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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, January 8, 2014 | 6 Make time to take winter seriously We had an ice storm. Snow. A polar freeze. Rain is expected by the weekend. Are you ready for anything? You should be. We are not out of the woods on winter -- not by a long shot. For those who were not prepared the rst or second time around, there's still time. As residents struggle to navigate the roads, hope their furnaces hold up under the strain, and don layer upon layer -- and even more on their children -- we are learning the de nition of winter. And we are not alone. From the southern U.S., to almost every province in Canada, the wrath of the cold weather season is upon us. For those without back-up generators, replaces or other non-electrical heat sources, a prolonged lack of electricity can be serious business in Ontario's winter season. As witnessed by many during the late December ice storm. Keeping warm and running our homes can become a frustrating challenge without furnaces and the source of light we're accustomed to in our daily lives. A steady supply of electricity is something most of us take for granted -- until it's suddenly gone. While we should all be prepared to deal with prolonged periods with no source of power, sometimes we don't realize how unprepared we are until the plug has already been pulled on our homes. Meanwhile, with the ice storm behind us and the bitter cold upon us, we should all consider how we could be better prepared and make plans so that we're not caught off guard the next time. Having a back-up plan in the event of a power outage ensures our safety and reduces the need to panic should it happen again. And it's not just power supply that needs attention. This week, Environment Canada issued four different warnings -- all in one day and all for our area. As of yesterday, the Town of Oakville was pulling crossing guards off the job because of the cold and Halton Region halted waste collection for the same reason. People living in the north end of the municipality were being advised by Halton police not to be on the roads if they didn't need to be. School buses across the region were running late. School kiss-and-ride zones saw a brisk business. Keep pets inside. Dress children, especially, and everyone warmly. Keep the gas tank full. Don't drive if you don't need to. Take charged-up cell phones with you. Get survival kits, for the vehicle and home. Make sure you are stocked up on food, necessities, medications. Check on seniors. Help a neighbour struggling to shovel out. There are many places to get tips and advice on how to do these things. First and foremost though, it's important to recognize the need to think of these things and act on them immediately. If you don't, Old Man Winter may just present you with a not-so-pleasant reminder. Editorial T R U E C A N A D I A N "Connected to your Community" 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 150 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS Oakville resident Nicole Dempsey sent in this photo of a beautiful maple leaf encased in ice by the recent ice storm in Oakville. | Nicole Dempsey - special to the Beaver Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member A 10-ft. snow dinosaur was spotted on the front lawn of a Burgundy Drive home in southeast Oakville. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Letter to the Editor Young hockey player shares good news My son Blake Cooper, 9, played in the Richard Bell tournament recently in Oakville. He plays for the Minor Atom A Blue team and their team made it into the nals. My son really wanted me to submit this letter that he's written as a thank you for his best friend who came and watched him play in the semis and nals. I promised him that I would submit it on his behalf. He thought it would make for a good `news' article. Ally Cooper, Oakville The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5040 Mainway, Burlington ON, L7L 5Z1, or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.