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w w w .insideH A LT O N .com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, A pril 7 , 2 0 1 7 | 6 Sharing our roads As everyone heads outdoors more in the good weath er, we can expect to see more cyclists and pedestrians on our roads. And we can expect everyone does their part to share those roads, here at hom e and beyond. W hether at the wheel ol a working transport ve hicle, an S U y econom y runabout or som ething in between, on our trusted two-wheel bicycle or on foot, we should make every journey armed w ith the knowledge w ell all return safely if we share our roads. Sure, some of the roads could have fewer potholes or bumps, but we are very fortunate, despite ongoing rush hour gridlock, to have a road system that is po liced, in good condition, extensive and regulated with signs and traific lights. W hile many areas of the globe feature road systems that are a free-for-all and others clogged like noth ing you've seen before, we are lucky to have what we have and we should share it properly to safeguard hu man lives. Last summer an Oakville man died while out cy cling on Lakeshore Road near Third Line. The year before, another Oakville man died w'hile cycling on Tremaine Road. Yet another cyclist was seriously in jured last year in a local drive-thru. This tragic loss of life and life-altering injuries that need not have occurred sparked concern among many in our town. A `ghost bike' was placed at Lakeshore and Third Line. The federal government initiated a national task force to look at the issue of cycling safety-7 . Area politicians applauded the initiative. They are familiar with the concerns and are pleased to see lo cal issues of concern take the spotlight at the federal level. The Trudeau government's M inister of Transporta tion, Marc Garneau, announced he would w ork with the provinces and territories to create the task force, w hich would focus on increased safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians on the nation's busy roads. The minister said the task force would consider ev erything from cameras to side guards on large trucks, and dedicated bike lanes to electronic measures, to prevent collisions and reduce injuries and deaths. It was set up in late September 2016. Last wreek, we ran a letter to the editor w hich was sent to Oakville council in w hich the letter writer complained of conflict between vehicles and cycles on Trafalgar Road. The letter writer provided a photo of a road sign see in Ottawa that reads, "Cyclists can take the lane. Stop honking." We echo the calls for improved cycling safety. We also recognize the basis to improving safety is everyone -- governments (m unicipal, provincial and federal), cyclists and drivers -- working together. On every journey, no matter the means of trans port, we must all know, respect and follow the rules of the road. W hen we don't, someone is bound to get hurt. The Oakville Beaver welcom es letters from its readers. Letters will be edited fo r clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters m ust contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5 0 4 6 Mainway, U nit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackbum@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. 5046 Mainway,Unit2 ,Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classified Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 55 Number 27 The Oakville Beaver is a division of · metrolandmedia · Connected to your comm unity* Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. NEIL OLIVER Vice -President and Group Publisher o f Metroland \Afest KELLY MONTAGUE Regional General Manager DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN M anaging Editor RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Business Manager MARK DILLS Director o f Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager More than 4 ,0 0 0 new jobs in Halton in 2 0 1 6 CHARLENE HALL Director o f Distribution KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager C ompanies continue to choose Halton to do business as the region welcomed more than 4,000 new jobs in 2016. Whether running a multi-national company, opening a small business, or looking lor employ^ment closer to home, Halton continues to be a highly attractive location to live, work and invest. Attracting business investment, supporting business start-ups and creating new jobs is more than just numbers -- it' s about planning for a balance of business development, growth and sustainability to ensure a high quality of life tor all, and providing meaningful employment in the community^ for our highly-skilled residents. Still, the numbers are impressive. Here are some statistics that point to our successes in job growth and business development in 2016: · 4,273 new jobs were created in 2016. · Halton is home to 15 ot the top 500 fastest growing companies in Canada in 2016: ABL Em ployment; Acorn Global Investments; Astound Group; Avnan; Burlington Merchandising & Fix tures; ClubRunner; Dynamic Connections; HostPapa; Javelin Technologies; MarkIT Staffing Solu tions; Mico Systems; Rock Star Real Estate; Rock Universe (Blue Rays); Secure Sense Solutions; and Three O Four. The Beaver. Gary Carr Halton Region Chair Proud Official Media Sponsor For: n/jlR C a n a d ia nC ir c u la tio n s jREgf. A u d itB o a rdM e m b e r Recognized for Excellence by · Halton' sunemployment rate is 5.5 per cent-- lower than the GTA, Ontario and Canadian aver ages of 7, 6.6 and 7 per cent, respectively · $832.5 million invested in institutional, com mercial and industrial construction, up 21 per cent since 2015, with an average annual increase of 19 per cent over the last decade. · S368.5 million invested in new commercial construction in 2 0 1 6 -- up 33 per cent since 2015 · 42 per cent increase in institutional develop ment since 2015; up 73 per cent over the last de cade. · $2.14 billion worth in new building permits. Businesses continue to invest in Halton and the region continues to grow. With low taxes, easy7ac cess to major markets and a commitment to build ing a healthy and complete community Halton is a great place to live, work, and invest. To leam more about or to read the 2016 Eco nomic Review visit halton.ca/invest. O n ta rioC o m m u n ity N e w s p a p e r sA s s o c ia tio n C a n a d ia nC o m m u n ity . * N e w s p a p e rs A s s o c ia n o n < s* FDSfl * LcMedia » Proud Official M edia Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver is a member o f the Ontario Press Council. The council Is located at 8 0 Gould St., Suite 206 ,Toronto, O nl, M5B 2M7, Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied ty the erroneous item, to o th e r with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance o f the advertise ment will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Pud by Steve Nease M l : 90. . j 99. - 461 N. Service Rd. W O akvu e SPECKLESART 9TLIDIO.COM