8- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 21, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com St. Patrick's Day walkers enjoy warm greetings along the way By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF He made it again. For the 31st time Eddie Williams, 55, has successfully completed the 40 kilometre St. Patrick's Day walk from Toronto City Hall to downtown Oakville. "It went very, very well," he said."Everything basically went perfectly." Williams, raised and educated in Oakville, donned his bright green Toronto St. Pats hockey jersey and pants and made the walk to once again pay tribute to a tradition that began in 1922. Back then members of Toronto's Irish community would make the walk to Oakville in search of bootleg beer during Ontario's flirtation with prohibition. Williams received some company on this trip with five addi- "A lot of people were coming out honking their horns and welcoming us in, which truly was an encouragement to the people walking with me who never walked before." Eddie Williams tional walkers taking up the great trek in the greatest turnout Williams says he's seen in four or five years. As expected the snowfall on Friday added a little extra challenge to Saturday's walk but Williams and his troop dealt with this in stride. "There was a lot of snow on the ground, but as we were walking the storekeepers were out there shoveling their sidewalks FINE FURNITURE ON CONSIGNMENT BUYER or a SELLER? TRADING PLACES YOU! Trading Places h o m e de c o r is for email@tradingplacescanada.com 427 Speers Rd. Oakville 905 815 1949 www.tradingplacescanada.com KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS CONTACT ONTARIO'S CONSUMER HOTLINE Call 1-866-351-5655 or visit ontario.ca/consumerprotection Paid for by the Government of Ontario & Make Your Home Comfort More Affordable LENNOX SALE CENTRAL AIR & FURNACE ® Up to $ 1000 * Instant Rebate 10 Years Parts & Labour Warranty * NO PAYMENT! Financing Available *Call for Details NO INTEREST! As Low As $ 3995 /month FOR 6 MONTHS AND O.A.C. *OAC NO DUCTS · NO PROBLEM Save $350 on ductless air conditioners W E S T 7 locations to serve you better! 905-849-4998 www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 and really made a path for us all the way. Going along the lakeshore near the Exhibition the snow was kind of deep, but we were basically following other people's paths who had gone before us," said Williams. As the day progressed during the seven and a half hour walk, the increasing temperature caused other problems for the group. "The closer we got to Oakville, around Etobicoke and North York, it was getting warmer so the snow was melting and by the time we got to Mississauga it was completely gone." With huge puddles forming along the side of the road the likelihood of the group being soaked by passing cars increased, but once again Williams took it all in stride. "I was walking on the road and blocking the puddles off so people couldn't splash us. They were very, very considerate." Like past trips this one had its memorable moments that left Williams marveling at the community spirit that exists in the GTA. "A lot of people were coming out honking their horns and welcoming us in, which truly was an encouragement to the people walking with me who never walked before," he said. "We stopped at a house on Southdown Road where a bunch of people were waiting for us and they came out and gave us some Baileys Irish Cream so that was another encouragement as we were just walking along." While Williams considers this walk the least painful one he's done in years, some of those who accompanied him are singing a much different tune. "He goes at a pretty good pace," said John Hearn, 57, of Burlington. Hearn, whose birthday falls on St. Patrick's Day, says he's feeling sore after the long walk but is also happy he did his part to help Williams keep the tradition alive. "I've always read about him in the paper for many years and I always wanted to do it so this year I just decided I was going to do it," said Hearn. "I was always interested in the story and how he kept the tradition going and it was kind of nice to be part of keeping that tradition going." Raychyl Whyte, 32, was still recover See Traditional page 9 OAKVILLE - Celebrating 150 years! GET INVOLVED ON A TOWN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Advisory committees to Town Council are comprised of Oakville residents interested in volunteering their time on a regular basis to assist in the Town's decision-making process. Currently, there are vacancies on various advisory committees. Please visit http://www.oakville.ca/getinvolved.htm for more information. STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION Wednesday, March 21, 2007 Oakville Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road - South Atrium 7 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend a presentation on the Town of Oakville's 20072010 Strategic Plan. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide input and feedback to assist staff in the development of action plans and performance targets. To register, contact Danielle Prpich at 905.845.6601 ext. 3096 or email dprpich@oakville.ca.