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Cycling to conquer cancer Spotlight Hawks reclaim crown Sports www.insidehalton.com t k ill www.carstaroakville.com dentistoakville.com 905-842-6030 905-845-7579 905-847-2595 2212 Wyecroft Rd. 547 Trafalgar Rd. Stay Connected! Thursday, May 30, 2013 |40 pages A Publication of Metroland Media Group Connected to your community - $1.00 incl. tax Weather for Oakville, ON Thu Fri Sat A G U I D I N G H A N D Sun Youth faces charge in stabbing by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 27° 18° 27° 18° 26° 19° 21° 16° Police report crime rate dropping in Halton Region by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff A 17-year-old Oakville male has been charged in connection with the stabbing of a 24-year-old Oakville man in the Pilgrims Way/Nottinghill Gate area on Victoria Day. Police said the victim and two friends were out walking shortly after midnight when they came across a group of teenagers. A dispute ensued and the victim and his friends headed towards St. Matthew Church. Two teens followed them, and when the victim turned to confront them, another altercation occurred and the victim was stabbed. The suspects ed and a knife believed used in the incident was recovered at the scene. The victim was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police investigation ended with the arrest of the teen Friday night. The youth, who cannot be identi ed because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was charged with assault with a weapon. Dog guide-in-training, Oswald, an eight-week-old miniature poodle, plays with his mother, Yogi, during Sunday's Oakville Purina's Walk for Dog Guides at the Lions Foundations of Canada. Funds raised for this annual, cross-Canada walk go towards providing dog guides to Canadians with disabilities at no cost. photo by Hannah Yoon­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) Halton may be growing, but its crime rate is apparently not, dropping to a historic low last year. In a Crime Statistics Overview of 2012, unveiled last Thursday, police said there were 1,602 fewer criminal offences reported (12,076) than in the previous year (13,678). This marks an overall 13.9 per cent decrease in the crime rate -- once the region's population growth is factored in. Halton Regional Police say this is the lowest crime rate Halton has seen since it of cially became a region in 1974. Oakville's overall crime Chief Stephen Tanner rate dropped by 6.5 per cent last year. "We live in an incredible community here in Halton and are so fortunate to live in a community where our crime rate is amongst the lowest in all of Canada, and saw a further signi cant reduction in crime again in 2012," said Halton Police Chief see Crime on p.3