - is not due to slumping sales of the new Ford Freestar. More downplayed media reports quoting an unnamed "industry source" attributing the closure to the fact that just 3,800 Freestars were sold in October. Although she could not confirm that figure, More said the mini van has been in showrooms only since October and the ad campaign is so new that it's much too early to worry. More reiterated the clo sure is because of the lack of rail cars required to transport finished Freestars. She also said parking lots around the OAP, as well as a storage site near Hwy. 403, are virtually full at this time. The shutdown, which puts 3,100 workers on tem porary layoff - w ill therefore give the company time to clear out its inventory, added More. " It's a good time to do this, what with the Christmas break," she said. According to Canadian Auto (See Temporary' page A5) Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver Child among two Halton flu deaths By Jason Misner WAITING THEIR TURN: Eight-year-old Jade Clancy (under chair) and nine-year-old Jin Shi watch and wait for their turns during the rehearsal last Sunday for the Oakville School of Dance's annual Nutcracker show at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. For more pictures and information see Artscene page D8. t SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER A Halton child and a sen ior, both with underlying medical conditions, have died after contracting influenza. The death of the child, under the age of 10, appears to be only the second report ed case of fatal influenza among Ontarian children this year, and the first ever such case in Halton. Late last month a Peterborough child, also with pre-existing med ical conditions, died of flu- Warehouse developer turns deaf ear to neighbours' noise concerns By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER S"IAFF Falgarwood residents who thought they scored a victory over a new warehouse proposal on North Service Road are doing a double take. That's because the victory appears to be short lived. The Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan (H O O PP) Realty Inc. wants to build a 446,000 sq . ft., three-building industrial warehouse complex at 1273 North Service Rd. Area residents, like Christine Langevin, aren't opposed to the warehouses, just that up to 64 load ing docks could be at the back of the warehouses -- closest to Falgarwood Drive homes like Langevin's. (See 'Developer' page A8) related symptoms. Due to privacy reasons, Halton Region's health department won't reveal the sex or exact age of the child or of the senior. Health offi cials also won't reveal where the two are from. " Both had pre-existing medical conditions that put them at a higher risk group," said Mary Anne Carson, Halton's manager of commu nicable diseases, adding there were no reported flu deaths last year. " People at high risk are more suscepti ble to complications of the flu, like pneumonia." (See Health' page A5) Family pet attacked by pit bulls in leash-free park By Angela Blackburn B E Editorials........... Focus ................ Update............... `Tis The Season... Sports................ Classifieds........... Artscene............. A6 R 1 R6 OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A Clearview resident wants to find the owner of the pitbulls who attacked her dog at the Kingsford Gardens leashfree zone recently. Twenty-two-year-old Biljana (B illy ) Vracarevic also wants to warn other dog owners about the potential danger posed by these pitbulls. " I went to the police station to report this ... and was told that because it did n't involve a person or a child I can't do anything. That's what I want to pre vent," said Vracarevic. The Oakville securities investor is working to find the pitbulls' owners, warn the public and wouldn't mind if the owners of the pitbulls responsible could pick up at least half of the approx imate $600 in veterinary costs she has incurred -- Vracarevic said half is fair M o t« F re s h if -- Nick Perry · Special to the Oakville Beaver Biljana Vracarevic's dog Lincoln is recovering from an attack by two pitbulls in a leash-free zone. He required stitches for seven puncture wounds in his side. since all the dogs were off-leash. Vracarevic's seven-month-old Chinese Shar-Pei puppy, Lincoln, received seven puncture wounds that had to be stitched at the Mississauga emergency veterinary clinic. He also had $70 in antibiotics to stave off infec tion. The attack occurred on Sunday, Nov. 23 around 3 p.m. at the one-acre leashfree zone in Kingsford Gardens Park that's been operating five years in Oakville's northeast end. It was Lincoln's tenth visit to the leash-free area said Vracarevic. Earlier that day, Vracarevic had Lincoln at the leash-free area at Mississauga's Jack Darling Park. He had such a good time there that on a walk around the block that same day, Vracarevic decided to stop by Kingsford Gardens. (See 'Pitbulls' page A3) n m ns n« (S u p p o rt Y o u r Local Carrier) Canadan PuMcMons Mai Product Agrvamant *06-201 SVLC DELIVERY For home deinrry & cuuomer semce call (905) 645-9742 Mon.. fto , A Thun. 9 am. - 6pjn., Wrd JcFri 9 am. -Spjri or Saturday 10 tun. - 4 pjn. 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