7 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,January 31,2019 insidehalton.com Since 1991 220 Randall Street, Downtown Oakville 905-842-2100 peterwatsoninvestments.com Thinking of Retiring… Someday? Let's Talk. Visit our website to sign up for a free consultation. Peter Watson MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI Jennifer Watson MBA Promo Code NSP-WNTD2-OAKB Canada Oakville 117 Lakeshore Road West Call Helen at 1-866-429-8449 Oakville North 515 Dundas Street West Call Julia at 1-866-467-5218 TRUSTED PARTNER OF We're looking for people like you, whomay be experiencing difficulty hearing in noisy environments to evaluate a remarkable new digital hearing aid[1] and a rehabilitative process that could be the solution to your difficulties. There's no cost or obligation to participate! Call us toll-free today to see if you qualify for this Field Test. Potential candidates will be given a FREE hearing test to determine their candidacy. This latest digital technology solves the biggest challenge for hearing aid wearers - hearing well in noisy environments. 2.5cm NOW Enrolling WANTED 30PEOPLEWITHHEARING LOSS Qualified Participants Needed for Technology Field Test Apply Today - The selection process ends onMarch 29th 2019. Call a local clinic below or book your appointment online at: HearingLife.ca/Wanted Actual Size * Offer valid until March 29th, 2019 and is subject to change without notice. No-cost hearing tests are provided to adults ages 19 and older. A fee will apply for a copy of your audiogram. Child hearing tests are conducted at select locations for a fee, please contact us for more information. Candidates must be private sale, or eligible for ADP. Some conditions may apply. Please see clinic for details. Offer not valid in Quebec. [1] https://www.oticon.ca/solutions/opn ment-imposed fees and charges .Rent: It is too hard to be a landlord in On- tario, and tenants need to be protected .Innovation: Other concerns, opportuni- ties and innovations to increase housing sup- ply. One thing on the chopping block may be development charges. "Government-imposed costs make it more difficult and expensive to develop new housing," reads one statement within the consultation document. "Examples include municipal and educa- tion development charges, planning and building approval fees, and federal and pro- vincial taxes ... Many of the investments in public infrastructure (e.g. sewer and water services, roads, etc.) needed to support hous- ing development are funded by these fees and charges. There is a need to balance ef- forts to lower the costs of development withforts to lower the costs of development withf building and maintaining vital public infra- structure." The future of established neighbour- hoods is something else the plan is looking at. At one point in the document the province asks municipalities, "How can we bring new types of housing to existing neighbourhoods, while maintaining the qualities that make these communities desirable places to live?" The Halton Area Planning Partnership (HAPP), which includes the Halton Region, the Town of Oakville, the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills and the Town of Milton, reviewed the consultation document and prepared a joint submission for the prov- ince. Some of the highlights include concerns that an analysis of various factors defining and impacting housing supply and afford- ability is missing from the consultation doc- ument. The HAPP also said there is a lack of clarity regarding next steps toward the de- velopment and implementation of the prov- ince's housing plan. "Clarification is needed for what munici- palities should anticipate from this plan and how the plan will fit in with ongoing legisla- tion being brought forward by the province," said Childs. "The province is encouraged to ensure that any changes to address housing supply and affordability issues are co-ordinated with additional changes to plans, policies and tools the province is contemplating." Childs also said the engagement timeline from Nov. 28 to Jan. 25 is far too short - espe-from Nov. 28 to Jan. 25 is far too short - espe-f cially during the holiday season - and does not allow for sufficient analysis and discus- sion on an issue as important as housing af- fordability. In addition to voting to send theirfordability. In addition to voting to send theirf responses to the consultation document to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Hous- ing the majority of council voted to pass a motion, which called on the province to re- move its portion of the HST from housing to make it more affordable, as opposed to re- ducing development charges. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, who brought the motion forward, argued cutting develop- ment charges would further shift the cost of infrastructure for new housing to existing taxpayers. Continued from page 6 NEWS