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

6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 1, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 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: The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Media Group Ltd. NEIL OLIVER Publisher DAVID HARVEY 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 ALEXANDRIA ANCHOR Circ. Manager Daycare issue growing old Is there a government solution to Halton's shortage of childcare spaces? Later this month, Halton MP Garth Turner plans to host separate Town Hall meetings in Oakville, Milton and Burlington to discuss Halton's growing need for child care. We'll be very curious to see how many and who attends the meetings. According to Turner: "It's important, with a potential federal election possible this year, that parents in Oakville, Milton and Burlington speak up now." Could the "potential election" be the primary reason the local MP is choosing this often-debated, but rarely seriously addressed issue as the subject of his latest Town Hall meetings? In a press release promoting the gatherings later this month, Turner reveals all you really need to know about the history of nationally-funded daycare in this country: "Politicians have yet to come up with a plan that is realistic and effective, and one which understands there's a balance between the responsibility of parents and the goals of our country to have welladjusted, well cared-for and healthy kids," he states. Turner is correct about one thing -- the federal government has done little to make a real dent in the lack of an affordable, quality daycare system. The idea of a national childcare program in Canada was first conceived back in 1970. When Brian Mulroney and the Conservatives swept into power in 1984 they promised affordable daycare. They repeated that promise in 1988 -- the same year Turner was first elected to Ottawa. In his town hall meeting press release, the Halton MP characterizes the lack of daycare spaces in Halton as a "crisis." We respectfully submit the lack of a cohesive, adequately-funded system of daycare across this country is hardly new; it's a long unresolved issue that's approaching middle age. Daycare seems to have become the politician's magnet for attracting voters. While election-based daycare promises have been made for decades -- few have been delivered with any measurable impact. Is the daycare shortage really as extreme as Turner would have us believe or have many parents simply stopped relying on decades of empty political promises and come to accept alternative care arrangements for their children? 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 e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Give a senior pet a home -- you will be glad you did After having read the item in The Oakville Beaver, Friday, Jan. 25 about older pet adoptions from the Oakville and District Humane Society, I thought I would tell you my story on the subject. Because we had never had a dog before, I was looking for an older dog but it had to be house trained, and like cats and kittens (I am a foster parent for the Humane Society). I was looking at all the shelters in the GTA and southern Ontario for that specific dog. Finally, I came across Pet of the Week in an Oakville Humane Society feature. Here was a 12-year-old smooth tri-coloured collie (Lassie without the long coat) dog that liked cats! I thought he was a bit old for me ­ I was thinking in the seven year range. I went over that evening and we took Casey out for a short walk. He didn't look his age and seemed very fit. We filled out the papers the next day and had a dog by the end of the week. All I can say is thank you to the family that surrendered him. They raised a wonderful dog. After the two week adjustment period (you really do need that time, don't give up if things are unsettled ­ they get better), Casey bonded to us after a couple of weeks and came out of his slump of being very tired, and anxious when we would leave. He pays no mind to the cats and kittens and sleeps a lot, but he has his moments when he runs around like a puppy and "herds us". He loves other people, dogs, children, and doesn't jump on the furniture. We are spoiled for any future dog we will have. He will be 16 this year, yes, I said 16, and is still going strong. Even his vet says he is an old dog in a young body. There are many unwanted animals. Older dogs and cats can make great companions. Give a senior citizen some happy years not spent in a shelter. DONNA SHEPPARD Casey Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com 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 416-340-1981. 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.