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A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday April 12.2000 T h e O a k v il l e B e a v e r Ian Oliver Publisher N ei Oliver Associate Publisher Norman Alexander Editor Ketty Montague, Advertising Director Steve Crozier Circulation Director Teri Casas OfficeManager Mark D lls ProductionManager Riziero Vertolli DirectorofPhotography M etrola nd P m tn g , P u b k s h n g & O s trfc u tn g Lid ., n d u d o s A*a xW cke nn g N ow s * * e r t e e r . A fc to n H a ra id 'C o u ie r. B a m e * * o n c e . Barry's Bay T h e W eek. B o lton Enterprise. B ram p ton G u a rd a n . B u ln g to n R>st. B trtn g to n S h o p p n g N ew s, d r y Parent. C oin gK O O d-V tesa ga C o m e c to n . East >rt*k M rror, Enn A d v o c a to C o u H ry R ou tes. E tobicoke G u a rd a n . R a n tx jro u g h P o d . G e o g a to w n in d e p e n d e n t'A o o n Free Press. H u o r ia Bu an ess T r ie s . K in g s to n TTus W e e k , u n d s a y T h is W eek. M a rv n a m E c n o m e t & S u n . M K fta n d /P e n e ta n g u ts ftn e M irro r. M ilto n C a n a d a n C h a m p io n . M ilto n S h o p p n g N ew s. M s s c s a u g a B u n e s s T r ie s . M ese sa u g a N ew s. N apanee G u d e . N e w T « r t« i/A a o r a Era-Banner, N o n rx m b e rta n d N ew s. N o rth \fcrk M rrcr. O e k v te Beewer. G a k v *e S n c c p n g N ew s, CWbmers H o c to y News. O n ia Today. C e h a w a V ^ ittv /O a rT ig io n R * t P o ny T h e Wteefc. O w e n S ound T n b u n e . P e te rb o ro u g h T h is W e e k . P ic to n C o u n ty GuKJe. R ic h m o n d H iii/T h o m h iilA a u g h a n U b e ra i. S c a rb o ro u g h M rro r. S to u fM ie rtJ x b n d g e Ito u n e . Forevar \tu n g . Q ty o f \ t * k G uarclan O P IN IO N RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community N aw spapars Association THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: O T *M H Y l-W W ym ca < ^ _ f | ih iiu J a ^ I ^ X k 1 W tLCOM Efph f* C N A S . 7* Canadian Community New spapers Association Nowspapars of America A G O N ir a t I O N T E I U T T E R H V -J J^thaia ^ !,e 467 Speers Rd., Oakville O n t L6K3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 _ S K ij^xoard Oakville ©Awa&s Jir^t Bfll FuNd ^°T T ^ TV AUCTION r tS ? E d ito ria ls The name game When it comes to political parties, the name of that party is important, if only to differentiate the various groups trying to grab your vote come election time. When the Reform And given the nature of politics, it's best to Party decided to have a name that's readily recognizable by the electorate and not confused with another party bury its past in an with possibly similar platforms. attempt to gain No doubt that was the reason behind wider support, it Progressive Conservative leader Joe C lark's motives in trying to challenge the name of the new took on a name that I Canadian Conservative Reform Alliance party. It may simply confuse | didn't do him any good, of course, but it shows that would-be converts. Clark's concerned about how voters might step into the polling booth and cast their ballot for the wrong party. But this logic runs both ways. There could be CCRA party members who are themselves confused, and who could blame them after the Reform Party decided to reinvent itself under a new name, and could vote for the Tories instead of their own party. It's all bluster and little of substance that Clark would do well to leave alone. Given all the confusion over the leadership of the new party, it seems unlikely that voters will mistake the `Alliance' party for the PCs. CCRA members certain ly wouldn't want to be associated with any party smacking of the Tory past and memories of Joe Clark. But in trying to appeal to potential members, the CCRA may have bitten off more than it can chew with its ponderous name. The Americans do it much sim pler...the Democrats or Republicans (with apologies to splinter parties) are both easy to remember and clear in their policies. We suggest the name Alliance might have been a better choice. Maybe next time, the Reformers-cum-Canadian Conservative Reform Alliance members, will come with a less cumbersome moniker. L e tte r s to th e E d ito r The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be typed, signed and include the writer's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 P r iv a t e f o r e s t la n d s m u s t b e p r o t e c t e d The importance of private land forests in Halton cannot be overlooked. Take these private forests away, and our watershed is only 10% forested, a very low figure indeed. Province-wide, private land forests account for: · 40% of Areas of Natural and Scientific interest. · The maple syrup industry, worth $25-million/year. · 70% of the white-tailed deer and waterfowl population. · 80% of the province's sport fishing oppor tunities (revenues of $300-million/year). · 20% of the provinces industrial roundwood (75,000 jobs, worth $3.6-billion/year) including some of the most valuable species in Canada and practically all the firewood. · Immeasurable societal and environmental benefits: recreation, wildlife habitat, green space, etc. As development creeps outward through rural areas, landowners are presented with opportunities to subdivide or sell land for devel opment purposes. Portions of the lands sold are forested, which are then cleared forever and replaced by roads and buildings. The resulting loss of natural heritage is immediate. Private woodlots are often found adjacent to public conservation lands and, therefore, serve Berard want to return to work without proper safety equip ment? Ontario employers, unions and workers have all made significant gains in creating and m aintaining safe and healthy workplaces. I encour age the NHL to behave as a responsible em ployer by making the intelligent choice to require proper safety equipment to be worn in their w orkplace. M ot other em ployers have already m oved well ahead o f the NHL, knowing that preven tion reduces financial costs and human suffering. Glen W right, Chair, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board important buffering roles. The loss of buffering forests will negatively impact adjacent public lands over the long-term. Where private forests are not cleared, they can be subjected to unsustainable land-use prac tices. These practices include unmitigated con struction and unscrupulous logging. These prac tices result in altered drainage patterns, damaged trees, soil compaction, loss of natural heritage and general forest decline. In turn, the remnant forest is less resilient and unable to withstand the impacts of air pollution, insect attack and the introduction of invasive exotic plant species. The downward spiral of forest health begins to affect the overall environmental health of a region. Private landowners have the right to manage their forests as they see fit. Many landowners already practice ecologically sound forest man agement on their lands. Their work is supported through agreements and partnerships with pri vate firms and public agencies. Education and awareness are the first steps towards fostering stewardship on private lands. Across southern Ontario, there is a dynamic network of individuals and firms dedicated to helping property owners achieve their forest stewardship goals. These professionals offer a broad range of services from the development of forest management plans right through to the implementation of forestry operations like tree planting, timber harvesting, monitoring and fol low-up. The private landowner who works closely with a reputable professional gains access to a wealth of information on forest management in southern Ontario. Forestry consultants can help landowners to pick dependable and trustworthy contractors. Information on consulting professional foresters is available from the Ontario Professional Foresters Association at 905-7642921 and at www.opfa.on.ca. General information on forest management in southern Ontario is available from the Ontario Forestry Association at 416-493-4565 and at www.oforest.oii.ca and from The Ministry of Natural Resources at 1-800-6671940 and at www.mnr.gov.on.ca. In partnership with the private sector, the Ontario government offers a direct reduction in property taxes to forest owners who are active managers and stewards of their forested lands. (See 'Forest' page A7) Letter of the Week The article titled "Area's growth biggest environmental threat -- report" in The Oakville Beaver. March 29th, 2000, page A4, makes pos itive references to the environmental signifi cance of public conservation lands in the region of Halton. Also mentioned are the many development threats facing these lands and the actions being taken by various agencies to mitigate the nega tive impacts of development on these precious lands. This is all excellent and deserving of recognition. What the article fails to recognize is the importance of private land forests in this very same region of Halton. These private forests cover more area than public conservation lands at approximately 160 square kilometres or 15% of the total watershed. You will recall from the previous article that only 10% of the region's forests are on public lands. As such, private land forests can, and do, make a significant contribution to the environ mental health and economy of Halton. In fact, private lands provide most of the wildlife habitat and opportunities for forest recreation in south ern Ontario, where 25% of Canada's population lives. We are fortunate in Halton that 25% of our total watershed is forested, some of the neigh bouring regions have as low as 5% forest cover. O ver the past 20 years, we have come a long way in bu ild in g safe and h ealthy places to work in O ntario. E m ployers understand the need to provide a safe envi ronment and workers realize they have a personal respon sibility to themselves, their families and their co-workers to w ork and act in a safe manner. It is in this context that I am d isa p p o in te d and d is turbed by the com m ents of B ryan B erard , the M aple L e a f hockey p lay er who recently sustained a serious eye injury. His assertion that he will choose not to wear a visor and that as "a profes sio n al a th le te " he should March of Dimes effort sets record for giving The results are in and congratulations are in order. During this year's Ontario March of Dimes Door-toDoor Campaign, Oakville raised the most money of all the towns and cities canvassed in Ontario. We were able to raise over $65,000 in Oakville alone. This money funds important services and programs which assist people with disabilities to be more self-suffi cient; providing assistive devices, recreation opportunities, attendant services and housekeeping support employment training and placement support. The result? Providing someone living with a disability, more independence-which is priceless. It is with sincere and heartfelt gratitude that I would like to thank the members of our community who helped make this such a highly-successful campaign. In recognition of Volunteer Week, I would especially like to thank the canvassers and captains who gave their time and helped Ontario March of Dimes achieve these results. It is these donors and volumeers who, through their commitment and energy, help Ontario March of Dimes promote independence for over 15,000 adults with physi cal disabilities in over 100 communities in the province. Thanks for your generosity. Together, we can make a difference. See you next year, as Ontario March of Dimes cele brates 50 years of Building on Ability. Lorraine M acM aster Area Coordinator Ontario March o f Dimes, Door-to-Door Campaign- . Oakville H o cke y p la y e r's v is o r re m a rks d e n ig ra te s a fe ty e ffo rts have the right to make that choice is just plain irresponsible-and dam aging to the efforts to promote safety in Ontario workplaces. Does a professional car penter, doctor, firefighter, nurse or auto worker say I choose not to w ear safety equipm ent? No one in to d a y 's w orkforce w ould knowingly place himself or herself at risk when there is a choice. We're very sorry for the suffering Mr. Berard has already endured-as we are sorry for all of the injured workers of Ontario who are hurt on the job. Positive role m odels are a vital part of building a safer future for all of O ntario. Why does Mr. Shell House memories Re: Fire destroys Shell House, Oakville Beaver Sun April 9th issue. May I add to Harry Barrett's comments in today's paper on this historic property. In the early 1920's, this dwelling was occupied by Mr. & Mrs. A.T. Levitt and their family. Mr. Levitt was CEO of United Suburban Gas Co., of Hamilton-later to become Union Gas. He had four stepsons, John, George, Stephen and Kevan Cochrane, all of whom attended Appleby College. George is the sole survivor, who, with his wife Evelyn, resides in Daytona Beach, Florida. The refinery property on the northerly side of Lakeshore Road was originally the farm and country home of Major Osier. Maj. Osier's son James, attended Appleby College and later married Betty Guest, daughter of the headmaster, J.S.H. Guest. Jim Osier served as an officer with the Royal Canadian Engineers in World War II and was killed in the Italian cam paign. W.E. Davis by Steve Nease MAX PAINTED Yo u W o W / F A N T A S T IC A PICTURE A T MAX/ WHAT PRE-SCHOOL j, O ' A GREAT to day / VQq U H « IT 's A I w o n d e r f u l ,, I GoiJI D IK F A l i t t l e h e lp y *lyl M ooo, -- Philatelists give stamp of approval On behalf of the members, executive and show commit tee of the Oakville Stamp Club, we would like to thank your paper for its coverage of our recent Stamp Show at St. Paul's United Church. The coverage provided by The Beaver helped to publi cize this annual event and will serve to encourage the proud young stamp collectors whose exhibits were on display at the show. John R o b erts Show Chaimum Rick Day Publicity Director Oakville Stamp Club t 4