www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, March 23, 2017 | 10 For more news, visit oakvillebeaver.com Raccoon rabies is on th e rise The Region of Halton is calling for residents to use care and caution to help protect them selves and pets from rabies. In a report to the Region' s Health and Social Services Committee on Tuesday, March 21, the Halton Region Health Department says there have been 10 cases (seven raccoons and three skunks) of raccoon strain rabies in Halton Re gion from Oct. 4, 2016 to Feb. 13, 2017. "This particular outbreak is spreading," said Matthew Ruf, Acting Commissioner of Health. "Any wild animal can carry rabies." Over the last 20 years, the incidence of ra bies in wild and domestic animal populations has decreased significantly in Halton Region. In 2016, the health department says there were 10 rabies cases, a number that hasn' t been observed since the early 1990s. Raccoon strain rabies had not been seen in Ontario since 2005. The health department believes the strain was re-introduced to Ontario by an infected raccoon that was inadvertently transported -- possibly on a transport truck -- from New York State. Rabies is a viral disease that can be trans mitted to humans through a bite or scratch, or w hen the rabies virus comes in contact with m ucous membranes like the tissues of the mouth, nose or eyes. Rabies is virtually 100 per cent fatal once the disease produces symptoms in humans. The goal of Halton' s Rabies Prevention and Control Program is to maintain the incidence of rabies in the human population at zero. " D e liv e r in g h o m e c o m fo r t f r o m o u r f a m ily to y o u rs s in c e 1 9 6 7 " \PPLEBY SYSTEM S FIREPLACE, HEATING & A IR CONDITIONING C O N TR A C TO R S see Take on p.20 OAKVILLE 905.825.1893 BURLINGTON 905.335.3203 2086 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE Com e S ee O ur SHOW ROOM Mon - Fri. 8am - 5pm; Saturday 11am - 4pm w w w .a p p le b y s y s te m s .c a I G> OAKVILLE Members of the community are also invited to share their own ideas on the study during the open house. For additional information on the Study and the Municipal Class EA process, please go to the town's website at oakville.ca and search Taplow Creek. If you are attending the open house and have any accessibilityneeds, pleaseletusknowassoonaspossible by contacting one of the project representatives or by filling out the accessible online feedback form on oakville.ca. Kristina Parker, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. Town of Oakville, 1225 Trafalgar Road Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 Tel: 905-845-6601, ext. 3889 Fax: 905.338.4159 kristina.parker@oakville.ca Anna Howes, M.Sc., P.Eng. Aquafor Beech Ltd., 6-202-2600 Skymark Avenue Mississauga, ON L4W 5B2 Tel: 905-629-0099, ext. 239 Fax: 905-629-0089 howes.a@aquaforbeech.com Comments are collected under the authority of the Environmental Assessment Act for the purpose public consultation and w ill become part of the public record. oakville.ca If you have any questions regarding this collection o f information please contact Kristina Parker, at 905-845-6601, ext. 3889 or at kristina.parker@oakville.ca. This Notice first issued on March 9, 2017. Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study O p e n H o u se Taplow Creek Localized Erosion Protection Manchester Crescent and Mayfair Road Thursday, March 30, 2017, 6-8 p.m. Town Hall, South Atrium 1225 Trafalgar Road The Town o f Oakville is currently undertaking a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study to evaluate options to deal w ith erosion and creek instability at several localized areas o f concern along Taplow Creek in the study area presented below. The goal of this study is to come up w ith a preferred alternative to stabilize the creek and protect against potential loss of tableland on neighbouring private properties. Please join us at the open house on March 30, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Town Hall in the South Atrium. It's a drop-in form at where staff and the town's consulting team w ill be present to discuss the study and answer any questions.