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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, D ec em be r 19 ,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 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 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA Are you ready for the holidays? It's a common question posed at this time of the year. Hopefully you have already shopped locally or plan to if you've still got some people remaining on your list. We, as a local community voice, are encouraging residents who are spending money this holiday season to make sure their dollars stay close to home. If you celebrate Christmas, there are still six shop- ping days left until the big day. Then there will be all kinds of Boxing Day deals to be had on Dec. 26. Local retailers, car dealers, specialty shops, services and restaurants, to name but a few, are counting on consumers to open their wallets right here. Local retailers are plac- ing their hopes on a good holiday season to carry them through to the new year. We can't let them down. You can take in old- fashioned Christmas dis- plays and appreciate store owners who are proud of the goods they sell and who spend the necessary time intelligently answer- ing customers' questions. There are so many unique gift ideas hidden in local stores and galleries. By spending your hard-earned dollars here you are helping to keep the municipality running smoothly. When you shop local twice the cash stays in the com- munity. The spin-off effects are tremendous. After you are done your shopping, stop at a local restaurant to relax and have a bite to eat. And don't forget the local charities that need assis- tance. Set aside some extra dollars and give generously to all the groups and organizations that work so hard to ensure everyone has a happy holiday. We would like to thank those who donated to our holiday drive for Halton Women's Place. Happy holidays! EDITORIAL LETTERS & COMMENTARY GEORGETOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, RESIDENTS ARE THE BEST On Sept. 10, our family had a major house fire that started in the garage and quickly spread to the rest of our house. We want to say thank you to the Georgetown fire department, which acted quickly to get the fire under control and ex- tinguished. We're so thankful for your hard work and com- passion in saving many of our valuable items. To our neighbours - you are the best! You opened your homes to us and have con- tinued to be there for us, for which we are eternal- ly thankful. To the rest of George- town and beyond, thank you. The outpouring of sup- port has been, to say the least, overwhelming. Thank you, each and everyone of you, from the bottom of our hearts, for all that you have given and done for us. LINDA, TOM AND DEREK PIDZAMECKY GEORGETOWN GRANDCHILDREN DESERVE SAME LEVEL OF EDUCATION A copy of this letter to Ted Arnott, MPP for Wel- lington-Halton Hills, was sent to The Independent and Free Press for publi- cation. I am sure that I am not alone in supporting the public school secondary teachers in their job ac- tion intended to highlight their dispute with the Ministry of Education. As a parent of three and grandparent of five, I want my grandchildren to have the same educa- tional opportunity as that of my three children, all successful in their chosen careers. Increasing average class sizes with no rea- sonable caps and man- dating an experiment in e-learning are a step backward in delivering good-quality education. With respect to the latter measure, I suggest you reflect on the absence of available high-speed in- ternet access in many ru- ral homes in your constit- uency. If the Ontario govern- ment is not sufficiently persuaded by the objec- tive views of educational professionals and re- searchers to reverse its position on these issues, then I suggest the com- pletion of the following exercise: have someone in the premier's office, possessing the requisite mathematical skills, to- tal up the number of par- ents and grandparents in the province and assess the potential effect they may have on the outcome of the next Ontario elec- tion. ROD B. TAYLOR GEORGETOWN WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU SUBMIT YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR TODAY! By spending your hard-earned dollars here you are helping to keep the municipality running smoothly. SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA STILL HAVE SOME SHOPPING TO DO? DO IT LOCALLY