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•Th e IFP• H alton H ills, Thursday, A ugust 28, 2014 7 • 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 • Truck Accessories • Upholstery • Heavy Equipment Glass •Window Tinting 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1655 We handle all insurance work. No experience necessary. Please contact Nancy Geissler 905 873 0301 ext 228 if you are interested. College St Guelph St Maple Avenue Stewart McLaren George Street Rexway Drive Dayfoot Drive Prince Charles Dr Chipper Court GEORGETOWN Henry Street McGilvray Cres Carole St Windsor Rd GLEN WILLIAMS Glen Williams Glencrescent Drive Tweedle St ACTON Churchill Rd S. Wynford Place Salmon Way Sprowl Street We are currently looking for carriers to deliver Halton Hills award-winning newspaper The Independent & Free Press, for the following routes. COMMENT Local governments serve an important role One of the most important partner- ships in government is the one that exists between the province of Ontar- io and our local municipalities. While municipalities exist and function under laws, regulations and policies which have been passed by the On- tario Legislature or de- termined by the provin- cial government, I have always viewed our local councils as accountable and responsible gov- ernments in their own right. Whether we are talk- ing about regions, coun- ties or local municipali- ties, I do not refer to them as "creatures of the province," as we hear sometimes at Queen's Park. That viewpoint is not one that I share. In fact, for the past 24 years as a Member of Provincial Parliament, I have sought to advocate for "local autonomy" for local councils. This means driving more decision-making authority into our local council cham- bers, and empowering mayors and councillors to make the important de- cisions on local matters. In turn, they are accountable to the voters for the decisions they make. On a daily basis, I also see the high standards of professionalism and ef- fectiveness of the staff of our munici- pal governments. I try to never interfere in decisions that are rightly the prerogative of our local councils. Instead, when a coun- cil needs the help of the provincial government, I want to go to bat for them, based on the belief that if I can help a democratically elected council, I am helping the entire community. Having just returned home from the recent Association of Municipali- ties of Ontario (AMO) conference in London, and knowing the current term of our local councils is drawing to a close, I want to express my sin- cere thanks to all who serve in elected public office on coun- cil. Their dedication and hard work on behalf of our communities is val- ued and appreciated. In many respects, our local councils are the or- der of government which is closest to the people. Partisan party politics, in most cases, is kept out of the discussions, and the debates are usually focused on what is best for the community as a whole. We need good people to continue to run and serve in these vital roles. The health of our democracy depends on strong public participation in the process, leading up to Election Day on Oct. 27. ***** In smalltown Ontario, the autumn season is "fall fair time." These annual celebrations of our rural way of life and agricultural heri- tage are always interesting and fun. Hundreds of volunteers give count- less hours to plan and organize our fall fairs. In Wellington-Halton Hills, the Georgetown Fall Fair runs Sept. 5-7. That same weekend, the Aberfoyle Fair is on Sept. 5-6. The Fergus Fair runs from Sept. 12-14. The Acton Fall Fair is set for Sept. 19-21. And, the Erin Fair overlaps Thanksgiving weekend, from Oct. 10-13. --Ted Arnott is the MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills TED ARNOTT The way we were Berwick Hall at 139 Main St. S. was designed by famed Toronto architect Edward J. Lennox as the home of John Roaf Barber, owner of the Georgetown paper mills, and now houses several apartments. The residence was named Berwick Hall, after the birthplace of Barber's mother, Hannah Patrick, who was born in Berwick-on-Tweed in England. Berwick Hall 'It's not a big deal' --Chris Stiles... see story pg. 9 Christopher Bowen, 13, and Olivia Bowen, 11, attended the Rogers Cup Tennis tournament in Toronto. Each of them had the privilege of getting Milos Raonic's signature on their "huge" tennis ball. They are both learning to play tennis this summer at the courts by the Gellert Centre, and are loving it. Lisa Bowen took the photo. Got a photo you want to share? Email: cgamble@theifp.ca. WHAT A SCORE! From our readers 'Quote unquote'