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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, September 11, 2009 · 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 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: 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 Community needs methadone clinic So far the public reaction to news that a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Centre is locating on Kerr Street has been calm in comparison to the huge outcry generated by a similar clinic in Burlington. In our story last Friday -- Methadone treatment clinic coming to Kerr Street -- we detailed some of the concerns neighbouring merchants have with the clinic. While we understand their apprehension about the clinic, we believe many of their fears are based on misconceptions. What can't be disputed is the need for methadone treatment programs in Halton. Last fall, Betty-Lou Kristy made an emotional plea to the Region's health and social services committee for a Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) program. She insisted that her 25-year-old son, Pete, might not have died from a multiple drug overdose had methadone treatment existed in Halton. "Had this been available for Pete, I know unequivocally that he would be standing before you today," Kristy had told committee members. A report received by the same committee last October noted that there are between 450-900 potential methadone treatment patients living in Halton, with 281 regional residents currently registered with MMT programs outside Halton. There is a real danger of playing Not-In-MyBackyard (NIMBY) politics with this Health Canadarecognized form of treatment. The assumption that a clinic that makes methadone treatment available will increase drug trafficking in a neighbourhood is akin to concluding that a clinic treating sexually-transmitted disease will cause an increase in neighbourhood prostitution. There is endless medical evidence that methadone treatment helps addicts manage their dependency to the point of saving lives. Centuries ago, our ignorance about leprosy forced those with the disfiguring disease to be banished and isolated to secluded colonies. Do we now propose the same for Halton residents who find themselves dependent on drugs? Our health care system is based on the principle of providing accessible treatment to all. We believe it's time for a Halton solution to this societal problem. Ignoring it and hoping it moves to another neighbourhood, or region, is not the answer. 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. Letter to the editor New transit grid system ignores Dorval Drive Re: Commuters get ready to grid and bear new transit system, Oakville Beaver, Sept. 3 I was pleased to hear over the past year about the new grid system that was being implemented for Oakville Transit. However, I don't understand how you can implement such a system without having a north-south route along either Dorval Drive or Fourth Line. Dorval is a major artery for the town -- especially in rush hours with many West Oak Trails residents using the West Oak Trails-Dorval-Kerr Street route to get to the Oakville Go station in the mornings. I use this route daily and although I would estimate the number of residents (i.e. cars) using this route to be in the hundreds, no contiguous transit service is provided along this route. My wife works in town at the Oakville Corporate Center at Dorval and Wyecroft -- one of the largest office complexes in Oakville (and ironically enough right next door to the new Oakville Transit facility), but one of the least serviced areas of town in terms of transit. Although we live at the north end of Dorval and the complex is located just a few kilometers down the same street, it takes three buses under the new system to get to the other end of Dorval for a total trip time of about 25-30 minutes assuming she makes the connections on time. It takes just 35 minutes to walk. Dorval is one of the few streets in town with a QEW interchange. It is a priority road for snow removal and is used by thousands of vehicles each day -- but no contiguous transit service is provided along this roadway. The new system is a good start, but if this new system is going to work it should encompass all of the major arteries in town. KEN HORTON 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 e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Clinic better neighbour than bar Re: Methadone treatment clinic coming to Kerr Street, Oakville Beaver, Sept. 4 Personally I have no problem with a treatment centre in my neighbourhood. I do have a problem with the comments made by Moonshine Café owner John Marlatt. When discussing the issue he states "they've (the authorities) have chased most of that type of person out of the area and what this is going to do is bring that element back to the community." Exactly what type of person is that, Mr. Marlatt? A person that needs help to kick an addiction and get their lives back? It's the old double standard rearing it ugly head. How many incidents of boozeinduced bad behaviour and/or police See Don't page 7 Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com