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•The IFP• H alton H ills, Thursd ay, Feb ruary 27, 2014 19 On Now at The Brick! For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com. www.charlestonhomes.ca One Acre Country Estate Homes in Aberfoyle Custom Bungalows & 2 Storey Estate Homes Starting fromOneMillion. 2 Models to Tour 519-823-1900 Model Home Hours: Sat & Sun 12pm - 5pm, Mon - Wed 1pm - 7pm, Thu & Fri By Appointment. • Just 4 minutes to HWY 401 • Only 25 Minutes from Mississauga • 35 minutes from Oakville • New shopping, Private schools, Close to city conveniences • Great Selection of Home Designs • The Region's Premier Builder Give UpTo Give Children who participate in a student nutrition program show improved memory and focus, which can help increase grades by up to 15% Sponsored by: Give a donation by March 1st to help kids in your community live free from hunger. Learn more at livefreecampaign.ca Acton Fall Fair ambassadors win Challenge Acton's Fall Fair ambassadors prevailed at the fi rst-ever Alliance Agri-Turf Challenge held during SnowFest Family Day, Monday Feb. 17 at the Caledon Fairgrounds. Agricultural fair ambassadors from Ac- ton, Albion/Bolton, Orangeville, Grand Val- ley, Erin, Shelburne, Schomberg and host fair Caledon competed in a timed obstacle race, which tested speed, agility and team- work over obstacles that refl ected not just their agri-roots but also special recognition for the important role of fi re stations in their community. Each ambassador com- peted with fi refi ghting clothing. Acton Fall Fair Ambassadors Jordan Lenz and Rebecca Nelles won gold, Schom- berg Fair Ambassadors won silver and Erin Fall Fair Ambassadors Brittany Heller and Julie Gagnon the bronze. A rematch is planned at the 154 Caledon Fair, June 6-8. I am sure 2014 will be a good year once we recover from the cold snaps that liter- ally take our breath away. December 2013 forced us to again real- ize just how dependant on electricity we are and the potential consequences we face during the winter when there is no heat or light. This type of weather incident and its subsequent power outages is especially hard on the elderly, infi rm, and the dis- abled. With ice making the streets and side- walks impassable, not to mention downed tree limbs, power lines and hydro poles, this population is particularly vulnerable. Under these extreme circumstances they may be physically unable to leave their residences for food, water, medicine and other essentials. That is why it is critical that we know who our neighbours are. Who are the el- derly couple using walkers two doors down? What about the young woman at the end of the block who uses a wheel- chair? Are they alone or are there people coming to their homes regularly? In emergency conditions like we experi- enced, it is up to each of us to become our "brothers' keepers" wherever possible. As community members, we need to ensure that those around us who are most at risk have been provided assistance. It could lit- erally be a matter of life and death. I am grateful for my friends who helped and especially my neighbours who took my elderly father in during the worst of the outage. They had a wood stove and gas fi replace and were able to stay warm. They even had hot food. They helped many oth- ers in any number of ways. Once my sis- ter's electricity came back on the following day, dad went there until his own electric- ity came back on. He was safe and secure and we cannot thank these people enough. Andrew Tutty is a member of the Town's Accessibility Advisory Committee HHAAC: Hard winter brings home the need to be neighbourly Andrew Tutty