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•Th e IF P• H al to n H ill s • Th ur sd ay , M ar ch 6 , 2 01 4 12 Please contact us as soon as possible if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. 311Halton.ca 06 03 14 Gary Carr Regional Chair Meetings at Halton Region Meetings can be viewed at Halton.ca/meetings. Be Prepared for Emergencies At Halton Region, we are committed to safe and healthy communities. Our emergency preparedness website,Halton.ca/beprepared has lots of great information to help you understand the risks, create a plan and build or purchase an emergency kit. You can also follow @BPreparedHalton onTwitter, dial 311 or visit the website for more information. Mar. 18 9:30 a.m. Health & Social Services Cttee. Mar. 19 9:30 a.m. Planning & PublicWorks Cttee. Mar. 19 1:30 p.m. Admin & Finance Cttee. Mar. 26 9:30 a.m. Regional Council 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville L6M 3L1 Upcoming Business Seminars and Programs Halton Small Business Centre Starting a Small Business Seminar: A general overview of the things you will need to consider, along with resources to help you succeed. Covers structure, registrations, regulations, licences, taxes ��� �������� �������� Wednesday, March 19 Milton Public Library, Main Library 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. $25/person First Steps in Exporting: Understanding the resources, programs, and services available to potential exporters including export readiness, market research, export planning and practical issues. Wednesday, March 26 Halton Regional Administration Building 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. $25/person Starting a Small Business Seminar: A general overview of the things you will need to consider, along with resources to help you succeed. Covers structure, registrations, regulations, licences, taxes ��� �������� �������� Wednesday, April 9 Burlington Central Library 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. $25/person Getting Started Information Session: A one hour overview of all the rules and regulations you need to know if you are starting a business in Halton. Staff will guide you through a checklist for starting a new business. These are casual, ����������� ����� ������ �� ��� �� ����� Every Tuesday 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Halton Regional Centre, Small Business Centre No cost, but registration is required. Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) - General Information Session: A one hour �������� �� ��� ���� �������� �������� including a review of the application process and evaluation and eligibility criteria. Canadian Youth Business ���������� �������� �������� ����� �� character and a great business plan of up to $15,000 for young entrepreneurs between 18 and 39 years of age who are looking to start their own full-time small business. 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month in 2014 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Halton Regional Centre, Small Business Centre No cost, but registration is required. Registration and pre-payment for all seminars is required as seating is limited. Contact us for more information and registration details for these events. Join our online community. Get connected at Haltonsmallbusiness.ca Acton's Michael Evans was recent- ly presented with the Heart & Stroke Foundation's Survivor Ambassador Award for 2013 after visiting several schools in the area to share his story with students. The Acton High School graduate visited about 30 schools in Peel and Halton regions and spoke about his trials with heart disease, which began at birth. The 18-year-old, who is studying at the Metalworks Institute in Missis- sauga to earn his audio engineering degree, underwent his first heart sur- gery when he was 10 days old and will require another operation soon to put a mechanical valve in place. Evans' message is that heart dis- ease isn't an older person's affliction and that many babies are born each day with similar health problems as his. Unable to play hockey, Evans turned to music and is an avid guitar and piano player. Michael Evans (right) receives the Survivor Ambassador Award from Heart & Stroke Foundation chief operating officer Tom McAllister. Evans, an 18-year-old Acton resident, visited many schools in the area to talk about heart disease. Submitted photo It's that time again. On Sunday, March 9 the clocks spring ahead one hour. This is also a great time to test your smoke alarms and change their batteries. Fire Chief Brent Marshall strongly recommends changing your smoke alarm batteries and then testing the alarm to ensure it will function. Aside from pushing the test button to sound the alarm, another easy way to test it, is to hold a lit incense stick 10 to 12 inches below the alarm and allow the smoke to drift into the device causing it to sound. Once the alarm sounds, fan the smoke away and give the de- vice a quick vacuuming to ensure it is free of dust which can affect the per- formance of the smoke alarm. The fire service suggests that smoke alarms between seven and 10 years of age, be considered for replacement. Manufacturers' specifications may also include an expiry date, which may be stamped on the device; how- ever, generally speaking, the life span of a smoke alarm is 10 years. "Properly installed and maintained, working smoke alarms prevent inju- ries and save lives," said Mayor Bon- nette, adding, "With the minimal costs of smoke alarms today, everyone should have working smoke alarms in their homes. With a little extra ef- fort, we can prevent unnecessary trag- edies." Teen's heart health efforts praised by Heart & Stroke Foundation Change your smoke alarm batteries this weekend when you spring forward