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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 27 ,2 02 0 | 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 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 newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Jason Pehora CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 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 theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA It has now been six months since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. In response, the federal gov- ernment created a number of emergency programs for individuals and business- es. I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on these emergency programs. The last eligibility peri- od for Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is at the end of September. CERB will not be extended, but instead will transition those still receiving the benefit to Employment In- surance (EI). For those who do not qualify for EI, there will be a transitional, parallel benefit available that is similar to EI. There will be no in- crease to EI premiums dur- ing this time. More details will be shared in the com- ing weeks. As of July 5, eligible em- ployers who had any drop in revenue can now apply to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) pro- gram. To see if you qualify for these new changes, and to access the CEWS calcula- tor, visit the Canada Reve- nue Agency's website: www.canada.ca/en/reve- nue-agency.html. The final eligibility pe- riod for the Canada Emer- gency Student Benefit (CESB) is for the month of August. All applications for the CESB must be sub- mitted before Sept. 30. The Canada Emergen- cy Commercial Rent As- sistance (CECRA) pro- gram has been extended to include the month of Au- gust. Canadians with disabil- ities who qualify for either the Canada Pension Plan Disability, disability sup- ports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada, or are holders of the Disability Tax Credit Certificate, will get a one-time, tax-free pay- ment of $600. These pay- ments are expected to be is- sued this fall. For further details and general information on COVID-19, visit www.cana- da.ca/coronavirus or call the COVID-19 Information Line at 1-833-784-4397. My offices remain open, and I am ready to assist constituents by email, over the phone, or on my Face- book and Twitter accounts. You can reach me at (905) 702-2597 or at mi- chael.chong@parl.gc.ca. If you believe you have COVID-19 symptoms, please contact your health care provider, Halton Re- gion Public Health at 311 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866- 797-0000. Michael Chong is the MP for Wellington-Halton Hills, and the shadow minister of democratic institutions for the official opposition. He can be reached at Mi- chael.chong.a3@parl.gc.ca. CONTINUING TO HELP CANADIANS GET THROUGH PANDEMIC SOME PROGRAMS ARE COMING TO AN END, BUT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WILL STILL BE THERE, WRITES MICHAEL CHONG Our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs just taught us a lesson about diversifica- tion. Since the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967, fans have been hop- ing for another triumphant hockey season. The long wait contin- ues. Again, their attempt at greatness failed, and as the playoffs continue, the Leafs are on the sidelines wondering what went wrong this year. The Leafs are my favou- rite team, and I always want them to win. All my hockey focus is tied up in just one team. Forget the idea of diversification with the hope of other Canadian teams winning. That's right, all my hockey eggs are in one basket in an all- or-nothing wishful think- ing. No harm done. It is only a sport and the outcome does not affect my overall well-being. The all-or-nothing men- tality works fine when the outcome has no significant consequences. When it comes to invest- ing, things are drastically different, however. My opinion is that it's much more appropriate to own a well-diversified port- folio of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Do not concentrate your portfolio in one or just a few investments. You will never hit a "home run" like those who owned Apple stock. Fortunately, you will never strikeout like those that had a concentrated po- sition in Nortel before the high-flying Canadian tech giant virtually evaporated to just pennies a share. Most investors want a reasonable return. The strategy to achieve that is to own a diversified portfo- lio that spreads the risk. Diversification is the key, and is an investor's chance to be proactive at managing normal invest- ment risk. My suggestion is to look at your portfolio and ask yourself the simple ques- tion: "Are you well diversi- fied?" Diversify your portfolio. And go, Leafs, go! Peter Watson, of Watson Investments MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI, offers a weekly financial plan- ning column, 'Dollars & Sense'. He can be contacted through www.watsonin- vestments.com. LEAFS' WOES OFFER LESSON ABOUT DIVERSIFICATION CHEERING FOR JUST ONE TEAM IS FINE, BUT OWNING JUST ONE INVESTMENT AND HOPING FOR SUCCESS IS DANGEROUS, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column SNAPSHOT An albino chipmunk searches for his next meal in a backyard near a ravine in Georgetown. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Lisa Azimi photo MICHAEL CHONG Column