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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 15, 2015 | 6 Ontario's police leaders kicked off Police Week (May 10-16) Monday during a community event at the Scarborough Civic Centre in Toronto. Throughout the week, Ontario police services are hosting events and inviting members of their communities to join them in celebrating. In this region, Halton police held their annual Police Day last Saturday. Visit www.insidehalton.com to see photos from the event. Since 1970, Police Week has been observed in May to coincide with Peace Of cers Memorial Day, recognized internationally today (Friday, May 15). This year's theme, Discover Policing, invites everyone to discover the many ways Ontario's police services are working to keep our communities safe. Police Week also encourages people to consider a rewarding and ful lling career in law enforcement. "We are proud to invite Ontarians to `discover policing' during Police Week. All our police services are excited about showcasing what their police of cers do to contribute to community safety and well being," said Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans, president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP). The OACP is working with the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and police services across the province to promote community events that showcase and celebrate policing in Ontario. "Our government applauds the work the OACP and all police services do every day to build safer communities and a stronger Ontario," said Ontario Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Yasir Naqvi. "Police of cers are driven by compassion, caring and a commitment to public service. Police Week is an opportunity to say thank-you for their dedication to our communities and our province." Indeed, this week is an opportune time to recognize the brave men and women who serve and protect us. The next time you see a police of cer, express your appreciation. We don't need to look far -- in Oakville, the recent quick action and CPR efforts of Halton Police Constable Rick Buys was documented in yesterday's edition of the Oakville Beaver and online at www. insidehalton.com. Buys was handing out a traf c citation in late April when he heard a 911 call from a nearby parking lot. He moved quickly and arrived to nd Oakville's Kelly Bragg with her six-week-old son Evan Di Iulio, not breathing, without a pulse and turning blue. The distraught Bragg thrust her baby at Buys with a plea to help save him. Buys did just that. Afterward, he admitted it will be a day he'll never forget -- one of the most terrifying of his policing career, he said. But his quick work and heroic actions left Bragg indebted to him for young Evan's life. To nd out more about Police Week activities, visit www.discoverpolicing.ca, and follow 2015 Police Week tweets via the hashtag #PoliceWeekONT. Police deserve our vote of thanks Editorial G R E E N T H U M B S M A K E A N "Connected to your Community" I M P R I N T 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 53 | Number 39 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS Twenty-three years ago, Oakville resident Gerry Laing, right, brought a seed back from a trip to Kenya and donated it to the Town of Oakville Greenhouse. Former senior greenhouse operator Tim Rivers, left, planted it and it grew into a 12-foot tall Bottle Brush with frilly orange blossoms. Its parent is still standing in the backyard of the guesthouse in Nairobi where Laing stayed during mission trips to Africa. The 77-year-old electrician travelled between Canada and Kenya for more than 20 years, supervising construction projects for schools, churches and orphanages. Laing said he often visits the greenhouse on a cold winter day and visits his tree. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Letters to the Editor MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager 2014 Employment Survey shows strong economy Gary Carr Halton Region Chair H alton Region's 2014 Employment Survey results show Halton's economy continues to thrive. In 2014, Halton saw an increase of more than 8,000 jobs and almost 500 new businesses -- strong indicators of economic growth. Presented to Regional council on April 29, the annual Employment Survey provides Halton Region with key information regarding effective land use planning and trends in Halton's economic development. It also supports planning for water, wastewater and transportation infrastructure. Reports such as the Employment Survey allow Halton Region to effectively plan for growth, attract new businesses and visitors and support economic sustainability in Halton Region -- all key priorities in the Region's Strategic Action Plan 2015-18. More than 13,000 Halton businesses participated in the fth annual survey. A comprehensive, door-to-door questionnaire for businesses, Halton Region's Employment Survey captures employment and land use information. Data is collected by interviewing business owners face-to-face or over the telephone between May and September each year. Key ndings of the 2014 report include: · An increase in Halton jobs to 218,257 (a year-over-year net increase of more than 8,200 jobs); · An increase in businesses in Halton to 13,193 (492 greater than in 2013); · Halton's top three sectors by number of jobs were: retail trade (32,201), manufacturing (31,176) and health care and social assistance (19,880); · Four out of five jobs in Halton were in the service-based sector; · More than 90 per cent of businesses surveyed in 2013 were still operating in 2014; · Most jobs in Halton (70 per cent) provided full-time employment. Halton will be making the new 2015 Employment Survey questionnaire available online. To view the full 2014 Employment Survey results report, visit halton.ca/employmentsurvey. 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