www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, April 7, 2010 · 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: 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 Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director 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 Grim reminder The tragic auto accident which occurred in the early hours of Saturday on a quiet Halton Hills street should serve as a reminder for all drivers, but especially young ones, that operating a motor vehicle requires the utmost of care. This latest road tragedy occurred a week after Oakville teen Matt McGregor was killed when he was behind the wheel in a single-car crash on McCraney Street. While we certainly are not intimating that all, or even most, young With proms just around drivers are more the corner and summer reckless than days and parties on the other drivers, the fact remains that horizon, parents should far too often road have every reason to be tragedies such as concerned about how and the one Saturday when their children make involve young their way home. drivers. Saturday's crash, in which a 22-year-old Campbellville man died, an Erin teen was sent to a Toronto hospital in critical condition and four others suffered less serious injuries, had all the earmarks of a tragedy waiting to happen. According to Halton Police speed and alcohol were a factor -- a deadly combination, regardless of the age of the person behind the wheel. Added to that was the fact six people were crammed into a car designed to hold five-- in such a circumstance that means there was no seatbelt for at least one of the occupants. Then factor in the time of the crash (2:50 a.m.). While it is now up to the courts to determine the culpability of the driver, this case should serve as a stark reminder to every young driver that being young does not mean being invulnerable. With proms just around the corner and summer days and parties on the horizon, parents should have every reason to be concerned about how and when their children make their way home. Local youths should be equally concerned that they make the right choices when it comes to finding a safe way home. Any parent would prefer a late-night phone call from their child, or paying a cab fare, than answering a knock on the door from a police officer bearing bad, if not devastating, news. 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 416-3401981. 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 No safety guarantee Another day, another large industrial accident, resulting in death and destruction. This time it is the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia, resulting from a methane explosion. At time of writing, 25 are believed to have been killed. On Feb. 7, a gas-fired power plant was ripped apart by an explosion in Middletown, Connecticut, killing 6. On Aug. 10, 2008, a huge explosion destroyed the Sunrise Propane facility in Toronto, resulting in 2 deaths, and rendering 100 nearby homes uninhabitable. We have recently learned that since 2000, dozens of people are alleged to have been killed or injured as a result of faulty brake pads from an otherwise reputable car manufacturer. No one thought that these risks would materialize. Everyone involved thought that what they are See Ignoring page 8 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 email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Pay the price for state-of-the-art hospital Ease the burden of suffering for those who are ill I have read all the letters to the editor and all the objection to the new hospital and I cannot believe what people are against. Do they not realize that Oakville and Halton have an opportunity to have a state-of-the-art hospital in the area? With the state-of-the-art hospital, we will get real services, that for years we have had to go out of town to get. Do they not realize with a state-ofthe-art hospital, we will attract top doctors and nurses and aids? I have lived in Oakville for 50 years. For many years, I drove patients for the Red Cross. I had to drive dialysis patients, heart patients and cancer patients to Hamilton and Toronto hospitals because Oakville hospital could not treat them. This is very hard for those that had to have treatment. Try driving patients to Henderson Hospital to treat cancer patients in the winter in snowstorms or along the QEW to Toronto hospitals. The hardship these patients faced was very difficult for them. One letter writer was concerned about the number of single rooms. Do they not realize that people with infection diseases or post operation people need private rooms? I am sure these single rooms could be adjusted to double or even more beds if we should have an infection disease, which might occur. I bet that the higher taxes would not be as much as the cost of one day in the hospital out of 365 days in the state-of-the-art hospital. I have had cancer and had to go to the Henderson Hospital for four years because Oakville hospital could not treat me. I am presently on dialysis three times per week to the Henderson Hospital. The nurses and nurses' aids are excellent. The dialysis treatments run from seven in the morning to eleven o'clock at night. Let's go for the state-of-the-art hospital by the time 2030 comes along, our population will probably double or higher. Pay the price, after all there is no free lunch in this world. LEWIS G. CAMPBELL, OAKVILLE