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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 19 ,2 02 0 | 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 70 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 Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Jason Pehora CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA In recent years and most recently since the CO- VID-19 pandemic, concern with speeding throughout the town has been one of the most prominent issues raised in our community. There isn't a week that goes by without myself or councillors getting a com- plaint. Council under- stands the community's concerns as it relates to speeding in our neighbour- hoods and wants to assure our residents that road safety is one of the town's main focus areas and prior- ities. Last year Town Council approved a Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol. This multiple step process starts by receiving speeding concerns from the public for a specific street or area. In response to the initial speeding concerns, the Ra- dar Messaging Board is de- ployed on the roadway that indicates the actual operat- ing speed of vehicles and as- sists in educating both the residents and the motorists of their speeds. In many cases, no fur- ther investigation is re- quired. If excessive speeds are documented, Halton Regional Police Service is advised and requested to conduct enforcement when resources are available. If speeding continues, detailed traffic data is col- lected over a period of time and a complete screening process is initiated to de- termine if traffic calming measures are warranted. Traffic calming mea- sures can include a variety of effective options, such as speed humps, curb exten- sions, pavement markings, signage, bollards and per- manent radar messaging boards. Each location is re- viewed using a neighbour- hood traffic calming ap- proach to ensure that all roads within an area are evaluated to determine the appropriate traffic calm- ing measure. For more information on the Town's Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol, visit haltonhills.ca. SHOP LOCAL FOR HOLIDAYS Our business communi- ty has struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, more than ever, let's support them in the up- coming holiday season. Local businesses are the ones who sponsor events, your kids' sports teams and give employment. The suc- cess of our business com- munity is key to the town's ability to deliver services that our residents rely on each and every day. This year, let's shop smart, shop local, shop Halton Hills. Rick Bonnette is the Mayor of Halton Hills. Follow him on Twitter @RickBonnette1 and In- stagram rick_bonnette1. LOOKING TO PUT THE BRAKES ON SPEEDING MEASURES IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THIS GROWING PROBLEM, WRITES RICK BONNETTE The stock market is a form of democracy. Every- one gets a vote to decide the value given to a stock. A popular question among investors: What de- termines the value of the stock? The simple answer is you and other market participants. Every time a stock is traded, the buyer and sell- er independently agree on a price to complete the transaction. Both parties have to agree or there's no trade. Buyers and sellers have an idea of the future earn- ings of those shares and they decide on their re- quired return on invest- ment. That determines their estimate of the value. Assume there are two companies that are expec- ted to have the same earn- ing power in the future. Are the prices of those companies' shares equal? No. The two important vari- ables that determine price are the expected future earnings and the level of risk taken on by owning those shares. Sometimes daily news events cause stock prices to plummet. In most cases, the long- term expected profit is un- changed. What has changed is an investor's perception that there is more risk and therefore, they will offer less for that stock. My recommendation is to invest for the long term. Own stocks that have good prospects for ongoing future earnings. Ignore the daily news that does not di- rectly affect the ability of the company to continue to earn profits. Peter Watson, MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI, of Watson Invest- ments offers a weekly fi- nancial planning column, Dollars & Sense. He can be contacted through www.watsoninvestment- s.com. THE STOCK MARKET IS A FORM OF DEMOCRACY EVERY INVESTOR HAS A SAY IN THE VALUE OF A STOCK, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column A chipmunk digs into a flower pot on Mowat Crescent. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Anita Robinson photo SNAPSHOT RICK BONNETTE Column "Road safety is one of the town's main focus areas and priorities."