The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 17 ,2 01 9 | 8 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 Managing Editor 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 We are now well into 2019 and - in Canada - a federal election year. Both are brimming with exciting possibilities. Here's a list of commitments we think Canada's federal leaders and their parties should make this year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resolve to get some humility. An Angus Reid poll last month reported his approval rating among Canadians has sunk to its lowest level since he was elected and for the first time since that election he's not considered best choice as PM. Trudeau need only look in a mirror to see why. He appeared vain and foolish on his trip to India last April and, to make things worse, his gratuitous, off-the-cuff moralizing often makes him seem smug and hectoring - a prima donna more than a prime minister. At a recent Group of 20 women's panel, for instance, Trudeau pontificated on the supposedly negative "im- pacts" of male construction workers while suggesting women make better business decisions than men. What- ever point he was trying to make, he needlessly offended a lot of people. In the coming months, Trudeau should stick to mat- ters of policy, do a lot less preening before the cameras and stop pretending he holds a monopoly on virtue. Meanwhile, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer should get to the centre. Whether he hopes to mimic the success of populist, nationalist poli- ticians in other countries or he's revealing his true self, Scheer took a hard shift to the right last year. In demonizing an innocuous United Nations agree- ment on migration that Canada was signing, for ex- ample, he pandered to anti-immigrant hysteria, wrongly suggesting this country was surrendering control of its own borders. Not only will that strategy not get him elected, it's corrosive to social harmony in a country where one in five people is foreign born. New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh should resolve to finally get a seat in Parliament. The bloom has long faded from his leadership, with early hopes that he could revive the NDP replaced by the cold reality that his party is drop- ping in the polls, struggling with fundraising and weak- ened by a rising number of MPs who won't run again. Singh can only turn this around, salvage his career and truly lead if he wins a B.C. byelection this winter. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May should resolve to get focused on winnable ridings. With the Greens cap- turing seats in some provincial legislatures, May could possibly lead the federal party to a historic break- through if she concentrates on a few ridings that al- ready find it easy to be Green. People's Party of Canada Leader - and founder - Max- ime Bernier should get back into the Conservative fold he foolishly abandoned last year. While we know that's unlikely, he should realize Canada needs no more con- servative parties and that he's embarked on an egotisti- cal race to political oblivion. Finally, each federal party should resolve to provide a clear platform on three major issues. How would they confront global climate change and come close to meet- ing the carbon-emission targets Canada agreed to at international conferences? How would they get a pipeline built to carry Alberta crude oil to an ocean port? And how would their party end the budget deficits that are again the norm in this country but endanger its future economic health? One last 2019 pledge should come from Halton voters themselves. They should resolve to go to the polls next Oct. 21 - election day. 2019 AN EXCITING ELECTION YEAR Pounding heart, sweaty palms, churning stomach, racing thoughts - all pretty well-known symptoms of something we've likely all experienced: anxiety. Think of writing an exam, going on a first date or hav- ing a job interview. And even though anxiety is a very normal emotion, it can also be part of a mental health problem. So, how can you tell the difference between what is just typical, manageable anxiety and what could be a more serious concern that may need attention? Think of these three I's: Incidence How often is the anxiety happening and how long is it lasting? For example, if you feel anxious before a job interview but then the anxiety goes away after- wards, that's likely a typi- cal emotional response. But, if the anxiety occurs often and doesn't seem to have a clear cause - or doesn't ease off once you've dealt with what you think may be the cause - that could be a sign of concern. Intensity How powerful is the anx- iety? Are you feeling just a bit nervous, or is it so bad that you feel overwhelmed or helpless? While unpleas- ant at the time, typical anx- iety is usually manageable, and we can get through it without it overpowering our other feelings. Anxiety that may be part of a mental health problem, however, can be all-consuming and eclipse our other thoughts and emotions. Impact How is your anxiety af- fecting your day-to-day life? Are you still able to go to work or school, keep up with relationships and do your usual activities, or is the anxiety interfering with what you would like to do? While typical anxiety might impact us for a short while, we can usually ride it out with no major disrup- tion to our routine. Prob- lematic anxiety, however, can make it difficult for us to meet the demands of dai- ly life in the way we usually would. So, what to do if the inci- dence, intensity and im- pact of anxiety is concern- ing? Talking to your family doctor or primary health- care provider is a great start. You could also con- nect with a counsellor. Vis- it www.halton.cmha.ca for details. Melanie McGregor of the CMHA's Halton branch. Visit www.hal- ton.cha.ca for more in- formation. ANXIETY IS NORMAL, BUT IT MAY AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH VISIT DOCTOR IF YOU'RE CONCERNED, WRITES MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column