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A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER W ednesday January 26, 2000 T he O akville B eaver Ian Oliver Publisher Neil OliverAssociate Publisher Norman Alexander Editor Kelly Montague, Advertising Director Martin Doherty Circulation Director Ten Casas Office Manager Mark Dills Production Manager Riziero Vertolli Director o fPhotography Metrdand Printing. Publishing & Distributing Ud.. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser. AHiston HeratcVCouner. Barrie Advance. Barry's Bay This Week. Bolton Enterprise. Brampton GuartJan. Burlington Post. Bixtnglon Shopping News. City Parent. CottngwoocWVasaga Connection, East York Mirror. Enn Advocata'Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian. Fiamborough Post. Georgetown independent/Acton Free Press. Huroria Business Times, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week. Markham Ecnomist & Sun. Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror. Milton Canadian Champion. Milton Shoppng News. Mssissauga Busness Tmes. Mssesauga News. Napanee Gude. Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News. North York Mirror. Oakville Beaver, Qakvile Shoppng News. Oldtmers Hockey News. Qrilia Today. OshawaM/hitby/Qanngton Port Perry This Week. Owen Sound Tribune. Peterborough This Week. Picton County Guide. Richmond Hiii/Thornhiii/Vaughan Liberal. Scarborough Mirror. Stouftviiie/Uxbridge Tnbune. Forever Yang. City of York Guardian OPINION RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community N e w sp a p e rs Association W E L C O M THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: I *C N A Canadian Community N e w spap ers Association Suburban N e w sp a p e rs of America ^ £ 0 JiNqte BeII Fuxid W r V since 1930 a g o n E ^ ltd . b r o n te THE t u t t e r f l y J y /* £ ^ * l 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 S K J P i ie m | | | ( jh e _ JAxoard O akville © Awards TV AUCTION FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE Editonals * m m * m Just the facts W hen the M ik e H arris p ro v in cial g o v ern m en t set ab o u t to d ism an tle Ontario Hydro, it did so in the hope that private enterprise would offer alter natives to the status quo. East Oakville A fter p o stin g ledgers o f red ink and w ith residents fought and massive problem s with its nuclear pow er plants, th at have n e v e r o p era ted at p ea k efficien cy , won a battle with CN Harris believed it was tim e to give taxpayers a about their rail break. shunting operations E n ter S ith e Inc., a h u g e N ew Y ork C ity in the area and the based m ulti-national pow er provider. warning flag is being U nlike m ost C row n C orporations (like the form er OH), Sithe is gam bling that the electrici waved again over this ty m arket in southern O ntario will continue to power plant proposal. expand. And it's ready to put $1 billion on the table to build tw o natural-gas-pow ered electrical pow er generating stations. O ne o f tho se sta tio n s is p la n n e d fo r M ississa u g a , ju s t e a st o f W in sto n Churchill Boulevard and south of Royal W indsor Drive. . Make no doubt about it, the facility will be huge, generating enough pow er for the needs o f all o f H alton and more. So w hat are the im plications for O akvillians? N o doubt it depends on your perspective....and location. East O akville residents fought and won a battle with C N about their rail shunting operations in the area and the w arning flag is being w aved again over this pow er plant proposal. The concern is mostly about the trucking in of am m onia products to the plant and the physical im pact o f the facility. But before the issue gets out o f hand, let's give Sithe a chance to tell their side o f the story before we put up the barricades and protest. The plant's bene fits may result in low er pow er costs here and possibly the elimination of a less environm entally-friendly Lakeshore G enerating Station. Facts first...action later. Letters to the Editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters m ust be typed, signed and include the w riter's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 Rape Crisis Centre support appreciated W e w o u ld lik e to ta k e th is o p p o rtu n ity to thank the H alton community so much for their gen erous donations to our C hristm as Drive. In particular, I would like to m e n tio n C h e ry l S u lliv a n an d e m p lo y e e s of H oogovens Technical Services, the congrega tion of M unn's United Church and T ra fa lg a r P re sb y te ria n C h u rc h , Vanessa Stacey and em ployees of C IB C in H o p ed a le M all, K evin Fitzpatrick and em ployees o f the Syl Apps Youth Centre, the patrons o f Hopedale Mall who contributed to th e m a il's to y d r iv e , C M D Insurance, D onna-Lee Brown and patrons o f R ainbow Expressions, and co m m u n ity m em b ers M ary H a m ilto n , C a rla J o lle r , S a ra h Jo n e s , S a n a M a k h o u l, G ra c e Steward and D onna Zachariah. We were able to distribute m ore than $500 in food vouchers and $500 in gift ce rtificates, as w eli as toys, clothing and other items. M any o f the women who come to our C entre are not financially com fortable, a lack w hich is felt m ore keen ly at C h ristm as tim e. T h e ir d o n a tio n s have h elp ed to m ake a brighter Christm as for 30 Halton families this year-over 100 p eo p le. T h is w as o nly p o ssib le because of their generosity. The Halton Rape Crisis Centre provides a num ber o f invaluable services to the region o f Halton. Letter of the Week M e d ic a l e rro rs ra re ly n o te d Recent front page headlines in Canada's mainstream news media, sug gest that the chiropractic profession was in need of closer scrutiny. Indeed, the news media based their facts on one isolated incident, (although still unproven in court), that an incident may be responsible for a patient's par tial paralysis and possibly, their subsequent death. It has also been suggested that there are possibly a few more, perhaps up to 10 incidents before civil courts. To the best of my knowledge, none of these individuals has died. At the same time, it is noteworthy that in 1999, medical errors killed about 100,000 hospitalized patients in the U.S. and a similar number in their homes, mostly due to wrong prescriptions. The numbers in Canada are proportionately smaller; reports suggest that about 20,000 patients die each year in Canadian hospitals as a result o f medical errors and a similar number in their homes. Even the one death, rem otely connected to chiropractic is one too many, yet it appears that we accept those made by the medical profession more readily. The Centre is supported by nine staff members and numerous vol unteers and students. O ur Centre is currently involved in various edu cational program s teaching about violence against women and chil dren and sexual harassment in the workplace, we hold support groups fo r s u rv iv o rs o f v io le n c e , o u r O utreach w orkers co n tact m any w om en fro m all c u ltu ra l b a c k grounds and coordinate our Annual C h ristm as D rive, and the C risis Line is a very active service pro vided by the Centre. Once again, we thank you, the Halton com munity, for your sup port. We look forward to working with you in 2000. Queen `mum'snubbed Canadians have felt shocked and disappointed with the recent new s o f Canada Post's refusal to issue a postage stam p honouring Q ueen E lizabeth the Q ueen M o th e r's 100th birthday this A ugust. T here is room in the 2000 stamp schedule to celebrate the 100th anniversary o f the D e p a rtm e n t o f L a b o u r, to h o n o u r th e S e v e n th D ay A d v en tist C h u rch an d to d ep ict the P acific L oon an d antique m ailb o x es-b u t not, apparently, for T h e queen M um '-strange priorities! One does not have to be a fervent monarchist to share in the Com m onw ealth's intense admiration for this rem ark able lady, her 1939 visit to Canada with the King, cem ent ed the national feeling so vital in the war years, and, as she later observed, "m ade us, in terms of helping the K ing's overcoming his shyness and stammer. Her persistent ser vice during the ensuing years has shown how ridiculous is the notion that "senior citizens" have no role to play in society after age 70 or 75. A nd her g ift o f raisin g her daughter, our present Queen, is reflected every day in the younger Elizabeth's devotion to duty and to the well-being of all her peoples. I invite readers w ho share frustration in this petty and unw orthy decision to w rite to the C hairm an o f C anada P ost, M. A ndre O u ellet, at 2701 R iv ersid e D r., S u ite N0420, Ottawa K1A OB 1-urging that he personally cause the issuance o f a proper celebratory com m em orative to honour a wonderful woman, Canada's Queen Mother. Kerry Samuels, Outreach Worker Bev LeFran^ois, Co-executive Director Jacquelyn Schlatman, Co-executive Director Halton Rape Crisis Centre Stefan Eberspaecher `C larity' Bill serves only to m uddy w aters of Quebec independence W hat's w rong with clarity? se c e d in g p ro v in ce ? C o u ld they 1. The only "Clarity" is in this n e g o tia te fo r C a n a d a ? F o r the Bill's Title. se c e d in g p ro v in ce ? C o u ld they This bill doesn't live up to the vote in the H ouse on negotiating promise in its title. For exam ple, it strategy, outcom es or other issues doesn't tell us: related to the secession o f their ^ -W h a t does the governm ent hom e province? mean by a clear m ajority? W ould -- W ho will negotiate for the the overall result have to m eet any r e s t o f C a n a d a ? W h a t a re th e criteria such as m inim um levels o f rights o f other provinces in decid support by geographic, language ing whether, when, w hat and how or ethnic groupings ? W hat is the to n e g o tia te w ith th e se c e d in g minimum threshold? province? -- W hat is the am ending for -- W hat happens if n eg o tia m ula fo r secessio n ? U nanim ous tio n s fa il to re a c h a m u tu a lly (C a n a d a + 10)? " 7 /5 0 " ? agreeable result? Including, or plus, the seceding -- W h a t h a p p e n s if o th e r province? p ro v in c e s re fu se to h o n o u r the -- D o e s th e g o v e r n m e n t agreem ent signed by Ottawa? acknow ledge th a t the aboriginal -- L a st y ear, Je an C h re tie n p e o p le s h a v e a v e to o v e r an y sa id le g isla tio n w a sn 't n eeded. change in their status vis-a-vis the W hat has changed? federal P arliam en t? T he answ er I d on't believe this Bill should should be in the Bill. have been introduced. But if the -- W hat role would be played governm ent is going to proceed, by P a r lia m e n ta r ia n s fro m th e the Bill m ust answ er the funda mental questions. Otherwise, what "winning conditions" . is the point? 3. This Bill is Dangerous 2. T h is B ill is a G ift to For the first time ever, federal Bouchard legislation will: At a time when separatist sup -- V alidate th e se c e ssio n o f p o rt w as w a n in g , th e P a rti any province. Quebecois was in trouble, and the -- C h a lle n g e o u r e m o tio n a l Jean Charest team was ahead 14 support o f a Canada indivisible. points in the polls, this Bill offers -- Lay out the steps that sepa Lucien Bouchard a perfect diver ratists must follow in order to suc sion. ceed. -- T he Bloc Q uebecois drew At best, this Bill is unclear and 10 points closer to the federalist u se less, se rv in g o n ly to d iv id e Liberals after the Bill was intro C a n ad ian s an d d iv e rt atte n tio n duced. from Chretien's bungling of other -- T h e P arti Q u eb eco is also issues. At w orst, this Bill is dan d rew n in e p o in ts c lo s e r to the gerous because it seeks legislative Charest Liberals. tools to negotiate secession o f any -- A m ajority o f Q uebeckers province from our country. oppose the Bill, even more strong W here is our M P on all these ly am ongst francophones important issues facing our coun -- O th e r is s u e s are o f f th e try and com munity? front page. Stephen Sparling This Bill betrays Jean Charest. Councillor, Town o f Oakville Federalists in Quebec are divided. (Oakville Federal Progressive A divided opposition helps create Conservative candidate o f record) John Aimers Dominion Chairman The M onarchist League o f Canada PO B ox 1057 Oakville, O N L6J 5E9 `Whales' backed good cause I w rite to express ap p reciatio n fo r the co v erag e in the Oakville Beaver on Jan. 5th, o f the Bronte Beached W hales dip, originally sponsored by CHAPS o f Bronte. The event engendered much support from local businesses and individuals, for the benefit o f the Halton W om en's Place and the movement against Violence Towards W omen. Special thanks to Jack Roberts for his generous donation of $1,000. Congratulations to all the participants and contributors, and my heartfelt gratitude for recognition o f this worthy cause. Agnes Weir Changes look promising Lately, I have been reading a good deal about the future of Halton. Recently a meeting was held with several `905' mayors pre sent. I believe the Burlington M ayor was absent, but no men tion was made of the Oakville mayor. Prom inent in the articles were opinions from the Mississauga and O shaw a m ayors and others. W hat is happening to our civic coverage here? There are several political figures (strategists) at w ork on this project. For a moment-all things aside-there are many scenarios to consider. -eliminate Regional governments in the `905' areas(a fore gone conclusion) the best plans I have read yet! W est side: expand the true GTA to include B urlington, Oakville and M ilton with Mississauga. (Current M ississauga Mayor) Hazel (McCallion) would be mayor of the new city or temporarily so. -Georgetown would fit in with Brampton etc. -Halton Hills would be best to join Guelph This is only a preliminary suggestion and looks practical, what exciting new changes! It's a start. Citizens have a right to their views! Pud by Steve Nease Jim Clelland Ed. note: For those interested in this topic, see coverage in the Oakville Beaver issues of Jan. 14th and Jan 19th.