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4 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,February 22, 2011 Ask The Professionals Win a coupon for 50% off a Happy Ad with every question submitted For the Professionals by March 11th, 2011 features@independentfreepress.com or call 905-877-0301 ext. 237 Board takes steps to explain busing criteria ber Domenico Renzella, the discrepancies are usually due to property lines. The measurement Are you confused about why is from property line to property your child has to walk to school line, not door to door, and the while your neighbour's child is route is never measured going bused? through another property. Even if Last week, the Halton District a child can cut through a property School Board took steps to clear to shorten the distance, the stuup some of the confudent would still qualision over busing polify to ride the bus. cies. According to Karen Public school trustLacroix, general manees voted recently, to ager of Halton Student make available to the Transportation Servicgeneral public a tool es, which transports they use for calculating students at all four lowalking distances. cal school boards, the Currently, elemenagency bought a new tary school students mapping software. GILLIAN 1.6 km away from the The organization TUCK KUTARNA school or farther get is currently in tranbused while secondsition to a new GIS ary school students 4 software. km or more away from the school Though Lacroix doesn't know are bused. all the particulars of the new soft"It's about saving time and sav- ware, she believes it will allow for ing energy," said Oakville Trustee a public portal where people will Kathryn Bateman-Olmstead, who be able to see how the busing/ brought forward a motion. "I walking calculations were made. spend many hours each year anIf the new software does not swering questions from parents allow for such a function, Halton regarding this issue." Hills Trustee Gillian Tuck Kutarna The board uses a Geographic asked the transport service to deInformation System (GIS)-based termine what it would cost to promapping software, which calcu- vide that function. lates distance from property line Trustees referred another part to property line. It is the same of the motion to a committee of maps used by the municipalities. the whole, to determine whether According to Bateman-Olm- an adjudication process would be stead, calls are usually made by required if discrepancies are still parents, who find discrepancies in found. distances. A common call is one In another motion, trustees made by a parent of a child, who asked staff to estimate the cost to walks to school, but seems to live reduce the walk-to distances from farther away from another stu- 1.6 km to 1 km for elementary student, who gets bused to school. dents and from 4 km to 3.2 km for According to board staff mem- secondary students. By DOMINIK KUREK Metroland Media Group 360 Guelph St., Georgetown, ON Meryl DaCosta 905-873-3103 FREE PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY Joy Thornton RPh 333 Mountainview Rd S Georgetown, ON L7G 6E8 B.Sc. (P.T.), B.Sc.(KIN) Registered Physiotherapist, Clinic Manager 1-800-794-5880 www.HomeInspectorsHelp.com www.GetEnergyGrants.ca www.eramosaphysio.com Jeff Brookfield Q: A: How can I avoid long wait times when getting my prescriptions filled? In order to avoid long waits here are a few tips to speed things up: For new prescriptions: When you give your prescription to the pharmacy technician, ensure that all your personal information is accurate. If you have a drug plan let the technician know the details at the time you show your prescription. Giving this information later when you pick up your prescription can result in further delays while the technician refills the prescription. For prescriptions that do not have repeats left on them: Call in your refill a few days before you take your last pill. Most doctors can take more than 1 or two days to respond to a refill request and many medications should not be missed, even for one day. For prescriptions either with or without repeats left on them: You can request a refill using the Shoppers Drug Mart Med Ready System: By phoning Shoppers and following the telephone prompts (press 1 then 1) you can enter your prescription number on the telephone keypad to automatically refill your prescription. Refills can also be requested by using the internet at www. shoppersdrugmart.ca and clicking on `pharmacy' at the top of the page then choosing `refill your prescription'. Of course you can always speak to a staff member in person if you have any questions or concerns but these useful suggestions can make your pharmacy experience more pleasurable, convenient and less frustrating. Snow shovelling is considered a fairly strenuous activity and in fact it is a leading cause of back injuries in Canadians. Here are some helpful hints to prevent injury: 1. Prior to shovelling, perform warm up exercises for 5 to 10 minutes, this will increase your heart rate and improve your circulation to your muscles. 2. Dress in layers. It is always easier to remove layers when warm then add layers because you are too cold. 3. Wear proper foot wear, boots with slip resistant surfaces will reduce the risk of slips and falls. 4. When shovelling, stand with your feet hip width apart for balance and keep your shovel close to your body. 5. Push the snow rather than lift it. 6. Use you legs. Half fill the shovel, bend your knees, keep your back straight and lift with your legs. 7. Avoid awkward snow throwing. Do not throw snow over your shoulder or twist your spine 8. Listen to your body, if you feel pain in your chest, stop right away and contact your physician 9. Muscle soreness can result after shovelling, but should clear in 1 to 2 days. 10. Clear snow as soon as it falls, don't wait until you have too much accumulation. Q: A: How can I avoid injuring my back when I shovel snow? I have heard a lot about vermiculite insulation in the news recently. How do I know if I have it in my home and should I be concerned? Q: A: Vermiculite was sold as insulation in bags and typically installed by the homeowner. It was an acceptable material under the Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP) (in the `70s and `80s). Thousands of homeowners installed it in their walls and attics. Some vermiculite came from a mine that contained asbestos. Asbestos can be a concern when particles become airborne and are inhaled over a long period of time. Asbestos is known to cause lung disease, cancer, asbestosis and other serious respiratory illnesses. It is impossible to determine if the vermiculite in your home contains asbestos without first having it tested. An AmeriSpec home inspection will identify the possible existence of vermiculite in visible areas of the home. The presence of vermiculite does not necessarily mean that asbestos is present. Laboratory testing is required. You can download a Fact Sheet at www.HomeInspectorsHelp.com wfreed@synergybenefits.ca 905-703-8857 1-877-826-2468 www.synergybenefits.ca Wendy Farrow-Reed CHRP (Certified Human Resource Professional) 905-450-1850 Barbara Byckowski Investment Advisor, BBA, PFP, CFP PROFESSIONALS Email: barbara.byckowski@rbc.com I've heard about the Tax-Free Q: Savings Account and I am wondering if I should contribute to it instead of RSPs. Can you tell me which would be best? grow on a tax-deferred basis ­ meaning you don't pay tax until you actually start making withdrawals. You also receive a tax deduction when you contribute to your RSP. With the new Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), on the other hand, your investment earnings grow on a tax-free basis ­ meaning you never pay tax, even when you make withdrawals. (You do not however, receive a tax deduction when you contribute to your TFSA.) Many people are wondering if they should still contribute to their RSP ­ or just go with a TFSA. In most cases is makes sense to contribute to BOTH. Your RSP is designed for a specific purpose ­ saving for your retirement. It also offers the ability to make much larger contributions. Your TFSA, is more flexible, allowing tax-free withdrawals at any time for any reason ­ and the amount withdrawn is added back to your available contribution room the following year. If you would like a complimentary one-hour consultation, please give me a call at 905450-1850. RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member CIPF, ®Registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada, Used under licence, RBC Dominion Securities is a registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Barbara Byckowski is an Investment Advisor with RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Member CIPF This article is for information purposes only. Q: A Why set-up a group RRSP? WANTED : · Group plans offer an effective way to save. A group RRSP creates an easy way to save, as it is often easier to have a small amount of money deducted from each pay cheques than it is to make a large payment once a year. ·Group plans help you select the best investment options. Group Plans include individual consulting to determine the best investment options for each employee ·Group plans have immediate tax benefits. With a group RRSP, you get an immediate tax benefit with the group RRSP. That's because there is no need to withhold tax at source, which results in an immediate tax benefit for participating employees. Rather than waiting for a refund tax return at the end of the year your employees will immediately stop paying tax on the amount of their pay that is invested in the RRSP. 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