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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, Ju ly 11 ,2 01 9 | 8 Government of Canada Town of Halton Hills AESI Engineered Solutions All Risks Insurance Appleby Systems Inc. Carney Electric Limited Dave & Dale Cox Doug Brock/Williams Mill Dunlop Insurance Limited Fred's Towing G B Stone Georgetown Animal Clinic Georgetown Hearing Clinic Georgetown Jeep Chrysler Hey Ray, Your Home Today Realty I G Wealth Management J. S. Jones & Son Funeral Home Jason Kirby Lockyer & Hein LLP Maple Lodge Farms Metro Mimi Keenan, Realtor Christine Monckton, Monckton Realty Pizzaiolo Gourmet Pizza Preston's Food Mart Real Canadian Superstore Robert Noble Septic Services Sara Haines, Realtor Sheridan Nurseries Limited The Club at North Halton Therrien Accounting Tim Hortons/Grovehill Investments Unilock Ltd. Wanda Doyle, Handmade in Halton The Glen Williams Town Hall would like to Thank Our Sponsors and all of the Volunteers for Making Canada Day In the Glen a Successful Family Celebration I took my kids to the Glen for Canada Day festiv- ities. We had loads of fun, but the thing that struck me the most was the heat. At high noon, as the parade was in full swing, there was little to no breeze or shade to cool bystanders. My kids were sweating and thirsty. I had packed two large water bottles, juice boxes and had al- ready bought them slush- ies. And I found myself wishing I had thought ahead and packed more drinks. I had underesti- mated how quickly we would all overheat and find ourselves dehydrated from the muggy conditions. I had underestimated how thirsty my kids would be under the hot, hot sun. By the time I got us all home, we were all spent, grateful to get into a cool, dark environment. I spent the rest of the day sur- prised at how exhausted I was. It reminded me how insidious heat-related ill- nesses can be. My kids and I got lucky. Sometimes, you can't tell how seriously sick you are. The sun and humidity can raise your core body temperature to well above its usual 37 C (98 F). Prob- lems - like heat-related ill- nesses - arise when the hu- midex is above 40. Symptoms of heat-relat- ed illness can include one or more of the following: headaches, fatigue, thirst, muscle cramps, light- headedness, nausea, vom- iting, stomach pain, racing heartbeat and hyperventi- lation. If unrecognized and un- treated, these symptoms can worsen and people can become confused and hal- lucinate, collapse or suffer cardiac arrest and even death. Heat stroke is a med- ical emergency. If you see someone and suspect a heat-related ill- ness, there are ways you can help: call 911. Get them out of the heat into some- where that's cool and dark. Remove heavy sports equipment, clothing, hats and shoes. Spray them with water and fan them. If they're awake, get them to drink water. Keep cooling them down until the ambu- lance arrives. Remember, certain things make you more vul- nerable to heat stroke: ex- ercising on hot, humid days, poor physical fitness, already being dehydrated, illness, wearing extra clothing, sports equipment or protective gear, sitting in a hot car, leaving kids in the car on a hot day, or be- ing a kid or senior. Be sun smart and heat smart. A little bit of com- mon sense can go a long way to keeping everyone safe and healthy this sum- mer. Nadia Alam is a Georgetown physician and past president of the Onta- rio Medical Association. She can be reached at na- dia.alam@oma.org. OPINION BE WARY OF THE HEAT THIS SUMMER KNOW SIGNS OF TROUBLE, WRITES NADIA ALAM NADIA ALAM Column Halton has earned an- other feather in its finan- cial cap. S&P Global Ratings re- cently affirmed the region's top credit rating. Its re- search summary lauds Halton's strong leadership, fiscal policies and budget- ary performance while confirming a stable out- look for the future. "This is the second top credit rating we have earned this year, and both S&P Global Ratings and Moody's Investors Service have indicated a high level of confidence in our finan- cial planning and decision- making," said Regional Chair Gary Carr. "As we prepare to implement our new strategic business plan, this distinction will allow us to support ongoing investments in infrastruc- ture while ensuring top val- ue for taxpayer dollars. We are proud to have earned this distinction yet again." Maintaining a top credit rating minimizes long- term infrastructure capital financing costs by provid- ing Halton and its local mu- nicipalities with continued access to the best capital fi- nancing rates available. S&P's research summa- ry profiled a variety of Hal- ton's credit strengths as the rationale for its decision, including its strong and stable budget performance, low debt burden and well- documented financial plan. The region has main- tained top credit ratings from S&P Global Ratings (AAA) since 2002 and from Moody's Investors Service (Aaa) since 1989. Earning this distinction from both agencies each year is a key objective of Halton's annu- al budget and business plan. For more information, visit halton.ca. NEWS HALTON'S TOP CREDIT RATING AFFIRMED