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6 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday, A ugust 20, 2003 EDITORIALS AND LETTERS THE OAKVILLE K EA VER 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax; 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, e x t 224 Circulation: 845-9742 IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher TERI CASAS Office Manager JILL DAVIS E ditor in C hief MARK DILLS P nxlui'tion Manager KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising D irector RIZIERO VERTOLU Photography D irector CHARLENE HALL C irculation Manager ROD JERRED Managing E ditor THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: M c o c ftrdP rra n o .P U feh rgA D o ro u crgU S .n c Ju d e s A0uiftcW>lnQN*MA6ar&Mr.AMonMnfcl'Cafter.Arw E flftitn M* * v nB a m pA c so rc xB u r/'t B a yT h eW e e k B a to n fnlrprno B rjrrp tc nG u a rtfa n .B u in g to nP o * L B u rln p o n^ccpngN * M .Q ryP a re n t.C o d n ^ x x JV V to n o n C o n rwa o n . txAv c rxM ro r.tn nA O o c a tW C o u n lryR o u te s . 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F o re v e r> tu n g .O tyo fW x kG u a rd a n Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community | Newspapers Association A Canadian Community Newspapers Association i «O X W Tkt i l T T I I H Y Jm igc G e t F und m r * J-COME^P r A C.<> N | oaKvllle galleries | S K *4 Suburtun Newspapers of America Onki'iHt o o o C tti/W fa u t m i I o i O nT, The (Miv«e. M Uton and Osmcj FOfl BU SIN ESSEXCEUENCf O j£ O L I--* Feeling powerless So where were you when the lights went out? That's a question many people will be asking each other in the next few days. If one fact was driven home during the Blackout o f 2003 it was just how reliant on hydro-electric power our modem society has become... and how vulnerable we are without it. Gas pumps stopped pumping. Restaurants shut down. Tons of food went to waste. Businesses shut down (at the cost o f millions o f dollars in lost revenue). Commuters were stuck (thankfully most only briefly) in suddenly non-air-conditioned subway cars. Here at the Beaver. the power disruption arrived as the paper was on deadline for its Friday edition, leaving reporters scrambling to get stories and production staff working overtime to get the paper to residents once power returned. We are genuinely grateful for the patience and understanding o f our readers and advertisers during what was an unprecedented situation in the Beaver's history. Without power, the entire town turned the clock back to pioneer days in trying to find ways to entertain ourselves and to keep cool. The potential for chaos was there during the blackout, but by all accounts most citizens of Oakville acted responsibly. Many made an extra effort to help their neighbours. Numerous Good Samaritans acted as traffic cops at busy intersections and nearly everyone obeyed the law. What could have been catastrophic was instead merely inconvenient. Hydro workers and officials worked as quickly as possible and dili gently to get the power restored even while others spent far too much time and energy trying to point a finger of blame. Emergency personnel worked feverishly to ensure all citizens were safe. The fallout of this crisis will come in the following days but it is our fervent hope that however this problem started, steps are taken to ensure it doesn't happen again. i READY FoRTAKEOFF/ REBMRS COMPLETE, captain M ilton., LETTERS TO THE EDITOR `Probably a weasel word' when it comes to the pesticide debate I do hope you will allow me the courtesy of a reply to the cogent, but facile letter from Tania Orton on pesticide use (the Beaver Aug. 13). 1 hold no brief for companies who produce pesticides but I am aware of some of the facts of pollution. Indeed. 1 suffer a physical disability that needs constant specialist attention due envi ronmental pollution. My interest in this pesticide matter is to get at the truth, the facts, so that your readers can make up their own minds. Tania Orton, quotes, in part, the Canadian Cancer Society. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) is part of a worldwide group under the aegis of The International Agency for Research on Cancer (1ARC), which was established by the World Health Organization (WHO). The sole purpose of all these groups is research into the causes, and possible causes, of all forms of cancer. They err on the side of extreme caution but do recognize that some risk comes with essential substances.Chlorinated drinking water for example, is known to contain toxins injurious to some people. Within the tremendous amount of research done over many years by CCS, IARC, WHO. and government scientist worldwide, they have arrived at a classification system that is used worldwide. Class 1 agents through 2b run from known carcinogens to possible carcinogens. Class 3 agents are not classifiable due insufficient scien tific data. Class 4. under which pesticides we can buy at retail are covered, are probably not cancer forming. Within the framework of the position state ment issued by the CCS, suggesting a ban on the ornamental (Cosmetic) use of pesticides as quot ed in the Tania Orton letter, ornamental (cosmet ic) is further explained. It covers, private gar dens, lawns and parks, recreational facilities and golf courses. Somewhat at odds with the Town of Oakville bylaw that will allow pesticide use not only golf courses but also in Gairloch Gardens. Shell Park and The Oakville Lawn Bowling Club. Maybe I can get special permission to con tinue the use of pesticides on my croquet lawn? The CCS does not advocate a pesticide ban on vegetable and fruit growers, and does not even mention, as far as I can see, usage on land used for growing grain and other crops throughout Canada. The CCS glibly talks of "If the risks are not definitive, why should you be concerned?" and this has to be examined in the light of its own. and government scientist worldwide claim, that Class 4 agents are probably not cancer causing. I emphasize the probably. What I call a weasel word. Yet within the CCS statistics, we see environmental pollutions at two per cent of cancer deaths attributable to established causes of cancer. This is all pollution and would include, autos, factory emissions, pesticide drift and run' off (from farms, private and municipal land) in to streams and lakes. Good grief, adult diet/obesity and smoking are at 30 per cent. A sedentary lifestyle is at five per cent. Even socioeconomic status (if your are poor!) is at three per cent. Finally, even salt-other food additives/contami nants have a one per cent risk factor. Throw in the Harvard study done in 1996 that appears to show a higher cancer risk factor in environmen tal pollution. This study notes the possibility that, with further research, the proportion of cancer deaths related to environmental pollution will be in the range of 5-10 per cent -- a spread of prob ability that makes this research suspect. In my own mind, probably academics (scientist) just throwing out numbers to gamer more research money. Frankly, I would concentrate on the the poor (socioeconomic status) at three per cent, the occupational factors, family history of cancer, viruses/other biological agents, perinatal growth factors/growth all at five per cent - 23 per cent of all established causes of cancer. But. if a majority of Oakvillians, and I do mean a majority, not just the 30 per cent odd who bother to vote, who fully understand what they are voting for, say YES. I will go along with this ban. Providing all ornamental (cosmetic) use of pesticides within Oakville are banned. This means all --golf courses. Gairloch Gardens, Shell Park, Town and private lands. Next year, maybe our councillors can tackle the rural, farm, areas. This should keep the miniscule number of Oakvillians who understand little and know less (some of them on our Town and Regional coun cil). happy indeed. Ignorance may win again! IVOR DAVIES Roaming rottweilers near Oakville Yacht Club frighten dog walkers I am writing in response to James E. Harwood's Letter of the Week which appeared in the July 30 edition o f the B eaver. Annual Kids Fishing Derby always a delight for families I would like to thank the Oakville Rod and Gun Club. Once again they took time out of their schedules as they have done for 40-plus years to put on the Kids Fishing Derby. There was always a smiling face to greet the excited children as they brought their fish in to be weighed and measured. I'm sure my 12-year-old son was just as happy entering fish as I was at his age. These guys deserve a big round of applause for just coming out and being a part of the kids' lives year after year. There are some guys still there from when I was enter ing fish; it is very cool to see! Keep a watch out next year for advertise ments; they have a Web site. It is usually the first Saturday in July, but is flexible. It's a great day for the family to get out. The smiling faces o f the kids is the cost of entry and there is lots o f prizes. Thanks again. On another note, while my son and I were out trying to catch some substantial scale breakers for the derby, we had the most inter esting experience sharing the river with the Burloak Canoe Club. Your line abreast formation across the river was most impressive as was your prowess in your gentle placement o f your paddles in the water. You got so close that I felt the coolness o f the river water. I'm sure the man in the sailboat was most impressed with your channel decorum as he tried to maneuver a 180 degree turn in a 30 foot boat in a 33 foot channel. You squeezed through the gaps bow and stem like little ducklings chasing bread. Probably not the wisest thing for you to do! Just a thought, some o f you I believe think the river is your personal and exclusive race track. I have no problem with this but you must follow the rules o f the road and show civility to your fellow marine users. There are rules to boating and you are not exempt! The river system is there for every one to use responsibly. Perhaps when you are sitting in a classroom learning your art you could also learn proper boat control and etiquette? PETER D. FAIRWEATHER Although I do not live in the Glen Abbey a re a 1 certainly sympathize with Mr. Harwood as I've had the very same problems more often than not, while walking my golden retriever in the olde Oakville area o f town. As for his dog being a rottweiler, I know for a fact that given the right training and socializing from the puppy sxage, a rottweiler can be as wonderful a pet as any other breed of dog. My parents had one for 12 years and it was the most man nered and gentle dog I have ever come across -- even more gentle than my golden retriever who is a very gentle dog himself. Although I've had several problems with both small and large dogs, while off their leads, trying to attack my retriev er, my worst confrontation with dogs off lead was with two rottweilers in the Oakville Yacht Club area a year or so ago. There is a man in this town who thinks he can walk his two rottweilers off lead in that area and, in that incident, my husband and I were walking along the back path area o f the yacht club. His two rottweilers came racing towards us growling and trying to get at our retriever who, of course, was on his lead. The man literally had to run and throw him self on one of them to wrestle him to the ground so that he would not attack our dog or myself. And even though I had watched my par ents' rottweiler grow up and I am very fond o f dogs in gen eral, I have never been so frightened in my entire life. Also, since that incident, my husband and I are afraid to take that lovely walk along beside the west bank o f the river. We have since seen that man from the east bank and again his dogs are often running loose. My husband also had to change his route a few times when he has been over in that area as he has seen him from a distance -- again with his dogs off their leashes. I have called the Animal Control people and mentioned it to them, but from what we have seen that man is still walk ing those dogs off their leashes. I agree with Mr. Harwood that the Town should be giving fines out to people who disobey the `dogs on leads' law. Not only would it possibly smarten up some people in this regard, but the Town could use the money collected for park mainte nance. With all of the loose dogs we've seen in our local parks. I'm sure they could use it! D. MARSH Pud By STEVE NEASE We want your opinion The O a k v ille B eaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considera tions and grammar. In order to be published, letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to T he Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Road, Oakville, On., L6K 3S4, or via email to editor@ oakvillebeaver.com . The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish any let ter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The round 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 aefcertising 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. ' Her 6uys / ) X k k W K Y a k yak yak Yak w h o a r e Y ou V EACH LLTA U K lN STo]X other/ % YAK W W YAK YAK A C l C