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12 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday April 28, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Town wants to make crossing QEW more cyclist-friendly Creating north-south linkages for cyclists and pedestrians has always been a challenge in a town bisected by the QEW. Only the bravest of cyclists want to tackle the challenge of crossing the highway on roads like Trafalgar, where fast-moving traffic merges across lanes to get to on- and off-ramps. With that in mind, Town Councillors have given the nod to a $1.5 million expansion of the highway bridge over Kerr Street. By kicking in the extra money while the province is in the midst of significant QEW reconstruction, the Town can have the bridge widened over the section of Kerr Street that passes under the highway. The current bridge offers only enough space for a twolane road and a single, narrow sidewalk, but an expanded bridge would allow space for additional roadway lanes, as well as expanded sidewalks and cyclist lanes. This could create a place where pedestrians and cyclists could cross the highway without battling the traffic involved with a full QEW interchange. The bridge expansion, and related provincial highway construction, is expected to take place in 2009. While Town Councillors agreed that the opportunity was too good to pass up, some expressed frustration that the entire cost of the project might not be paid for through development charges. Town staff estimate that development charges ­ fees collected from developers who build new properties in town ­ may only cover about 80 per cent of the project. "We know it's because of growth that we're doing this," said Ward 4 Councillor Al Elgar. Ward 6 Councillor Tom Adams echoed Elgar's frustration, but added, "Anytime we can improve pedestrian, cycling and transit services across the QEW, we should take it, I think." "Who's playing?" * Tree bylaw back at square one Want to have your say on clear-cutting, treetrimming, and everything in between? The town is planning a series of public workshops to allow residents to help draft a new town bylaw to protect trees on private property. Workshops will explore a number of key questions relating to how trees can be protected, and what penalties or procedures should be involved in cutting them down. According to a plan approved by town councillors on Tuesday night, staff will undertake public consultation, with the intent of drafting a new private tree protection bylaw for council consideration by early next year. Liz Benneian, president of Oakvillegreen Conservation Association, told councillors she ADVERTORIAL is concerned with the length of time it will take to get a bylaw in place. "I have to say I'm disappointed that we're back at square one," she said. Last October, town council shelved a proposed bylaw that would have required residents to apply for permits to cut down private trees over 30 cm (11.8 inches) in diameter. The proposal created significant public opposition. Town staff suggests the opposition occurred, in part, because council "opted for a consultation process that had the advantage of being fast, but the disadvantage was that it did not allow staff sufficient time to build stakeholder awareness of the need for a bylaw and consensus about the form of the bylaw." Sculpt Your Summer Body Ever wished you could be like those people who seem able to stay effortlessly slim from season to season while others bloat over the winter? Ever asked if there was a medically accurate way of sculpting a body in spite of age, injuries and experience level? Ever wondered why fitness seems so easy for others and yet you get injured every time you try an exercise program? Firstly, there is no effortless fitness. Those people who seem to stay fit easily do it by getting to know their bodies, finding an instructor who can help them do so and matching the workout to the woman, child or man. If you've been going to big general classes where the instructor barely knows your name, it's little wonder that you're not getting results. Yet getting fit doesn't have to be difficult or painful. "This feels so good I don't know I'm exercising!" exclaimed Donna, mother of three, during an Oakville Pilates class. Yes, we know you don't have Madonna's budget for a full-time personal trainer, but there is an answer. At Oakville Pilates we use a unique, individualized approach. We get to know your body and goals BEFORE we put you in to the class. Then we use tiny classes of 3-8 people to give you personal attention at group cost. Does it work? "I went down a size in pants the first month!" exclaimed our client Margaret, a fiftyplus grandmother of two. Secondly, you don't have to stop working out just because the weather's bad. Oakville Pilates offers an internationally certified method, Stott Pilates, that can be done year-round. We can also give you a fast, power pace without risk to meet your summer deadline. "My running times actually improved over the winter with the amazing Stott breathing method and core strengthening," said runner Paul, an Oakville Pilates student. Finally, if you are looking for a fast fitness solution after a long layoff, you are asking for an injury. Most workout methods, eg. aerobics, running, Yoga, even many of the pilates classes and Gym personal training currently being offered, have little or no medical input. Stott Pilates uses only fully-trained instructors and updates our material yearly with medical information to keep classes state-of- the-art and injury-free. Did you know that in North America Pilates is completely unregulated by law, and can legally be taught by someone with no training at all? That is why our international certification makes such a difference. At Oakville Pilates, we start by carefully examining your body. Then we tell you which workout methods to avoid and how to prepare for the training that suits your body, no matter what your starting level. "I haven't had back pain since I started with Oakville Pilates," says Fatima, who came to us with chronic sciatica, "these are exercises I can do whenever I need them."Contact Oakville Pilates at 905 466 5977 Also classes in home, workplace or school. Three locations in Oakville. Join our new Studio Open House at 1298 Cornwall Rd. Thursday May 2 @ 12:00 For answers to this and other burning questions, stay tuned to this paper. Concert announcement in next week's Oakville Beaver. *