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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 21, 2008 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: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER President Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA ANCHOR Circ. Manager Legislation long overdue "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi Finally, the McGuinty government has taken steps to improve animal protection laws in this province. It has been a long time coming -- since 1919 to be exact. On Monday the Ontario legislature passed the Provincial Animal Welfare Act, the first major overhaul in 89 years. Under the new law, people who abuse animals will face jail, stiffer fines and a lifetime ban on animal ownership. That's great news for the animals as long as the new law is strictly enforced and there is the necessary money to appropriately fund animal welfare agencies such as Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA). Halton is fortunate in that it has several agencies dedicated to the well-being of unwanted pets. The changes to the act will, hopefully, send a strong message to the people who willfully cause pain to our four-footed friends and those living in the wild. Some of these key changes include: ·Creating new provincial offences including causing or permitting distress to an animal ·Allowing the OSPCA to inspect places where animals are kept for entertainment, exhibition, boarding, sale or hire (long overdue) ·Requiring veterinarians to report suspected abuse and neglect and protecting them from personal liability for doing so While some of the animal rights and protection groups are pleased that the government has finally made an effort to improve the act, there are still many areas where the legislation falls far short, especially where it fails to deal with roadside zoos or privately held exotic animals. But as we stated at the beginning of this editorial, at least it's a start that Queen's Park recognizes that change is needed. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) was one of the key stakeholders in the development of Bill 50 and said it welcomes the changes. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigates roughly 17,000 allegations of animal cruelty each year. However, the SPCA and other animal welfare agencies need continued financial support in order for them to continue their work to protect those who cannot speak for themselves. 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 Re: Axe poised over cultural grants, Oakville Beaver, Nov. 12. It is inconceivable to me how the local council could support cutbacks to arts initiatives in Oakville. My wife and I are planning a move to Oakville in the spring, when we return from Florida, and one of the reasons we chose this town is the thriving arts community that provides so much to the citizens of the area. No one disputes the need for crucial Thriving arts community a boon for Oakville Can we afford tree bylaw? financial decisions to be made in this time of recession, but the arts -- classically underfunded in Canada -- provide the soul and spirit of a vibrant community. Imagine the toll on our young people if they grow up in a community bereft of music, drama, visual arts, dance and the influence of artists of all stripes. The Oakville Arts Council, while capitalizing on the grants provided by the Town, has raised an additional 150 per cent of that amount from private and corporate donors -- a praiseworthy accomplishment indeed -- to devote to the advancement of the arts. My plea to the council is to hold the line on arts funding for the Oakville Arts Council, and other such bodies that keep alive the artistic aspirations of the community. J. B. Burt Sun City Center, Florida BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Pud The cry about suggested service cuts immediately made me think of the proposed $194,000 in support of the recently approved tree bylaw, plus an extra $100,000 for additional tree planting; all claimed as necessary for environmental improvement in the proposed 2009 budget. Nothing has been approved yet, but it does, to a certain extent, make one wonder about the mindset of our present council. With so many government agencies already spending hardearned taxpayers' dollars on environmental improvements, air, natural waterways, lakes and health, one must ask if we are grossly over spending at a local level and neglecting essential services that make Oakville truly livable? An old idiom comes to mind: "Cut your cloth according to your means." IVOR DAVIES Electric never-freeze bird bath stolen My electric never-freeze bird bath was unscrewed and taken from my back deck. It was a favourite place all year for birds to drop in for a drink or an exciting chirruping splash fight. If you come across a similar show when all else is frozen, ask the owner where he bought his bird bath. ARTHUR HOLLAND 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.