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21 years of affordable golf at private course standards OAKVILLE EXECUTIVE GOLF COURSES 4414 Fourth Line at Lower Base Line (Eglinton Ave.) Call for tee times 905.875.EXEC (3932) www.oakvillegolf.ca Best 19th Hole in GTA! Are you ready for ALL Day Golf? Golf All Day on 2 Great Courses SATURDAY OCTOBER 9th SUNDAY OCTOBER 24th $30 $26 $35 $30 MONDAY OCTOBER 25th UNTIL END OF SEASON $25 $30 w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Th ur sd ay , O ct ob er 7 , 2 01 0 8 What is your vision for Oakville Transit? Your personal mobil- ity is threatened by traf- fic congestion and rising oil and gas prices. Economists predict a 30 per cent increase in the next five years. All taxpayers pay the cost of roads, but not all taxpayers and residents can drive. Roads are our biggest expenditure as a municipality. Public transit is an essential part of the road system, so everyone can use the roads everyone pays for. Council and I unanimously chose to create a grid pattern transit system to increase transit usability. While it is normal for buses to run empty from time to time or point to point dur- ing a day, we have no empty bus routes and rid- ership has gone up ever since. To support our vision, we added a new uptown terminal, Sheridan terminal, repair depot, accessible buses, 70 shelters and Presto card service. My Freedom Pass for students is building a base of loyal customers for the future. Transit reduces gridlock, competition for parking and air pollution. It strengthens our social safety net with affordable mobility for students, workers, the disabled and seniors. As the population ages, there will be ever more demand for bus service. We will build ridership and make transit more sustainable. My vision is of a pub- lic transit system thats convenient, responsive and affordable both for riders and for our Towns budget. To be sustainable, transit must be an inte- gral part of our Towns Economic and Environ- mental Strategic Plan. Ontarios municipalities are still recovering from the downloading of the Harris era. Im proud of the role I played in helping Oakville get its share of gas tax revenues from the provincial and federal governments money that helps fund our transit system. Now we must make the provincial govern- ment see that transit is a solution to many chal- lenges air quality, poverty reduction and, of course, gridlock. When the benefits (and savings) are clear, we must demand more provincial investment in public transit. We cannot put the burden largely on Oakvilles property taxpayers. We can be creative, too. We can boost rider- ship by offering a flat $10 monthly transit fee for seniors (and possibly people with special needs or low incomes). We should also benchmark our service, costs and effectiveness against other towns, something our Auditor General could help with. And we should work with the other two Halton transit systems as well as GO Transit to improve coordinated service, including off- peak trains every 30 minutes. John McLaughlin Ann Mulvale My vision for Oakville Transit is for an affordable busing system that responds to the commut- ing needs of the public, rather than dictating its needs to the public. The public wants convenient, affordable and greener transit. Many buses still carry only two or three individuals at a time well below capacity expensive and environ- mentally unfriendly. Oakville Transit accounts for one of the single largest capital and operating expenditures in the Town's budget, and that will have to change. This can be done by reducing the number of buses in its inventory and reducing their indi- vidual size. Shorter routes also permit fewer buses at the same service levels. Adaptable route structures permit route coverage when and where its needed. Oakville Transit needs to set a greener exam- ple by acquiring hybrid buses, running on both electric motors and conventional motors, using up to 50 per cent less fuel, making up to 50 per cent less emissions and are cheaper to maintain. Electric and hydrogen-powered buses (zero emission buses) are used in other jurisdictions making a much smaller carbon footprint are quieter and promote cleaner air. We can partner with Oakville Hydro and local business as a team and paint all of our buses green. Editors note: In the weeks leading to the Oct. 25 municipal election, The Oakville Beaver will be asking the mayoralty candidates a weekly question. If you have any sugges- tions for questions, please send them to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. Rob BurtonAnn Mulvale John McLaughlin Even though Oak- villes transportation sys- tem is one of the best in Canada, I still believe our recreational bike trails need to be improved. We need a master cycling plan. It needs a vision that encompasses active transportation a vision that improves the routes in which bicyclists can get to the downtown, to school, to work, to the train sta- tion, or to the mall and stores. We know moderate cycling helps reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes one of the top leading causes of death in Canada. It also helps to reduce depression, stress, colon cancer, obesity and diabetes. It helps provide for a longer life. It also saves precious energy, money and reduces pollution. In Switzerland, Sweden and other European countries in the morning, it is very normal for residents to ride their bikes to school or univer- sity, even miles away to the lake to swim. Moms and dads ride their bikes to the store or work. In the Netherlands, 60 per cent of travelling is done on bike. Imagine if you could feel safe biking to the GO station without worrying about parking. Or you could have peace of mind while your 12- year-old daughter rode her bike to school? Oakville can set an example. This will be Oakvilles chance to be a leader. Raymond Ray Raymond Ray Rob Burton The following all-candidates meetings are on the books to help inform voters as they prepare to cast ballots in the Oct. 25 municipal election. Any group hosting an all-candidates meeting is welcome to let us know by e- mailing the details to editor@oakville- beaver.com. Tuesday, Oct. 12, All-candidates Meet and Greet/Mayoral Candidates Debate spon- sored by Oakvillegreen Conservation Association, Galaxy 707 Hall, 475 North Service Rd. (east of Trafalgar), doors open 6:30 p.m. for candidate meet and greet; mayoral question and answer at 8 p.m.. Meet all the candidates for Town and Regional Council and for the school boards at one time at one place. Candidates will be grouped by ward to make it easy for citizens to talk to all the candidates in their area. Organizers will have ward maps available to direct citizens to the appropriate candidates. Friday, Oct. 15 Ward 2 Meet the Candidates jointly hosted by the West Kerr Village Residents Association (WKVRA), West River Residents Association (WRRA), South Central Oakville Residents Association (SCORA), and West Harbour Residents Association (WHRA), Oakville Arena, Pine Room, 133 Rebecca St. All can- didates for mayor, Ward 2 regional/town councillor, and Ward 2 town councillor have been invited. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event runs from 7-9 p.m. Each candi- date will be provided time to make a short presentation, followed by a Q & A. The can- didates will be asked to address several ques- tions in their presentation. Open to all Ward 2 residents. Free admission, refreshments. Friday, Oct. 15, All-candidates Meet the Candidates for Mayor, Ward Ward 2 Regional/Town Councillor, and Ward 2 Councillor, Oakville Arena, Pine Room, doors open at 6:30 p.m., event runs 7-9 p.m., each candidate will be provided time to make a short presentation, followed by questions and answers. All Ward 2 residents invited. Attendance is free. Refreshments will be served. Friday, Oct. 15 Council candidates Mark Straub (Ward 5) and Tom Altobello (Ward 6) are hosting a wine tasting meet and greet the candidates from 7-10 p.m. at the Acura Dealership, 1525 North Service Rd. W. No charge for event, but donations welcome for local Childrens Foundation. RSVP: Mirella @ 905-825-8777. Tuesday, Oct. 19 Ward 3 Public School Trustee All-candidates Meeting, 7 p.m., hosted by the School Council of Oakville Trafalgar High School, 1460 Devon Rd. Meet the municipal candidates