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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 21 ,2 02 1 | 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 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 It's about trust. Our rela- tionship with our readers is built on transparency, hon- esty and integrity. As such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This article is part of that project. Earlier this year, I told you about the Halton Advi- sory Council that was formed by Metroland's Halton Division communi- ty newspapers to help us better understand the is- sues facing our residents, readers and business part- ners. The council -- led by the Burlington Post, Oakville Beaver, Milton Canadian Champion and George- town/Acton Independent and Free Press -- brought together a group of com- munity leaders from across the region to share their thoughts on what is- sues were most pressing in Halton. After taking it all in, we formed three sub-commit- tees to delve into the issues more closely -- Diversity and Inclusion, Trust and Transparency, and Com- munity Health, Safety and Wellbeing. Late last month, the first meeting of the Diversi- ty and Inclusion Commit- tee was held in a virtual roundtable. We asked the committee members: • In your opinion, what are some of the key chal- lenges facing Halton's di- verse communities? • How can we, as a media organization, better pro- vide coverage of Halton's diverse communities? Are there specific issues or communities that you feel are underrepresented in our coverage? • What should Metro- land take away from this meeting? What are you tak- ing away from this conver- sation? We heard about issues surrounding trans youth in accessing gender-af- firming health care, bully- ing of newcomers in schools, overall rampant racism in Halton, as well as the need for Indigenous ed- ucation for all ages, and programming for young adults with developmental disabilities. As a result of feedback from the meeting, we are planning editorial initia- tives, including a special series of stories and a com- munity outreach project, to focus on diversity issues in Halton. Next week, the Trust and Transparency Com- mittee with meet for the first time and we expect we will gain more insight into our relationship with our readers. Stay tuned. Karen Miceli is manag- ing editor of Metroland's Halton community news- papers. We welcome your ques- tions and value your com- ments. Email our trust committee at trust@met- roland.com. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE DELVES INTO LOCAL ISSUES COMMUNITY LEADERS GATHER IN VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE, WRITES KAREN MICELI Should investors worry they may receive poor stock market returns if in- flation rates rise? Historically, that has not been the case. Assume the stock mar- ket gained 10 per cent dur- ing a year that inflation was three per cent. The first three per cent of re- turn is needed to account for inflation. An investor needs to recover the three per cent of purchasing power that was eroded dur- ing the year. In this example, the af- ter-inflation "real" return to the investor was seven per cent. Since 1926, the U.S. stock market has posted an aver- age annual after inflation "real" return of 7.3 per cent. More recently, the S&P 500 index had positive re- turns after adjusting for the impact of inflation 23 out of the last 30 years. Understanding how to navigate your portfolio during times of inflation is key. That comes down to evaluating your financial objectives, understanding your circumstances and deciding how to allocate your investments. Historically, stocks have had significantly higher returns than bonds. Stocks also have a higher risk, and some years you should expect to lose mon- ey. Bonds have less short- term risk. Long-term bond returns have historically been significantly lower than stocks. Inflation is an impor- tant consideration. We rec- ommend understanding its implication on both your investments and your abil- ity to meet your financial objectives. 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. UNDERSTANDING INFLATION VITAL TO INVESTING LET FACTS, NOT FEAR, GUIDE YOUR DECISIONS, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column A blue jay grabs a snack on Tansley Drive. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Philip Savage photo SNAPSHOT KAREN MICELI Column