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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, S ep te m be r 9, 20 21 | 8 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 Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional General Manager Jason Pehora 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 Directors of Advertising Cindi Campbell and Ryan Maraj 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 As students return to classrooms for in-person learning, Ontario has a comprehensive plan that puts the health and safety of students and staff first. The province's plan was developed and supported by medical and scientific experts, including Onta- rio's chief medical officer. Within the plan, histor- ic investments are being made available. For a third straight year, the govern- ment has invested more in education than any previ- ous government. This year alone, new funding of over $2 billion is being provided to keep schools safe. This includes: • $1.6 billion for CO- VID-19 resources, • $85.5 million to sup- port learning recovery in math and reading, and • $561-million increase in the Grants for Student Needs. Additionally, the pro- vincial government lis- tened to the expert advice and recognized that schools needed upgraded ventilation. Immediate ac- tion was taken to improve air quality. In total, over $600 million has been in- vested in ventilation. This funding has been used to procure 70,000 stan- dalone HEPA filter units and other filtration devic- es. Every learning space will have a standalone fil- tration unit if the room has a partial, or no, mechani- cal ventilation system. Moreover, the govern- ment has allocated $383.6 million for additional staff- ing to facilitate social dis- tancing and reduce class sizes. These have been un- precedented times for stu- dents, parents, and staff -- it has been hard. To miti- gate the impact this pan- demic has had, the provin- cial government has pro- vided $1.8 billion in direct financial relief to parents. Furthermore, a historic in- vestment of $80 million is available to expand mental health supports for stu- dents for this school year. Through these diverse investments and creating multiple layers of preven- tion as advised by experts, the government has creat- ed a safe learning environ- ment. Enhanced cleaning in schools and buses, rapid- testing, access to vaccines, and other safety measures are in place, so schools re- main open for a normal school year. Students will also re-en- gage in extracurricular ac- tivities, such as clubs and sports, with safety precau- tions and guidelines. We all still have a role to play in remaining vigilant and screening for symp- toms. I want to wish all stu- dents a successful school year. Stephen Crawford is the MPP for Oakville. He can be reached at stephen.craw- fordco@pc.ola.org. ENSURING A SAFE RETURN TO SCHOOL MEASURES IN PLACE TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND TEACHERS, WRITES STEPHEN CRAWFORD In a perfect world there would be no difference to the financial challenge be- tween men and women. That is not the case. Women are often under- paid compared to equally qualified men. Earning less money translates into a reduced ability to save for the future. Childbearing is the sole domain of women, but also they are more likely to re- main out of the workforce if the decision is for one par- ent to stay at home with the children. If an elder parent needs family assistance, often the woman assumes that re- sponsibility. COVID-19 was a perfect example of women being at a disadvantage. People started working from home, children were not at school, and depend- ing on their age, needed as- sistance with online learn- ing. If one parent was forced to leave their job because of this reality, it was more of- ten the woman. Women taking time out of the workforce miss earn- ing an income and fall be- hind men in gaining valu- able work experience. Women typically live longer than men. If a family runs low on money during retirement, chances are it will be the widow who lives her final years with insufficient funds. Financial planning is customized to the circum- stances of each client. It's recommend you con- sider the financial risk that is more applicable to wom- en. 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. FINANCIAL PLANNING TOUGHER FOR WOMEN GENDER INEQUALITY PRESENTS UNIQUE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, WRITES PETER WATSON A squirrel explores a backyard in the Ford Drive and Devon Road area. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Marylou Oliver photo SNAPSHOT STEPHEN CRAWFORD Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM PETER WATSON Column