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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 | 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 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: 1-800-263-6480 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 There's a compelling case to be made that ordinary Canadians have handled the historic legalization of cannabis far better than either the Ontario or federal governments. Cheers to the people and a summer raspberry to the politicians. Consider that in the nine months since the prohibi- tion of recreational pot ended, drug-impaired driving did not spike as many feared, while Statistics Canada says the number of Canadians who reported buying black market cannabis plunged by 13 per cent. And we've witnessed this even as the number of Ca- nadians who reported trying cannabis nearly doubled - to 646,000 people in the first three months of 2019, up from 327,000 in the same period in 2018. In sharp contrast, however, senior levels of govern- ment have not lived up to their part of the bargain to make legalization work smoothly. Despite its denials, Ottawa has failed to ensure the supply of legal weed comes close to meeting consumer demand. As for the Ontario government, it's botched the roll-out of retail stores. Both shortcomings explain why 38 per cent of Canadi- ans who buy pot continue to turn to the still-thriving black market. And wasn't the eradication of that crimi- nal market one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's main reasons for legalization in the first place? To be fair, Queen's Park announced last week it will license 50 new cannabis retail stores starting in October, which will give people more legal options for buying pot. That's a step in the right direction. And to cut both the Ontario and federal governments a little slack, the end of prohibition was a big, complicat- ed, multi-faceted deal. Canada is a global pioneer in legalizing this drug nationwide. Whoever blazes a new trail is bound to stumble into a few holes. But considering the federal Liberals won the 2015 general election with the promise to legalize pot, they should be criticized for the problems persisting nearly four years later. The supply problem has been linked, in part, to the tough regulations imposed by the federal department, Health Canada, on the 132 legal Canadian producers. To be sure, it's essential that the safety of legal cannabis is beyond reproach. Even so, many producers are com- plaining Health Canada drags its feet in approving new licences. Hence the supply headaches that will likely continue for years. Hence the healthy black market that services underage teens while denying the federal and provincial governments tax revenue they're owed. For their part, the Ontario Progressive Conservatives are more than happy to blame the lack of supply for the paucity of legal retail outlets in the province. They ar- gue they can't open the floodgates to consumers by hasti- ly opening more retail outlets as long as the supply shortages continue. Yes, that makes sense. What doesn't make sense is that some of the first 25 of the province's legal pot shops that were supposed to open on April 1 still aren't up and running. The public deserves a reliable, accessible legal source for a drug the federal government says is perfectly legal. Satisfying that demand must be a greater priority for both Ford and Trudeau. OH CANNABIS. OUR GOVERNMENTS JUST CAN'T GET IT RIGHT One in four women in Canada will face abuse in their lifetime. That's a true statistic. Often, when I make pre- sentations to the commu- nity or talk one on one with new donors, I share this information - surpris- ing and shocking many. Let's visualize what that statistic looks like - in a Grade 1 class with 16 girls in the class, that means four of those young girls will one day face abuse in one form or an- other. In an office of 50 people, 20 being women, five of those 20 will have been abused or will cur- rently be facing abuse. What does that look like in your child's class- room? On their sports teams? Music classes? What does that look like in your office? Your com- pany? Your church or place of worship? Your friendship circle? Your family? Many times people will tell me that they don't know anyone who has been abused. I say the same thing I have been saying for almost 15 years ... you know her - you just don't know her story. With statistics that high, we all know some- one. In 2018, in our own community, Halton Re- gional Police Services (HRPS) responded to 3320 intimate partner domes- tic calls for service, re- sulting in 733 arrests and 1,451 criminal charges. You know someone. In the first quarter of 2019, HRPS responded to 748 intimate partner do- mestic calls, resulting in 177 arrests and 369 charg- es. You know someone. Our shelters, both in Milton and Burlington, operate at capacity or close to capacity for most of the year. You know someone. Abuse happens in all communities, including ours. And if you are that someone, please reach out to us for help. Call our cri- sis lines any time of day or night - 905-332-7892 or 905- 878-8555. Our phone lines are open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. If you need more infor- mation on how you can help Halton Women's Place visit www.halton- womensplace.com. Carm Bozzo is the development manager of Halton Women's Place. ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN STILL ALL TOO COMMON STATISTICS ARE SHOCKING TO MANY, WRITES BOZZO CARM BOZZO Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA EDITORIAL