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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, F eb ru ar y 25 ,2 02 1 | 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 The Government of On- tario is planning a new 400- series highway from Hwy. 400 north of Vaughan to the 401-407 exchange at the south end of Halton Hills. This 50-kilometre high- way would not only chew up thousands of acres of prime farmland, it would also cost a staggering $6 billion -- at minimum. The highway, also known as Hwy. 413, would not reduce congestion. An expert panel estimated it would reduce commute times by 30 seconds. That's right: $6 billion in taxpayer money to save 30 seconds in the daily commute. Many studies have shown that building high- ways does not reduce con- gestion. If building high- ways was the solution to congestion, Los Angeles would have solved its traf- fic problem decades ago. The solution is to ex- pand rapid transit and op- timize the existing road network -- such as build- ing the Acton bypass. The highway also flies in the face of Canada's commit- ment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 -- only nine years from now. Canada's emis- sions are rising, from 708 megatonnes in 2016 to 729 megatonnes in 2018, the last year for which we have offi- cial data. Building new highways that increase miles driven is one of the reasons why tailpipe emis- sions from cars and trucks account for 25 per cent of Canada's emissions. I work closely with MPP Ted Arnott and Mayor Rick Bonnette, alongside Hal- ton Hills council and staff. In 2011, we all worked to- gether to successfully op- pose another highway planned for Halton Hills, the "Alternative 4-3." Many constituents have expressed concerns about the highway. I share these concerns. I have formally expressed my opposition in writing to Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney. MPP Arnott has also spoken to Minister Mulroney to ex- press concerns. The benefits of this new highway are far out- weighed by the adverse im- pact it will have on our cli- mate, our environment and our community. The GTA West highway should not be built. Michael Chong is the MP for Wellington- Halton Hills, and the shadow minister of democratic institutions for the official opposition. He can be reached at michael. chong.a3 @parl. gc.ca. GTA WEST HIGHWAY SHOULD NOT BE BUILT PLAN WILL HAVE A MAJOR ADVERSE IMPACT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT, WRITES MICHAEL CHONG A friend gave me the synopsis of the book she was reading. The irony was the main ideas of this book published in the early 1960s were the same fundamen- tal ideas of a course she had just completed. That made me think of many courses, conferences and studies I have partici- pated in over the years. Great ideas often stand the test of time. We can apply this notion of solid, basic, good ideas to your personal financial planning. Much of what is written on financial planning is just restating what has been understood for sever- al decades. Set a target of what you want to achieve. This could be saving enough money to help your children with their post-secondary edu- cation or planning for your retirement. Make your target specif- ic and then measure prog- ress. In my opinion, unless you consistently measure your progress, you are un- likely to achieve your goal. For example, you or your financial planner might de- cide to recalculate your progress annually. Pay yourself first. For many, there is not enough money at the end of the month to save. There is a simple solution for that. At the first of the month, pay yourself first. Before you've had time to spend, allocate a certain amount to be deducted from your bank account and transferred to an in- vestment. A fairly simple, time- tested process. Articulate an objective, plan to moni- tor your progress on an on- going basis and finally start an automatic savings program. Use the simple, easy principles that have been around for many years. Peter Watson, of Watson Investments MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI offers a weekly financial plan- ning column, 'Dollars & Sense'. He can be contacted through www.watsonin- vestments.com. LEARNING FROM THE PAST USE FUNDAMENTAL PLANNING IDEAS TO HELP ACHIEVE YOUR LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSONColumn A snowy owl visits a wooded area near Glen Williams. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Ian Jarvie photo SNAPSHOT MICHAEL CHONG Column "The solution is to expand rapid transit and optimize the existing road network - such as building the Acton bypass."