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TM MAINTENANCE · TIRES · BRAKES OIL & FILTER · BATTERIES · ALIGNMENT Life is better in the Quick Lane.TM oak-land.com 905-844-3273 17 SNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010 ontario's top newspaper - 2005-2008 The Buzz is in Sports WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012 Business Strategy Advisors www.vector17-advisors.com A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 50 No. 79 "Using Communication To Build Better Communities" 56 pages $1.00 (plus tax) Celebrating Oakville air is improving By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville residents should be breathing a little easier since the town's air quality is apparently improving. Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn announced last week that between 2004 and 2010, Oakville's particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels have dropped by 33 per cent. Particulate matter 2.5 is an air pollutant largely made up of sulphate and nitrate particles, elemental and organic carbon and soil. It has been associated with hospital admissions and several serious health effects, including premature death. The figures showing their reduction in Oakville in recent years, come from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Kevin Flynn The statistics also show PM 2.5 continuing to decline. "Oakville's air is doing very, very well compared to where it was," said Flynn. "I'm not suggesting for one minute that we don't have some more work to do, but I think everybody should be proud. The Town, industry, the residents, everyone should be proud of how far we've come in a relatively short period of time." Flynn also discussed information taken each year by the Oakville air quality monitoring station, which records how many hours each year PM 2.5 levels exceed the national standard of 30 milligrams per cubic metre. In 2003, the Oakville monitoring station recorded 275 hours when the national PM 2.5 standard was exceeded. These numbers rose to a high of 371 hours in 2005, dropped to 161 hours in 2006, rose again to 211 hours in 2007, and then dropped drastically to 56 hours in 2008. The PM 2.5 levels remained low in Oakville during the next few years, exceeding the national standard for only 27 hours in See Residents page 5 eric riehl / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog canada day: Fireworks capped off a day of festivities in Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park as people gathered to celebrate Canada Day at the annual event hosted by the Bronte Village BIA and Town of Oakville. For more photos, see page 7 and Artscene. 203-627 Lyons Lane Oakville Other Locations: Burlington · Hwy. 5 · Mississauga · Waterdown · Welland SHUTTERS · Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed · Serving Oakville with Shop at Home Hom ome om e Service Se · Wood & Vinyl Shutters, Supplied & Installed · High High g Quality Quality Quali ty ya at t Affordab Affordable able Pri Pric Prices c CALIFORNIA & PLANTATION 905.339.1397 www.senseofhearing.ca SHUTTERS ETC. 905.691.4455 www.shuttersetc.ca Authorized Eclipse Shutters Dealer Shop at Home Service FREE