Oakville was a very busy place to live during 2015, from record breaking cold snaps to some of the warmest temperatures ever recorded for December. There was something that inspired or alarmed almost ever person in town.
The year started off with an interesting story about frozen Community Mailboxes, which caught the attention of CBC and received comments from across the country. Citizens were not happy to give up their home delivery.
It was an incredibly blustery and cold January, February and March 2015, with 12 weather warnings that were primarily comprised of extreme cold alerts. The spring seemed to last forever, and there were only three days when there was a Heat Warning issued by Environment Canada during the summer. During the Fall and early Winter of 2015 the weather was glorious with virtually no snow, and record breaking highs of 14 plus on some days during December.
In March, the extreme cold weather combined with ice rain caused a rash of Pole Fires which plunged a great number of neighbourhoods into darkness. For Oakville and much of Southern Ontario this was a first. It demonstrated the need to improve our infrastructure which is failing in the face of the extreme weather events caused by global warming.
To combat climate change the town was pleased to announce that residents took over three million rides on Oakville Transit. Oakville Transit also launched a new app providing riders with knowledge of when a buses will arrive at a certain locations. Free rides for seniors on Mondays was maintained, and free ridership for youngsters was also considered by Town Council.
New infrastructure projects included a new elementary school for North East Oakville. However, what had to be the crowing achievement for Oakville this year was the opening of the New Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital on December 13, 2015. Move day went with out a hitch, and the new hospital is running smoothly.
On the political front, it started off with an incredible and tragic death of Ward 6 Town Councillor Max Khan on March 29, 2015. Max was a much loved man who was in the prime of his life, and was running as the nominated Federal Liberal Candidate for Oakville North Burlington.
His death triggered a by-election for Ward 6, which was won by Natalia Lishchyna on July 13, 2015. Pam Damoff, Town Councillor of Ward 2, ran and became the official Liberal candidate for Oakville North Burlington. She won the Federal seat, which has triggered a by-election for Ward 2.
The Federal election of 2015 created a shake up in the Oakville Riding as Terence Young who was the incumbent Conservative MP lost the riding to newcomer and Liberal candidate John Oliver. Like the rest of the country, Oakville went Liberal, but that wasn’t with out some serious work by current Prime Minister Trudeau who visited Oakville on several occasions, and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne pounding the pavement.
One of the most interesting political developments during the Federal Election was that refugee status became an issue, after a picture of young Syrian boy died at sea, and was washed upon the shore went viral. Oakville’s Interfaith Council had been working for almost a year to sponsor a Syrian family. There was even a protest in Town Square where approximately 100 people turned out carrying signs and chanting to urge the government to move quickly. In late December 2015 the sponsored family arrived safely.
An so the year ended with both tragedy and triumph. The tragedy was the death of two young men who were killed when their SUV was caught between a flatbed truck and an 18 Wheeler. The accident caused driving chaos when the OPP closed down the east bound lanes of the QEW for 18 hours. The triumph was when three weeks prior to Christmas, Kerr Street Mission appealed to Oakvillians that they were $255,000 short of their needed fundraising target. Just before Christmas the Mission met and surpassed their goal. It showed the incredible kindness and generosity that exists in Oakville.
Happy New Year!
Here are the most read stories of OakvilleNews.Org for 2015:
- Oakville 14 and 15 year old Teenage Girls are missing
- Burlington Teenager goes missing in Oakville: Parents request help.
- Measles Case Confirmed in Halton: February 16, 2015
- Puppy Mill closed by Oakville Milton Humane Society
- Clients of Oakville barber shop asked to contact Halton Region Health Department
- Federal Liberal Candidate, Max Khan dies suddenly at OTMH