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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, December 9, 2011 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: C Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member A THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association S Suburban Newspapers of America o Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager We need to do more Nov. 25 was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This past Tuesday marked the anniversary of the 1989 killing of 14 women at École Polytechnique in Montreal. It also marked the 10th anniversary of Nina's Place, the Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre of Halton. Nina's Place, named in memory of Burlington resident Nina de Villiers, murdered in 1991, provides specialized care for women, men and youths who have experienced sexual assault and/or domestic violence. In the last five years, the centre, based out of f Burlington's Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, has conducted one-on-one counselling with 883 people; there have been more than 311 follow-up talks in person and more than 355 follow-ups via telephone. And... the majority of the clients are female. While vigils and special days are symbolic gestures designed to raise public awareness surrounding a pressing social issue, they are not enough. Marches, pep rallies and prayer services serve a purpose because they help to raise awareness of the issue. But actually stamping out violence against women will require a vigilant effort from every member of society, every single day. The facts are sad and frightening: · One in every three women worldwide will be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. · One in five women will become the victim of rape or attempted rape. · Women aged 15-44 are at a higher risk of death and disability through domestic violence than through cancer, motor vehicle collisions, war and malaria. While those facts are global, the simple fact is women's shelters across the country exist for one reason -- they are desperately needed. What can you do? Be willing to take whatever steps are necessary to help someone who cannot help herself. If you suspect a neighbour, friend or co-worker (male or female) is being beaten or verbally abused by a partner or relative, call police. Counsel her to leave and help her find appropriate support agencies. Drive her to a shelter, if necessary. Meanwhile, we have to push our elected representatives to enact tougher legislation that will keep violent men behind bars longer. Restraining orders are not enough. Men, too, can play a more active, visible and supportive role in protecting women. Everyone can, and should, do what they can to help. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 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 of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Letter to the editor Concerns about Bill C-10 Editor's Note: This letter was sent to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and a copy was filed with The Oakville Beaver. I agree Canadians should work together to make our country a safer, more just place for everyone. However, I have grave concerns about the proposed federal Bill C-10, the crime bill that is currently being rushed through Parliament in Ottawa. I don't want the federal government to impose mandatory sentences that will fill new prisons with people who should not be there. We have seen that strategy fail completely in the United States. Why would we repeat that dangerous experiment here in Canada? I am glad to see that you are refusing to pay the massive costs that will be downloaded by this federal bill. I do not want my criminal justice system to be overwhelmed, and I do not want money taken from our health, education and social programs to pay for a costly and ineffective approach to justice. We need to focus on the causes of crime, instead of paying endlessly for the consequences. I believe that we should use an evidence-based approach to justice. We should be committed to preventing crimes, and to restorative justice that meets the victim's needs and helps the community to heal. I want our province to refuse to pay for Bill C-10. We need a new way forward. I ask you to go a step further and call for the establishment of an independent commission of diverse citizens and experts to create a plan for Canadian justice that is cost efficient and socially effective. Thank you for your leadership on this important issue. Bev LeFrancois, Oakville Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver r welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver r reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Take a look at Port Credit Arena I grew up in Port Credit, and like many young Canadian boys, I played hockey in the old Port Credit Memorial Arena. This structure is almost a mirror image of the Oakville Arena and has recently been modified and expanded to meet today's needs. It is an outstanding example of maintaining the original structure, while increasing the size with a new addition. Do municipalities not converse? Does the Town of Oakville not look at other towns' planning and take note of their accomplishments and/or failures in order to avoid the same pitfalls? One only needs to have our Town planners meet with the City of Mississauga to review the new arena, and get a clear idea of f cost, feasibility and duration of construction to realize the potential our arena has. Drew Stephen, Oakville BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud