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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, January 23, 2013 · 6 Opinion & Letters The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 905-845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 905-631-6095 -- 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington 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: 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 Halton Region 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 Circulation Manager Wouldn't life be great if we could just do whatever we want, didn't have to answer to anyone, consider opposing views or even back up our decisions? Well, life must be pretty great for the board members of the Halton Secondary School Athletic Association (HSSAA). In addition to having all of the above perks, it gets to do it all behind the cloak of anonymity. The HSSAA released a ruling Jan. 11 that effective next season, female rep hockey players will no longer be able to play for high school teams. The same rule has been in place for more than 30 years for the boys' high school league. The motivation appears to be to avoid discipline after a human rights complaint was filed suggesting the different rules for boys and girls was discriminatory. However, we don't know for sure the reason behind the ruling because requests for interviews with a member of the HSSAA were referred to a senior administrator with the Halton District School Board, who was not a part of the decision-making process. Names of the board members were also not provided despite repeated requests by a Halton regional sports reporter. The HSSAA ruling says its boys' league is thriving under the current no-rep rule while girls' participation is declining. Except, the HSSAA didn't do its homework. Girls' participation is declining because even with rep players, many schools don't have enough players for a team. The three presidents of Halton's girls' minor hockey programs say the numbers are not there to support a high school program at most schools without rep players. But the HSSAA didn't contact any of them to inquire about their registration numbers. Oakville Hornets president Mike Turczyniak asked to make a presentation to the board later this month but was told the rule is already in place and meetings are for HSSAA members only. He was offered the chance to forward a written submission. Several longtime high school coaches and phys.-ed. department heads said they were also not asked about the possible ramifications of the decision. The HSSAA said its ruling was to maximize participation and limit the impact of the decision. Had it chose to allow boys' rep players to participate on high school teams -- as all but three leagues in Ontario do -- not a single team would have folded. Instead, it decided to cut the pool of available players for girls in half, even though many schools already struggle to ice teams. The HDSB spokesman said the rule is in place for hockey because the rep and high school seasons run concurrently. However, so do soccer, swimming and girls' volleyball, with no restrictions on rep or club players. The HSSAA has steadfastly stood by its no-rep rule in boys' hockey. Now, having been forced to create equality, it has dug in its heels. The HSSAA has decided, to borrow a phrase NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly used to describe contract lengths during the lockout, this issue "is the hill we will die on." Instead, it may be where girls' high school hockey dies. 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. HSSAA 1, Girls 0 New report on EMF radiation Letter to the editor 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. No excuse to leave animals out in cold Re: Humane society investigates dumped Persian cats, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, The Oakville Beaver When I received my Oakville Beaver (Friday) morning, I started crying as I read the cover story. First of all, thank you to Beth Koreska and her dogs for helping to save the lives of those poor cats. You were in the right place at the right time. Sadly, those cats should never have been left there. What kind of despicable human being does something that cruel to an innocent animal especially in the winter? There is no excuse to leave an animal out in the cold to die. There are numerous rescue organizations and animal lovers out there that can help people who can/don't want to take care of their pets. I'm just glad those beautiful cats have a warm bed and food and people at the Oakville & Milton Humane Society to care for them now. I'm sure, thanks to this story, that there will be many families willing to adopt them. Janice Naylor, Oakville Since 2007, the BioInitiative Report has been the best single source of scientific information about biological changes and adverse health effects caused by exposure to electromagnetic radiation. A five-year update has now been completed and was publicly launched on Monday, Jan. 7. The update contains new chapters and strong new scientific evidence about the dangers of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. If you read the information that has been provided in the BioInitiative Report by 19 scientists and 10 medical doctors, who are experts on this subject, you will find that residents face very serious long-term harm to their health from wireless exposure. Many people are being subjected to strong amounts of micro-wave radiation 24 hours a day through Wi-Fi systems, cordless telephones, cellphones and antennas. As wireless radiation exposure is probably the most significant health threat that we face today, I hope residents take the time to read the BioInitiative Report, available at www. bioinitiative.org. Martin Weatherall, co-director, WEEP Editor's Note: WEEP is a Canadian initiative aimed at stopping wireless, electric and electromagnetic pollution. Reporter thanked for professionalism and sensitivity during interview Re: Local ref hangs up skates after 20-plus years, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, The Oakville Beaver Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting (freelance reporter) Ryan Glassman. Ryan was writing an article about myself retiring early as a referee from the Ontario Hockey Association due to complications from Huntington's Disease. I found him to be extremely compassionate on his questions about my diagnosis. Several times during the interview he made it clear that I didn't have to answer questions if they made me feel uncomfortable. The whole interview he was extremely polite and professional. The story has been placed in this month's edition of the Huntington's Society of Canada newsletter, as well as websites in the U.S. and Canada. The story was written with empathy and that was portrayed in the final product. Many thanks to Ryan from myself and my spouse Anna. Mike Neill, Oakville