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6- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 25, 2007 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: The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Media Group Ltd. NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director TERI CASAS Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Attitude needs changing If there is one lesson to be learned from this past Earth Day, where about 1,000 residents spent hours cleaning up Oakville, it's that we have a long way to go in changing people's attitudes when it comes to disposing of trash. This past weekend, under glorious conditions, residents of all ages did their part to help beautify our town by filling hundreds, if not thousands of bags, of trash. The amount of garbage-- which included everything from tires to office furniture and even a a kitchen sink-- was mindnumbing. How can so many thoughtless people treat our community as a dumping ground? Equally troubling was a warning this week from Gord Miller, Ontario's Environmental Commissioner, who said the Ontario government has failed miserably when it comes to waste reduction. Despite election promises to divert 60 per cent of Greater Toronto Area garbage through the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and composting, the Liberal government hasn't made a dent in the garbage piles and even worse, doesn't have a plan on how it can be done. According to government statistics, Ontarians recycle and compost only 25 per cent of all their garbage. The rate rises slightly to 32 per cent if commercial waste is eliminated from the mix and only residential figures are used. That's still a long way from the 60 per cent target the Liberals set for 2008. While improvements in recycling numbers have come from municipalities which have adopted green bin organics programs, there are currently no strong markets for finished compost. According to Miller that won't change unless the government establishes province-wide standards for what can be in compost and the techniques used to produce it. While the province has indicated it is open to energy from waste incineration as a replacement for landfills, strict limits on what can be incinerated must be established so as not to undermine recycling efforts, said Miller. Forcing businesses-- from restaurants to the construction industry-- to recycle must also be part of the plan. A survey of 260 businesses last year indicated 93 per cent did not comply with provincial recycling regulations. The efforts of all who took time this past weekend to clean a river bed, a park, a schoolground or a ditch, should be commended. However, we would like to see less work for them on future Earth Days. 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 I am writing in response to the letter Parents upset by Day of Silence at Iroquois Ridge High School, The Oakville Beaver, April 20. As a parent of two graduates, and a current student, of the Ridge I find it sad that the writer would think this was a day of "promotion" of sexual preference. I also had concerns of whether the teachers were able to fulfill their duties that day. Day of Silence applauded My son advised me that his education was not compromised. I am always amazed and pleased by Iroquois Ridge High School's efforts to educate our children in tolerance and acceptance in today's changing world. It truly is a global school. In light of recent happenings in our world I would hope that more tolerance and acceptance would be forthcoming from my peers. DIAN NEASE Town says arena purchase good deal This Friday, the Town will open its latest arena complex (the former Dominion Twin Rinks) as a town-owned facility. With this official opening just around the corner, I want to clarify any misconceptions or concerns that the public may have about this acquisition and its effect on the community. The purchase of this arena complex is great news for Oakville. It is a good financial decision for taxpayers, and while it does not increase Oakville's overall inventory of arenas, it does protect the ice for all community users. The $7.5 million acquisition price compares favourably when weighed against the cost of between $17-$19 million to build a new twin-pad arena. The Town's purchase also allows for more affordable ice time for residents and community groups. Town ice rates are less than private arena rates. Over the past several days, I have been meeting with the program organizers to address any concerns and make this as smooth a transition as possible. I am pleased to say that the Town has been able to accommodate almost all the user groups until the end of July. Ice time is still available for rent, and we are committed to continuing scheduled men's hockey, summer camps and a three-on-three league through that period. As usual over the summer, the shooter pads will be closed, but the Town will try to accommodate residents at another Town arena. In June, a report is scheduled to go to Town Council outlining the various operating options for the facility, including future plans for the on-site restaurant (currently closed) and pro-shop. Council will also look at whether this arena should be part of the Town's ice allocation policy which outlines how ice time is made available to various groups and will confirm the rates. During August and September the arena may be closed as we complete some overdue repairs, and we expect to be fully operational at the end of September. NINA DE VAAL, OAKVILLE DIRECTOR OF RECREATION AND CULTURE Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com 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.