The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 17, 2009 the Oakville Beaver Commentary 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont
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6 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 17, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Commentary 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 Guest Columnist 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. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. NEIL OLIVER Vice-president and Group Publisher, SANDY PARE Business Manager Planning strong Metroland West MARK DILLS Director of Production DAVID HARVEY General Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution future together ROD JERRED Managing Editor SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com Kevin Flynn, Oakville MPP RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director or many of us, the end of the year and the holiday sea- Metroland Media Group Ltd. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Caledon News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen son is a time for reflection — a time to look back on Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Kevin Flynn Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian F what has been accomplished and ahead to 2009. RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Currently, at home and across the globe, people are filled with uncertainty. While we Ontario Community Canadian Community Suburban Newspapers cannot change all that is happening around the world, there are important steps we can Newspapers Association Newspapers Association of America take to help our families at home. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: As a government, we are working hard to ensure all people have access to the things they need to find opportunity — by investing in schools and training, building roads, rail, bridges and highways, investing in research and innovation, phasing in cuts to busi- United Way of Oakville ness taxes, and supporting our auto sector. Ford Motor Company of Canada is Oakville’s largest employer. Throughout Ontario, TV AUCTION nearly 400,000 families rely on the auto sector, and we’re not going to give up and walk away from those families. They are our friends, our neighbours and fellow Ontarians. To strengthen our economy, we’ve been investing in high skills jobs through our Next Generation of Jobs fund, to retain and create high-value employment for Ontarians. We’ve invested in manufacturing jobs through our Advanced Manufacturing Investment Strategy. We’ve netted more than $600 million in contracts for Ontario through our suc- cessful trade mission to China. We signed a $6.2-billion infrastructure agreement with the federal government, and invested an additional $1.1 billion to improve municipal infrastructure, roads and bridges, expand public transit and other municipal projects. Through this announce- ment Oakville received $7.4 million and Halton Region received $22 million to move ahead with their infrastructure priorities without municipal tax increases. Last year saw expansion in the Second Career program to help more laid-off workers get skills training for high-demand jobs in their communities. To further stimulate the Ontario economy, we’ve created a 10-year Ontario income tax exemption for new corporations that commercialize intellectual properties devel- oped by Canadian universities, colleges and research institutions. This progressive move by the Government of Ontario is the first such exemption of its kind in North America. But we also recognize in order to get through these uncertain economic times, we must continue to invest in the services that we all depend on. In 2009, the McGuinty government will continue strengthening the economy by investing in people. Which is why, for example, we recently unveiled our plan to reduce child poverty by 25 percent over five years. Ontario needs each and every citizen at their full potential in these economic times. We are going to be there for all Ontarians by investing in jobs, infrastructure and our municipalities. We are going to be there through investments in clean energy and by pro- tecting our natural environment. We are going to be there by improving our health care, justice and education systems. These kinds of investments are essential to our prosperity. Together, we need to build on our greatest strength: our people because the true strength of Ontario is not the stuff we make — it is the stuff we’re made of. BEAVER TRAILS TO QUEBEC: At back, Nathan Rougier, 6, his sister Elise, 8, holding The Oakville Together, our people can overcome any challenge, seize any opportunity, and build a Beaver, and their cousin Isabelle Barker, 4 when the Oakville children and their parents visited their Aunt Cheryl future that not only equals our past, but surpasses it. who is presently working as an Anglican priest in the Isle de la Madeleine. Take along a copy of The Oakville While we may be currently living in challenging times, I am confident we will come Beaver on your next vacation and send it in for publication to Beaver Trails, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., through it even stronger, thanks to the indomitable spirit of the people of Oakville and Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4 or e-mail to [email protected]. Ontario. A new calendar for men, from Manuary to Novembeard efitting an 18-year-old male, my son answered my question like girls — hell, even back hair is out of wear. While drinking crazy amounts of beer. One night, my wife with a question. When asked what was up with his sudden fashion! — and act more feminine than begged me to make love. Or shave. Or shower. I’m not sure which, Bamassing of facial foliage — had he misplaced his razor, was ever before. Honestly, a buddy of mine cause I was kind of plastered, but never mind. Another night, des- he out of shaving cream? — he asked me what month it was. When couldn’t come out to play because he was perate to get me off the couch and out of the house, she suggest- I impatiently stated the obvious — January — he corrected me. going bra shopping with his wife. I told ed a movie. Only the movie she suggested was a chick-flick. I “No,” he said, pedantically. “It’s Manuary.” The month, appar- him to give me a call once he’d located reminded her this is Manuary, then advised, manfully, we were ently, where men commune with their inner, primal man, shed all her bra and his manhood, I mean really! going to see The Wrestler. A man’s movie about, well, wrestling. things girly and celebrate being men. Manly men. Naturally, I Suffice to say, I retired my razor and Trouble was, this remarkable film is flawed: it’s filmed by hand- thought Manuary was a helluva idea (Editor’s Note: occasional Andy Juniper dove into the deep end of Manuary. I ate held camera, seemingly by a tremulous drunk, on Rollerblades. manly cuss words like “helluva” are acceptable during Manuary, beef for breakfast, barbecued in a pit I’d dug Within minutes I was light-headed, nauseous, and crying for my even in a family publication). So, I asked my wife if it would be in the middle of the family room. I ate without utensils. I used my mommy. Apparently, not very manly, or so my wife noted. okay if I participated in marking the month of Manuary. shirt for a bib and my sleeve for a napkin. I burped when the need After the movie I went home, dried my eyes, shaved, showered, Okay, that was a joke. I didn’t ask my wife anything. I’m a man, arose and sometimes just for fun. Once I burped the alphabet, just to then curled up on the couch to watch Gilmore Girls. At some damn it! I do what I want, when I want, how I want, if I want, so prove I still could (turns out, it’s like riding a bike: you never forget). point my hirsute son entered the room, scratching his patchy long as it doesn’t affect me being there for her should she need a When the time came to do our weekly housecleaning, I took a beard. I told him, for me, Manuary was officially over. And I said I foot rub, a wine bottle uncorked, or her bubble bath drawn. manly pass. I put a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey on the hound and was thankful that it only came once a year. Again, that was a joke. Seriously, though: I think men deserve took him outside to play road hockey. Naturally, we got into a fight “Twice a year,” he corrected.