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•Th e IFP• H alton H ills • Thursday, June 5, 2014 7 • Truck Accessories • Upholstery • Heavy Equipment Glass •Window Tinting 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1655 We handle all insurance work. • your window & door professionals • 341 Guelph St., Unit 3 Georgetown 905.873.0236 www.buy-wise.ca info@buy-wise.ca • awarded readers choice 22 times • Visit our showroom got .com LocalcommunityCROWDFUNDING Getyourproject fundednow! fund them locally. COMMENT Find out why elections are very important On a chilly morning of Saturday, May 17 I had the chance to canvass for the Hon. Mr. Ted Arnott, MPP. We covered a lot of ground in an hour and a half. With five cars we reached approximately 5,000 people. Of course this is great as the more people we could reach and influence, the better. Canvassing means to go out and promote the political party you are part of. We do this by not only handing out info-pamphlets on the candidate and party, but by talking to the people in the houses and answering questions. It is an important way to bring in more voters for the political party you support. It also increases awareness on why elections are so important. We need to understand that elec- tions are very important because it is the citizens way to take part in who is being elected for office whether at the local, provincial or the national level of our country. We need to know whose hands the country is in or whose hands we would like our country to be in. As a politician said recently at the March for Life in Ottawa, "We are only the landlords of Parliament, it belongs to you, the citizens." Wise words from this good politician. The elections are on Thursday, June 12. If you can't go out, make calls, write, speak it up. Harnoor Gill, Georgetown The way we were A photo of Glen Williams from 1915 showing some of the locations that can be seen in this year's Doors Open. On Sunday, Sept. 28 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. the Town of Halton Hills will host Doors Open for the third time. Courtesy of the Esquesing Historical Society A blast from the past 'This is a significant setback' --Trustee Don Vrooman... see story pg. 5 Rein Pater shared this photo of a humming bird at a feed- er. Their name comes from the fact that they flap their wings so fast (about 80 times per second) that they make a humming noise. Got a photo you want to share? Email: cgamble@theifp.ca. PICTURE THIS From our readers 'Quote unquote' More letters to the editor According to Community Develop- ment Halton, we had an average 51 per cent voter turnout rate across all four municipalities for the 2011 provincial election. While this was higher than the provincial average of 49 per cent, we are facing record lows in voter turnout. With elections on the horizon, it got me thinking about what conversations we need to be having with each other, with our neighbours, to reconnect citizens with one of the most important parts of our democracy, our right to vote? Canadian social media strategist Rahaf Harfoush, who worked on the 2008 Presidential campaign for then- incumbent Barack Obama, said this of the campaign's focus: "For politicians who are looking to engage voters, the activi- ties must go beyond election ramp up. If you want people to be involved you need to give them something valuable to be involved in." How do we keep sight of the fact that when we vote, we are making choices about the community we wish to create? When we tell political representatives who knock on our door or attend all-candi- dates meetings to improve social assis- tance programs, to build more affordable housing, and to increase the minimum wage, we are helping to shape the politi- cal agenda. When those in power know people do not care they may be less re- sponsive to your needs. Voting holds them accountable. Two great resources that can help you make an informed decision are a series of Halton Residents Vote sheets from Com- munity Development Halton http://tinyurl. com/nupgdzl and responses to a Halton Region survey that was recently sent to all of the provincial candidates in Halton http://tinyurl.com/qj6jqyh Voting sends a powerful message to the government and politicians, and is the best way to bring about positive change. Leena Sharma, Halton Poverty Roundtable Who will you be voting for?