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OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, October 7, 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 Could your family get out? If you had a fire in your home, would your family know how to escape safely? When smoke alarms go off, there is no time to waste. Everyone must know what to do and where to go. Yet, few Ontario families have a fire escape plan. There are fire drills at school and in the workplace, but what about at home -- our haven of safety, the place we keep our treasures both property and, most importantly, our loved ones? During Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10 and continuing all month, teachers and firefighters across Ontario will show kids how to create and practice an escape plan at home. It's part of a national Great Canadian Fire Drill program .... the largest fire safety campaign ever done. To help prepare your family's escape plan, you can download a grid at www.safeathome.ca/drill. Also take time to check all smoke alarms in your home to ensure you have one on every level and that they are not outdated. If they are more than 10 years old, replace them immediately. Don't forget to test the batteries and replace them if need be. Are your doorways and hallways clear of toys and clutter, which could hinder an escape? Do all your doors and windows open properly? Fire escape plans should include two routes out of every room in your home, as well as an outside meeting place you can all gather if separated. Please do the drill and count yourself in. Working together, we can reduce fire tragedies in all Ontario communities. Fire prevention starts at home. Oakville's fire department is ready and urges others to do the same. Last week it hosted its 10th annual Fire Prevention Week Kickoff at the Oakville Fire Training/Prevention Campus. The annual event launches Fire Prevention Week 2009 by the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office. It offered fire safety presentations, a residential sprinkler demonstration, the Junior Firefighter Challenge, rescue demonstrations, fire truck rides, and much more. It was all about getting the word out. To find out more or to glean tips before you need them, visit the Oakville Fire Department at www.oakvillefire.ca. 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 Field lights shine as cash grabs Thank you (Town of Oakville) for organizing the meeting on lighting policies on Oct. 1, which has surely demonstrated the level of frustration and dissatisfaction that the local community has with the decision of the Halton Catholic District School Board to equip St. Thomas Aquinas School with large-scale, recreational sports field lighting. It's too bad that no one from the Catholic board cared enough about the community in which their school resides, to hear what the local neighbours think. This high-level sports field lighting is in effect changing the zoning of the school from a school with a couple of sports fields to a school with one sports field. All the neighbours support wanting to have the best for our kids' education, both mentally and physically. If this sports field was only for the school kids, they wouldn't need the big bleachers and 70-foot-high lights and this is where the problem arises. What is not okay is that the Catholic school board wants a commercial sports park that can be rented out to private groups after school hours. This will expand the area operating hours to long after school hours and attract large crowds and all that goes along with that. This is not for school activities, but for private groups who pay. Such a facility can be planned for in new areas with the right location, proper buffer zones, road access and where home owners can buy into the area, knowing the local area conditions. This kind of change is, however, totally unacceptable in existing neighbourhoods, where much of the above does not exist and home owners bought into the area without such facilities at their back door. Allowing this is, in effect, changing the zoning of the area and demonstrates the lack of confidence 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. HST is unfair to many The HST, by attacking the basic necessities of living, is unfair to students, working families and especially seniors. It should be amended to substantially lower the rate or be scrapped altogether. WILLIAM SINCLAIR Service clubs need your support The Optimist Club of Oakville just held its 28th annual fundraiser, the Shrimpfest dinner/dance. Our local service clubs hold events in support of their projects, most of which are oriented toward local youth: YMCA, Safety Village, KSM, sports, school bursaries and awards, etc. While we all understand that people have busy lives and don't necessarily have the time to dedicate many hours as members of a service club, your participation in these fundraising events is crucial to the continuing good health and many needs of children in our community. Please continue to come to our events. The clubs are always looking for new ways to let you have a good time while helping out their causes. Many organizations count on the support of the service clubs above and beyond their own fundraising efforts. Thank you to all the participants and sponsors who help make these events a success. TOM COCHRAN, PRESIDENT OPTIMIST CLUB OF OAKVILLE See Field page 7