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Policy ov e announcement last week by the federal government to launch a new public I consultation process on immigration, is long overdue. Under the previous Progressive Conservative government, there was a 250,000 yearly ceiling placed on immigration and the Liberals have continued that same policy for at least another year. We‘re particularly encouraged by the fact that there will be wideâ€"ranging input from not only experts but also regional or local, communityâ€"based groups so the EDITORIAL sececscsonccseed process will be accessible to a broad base of Canadians. At the end of it all, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Sergio Marchi, hopes to bring forward a 10â€"year strategic framework for Canada‘s immigration programs, under which fiveâ€"year immigration plans will be outlined. Immigration brings out heated discussion from everyone so it‘s hoped that these discussions will result in some kind of consensus regarding how we arrive at just who and how many people are admitted to Canada in any given year. We trust that Mr. Marchi will not fall into a numbers game trap that is tantaâ€" erdue THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 467 Speers Road, Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 845â€"3824 Fax: 845â€"3085 Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 mount to having an openâ€"door policy for immigration. Also, we are wary of setting plans based on decadeâ€"long trends. The world is changing far too fast to give such schemes any credence. Even breaking it down into five year plans, so reminiscent of the Soviet model, is open to question. No doubt debate will be long and detailed but at the end, some guidelines or actions will have to be imposed on nations whose main export is people. For instance, those nations controlling their resources and striving to reduce population levels they cannot possibly support, should be forced to produce evidence that they are doing their bit to deal with runaway birthâ€"rates. This kind of topic isn‘t popular these days and reading Mr. Marchi‘s early plans on the consultation process, we wonder if any inroads along these lines will be made. And there are a couple of unsettling comments in Mr. Marchi‘s report. One of the justifications for increasing immigration was to attract entrepreneurs and others who could help our economy. These people came here under the Business Immigration Program. But this year, the number of immigrants from this category will drop. Furthermore, our current immigration policy has seen Canada‘s population grow at the highest level of any other industrialized nation. The minister regards this as "an important factor in stimulating growth". We suggest he look at the number of unemâ€" ployed and the likelihood of his own government closing military bases in traditionâ€" ally economicallyâ€"depressed areas before he talks about stimulating growth through immigration. Immigration has long been an issue dealt with in a pretty cavalier manner, perâ€" haps now it will receive the attention it deserves. employment data. LETITERS Sex Dear Sir: This is in response to the article that appeared in the Fri. Feb. 28th issue of the Beaver, regarding the Sexuality Curriculum and the Halton Board of Education. It is not only CURE members who are concerned about the existing curriculum, many parents have conâ€" cerns, and reasons to have concerns. The Board‘s position is that abstiâ€" nence is being ‘taught‘. However, from my reading of the curriculum last year, abstinence is ‘mentioned‘. In reference to ‘alternative lifestyle‘, Ms. Amos is quoted as sayâ€" ing"...we don‘t teach alternative lifestyles. And we are not hiding it or concealing it in any way." However, Ms. Amos presented a video to a PTA meeting last year that she said is shown to grade 6â€"7 classes, called Head Full of Questions‘. This deals with the how to‘s of sex, shows an animated touple having sex and later a baby, (no marriage took place howâ€" ever), and in the liveâ€"action part of the video we see an 8 yearâ€"old child (I personally think this was a scripted question), asking an educator, "What if a man wants to make love to a man, or a woman make love to a woman?". The educator‘s answer was: "There are many different kinds of loving relationships.‘ This was stated with a smile on her kind face, and an approving tone to her voice. This may not be teaching per se, but clearly advocates a supportive stand towards homosexuality. I have read others who hold an opposing opinion as homophobic. When teaching chilâ€" dren about the dangers of intraâ€" the correct way to inject a needle, or how to safely dispose of them because "they‘re going to do it anyâ€" way," yet this is the perceived attiâ€" tude sex educators have towards teens "they‘re gong to do it anyway.‘ Some will and some won‘t, but we need to be responsible in helping those who don‘t really want to but because of peer pressure, which is the number one reason most do, will have a legitimate ‘out, if they feel they are not ready. The comment "teens have sex, they have been having sex for thouâ€" Lsands of years," to me is a very irreâ€" sponsible statement, condoning an venous drug use, we don‘t show them Staying in school ood news from the Halton Board of Education. While many Ontario school Gboards are lamenting the fact that their drop out rates are too high, a Halton study shows that over the past five years, just 4.7 per cent of students from grade 8 through high school, dropped out of school. But there is one element that is of some concern. Board officials say the dropâ€"out rate rose last year and they‘re attributing it to socioâ€"economic factors that may see students leave school to help support their families where either or both parents have been laid off or are unable to find work. That‘s one impact a mushy economy has that doesn‘t show up in government ality curriculum shows amoral action; I equate it to saying, "people kill people, they‘ve been doing it for thousands of years," this x . too is true, yet it doesn‘t make it right. Also, we have the myth that the condom is the solution to AIDS preâ€" Ford has chance to bid on trucks Dear Sir: I would like to respond to a recent Letter to the Editor re: the Town‘s purchase of vehicles other than those supplied by Ford Motor Company of Canada. Firstly, the Town agrees that Ford Motor Company has and continues to be a cornerstone of the Oakville community. Ford celebrated its 40th Anniversary in Oakville last year. Not only has the company‘s success been a source of great pride in the community, the corporation has taken a very active role in community events and contributed in many ways to the quality of life that Oakyville residents enjoy. Secondly, with respect to the purchase of vehicles, the Town of Oakville uses a competitive process in its purchases and this process is open to all interested parties. The open competitive process provides the best value for each tax dollar expended. The process continues to ensure all potential suppliers are providing the best value possible in a fair, open and equitable form. This process has served the corporation and ratepayâ€" ers consistently well throughout the years and to date, appears to be the most suitable approach to equipment acquisition. Thirdly, Council and staff would be delighted if a Ford dealer was the recommended supplier from the competitive process. The Town has a number of Ford products in its fleet and I personally have driven Fords since 1986. L Cld a _ Ths OAKVILLE BEAVER â€" Ann Mulvale Mayor of Oakville SPEAK YOUR MIND Got a gripe? Give us a call. Readers are invited to express their opinion on a topic of their choice by calling 845â€"5585, box 5250. All callers are allowed 45 secâ€" onds to express their opinion and must provide their name, address and phone number for verification. A cross section of the responses will be published in next Wednesday‘s Oakville Beaver. WARNING parents must be involved The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be signed and include the writer‘s address and phone number. Letters should be typed, doubleâ€"spaced and addressed to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 354 New t h i n ki n g n eeded in vention, the failure rate of which is very high (if it‘s used) for both preâ€" venting pregnancy and disease. Most HIV viruses are smaller than the latex weave, and can pass right through. If your child were going skydiving with six friends, and you knew only five chutes were going to open, would you still let him/her jump? I have the option to take my chilâ€" dren out of a program that I feel is not appropriate for them. However, we all know what this does to a fragâ€" ile teenager, to be centred out like this is unkind, and unnecessary. Why not have a "choice", a curriculum one such as the board is implementing, and an abstinence program for those who prefer it? Your article also states that many parents were concerned about their own lack of input into this curricuâ€" lum or even knowledge of this meetâ€" ing, yet on page three of the Jan. 28th Beaver, the Board has placed an artiâ€" cle seeking public input into the 1994 budget. The article stated that "parâ€" ents are encouraged to participate"; and I have seen this article about four times at the time of this writing, howâ€" ever, it was CURE that called this meeting, at the reluctance, I underâ€" stand, of the Board. Was there relucâ€" tance on the part of the Board or merely a lack of communication on their part? Parents need to be more involved and aware of what their children are learning. Go to your school, speak with your child‘s teachers and talk with your trustee and members of the Board. sharing ideas, and offering positive alternatives is one way to facilitate change. Once in place, it would be difficult, if not impossible for this curriculum to be removed or replaced. But, with anything, it takes numbers to to make actual change. Roberta Carbone Power to the posties Dear Sir: Hats off to our letter carrier. Our driveway was so slick last week that you could hardly stand on it. Water on an inch of ice, removable only by jackhammer. But the mail came. They still make posties like they used to. Sander Schimmelpenninck Ian Oliver Publisher Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager > mss [ Feb. 9, 1994 The Oakville Beaver, published every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, at 467 Speers Rd., . Oakville, is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Distributing Lid. group of suburbai iewspapers which includes: Ajaxâ€"Pickering News Advertiser, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Coliin?zlood Connection, Etobicoka Guardian, Georgetown Independent! Acton Free Press, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist and Sun, Stoutiville/Uxbridge Tribune, Milton Canadian Champion, Mississauga News, Newmarketâ€"Aurora Eraâ€"Banner, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby This Week, Reterborough This Week, Richmond HiVThornhiMWVaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. All material published in the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Any reproduction in whole or in part of this material is strictly forbidden without the consent of the publisher. I not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at sold. Advertising is merely ny time. a May lead to a larg_er deficit, health benefits taxes, more child smokers and « damaged provincial / federal relations. But hey, at least Quebec will be happy. how town spends money Dear Sir: I just read your editorial of Feb. 4th re: "Pay now...or later" and while we have to be careful of what we spend now, this is exactly the point I tried to bring across in my closing presentation to the 1994 Budget Committee meeting. So while the importance of effectively | _ controlling taxes and managing the monies | the Town already collects is something that cannot be overstated, I have also become very concerned about a number of our core services which are seriously wanting in terms of funding. We urgently need to find out how to put more money into such core Town and service responsibilities as roads, public works, the fire department, public transit, public safetyâ€"activiâ€" ties that make up the glue for the kind of quality in community life we value as a major part of our Oakville heritage and tradiâ€" tion. If we are going to succeed at being able to maintain our serâ€" vices and continue to promote Oakville (in your words) "as a tourist area" and a municipality that maintains a high ranking in attracting new industry and residents, then we have to find ways to ensure we have the funds to maintain a quality commuâ€" nity. Your editorial comment is also pointed in remarking on how this is an election year and traditionally that has meant that politicians seeking reâ€"election would be looking for ways to provide ‘goodies‘ and defer the costs. I personally don‘t believe we can afford to play this game and that the next Council, as well as the next Mayor, will have to identify ways in which to make our revenues work smarter. We must call for new thinking in how this government operates and how strategically it spends its money. Stephen Sparling Stephen Sparling Halton Regional and Oakville Councillor WEEKLY FOCUS d is of‘grain 10 e d61 x -1970 ........,, e 1980 (.16)_ 724 mmmuntomcc» y s s 1991 (.13 _ 693 1992 _(.13 s _ 695 e s . Source: USDA NEA Graphic