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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 23, 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 Global events take centre stage Three current events with global repercussions will simultaneously share world media attention this week -- all of them having the potential to impact huge populations of people. While the Greater Toronto Area braces for one of the biggest, most expensive and, arguably, most inconvenient security exercises in Canadian history, Toronto and Muskoka will play host to some of the world's most powerful leaders for the G20 and G8 Summits. Sadly, attention on these summits has been focused mainly on the extraordinary expense of hosting these gatherings of world leaders and the potential for securitybreaching protests. According to Philip Tanner of the Christian Children's Fund of Canada, the lives of one million Canadians' sponsor children in developing countries could be improved by the collective wills of G20/G8 leaders. "Through the G8 and G20 meetings, Canada has a unique opportunity to champion some... problems such as aid and development effectiveness and healthcare for children," Tanner said this week. ··· More than two months after an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 and touched off the worst oil disaster in world history, expectations are that it will be another two months before the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is stopped. BP says it has already spent $2 billion in cleanup efforts. The figure sounds impressive until one realizes that crude oil is expected to continue to leak from the ocean floor at a rate of 60,000 barrels (2.5-million gallons) per day, until sometime in August when two relief wells intended to end the leak should be complete. Estimates of the total cost to BP range from $11 billion to $100 billion. To put things in perspective, the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 saw between 250,000 and 750,000 barrels -- depending on who you believe -- of crude oil spilled in Prince William Sound, Alaska in a disaster that still sees traces of crude oil showing up in the environment more than two decades later. ··· Remarkably, it is a sporting event -- FIFA's World Cup -- that is destined to garner the most worldwide attention this week as the number of proudly waving flags will be reduced from 32 qualifying nations, to just 16. With all the turmoil in our world, it shouldn't surprise anyone that escapism in the form of sport attracts the most eyeballs. 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 Inquest is about children's safety I have been reading the Oakville Beaver's coverage of the Sara Carlin inquest. This inquest is weighted heavily on the side of GlaxoSmithKline and the doctors who treated Sara. Case in point: Drug Safety Canada was denied standing at this inquest. Drug Safety Canada was founded to promote the safe use of prescription drugs. It could have been a neutral voice at this inquest. But it was denied. The Carlins and their lawyer are presenting their case -- a truly painful and brave thing to do under the circumstances. The Carlins do not have unlimited resources. They only have their memories and their sheer will and resolve to stop this from happening to any other family. This inquest will hopefully bring about meaningful change so this can never happen to another family. Every mother who is reading this should be demanding, at the very minimum, the recommendations the Carlins are requesting. This is about Paxil's safety and its efficacy for children. It is about how Paxil is prescribed and monitored in our children. It is about keeping our children safe. CHRISTINE YARDLEY 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 email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Don't let spill ruin the jewel that is Bronte Creek Re: Town wants answers on Bronte Creek pipeline spill, Oakville Beaver, Wednesday, June 16. Although the oil spill into Bronte Creek may seem picayune in comparison to that in the Gulf of Mexico, nonetheless it affects our local personal environment. Thank goodness for Ward 1 Councillor Ralph Robinson for keeping on top of things and trying to get some action -- something that the senior bureaucrats, the involved industries, seemed to be keeping at the bottom of their 'to do list.' They do not seem to realize what a jewel we have in Bronte Creek, and the resources it offers by way of food and recreation. Bronte Creek is part of phase two in the Atlantic Salmon restoration project; a species that was extirpated over a century ago. Millions of dollars, thousands of volunteer man-hours have been spent on this project and to have it all go down the drain because of government and industry uncaring attitudes would be a crime. The past two springs have seen elementary schools in Oakville and Hamilton raise, in classroom aquarium hatcheries, many hundreds of Atlantic salmon fry from eyed eggs, which were then released into Bronte Creek around Lowville. These fry would then swim downstream to Lake Ontario to return three or four years later to spawn, thus rejuvenating the Atlantic Salmon species in Lake Ontario once again. What a wonderful hands-on educational experience for these kids. It's too bad more adults don't seem to care. Also this year, it is planned that 60,000 Coho or Chinook salmon are due to be released in Bronte Creek. Will they live? Does anybody care? This spill issue has been going on for three months -- at least two months too long. C'mon Oakville. It's time to put a stop to it - now! JIM ETHERINGTON OAKVILLE AND DISTRICT ROD & GUN CLUB DIRECTOR OF ONTARIO FEDERATION OF Inquest coverage disgraceful I wish to protest the heavy coverage given to the suicide of Sara Carlin. As the grandmother of six grandchildren, four of them teenagers, I feel that having a story such as this on the front page of our local newspaper is disgraceful. Hopefully, not too many teenagers read The Oakville Beaver, and for your sake I hope they do not, as otherwise you may be responsible for another tragedy. NORA SMYTH