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Oakville Votes October 2010

On August 11, power down Oakville! Let’s show Ontario we’re committed to energy conservation.

C’mon Oakville …

Power Pledge Today!Take the

On August 11, Oakville is competing to save more energy in one day than any other Ontario municipality!

Join us by unplugging your electronics, turning off the lights and air conditioning, and heading outside for an electricity-free day.

RETHINK, REPLACE, REDUCE

By making a small commitment, you can save money and electricity while helping the environment.Learn how at www.powerpledge.ca and earn 20 Air Milesreward miles just for signing up!

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Letters to the editor

number of them could be launched by anger, accidentor mistake. One or more might fall into the hands ofreligious/political fanatics. After the explosion of onesuch weapon, no adequate medical or rescueresponse would be possible.

It is therefore, crucial, for the survival of all life onthis planet that these weapons be abolished in a nego-tiated, supervised and verified manner.

Please communicate your support to Mayor Burtonand also urge our federal government and political par-ties to promote global nuclear disarmament.

BARBARA BIRKETT, PHYSICIAN FOR GLOBAL SURVIVAL

BEV LEFRANCOIS, WOMEN OF HALTON ACTION MOVEMENT

STEPHEN DANKOWICH, DIRECTOR, OAKVILLE COMMUNITY

CENTRE FOR PEACE, ECOLOGY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

MERVYN RUSSELL, CHAIR, OAKVILLE COMMUNITY CENTRE FOR

PEACE, ECOLOGY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Promoting nuclear disarmament

Re: Pesticides can be safe way of controlling dan-gerous weeds, July 29, Oakville Beaver

Never has the saying follow the money been moreobvious than in the letter to the editor from Mr.Hepworth, CropLife Canada.

When one Googles CropLife Canada, we discoverthe board of directors of said company consists of exec-utives of large agribusinesses. No wonder Mr.Hepworth is in favour of bringing these dangerouschemicals back to the public. The bottom line has beenaffected.

I sincerely hope your newspaper will print a wellresearched letter from the opposing view of an organi-zation like Gardens Off Drugs whose only interest isthe health of our families, pets and environment.

When I was a kid, 65 years ago, my parents knew,and took the time and trouble to teach me what poisonivy looked like, and I learned not to touch it. Surely wecan do the same with such an outstanding weed asGiant Hogweed, and let a little education solve theproblem rather than bringing back the deadly big guns.

JUDY EMMERT, OAKVILLE

Just steer clear of Giant Hogweed

Re: Calling on swimmers to jump into fundraiserJuly 29, Oakville Beaver

I read the recent article about the second annualSwim For Mental Health, and thought how fortunateour community is to have people like Frank Zamunerwilling to make a difference in the lives of others.

I was especially moved to read that this fundraiser isheld each year at Brookdale Pool.

Back in 1996 when we first began rallying the com-munity to save Brookdale Pool from closure, never inour wildest dreams did we think of someone being ableto use the pool to raise thousands of dollars to better

the lives of people suffering from mental health issues.When it was rebuilt in 1999, we talked about the youngpeople, families and seniors who would swim there.How exciting that in addition to this, our communitypool is being used as an avenue to raise money andawareness in order to save lives in Oakville.

Three cheers for Mr. Zamuner. He saw a need and isdoing something about it. Let's all support Mr.Zamuner next week in his bid to swim 1,000 laps toreach his goal of $30,000.

PAM DAMOFF, OAKVILLE

CATCH THE WAVE THAT SAVED BROOKDALE POOL

Let’s all support Frank Zamuner’s swim

Re: DND land ready for demo-lition, July 30, Oakville Beaver

The paper updated us on theplans for the DND property atDorval and Rebecca. I see thatyour reporter is still referring to itas Ortona Barracks. As a formerarmy brat who lived there from1958 to 1966, I can tell you thatthose army quarters on Tudor and

Hanover Streets were collectivelyreferred to as Surrey Park, and thatwe knew Ortona Barracks to be themain army base formerly located atthe northeast corner of Rebeccaand Kerr Streets. Surrey Park has anice ring to it, and it may be usefulinformation for any future develop-er of the property.

G. A. WEIR, OAKVILLE

DND lands were Surrey Park

Re: Pesticides can be safe wayof controlling dangerous weeds,July 29, Oakville Beaver

Here we go again. I havebecome immediately angry afterreading this. It is insulting andinaccurate. “Fear and misinforma-tion,” indeed.

Some of your readers may recallthat I had an accident with pesti-cides in May 2000.

I started researching and writ-ing the Beaver.

This resulted in the birth ofGardens Off Drugs. We worked sohard to educate the public and wesucceeded in making Oakville awonderful example for all, pesti-cide-free.

A much safer place for our chil-dren.

I have, since then, been battlingnon-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in myspine.

I have undergone extensive sur-gery, two kinds of chemotherapy aswell as radiation.

I believe that pesticides almostkilled me and I am not out of thewoods yet. You may say, you can-not prove it was pesticides thatcaused your cancer.

I know my body and I knowwithout a shadow of a doubt that itdid. It is my hope they will be ableto finally prove it when I die.

In Sunnybrook, where I amtreated, I was presented with abook written by my oncologist, Dr.Kevin Imrie.

This book clearly states, “non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma has beenassociated with exposure to pesti-cides, chemicals, radiation andbacterial and viral infections.”

How can you claim pesticidesare safe and well-regulated?

There must be an answer forcontrolling these weeds withoutresorting to pesticides.

I believe they are not safe. I believe they almost ended my

life.KAREN SANDFORD-ALBARDA,

Pesticide-free is the way to go

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