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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 13, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 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 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver 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 KIM MOSSMAN Circ. Manager Staying the course If something is worth fighting for, it should not be abandoned in the face of a little adversity. The battle cancer patients wage with the disease, for their life, is one they will never give up. Witness recent cancer patient Darcy Doherty of Toronto who fought with everything he had to access a not-yet-approved cancer drug in the hope it may give him more time -- in this world, with his family, his wife, his children. He died Tuesday. Admittedly, the economy is flailing, people are struggling, signs of it are everywhere. Jobs lost, belt tightening, scalebacks, clawbacks, efforts to squeeze, even wring more and more, little by little. Local charities are feeling that pinch. All are trying to cope. The Canadian Cancer Society itself amalgamated units in Halton not long ago. Now comes news that the once vibrant fundraiser, Relay for Life, the signature cancer society fundraiser is coming up short -- just about everywhere. See our frontpage story today. Times may be tough, but that's when the tough are supposed to get going. They need to on behalf of those not feeling so tough as they battle against the ravages of the insidious damage caused by myriad types of cancer. Fundraisers are plentiful, causes are many. The Canadian Cancer Society, however, supports local programs and services for local cancer patients, and national research on behalf of everyone, in its work to eradicate the disease -- all types of cancer. Though many have fought and many have died, this is not the time to give up, to retreat, in the face of a little adversity. Over the years, through funding and fundraising by the Canadian Cancer Society and others, progress is being made. Knowledge about the disease in its various forms has increased. Treatments have become better. Bottom line, people are surviving more. If we continue the fight, the day will come that cancer will be beaten. Those given a diagnosis of cancer don't give up. Those of us fortunate enough not to be hearing the diagnosis, at least today, should not do so. Those who have fought cancer should not do so. While the next Relay for Life may be just under a year away, it's worth keeping in mind. The planning for it begins much sooner. There's still time to donate to this year's edition, held just a month ago. According to the Canadian Cancer Society's website, in 2012 an estimated 27,900 people will die of cancer in Ontario and 72,300 new cases will be diagnosed. Those are staggering statistics, and that's why it's so very important for events such as Relay for Life to get the support they deserve. 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. Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver 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 reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Re: Of eight students to earn top marks, one is male, The Oakville Beaver, Friday, July 6, 2012 Your headline writer may have inadvertently touched on a topic, not discussed in the article, but which has been a concern in recent years; the lack of boy-centred learning in our schools. In no way am I diminishing the achievements of the seven girls who did so well and received a Governor General Bronze Medal. Well done! Where are the other male students? There are those who see the lack of male achievement in high schools as a precursor to problems in society in coming years. The headline says it all: Of eight students to earn top marks, one is male. Ronald Rea, Oakville Headline hits topic of concern Letter to the editor Time to let the pesticide ban debate subside Re: MPP seeks a reasonable balance, The Oakville Beaver, Friday, July 6, 2012 I was surprised to read in Mr. Chudleigh's letter that cow parsley, (anthriscus sylvestris) is toxic. This is certainly news to me as we used to gather this delicate flower, which proliferates in the hedgerows in England, to make bouquets. I have never heard or read that it is poisonous. Maybe he is referring to Fool's Parsley or Poison Hemlock, two poisonous, illsmelling plants found growing in fields and waste ground in Ontario. Either way, it should be pointed out these plants are only poisonous in the unlikely event of being ingested, and thus pose a far lesser danger to our health than the use of pesticides, which we have absolutely no defence against. I am not sure how Mr. Chudleigh thinks that by loosening the pesticide ban, we can guard against being poisoned by toxic weeds. How many thousands of acres of land would we have to spray? Totally ridiculous. We have managed to live with these plants for a long time, but pesticides are a more recent, and very real, threat to our health. Mr. Chudleigh refers to `aggressive pests,' but I have yet to meet a more aggressive pest than those who would have us poison ourselves with chemicals. The increased use of pesticides, whether in homeowner or professional hands, endangers everyone's health. Harmful chemicals are released into the air, pets can be poisoned, the earth is depleted, and residue runs off into the lakes and streams, no matter who handles the product. Are the proponents of increased pesticide use thinking mainly of such tragedies as the occasional poisoning by a noxious plant or an insect-borne disease? Or are they perhaps more interested in expensive contracts with homeowners who want a `perfect' lawn at the risk of the community's health? One certainly hopes not. I have confidence that there are few, if any, such homeowners in Oakville. I think most of us are now aware, the `risks' of not spraying pests are far outweighed by the proven dangers of pesticide use. So, Mr. Chudleigh, may I respectfully request that we drop the subject and leave the ban in place. Edith Cunningham, Oakville Follow Oakville Beaver staff on Twitter @OakvilleBeaver @NewsHooked @DavidLea6 @DominikKurek @BeaverSports or @Halton_Photog