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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, M ar ch 21 ,2 01 9 | 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 80 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 General Manager Steve Foreman Regional Director of Media Holly Chriss Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Classified/Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Production Shelli Harrison Halton Media General Manager Vicki Dillane CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 905-234-1016 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, con- dense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncana- dianchampion.com or call 905- 234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA EDITORIAL How many travellers are affected by the federal gov- ernment's decision to ground all Boeing 737 Max air- craft? For Air Canada, which has 24 of the jets in its fleet, the answer is 9,000-12,000 - every day. That's up to 12,000 passengers daily who will suffer some degree of inconvenience, from being stranded away from home, to missing vacation or business dates, to having to rebook on a different aircraft, a process that Air Canada admits upfront will be slow and arduous. None of that is intended to question Transport Min- ister Marc Garneau's judgment. He announced the grounding after receiving new evidence showing simi- larity between last week's horrific Ethiopian Airlines crash and another one off Indonesia last October. But those wondering why it took so long for Canada to join many other nations that have already taken simi- lar actions should give some thought to the sheer scale of the logistical and human challenge posed by the grounding. No doubt that's part of the government's rationale - it didn't want to impose that sort of difficulty on passengers and airlines without very compelling evidence, which it finally received last week. As well as the 23 Air Canada flies, WestJet flies 13 of the Max model and Sunwing four. All three carriers were quick to de- clare their support and co-operation for the measure, but you can bet it will render the air travel marketplace more chaotic than usual, and that's saying something. Of course Garneau's decision is the right one, just as he was right to wait until he and his advisers saw enough credible data to justify grounding the fleet. Based on extensive media coverage since last weekend's crash, it's clear consumers have lost confidence in the safety of the aircraft, but that in itself doesn't justify such drastic action. And speaking of evidence, there is enough about problems with the Max aircraft to wonder if industry and regulators shouldn't have acted sooner. Several American pilots have complained about the way the jet has performed in flight. And the complaints are similar. One pilot reported an anomaly with the autopilot which the pilot said caused the aircraft's nose to be pointed down for a brief period. Another flight crew member reported the aircraft pitched nose down after the autopilot was engaged dur- ing departure. Those and other complaints were made in an online database, which was accessed and reported on by CNN last week. The March 10 crash involved a new Ethiopian Air- lines Max 8, which crashed minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa. All 157 passengers, including 18 from Canada, perished. The October tragedy was a Lion Air Flight which crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. All 189 aboard died. With this decision, Canada joins the majority of coun- tries that have banned 737 Max aircraft, including Chi- na, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia and others. The U.S., which had been a notable holdout, followed Canada. So now we wait. We wait amid unconfirmed reports and suspicions about a software problem that was diag- nosed but untreated, and other theories about what went wrong. And we think about the families who lost loved ones, for whom the waiting is much more than merely inconvenient. GROUNDING BOEING 737 MAX AIRCRAFT RIGHT MOVE In southern Ontario, the biggest concern in winter these days isn't snow, it's ice. No one spreads salt on our hiking trails (thankful- ly for the environment) so they become slithery, slip- pery, oftentimes treacher- ous things. Moreover, the ice per- sists on our trails long after it's gone from the sur- rounding landscape. When ice prevails and even the combination of spiked foot- wear and hiking poles isn't enough to make you feel safe on the trails, how about doing a little yoga to keep you hiking fit. It will improve your experience out on the trails when the ice does finally recede. Yoga For Hikers Those who do yoga know that it simultaneous- ly improves strength and flexibility. What is less well known is that it can also build up cardio fitness, es- pecially if you do sun salu- tations: A flowing series of yoga poses that will raise your heart rate. I highly recommend hikers at least give yoga a try. Not only will you be able to negoti- ate the trails more confi- dently, but you won't have to worry about keeping up. Tips About Yoga for Hikers 1. Don't be deterred if the first yoga class you attend doesn't appeal to you. There are many different types of yoga ranging from slow and gentle yin yoga to power yoga. Find what works for you. 2. Just as there are differ- ent types of yoga, instruc- tors differ too. Find an in- structor who appeals to you. Try out a few different clas- ses with different instruc- tors. Normally, your first class is free. 3. If you have specific problems such as a bad knee or a wonky shoulder, tell the instructor. A good instructor gives alterna- tive directions on how to do a certain pose if you have an injury. Post Hike Yoga Stretches Jean Szmidt, owner of Evergreen Yoga in Palgrave, explains that stretching af- ter a hike is really impor- tant. She suggests four stretches after your walk is done. You can do them any time, but they are particu- larly useful when your body is all warmed up from a good hike (or some sun sal- utations). Namaste. From Loops & Lattes Hiking Guides' author and avid hiker Nicola Ross. Visit www.nicolaross.ca to purchase one of her four hiking guides, sign up for her newsletter and receive info about hiking trails, books, contests and more. WHAT'S NOT TO HIKE? WHEN HIKING TRAILS ARE TOO SLIPPERY, TRY YOGA INSTEAD IT WILL IMPROVE YOUR EXPERIENCE OUT ON THE TRAILS WHEN THE ICE DOES FINALLY RECEDE, WRITES NICOLA ROSS NICOLA ROSS Column