The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, December 22, 1998 -7 SO UR READERS WRITE bTlEw ad tearout tHAMlPItN Have your say on water The following is an open let- ter to residents on town water. Dear Editor: Do you realize that you will be soon drinking Lake Ontario water if Halton Region bas its way? Everybne we bave spoken to bas no idea that this is about to happen. We bave always been under the impression that the new development would bave a segregated water supply. This is not the case. Instead, we will be forced to drink what the Region calîs "blended" water: a combination of our existing water, and water from Lake Ontario. Milton will begin expanding rapîdly soon. About 20,000 new bouses will be built in three stages. The Region' s plan calîs for Lake Ontario water to, be added to the Milton reser- voir and then piped to existing homes as well as the new ones. The quality of our local water was neyer an issue until the introduction of chlorine. Now there is a much larger issue: do you or do you not want to drink water from Lake Ontario? The Great Lakes continue to be cancer bot spots. It is well known that it is due to the PCBs contaminating the sedi- ment on the lake bottoms. Pollution levels in the lakes are improving, but it will take many hundreds of years before they are dlean once again. How can Milton residents deal with this issue? It' s simple - urge government to keep the water supplies separate (i.e. aIl new development would drink Lake Ontario water while current residents would contin- ue to drink town water). A new reservoir would have to be built. According to the Region, the developers, under Ontario law, would not have to psy for this new reservoir. Therefore, the cost of a new reservoir would be the responsibility of we, the current Milton residents. So the real issue is cost. The Region dlaims a new reservoir is the only way to maintain segregated water. Stage one of the three-step plan will consist of 6,200 new homes and 700 acres of indus- trial development. Why is there no way of amortizing the cost of a new reservoir when one considers the size of this devel- opmnent? A new reservoir will be required for the second stage of the development, anyway. It appears there are actually three courses of action open to us: 1. Drink Lake Ontario water (i.e. 'blended' water) 2. Segregate the system by building a new reservoir. The Region estimates this would double our water buils for the next ten years - on average, an additional $300 per bouse- hold for 10 years. 3. Have Regional staff revamp their current proposai s0 that the developers bear the cost of a new reservoir. The only way to have this issue reopened by the Region is to show that it is of concemn to the residents of Milton. Rather than attempting to have the Region hold a formaI referen- dum (which would be costly, time consuming and unbind- ing), we would like to gauge public opinion by having you circle one of the three altemna- tives above, tili in your name, address and phone number and mail to: Water Supply, Box 2303, The Canadian Champion, 191 Main St. E., Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9. Name: Address: Phone: Signed: Me! Cutier Milton NOTI CE 0F A PUBLIC MEETING Proposed Amendment No. 5 to the Officiai Plan for the Reglon of Halton The Cauncil of the Regional Municipality of Haton, through its Planning and Public Works Committee, is holding a Public Meeting to provide interested indvduals an opportunity ta comment on proposed Halton Region Officiai Plan Amendment No. 5: Date: Wednesday, January 13, 1999 Time: 9:00 A.M. Place: Halten Roem Halten Reglenal Centre 1151 Brente Road Oakvllle ON L6M 31 To Get More Information: Proposed Amendment No. 5 may be viewed at the Office of the Regional Clerk, between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. weekdays, or a copy may be obtained by calling Ruth Victor, Ext. 7183, at one of the numbers below. Those wishing ta address the Committee are requested ta telephone the Regional Clerk, Joan Eaglesham, at Ext. 7237, prior to Thursday, January 7, 1999, 4:30 P.M. Purpose 0f Amendment: The purpose is ta permit a church on a 6 acre site, existing cultural and outdoar recreational facilities on a site of 47 acres. On the remaining lands agricultural uses are permitted. The amendment will also recognize the existing water service connection. The site area subject of this amendment is located west of Winston Churchill Blvd. north of No. 5 Side Road. The property is legally described as Part of Lots 6 and 7, Concession 11, Town o! Halton Huis. Note: If you wish to be notified o! the adoption of the prapased OfficiaI Plan Amendment, you must make a written request ta the Regional Clerk at the above address. If a persan or public body that files a notice of appeal o! a decision of the Regional Municipality of Halton in respect of the proposed OfficiaI Plan Amendment does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submission ta the Regional Municipalhty o! Halton before the proposed OfficiaI Plan Amendment is adopted, the Ontario Municipal Board may dismiss ail or part of the appeal. Related Applications: Town of Halton HuIs Zoning By-Law Amendment File. To phone the Reglen et Halton trem: Aldershot Acton Georgetown Burlington, Oakvllle, Milton (905) 6394540 (519) 853-0501 (905) 878-8113 (905) 825-6161 Leglslated Notice has been prevlded te these nelghbours affected by the proposai, as requlred under the Planning Act. This la prevldied fer any ther lnterested parties. Site Location 1, A 0 5M 1000 eaMtets IMPORTANT AUCTION SALES NOTICE SAT., DEC. 26 (BOXING DAY) AT 10:30 AM Our Annuel Boxing Day Antique Sale Featuring: Pine Ref. corner cupboard; Cranberry hanging hall amp; Moorecraft pcs.; ohI amps; Bateman prints; Clocks; pottery; Treenware; Toys & Collectibles; Ouilta; Primitives & Furiture. Preview & Registration wiIl start at 9:00 arn for this sale. NEW YEAR'S DAY JAN. 1 '99 AT 11:00 AM For Barb & Gordan Rank The Rank's i 7th Annual New ears Day Sale of Quality Antiques. A sale that everyone looks forward to. Preview 9:30 arn Bath sales ta be held ln the Agricultural Hall an Robert St., Mltan Fairgrounds, Miltan, Ont. AUCTIONEER DON COLLING (905) 877-0117 & 8 U jýW30