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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, Ju ne 25 ,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 family of newspapers is comprised f 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 insidehalton@metroland.com facebook.com/OakvilleBeavfacebook.com/OakvilleBeavf @OakvilleBeaver WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague 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 Happy Canada Day, Oakville North-Burling- ton. On Canada Day we cele- brate our country and re- flect on what it means to be Canadian. This year, our Canada Day festivities will look a little different -- and a little distant. But even virtually, they can still be a special cele- bration of solidarity with all Canadians and Indige- nous peoples. Today, we honour our culture and diversity and take pride in living togeth- er in mutual respect and co-operation. I am grateful to live in a nation that has proven it will stand up for the rights and freedoms of its citizens and for the rights and freedoms of oth- ers around the world. While we may all come from different back- grounds and experiences, we understand and respect that our diversity makes us stronger. Our country en- sures we all have the free- dom to express and em- brace our own cultural identity and traditions while, at the same time, cel- ebrating being Canadian together. This year, we must also reflect on our nation's his- tory of systemic racism. We must not deny it, but fo- cus on the fact that we can and must do better. We must recognize that sys- temic anti-Black and anti- Indigenous racism exists in all our institutions. And we need to call it what it is, call it out each time it occurs and unite, urgently, to defeat it. This responsibility falls on each of us. Many non-Black Cana- dians and non-Indigenous peoples are becoming con- scious of the systemic na- ture of racism in our coun- try. Recent demonstrations across Canada have illus- trated a rapidly developing attempt to understand the causes and manifestations of overt and unconscious bias. It is time for us all to take a hard look at our- selves, our communities and our nation and do the hard work to end racism in Canada. Words and sym- bolic gestures, while im- portant, are not enough. As you make the most of your physically distant Canada Day, I urge you to reflect on what it means to you to be Canadian and what you can do to make our country more inclu- sive, safe and fair for all. Pam Damoff is the MP for Oakville North-Bur- lington and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. She can be reached at Pam.da- moff@parl.gc.ca or www.mpdamoff.ca. TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS COUNTRY BETTER, WRITES PAM DAMOFF "Take a deep breath." How often do we say this to someone who's upset or to ourselves when we feel nervous? It's not just an empty statement -- our breathing has a big impact on our physical and mental state. It's not uncommon for our breathing to speed up and become more shallow when we feel anxious and on edge, and slow, deep breaths send messages to our mind and body to relax and calm down. Here are some easy and straightforward tech- niques that can help: • Work on breathing out for as long as you breathe in. Getting air out of your lungs opens them up to take in more air. This is sometimes called "square breathing" -- breathing in, holding, breathing out, then holding for the same length of time. • Breathe deeply in and out while trying physical movements to relax. Breathe in through your nose while you stretch your arms or legs outward and breathe out through your mouth while you low- er them. • Focus on a still object to reduce stimulation and help you concentrate on your breathing. Try a can- dle flame, a tree or a senti- mental object. Or, move a smooth stone around in your hand. • Try visualization. Imagine yourself in a place you find relaxing or picture something you find calm- ing, such as waves on the beach or a tree blowing in the wind. • Go to a different loca- tion to relax. Feeling stressed at your desk? Take a walk outside or to a pri- vate location to try some breathing techniques. Or set a regular place to do your breathing exercises. • Experiment with some apps. Calm and Headspace are just two excellent ones with tips for meditation and mindfulness that you can practise with your breathing. Melanie McGregor is the communications and advancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch, which provides mental health/ addiction community sup- port and education. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. A HOLLOW SUGGESTION? NOT REALLY OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE CAN BE GREATLY INFLUENCED BY OUR BREATHING, WRITES MELANIE MCGREGOR SNAPSHOT A pair of trumpeter swans and their eight cygnets take a dip in one of the ponds at Deerfield Golf Course. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Ken Musgrave photo PAM DAMOFF Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM MELANIE MCGREGOR Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER ATOUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM