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C o u rth o u s eo nto po fp rio ritylis t continued from p.32 Ministry considers Halton Region a priority, however the fiscal situation makes investment decisions tougher as "valuable infrastructure dollars are scarce and must compete with other high-priority urgently-needed projects." Clare Graham, press secretary to Yasir Naqvi, Attorney General of Ontario said fair and timely access to justice is a core value of the ministry. "That' s why we are committed to addressing the growing demands on the Halton region facilities," she said. "In fact, a new courthouse for the Halton region is on the top of the Ministry' s priority projects list." Meanwhile Arnott said the time is now to make the announcement. In his letter, which he personally gave to Naqvi in the Legislature after Question Period May 30, Arnott once again made the case for the new court house. "This new courthouse is needed because of the poor condition of the existing facility in Milton," he wrote. "The current courthouse is aging, overcrowded, and simply inadequate to meet the growing needs of our community." Arnott pointed out the implications of the tremendous population growth that has taken place in Halton Region in recent years. "The Region of Halton is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada. However, our court facilities have not kept pace with the booming population," Arnott stated. "Our current courthouse was built in 1962 when the population of the Region of Halton was 190,000. While there was an addition in 1979, the population of Halton Region has grown exponentially since then. It is forecast to grow to more than 620,000 by 2021 and is expected to exceed one million by 2041." "Our current Courthouse simply wasn't designed to serve such a large population," he continued. "As a result, there have been examples where criminal cases have been thrown out of court because it has taken too long for them to get to trial." Since he first visited the existing Courthouse in September 2014, Arnott has raised the matter on numerous occasions in the Legislature, and repeatedly written and spoken to successive Attorneys General. He has sought to work with the other Halton-area MPPs, and even arranged to have local lawyer Paul Stunt meet with the former Attorney General to discuss the situation. "Both you and your predecessor have repeatedly promised us that a new Halton courthouse is a top priority for your Ministry," Arnott wrote. "When I raised this issue in Question Period on March 23, you said: `I assure the Member opposite.. .this is our top priority and we will get it done.'" "However, despite these assurances we are still waiting," he continued. "I urge you to visit the existing court facilities in Milton to see the problem for yourself and then formally and publicly announce approval for a new Halton Courthouse." 3 3 | T h u rsd a y June 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 | O A K V ILLE B EA VE R | w w w .in s id e h a lto n .c o m P I C -A -D E L I ^ W e e k l y S p e c ia ls : T h u r s d a y N i g h t s : D o m e s t ic P in t & 1 lb o f W in g s $ 9 9 9 D a i l y s p e c i a l : L a r g e 3 ite m P iz za - $ 9 99 D in e In & P ic k u p o n ly F e a t u r in g B e s t M o n tr e a l S m o k e d S a n d w ic h e s A ll D a y B r e a k fa s t . Hours: Monday - Saturday 7 am -1 am Closed Sundays. 670 Fourth Line (9 0 5 ) 339-1905 M IL T O N HARDWOOD FLOORS 905-876-7671 Toll Free 1 .8 6 6 .4 1 4 ) miltonhardwood.coi * 1 ^W e S f e . c e l e b r a t i n g C a n a d a ' s W H p g p 1 5 0 th B ir th d a v A e a r lv w ith jth e s e S a le s ! SPECIALIZING IN: A c, n M a p ie while quantities last 7 4 " $ 3 . 7 t9 M Sales, Installation and Stairs . Rre-finished / Engineered Hand Scraped / Wire Brushedl Sanding and Refinishing Builders / Contractors *53 Steeles Ave. E. Milton, On