The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, December 27, 2012 · 4 Inside Opinion............................................6 Health.............................................47 Worship..........................................49 Sports.............................................50 Classified........................................54 Full Delivery: Dell Computers, Freshco, Food Basics, Metro, Future Shop, M&M Meats, Drug Trading, Real Canadian, Dance It, My City Auction, 2001 Audio, World of Wheels, No Frills, Sobeys, Fortinos, Canadian Tire, The Brice, Michael's, Shoppers Drug Mart, Staples/Business Depot, Best Buy, Schools to examine security By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Premier Dalton McGuinty is spending up to $10 million to ensure every elementary school in Ontario has a locked-door policy while students are in class. McGuinty made the announcement to reintroduce the Safe Welcome Program in the wake of the recent Newtown, Connecticut tragedy that claimed 28 lives, including 20 children, at the hands of a gunman, in an elementary school. "In the aftermath of the tragic event that unfolded in the U.S., I think there's an important question we have to ask ourselves. Are we taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of our kids at school?" McGuinty said in his announcement Dec. 20. The Safe Welcome Program will provide funding to all elementary schools for such devices as locking doors, security cameras and buzzers. In 2005, the Province spent $3 million to pay for these retrofits to approximately 850 schools, which did not have the school's main entrance in view from the office. Now the Province will provide funding to all 4,000 Ontario elementary schools -- to get a locked-door policy in place by September. Locally, it is unknown at this time how many schools might benefit from this program. Both Halton public and Catholic school boards are awaiting details of the program. However, many local schools already have such procedures. The Halton Catholic District School Board has a locked-door policy in place in all elementary schools. All exterior doors are locked and there's a camera and buzzer in the main entryway. Visitors coming into a school must be identified and buzzed in to gain entry. At the Halton District School Board, each school is unique, due to the physical geography of each building, the need to access portables and the active nature of each school. "Schools attempt to minimize the number of unlocked doors to improve our ability to monitor and supervise the access to our buildings," said Jason Misner, communications officer for the public board. "Video surveillance equipment is in most buildings, and entranceways not easily monitored by the office are monitored electronically." Both boards have a safety protocol with the Halton Regional Police Service. They have emergency response plans and, in the event of threats to school safety, there are lock-down procedures, which are practiced twice a year. The lock-down procedure is a provincial requirement. Lock-down procedures are used in response to emergency situations in the school, on school property or very near to school property and where evacuation of a school is not safe. During lockdowns, steps are taken to isolate students, staff and visitors from the emergency situation. These safety protocols are reviewed regularly. Schools in both boards flew flags at half-mast on Dec. 17 to acknowledge the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. For home delivery & customer service call 905-631-6095, 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington New subscriptions call 905-631-6095 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com 40th Anniversary Avalon Waterways Cruise Contest AMERICAN QUEEN Long known for their popular European River Cruises, small ship expert Avalon Waterways is announcing new experiences for travellers in 2013 with the luxurious Victorian-style Mississippi paddlewheel steamboat American Queen. In 2013 Avalon Waterways' cruisers can experience two itineraries on the American Queen: the 12-day America's Heartland: From Music City to the Big Easy and the 11-day Fall Foliage Spectacular: From the Windy City to the Twin Cities. Onboard and off, Avalon Waterways guests will be accompanied by their own Tour Director. Pre- and post-cruise land packages are available, providing the chance to spend more time in Nashville, New Orleans or Chicago. Onboard accommodation is in spacious 140 square foot outside staterooms and the cruise includes all meals including beer & wine with lunch and dinner; afternoon tea and sweet treats; bottled water, soft drinks and coffee throughout; hop-on, hop-off shore excursions; daily presentations by an onboard river historian; nightly showboat-style entertainment and free WiFi in designated public areas. Passenger steamboats have been absent from the waters of the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers for four years ­ the longest hiatus since they began running in the 1700s. The Delta Queen McTavish Travel Visit www.mctavishtravel.com Click on the "Contest 40" tab to enter online is now a hotel docked in Chattanooga, the Mississippi Queen was scrapped and the American Queen went into bankruptcy. Now, the American Queen, built in 1995, has been fully refurbished and updated and was re-christened in April 2012. Her interiors were meticulously maintained while out of service ­ with flowery carpets, polished mahogany and globe chandeliers. The behemoth paddle-wheeler is 418 feet long, nearly 90 feet wide and 100 feet high at the tips of her elegantly detailed black stacks. The America's Heartland cruise has 8 departures between 06MAR13 and 04DEC13 with Category E cruiseonly fares ranging from $4,629 (21MAR13) to $4,799 (04APR13) per person double. Fall Foliage Spectacular has only two departures 25SEP13 and 09OCT13 with Category E fares of $4,249. All fares are cruise-only, double per person, and do not include Port Charges of $109. Call us for details! www.avalonwaterways.ca Suite 300, Hopedale Mall · 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville 905.827.1100 travel@mctavish.com www.mctavishtravel.com Ont Reg No 1437985 Call today for your personal tour. We'd love to have you join us! · Enjoy our fresh home cooked meals- never catered · Daily housekeeping including linen and laundry service · Our spacious sun filled facility · Nursing staff 24 hours a day for your peace of mind Retirement Living 380 Sherin Drive, Oakville, Ontario (905) 847-1413 www.vistamere.ca At Its Best