EXPRESS HOTXL iVsUTOS Big Brothers of Nelson lords it over Halton say thanks Aquinas for Halton title Sports www. oakvillebea ver. com Q.E.W . I, Bronte Rd. 905-847-1000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER N O R T H A M E R I C A 'S M O S T A W A R D E D C O M M U N I T Y N E W S P A P E R W ED N ESD A Y. E E B R l ARY 27. 2 ^ ) 2 The proposed 2002 Town of Oakville budget predicts a 10% budget hike -- $80 more on a $250,000 home -- just to maintain the current level of O p e n in g m e e tin g a ttr a c ts 6 0 0 service. Town Treasurer Mo Lewis took time By Angela Blackburn out recently to explain to the Oakville OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Beaver some of the reasons for the pro posed tax increase. Like the initial m eeting last Ju n e, the final public h e a r First, maintaining current service ing on grow th north of D undas Street was standing roomwill still cost more because services only M onday night. have expanded to accommodate growth, This time the Town of Oakville was prepared for the crowd said Lewis. of 600. No specifics are yet available on the Some stood for four hours listening to delegations in coun upcoming budget, but Lewis said the cil chambers, while others took up more comfortable seats in budget book will be prepared several meeting rooms and watched weeks prior to a trio o f public sessions via televisions. slated April 9-11, so that the public may "A moraine is a Eleven of 51 scheduled del read the information beforehand. moraine, a kidney is a egations were heard. "We've developed the budget to The meeting continued last kidney, a lung is a maintain existing service levels. The night and will do so every night budget committee can look at options lung." this week until the speakers' that affect current service levels," · Environmentalist list is exhausted. explained Lewis. Glenn Debaemnaeker Then, council will recon "We've tried to come in with a rea vene the following night to sonable increase because as the mayor debate and make a decision. says, nobody likes to see taxes go up," That could happen Friday night -- the public can find the said Lewis. information through www.town.oakville.on.ca. While growth adds to the Town's tax At issue is OPA 198, the Official Plan Amendment to revenues, it also adds to the demand for Oakville's Official Plan that would rezone north of Dundas roads and parks, and their maintenance, from agricultural to urban, and pave the way for growth. said Lewis. Halton Region's Official Plan already designates it urban, The projected 10% increase was so Oakville must comply. actually slashed from the original fore The plan would bring 55,000 people to town, and is cast of a 17% hike. Oakville's part of the GTA communities' mandate to create At the very basic level, there are 40.000 new homes annually for the next decade to house more parks to be maintained and more growth in southern Ontario. Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver kilometres of roads to be looked after. Developers are waiting in the wings to go to the Ontario Other new services around town Municipal Board (OMB) to get their OPA 198s -- their vision CATCH THE FEVER: W hile m any youngsters were dream ing of a career in ice hockey Sunday, include the newly opened Iroquois of north Oakville -- approved there. C hristian C hiera was busy thinking about the boys of sum m er. C hristian, 8, received some assis Ridge Community Centre and library (See RAND' page A4) tance from dad. M arcel, at Lakeside Park. branch and Oakville's new youth centre that's opening tomorrow. Additional money also has to be built in for playground structure inspections, beefed up winter road maintenance service levels and bridge inspections -- claim for Goods and Services Tax reim Association reports that 62 o f 72 school this year's deficit at $400,000. By Tim Whitnell bursement on student transportation boards in the province are spending TTie history of the boards/govern Oakville opened another bridge last SPECIA L T O THE OAKVILLE costs. more on transportation then they are ment dispute is that in 1996. 29 Quebec year, the Bronte Radial Bridge. BE/MER Inflation, wage and benefit increases Halton's public school board says it receiving in ministry grants. school boards challenged the federal Halton's two school boards say the is seeking $1.3 million in retroactive "Our 2000-01 deficit was government on GST for their trans also have to be taken into account, said federal government owes them more GST rebates while the region's Catholic $700,000." said Karen Lacroix, manag portation activities, claiming it is a com Lewis. (See 'Double-digit' page A4) than $1.6 million combined and they board says it is owed $337,000. Claims er of transportation for the Halton pub mercial activity. want local Liberal MPs to take up their from both boards were submitted about lic board. "With the elimination of They believe they are entitled to a cause. three years ago, said Halton Catholic noon-hour busing. I don't think it will 100 per cent input tax credit rebate, not The figure, say officials for both District Board Business Superintendent be as high as last year." the 68 per cent boards have been receiv boards, represents the amount they Joe Birett. Halton Board Business ing. Since then, some boards across believe they are entitled to under a The Ontario Public School Boards' Superintendent Carla Kisko estimated (See `Court' page A3) Commuters boarding the GO train at Cross Avenue tunnel are in for a sweet surprise Friday morning. Staff from Bronte Creek Provincial park wiil be handing out candies made from pure Canadian maple syrup. It's all part o f the park's Maple Syrup Festival C le a n , a c c e s s ib le w a te r is w o r th its w e ig h t in g o l d which gets under way this Saturday. s a y s c h a i r a n d C E O o f O a h 'i l l e - b a s e d c o m p a n y The lucky commuters will get a done, 75% o f the world will be water- chance to enjoy the candies from 6:30By Howard Mozel 8:30.a.m. short in 20 years." OAKVILLE BEAVER S IA FF To underscore his point, Benedek F or Dr. Andrew Benedek, "m em said that only five years ago no one branes are to w ater treatm ent w hat thought a country like Belgium would the m icrochip is to inform ation tech be water-short. To further drive home his point, he said that by the time nology." As chair and CEO of Oakville-based Mississippi water reaches New Orleans ZENON Environmental Inc. -- a bur it has "been through someone's stom Editorials................. M geoning company founded in 1980 that ach" seven times, each time with inade Best Wheels..............Cl now offers its state-of-the-art innova quate treatment. Focus...................... B1 Benedek remains optimistic, howev tions worldwide -- Benedek's quote is Entertainment........... B5 er, and the reason is ZeeWeed. a revolu no boast, but rather a clear glimpse into tionary membrane technology used to Sports...................... D1 the mind of a true visionary. After all, he says, if humankind con purify water to a much higher degree Classified.................. C5 tinues on its wasteful course when deal than conventional equipment. It is also PM nllH hrrv HomeShow Canada. ing with water, the fluid which so many cost effective for large-scale water and Seu'A rrivals, take for granted could become as valu wastewater treatment. .Alberts Carpet. Beit PhoneCentre, ZeeWeed represents a radical shift in able as gold. Even worse, with 25% of Guardian Drugs, II , 1 , »* -I- ntamouse. »f - J- -- -.'tana none the planet already "w ater-short," membrane technology in that it works Boudoir. Liesa Kortmann · Oakville Beaver Benedek fears that wars will be waged by simply immersing the membrane America OnLine. Future Shop, itself into the water to be treated. A Dr. Andrew Benedek, chair and C EO of Oakville-based ZENON Environmental over its acquisition. Sears Canada h e. small amount of suction is applied and "Fortunately our work will lessen 7he Bay In c , stands next to the ZeeWeed 1000, his com pany's newest generation ultrafilthat likelihood," he says. "If nothing is ter m em brane w ater purification unit. (See 'Zenon' page A3) OPA 198 hearing could last all week Tax hike of 10 % needed to keep status quo By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Ottawa owes us $1.6 million, say school boards Now that's a sweet idea! Zenon breaks new ground with filtration technology O akville V o lk sw ag en 5 5 7 Kerr Street I PeterWatson M I N V F. S T M E N T S 905.844.3285 w w w .o a k v i l l e v w a u d i . c o m R E T I R E M E N T P L A N N I N G S P E C IA L IS T S ________________________________ Free C o n s u lt a t io n 842-2100 P e te r C W a tso n M.RA., CT-P-, R.F.P..