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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 5, 20 18 | 22 Manufacturing and Showroom Location 136 Watline Ave, Unit 5-6 Mississauga, ON L4Z 2E2 T: 905-507-1666/ 905-507-3337 F: 905-507-1110 info@beyondkitchens.ca Oakville Showroom Location 466 Speers Rd, Unit 6-7 Oakville, ON L6K 3W9 T: 905-338-8999/ 905-338-8199 F: 905-338-8099 info@beyondkitchens.ca *Offer Valid Until July 31st. 2018 NO HSTNO HST EVENT WWW. BEYONDKITCHENS. CA Beyond Your Expectations Oakville Mayor Rob Burton is taking some com- fort in a recent announce- ment by the new provincial government that they will tackle an issue causing lo- cal school boards to bleed revenue. On Tuesday, June 26, Oakville's newly elected Conservative MPP Stephen Crawford Tweeted the Doug Ford provincial gov- ernment transition team would extend the Educa- tion Development Charges (EDC) bylaw for the Halton District and Halton Catho- lic school boards until a new bylaw can be put in place. The announcement ap- pears to address what the chairs of the Halton school boards have called a crisis and was well received by Oakville's mayor. "We are encouraged Doug Ford's transition team recognizes the issue and the importance of this matter," said Burton. On Monday, June 25, Burton and the rest of Oak- ville council added their voices to that of Halton Re- gion chair Gary Carr in calling for immediate ac- tion on the EDC bylaw. The EDC bylaw enables school boards to recover growth-related net educa- tion costs from developers, in an effort to ensure that growth pays for schools to accommodate growth. Burton said during Monday's council meeting that the Halton school boards had created a re- placement bylaw and were assured by the Ministry of Education that timely ap- proval of that bylaw would be forthcoming. Ultimately the EDC by- law expired Sunday, June 24 without its replacement being approved by the province. "Last week this approv- al was withheld and the ministry knowingly al- lowed the Education Devel- opment Charges bylaw to expire," said Burton. "This means that $5 mil- lion a month with which the school boards buy new school sites is no longer able to be collected and throws into some doubt what the plan is by the Min- istry of Education to ac- quire sites for schools." Burton said all Oakville councillors hold the view that there is a severe short- age of schools in Halton and Oakville. The motion brought for- ward by Burton and Ward 2 Coun. Cathy Duddeck, and approved unanimously by Oakville council called on Ford to immediately direct the Ministry of Education to allow for the adoption of a new EDC bylaw. The motion said action was particularly impor- tant given that EDC are used by school boards to fund site acquisitions and other site related costs to accommodate students from new residential devel- opment. With news that the ex- isting bylaw will be extend- ed it is unclear if the school boards will be compensat- ed for the revenue they have already lost from the bylaw being allowed to ex- pire. NEWS Oakville council weighs in on Education Development Charges bylaw issue Oakville Town Hall Metroland photo DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com Calling all bridge lov- ers. New members are invit- ed to join the Ladies Mara- thon Bridge Club of Oak- ville, whose numbers have declined in recent years. That's impacted the fi- nancial support the group has been able to make to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Halton - something the lo- cal ladies would like to rec- tify. The group meets at dif- ferent players' homes twiceferent players' homes twicef a month from September to April, with registration running until July 31. Those interested in signing up can do so by calling June Karbowiak at 905-469-0087. COMMUNITY New members invited to join ladies bridge club