The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

4- The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 26, 2006 Tree still has one hurdle to cross at regional council Continued from page 1 A new plan to build the expanded road around the tree finally surfaced at the committee meeting Wednesday. It would see the elimination of a southbound leftturn lane into regional headquarters; restriction of the north access to a right in/right out only access and the construction of a ring road internal to the Regional Centre. The modified option would cost $500,000. That cost was bandied about by committee members Wednesday, some said it was too much, others said it was worth it. It was noted the internal ring road would likely be necessary anyway as plans unfold in future for the Regional Centre to become the new, expanded headquarters for Halton's public and Catholic school boards, as well as the Region and Halton Regional Police Service that now share the facility. What's been dubbed the modified option was deemed by Halton Region lawyer Mark Meneray as one that would not require an onerous re-opening of the environmental assessment. Still, the Region will file an Amended Notice of Completion for the Bronte Road (Regional Road 25) Class Environmental Assessment identifying the modified Widen Around the Oak Tree option on the public record for a 30-day review period. "We at the Region of Halton have a heart. We are a caring community, a caring government and we are willing to put some money to save something that is obviously very important to many in the community." Halton Regional Chair Joyce Savoline Regional council still has the final call next Wednesday -- as committee decisions go to regional council for final endorsement. Even around the committee table however views were split on the issue. "I love trees, there's no question I love trees, but I really cannot support a $500,000 tree," said Burlington Councillor Jack Dennison. Though he had to exit the lengthy meeting before the vote was held, Denison handed over his proxy to Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette. Bonnette, too, voted against saving the tree. "It's a tremendous amount of money for a tree that has lived 90 percent of its life span," said Bonnette pondering what $500,000 amounted to in other services, programs or taxes. Milton Councillor Barry Lee proved more nostalgic in attitude. "I'm about ready to weep. The tree is in `Oakville,'" he said. However, Lee They're light in weight and heavy on fit. added the next time trees are the topic in Milton he would ask Oakville councillors "to keep their nose out of our trees." "I do have a heart, but I'm also concerned about unnecessary additions to the taxpayers," said Oakville Ward 2 Councillor Fred Oliver. "I will be the proud owner of a set of traffic lights at the entrance to my home, just what I always wanted," said Bronte Road resident Patrick Murphy, who lives directly across from where a new traffic-signaled intersection will accommodate traffic flow to the Regional Centre. "It's a grand old tree, but it's not the Taj Mahal, it's not the Hanging Gardens of Bethlehem, it's not the Colossus of Rhodes. It's not one of the wonders of the world, it's a tree," said Murphy. "This is about heritage. The tree was here 100 years before Confederation and it's amazing it's still in the state it's in," said Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar. "It's not all about technical things in life, this is something that pulls at the heart," he said. Elgar, a founder of Oakvillegreen Conservation Association Inc. before being elected, had been at odds with Regional Chair Joyce Savoline leading up to the committee meeting over whether or not council had sealed the fate of the tree. Savoline always maintained that while council had voted for the road widening option that would eliminate the tree, council had reserved its call on whether to remove or relocate the tree, but Elgar and others questioned it. Imbedded in the staff report that went to committee Wednesday was a citation from the Minister of the Environment several years ago noting that despite an individual requesting a "bump up" and decision on the tree to be made by the minister, regional council still had to make its decision on the tree's future. "This has been an issue for the Oakville community especially," said Savoline Wednesday. "But I think it's really a issue for all of us in Halton and what our values are. We deal in technical reports all the time. This isn't technical. This is that human aspect of what we do, it's a rare moment when we as a community can say we value something." Savoline admitted "Maybe it will cost us a little bit more," noting the cost would tally about 75 cents per person to save a grand old oak tree. "This is a testament to our human side as a government, especially a regional government that has less ability to reach out and touch somebody than a municipality has," said Savoline. "We at the Region of Halton have a heart. We are a caring community, a caring government and we are willing to put some money to save something that is obviously very important to many in the community." BELOW DECK CEILING SYSTEM 845 Stability Runner · · · · · Stability Web® delivers support in the midfoot and reduces the weight of the shoe ABZORB® in heel and forefoot provides maximum shock absorption and stability Medial Post helps support the arch and provides pronation control N-LOCKTM lace system offers enhanced midfoot support Various widths: Men's D­4E / Women's 2A­D Ceiling System 5 Oakville . W E. Q. LE IDD ST RM PPEOAD EA UR Upper Middle Rd E & 8th Line 905.337.9393 www.newbalanceoakville.ca Transform the unusable area underneath your existing walkout deck to a clean, waterproof and bright lounging area with rust-free aluminum panels. Call us for a free estimate: 4090 Ridgeway Dr. #10, Mississauga 9 The largest selection of New Balance apparel, accessories and footwear in multiple widths. 8 403 TH TH E LIN E LIN 905-569-8566 HOURS: MON TO FRI 9:30AM - 5PM, SAT 9:30AM - 3PM