www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, February 3, 2010 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award NEIL OLIVER Vice President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Good omen It was great to see Canadian speed skater Clara Hughes last week embrace the honour of being named flag bearer for Canada at the Feb. 12 opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Rewind four short years ago and Hughes and some fellow high-profile members of Canada's Winter Olympic team were being roundly criticized for declining the opportunity to lead Canada's contingent into the opening ceremonies in Turin, Italy. Some Olympians choose not to take part in the opening ceremonies because of the potential negative mental and/or physical impact they feel it could have on their performance at the Games. In a recent interview, Hughes admitted the public berating she and fellow athletes took back in 2006 from public figures such as Don Cherry bothered her. She defended her patriotism and the decision not to make herself available to carry Canada's flag four years ago -- noting that she had been suffering significant health problems just two months before the Turin Games. This time Hughes is arguably the best choice to carry Canada's flag -- having captured multiple Olympic medals at both the Summer (cycling) and Winter (speed skating) Olympics. She has also demonstrated strong off-ice leadership traits as an active spokesperson for Right to Play, an international organization that aids disadvantaged children through the pursuit of physical activity. Fresh off her gold and silver-medal-winning performances at the last Winter Games, Hughes put her money where her mouth was by drafting a personal cheque for $10,000 to the Right to Play organization. Hopefully, this smooth start to the opening of Vancouver 2010 will be a good omen of things to come for Hughes and the more than 200 fellow Olympians who will represent the Canadian flag for 17 days this month. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Letter to the editor Pro-choice gives women equality With regard to the full-page ad in the Oakville Beaver, Jan. 29 by Halton Pro Life which asks rhetorically, "Abortion. Have we gone too far?" Our answer to this question is "No." The ad mentions that in 1988 the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the abortion law. This serves as a timely reminder that access to a full range of reproductive health care options including family planning, sexual health education, contraception, and safe abortions are legal in Canada and the right of women to access these services is enshrined in the law. They are also entitled to receive these services from the reproductive health care providers without discrimination or harassment. Women of Halton Action Movement (W.H.A.M.), founded in 1981, is a grassroots, non-partisan feminist lobby group that lobbies on local and national issues to improve the status of women. We believe that to achieve equality, women must have the right to decide for themselves whether and when they will have children. Without this autonomy, they are unable to play a full and equal role in society. HELEN BROWN, OAKVILLE, (FOR W.H.A.M.) Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Prorogue is abuse of power Re: Wrong spin being put on proroguing, Oakville Beaver, Jan. 28. Oakville MP Terence Young isn't listening. It's not about who has prorogued Parliament or legislatures in the past and how many times or for how many days. It is that this government's use of prorogation has struck a nerve with Canadians. Prime Minister Stephen Harper shut down Parliament to stop an investigation by a parliamentary committee. Less than a year ago, it was to avoid a non-confidence vote in the House of Commons. It is this form of autocratic abuse of power that Canadians wish to see eliminated from the legislative toolboxes of any prime minister, regardless of party affiliation. If Young is interested in the facts, then, consider that a majority of Canadians appear not to like the way prorogation is being used. Also, consider that the greatest impediment to speedy passage of the "tough on crime" legislation is not the Senate. A significant portion of the government's efforts were nullified by the act of prorogation when legislation died on the order paper. As well, consider that cabinet has failed to implement bills months after they were passed by both the House and the Senate. The legislation for elimination of two for one credits on sentencing was given Royal Assent in October 2009 and has yet to be implemented by the government. It is difficult to trust a government that compromises its own legislative agenda for purely partisan gain. JOHN MACKAY, OAKVILLE Anti-bylaw letter off target Re: Air quality bylaw not warranted, Oakville Beaver, Jan. 29. I do not challenge letter writer Ivor Davies's right to express his opinions against the proposed air bylaw, but rather the superficiality and lack of objectivity of his comments. The writer seems to equate the indoor particulates sporadically produced in most houses (which by the way can be controlled with air purifiers), with the continuous emissions from a 900 megawatt gas-burning energy generator plant. I also question the source and scientific legitimacy of his data. The truth is there are no scientific studies conducted to this day, and accepted by the medical associations, that would conclude that the small particles emitted even by the most advanced gas-fired generators have no negative health effects. I also live in Oakville and have children. But I refuse to gamble either with my family's health or the health of future generations. I am opposed to allowing a generating plant to add contaminants to the already much polluted air we have in Oakville and surrounding areas. NICHOLAS VARIAS, OAKVILLE