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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, A pr il 29 ,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 Kim Mossman Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Jason Pehora CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 901 Guelph Line Burlington, ON L7R 3N8 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 It's about trust. Our rela- tionship with our readers is built on transparency, hon- esty and integrity. As such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This column is part of that project. While a lot of our day-to- day stories focus on what's happening in the immedi- ate moment, there are times that we journalists get to flex our investigative muscles with a deep dive into a topic. Such stories, like our Behind the Crimes series that takes a closer look at the little-known details and victim impacts of the most heinous injustices, are just as important as the breaking news and lo- cal happenings that read- ers have come to know us for. There are a few reasons that we devote our time and resources to these fea- ture pieces, and I've been fortunate enough to work on several over the past couple of years. First, we're giving a voice to those who other- wise wouldn't be heard, like local residents who are missing or were mur- dered. It's human nature to care about these victims and want to know more about what happened to them, and we strive to de- liver this information in the most respectful way. In the case of unsolved crimes, we hope that keep- ing them in the spotlight will lead to new tips that could ultimately give the family the answers and clo- sure they so deserve. I've also seen these sto- ries result in families con- necting with others in the community who care about what happened to their loved one, going on to honour their memory, pro- vide support and even help further the search for a missing person. And some of these piec- es simply cover fascinat- ing, important stories that would never be told other- wise, if it weren't for a jour- nalist showing interest and taking time to delve in- to the topic. Be sure to search "Be- hind the Crimes" on our website (theifp.ca) to read the latest investigative pieces that shine a light on our region and beyond. Melanie Hennessey is a reporter for Metroland's community newspapers in Halton. She can be reached at mhennessey@metro- land.com. We welcome your questions and value your comments. Email our trust committee at trust@metroland.com. DIGGING DEEPER FOR OUR READERS INVESTIGATIVE WORK AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WHAT WE DO, WRITES MELANIE HENNESSEY MELANIE HENNESSEY Column A raven visits a backyard in rural Georgetown. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Tony Fortunato photo SNAPSHOT The federal budget was progressive and support- ive. But at what cost? It's a unique opportuni- ty for Ottawa to inject sig- nificant new ideas that will shape our country for de- cades. Canadians are emotion- ally drained from the health and financial ills that started when CO- VID-19 struck. We are tired, frustrated and eager for a new beginning -- for new ideas. The budget delivered as advertised with two promi- nent new ideas: a national child-care program and a green approach to our envi- ronment. Plus, there was focus on immediate needs. The government is spend- ing freely to support Cana- dians during the third wave of the pandemic. The annual federal def- icit is projected to be $354 billion. That leads us to the question -- Is this budget affordable? There is a direct cost of government programs, plus the indirect cost of in- terest on our massive defi- cit. Ultimately, it is the tax- payer that pays the bills. During a crisis, bold measures are needed. The budget was bold, but there was one thing missing. Bold measures should include a proactive strate- gy on how to regain finan- cial stability. This was a perfect opportunity for the government to set targets on how it could be more ef- ficient. That's not a direct criticism. From time to time, all organizations must look at how they de- liver their goods and ser- vices to see where efficien- cies can be gained. A strong investment in Canadians was needed. That was the budget's strength. We still have that one question -- Is the arithme- tic of this budget afford- able? 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. CAN TAXPAYERS AFFORD THIS BUDGET? FEDS DELIVER NEW IDEAS YET LEAVE ONE THING MISSING, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA