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

Time to kill HIV/AIDS By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Grey skies and a cold wind did not keep Oakville grandmothers from demonstrating in Towne Square Thursday as they demanded lifesaving medicine for the world's poor. The local GRAN (Grandmothers Advocacy Network) was joined by many St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School students as they demanded Canada's federal government pass Bill C-398. The bill is intended to cut through bureaucratic red tape keeping Canada from sending affordable generic versions of essential medicines to places like sub-Saharan African where people continue to die every day from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Irene Clarke, GRAN chair, said the bill would finally allow Canada to make good on commitments made some time ago. "C-398 is a bill aimed at reforming the Canadian Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR), which was meant to ease the process of getting essential medicine to the people who need it," said Clarke. "CAMR is so deeply flawed that in the last eight years, there has only been one shipment of medicine. It is a shameful record." Clarke said similar legislation was on the verge of being passed in 2009, but died in the senate when an election was called. The 100-plus people at Towne Square showed support for swift passage of the bill by singing songs, beating drums and waving placards that read, `Every Child Deserves a Second Birthday,' and `AIDS Medicine for Africa.' Others set up ironing boards and ironed pieces of red tape. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton thanked Oakville MP Terence Young for supporting CAMR and called on Young to continue this support. Ward 6 Town Councillor Max Khan called on those present to convince two friends to write letters urging their MPs support Bill C-398. Student leader of the St. Thomas Aquinas Peace and Justice Club, Matt Lozinski, 17, also spoke during the demonstration, stating his group was present because they believe every child has the right to life and education. "We have an opportunity to assist children in sub-Saharan Africa fight the deadly HIV/AIDS 17 · Thursday, November 8, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com pandemic. This continent cannot afford to lose another generation," said Lozinski. "A society where companies are allowed to manipulate people's illnesses to make money is an unjust one and passing Bill C-398 is one of the steps that must be taken to allow prosperity, happiness and education to all. Allowing generic ARVs (antiretroviral drugs) to reach those citizens in our global village who cannot afford them is justice." Lozinski said that if medication exists to prevent or fight a disease there is no reason it should not be available to all. Oakville journalist Sally Armstrong said there are real consequences to Canada not getting these medications to those who need them. She witnessed some of these consequences during a visit to Swaziland where she met a number of grandmothers who look after their grandchildren as the children's parents have died of AIDS. "Can you imagine being 80 years old and getting up for 2 a.m. feedings? Can you imagine having to deal with teenagers for the second time in your life? That is what these women are doing and they are doing it without the means," said Armstrong. One woman Armstrong met had 12 children all of whom died in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This woman, whom Armstrong estimated to be in her late 70s, now tills soil and pulls weeds so she can afford to look after her grandchildren. "In 1994, my little brother Bill was diagnosed with AIDS and there were no drugs for Billy. We kind of thought there must be some somewhere, but in those days, even in this country, people were turning away from people with HIV/AIDS just as today they are continuing to turn away from people with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa," said Armstrong. "Billy died April 4, 1994. He was just past his 40th birthday. As I think of him and the gathering we are having here today, and how important it is to get this bill passed I say again -- nobody needs to die of AIDS today. The drugs are available." Those interested in seeing Bill C-398 passed are asked to contact their local MP. Oakville MP Terence Young can be reached at www.terenceyoung.com. Halton MP Lisa Raitt can be reached at www. lisaraittmp.com. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog A GRAN time: The GRAN (Grandmother Advocacy Network) rallied in Towne Square Thursday in favour of passing Bill C-398. Journalist and writer, Sally Armstrong was among those attending. November 9 - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. November 10 - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Product Demonstrations Draw for a $500 credit towards Binaural Hearing Aids (new customers only) Anniversary Celebration! JOIN US FOR OUR THE ONE DEVICE THAT DOES IT ALL Manufacturer representative will be on site Oa This report is courtesy of Matthew Tamburello, Sales Rep. iPro Realty Ltd., Brokerage. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. CopyrightTM2012. Free Parking · Wheelchair Accessible Oa k kP W ar al kB Halton & Peel Region - According to industry experts, there are over 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection when your home is for sale. A new report has been prepared which identifies the eleven most common of these problems, and what you should know about them before you list your home for sale. Whether you own an old home or a brand new one, there are a number of things that can fall short of requirements during a home inspection. If not identified and dealt with, any of these 11 items could cost you dearly in terms of repair. That's why it's critical that you read this report before you list your home. If you wait until the building inspector flags these issues for you, you will almost certainly experience costly delays in the close of your home sale or, worse, turn prospective Beware of Home Inspection Pitfalls Before You Put Your Home Up for Sale buyers away altogether. In most cases, you can make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what you're looking for, and knowing what you're looking for can help you prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones. To help homesellers deal with this issue before their homes are listed, a free report entitled "11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection" has been compiled which explains the issues involved. To order a FREE Special Report, visit www.costlysellermistakes.info or to hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report, call toll-free 1-888-247-1216 and enter 1003. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to learn how to ensure a home inspection doesn't cost you the sale of your home. p gy 2387 Trafalgar Road, Oakville ON L6H 6K7 NE fa RS /H 289.837.1137 E St un da s D Tr a om eS en se Rd www.pureaudiology.ca k Dr lv d Po s tr i dg e Dr W lg ar IN D a le b ro o