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w w w .i n si d eH A LT O N .c o m O A K V IL LE B EA V ER W ed ne sd ay , O ct ob er 5 , 2 01 1 6 467 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 The Oakville Beaver Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver is a division of NEIL OLIVER Vice President and Group Publisher of Metroland West DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief 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 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 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. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: ATHENA Award THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member Canadian Community Newspapers Association Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America What will it take to get drivers to remember that intersections are used by pedestrians as well as vehi- cles? I asked myself this question this morning when a speeding minivan careened around the corner at Lakeshore (Road) and Nelson (Street) in Bronte while I crossed the street with my children. In a rush to make the light, the driver came within a few feet of hit- ting my older son. We were crossing with a clear walk signal and the minivan had been nowhere in sight when we stepped into the intersection. In fact, we were a third of the way across and clearly visible when the van came racing around the corner. I wish I could say this was an isolated incident, but it is not. This type of thing happens every day in Bronte. To the driver of this vehicle and the many others who put speed ahead of safety, I have to ask: What is the value of the few seconds you will save by racing through a light, rolling through a stop sign, or speeding over a sidewalk to leave a parking lot? Are those few seconds worth ter- rifying or, even worse, potentially injuring or killing a pedestrian? A letter appeared in this paper a few weeks ago about speeding driv- ers in Lakeshore Woods. Clearly driver behaviour is a problem across Oakville. From what I see in my neigh- bourhood, drivers are getting more reckless and impatient, and driving at higher speeds. While I wish they would take it upon themselves to slow down, I dont see that happening. f Perhaps Town Council, as part o its efforts to make Oakville a more livable town, can find ways to make our intersections and sidewalks safer for pedestrians. Crystal Smith, Oakville There has been a signifi- cant improvement in park- ing availability at the Oakville GO station. However, every morning and evening, long lines and traffic jams are a daily occurrence in and around the station, nowhere more apparent than at the Trafalgar Road and Cross Avenue intersection. Oakville, being a town of mostly young families, bik- ing/walking/bussing to and from the station is not an option for most people what with dropping the kids to daycare/school, etc. A few minor traffic changes would make the situation a lot easier. For the morning com- mute southbound on Trafalgar GO Station- bound make the right lane on Trafalgar right- turn-only from Argus Road to Cross Avenue. It would not only make it easier for commuters to turn on Cross Avenue, it would ease traffic on the right lane between Leighland Avenue and Argus Road. For the evening com- mute on Cross Avenue at Trafalgar (northbound) make both the eastbound lanes left turning between the GO station parking entrance and Argus Road. Further down, allow left turn on all three lanes on Cross Avenue at Trafalgar. These minor traffic pat- tern changes that use the existing roads to facilitate the flow of traffic with no additional expenditure must be given a serious consideration. Manoj Saxena, Oakville l ffUnsnar ing GO train tra ic jams fIntersections or pedestrians, too Once again Oakville residents are being called upon to vote in an election. Thursday will mark Ontarios 40th election and the fourth time local citizens have been called to the polls since the 2007 provincial election. Candidates, civic groups and social organiza- tions and this newspaper are urging all eli- gible voters to cast a ballot. Last time around, the percentage of eligible Ontario voters who went to the polls 52.6 per cent hit an all-time low. Why did so many people fail to vote? Did they doubt it would make life any different for them? Were they too busy or too tired? Did they have enough of nasty campaigns or dislike politicians? What is needed to get people to vote? Imagine brainstorming on how people can be convinced to exercise this countrys democratic right one that so many in so many other countries only dream of? Something needs to change. That may indeed be in the style of campaigns, conduct of politicians, platforms of political par- ties, or even in the electoral system itself, but for now, like every other change, it can start with one person you. All it takes is to pick up your voting card, head to your nearby voting station and cast a ballot for someone or something you believe in. You may be blasbout this, but many people have fought long and hard, too many forfeiting their lives, to give Canadians men and women the right to vote. With that right, like any other, comes responsi- bility so honour the right, use it and defend it. What would those who gave their lives to give us, not the chance or opportunity, but the right to vote think about being too tired, or busy to go to the nearest polling station and mark an x? Candidates and parties may not be perfect, but they are at least involved. Are you? Change doesnt happen until someone takes the first step, so live up to the responsibility of your right to vote and get out to cast your ballot. Voting is a privilege