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w w w .insidehalton.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, A ugust 4, 2 0 1 7 | 6 EDITORIAL | OPINION ABOUT US W ater tragedy can happen in seconds Tragedy has struck over and over again in the water this summer with a number of reported drownings taking place in Oakville and across Ontario. Such tragedy struck an Oakville family Tuesday (Aug. 1) when a woman in her 50s drowned in her backyard pool. Also recently, two men in their 20s drowned after their boat capsized in fast-moving waters in Wasaga Beach. They were not wearing personal flotation de vices when they were pulled from the water, accord ing to police. In June, a babysitter drowned in a pool in New market. The same weekend, a toddler drowned in his backyard pool in Hamilton on the very weekend his family planned to open the pool for the season. During the Canada Day long weekend, a 19-yearold Toronto man drowned in Lake Simcoe, while swimming with friends in Sibbald Point Provincial Park. Beachgoers looked on in horror as the young man was pulled to the shore and then rushed to hos pital. He was later pronounced dead. Tragedy struck yet again when a 15-year-old died while on a school trip that should have been the highlight of his summer. Jeremiah Perry had been on a canoe trip with 30 of his fellow classmates, his older brother and teach ers in Algonquin Provincial Park, where he slipped under the water's surface and drowned. An investi gation has been launched as his parents wait for an swers as to what happened to their son. Swimming safety and protocol has been thrown into question regarding the young man's death. His father claims the teen didn't know how to swim; while the Toronto District School Board maintains that everyone accepted to go on the trip had to pass swim and canoe skills tests. We can't stress enough the importance of being safe around the water, and using a personal flotation device. There have been far too many deaths to report on the water, which come as high water levels have cre ated dangerous conditions around waterways, ac cording to local authorities. With a long-weekend upon us and so m uch left of the summer to enjoy the outdoors and the water, please take a moment to think about the people who have lost their lives in the past few weeks alone. It only takes a few seconds to drown. Protecting yourself and your family starts with wearing a personal flotation device. Please be safe around the water. The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday and Friday, 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 100 community publications across Ontario. View our digital edition online at: Insidehalton.com under Print Editions found in the footer. ·* m e tro la n d m e d ia * " Connected to your community* The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper 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 National NewsMedia Council % Media s d 'lnfo Canada News Media Canada QOCna xS Z S Z S T Z Z S *. Loca Media association editor@oakvillebeaver.com E @OakvilleBeav |__ | @oakvillebeaver (ffil insidehalton.com M y V ie w Preserving Halton's strong financial position S &P Global Ratings has affirmed Halton Region's top credit rating for another year. The AAA rating -- S&P's highest -- came with high praise for the Region's financial management practices, and their research update described a stable outlook for our future. Their decision was based on Halton's growing economy, strong financial management with prudent financial policies, stable budget performance, low debt and exceptional access to liq- uid funds. Our top credit rating allows Halton and its local municipalities to finance major projects at the lowest possible long-term costs by providing continued access to the best capital financing rates available. It helps us keep taxes low and maximize investments in Halton's fu ture while minimizing the cost for tax payers, forming the foundation of our strong long-term financial position. Consistently earning the highest credit ratings from both S&P Global Gary Carr Halton Regional Chair Ratings and Moody's Investors Ser vice places us at the top end of Cana dian municipalities. In a volatile global economy, it has also become an increas ingly rare achievement for jurisdictions see Annual on p.8 Pud by Steve Nease WHO WE ARE CONTACT US The Oakville Beaver 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 Phone 905-845-3824 / Fax 905-337-5568 Classified 1-800-263-6480 Digital/Flyers/Retail Advertising 289-293-0624 Real Estate/Homefinder.ca Advertising Suzanne Trickey / 289-293-0677 / strickey@oakvillebeaver.com 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, condense or reject letters. editor@oakvillebeaver.com Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please call Kim Mossman 905-631-6095 or email kmossman@metroland.com Vice-President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Neil Oliver Advertising Director Daniel Baird / dbaird@metroland.com / 289-293-0624 Managing Editor Angela Blackburn / editor@oakvillebeaver.com / 289-293-0617 Regional General Manager Kelly Montague kmontague@metroland.com / 289-293-0614 Director of Distribution Charlene Hall / chall@metroland.com / 905-631-6095