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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 10 ,2 01 9 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised family of newspapers is comprised f of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper 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 editor@oakvillebeaver.com facebook.com/OakvilleBeavfacebook.com/OakvilleBeavf @OakvilleBeaver WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Director of Distribution Charlene Hall Circulation Manager Kim Mossman Director of Production Mark Dills Regional Production Manager Manny Garcia Regional General Manager Steve Foreman Halton Media General Manager Vicki Dillane CONTACT US Oakville Beaver 901 Guelph Line Burlington, ON L7R 3N8 Phone: 289-293-0617 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Digital/Flyer/Retail: 289-293-0624 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at insidehalton.com Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail kmossman@metroland.com or call 905-631-6095. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM Every week more than 167,000 copies of the Burling- ton Post, Georgetown/Acton Independent and Free Press, Milton Canadian Champion and Oakville Bea- ver hit the street and land on doorsteps across Halton. Eight in 10 Canadians read a newspaper every week - either in print or online - including 85 per cent of millennials. And still, newspapers are in a battle for survival. Research has found 63 per cent of Canadians are unable to distinguish between legitimate news web- sites and fake news stories, and 65 per cent are wor- ried false information or fake news is being used as a weapon. Access to truthful news is under threat. For years, the credible, independent news reporting that newspapers provide has been funded by local advertiser support. But as readership moved online, many Canadian brands and companies transferred their advertising dollars to global conglomerates. Seventy per cent of Canada's online ad revenue goes to Facebook and Google - despite the fact that ads in either digital or print newspapers are the most trusted of all ad formats. This is National Newspaper Week in Canada. It is our chance to remind readers that newspapers are snapshots of history. They are accurate reflections of moments in time - what we were all thinking, doing and experiencing. We asked our journalists to explain why newspa-We asked our journalists to explain why newspa-W pers are still essential. Here are some of their respons- es. Roland Cilliers, reporter "Newspapers give people access to worlds and per- spectives they often times wouldn't even be aware of. A world without community news is one with an ever more segmented population." Louie Rosella, online editor "Newspapers matter because residents want to stay informed through the objective and investigative lens that our journalism offers regarding the issues im- pacting their community, whether it's a crime in their neighbourhood, taxes going up, a new development project, the need for a stop sign and so on. Without the delivery of this important, local content, the conversa- tion dies. Change cannot be effected." Steve LeBlanc, news editor "Newspapers matter because we don't just pass the baton of information at any given moment. Often we explore and share how the facts of a single event fit into a greater truth." It's a clear consensus. Democracy depends on pro- fessional journalism. fessional journalism. f Without the journalism we produce, what would happen to the checks and balances that go hand-in- hand with the accountability we expect in our society? Please sign a pledge of support at newspapersmat- ter.ca and send a message to Canadian businesses, advertisers and all levels of government that newspa- pers matter, now more than ever. NEWSPAPERS ESSENTIAL SNAPSHOT OF HISTORY October is Small Busi- ness Month in Ontario, and I want to recognize the con- tribution of the thousands of small business owners in our community. Our small businesses know what matters most: Creating good jobs for our local economy. Our government has made a number of changes to help small businesses succeed, and to reduce bur- dens on entrepreneurs and employees. We want Ontario to be open for business and open for jobs - and that is what we have done. We are doing this by reducing the taxes and unnecessary regula- tions on small businesses and ensuring that Ontario is providing our youth with the necessary training to be successful in today's workplace. We are cutting the small business corporate income tax rate by 8.7 per cent. Job creators have responded to these lower rates and in this past year have created 190,000 net new jobs. Recently, we announced a 17 per cent cut in Work- place Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) premiums for small and medium busi- nesses. This rate cut means the government will have re- duced WSIB charges to business by $2 billion since taking office. Providing businesses with tax relief, whether through tax cuts or reduc- ing premiums, lets them spend more on their own priorities. They can hire more people, buy new ma- chinery and services to help their businesses grow - and help our community thrive. Some businesses have trouble finding people with the right skills, so we are also working to ensure that people have the education they need for jobs. We are investing in STEM (sci- ence, technology, educa- tion math) subjects - as well as others - in schools and higher education. Training and retraining are also key to building a successful economy. Ev- eryone who can work should be able to find a good job. We will help them ac- quire the skills and match them with the businesses who need them. Whether it is through red tape reduction for our businesses or tax relief for our constituents, our gov- ernment is focused on what matters most, making life more affordable for you and your family. I am proud of the path we have taken, and I am ex- cited about more good things to come. Effie Triantafilopoulos is the MPP for Oakville North-Burlington. LET'S CELEBRATE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES RECENT CHANGES HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES THRIVE, WRITES EFFIE TRIANTAFILOPOULOS EFFIE TRIANTAFIL- OPOULOS Column EDITORIAL