The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

353 IROQUOIS SHORE DRIVE, OAKVILLE Ask us about bleaching for new patients FREE SNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010 ontario's top newspaper - 2005-2008 Police chief retires Page 10 FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012 905-842-6030 90 48 pages $1.00 (plus tax) dentistoakville.com den A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 50 No. 57 "Using Communication To Build Better Communities" Don't dig deep for geothermal heat, officials are warning By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The accidental, and potentially disastrous, discovery of a natural gas deposit recently during a geothermal drilling project in an Oakville neighbourhood has led Mayor Rob Burton to call for provincial regulation of such activities. Burton announ- "This council supports ced Thursday, he had contacted the the Province's Province urging it to commitment to place a moratorium promoting renewable on deep well or bore- energy sources, hole drilling for geo- however, we are very thermal energy installations until concerned that the necessary regu- unregulated drilling lations can be put in poses a serious risk to place to ensure pub- the safety of our lic safety. residents." "This council supports the Province's commit- Mayor Rob Burton ment to promoting renewable energy sources, however, we are very concerned that unregulated drilling poses a serious risk to the safety of our residents," said Burton. "Under the Green Energy Act, 2009, the Town cannot pass bylaws that would prevent or restrict the installation of ground source energy systems so it is imperative that the Province take action." There are a number of ways geothermal energy can be harnessed by residences. One particular geothermal heating system utilizes a vertical hole, which is drilled into the earth so See Homeowner page 5 Graham Paine / oakville beaver / @halton_photog Following the trails of First Nations By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Native North Americans created them centuries ago to serve as living markers. Now these trail marker trees are among the only signs of the civilization that existed on the land that is now known as Oakville. Hamilton botanist Paul O'Hara recently discovered four of the strangely shaped trees in Oakville. He believes the trees were among those altered by the ancestors of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation about 200 years ago. O'Hara, who has been researching Southern Ontario's trail marker trees for the past three years and co-authored The Flora of Halton Region in 2004, recently showed the trees to The Oakville Beaver. He also described the purSee Trees page 9 Trail marker: Botanist Paul O'Hara has located a group of four marker trees, believed to have been used by Native North Americans to mark local paths, were recently documented in a wooded area off McPherson Road, south of the QEW. See Hyundai of Oakville for complete details.