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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday August 13, 2008 - 5 Explosion did occur PEGGY'S distinctive ladies fashions Continued from page 1 On Monday, April 25, 1978 Oakville experienced a blaze equal to, if not greater than, the one that rocked Toronto Sunday when flames swept through a storage facility filled with barrels of oil, paint, fertilizer and other industrial chemicals. What followed was a fire of such intensity and heat that the five companies of firefighters from Burlington and Mississauga, called to aid the Oakville department, could not get near it. Smoke was reportedly seen as far away as Toronto and Burlington and the fire itself was made all the more terrifying by the exploding contents of the facility, which, at one point, threw a huge mushroom cloud into the sky. Nearby roads, including Trafalgar Road, and railway tracks were shut down as firefighters struggled to get the blaze under control. Eventually, they succeeded and then they allowed the fire to burn itself out. For all its intensity, this fire, which was dubbed the worst in Oakville's history, claimed no lives and took place in an industrial area just south of South Service Road East and Chartwell Road, so it did not have the same negative impact on residents as the Toronto fire. However, while luck smiled on Oakville in 1978, Oakville Fire Chief Richard Boyes advises residents to be prepared as the potential for such an emergency is ever present. "The bigger issue is that there are a number of refilling area's all around the town. Any gas station, building supply store that fills barbecue tanks has a significant storage facility," he said. "They are all over the place. Maybe not quite the potential that we saw in Toronto, but let me tell you, one of those large tanks has a lot of potential in them." While Boyes noted the fire department is not concerned about any particular facility in Oakville causing a Toronto-type explosion, he said the Town is prepared if such an incident should occur. Halton Region has an emergency management plan, which Boyes said is examined, practiced and updated each year with industrial partners such as Petro Canada included in its development. "It's not built specifically for that incident (explosion), but really for any largescale emergency," said Boyes. "There will be messages about shelters in place, people will be advised to tune into their local radio stations. That's all part of the plan." The plan also requires residents be in a position to look after themselves for 72 hours while emergency personnel deal with the emergency and set up support systems for those in need. Residents should also have some kind of emergency-preparedness kit ready in case a sudden evacuation is required as prices slashed UNBELIEVABLE Blouses, Pants, T-shirts, Jackets, Shorts, Capris, Tanks 1 2 98 TO 24 98 INCREDIBLE Summer Designer Fashions up to Many More In-Store Specials fall stock arriving daily 70 % OFF Hopedale Mall, Oakville 905-465-3499 OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTO IT DID HAPPEN HERE: At the scene of an industrial explosion that occurred in Oakville in 1978. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: SMART METERS & DOOR TO DOOR SALES PEOPLE Oakville Hydro has received concerns from customers that they have been approached by door to door salespeople selling electricity contracts in relation to smart meters. Please be aware the Oakville Hydro does not have representatives going door to door. Oakville Hydro has not started the deployment of Smart Meters to support the Provincial Government's goal of installing a Smart Meter in every Ontario home and small business by 2010. We are anticipating starting the implementation in the late fall of 2008 and will communicate with our customers well in advance. If you are approached by someone at your door selling electricity, or wanting to install a Smart Meter, it is not a representative of Oakville Hydro. Remember to always: · Ask for their official identification and their name · Ask for their company name and phone number · Ask them to leave literature with you · Don't offer any information or show them any of your hydro bills unless you are sure of whom you are dealing with · If you have any concerns about the conduct of an energy retailer, please contact the Ontario Energy Board at www.oeb.gov.on.ca or by calling 1-877-632-2727 For more information about the Smart Meter Program, you may contact the Ministry of Energy at 1-888-668-4636 or visit www.smartmetersontario.ca or www.energygov.on.ca. See Emergency page 9