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w w w .in si de H A LT O N .c om O A K V IL LE B EA V ER W ed ne sd ay , A ug us t 2 4, 2 01 1 6 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends The Oakville Beaver Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver is a division of NEIL OLIVER Vice President and Group Publisher of Metroland West DAVID HARVEY Regional 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 SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager 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 typo- graphical 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. Letter to the editor Letters to the editor 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. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: ATHENA Award THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member Canadian Community Newspapers Association Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America On Monday, August 22nd, our country suffered a profound loss in the leader of the New Democratic Party, Jack Layton. A political activist from birth, Jack had a long history of fighting for the people, a history that can be traced back through his family. His grandfa- ther was a member of Quebec's legisla- tive assembly, and his father served as a cabinet minister in Brian Mulroney's government. After graduating from McGill, Layton moved to Toronto where he taught at Ryerson University. Layton was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1982. During his time on council, staying true to his values, Layton fought for issues and emerged as a passionate advocate of social jus- tice. fIn 2003, Jack won the leadership o the New Democratic Party. Jacks mes- sage of working together and seeking compromise resonated with Canadians and through Jacks leadership, he brought the NDP from fourth place in the House of Commons to official opposition. I remember meeting Jack at a young age during my time as a sum- fmer student working for the Board o Toronto Harbour Commissioners. Jack and I never seemed to be on the same side of an issue, but I always admired his passion, resolve and incredible eloquence. Although we disagreed on how to get there, we shared the same goal to make Canada a better place to live and raise a family. His legacy of being able to create real change and results for people - from positions that were never partic- ularly powerful - will forever be remembered. In reflection of Jacks battle, the Prime Minister said I know one thing: Jack gave his fight against cancer everything he had. Indeed, Jack never backed down from any fight. I greatly respected the courage that Jack dem- onstrated each and every day in Ottawa. The Oakville Beaver (Aug. 17) headline and story Integrity Officer Clears Mayor leaves the impression that Mayor Rob Burton did nothing wrong in cancelling a cycle of Council meetings during the last three weeks of a fed- eral election and broke no rules. Yet the report of the Integrity Officer for the Town of Oakville clearly shows that Mayor Burton acted in breach of a town by-law and The Code of Conduct of Council for Oakville. This is a serious offence, particularly for a mayor, for whom oddly no sanctions or repri- mand were recommended. The integrity officer reported that accord- ing to Procedural By-law 2009-114 Section 2(2.1) (2) it is the clerk who should cancel Council meetings after consultations with the mayor under condition there are insufficient agenda items for a meeting. The mayor can- not cancel meetings at will with no reason. The officer found there were sufficient agenda items for the April 12th meeting, including the taxi license issue for which 200 notices had been sent out to licence holders, and that Mayor Burton should not have can- f celled that meeting without a majority o council in agreement. This was a clear breach of the by-law, yet the integrity officer referred to it as an error in judgment to initiate the request or changes to the meeting schedule based upon insufficient agenda items. The integrity officer indicated neither the mayor nor the CAO were aware of the substan- tial notice of the meeting given to the taxi industry and should have been advised by staff. Yet he reported the mayor had gone over the clerks head to initiate the request to the CAO to cancel the meetings, concluding These actions did not advance the common good of the Town of Oakville as required of the Mayor by the Code. Oakville MP responds to integrity story See Remembering page 8 Halton MP laments Jack Layton's passingDon't it always seem to goThat you don't know what you've got Till it's gone i Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Tax f Perhaps the saddest aspect of the passing o federal New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton is that the man who led the party to its greatest victory will not be around to enjoy the spoils of his work. When Layton succumbed to his second battle with cancer early Monday it came as a shock to many, even though his death should not have been a surprise to anyone who witnessed his July announcement that he was taking a leave of absence. At that time it was obvious the dreaded disease was taking its toll. While Laytons politics were not for everyone, f it seems by all accountsand the thousands o tributes that have already poured in the man himself transcended his left-wing party. From neighbours to colleagues to political rivals, all painted the picture of a man who at ease with whoever he would meet, always lent a sympathetic ear and was eager to lend a helping hand. It is not a stretch to say that Laytons person- able nature was the chief reason the NDP now sit in the Opposition seats on Parliament Hill nor that the party itself faces a huge crisis with- out its charismatic leader. While some cynics may question whether Layton was forthcoming enough about his health during the past election campaign, the fact is it was his decision good or bad. The NDP will surely be a far weaker opposi- tion voice in parliament without Layton but it is also a loss for all Canadians. Layton while a politician through and through did convey a sense of fairness and idealism that will be missed. That idealism shone through in his final letter to the public. My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And well change the world. Jack Layton See Oakville page 8