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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, March 26, 2010 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY Regional 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 Power down A recent survey indicates nearly three-quarters of Ontario homeowners say they intend to participate in this year's Earth Hour on Saturday between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Research undertaken by Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) found 73 per cent of respondents plan to participate this year-- up from the 51 per cent planned participation rate indicated in last year's survey. When compared to a typical Saturday night in late March, Ontarians' actions during Earth Hour 2009 contributed to an overall drop in demand for electricity of 920 megawatts (MW), which is equivalent to the peak energy needs of Mississauga at this time of year. Earth Hour is an annual international "lights out" event led by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with the goal of having as many individuals and businesses as possible turn off their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change. The IESO will be monitoring the minute-byminute changes in demand for electricity and ensuring there is generation available to respond to the changing conditions. Shutting off the lights and limiting power use for one hour certainly is not going to save the planet or solve the problem of climate change. However, it is hoped this exercise to increase public awareness of the need to decrease energy use encourages people to think of everyday ways to reduce their energy consumption. Locally, a total of 534 individuals registered to participate last year, along with 21 schools and 15 companies and organizations. Oakville had an energy decrease of 13.3 per cent in 2009 during Earth Hour. This amounted to a savings of 22,233.73 kilowatt hours. Burlington recorded an 8.8 per cent decrease, while Ontario saw a decrease of six per cent. The IESO survey also indicates more Ontarians plan to take concrete steps to reduce their electricity consumption and, if that is the case, all Ontario will be better off and Earth Hour will have played a role. Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then, the annual World Wildlife Fund-organized event has grown to include hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Locally, Oakville residents have rolled up their sleeves and switched off their lights out of respect for the environment and it's expected many more will do the same this year. Saturday evening should be quiet -- and dark -- in town. 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. Letter to the editor Time to protest was early in the fight Re: Why was TransCanada site chosen?, Oakville Beaver, March 24, 2010 A front-page article states how Kevin Flynn, the MPP for Oakville, used Freedom of Information requests to find the specifics as to how the decision was made by Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to locate a gas-fired power plant in Oakville. At the time the decision was made, Kevin Flynn was not only the MPP for Oakville, but he was and is part of the governing party at Queens Park. Flynn was also the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Energy. It should be noted that the OPA is owned by the Province of Ontario. Does Flynn now really expect me to believe he is breaking a sweat trying to get information out of a Crown corporation his government controls? I don't think so. I don't think most Oakvillians were born yesterday either. They are not going to buy this piece of theatrics. News flash for Flynn: the fight was months ago and you were a no-show for our community. If the Minister of Energy and his assistant at the time did not and do not have access and control over the OPG decisions, then what is the government controlling? If Flynn opposes the plant, he should have said so loud and clear to his government and to his constituents before the decision was made. It is too late to change sides... except for appearances sake, and to try to back-pedal in order to win a few votes. The people of Oakville will not forget that Flynn "refused to get involved" when it mattered. NIGEL KETTLE, OAKVILLE Letters to the editor 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, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Name doesn't fit new Clearview school Re: New school names pay homage to Oakville's history, March 24, 2010 Unlike trustee Bateman-Olmstead who is quoted in the article, I live in this area and was actively involved along with many others in the long, hard battle to get this school built. It took 20 years. Last year, the trustees magnificently chose to do the right thing and build the school. We heartily thank them. The subsequent choice of this bizarre name is a complete mystery to me. While it is doubtless meaningful to Bateman-Olmstead and a 10year old who lives on the other side of town, it means absolutely nothing to the vast majority of Clearview residents. We shake our heads in disbelief at the choice. Amazing. This was an exceedingly poor choice. MIKE WEST, OAKVILLE BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud