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A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday April 21,1999 T h e Oakville Beaver OPINION E d i t o r i a l s O p p o rtu n ity lost Halton Regional Chair Joyce Savoline has called it the 'missing link' to the region's transportation network. Commuters and truckers using the QEW from the Hwy. 403 interchange, are more likely to call it their salva­ tion. 'It' is the long-awaited, much-anticipated, Hwy. 407 extension that will connect that mas­ sive bottleneck in Burlington, with Hwy. 403 and beyond in Oakville. A series of governments have failed to act on this neglected piece of highway infrastruc­ ture but now, the construction wheels are in motion. It has already taken the better part of a decade to im prove the QEW link from Burlington through St. C atharines but w e're assured by Ontario Transportation Minister Tony Clement, the Hwy. 407 toll road through north Burlington and Oakville will be completed by July 31,2001. That's the difference between a provincially-led initiative in the case of the QEW-Niagara section and the Halton Hwy 407 extension that will con­ structed by a consortium led by a Spanish firm and joined by SNC-Lavalin and a subsidiary of the huge Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec. The six-lane road will be designed to take an additional two lanes and that's good planning. But this highway also brings to the fore, the inadequa­ cies of provincial transportation policy. With its numerous interchanges, Hwy. 407 could be a model for other roads...but it's not going to happen. Rapid-transit rail beds could be encorpo- rated into the design that would link up with interchanges at Bronte Road, Neyagawa Blvd. and Trafalgar Road thus giving users access to other parts of town and the region. Bicycle trails along the route could humanize it and tree plantings would make it more inviting and less intimidating. It requires vision to see the possibilities. Too bad the policy makers are myopic. Letters to the Editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be typed, signed and include the writer's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 The six-lane road will be 1 designed to take an additional two lanes and | that's good planning., this highway also brings to the fore, the x-::| OH, GIMME A BREAK.'- t n i r n CLUB-LINK MEMBERS ONLY Halton should celebrate its diversity Re: Some 'liberal' thoughts. I want to thank all those who showed an interest in the candidate selection process at the recent Liberal nomination meeting for Halton riding and came out to vol­ unteer their time or simply to listen to the speeches and cast their bal­ lot I value the time you took and am grateful for your interest and personal support. During the run-up to and during the nomination meeting, I became aware to two distinct phenomena in the region of Hal ton... north- south interests and cultural change. In the region of Halton, our cul­ tural and ethnic diversity is chang­ ing at about the rate of 1500 per­ sons annually. We will evolve into a community in which a wider range of ideas and solutions are available. We, both new and settled Halton residents, are challenged to build social cohesion and ensure that all our citizens have equal opportunities and enjoy the same privileges. We have to talk, listen and teach each other about what is important to teach of us in our maturing Halton, be it values, her­ itage, beliefs, trust, respect or acceptance and learn to compro­ mise. It is up to each of us to create the environment where mutual integration and assimilation can occur without hardening along cul­ tural, ethnic or religious lines. We need to be sensitive to this chang­ ing dynamic and evolve with it. Frequently, I was asked, "Why do we have to be in a riding that is merged with Oakville and Burlington?" Why do we have to share the same riding with people from Milton and Halton Hills? We have nothing in common. Our problems are not their problems." Although some may perceive this to be true, regardless, we must anticipate the future and work for it. As I crossed and recrossed the region, I visited farms built in the 1860s and the most urban settled areas in north Oakville and Burlington. Halton region is a microcosm of Ontario, be it natural resources, our heritage, rural areas, changing urban landscape, our commerce and industry to our ever-growing and diverse popula­ tions. Let us draw on this richness and with your help, with the care and commitment of our local and regional governments, we can con­ tinue to meet the challenges and tests of growth. We have a great region, great municipalities and a great future, but only if we chal­ lenge what is wrong, work for what is right for Halton and the rest of Ontario. As the candidates go forward into the provincial election, I urge both they and the communities that make up this riding to be mindful of these points and welcome and promote our good fortunes. Let's take the high road and Halton will come out the winner. John Day As criminals, senators do okay A few weeks ago, a federal court in Saskatchewan convicted Senator Eric Bemtson of criminal fraud, for diverting $42,000 from legislature expenses to his private company. He was sentenced to serve one year in jail and to repay the $42,000. He is currently out on bail. This conviction increases the number of convicted criminals in the Senate from one to two. Last year, Senator Michel Cogger was found guilty of accepting a $218,000 bribe to influence the federal govern­ ment to purchase $45-million in computer-assisted translation services. Both convicted politicians were appointed by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney as Progressive Conservative senators. Both Bemtson and Cogger intend to remain in the Senate until all judicial appeals have been heard. They have the support of the Senate leadership and Progressive Conservative Party Leader Joe Clark to do so. Yet both senators still earn their $75,000-a-year salaries as convict­ ed criminals. We think the Senate should quickly dismiss the two sena­ tors. That such people in our Upper Chamber can still work and draw high salaries speaks little for the way politics operate in Ottawa. We are asking Canadians to write letters of protest to Joe Clark and the Senate leadership to have the two senators fired. For more informa­ tion about this protest campaign, please write to us at WatchDog Newsletter, 247 Leeds Drive, Fredericton, NB E3B 4S7 (or e-mail us at dmurrell@unb.ca). David Murrel Editor WatchDog Newsletter Leaving hom e wasn yt best advice says reader I totally disagree with Patti W ilson's counsel (Oakville Beaver March 21st) to a young man who is 26 years old. Since he is depressed, it would be very unwise to leave home. He needs his parents' support, espe­ cially at such a time, and I am glad that he has it. Patti writes: "In our culture, it is typical for young adults to attain independence apart from their family." Although this may be true in your culture, this is not the case in other cultures. Many young persons find it very beneficial to apply Bible principles in their lives. One that comes to my mind that may be helpful to this young man is found in Genesis 2:24. There it states: "That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh," So, according to the Bible, the young man should not leave his parents home until he feels that he is ready for marriage. I have a friend, whose daughter is 35 years of age and still living at home with her par­ ents. She is very happy with her current situa­ tion; she has a good job, and is getting ready to get married later on this year. I also know many other younger persons over the age of 20 that are living at home with their parents and are very happy with their situation. On the other hand, I have also seen young­ sters, 16 years of age leave home with devas­ tating consequences. Many of them get into trouble whether it is financially or with the law, and end up back at home with the parents. I would strongly advise this young man to look for a job, since he is not happy with his current one and when he finds one, he should quit his current position. Also, since spring is around the corner, it would perhaps be an opportunity to find a job where he may be working outside with the nice weather. This may help him both physically and mentally in order to overcome his depression. Concerned Reader R.K. P ud by Steve Nease Letter of the Week The law worked In her April 14th column headed: 'Parrott jury should know all the facts', Diane Hart voiced outrage over the inadmissibility of Francis Carl Roy's two rape convictions. Would such evidence not have violated his rights as an accused? Roy's trial was one of the most agonizing since those of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. the circum­ stances grievously assaulted the sensibilities of even the most hard-hearted. For Alison, sufficient tears flowed to fill the Grand Canyon. For the Parrott family, a massive outpouring of sympathy likewise issued from all quar­ ters. As with Bernardo and Homolka, Roy justifiably earned our collective antipathy, not to mention the label of monster. While such reaction is both understandable and cathartic, it skirts the simple truth that all three are severely unbalanced mentally, emotionally and spiritu­ ally. In no way does this diminish either personal respon­ sibility or the unspeakable horror of their crimes. It merely suggests an explanation. Up until the jury pronounced him guilty, Roy was innocent in the eyes of the law. At the heart of our judi­ cial system, the rule of law extends to all a fair and impartial hearing, conducted dispassionately. Justice David Watt's decision to withhold Roy's rape convictions and parole circumstances from the jury was wholly consistent with the law of the land. In R vs. Corbett (1988), the Supreme Court of Canada granted trial judges complete discretion regarding the admissi­ bility of previous convictions. In what must have been an agonizing decision, Justice Watt determined that doing so would have prejudiced Roy's defence. He ruled correctly. While Justice Minister Anne McLellan and assorted provincial officials have responded to the outrage con­ veyed by Ms. Hart by promising to review the 1988 SCC decision, cooler heads must prevail. In a just soci­ ety, the rights of the accused are paramount. If the law is the heart of our justice system, then, surely, rights accorded an accused are at its soul. Neither aspect can be compromised regardless of the circumstances. Peter Peilier J u n ip e r c o lu m n a n ti-w e s t No wonder many Western Canadians feel alienated from the East with attitudes like those displayed in Andy Juniper's column 'Help on the way for new-look Reformers' (Oakville Beaver April 11th). This biased attempt at humour only perpetuates some of the cliched media myths regarding western Reform MPs. The column is simply insulting to those western Canadians who have elected their Reform Members of Parliament. I don't mind, in fact I enjoy some pot-shots taken at any political party's policies but not at how they look, talk or where they're from. It would be just as unacceptable if Mr. Juniper had ridiculed Quebeckers or Martimers. Actually, after watching a parliamentary session, I feel a course on social graces wouldn't be wasted on most MPs, from any one of the parties. Please leave political satire to those with a talent to rise above personal attacks. Mr. Juniper should stick to this unusual type of self-effacing writing that is at times enjoy­ able, instead of the mean-spirited distortion he has written under the guise of humour. I must note that although I haven't yet seen these MPs from the 'wild west' ride their horses into Parliament, I have certainly seen some jack-asses in the media. E.E. Cooper mailto:dmurrell@unb.ca