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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday December 18, 2002 - A7 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Former MPP dismayed with recommendation to decriminalize marijuana Drug dealers across Canada are cheering quietly this week and preparing to expand their operations. Incredibly, a parlia mentary committee in Ottawa chaired by Burlington MP Paddy Torsney has recommended that possession of 30-50 joints of marijuana become a ticketing offence, like speeding. Paddy, who admits she has smoked marijuana in the past, joked with the media saying it depends how thick you roll the joints. This foolish idea would undoubtedly widely expand use of this nar cotic, putting more drugs into the hands of children and teens. Speeding is the norm on our streets and highways because ticketing simply acts as a licence to commit an offence. Having represented a consid erable part of Burlington and Oakville for four years at Queen's Park, I can say I never once heard anyone suggest that marijuana be decriminalized. What I heard was that decent people are fed up with crime, especially drug dealers, those who don't pay their fare share of taxes, and are concerned with threats to our health care system. Since there was never any men tion of liberalizing narcotics laws in any of Paddy or Bonnie Brown's election literature from 1993 on, one has to wonder how far out of touch with their ridings and reality they can possible get. Here are three key myths regarding marijuana, which the government members apparent ly believe: 1. Marijuana use doesn't lead to other drugs. False, it very often does. Ask any drug user if they have smoked marijuana. The vast majority will say yes. 2. Marijuana is not addictive. False. There are untold thou sands of people who are highly dependent on marijuana. It depletes initiative, dulls the thinking and impairs the user's judgement -- a tragic lifestyle very difficult to escape. 3. M arijuana is harmless. False. Marijuana use is involved in many property crimes, assaults and many vehicle acci dents causing injuries and death. Marijuana sales finance other types of crime, which costs tax payers billions of dollars. Marijuana dealers don't pay tax. Marijuana growers are stealing millions of dollars of hydro from the rest of us. Marijuana related social problems in families and schools cause untold misery and overload our social service agen cies. Marijuana induced impair ment reduces productivity in our workplaces, causes accidents and prevents children and teens from learning in school. Marijuana smoke itself contains hundreds of chemicals from which users will suffer ill health as they get older putting an even greater burden on our health care system. Decriminalizing pot will attract the most resourceful and wealthy dealers from around the world to Canada and pout mil lions in their pockets to finance other crime. Our young people will have pot shoved in their faces everywhere they go. Police will spend more and more time trying to keep up with mis behaviour of impaired marijuana users and their wealthy dealers, like Amsterdam where shops have been forced to install pull down aluminum shutters at night. Imagine downtown Oakville and Burlington stores with aluminum shutters covering all the windows after 6 p.m. If only for the young people that the Liberals are prepared to write off, please take a minute and call the offices of Paddy Torsney (905-639-5757) and Bonnie Brown (905-827-2077) to tell them you don't want more drugs on our streets. TERENCE H. YOUNG J-fsve s H dl Trustee takes Beaver to task over editorial I am distressed that the venerable editorial staff at the Beaver was so inaccurate regarding the Halton District School Board's Capital Strategic Plan (CSP) and the debate surrounding the plan (.Beaver, editorial Dec. 15.). The CSP is not an acronym for closing schools. It is a complex, long-term strategic blueprint employing demographics to maximize the cash flow of the board to best benefit our customers, the kids. In fact the HDSB will build many more schools (30-7) than it will close over the next 25 years. The "bureaucrats" that you malign are experi enced professional management that have placed our board, along with our superb teaching staff, in the top echelon of Ontario education. We are lucky to have them. Finally, your assertion that the HDSB is not democratic because it holds a working meeting in preparation for public meetings, is, frankly, laugh able. What government body does not have work ing meetings to collect information in order to design policy? Perhaps, before penning your next diatribe against the HDSB, you should pick up a phone and call a trustee, the director or staff, so you could debate the issues with facts rather than prejudices. DREW CURRAH, OAKVILLE WARDS 1 AND 2 TRUSTEE W ith p r o g f s r o s m d s e r v i c e s ffoTO your C e r t i f i c a t e s cNoaa? J b d f lb b h w w w . t o w n . o a k v ille . o n . c a 9 0 5 .3 3 8 .4 2 5 0 Councillor is a `victim of society/ says reader Lets get something straight, Councillor John Day (the Beaver, Dec 4.) is as much a victim as anyone. A victim of society. Alcohol is a legal drug that is addic tive and that is frequently pushed on us. Society has recognized the downside of alcohol consumption and has tried prohibition on various occasions with out success. Instead of becoming more resolute, it has decided that it is better to make money from the drug than to allow an underground economy to flourish. The LCBO generates an enormous amount for the coffers of Ontario from the sale of that drug. So, it's readily accessible. Then there is the peer pressure. To rise in political social circles, one must be very, sociable. That frequently means that one must be at least a "social" drinker. How many readers like me, who choose not to drink, have been made to feel out of place because they didn't join in? The fact is that, without exception, whenever I have attended political or other social functions I have seen at least one or more respected members of our community take at least a few drinks and then drive home behind the wheel. This is not a rare occurrence. I suspect that if John Day wasn't a "good old boy" who joined his social companions in a few drinks when they get together, that he would never have been elected to any position. No disre spect intended. We all know about designated driv ers. The problem is that people lose cog nitive power when they drink. Yet they are the ones who are expected to decide. How ridiculous. What do the readers think about the idea of banning alcohol consumption in public places? Whoops. Just kidding. " DAVID BAZAR Ontario O ntario M unicipal Board C om m ission des affaires m unicipales de I'O ntario Bressa Developments Inc., Green Ginger Developments, Mattamy Development Co., Trinison Management Corporation and others have appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board under subsection 17(24) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended, from a decision of the Town of Oakville to approve Proposed Amendment No. 198 to the Official Plan for the Town of Oakville to incorporate the lands located north of Dundas Street, south of Highway 407, east of Tremaine Road, and west of Ninth Line into the Town of Oakville's urban area Town's File no. 42.114.198 O.M.B. File No. 0020103 Mattamy Development Co. has appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board under subsection 22(7) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended, from Council's refusal of neglect to enact a proposed amendment to the Official Plan for the Town of Oakville to incorporate the lands located north of Dundas Street, south of Highway 407, east of Tremaine Road, and west of Ninth Line into the Town of Oakville's urban area Town's File No. OPA 198 A O.M.B File 0020084 Bressa Developments Inc. has appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board under subsection 22(7) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended, from Council's refusal of neglect to enact a proposed amendment to the Official Plan for the Town of Oakville to incorporate the lands located north of Dundas Street, south of Highway 407, east of Tremaine Road, and west of Ninth Line into the Town of Oakville's urban area Town's File No. OPA 198 C O.M.B. File No. 0020037 Green Ginger Developments has appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board under subsection 22(7) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended, from Council's refusal of neglect to enact a proposed amendment to the Official Plan for the Town of Oakville to incorporate the lands located north of Dundas Street, south of Highway 407, east of Tremaine Road, and west of Ninth Line into the Town of Oakville's urban area Town's File No. OPA 198 AA O.M.B. File No. 0020036 Trinison Management Corporation hks appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board under subsection 22(7) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended, from Council's refusal of neglect to enact a proposed amendment to the Official Plan for the Town of Oakville to incorporate the lands located north of Dundas Street, south of Highway 407, east of Tremaine Road, and West of Ninth Line into the Town of Oakville's urban area Town's File No. OPA 198B O.M.B. File No. 0020035 N OTICE OF PREHEARING CON FER EN C E The Ontario Municipal Board will conduct a prehearing conference respecting this matter. If you do not attend this prehearing conference, the Ontario Municipal Board may proceed in your absence and you will not be entitled to any further notice of these proceedings. T IM E A N D PLAC E OF PREHEARING CON FER EN C E A prehearing conference will be held at: Oakville Municipal Building, Oakville Room, located at 1225 Trafalgar Road, in Oakville, Ontario · Identification of participants - persons who do not wish to participate throughout the hearing may attend the hearing and make a statement to the Board. Such persons should also attend the prehearing conference. · Identification of issues · Start date of the hearing · Duration of the hearing · Directions for prefiling of witness lists. Expert witness statement and written evidence · Possibility of settlement of any or all of the issues · The hearing of motions · Such further matters as the Board considers appropriate Everyone present should come prepared to consider specific dates for proceedings in this matter. EVIDENCE Evidence or formal statements may also be heard at the prehearing conference in an attempt to settle the matters in dispute. Note that even if no settlement is reached the Board may make a final decision on the evidence it has received. All parties or their representatives should attend the prehearing conference. Pour recevoir de services en francais, veuillez communiquer avec la Division des audiences au (416) 326-6800, au moins 20 jours civils avant la date fixee pour I'audience. DATED at Toronto, this 27th day of November, 2002 ACTING SECRETARY E x p la n a to ry N o te o n b e h a lf o f G reen G in g e r D e v e lo p m e n ts , B ressa D e v e lo p m e n ts Inc., T rin iso n M a n a g e m e n t C o rp o ra tio n , and M a tta m y D e v e lo p m e n t C o. E x p la n a to ry N o te - O ffic ia l Plan A m e n d m e n t A p p lic a tio n A p p e a ls Green Ginger Developments, Bressa Developments Inc., Trinison Management Corporation, and Mattamy Development Co. have appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board under subsection 22(7) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended, from Council refusal or neglect to enact proposed amendments to the Official Plan of the Town of Oakville. These Companies are owners or managers of land within the area north of Dundas Street affected by Official Plan Amendment #198 of the Town of Oakville. The Purpose of the proposed Official Plan Amendments appealed by these companies is to expand the Urban Area to bring the Town Official Plan into conformity with region of Halton Official Plan Amendment #8. The proposed Official Plan Amendments apply to the same lands as Town OPA 198, and propose a framework for the creation of subsequent secondary plans. Secondary plans will provide for a full range of urban uses and will be based on the results of further studies, including sub watershed plans, which will provide the basis for refinement of boundaries of natural features. Other required studies include infrastructure phasing, transportation and traffic, market, financial impact and urban design. E x p la n a to ry N o te on b e h a lf o f th e T ow n o f O a k v ille The Town of Oakville Council approved Official Plan Amendment Number 198, by By-law 2002-030 on May 29th, 2002. The purpose of OPA 198 is to incorporate all lands north of Dundas Street and south of the Highway 407 into the Town of Oakville's Urban area as identified within Regional Official Plan amendment Number 8, to establish the conditions for the development including the protection and enhancement of natural features for the land north of Dundas Street, and to redefine the Town's municipal structure to reflect this change including revisions to the plan concept, objectives, planning period, planning population and employment levels. Thirteen (13) appeals were received against OPA 198, for varying reasons. The hearing concerns OPA 198, which provides the framework for Secondary Plans. S e c o n d a ry P lans are not being considered at this hearing. Dated at the Town of Oakville this 11th day of December 2002. ANNOUNCEMENT Dr. Edward Nabeta is pleased to announce that Dr. Tony Pasquale has joined him in his dental practice. Extended office hours will now include Fridays and Saturdays. 2200 Trafalgar Road Oakville (905) 8 4 4 -8 4 0 6 on: at: Monday, January 20, 2003 10:00 a.m. The Board has set aside two (2) days for this conference (January 20 and 21) PURPO SE OF PREHEARING CON FER EN C E The conference will deal with preliminary and procedural matters, including the following: · Identification of parties - these persons have the right to participate throughout by presenting evidence, questioning witnesses, and making final arguments. In order for the Board to determine your status for the hearing, you or your representative should attend the prehearing conference and ask to be added as a party. Groups, whether incorporated or not, who wish to become parties should name a representative. Parties do not need to be represented by lawyers. 1225 TRAFALGAR R O A D · O A K V ILLE , O N T A R IO · L6J 5 A 6 (905) 845-6601 w w w .to w n .o a k v ille .o n .c a L o o k for m o re To w n of O ak ville in form ation on P a g e s C 4 an d C 7