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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 6, 20 18 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Steve Foreman Regional Director of Media Holly Chriss Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Regional Manager Digital Content Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Classified/Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Production Shelli Harrison Halton Media General Manager Vicki Dillane CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 905-234-1016 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, con- dense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncana- dianchampion.com or call 905- 234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA EDITORIAL By now it should be no surprise for drivers to see a large presence of police officers on local and regional roads on the first day of school, just as Halton drivers experienced on Tuesday. Police in school zones, conducting radar or watching for other Highway Traffic Act infractions, have been synonymous with a return to school ever since the launch of the All Hands on Deck initiative. The goal is to see uniform officers, from the front line right up to the chief of police and deputies, fan out to every corner of Halton Region to make a statement about driver safety. While some years police have been able to nab drivers motoring along at excessive speeds, the initiative isn't just about handing out tickets. It's about awareness and education, something that is exhibited by police wear- ing those fluorescent-coloured safety vests conducting radar at the side of the road rather than tucking them- selves into a corner discreetly in their vehicle. That education is critical to ensure there are no tragedies on our roads as thousands of kids head to school. It's a message to drivers, who may have become ac- customed to quieter streets during their daily commutes with school out, that children are more present on the streets, whether on foot or on bikes, particularly before and after school. The return of school also means that school buses are back on the streets, picking up their passengers. Do you know the rules when a school bus stops with its red lights flashing? Here's some advice from the Ministry of Transportation. When driving on a road without a median: Drivers travelling in both directions must stop for a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing. When you approach the bus from the front, stop at a safe distance to let children get on or off the bus and cross the road. Don't move forward until the red lights have stopped flashing or the bus begins to move. When driving on a road with a median: Traffic com- ing from the opposite direction is not required to stop. Failure to follow these rules could result in a fine up to $2,000 and six demerit points. Not only is it not worth the hit to your driving record, but think for a moment about the truly precious cargo we rely on school buses to transport for us five days of the week - our children. Make sure you're not distracted behind the wheel at any point (put down that phone), including pulling out of your driveway. Always check for children on the side- walk, driveway and behind your vehicle before backing up. In general, take your time and be prepared to have a lot more patience than you may have had over the lazy days of summer. Things are a lot more busy out there. Be safe. BACK-TO-SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT FOR DRIVERS: FOLLOW RULES OF THE ROAD Do you know Mrs. Jack- son? She is an 86-year-old widow, living alone in a downtown area rental apartment. She has mini- mal income derived from Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and relies on a local food bank to supplement her weekly meals. Mrs. Jackson struggles to pay her monthly utility bills, especially in the sum- mer and winter months. She does not have access to a ve- hicle and depends on com- munity volunteers to take her to free programming for seniors in her community. Everyone gets older and unanticipated life changes can happen. Our population continues to age rapidly and many seniors face financial challenges as they age in our community. Seniors in Halton make up 27 per cent of the region's overall popu- lation. One in eight of these seniors live in poverty. There is a long held as- sumption that all seniors in Halton are financially com- fortable, however, seniors living in Halton often strug- gle with precarious employ- ment, lack of health and pension plans, inflated housing costs and expensive food options. Many seniors over the age of 65 are forced to take on paid work in gro- cery, hardware and fast food locations. For them, retire- ment is simply not an op- tion. It should come as no sur- prise that many free com- munity meals provided by local faith and community groups are consistently pro- vided to Halton seniors. It is also quite clear that Halton seniors comprise a growing number of food bank users, representing 17 per cent of all food bank clients. Locally, the average monthly rent is $1,405 mak- ing living on a fixed income challenging. Since one in five of our senior neigh- bours live alone, housing can quickly become unaf- fordable. The combination of being in poverty and liv- ing alone sets the stage for social, emotional and psy- chological isolation which will, overtime, have nega- tive effects on overall well- being and life expectancy. If we are to have legiti- mate pride in Halton Region being one of the top places to live in Ontario, it must equally apply to low-income residents, including our se- niors, now and in the future. Retirement is not the golden age for many of our seniors. If you, or someone you know, wants to become in- volved in achieving our vi- sion of No Neighbour in Need visit www.haltonpov- ertyroundtable.com or fol- low us on Twitter @Halton- PovertyRT. Sarah Sabihuddin is the Halton Poverty Roundtable director of community en- gagement. 1 IN 8 SENIORS LIVE IN POVERTY LOCALLY RETIREMENT IS NOT THE GOLDEN AGE FOR MANY SENIORS, WRITES SABIHUDDIN SARAH SABIHUDDIN Column