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OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, June 4, 2009 · 6 The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 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. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary Guest Columnist NEIL OLIVER Vice-president and Group Publisher, Metroland West DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com Hospital delays are unacceptable Ted Chudleigh, Halton MPP evin Flynn's recent hospital revelations do not pass the smell test. First, it is disingenuous of the Oakville MPP to suggest that `construction capacity' issues surrounding the new Oakville Hospital were over-estimated by a cautious provincial government. Either way their bafflegab from last spring delayed the project for more than a year. Second, his suggestion that the PC government did nothing on this issue prior to 2003 is nonsense. The PC government started the process for a new hospital in 2001 with a business plan and moved to the second stage prior to the 2003 election, going so far as to provide the 50 acres of land required for construction. The Liberal government cancelled the project and did not restart it for two years. If Mr. Flynn and his Liberals had not stopped the process then, we would have a new hospital open today. Readers may remember that last year the McGuinty Liberal government delayed the construction of the new hospital yet again citing a lack of `construction capacity' among contractors in Ontario. In a recent Beaver article Mr. Flynn said the issue was not as significant as previously believed and that construction could begin as soon as the spring of 2011. It escapes no one's notice that the next provincial election is scheduled for the autumn of 2011. It is disgusting for Mr. Flynn and the Liberals to use the much needed hospital in Oakville as political football. Frankly, Mr. Flynn should be ashamed of himself. I offered him the opportunity to join me in my efforts to bring this issue to the attention of the government, to lay out the need here in Oakville; but he declined then, preferring to parrot the party line. Now he is fronting the latest attempt at spin by the provincial Liberals. The whole `construction capacity' issue was invented. When it was pushed forward by the Liberals construction in Ontario was already experiencing a significant decline. So much so that the McGuinty government took a trade mission to Dubai looking for work for Ontario construction companies in that fast developing country. The Liberal government has absolutely no credibility on this issue. They forced development of Halton at a much faster pace than anticipated through their `Places to Grow' exercise in central planning. They are responsible for health care infrastructure for all those new residents. They have failed. Their representative in the Region, Mr. Flynn has dropped the ball, preferring to make nice with his political masters, rather than serve the people of Oakville. Ted Chudleigh RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: K United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER PITCHING IN FOR ANDERSON HOUSE: Don Vince and Steve Leyland of Magnes Group pose for a photo with Margaret Anderson at the Ian Anderson House to promote the June 18 golf tournament at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster. The tournament is in support of Kerr Street Ministries and Ian Anderson House by Magnes group. Ian Anderson House is Ontario's first in-resident cancer hospice offering, without charge, quality end-of-life palliative care by trained medical professionals. It is designed to create a home-like environment where residents receive round-the-clock care. See Time page 7 What elephants, devils, wild donkeys and men have in common I n his new book, Home Game, An Accidental Guide To Fatherhood, author Michael Lewis spoon-feeds fathers some excruciatingly honest advice: "Never underestimate your own insignificance." Amen, brother. I read Mr. Lewis' sage quote on the very day I happened upon an apocalyptical newspaper report that appeared under the headline: "Enjoy men while we last." You see, not only are men (in particular, fathers) as insignificant as Michael Lewis suggests, we're also endangered -- that's right, we're on the endangered species list, right up there with the African Elephant, the Tasmanian Devil and the Asiatic Wild Ass (which, ironically, is what women tend to call their men when displeased with their behaviour). In the view of science sorts, men are quickly going the way of the dinosaur and the dodo. Take British professor Jennifer Graves (please). A researcher in human sex chromosomes, Ms. Graves notes that male chromosomes are moribund and could indeed run out in the next five-million years, leaving behind absolutely no one on the planet to take out the garbage, get the lids of jam jars and, ah, well, other manly stuff. According to Ms. Graves: "You need a Y chromosome to be male: 300 million years ago the Y chromosome had about 1,400 genes on it. Now it has only 45 left." Forty-five genes to go and then it's curtains. Turn out the lights, the party's over. Now, I know a whack of women who are more than a little fed up with men to begin with, and who consequently wouldn't be all that unhappy to see them go; Andy Juniper seriously, these are women who really don't have the patience to wait five million years to get a man (or men) out of their lives. I run into these types everywhere. Somehow I attract them. And they openly discuss and bitterly expound upon the innumerable faults of men right in front of me, like I'm invisible, like I'm already extinct. Eventually, they realize that I'm in the room and then they stare at me accusingly, daring me to stick up for my rotten gender. Afraid of being beaten up, or administered a verbal wedgie, I usually just nod in agreement and add something knowingly like, "Yeah, men are bastards. But, what can you do? Can't live with `em, can't live without `em." But maybe women can live without `em. Feminist Gloria Steinem once said, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." And men traditionally retorted that women do indeed need men -- if not for the aforementioned garbage and lid removal, then surely as donors in procreation. Well, with the advancement of artificial sperm, the usefulness of men has been significantly reduced. Did I mention that were down to 45 lousy genes? Now, I don't want to upset the men in the audience, but I think we'd better pool our 45 genes and start coming up with an evolved way of being of use before the ladies get the ludicrous idea that they're better off without us. In most western world nations women are already waiting longer and longer to say, "I do." Is it that much of a stretch for them to start saying, "What for?" Or, "Are you kidding me?" Or, "Not even if you were the last man on Earth!" We've got five million years or so to figure this out, guys. Let's meet this weekend, hoist a couple colds ones, and estimate our insignificance. Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com.