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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, N ov em be r 21 ,2 01 9 | 10 Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. Dec 4 and Dec 11 9:30 a.m. Regional Council Meetings at Halton Region, 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville, L6M 3L1 Visit halton.ca for full schedule. 11 21 19 Public Notice Halton Regional Council will review the Region's proposed 2020 Budget and Business at the following meetings: • Regional Council Budget Meeting--Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. • Regional Council--Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. The meetings will take place at Halton Regional Centre (1151 Bronte Road, Oakville). The proposed 2020 Budget and Business Plan provides details supporting the Regional portion of the property tax levy, as well as the water and wastewater rate-supported budget. The document will be available at halton.ca on November 22, 2019. You can also view or obtain a printed copy at Halton Regional Centre (Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.). Halton residents are invited to provide input on the proposed 2020 Budget and Business Plan. If you wish to register as a delegate to address Regional Council at one of the meetings above, please call 311 or 1-866-442-5866. You may also submit input or comments by email to budget@halton.ca. The 2020 Budget and Business Plan is scheduled to be approved by Regional Council on December 11, 2019. Halton Region 2020 Budget and Business Plan Gary Carr Regional Chair Halton Region's business services team is your one-stop shop to help your company succeed at any stage. Our consultants offer expert advice, tools and resources to navigate your next steps and guide you in the right direction. Here are just a few of our services: Start up. Expand. Go Global. Global Business Centre • One-on-one export counselling • Market research • Support in developing your export plan Small Business Centre • One-on-one consultations and coaching • Seminars, funding and mentoring programs • Assistance with business and name registration Visit halton.ca to learn more and connect with a consultant today 1) As of 2017, Ontario govern- ment regulations specified that all school fixtures used for drink- ing water or in food preparation were to be tested. All elementary school fixtures were to be tested before Oct. 31, 2019, and all sec- ondary schools before Oct. 31, 2021. The Halton District School Board is on target. 2) During the most recent HDSB water testing, 1,569 fix- tures were tested with a total of 3,138 samples taken. Of those, 33 schools had a fixture with a lead concentration above acceptable amounts. 3) Fixtures are sink taps, drinking fountains or water-bot- tle-filling stations. Fixtures that are not designated for drinking purposes, such as found in auto shops, are not tested. 4) When testing water for lead, two samples are taken; one is a standing sample taken directly from the fixture without running the water first, the other a flushed sample taken after run- ning the tap for five minutes and letting the water sit. 5) Should a sample have a lead concentration and the flushed sample be below the threshold, regulations require staff to per- form five-minute daily flushes of every water line and a 10-second flush at every fixture used for drinking water or food prepara- tion. Ministry of Environment regulations require that flushing be continued for two years. 6) If the flushed sample is above the ministry's threshold of 10 micrograms per litre, the wa- ter supply to the fixture is shut off and the fixture is covered to pre- vent usage until a retest or re- placement confirms the lead lev- els are within acceptable amounts. 7) Contrary to what many peo- ple believe, the majority of HDSB schools do not have lead pipes. Lead may be found in the solder- ing and, in some cases, in the brass that makes up the fixtures, according to HDSB Superinten- dent of Facility Services Maia Puccetti. 8) Recent reports of drinking water tests at Oakville's White Oaks Secondary School that showed exceedance levels were recorded over the summer months during a period of con- struction when little water was flowing, said Puccetti. 9) Flushed samples at WOSS indicate results within or below the threshold. Testing will con- tinue, "but we have met ministry expectations," said Puccetti. 10) Ontario is one of the few provinces that require schools to test their water for lead. NEWS The Halton District School Board recently released its report on school drinking water testing. Torstar file photo 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WATER TESTING AT HALTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS KATHY YANCHUS kyanchus@metroland.com Links2Care is encouraging Halton Hills residents to combat the commercialism of the holiday season by sponsoring a local fam- ily in need this Christmas. Donations of new pyjamas, socks, underwear and toiletries for local children will be accepted for the Holiday Giving Program from now until Dec. 16. Links2Care can provide a family profile with genders, ages and sizes to those wishing to support multiple children. Individual items and monetary donations are also being accepted. Donations can be dropped off at the Links2Care locations in Georgetown and Acton, and at the Georgetown Christian Fel- lowship Church. Last year, 367 kids in Halton Hills benefited from the initia- tive. Local residents facing finan- cial challenges this holiday sea- son can apply to the program for their children, up to 18 years old, until Dec. 6. For more information or to ob- tain an application form, visit links2care.ca, call 905-873-6502 or email Janet at jbattis- ta@links2care.ca. COMMUNITY LINKS2CARE PROGRAM RETURNS MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@metroland.com