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www.brantfl orist.com/ob905.639.7001www.dentistoakville.com905-842-6030HALTONTRANSMISSIONwww.carstaroakville.com547 Trafalgar Rd.905-845-7579559 SPEERS ROAD, UNIT #32212 Wyecroft Rd.SNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010ONTARIOS TOP NEWSPAPER - 2005-2008Beaver T(railsT905)842-0725ravel905-847-2595A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd.Vol.49 No,2011.11USING COMMUNICATION TO BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIESTHURSDAY,JANUARY2740 Pages $1.00 (plus tax)Region Gay-StraightA weeapprovesclubs in most toast1.4 per centOakville publictax increaseBy Christina Commissohigh schools METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUPIn a budget that will see close to $1By Dominik Kurekbillion spent on infrastructure, pro-OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFgrams, services, regional staff andpolice, Haltons council was hung upGay-Straight Alliances (GSA) have been in Oakvilleon about $190,000.and Halton Region public high schools for a numberThat amount represented the dif-of years and local educators say they are a great bene-ference between capping Regionalfit to the students.staff pay increases at 2.25 per cent,I think we try towhich was the amount decided uponinvolve the kids andI think we try to involveduring Mondays budget deliberations,empower the kidsthe kids and empoweror at 2 per cent, which some council-to understand thatthe kids to understandlors deemed would bring public sectorthey have the rightthat they have the rightwages further in line with those in theto be who they areto be who they are andprivate sector.and to speak up. ItsIs it a lot of money? No. But wenot about tolerance.to speak up.its nothave to do something different. PublicIt is about respectabout tolerance.it issector salaries have gotten out of lineand celebration,about respect and with the private sector, saidsaid Susan Glas, acelebration.Burlington Councillor Jack Dennison,teacher advisor onwho introduced the motion tothe Iroquois RidgeSusan Glas, teacher advisor decrease the cap. High School GSA.on the Iroquois Ridge HighPointing to the still-recoveringGlas has beenSchool GSAeconomy, he called the move a pre-serving as a teacheremptive strike.advisor for the pastFellow Burlington Councillor Paul12 years at the school, and before that in an informalSharman supported the motion, citingrole.an imbalance in private and publicShe said after 31 years of teaching, and now in hersector wages and increasing povertylast, she hopes it wont be long before there is a timerates in Halton.when all students will be able to hold hands in theIts time to get real and look at allhallways.levels of government and ask our-Iroquois Ridge is one of four Oakville public highselves what are we trying to do to theschools with a GSA. Only White Oaks Secondarypublic? Who is it that takes a stand onCLAUDIO CUGLIARI / OAKVILLE BEAVER School indicated it does not have a GSA, though it hadthis? Where do we deliver a message?one last school year. SCOTTISH TRADITION: Doug Orr recites Tam OShanterwritten by Scotland's greatestSee Regional page 5poet,Robbie Burns,during the Wee Celebration at the Oakville Museum Sunday afternoon.See GSA page 11