w w w .in sid e h a lto n .co m | O A K V IL L E B E A V E R | Friday, Ju ly 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 | 6 E d it o r ia l Heed the warning In advance of World Hepatitis Day -- July 28 -- the Canadian Liver Foundation (CLF) put out an urgent call Monday encouaging Canadians at risk to get test ed for hepatitis C, a contagious blood-borne virus that attacks the liver and can be deadly despite often having no visible health warnings. A new survey found 83 per cent of Canadians born between 1945-1975 don' t know that hepatitis C typi cally doesn' t present any symptoms -- despite the fact that this group is at higher risk of having chronic hepa titis C.1 As of Monday, the CLF launched its #thisisyourwarning campaign to alert Canadians of this poten tially life-threatening and silent liver disease and to en courage them to assess their risk using its confidential, online Hepatitis Risk Assessment questionnaire. "It' s common for people to visit the doctor when they're not feeling well, but sadly those infected with hepatitis C often don' t experience any symptoms or visible warning signs, especially in the early stages of the virus," says Dr. Morris Sherman, CLF chair and Toronto-based hepatologist. "In many cases, patients are able to be cured of this deadly virus especially if detected early on, and so w e're urging people born be tween 1945 and 1975 to get tested instead of waiting until they feel sick." Approximately 60 per cent to 70 per cent of Canadi ans with hepatitis C do not experience symptoms until their liver has already been damaged. This is alarm ing as it is estimated that as many as 100,000 people with hepatitis C remain undiagnosed and are at risk of experiencing the most severe consequences including cirrhosis, liver cancer and even premature death. Risk-based testing alone has not been effective and patients continue to be diagnosed by `accident'. Since 2009, the hepatitis C antibody test has only been recommended for individuals with recognized risk factors including any injection drug use, blood transfusions, or use of blood products prior to 1990 or participation in medical procedures or immunization in countries where hepatitis C is common. In 2012, the CLF issued its own recommendation that all adults born between 1945 and 1975 be tested for hepatitis C. In April, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC) released new screening guide lines advising doctors not to test adults without any perceived risk factors. Hepatitis C is curable but individuals must first know that they have the disease. The CLF will con tinue to warn Canadians born between 1945-1975 to take a one-time hepatitis C antibody test. This simple blood test, which is covered by all provincial health care plans, is available from family doctors and could save lives. To learn more, visit www.liver.ca/thisisyourwarning. -- "Connected toyour Community" 5 0 4 6 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (9 0 5 ) 8 4 5 -3 8 2 4 Classified Advertising: (9 0 5 ) 6 3 2 -4 4 4 0 Circulation: 5 3 0 0 Harvester Rd., Burlington (9 0 5 ) 6 3 1-6 095 Volume 55 | Number 59 The Oakville Beaver is a division of ·* m e tro la n d m e d ia * a Connected to your com munity* Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. NEIL OLIVER V ice -President and Group Publisher of Metroland West KELLY MONTAGUE Regional General M anager DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN M anaging Editor MyView RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Canada Summer Jobs for students LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production E ach year, the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program helps employers create valuable summer job opportunities for full-time students 15 to 30 years old, while strengthening local economies and communities across Canada. The CSJ program provides funding for notfor-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with up to 50 or fewer em ployees. Not-for-profit employers can receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial/territorial mini mum hourly as well as employment-related costs. Public-sector employers and small businesses can receive up to 50 per cent of the provincial/territorial minimum hourly wage. In 2016, 97 students were employed across Oakville North-Burlington through the CSJ pro gram. Thanks to active outreach and engagement by my office and employers across the riding, who embraced the program, we have almost doubled the number of jobs that will be funded this sum mer to 168 students. Aside from helping to create employment and boost our economy, the program also allows or ganizations to deliver more and diverse com- MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Pam Damoff Oakville North-Burlington MP CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution KIM M O SSM AN Circulation M anager munity services, such as summer camps, seniors programs, and community outreach. Employers gain extra staff to improve productivity while stu dents learn transferable skills such as time man agement and organization, work experience, self confidence and enjoy a reliable income through paid summer employment. Students return to their studies in the fall better prepared for future employment and with a new found confidence thanks to their summer work experience. One of the most exciting parts of summer for me is visiting students employed in Oakville North-Burlington through the CSJ program. I am always very impressed by the work the students are doing, the responsibility and professionalism Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member *3 Recognized fo r Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association A c c r e d it e d 4 L o c c M e d ia as Proud Official Media Sponsor For: see Programs on p.10 P ud by Steve Nease Canadian Liver Foundation 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, 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackburn@ oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Ontario Press Council JL Defending principles ter inspire public trust The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 8 0 Gould St., Suite 2 06 , Toronto, Ont., M 5B 2M7. Phone 4 1 6 -3 4 0 -1 9 8 1 . Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event o f 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 advertise m ent will be paid for a t the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.