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8 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, April 9, 1999 O pen H o u se o n S a tu r d a y , A p r i l 1 0 , 1 9 9 9 1 0 :0 0 a .m . to 4 :0 0 p .m . OTTAWA & H U LL M AY 14-2 4 /9 9 Festival canadien des tulipes Canadian Tulip A i n f I? Festival C3 CanadaTrust o ̂ - w M i Three million tufijn blossom in Canada's scenk National Capitol Region jest in time to celebrate tbe Canadian Tu% Festival. Visit the Tulip Capital of North Amerka to celebrate the unique friendship between tbe United States and Canada with the theme "between Friends". Enter to win V.LE Tulip Festival Packages which include two First Class VIA Rail tickets* two nights doable occupancy accom­ modation and VIP passes to the Canadian Tulip Festival, the Casino de Hul and other Festivcd Official Sites on the Canada Tulip Route. C A S IN O D E H U L L CANADA'S UEAOtNC fUMJCAltON to* iOOAVS finv-nus UFESTYII --csss*-- 5 0 P L U S LIFESTU ill V is it th e C a n a d ia n T u lip F e s tiv a l P a v illio n a t th e F o re v e r Y o u n g 8 0 P lu s L ife s ty le i e T ra v e l S h o w s : T O R O N T O : M e tro T o ro n to C o n v e n tio n C e n tre A P R IL 1 3 & 1 4 • 9 :3 0 a m to 5 :0 0 p m d a ily H A M IL T O N : C anadian, H e rita g e W a rp la n e M u se u m A P R IL 8 8 & 3 9 • 9 :3 0 a m to 8 :0 0 p m d a ily SH I UJ9S N a m e . A d d r e s s P h o n e . P R O D U C E D B Y Mall to: Tulip Fest Contest, o/o Prem ier Consumer Shows, 467 Speers * | Road, Oakville, ON L6K 3S4. CONTEST RULES: VIA Rail F irst Class | _ tickets w ith in the Windsor-Quebec corridor valid for one year. I Accommodation subject to availability. ^ C o n te s t deadline April 30, 1999. (9 0 5 )8 1 5 -0 0 1 7 1 -8 0 0 -3 8 7 -7 6 8 2 FAMILY DENTAL OFFICE A c c e p tin g N e w P a t ie n ts W e offer: • G en era l 6- C o sm etic D e n tis try • E n d o d o n tics • G u m S p ec ia list on s ite G en era l A n esth e tic L au gh in g G as C h ild S p ec ia lis t on s ite 181 Church Street, Oakville 842-4556 Bronte College An Accredited Private High School Provides Grade 9 to Pre-University Tri-Semester (Jan - Apr., May-July, Sept. - Dec.) Learning to Understand New F U L L D AY Junior and Senior Kindergarten beginning in September 1999 Tel: (905) 270-7788 88 Bronte College Court, Mississauga (Between QEW & Queensway off Hurontario St.) Solid Wood & Dining Room Best Prices (Since 1977) C hoose from som e o f North Am erica 's finesr m anufacturers, such as D urham , Sumter, Lex ington , H untington House, Broyhill and m a n y m o re . G reat se lection o f custom upho ls te ry a n d leather. Traditional All Leather Sofa $ a o q q special purchase | j £ (S rCTADIICUCPt 1ESTABLISHED 1977 B e s t V a l u e s S i n c e 1 9 7 7 3 >T3 n> Beside 4205 CO Harvey's H I »< I- . 3 Fairview St 3 4205 Fairview St. Burlington 634-5298 M on.-W ed. 10:00 a .m .-5 :30 p .m .; T hurs.-F ri. 10:00 a .m .-9 :00 p .m .; Sat. 10:00 a .m .-5 :30 p.m . Food bank lines growing (Continued from page 5) in food bank recipients. The food banks reported increased usage by the working poor, unskilled, unemployed people between the ages of 45 and 65, and people with disabilities. Fewer single parent families were relying on the food bank, but more two-parent families were, according to the report. Halton's food banks are pri­ marily funded by local donations from individuals, businesses, and churches. None of Halton's food banks receive government funds. "Although Canada produces plenty of food, sufficient nutri­ tious food remains inaccessible to many residents. The first post World War II Canadian food bank opened in 1981 in Edmonton, responding to the food needs of people suffering through the recession and affect­ ed by cuts in government spend­ ing. By 1992, food banks in Canada outnumbered McDonald's franchises three to one. By 1994, the number of food banks in Canada had risen O N E O F F IV E V .I.P . P A C K A G E S TO T H E If you have a n o n tip o r story Idea, can the Beaver a t dramatically to 457. Ontario has more food banks than any other province," stated Russell in the report. The number of people relying on food banks is expected to continue to grow. The study found evidence that food banks may not be able to meet the demands of the increased num­ ber of people relying on them for extended periods of time. Russell's main concern is that food banks are no longer a tem­ porary but permanent source of food for people. She pointed out that people should continue to give food, but also stop to think about why it is that food is needed. People should also think about their own eating habits when donating food, as basic cooking necessi­ ties such as oil and sugar are still desperately needed. "People would definitely go hungry, without food banks. Recipients are extremely grate­ ful for the food, and admit that they would be a lot worse off without food banks. People are very appreciative," said Russell. The root causes of poverty and food bank dependency need to be addressed in order to ensure food security. The study recommends several long-term actions to reduce poverty and food bank dependency. These include: □ Increase employment opportunities and develop strategies to provide more jobs that pay adequate wages. □ Increase minimum wage to reflect the basic cost of living. □ Study current labour mar­ ket trends and evaluate the effectiveness of current skills training and education provi­ sions. □ Ensure that relevant skills training and education programs are available to those who need them. □ Make available life skills courses, including household budgeting, financial manage­ ment, nutrition, basic food safe­ ty and food preparation, as part of the requirement for a high school diploma. □ Increase the Maximum Basic Needs Allowance of social assistance so that it is adequate to cover monthly expenses. □ Set the Maximum Shelter Allowance of social assistance in line with the average regional market rental values. Shelter costs and the cost of utilities should be completely covered by the Maximum Shelter -- Allowance so that families and individuals do not have to use the money allocated for food and other costs to pay for hous­ ing. I I Balfour, Cam pbell & Associates