in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 5, 20 18 | 8 The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editor@oakvillebeaver.com facebook.com/OakvilleBeav @OakvilleBeaver ABOUT US Oakville Beaver 901 Guelph Line Burlington, ON L7R 3N8 Phone: 289-293-0617 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Digital/Flyer/Retail: 289-293-0624 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail kmossman@metroland.com or call 905-631-6095. CONTACT US VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague kmontague@metroland.com | 289-293-0614 Director Advertising Daniel Baird dbaird@metroland.com | 289-293-0624 Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara cohara@metroland.com | 289-293-0615 Regional Manager Digital Content Karen Miceli Director of Distribution Charlene Hall Circulation Manager Kim Mossman kmossman@metroland.com | 905-631-6095 Director of Production Mark Dills Regional Production Manager Manny Garcia WHO WE ARE OPINION There's nothing like a mountain of adversity to get people pulling together. That's a key learning we should take from last week's meetings between federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau and his provincial counterparts and from hearings held by the special House of Commons com- mittee on international trade. At the hearings, a parade of expert witnesses from across the spectrum spoke to express solidarity with the government's strategy on dealing with Donald Trump's trade tantrums. They made for some strange bedfellows. Ken Neumann, Canadian director of the United Steelworkers Union said: "We support the coun- termeasures announced by the federal government and believe they must be comprehensive and immedi- ate." Jerry Dias, president of the country's largest pri- vate-sector union, Unifor, agreed, saying: "U.S. trade attacks on Canada are a clear and present thereat to our national economy, period." Joseph Galimberti of the Canadian Steel Producers Association said: "Our member companies strongly support the government of Canada's announced in- tention to impose tariffs on imports of steel, aluminum and other products." At the finance minister's meeting there was consen- sus on the federal trade strategy and constructive ex- changes on the best way to mitigate the harm caused. It's rare, and gratifying, to see this kind of unanim- ity. It needs to last when the waters get even rougher, which Trump promises they will. In his latest slam against Canada's supply manage- ment system, Trump threatened: "If you want to do that, we're going to put a little tariff on your cars." If he makes good on that threat, and there's no reason to think he won't, we haven't begun to see the harm caused by America's militant protectionism. Flavio Volpe, of the Automotive Parts Manufactur- ers Association, put it this way: "A 25 per cent tariff on cars and parts would cause what we like to call 'Carma- geddon.' The industry operates on single-digit margins and it would grind to an immediate halt with a 25 per cent increase in price. A $32,000 car - that's an average price here - would immediately be unsaleable at $40,000." The federal and provincial governments need to act quickly now to announce specific measures to back- stop sectors that are or will be hurt by the trade war. The feds need to take a lead role in getting provinc- es to the table to reduce interprovincial trade barriers, which could mitigate the harm to a point. There must be a renewed effort to update NAFTA. Canadians and their governments at all levels need to continue to stand together. We didn't start this trade war. But Trump has left us no choice but to fight it, and the best way to do that is together. Standing together in the face of a trade tidal wave • EDITORIAL • She's thankful abortions legal, safe says retired nurse I'm an old lady who, as a nurse 60 years ago, worked in a ward of un- married pregnant girls, who upon discovering their pregnancy, tried to abort the fetus and lost their own lives in the at- tempt (one being a good friend).friend).f Later, I volunteered with Planned Parenthood and, after that, worked in an abortion clinic for sev- eral years. Then, I started the birth control clinic at To- ronto General Hospital. What is the solution when your teenage son has, through possible ig- norance, impregnated his girlfriend? What about those liv- ing with developmental disabilities, who can be preyed upon, or the 16- year-old girl living on the street, or those who were raped? What about the woman abusing alcohol who will deliver a shrieking, dam- aged infant, or, for the le- gion of women who will give birth with no ongoing support for a child? I have seen all these during my career as a nurse - and many more. The world is more im- perfect than one cares to imagine. One may imagine solu- tions but these will not give our children a fair chance for a full and re- warding life. Every child should be a wanted child, as is the motto for Planned Parent- hood. I am thankful that to- day abortions are legal and safe, performed in a hospital or clinic by car- ing, specialized doctors, who also deliver counsel- ling and followup care. Abortions are not the gruesome events depicted in the shamefully circu- lated trash in Oakville. Rather, they correct mistakes and teach more rewarding outcomes. I can't help but wonder if the anti-abortion pro- testers and those handing out flyers are the same folks who are against thefolks who are against thef Ontario sex education programs. Nancy Snelgrove, RN, BASc (nursing educa- tion) lMORE ONLINE See all our published letters to the editor online at insidehalton.com • LETTERS & COMMENTARY • Letters to the Editor See what our readers are saying about the issues that matter to them. www.insidehalton.com/letters