A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday September 8, 1999 T h e O a k v il l e B e a v e r OPINION Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver Associate Publisher Norman Alexander Editor Kelly Montague, Advertising Director Martin Doherty Circulation Director Teri C a sas Office Manager Mark Dills Production Manager Riziero Vertoili Director of Photography M eirdand Printing. Publishing & D istributing Ltd., includes: A^ax/Pckemg News Advertiser. A lston HerakVCourier. Barrie Advance. Barry'S Bay This Week. Bolton Enterprise. Brampton Guardan. Burlington Post. Bcrtngton Shopping News. C ity Parent. CoSngwoocWVasaga Connection. East York M irra . Erin Advocate'Country Routes. Etobicoke Guar dan. Ramborough Post. Georgetown independent/Act on Free Press. Huroria Business Tmes. K ingston This W eek. Lindsay This W eek. M arkham Ecnom ist & Sun. M idland/P enetanguishine M irra . M ilton Canadian C ham pion. M ilton Shopping News. Mesissauga Business Tm es. Mississauga News. Napanee G lide . Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner. Northumberland News, North York M rror, Oakville Beaver, Oakvdte Shopping News. O ldtm ers Hockey News. O riia Today. O shaw a/W hfttyC laringtai Port Peny This week. Owen Sound Tribune. P e tertxxough This W eek. P icton C ounty G uide. R ichm ond H ill/ThanhiU /Vaughan Liberal. Scartxxough M irra . S touffvtlle/U xbridge T rtxne . Forever Y baig. City o t York Guardan 467 Speers Rd„ Oakville Ont L6K3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: B Ontario CommunityNewspapers Association ^ C N A Canadian Community Newspapers Association SKY Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR- Editorials Junior citizens The Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards Program is now accepting nominations for the 1999 awards. ' This program isn't a competition. There are no winners or losers, all nominees are recog nized with a certificate for the contributions they have made to their communities. Up to 12 of the nominees are then chosen to receive the award, presented by Ontario's Lieutenant Governor during a special ceremony held in Toronto. Nominees for this award may be involved in community ser vice; have performed acts of heroism; be making contributions while living with limitations; or be 'good kids' who show a commitment to make life better for others. There are young people in our community who have risen to the challenge -- help us to celebrate their achievements, help us recognize their worth. Nominations will be accepted until Oct. 31st. Forms and fur ther information about the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year program can be obtained from this newspaper, or by calling the OCNA at (905) 639-8720. Letters to the Editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be typed, signed and include the writer's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 There are young people in our com munity who have risen to the challenge -- help us to celebrate their achievements, help us recognize their worth. IteW TITANIUM DRNER, NEW OVE&iz&P irons, \m spineless shoes, m i SAME OLD SWIN6»- Grit leader wants action on health front The following letter was sent to the Ontario Minister o f Health, Elizabeth Witmer; a copy was also filed with The Oakville Beaver. I am writing with respect to an Changes of no help This is a letter regarding the 'improved' education system since the Tory re-election in June. Suffice to say, it hasn't improved at all. I am a high school student entering my final year in the fall. Prior to pre-registration this year, I received a notice in the mail stating that I had a scheduling conflict. After speaking to a guidance counsellor, I was informed that one of my class es was already full and I would be unable to take it. It is the only class of its kind running this year and it has reached its maximum capacity of 35 students. Yup, 35 student. I kind of remember Mr. Harris say ing something about a maximum class size of 22 students in defence to the protest in education downsiz ing (reform). I am appalled that I would lose the opportunity to take a class that I was looking forward to because the Harris government couldn't afford to hire more teachers after spending so much money on television com mercials to improve his popularity. Well, Mr. Harris, I'd like you a lot more, if you put our tax dollars towards us, the students. That way, we'll actually benefit from your campaign propaganda. A nna C ie s lak issue of grave urgency for all Ontarians. There is a critical short age of physicians in Ontario and your recent appointment of a "fact finder" to further study the issue is just not good enough. The doctor shortage is not new. It has existed for some time and is affecting the delivery of top-quality patient care in this province. Ontarians need a government that will take the action required to solve this prob lem now. According to your own Ministry's figures, there are 87 communities designated as under- serviced for family physicians and a total of 118 vacancies for special ists across the province. These underserviced communities include: Windsor, Woodstock, Peterborough, North Bay, Sudbury, Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Cornwall. Thousands of families across the province are without a family physician, and emergency rooms are finding it difficult to continue normal hours of service for lack of doctors. Ontario citizens deserve better than that. It is your govern ment's responsibility to fix this problem, one you have known about for months -- if not years. Ontarians are justifiably wor ried and anxious. They want and deserve some answers and reassur ance that you will make it your first priority to resolve this critical situation. My caucus and I will continue to advocate strongly for a viable and sustainable solution to the doc tor shortage problem that will address both the issues of supply and distribution of our medical professionals. In accordance with our 20/20 Plan commitments, we will continue to advocate for: • A 15% increase in the number of medical school spaces; • Positive incentives to attract physicians to rural practice, such as free tuition in return for service. In addition, we call on you to engage the medical profession and regulatory bodies in the important debate over the licensing of for eign-trained professionals. It is imperative that we investigate ways to benefit from the skills of those who meet O ntario's and Canada's medical licensing stan dards without compromising either the safety of patients, or the oppor tunities for our own graduates. The time for research, fact-find ing, and debate about the doctor shortage is over. The time for action is now. Dalton McGuinty, M.P.P. Leader o f the Official Opposition Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party Royal Bank helped Rape Crisis Centre On behalf of the Halton Rape Crisis Centre, I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Royal Bank for, once again, donating $10,000 to our centre. Last year's donation was specifically applied to the expansion of education of drug-related sexual assault and anti-harassment /discrimi nation in the workplace. During the past year, the education coordinator responded to 125 school speaks and 11 anti-harassment/discrimination workshops for both management and employees of two local compa nies. Last November, a drug-related sexual assault campaign was launched, and the Centre responded to nationwide radio interviews, newspaper articles, and our spokesperson appeared on CBC National News and other television spots to further the campaign. Special recognition goes to Marj Dawson of the Royal Bank, whose genuine concern has made this donation possible. Once again we will be applying the funds to maintain our education programs focusing on these serious issues that continue to affect the people of our community. Lou ise Carlin Financial Coordinator Halton Rape Crisis Centre Cogeco didn't consult subscribers about cable changes Re: Cogeco & CRTC I turned on my television to watch a pro gram on WGN superstation out of Chicago. What I got was a Business channel same with WSBR in Boston I get Star TV. I don't remember Cogeco phoning me and asking if I want these channels plus the Native Canadian channel. I don't remember any letter from Cogeco. I phoned the com pany and they told me effective Sept. 1st, 1999, this was being implemented but we will give you $1 per month credit on chan nels lost. Big deal. I lose my baseball games, hockey, and so many other good programs. I don't want these channels Star TV, Native Canadian and Business channel. Once again, the cable companies and CRTC are forcing us to support useless channels without asking what we want. The arro gance of these people is galling. We already have'a Stock channel. CBC covers Native concerns quite adequately and as for sup porting Native Canadians, we already do to the tune of $ 10-billion per year. No taxes on reservations and a host of other perks. So please, Cogeco, give me what I paid for and what I wanted, not what you and the CRTC think I should watch. Joh n G ro sve n o r Pud MAX, 'WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER ON Yo u r t o i l e t TRAINING everything would b e s q m u c h easier i f y o u W E R E OUT O F DIAPERS -LIKE RUNNING THROUGH THE SPRINKLER FbR EXAMPLE by Steve Nease L e t t e r o f t h e W e e k Glenashton traffic needs controls Re: traffic concerns on Glenashton Drive and Golden Briar Trail. Since moving here some seven years ago, we have noticed the increase in traffic volume on Glenashton Drive (east of Trafalgar Road) since the Glenashton Drive (west of Trafalgar Road) was opened. In 1998, I wrote to the Town of Oakville Traffic Department at the Public Works Department requesting a Stop sign be erected at the comer of Glenashton Drive and Golden Briar Trail. I have also filled in two those community forms that go to the police department (at Loblaws) with the same concern: traffic volume and speed on Glenashton Drive east of Trafalgar. After several months of hearing nothing, I telephoned the Public Works department and spoke to a traffic tech nologist who assured me that the concern was being investigated. On Aug. 16, 1999, the Town of Oakville drafted their response to my request. I am told that a 24-hr. automatic speed survey and a 24-hr. volume survey of traffic operations on Glenashton Drive in the vicinity of Golden Briar Trail was complet ed. When? The letter doesn't tell me. The results indicate that the 85th percentile speed was found to be 57 km/hr. eastbound and 60 km/hr west bound. This is a 50 km/hr speed zone. It is the westbound traffic that has been my concern from the beginning and the survey shows that indeed, the westbound traffic is travelling at 60 km/hr. I know, I see the vehicles and hear the squealing brakes if they have to stop at the traffic light at the intersection of Glenashton Drive and Trafalgar Road. The distance from Golden Briar Trail to Trafalgar Road is only 170 metres, so if cars are travelling at 60 km /hr in the vicinity of Golden B riar Trail and Glenashton Drive, yo can imagine the braking power needed to stop within the 170 metres if the light turns red. My house is situated on the North Side of Glenashton Drive within this 170 metre zone, so it is the westbound speeding traffic that is on my side of the road. Based on traffic volume data collected, the require ments for the all-way stop warrant at Glenashton Drive and Golden Briar Trail are only 55% met out of the required 100%. Further, apparently a distance of 220 metres is the required minimum distance between traffic control devices. The Town of Oakville therefore deems it inappropriate for the introduction of an all-wy stop at this time. However, the results of the speed survey have been forwarded to the Halton Regional Police from the public works department for their review and action as appropri ate. While the town has informed me of the purpose of all way stop control, I still maintain that because of the erec tion of the all-way stop controls along the westbound sec tion of Glenashton Drive (from Trafalgar Road) the vol ume and speed of traffic has been reduced. Glenashton Drive is a residential streets, not a high way. With the congestion of Upper Middle Road, and since G lenashton Drive has been opened west of Trafalgar Road, it has become an alternate route for west bound traffic. During rush hour, the volume and speed of traffic is horrific. There are children on this side of the street within the aforementioned 170 metre stretch. What will it take to get action-a traffic accident? A death? Jennifer W illiam s OPINION 467 Speers Rd„ Oakville Ont L6K3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 ^CNA SKY Editorials Letters to the Editor IteW TITANIUM DRNER, NEW OVE&iz&P SAME OLD SWIN6»- Changes of no help Cogeco didn't consult subscribers about cable changes Pud MAX, 'WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER ON DIAPERS by Steve Nease