Wednesday, April 5, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A3 No shortage of guests at shelter (C o n tin u e d fr o m p a g e 1) six-year-old child who fled an abusive relationship and are now in permanent housing. There were adolescents estranged from their families or escap ing abusive situations plus another two women in need of a mental health facil ity The new site is situated on a series of properties bought by the Town for future use. Braddock, however, already has his sights set on someday building a permanent site from scratch. Administered by Halton Region, with the Salvation Army tending to day-today activities, The Lighthouse was great as a stop-gap measure, he says, but a more practical place that does not waste space is required. A recent Halton Region study which identified the urgent need for short term emergency housing in Oakville was not news to the Salvation Army. Braddock said they have been working for years to find suitable accommoda tions. Trouble is, even the cheap motels formerly used as short-term housing have all but disappeared. Those in need locally have to sometimes be sent to Toronto, he added. "If we are really working to get peo ple off the street, we need something beyond this shelter," explained Braddock, who says shelters treat the symptoms but are not the cure. "We are providing that warm bed and good food, but where do they go from there?" There are a complex number of fac tors which contribute to homelessness in Oakville, he continued, not the least of which is the widening economic gap between the haves and have-nots, a rental vacancy rate of less than 1% and long waiting lists for Ontario Housing. Even a working couple making mini mum wage can find it daunting to save first and last months' rent. Right now, said Braddock, the Salvation Army's aim is the reverse of a nursing home situation in which the elderly virtually retreat from society into higher levels of care. In the case of homelessness, he says the idea is to get people back on their feet and re-intro duce them into society. Helping in this daunting task have been the people of Oakville. According to volunteers, the public response to the Army's appeal for everything from appliances to clothing was nothing less than "overwhelming." Residents donat ed everything from fridges and stoves to bed linen. Braddock said Oakville's response is evidence of municipalities that com prehend the crisis. Now he says it's time the federal and provincial govern ments got involved. Council approves $14.9-M town hall expansion B y Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Despite the restructuring uncertainties in Oakville's future, Council has voted to go ahead with the expansion of Town Hall. Councillors approved the $14.9 -mil lion plan on Monday and voted to proceed with the tender for construction. At the same time, they also awarded the $11.9 million tender to Maple Engineering and Construction Canada to build its central operations facility on South Service Road West. The latter project - which will house Public Works and Parks and Recreation equipment and some personnel - was a rel atively easy sell. (It's moving out of an encroaching residential area on Trafalgar Road north.) Town Hall, however, was another story entirely when a handful of residents and two councillors urged caution and prompt ed a protracted debate about the need for expansion, possible cost savings by delay ing the project and a host of other issues. Under the plan, the municipal building will be expanded by two floors and 74,020 sq. ft. This will provide more space for existing departments at the site and allow for the centralization of other departments and facilities (Public Works and fire department administration, for example) which are currently spread around town. According to Deputy Town Manager Peter Wagland, increased space will make for a more "effective and efficient" opera tion under one roof. After all, he said, the Clerk's Department is housed in two loca tions, for example, Information Technology in three. The Provincial Court - which rents the Council chamber and offices - has requested more space. Waglaiid said fewer satellite buildings after consolidation will help with costs. Even though he admits that the multi million dollar project is needed, Ward 1 councillor Ralph Robinson said no one knows what effect municipal consolida tion and restructuring might have on the town's future. He then put a deferral motion on the floor, which lost. Wagland explained that - no matter what the future holds - residents will still need a "service centre" in their communi ty to handle everything from building per mits to marriage licences. Robinson countered that, if the Town waits for restructuring, it might be better equipped to create the best service centre possible. Wagland said the whole issue is simply one of office space, and is long overdue. Wagland then addressed the escalating cost of the project, which has jumped 25% from original estimates. Ward 1 councillor Kevin Flynn who, like Robinson voted against going to tender now, asked whether a 25% jump in cost is unusual. Wagland explained that the prelimi nary $11.8 million budget was just that an imprecise document that architect expertise and spiraling "hot market" pres sures pushed higher. Said Flynn: "Change is coming, but we're building a building as if change isn't coming." C on structio n o n B utterfly P ark could sta rt next m o n th (C o n tin u e d fr o m p a g e 1) Plans are for the lakeside skating area, which will be in the shape o f a butterfly, to open this coming winter. The butterfly sanctuary and park are expected to open next spring or sum mer. Construction on the project is due to begin in mid-May. Bernard says the project has so far been very successful at attracting both individual'and corporate donations. "This has been probably the best grassroots movement I've seen in a long time," she said. "People are 100% behind this - they're so excited." While people like the butterfly con cept, she says many are also excited about the idea o f rejuvenating and reclaiming their park area. Including in-kind donations, such as engineering services offered by the Oakville-based engineering firm Agra, Bernard estimates nearly $500,000 has been raised to date. About $45,000 has been donated by individuals, w ith the purchase of paving stones and benches most popu lar among local residents. The paving stones, which will line the paths of the park and welcome vis itors at the entrance, are priced between $25 and $100 depending on their size and location. Donors will have their names etched in the stones. Gardens, trees and benches can also be purchased by individuals or corpo rations interested in supporting the park. Initially conceived by Bronte's local merchants, the Butterfly Park is expect ed to attract as many as 35 species of butterflies, along with visitors from both inside and outside of Oakville. In addition to acting as a major tourist attraction in the Bronte area, the project will provide educational oppor tunities for Halton's schoolchildren and the community at large. "We plan a very involved and thor ough educational program," says Bernard, who envisions on-site natural ists to answer questions about butterfly life cycles and habitat. Following completion of the park, the Bronte Butterfly Foundation will continue to raise funds to manage and develop the project. Long-term physical maintenance of the site will be undertaken by the town's Parks and Recreation depart ment. Anyone interested in supporting the garden can call the butterfly office at 825-2245 or Bernard directly at 4690500. O R T H O D O N T I S T Weekend visit marred by tragedy (C o n tin u e d fro m p a g e 1) Dr. Kruno Tovilo A C u t A b o ve gSTCTTT. Certified Specialist in Orthodontics for Children and Adults PRIVATE PRACTICE ORTHODONTICS with mom and dad for the weekend and to introduce us to some friends. We had a big weekend planned for them." No other cars were involved in the accident, but several motorists stopped and offered assistance. The accident happened in a stretch of the 401 dubbed Carnage Alley because it claimed the lives of almost 30 peo ple last year. Just two weeks ago, the Canadian Automobile Association criticized the Ontario government for being slow to make the highway more safe for drivers by increasing Ontario Provincial Police patrols, paving the shoulders and adding rumble strips to the edges of the pavement. The five students involved in the accident were American citizens. Jamie and Jenny Stowe's father is an automotive industry employee who was transferred to Oakville from Baltimore a year ago. The family lives on Madison St. near Dundas St. E. and 6th Line and attends the Church of Christ in Bramalea. Jamie Stowe was studying elementary education at Rochester College and worked part-time at a day-care centre. 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Keybase Financial Group is pleased to invite you to a complimentary seminar featuring, Jerry White - CFRB Talk Show Host and author of over 40 Financial Planning books. If you are a resident of Halton looking for a challenging and rewarding volunteer opportunity, have a minimum of twelve to fifteen hours available a month, and feel you have some of the skills and experi ence required to govern a growing organization, the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) of Halton would like to hear from you. Residents of Halton are invited to submit an application to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors. The CCAC is dedicated to providing ease of access to hi^i quality consumer focused community, per sonal support and health care services. The Board is responsible for the overall management of a budget in excess of $29 million annually. The CCAC provides access to a range of long-term care ser vices including nursing, homemaking, rehabilitation, and placement into long-term care facilities. It also provides information about other related community services. Your skills and experience in one or several of die following areas would be an asset: · A user (or past user) of the service(s) as a client or family caregiver · Prior experience as a board member, preferably of a non-profit organization · Strategic planning experience · An understanding of the health care system and issues affecting health care delivery today · An interest in ensuring further development of health and social services · Comfortable working with, and have empathy for individuals and community groups .Appointments are made for a term of three years. It is a Board of governance, not of management. The CEO is responsible for implementation within Board prescribed limitations. To avoid conflict of interest, people directly associated with agencies or organizations that have or hope to haw service or supply contracts with the CCAC, and people who operate long-term care facilities, are not eligible to be Board Members of the CCAC. The deadline for applications is April 30,2000. Special Weekend A p ril 6 & 9 S p e c ta c u la r D ra w s L iv e l y E n t e r t a i n m e n t C o lo u rf u l B a llo o n s F re e G r a b B a g s & F o s t e r s F r ie n d ly V is it o r s Jerry White Sponsored in part by: Economic Outlook for Canada - The Prosperous Road Ahead The Federal Budget - What It Means For YOU What The Rich Do - What They Have And How They Invest To Keep It S a tu rd a y & April 11:00 M a y o r A n n M u lv a le o f f ic ia lly r e o p e n s F ic k o f t h e C r o p 11:30 -12:30 S q u e a k y t h e C lo w n is h e re l 2:00 - 3 :0 0 A u t h o r S h a ro n J e n n in g s a n d Illu s tr a to r R u th O h i w ill s ig n t h e i r n e w b o o k sentry select Preparing For Retirement - Three Elements Of A Financial Plan The Best Ways To Protect Your Estate From Taxes A Financial Strategy for 2000 And Beyond EC Keybase Financial Group To answer your E-Commerce and Biotechnology questions we have invited Joh n Sinkins - Chartered Financial Analyst John Sinkins Into M y M o th er's Arm s 3 :0 0 -4 :0 0 C o m e s e e J u g g le s t h e J u g g le rl 245 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST DOWNTOWN OAKVILLE 8 4 4 -5 3 6 3 7:00 P.M. · BURLINGTON - HOLIDAY INN · 3063 SOUTH SERVICE RD. 7:00 P.M. TORONTO INN ON THE PARK 1100 EGLINTON AVE. E. - 7:00 P.M. · MISSISSAUGA · NOVOTEL · 3670 HURONTARIO STREET S e atin g is lim ited ... C all no w to res e rv e yo u r FR E E seats 1 -8 8 8-5 3 9-4 24 6 or 905-709-7911 F irst 50 A tte n d e es w ill receive a fre e C D ROM Letters of application, including a resume and a statement of why you are interested in becoming a Board Member should be sent to: Mr. John Burkus, Chair, Nominations Committee Community Care Access Centre of Halton 440 Elizabeth St., 4th Floor Burlington ON L7R 2M1 For farther information, please contact: · John Burkus, Chair, Nominations Committee (905-844-1066) or · Elaine Whitmore, Director of Planning and Development at (905- 639-5228) (or toll free 1-800-810-0000) extension 8920.