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Barrie's Best Pics Mercedes-Benz CLE.W. & D orval D r. Shakespeare at Sheridan A rtscene CURRENT POWEH MACHINERY INC. 1661 Lakeshore Rd. W. Mississauqa Focus *8224211 w w w .o a k v ille b e a v e r.c o m N O FyT H A M E R I C A ' S M O S T m W A R D E D A N k 't r o l a n d P u b l i c a t i o n V o l. ; i f ) N o . 4(> W i ll ) \ i ;S D .\Y . A P R I L 1 CO Oakville Beaver tops in Ontario Erskine named OCNA's Photographer of the Year W e're No. 1. The Oakville Beaver has won the General Excellence Award in the top circulation class (25,000+) in the Ontario Community News paper Association's (OCNA) 2001 Better News papers Com petition held Saturday night in Toronto. The B eaver finished in the top spot out of 24 entries in the contest with a score of 842 out of a maximum 1,000 points. "The O akville B eaver is a vibrant paper which appeals to many different reader interests. Excellent photography, good editorials. Outstanding presentation o f features in Focus section. Attractive sports pages," commented the OCNA judge. The Burlington P ost finished second and the N ew m arket Era-Banner was third. Both are part o f Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing Ltd., which also owns The O akville Beaver. Police form child abuse and sexual assault unit By Robb Swybrous S P E C IA L T O T H E B E A V E R In the Premier Awards category, O akville B eaver photog rapher Barrie Erskine captured the Photographer of the Year Award. It marked the first year for the award in the OCNA competition. Second place in this category went to M ilton Canadian Champion photographer Graham Paine, whose pictures have appeared in The O akville Beaver. The C ham pion is also The B ea v er' s sister newspaper. Erskine also won third place for Best Sports Photo with an unusual angle of a swimmer competing in the 200m breast stroke. This newspaper also finished second in the best Sports/Recreation Story category for an article written by Kathy Yanchus about Josh Dixon, a young athlete who turned his efforts towards coaching after his own athletic career was cut short by a concussion. And photographer Peter McCusker, who splits his time between the O akville B eaver and the B urlington P ost , won two awards for his work at the Post. McCusker won the Best Photo Layout award for his pho tos of a new nature trail in Burlington. He also finished sec ond in the Spot News Photo category for his shot of family members consoling each other at the funeral of Matt Daly, a 19-year-old youth fatally beaten by a gang. In the advertising categories, the B eaver captured the Local Retail Layout for its G et in touch with yo u r inner child... an advertisement for Oakville Volkswagen that incorporated the use of a colouring contest. The advertising department garnered third place in the Original Ad Idea category for its Spot the Difference contest featuring 11 advertisers in seven pages. "We are extremely proud of these awards as they reflect the O akville B e a v e r' s ongoing commitment to bringing the very best product to the community it serves," said B eaver Publisher Ian Oliver. "The awards are also a testament to the creativity and hard work of our dedicated staff." In total, the Halton Division and its four newspapers, the O akville Beaver, B urlington Post, M ilto n C anadian Cham pion and F lam borough Post, won 14 awards in the Peter C. McCusker O akville B eaver m V "< V -j Epf W: M Riziero Vertolli · O akville B eaver Riziero Vertolli · O akville B eaver Proving once again that the O akville B eaver delivers the best news in town, Oakville B eaver carrie r Mitchell Steggerda (top) showed 18-year-subscriber Medeleine Daly the new spaper's General Excellence Award from the O ntario Com m unity Newspaper Association. (OCNA). C ongratulating M anaging Editor Rod Je rred (above left) on the aw ard a t the OCNA aw ards banquet Saturday was M etroland Publishing President M urray Skinner, who also congratulated photographer Barrie Erskine for winning the association's first Photographer of the Year Award. 2001 OCNA Better Newspapers Competition. Residents' groups won't Town approves 7.9% tax increase get municipal grants to cover 0MB costs C o u n c il a d d s m o r e m o n e y to r e d u c e p e s tic id e u s e o n m u n ic ip a l la n d Victims of child and sexual abuse will now have a new, specialized police unit working to bring their perpetrators to justice. Halton police this week launched the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault bureau (CASA), a 10officer investi "Those types of gation team investigations that will oper require such ate from police headquarters in expertise and Oakville and expert training, work to ensure that to have only each child abuse and sex certain individuals ual assault case doing them is the reported in the prudent way." region is inves · Det. Sgt. Ken tigated proper Cormier ty"We do have CASA commander sexual assaults and child abuse in the region, it's a fact," said Det. Sgt. Ken Cormier, who is head ing up CASA. "Those types of investiga tions require such expertise and expert training, that to have only certain indi viduals doing them is the prudent way." CASA's specific mandate is to inves tigate all sexual assaults, child abuse cases where there is an injury and child abuse cases where there has been previ ous allegations of abuse made by the vic tim or against a previously-identified suspect. Cormier, who also leads the service's Major Crime Unit, said police reviewed cases similar to the one's the new unit will be investigating over the past few years to determine that a centralized bureau is the best way to tackle investi gations. The officers used to staff the new unit are all currently employed as regular officers. Cormier said the staff was picked based on individuals' expertise and experience in working with similar investigations. CASA is a participating member of the recently-launched Sexual Assault and Wife Assault Project (SWAP) and will also work closely with community agen cies like Nina's Place, Halton Women's Place and the Children's Aid Society to facilitate investigations. Deputy Chief Gary Crowell said aligning police units with community service providers makes for better com munity policing. "Our partnerships and ongoing com munication with related community agencies can only enhance the police ser vice's ability to protect, serve and sup port the victims we encounter in our investigations," Crowell said. By Angela Blackburn O A K V I L L E B E A V E R S 'l A F F Local groups can forget about getting money from the Town of Oakville to go to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) over growth in north Oakville. The Town won't give out grants under its Intervenor Funding Policy to help pay groups' OMB legal costs. Passed in May 1999, the policy says council "may provide a grant of up to $25,000 for legal services incurred by a citi zens' group," reported Town solicitor Doug Gates in a memo dated April 12 to Mayor Ann Mulvale and councillors. Yet, the policy has seven strict rules, some o f which make citizens' groups ineligible for a grant at an OMB hearing. "Under these criteria, a citizens' group is not eligible to receive a grant from council with regard to appeals concern ing Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 198," read Gates' memo. There's potential for funding if: the purpose for which the legal fees are incurred is in the interest of the municipality; the (See 'Town' page A5) The Province of Ontario is expected to hold the line on education taxes this year while Halton Region is expected to approve a $23 hike today at Before approving its 2002 operating budget, regional council. For their cash, taxpayers will see local services Monday night, town councillors agreed to spend more money to reduce pesticide use on Town land. maintained along with the new Iroquois Ridge Community Centre, library, and It also slapped a temporary Oakville's new youth centre. moratorium on pesticides on Town T here's provision for play land until after a public meeting on Town Council is looking at ground structure inspection and a ban of pesticides on pesticides is held this spring. Dubbed "the Flynn motion," the private property and staff replacement; better winter road maintenance; bridge inspections; price tag was an extra $145,000. has been meeting with and money for parks, trees and It put the final Town operating budget at $98.7 million -- a 7.9 per golf course operators and repairs of facilities, trails and creeks. cent hike over last year that will lawn care companies. It The budget also invests in algae boost taxes on a $250,000 home by will hold a public meeting clean up -- $100,000 to be shared $69 a year. this spring. 50/50 with Halton Region. The owner of a $250,000 home Another $145,900 will help will spend $3,174 in annual proper clean up litter in town. ty taxes. Town council faced two options on pesticides. O f that, $939 (29 per cent) will go to the Town Parks and Recreation assistant operations direcwhile the Region will get $1,304 (41 per cent) and $933 (30 per cent) will go to education. (See 'Council' page A5) O A K V IL L E B E A V E R S T A F F By Angela Blackburn H I Editorials.................A6 Focus...................... B1 Best Wheels .Cl Sports...................... C8 Artscene................... B8 Business....................B6 Classified.................. C4 Fashion..................... D1 F ull Delivery: Staples Business Depot National Sports Centre Partial Ddivery: Sport Chek, Sean, Alexunum Carpets, The Bay. Erin Mills Town Centre, Hyland Pari Gallery, Mark's Work Warehouse. Sheridan Nurseries, GoLfoell Painting, Future Shop, bikeshore Place Retirement Canadian Publications Mail Product Agreement *435-201 1 PeterWatson n il I N V E S T M E N T S r Oakville Volkswagen 557 Kerr Street R E T IR E M E N T P L A N N IN G S P E C IA L IS T S 905.844.3285 www.oakvillevwaudi.com P e te r C. W atso n M.B.A., C F .P ., RJFJ». Free Consultation 842-2100 Drivers wanted.