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6 uw ° =z = Ss = The IFP - Halton Hills | Thursday, December 30, 2021 | CATHERINE O'HARA Column It'sabout trust. Our rela- tionship with our readers is built on transparency, hon- we have initiative ra ‘ell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This column is part of that project. journalism is all about connections. formation we seek, the re- lationships we build and the public we serve all give purpose to our efforts. Earlier this year, the In- dependent and Free Press, Milton Canadian Champi- on, Burlington Post and Oakville Beaver connected with people from across Halton to talk about some of the most pressing issues affecting the region. This group formed Hal- ton's Community Advisory Council, local leaders who value community connec- tions just as muchas we do. When the council met virtually in May, members provided this newspaper with insightful feedback on a wide range of issues, including trust and trans- parency in local media, di- versity and inclusion, de- velopment and infrastruc- ture, human trafficking, gender-based violence, among others. Our conver- ranch off into e sub- committees to further probe these important top- : “We entered into sub- $0 committee discussions STRENGTHENING OUR LOCAL CONNECTION with the goal of better un- derstanding these oft-com- plex issues and, with the help of members, identify ter raise awareness and ef- fect change. Our conversations were lens on several topics of great importance to the Halton community, its resi- dents and our readership. mime work measures journalistic standards, we are keen to sink our teeth into special projects start- ing early in the new year. First up, journalists will take a close look at Halton's job market, shining a lig] n the local employment andj job vacancy rates. We'll connect W ‘ith job seekers and employers to gain a better understanding of the current landscape, high- light any labour pains and potential solutions that could help alleviate these. To celebrate Black His- tory Month, we're teaming up with the Halton Black History Awareness Society to host an essay-writing contest for local youth. Wella! iso work closely with the Halton Multicultural Council. ona as cris s food to Halto: and ‘thelr contributions 0 the communi We look forward to con- necting with residents and readers on these important topics —and many more — in the new year. welcome your ques- tions and value your com- ments. Email our trust com- mittee at trust@metro- land.com. Catherine O'Hara is deputy director of content for Metroland. TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFPCA SNAPSHOT Cheryl Discenza photo Acardinal enjoys the sumac berry-like drupes in a backyard on Princess Anne Drive. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. AFRAID OF LOSING YOUR INVESTMENTS? FEAR OF LOSING MONEY A REAL CHALLENGE FOR INVESTORS, WRITES PETER WATSON hh PETER WATSON Column There is a strong ele- ment of fear when it comes to investing. If your entire portfolio is invested in one or two stocks, the risk of losing most or all of your money should be a significant concern. Many investors today understand the advantag- es of owning an extremel; well-balanced, diversified portfolio. Historically stocks have performed very well. The S&P 500 index repre- sents the value of 500 um is close fo 7 per cent annu- ally since it was estab- Ushed close to a century ‘The worst one- year de- cline was 43 per cent. The index lost value one out of every four years. It gained value three out of every four years. That is a fairly positive outcome. Regardless, in- Investors are more dis- couraged by losing than they are Pleased by an equal gain. Whe yme- one experiences a finan. ial loss because their portfolio declined in val- ue, they often start think- ing stocks are too risky. The stock market might reverse and Post mont nthly but still that negative “perception can persist. Fear is a real part of in- vesting. Understanding your own temperament can be a good guide when you invest in stocks. Peter Watson is regis- tered with Aligned Cap- ital Partners Inc. (ACPI) to provide investment advice. Investment prod- ucts are provided by AC- PI. ACPI is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessari- ly those of ACPI. Watson provides wealth manage- ment services through Watson Investments. He can be reached at www.watsoninvestment- s.com. 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 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 nne fjocna NewresaiaCounet oO newsroom@thei IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Monta; Regional General Manager Jason Pehora Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Deputy Director of Content Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Director rr Distribution ‘Advertisin; Cindi Campbell and Graeme Macintosh CONTACT US 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. 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