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Dobson & Toncic Insurance Brokers Ltd. 2020 Winston Park Drive, Suite 101, Oakville, ON L6H 6X7 www.dobson-toncic.com 905.829.2907 BUSINESS < R X U Just add protection Working hard for your business success, Dobson & Toncic helps you get the most beneficial, affordable rates for maximal protection and reward. We partner with small to medium-sized business owners in the GTA for their security many of them later adding their personal insurance and wealth management requirements to our trust. Were business owners too, so we understand your financial and insurance needs the way you want them. Call today for an insurance review and ask for Scott Dobson or Howard Kotchie at: 905.829.2907 7 W ednesday , O ctober 6, 2010 O A KVILLE BEA V ER w w w .o akvillebeaver .co m By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Ward 3 residents in Oakville have to pick one of three candidates for their wards town council seat in the municipal election on Oct. 25. Dave Gittings and Nick Hutchins are hoping to unseat Mary Chapin, who is seeking her second term in the position. Mary Chapin Chapin was first elected to the town council position in 2006 and is hoping for four more years at the table, where she said she could be a voice for the residents. Prior to becoming a town councillor, Chapin who is over age 50, served two terms (six years) at the Halton District School Board, where she served as chair of the board for three years. She has lived in Oakville and Ward 3 for 13 years and has worked with var- ious community social service organizations and fundraising groups. Shes currently working on an art history degree, part time at the University of Toronto. Chapin said there are various issues council will be dealing with in the coming term and she wants to be the voice of her constituents. I appreciate and benefit from the wisdom of the citizens who will share their thoughts and concerns and I will be the voice at council to convey those concerns of the residents, she said. At the top of her priority list is opposing the 900-megawatt power plant proposed at 1500 Royal Windsor Dr. She believes the location is too close to homes and schools and that it will add harmful emissions to the air. Chapin said there are other issues she is eager to get involved with, too. We have three school sites that are going to be vacated, she said. The town controls what the future uses are on those sites, so I want to be part of the discussion with the community to help decide how we can best use the site for the commu- nity purposes. Chapin wants to preserve open, public spaces, which those lands can do. Another issue, she said is planning what will go on the current hospital lands once it moves. I want public consultation, she said. I wont pretend to know what the best use is. Weve got a lot of very smart people in the community, who have lots of good ideas. Chapin is eager to implement the downtown Oakville strategic action plan and the economic action plan in the coming term. The overriding principle of our economic action plan is to reverse the daily exodus of people who leave town to go to work and to bring clean, cre- ative, knowledge-based industry into town so that people can live and work in the same community. Dave Gittings Because Gittings recently retired, he said hes got the time to look after his community and that is why he is running for town council. Im passionate about Ward 3 and Im ready to focus my energy full- time on building our community, he said. The 53-year-old retired from a 30- year career in advertising sales at a Toronto newspaper and was also a chair of the board for the Starnews credit union. He has lived in Oakville and Ward 3 for 23 years. He went to community college and has been active in the community with vari- ous groups. Ive been talking with people every day and the residents are frus- trated, he said. Theyre frustrated over the power plant, over the hospi- tal closing and the closing of three schools. Everyday I hear, nobodys keeping us informed. Gittings said he would hold regu- lar community meetings and create a community newsletter to communi- cate with area residents. He wants to ensure proper and responsible spending of property tax dollars. When the hospital lands are vacated after a new hospital is built, he said there are varying opinions of what should go on the lands. He wants to see the lands turned into some form of recreational facili- ty, a community health care facility such as a treat and transfer centre or seniors care facility. He said all three facilities are necessary for the com- munity saying Ward 3 is currently under serviced in terms of recre- ational centres and that seniors who wish to stay in the area are paying too much taxes on their properties to be able to afford it. Depending on community feed- back, Id like to see some form of all three, he said. He said it is possible for all the Three-way race for Ward 3 Town seat Fifth in a series Mary Chapin Dave Gittings Nick Hutchins See Three page 11