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OPINION & LETTERSTHE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR:The Oakville BeaverTHE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR:Canadian Circulation467 Speers Rd.,Audit Board Member Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 Recognized for Excellence by(905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571ClassiOntario CommunityCanadian Communityfied Advertising: 632-4440 Newspapers AssociationNewspapers AssociationCirculation: 845-9742 Open 9-5 weekdays,ATHENASuburban NewspapersAward5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekendsof AmericaEditorial and advertising content of theOakville Beaver is protected by copyright. NEIL OLIVERVice President and Group ROD JERREDManaging EditorMARK DILLSDirector of Production Unauthorized use is prohibited.Publisher of Metroland WestDANIEL BAIRDAdvertising DirectorMANUEL GARCIAProduction ManagerThe Oakville Beaver is a division ofDAVID HARVEYRegional General ManagerRIZIERO VERTOLLIPhotography DirectorCHARLENE HALLDirector of DistributionJILL DAVISEditor in ChiefSANDY PAREBusiness ManagerSARAH MCSWEENEYCirc. ManagerLetter to the editorAddicted to carsTree preservationAnyone living (or working) in Oakville doesnt require traffic statistics to realize that gridlock is getting worse, not must apply to allbetter.The June 2, 2011 edition of the Witness such major local traffic arteries as Lakeshore Oakville Beaverhad a front-page arti-Road, Dundas Street, Trafalgar Road, Third Line, Rebecca cle about the development proposal Street, Speers Road and Upper Middle Road , during the on the DND lands at Rebecca Street morning or afternoon rush hours and you will discover a and Dorval Drive. One line in the healthy sampling of the cars that residents choose as their article screamed at me.mode of transportation.The line was keeping as many It is the collective choices of every driver out there on trees as possible.our roads that contribute to the gridlock mess motorists We all know what that means. The curse, shake their fists at, or breathe a heavy sigh about trees will go. The same line was used each day when they join the glut of traffic that has become for the new St. Thomas Aquinas high school and the first thing they did was our daily routine.cut trees. Each of us makes a conscious decision about where we There is a lot of renovating and work. We also choose the neighbourhoods and communi-rebuilding happening in southwest ties in which we live out our lives.Oakville. Many streets have a house or Most importantly, where traffic is concerned, we all two sporting orange fencing around make the choice to either walk, bike, take transit, carpool the trees at the drip line. Homeowners or drive alone when we leave for work, go shopping or must protect the trees on both private pursue assorted leisure activities.and public property before construc-Of course, many of the life choices we make are deter-tion begins. Why is the same standard mined by personal preference and financial means.not applied to land owned by the fed-If you cant afford a car, that form of transportation isnt eral government? The Town of Oakville spent a great deal of taxpayers money even on your radar. Those who can afford to invest in to create a tree bylaw.greener forms of motorized transportation often do so and Rules are rules.probably feel theyve done their little bit to make the world The developers will say that they a better place.will plant new trees. The trees on the Still, it is these choices made by the commuting property are not small trees that are The Oakville Beaverwelcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerationspublic that determine how efficiently we all will make Letters toand grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author.easily replaced.our personal journeys from Point A to Point B.Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via The existing trees were planted in the editore-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaverreserves the right to refuse to publish a letter.While many people talk the talk about wanting to pull the 1940s and are therefore more than commuters out of their cars and onto GO trains, buses, 60 years old; they are irreplaceable in carpooling vehicles or bicycles, its not the alternative our lifetime. What about rules of the road?means of transporting people we lack, its the individual Last year, Town of Oakville employ-wiees walked every street and took an ll to abandon the automobile.I can watch with amazement at the changing lanes without using his or herinventory of every tree on both public We live in a society that teaches its youngest members corner of Westoak Trails and Fourth Line, signal lights.and private property.from an early age theres a significant amount of freedom and I have not seen any vehicle come to a And what is the purpose of theThey even took photos. Did these and independence to be gained by obtaining a drivers complete stop at the stop sign.Maximum Speed Limit sign if no onesame employees take photos of the licence and purchasing a first car. So bound and devoted Almost every vehicle comes to a roll-complies to it?trees on the DND lands or is there a are we to the automobile that our banks and fast food ing stop, but does not stop completely at If the maximum is 60 or 80 kmh, whydouble standard?restaurants have invented ways to allow us to be consum-the designated stop sign.are drivers going 70 or 90 kmh? And theBefore any approvals of any kind ers without our feet ever having to leave the gas pedal.This is happening all over. big red stop sign, it's like it's not there...are made by the Town of Oakville, I Our torrid love affair with the automobile has created Then there is the question of drivers J. Mendez, Oakvillewould like to see a plan where every this gridlocked, polluting mess and nothing weve invent-tree on the DND property is marked ed since has been able to pry our hands off the steering and shaded at the drip line. Pud BY STEVE NEASEneasecartoons@gmail.comwNo road, structure, driveway, side-heel. The threat of carbon monoxide as an urban pollut-walk or underground service can ant hasnt done it, nor has the skyrocketing price of gaso-encroach on the shaded areas. These line.are the rules the taxpaying public Until something more efficient yet equally convenient must abide by.comes along, we seem hopelessly addicted to drive.Unless every tree on the DND property is protected and saved, the The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Town of Oakville bylaw is not worth 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 othe paper it is written on and was a f advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not colossal waste of tax dollars.be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. Peggy Tupper, OakvilleThe publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, June 17, 2011 6