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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, February 19, 2016 | 6 We will survive One can be forgiven for thinking the death of printed newspapers is imminent, especially given recent events at Postmedia and Metroland's The Guelph Mercury, where about 100 people combined were laid off. Newsrooms across the country are being merged. But rest assured, while the community press is beset by challenges (just like any other industry), this isn't the beginning of a widespread death spiral. The news of mass layoffs and restructuring at certain publications should not be interpreted as an overall print crisis. When a company extends its reach, it can end up accumulating vast amounts of debt and puts itself in a precarious position -- but that's true of any business. This isn't about new technology killing newspapers either. It is about a complex mix of social, political, economic and structural challenges. Yet as technology continues to advance by leaps and bounds, questions invariably arise regarding the future of the printed medium. The viability of newspapers in an environment where there is increased competition for reader attention and ad dollars becomes an almost all consuming question, where assumptions are made that a new technology will inevitably overwrite existing technologies. But that's not how it works. Radio didn't kill the newspaper, nor did television. Instead, the power balance within the media industry was renegotiated as new media forms entered and were eventually absorbed into the evolving media market. Indeed, print has been remarkably resilient in the face of so-called disruption. And it's not like it's always been easy for newspapers. Filled with an entrepreneurial spirit, early newspaper owners set up rudimentary hand presses in settlements across the country, carving for themselves a niche role within the nation's slowly emerging news market. They became not just chroniclers of history, but also a key source of communal information. The pages of these early gazettes provided information, recorded shared experiences and generally built a sense of collective identity, much like today's community newspapers -- much like what the Oakville Beaver has done and will continue to do. It is in these pages and online on our website www.insidehalton.com/oakville-on and Twitter (@OakvilleBeaver) and Facebook (Facebook. com/OakvilleBeav) pages that readers come to nd what's going on in their community and share their stories of triumph and sadness with others. Newspapers are renegotiating their place as the market adjusts to accommodate the newest entries. Newspapers, especially hyperlocal weeklies, are still an important part of a reader's news diet. Editorial D O Y O U W A N T T O B U I L D A "Connected to your Community" S N O W B A S E ? 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 54 | Number 15 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER KELLY MONTAGUE DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Director of Production MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Luke Petrykowski's sons Maximilian, 8, and John Paul, 6 (wearing the monkey hat), took advantage of the recent snowfalls in the area. The Oakville boys built a massive snow fort/base right in front of their home. | photo by Luke Petrykowski Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Oath of allegiance a medieval practice: reader As a Catholic ratepayer and retired Catholic school teacher and principal, I must express my dismay at the resolution of the Halton Catholic District School Board's to make it mandatory for all students, teachers, and administrative staff to take an oath of allegiance to Canada and its laws at the beginning of every school day. I'm sure the intentions of the school trustees are admirable and show their love for this country, but I nd it insulting to the teachers, students, parents, and grandparents of Catholic school students who quietly practice their patriotism every day without being ordered to do so. It is doubly offensive to those students (and their parents) who attend publiclyfunded Catholic schools and do not yet have Canadian citizenship due to the slowness of government to issue the necessary papers. Presumably, those students would be excluded from taking the oath. The citizens of Ontario, religious and nonreligious, tolerate the Constitutional rights and privileges that permit the continued existence of Catholic schools in the 21st century despite the failure of the system to recognize, support, and treat with dignity Catholic gay, lesbian, and transgendered teachers and students within the structure of Catholic schools. I urge the trustees to reconsider and rescind their unfortunate policy decision and to look at supporting the joint efforts of the Ontario Teachers' Federation and the Ministry of Education's Digital Citizenship program rather than mandating a medieval practice of pledging fealty on bended knee to the reigning monarch. Douglas Knott, Oakville Letter to the Editor Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: 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, 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. 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.