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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, March 23, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 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 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 OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor 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 Fighting back Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada, yet it remains an often hushed topic for many people, particularly men. That's precisely why nearly half of everyone diagnosed with colon cancer -- about 22,200 Canadians during 2011 -- die from the disease. This despite the fact it's one of the most preventable forms of cancer and, if caught early enough, more than 90 per cent of cases could, and should, result in a full recovery. One of the issues surrounding colon cancer and the reason so many people don't get the help they need is the fear of talking about it, Amy Elmaleh, co-founder of Colon Cancer Canada, said in a news release. Risk factors include a family history of colon cancer, age, a diet high in fat, inactive lifestyle, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease. Among the signs you may have colon cancer, and should be checked by your doctor, are bowel movement changes, blood in your stool, abdominal discomfort, weight loss for no apparent reason, feeling your bowel is not emptying completely, narrower than usual stools, and a feeling of weakness or being more tired than usual. While stool isn't a pretty topic of conversation, it's important to discuss with your doctor, and it may just save your life. There's no reason to be shy. ··· Unfortunately, colon cancer is just one of many strains of the insidious disease -- breast, lung, ovarian, prostate, brain, liver, bone, throat, skin ... -- that has made a deathly grasp into everyone's life to wreak havoc, cause suffering and inflict pain, both physical and emotional. However, in so doing, it has encountered a mounting opposition. As the medical community fights back, the outcomes for patients have improved vastly over the years. For those with family members affected, it has drawn their ire and fire to fight by raising funds to fund the battle to improve treatment and ultimately find a cure. Oakville residents are asked to once again take up the fight against cancer in April during the Canadian Cancer Society's annual Daffodil Month fundraising campaign. They can wear a Daffodil Pin -- especially on April 27 when a moment is taken to reflect upon the thousands of Canadians who are on a cancer journey and to remember those who have died -- or volunteer to sell the daffodil that symbolizes hope or collect donations door to door. For more information about Daffodil Month or to volunteer in some capacity, visit www.fightback.ca or call the Canadian Cancer Society, Halton Unit at 905-845-5231. 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. IAH is still at work Letters to the editor Despite the concerns and media coverage on the current shortage of particular drugs, not only in Ontario but across Canada, Ian Anderson House (IAH) is continuing to admit residents and to provide the high quality of professional care that has earned us our excellent reputation in the community. We are especially grateful to our MPP Kevin Flynn and his staff for their willing and valuable help in advocating on behalf of our hospice to all those agencies most involved in this particular and potentially extreme situation, which, hopefully, will be resolved in the near future. Margaret Anderson, Founder, Ian Anderson House 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. Parking woes I read with great interest the problems that residents near the hospital are experiencing when their streets are plugged with cars driven by people visiting Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). I am a member of the Oakville Curling Club. As we are near OTMH, there are many visitors to the hospital who use our parking lot and residents on Reynolds Street do the same. This has put a strain on the limited parking we now have and because of this, when arriving at the club, we find our lot full and we have to park on the street. Even without these interlopers parking in our lot, when games overlap on certain days, our lot is full. We decided we'd pave the area on the Allan Street side of the club to keep us off the street. Ah, and this is where even more momentous problems began. Our proposals to the Town were rejected time after time. We had to make countless revisions and concessions to the Town of Oakville for our proposed lot that would relieve onstreet parking. We even had to tell the Town what kind of flowers we were going to have in our planter pots. The Town also demanded new submissions See At page 11 Dorval signal damage to be fixed I am writing in reply to the recent letter from Mr. Jomo Russell regarding the traffic signals at 1150, 1160, and 1180 Dorval Dr. The traffic signals at this location are controlled by an automated detection system in the pavement, which means the lights only usually change if they sense a waiting vehicle. The system was damaged during repaving of the driveway late last year and, as a result, the traffic signals continue to change even when no vehicles are present. Detection system repairs and the associated paving work cannot be completed during winter, however, with the warmer weather we have scheduled the repairs and work should be complete in the next few weeks. Ensuring our traffic signals are working properly and efficiently is important to keep our community moving. While we monitor our road network to ensure roads are running properly, things can happen and we appreciate receiving comments like Mr. Russell's so we can take appropriate action. To make it easier for residents and businesses to let us know their concerns, people can contact us by dialing 311. Tim Dennis, Director, Transportation Services, Halton Region By Steve Nease neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud