OAKVILLE'S BEST REAL ESTATE SECTION INSIDE! Beaver THE OAKVILLE A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 52 No. 12 Family and friends Pipe dream comes true still in mourning Student's death shocks community By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF To his brother he was a prankster, to his parents he was the perfect son and to so many others he was a true friend. Mark Elliot Friesen, 19, touched many lives during his all too short time on earth, something made evident by the 142 wall postings on his Facebook memorial page. The graduate of Iroquois Ridge High School was killed on Saturday, Jan. 10, in a tragic accident at Ryerson University where he was in his second year of studying urban planning. Today, his family and friends are awash with memories of the boy he was and the man he became. "Mark wanted to fix the world," said Rudy, Mark's father. "Parents have dreams of how they want their kids to be and he was that and so much more. In school he was always top of his class, he was an honour student, he was in sports..." An avid hockey player, Mark worked his way up to playing triple-A hockey where a coach said he had the ability to go further, but needed to develop his `killer instinct.' Rudy noted this request proved incompatible with his son's gentle nature. "Mark was a classy player," he said. "He was a strong guy, he was a defenceman and he always did his job, but he wasn't into playing hockey that way." Mark Friesen Inside Artscene...........................................15 Sports...............................................18 Classified.........................................20 Partial Delivery: M&M Meats, JYSK Bed and Bath, Dragon Wok, WS Cargo, The Bay, Rona Cashway, Smart Source, Oakville Public, Topper's Pizza, Staples Business, Good Life VISIT OUR ALL NEW WEBSITE www.oakvillebeaver.com SEE PGS 12-14 321 Cornwall Rd. 321 Cornwall Rd. 321 CornwallRd. Old O k ill M k Olde Oakville Market Olde OakvilleMarket 905.815.8777 905.815.8777 PAUL FOLEY AMP MORTGAGE AGENT Purchases Renewals Refinances Rental Properties Credit Lines 40+ Lenders HO: 100-480 University Ave. Toronto, ON M5G 1V2 *OAC, E&OE M08005472 905-827-8009 1 YR 3.59% 4 YR 4.39% 5 YR 4.39% "Using Communication To Build Better Communities" WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2009 56 Pages $1.00 (plus GST) JO YONG-HAK / REUTERS BIG AIR: Jeff Batchelor performs an aerial trick -- much to the delight of two onlookers in the background -- during last week's FIS Snowboard World Championships in South Korea. Batchelor won half pipe silver at the championships, earning him additional funding in his quest to compete in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. See Sports for the story. Public high school teachers get 12% raise over four years By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF See Parents page 3 Halton's public secondary school teachers ratified a settlement on Monday with the Halton District School Board. The details were hammered out through negotiations between school board representatives and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation Unit (OSSTF) Halton. "I think it was a fairly productive round of bargain See Top page 4 SERVING OAKVILLE FOR 25 YEARS! 175 Wyecroft Rd. Oakville 905.845.6653 Between Kerr & Dorval Just Brilliant B RETAIL & WHOLESALE LIGHTING January Lamp Clearance YOUR FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS! TABLE LAMPS 40% off Featuring lighting from Oakville's Finest LIGHTING STORE www.lockwoodchrysler.com Trump Home · Troy · Stonegate Design · Walter Heidle and much more 243 Speers Road · Between Kerr & Dorval · Oakville, ON · 905.849.LITE (5483) · www.conceptlighting.ca