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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, October 5, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 905-631-6095 -- 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington 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 Giving thanks For many Oakville residents this holiday Thanksgiving weekend will be spent with family and friends enjoying harvest feasts. For some others, it will just be another weekend -- perhaps one in which they feel the sting of not having enough, never mind abundance. Another weekend struggling to get by. With too little food in the cupboard and not enough money in the bank. Another weekend of worry about the future -- of desperation even. Poverty does exist in Halton. Oakville's Fareshare food bank currently serves more than 300 families each month. Kerr Street Ministries operates a food bank for the population it serves, which numbers in the thousands. The Salvation Army maintains a food bank at its Rebecca Street headquarters. The Salvation Army's latest report, Feeding Canada's Families: A Report on Salvation Army Food Services, revealed more families are turning to Salvation Army food programs for help. This news is accompanied by statistics showing food donations have decreased. That is a trend Fareshare, too, has been battling for the last several years. Local food banks have food on their shelves, but have a close eye to the disturbing numbers. Most of the food banks' clients, through no fault of their own, have found themselves in tough straits thanks to job loss, personal circumstances or illness. And, most disturbing of all, half of those served are children. Luckily, local food banks, their dedicated volunteers, generous residents and various businesses have teamed up to provide opportunities for those more fortunate to lend a hand by donating food either at a local store, fire station or the food banks directly. It would be a cause for celebration to announce the closure of local food banks due to a lack of need. That sadly, is not the case. The demand is ever-growing. We have much to be thankful for in Canada, and in Oakville, and we hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. We also encourage everyone to visit the local food banks, find out what goods are needed and where to donate. You can do so by searching food bank stories on our website, www.oakvillebeaver.com, or their own sites. Fareshare is currently in the throes of its Thanksgiving food drive. When you're in the grocery store anticipating this weekend's harvest feast, pick up an extra item or two and donate it to the food bank of your choice. Your kindness will help everyone feel thankful this holiday. 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. 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 KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Reader recalls Bhopal gas tragedy Letter to the editor Re: `We didn't get it right': Premier, The Oakville Beaver, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 I have come from Punjab, India, to see my daughter and her family living in Oakville. I came across two different editions of your esteemed newspaper. I have my views to express. I hope you will publish and oblige, if found suitable. Apropos of news that appeared in the issue of The Oakville Beaver Sept. 27 regarding the announcement by the Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty regarding relocation of 900-megawatt gas fire power plant and the accompanying cost of $40 million: I cannot comment on the old decision of setting up at the present site in Oakville, but the decision now taken after consultation with the people to relocate at a safer distance exceeding 500 metres from the population is one which has enough logic. The cost involved is not worth one life lost. To err is human, but to continue errors is criminal, more so, when human lives are involved. I remember vividly the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 in India where the leakage led to thousands of lives getting lost, many thousands of people being injured and millions being crippled and maimed. Its adverse after-affects are still being felt through birth defects in younger generations. Ultimately, it had to be closed. Geurmit Singh, 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. Another successful event benefits local youths. The Optimist Club of Oakville is absolutely delighted to have had its best-ever Shrimpfest Gala. Thanks to our very generous donors and sponsors, we were able to offer our guests excellent value at our silent auction table as well as other fun games, and delicious food. This will go a long way in helping us support the different youth programs in Oakville, such as the Safety Village, providing bursaries and awards to deserving local young people. The imminent closure of the Delta Bingo, Thanks for best-ever Shrimpfest Speaker next spring at Appleby Re: Tackling bullying, The Oakville Beaver, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012 Several years ago, Barbara Coloroso, spoke at a high school in Burlington on the subject of bullying. The temperature was -15C, the wind was howling and parking was hard to find, but the hall was packed. I found out it was the third talk she had given that day and every which is a major source of funding and the uncertainties faced by Oakville's local charities to sustain all their programs means that your support will be that much more important in the future. Local charities work very hard to provide Oakville's youths with a better future, so if you have an opportunity to participate in an event, please do so. You'll have a great time while giving back to the community. Thanks again to all our guests and supporters. Germaine Cochran, Shrimpfest Gala Committee 2012 one was sold out. It made me realize how many students are bullied and how worried all these parents were. She is well worth listening to and has some good information. Molly Lombard, Oakville Editor's Note: For information about the spring speaker event, visit www.oakvillebeaver. com and search Coloroso.