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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, D ec em be r 23 ,2 02 1 | 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 70 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 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 insidehalton@metroland.com facebook.com/OakvilleBeav @OakvilleBeaver WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Jason Pehora Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Director of Distribution Charlene Hall Circulation Manager Kim Mossman Directors of Advertising Cindi Campbell and Graeme MacIntosh CONTACT US Oakville Beaver 901 Guelph Line Burlington, ON L7R 3N8 Phone: 905-845-3824 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Advertising: 289-293-0620 Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail kmossman@metroland.com or call 905-631-6095. Letters to the editor Send letters to insidehalton@metroland.com. 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 OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM The holidays are a time for all of us to come togeth- er with our loved ones and celebrate our own special family traditions. It has been a long time since many of us have gath- ered with family and friends. However you and your family celebrate the holidays, please be safe and take care of each other. This holiday season, I encourage you to see the hope and light that sur- rounds us in our beautiful community, especially our many friends and neigh- bours who have united throughout the pandemic to support each other and ensure no one is left be- hind. This holiday season, let's give thanks for the way communities and Canadi- ans have stepped up to sup- port and care for each oth- er during the pandemic and continue to be there for those still in need. While we are all in a pandemic boat, we are not all in the same pandemic boat. Oak- ville North--Burlington has always been a compas- sionate place to live. The need for donations in our community contin- ues, and it's greater than ever right now. Please donate if you can to local food banks, chari- ties and toy drives. You can make monetary contribu- tions or donate gift cards to organizations to ensure ev- eryone in our community can enjoy a healthy and happy holiday. As the situation with this new variant evolves, we will continue doing whatever it takes -- for as long as it takes -- to keep Canadians safe, healthy and supported. Whether that means introducing more safety measures at our borders, supporting workers with paid sick leave, extending support programs or making sure parents can afford child care for their kids, our gov- ernment will be there for Canadians when they need it. As we head into 2022 with optimism and excite- ment, please continue to protect yourself and all of us by wearing a mask, get- ting vaccinated and re- specting each other so that in the new year we can all gather again in celebra- tion. I wish you all the hope, wonder and joy that the holiday season brings, and may the peace, magic and spirit of the holidays be with you throughout 2022. Pam Damoff is the member of Parliament for Oakville North--Burling- ton. She can be reached at pam.damoff@parl.gc.ca. TIME TO GIVE THANKS FOR ALL WE HAVE LET'S CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY AND HELP THOSE IN NEED, WRITES PAM DAMOFF A double-crested cormorant visits Bronte Harbour. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Bryce Aitken photo SNAPSHOT It's a new year -- well, almost -- so why not give your children a gift they re- ally deserve? The gift: a mutual fund that invests in a broadly di- versified portfolio of stocks around the world. Why is this important? It is not about the money, but rather the educational experience of owning an in- vestment. The key is allowing your child to watch their invest- ment fluctuate in value. In- vestment statements should also be given to your child. The most important op- portunity to learn is when the value of their invest- ment declines. They need to under- stand that some years of losing are just part of the game. This knowledge will be helpful when they are an adult. One of the most signifi- cant risks of investing is human behaviour. People are thrilled to buy invest- ments when the market is doing well. Then, when the markets go down in value and you have lost money, many investors sell. The problem is expecta- tions. If you don't fully un- derstand and expect that some years stock values will decline, then when that happens, it is very easy to panic and sell. It's all about managing expectations. That is your gift as a par- ent to your children. Peter Watson is regis- tered with Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI) to provide investment advice. Investment products are provided by ACPI. ACPI is a member of the Invest- ment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACPI. Watson provides wealth management services through Watson Invest- ments. He can be reached at www.watsoninvestment- s.com. THE PERFECT GIFT FOR YOUR CHILD IN 2022 THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF OWNING A MUTUAL FUND INVALUABLE, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSONColumn PAM DAMOFF Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM