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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, April 15, 2016 | 6 To all volunteers: `Thank you' "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." -- Aesop It is said volunteers are the roots of strong communities. And like trees, volunteers help breathe life into the community. Volunteers here, and across this great nation, do so much. And sometimes, they y under the radar, carrying out their good work without much fanfare. This week, National Volunteer Week, is an opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate their efforts -- big and small. Oakville is fortunate to have a large army of dedicated individuals, who are keen on donating their time and resources. They heed the call for help, assisting people and organizations alike in times of need. Time and again, they step up to the plate. They waste no time rolling up their sleeves. And they are not afraid to get their hands dirty. The fruits of their labour are often featured in the pages of this newspaper -- usually year-round and not just on a certain week or day. In February, we brought you the story of Marlene Fader, the 79-year-old Oakville women, who, upon losing her husband 13 years ago, decided to put her grief to work and became a volunteer driver with the Canadian Red Cross. Now, 13 years later, she is still a volunteer driver and spoke with us to round up more volunteers (www.insidehalton.com/community-story/6354702-red-cross-in-urgent-need-of-volunteer-drivers-in-oakville-and-halton). This month, you've seen the volunteers selling daffodils for the Canadian Cancer Society, Halton. Our front page on Thursday, April 7, featured a bright, sunny photo of volunteer Ron Turner with a daffodil pin. In that same edition, we carried a feature story about the May Court Club of Oakville, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Its volunteers operate the Nearly New Shop in Kerr Village and provide the club's scholarships for young girls pursuing post-secondary education, and Lunch Box program, and anti-bullying awareness puppet show to schools, free of charge, annually. In fact, all funds raised by the May Court Club go directly back into the community. Fare Share Food Bank, a volunteer-run food bank just wrapped up its Easter food drive. Food banks are also run through Kerr Street Mission (KSM) and the Salvation Army, Oakville. Last week, we brought you news the Oakville Terry Fox Run, set for Sept. 18, is now open for team registrations. This story was complete with the coverage of Ward 1 Town Councillor Ralph Robinson, who served as the chair of the run for 25 years of its 36year history in Oakville. Robinson is an active volunteer. There are a just a few of the thousands of Oakvillians with hearts of gold. They are sel ess, caring and compassionate. They are community minded and they don't seek the limelight. But no one deserves it more than they do. For all that you do, we thank you. Editorial S H A R I N G H O P E F O R A H O M E "Connected to your Community" S W E E T H O M 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 31 Home Suite Hope (HSH) Program Co-ordinator Beverley Davis, HSH Committee Member Pat Broughton, HSH Event Co-ordinator Kris Copeland, and (top) Sweat Shop Union Owner Brian Douglas invite you to take part in the third annual Share the Hope fundraising walk for HSH May 1 in Coronation Park. HSH, which annually hosts the Empty Bowls event in Oakville, supports housing for single-parent families facing homelessness. For more details about the fundraising walk, visit www. homesuitehope.org. 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 Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager | photo by Nikki Wesley ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Mayor welcomes change to Municipal Elections Act Editor's Note: Oakville Mayor Rob Burton provided the following letter to the Oakville Beaver on April 7, 2016, following the provincial government's announcement of its proposed changes to the Municipal Elections Act. I am pleased to see the Ontario government taking bold steps to strengthen local democracy and empower voters at the municipal level. These measures promote fairer, more transparent local elections and encourage equal treatment amongst all municipalities. The Province has proposed a number of sweeping measures to regulate campaign nancing, promote voter engagement and ensure local elections are open and fair. As well as creating a stronger framework to regulate third-party spending and promote transparency in campaign nances, these proposed changes would extend the option of introducing a ranked ballot to all municipalities. Previously, the option of introducing ranked ballots was granted only to the City of Toronto. The proposed changes recognize the need for a system in which all Ontarians are treated equally by the Ontario government, regardless of where they live. Municipalities have also been given considerable time to independently examine how a ranked ballot might affect their local elections. We intend to take as much time as necessary to consult with Council, staff, and residents regarding implementation and the possible impact a new ballot would have on voter engagement. I applaud Premier Wynne and the Ontario government for granting municipalities this level of exibility and self-determination. Mayor Rob Burton, 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.