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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday August 4, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Manager TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Be smart this weekend In the past several weeks we've experienced more than our share of tragedy in Halton. From a rock-climbing accident, drownings, a fatal industrial accident to a tragic hit-and-run death, we've run the gamut of bad news. That's why we approach the Civic Holiday weekend-- usually one of the deadliest holiday weekends of the year-- with some trepidation. We urge all residents to enjoy themselves this weekend, but to do so safely. While driving, obey the rules of the road, keep within the posted speed limits and "watch out for the other guy." There will be thousands more vehicles than usual on the roads this weekend as people -- many of them tourists -- take advantage of the warm weather. Please use patience while behind the wheel and, obviously, refrain from drinking and driving. Speaking of drinking and driving, that goes for those of you on the water. The Lifesaving Society is reminding Ontarians that individuals convicted of impaired boating can now lose their driver's licence. An amendment to the Highway Traffic Act last month means boaters who blow close to the legal limit on a breathalyzer can have their driver's licence suspended for 12 hours while those convicted of being drunk can lose their driver's licence for a year. "Ironically, the same people who would never drink and drive their car will often drink and boat," said Ed Bean of the Lifesaving Society. "Drinking and boating is extremely dangerous so this is a huge step in the fight for water safety." For those who intend to cool off this weekend with a dip in a lake or a backyard pool, please use common sense around water. Drowning statistics show that 80 per cent of Canadian drowning victims are male between the ages of 18 and 24 and that alcohol consumption is a factor in more than 50 per cent of water-related fatalities. Don't be foolhardy this weekend and become part of the statistics next year or a story for our front pages next week. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR It may go unnoticed by many, but a childcare centre that has been operating for almost 20 years is being forced to close its doors. With the lease on its building set to expire and no affordable new space available, as of Aug. 31, the Bronte Village Childcare Centre (BVCC) will cease to exist. The centre will eventually be torn down -- and with it, I assume the beautiful old-growth trees that now provide shade for the children to play under -- Saying goodbye to a daycare centre and commenting on current political climate and replaced by luxury condos. I am not writing this letter as a condemnation of the landlord -- as owner of the property, that person can do as he or she sees fit with it. Rather, I am writing to express disappointment in the fact that money, or lack thereof, is causing the demise of this warm and caring community of teachers, children and parents. BVCC parents are learning first-hand how misguided government policies that fail to provide adequate funding for early childhood education are failing families. Some people will argue parents should make more sacrifices so one parent can stay home to raise children or that it is not the responsibility of governments to take care of children. Those arguments do not mesh with today's realities, when paying rent on even a small apartment can require two incomes and when it is clear that the BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Canadian government falls behind many other countries in the area of educating pre-schoolers -- in Europe, many governments provide full funding for early childhood education, and even now in Chile, Michelle Bachelet is implementing her promise to provide free child care for working parents. As BVCC parents scramble to make new arrangements, I wonder how many of them will be applauding the Harper Conservatives for the paltry $100 a month (before taxes) that their childcare plan provides them? Let this be a cautionary tale to all who think that a small amount of cash can actually be considered an effective early childhood education policy. Parents do not need a taxable pittance that is not even enough to pay for a week's worth of childcare. They need a consistently funded, high-quality childcare program. I commend the board and staff of BVCC for providing so much of value to the children enrolled there, despite a lack of funds. I am saddened to think what potential could have been realized with even a small increase in funding, and I wonder, without this funding, how many other small centres will suffer the same fate as BVCC? CRYSTAL SMITH The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., 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 by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Pud