in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 21 ,2 01 9 | 16 Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. Dec 4 and Dec 11 9:30 a.m. Regional Council Meetings at Halton Region, 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville, L6M 3L1 Visit halton.ca for full schedule. 11 21 19 Public Notice Halton Regional Council will review the Region's proposed 2020 Budget and Business at the following meetings: • Regional Council Budget Meeting--Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. • Regional Council--Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. The meetings will take place at Halton Regional Centre (1151 Bronte Road, Oakville). The proposed 2020 Budget and Business Plan provides details supporting the Regional portion of the property tax levy, as well as the water and wastewater rate-supported budget. The document will be available at halton.ca on November 22, 2019. You can also view or obtain a printed copy at Halton Regional Centre (Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.). Halton residents are invited to provide input on the proposed 2020 Budget and Business Plan. If you wish to register as a delegate to address Regional Council at one of the meetings above, please call 311 or 1-866-442-5866. You may also submit input or comments by email to budget@halton.ca. The 2020 Budget and Business Plan is scheduled to be approved by Regional Council on December 11, 2019. Halton Region 2020 Budget and Business Plan Gary Carr Regional Chair Halton Region's business services team is your one-stop shop to help your company succeed at any stage. Our consultants offer expert advice, tools and resources to navigate your next steps and guide you in the right direction. Here are just a few of our services: Start up. Expand. Go Global. Global Business Centre • One-on-one export counselling • Market research • Support in developing your export plan Small Business Centre • One-on-one consultations and coaching • Seminars, funding and mentoring programs • Assistance with business and name registration Visit halton.ca to learn more and connect with a consultant today November is almost over, and along with the dominance of all things pumpkin spice has come Movember and the chance to support initiatives focused on men's cancers and men's mental health and suicide prevention. There are a number of facts and stats that highlight the need for a focus on men's mentalfor a focus on men's mentalf health, including the following: • Men are more likely than women to develop schizophrenia at a younger age. • Men have higher rates of ad- diction than women, which may be related to mental health prob- lems. • Men are four times more likely than women to die by sui- cide. Also, men face some unique barriers when it comes to recog- nizing, talking about, and seek- ing support for mental health problems, including: • Men may be socialized to be "tough," leading to them being reluctant or not knowing how to talk about their feelings because they mistakenly believe that it makes them weak. Expressions like "man up" and "boys don't cry" don't help on this front ei- ther. • Men may not be reminded as much about the importance of self-care. It's typical for women to think about and be encour- aged to care for themselves and have a balance between work and home, but not always so much for men. A friend once told me about how he was ridiculed for taking a yoga and meditationfor taking a yoga and meditationf class - he was told he had to "hand in his man card" - whereas women are often praised for do- ing similar things for their health. • Mental health problems may look and feel different for men. For example, men experiencing depression and anxiety are more likely to experience anger and conflict and engage in risky be- haviour and/or substance use. The men themselves and others around them may not recognize these as possible signs of a men- tal health problem. • Men are generally less likely to seek help for mental health problems. While they may go to their doctors and talk about their headaches, shoulder pain, and upset stomachs, they are less likely to discuss any emo- tional symptoms that, coupled with the physical symptoms, might signal a mental health problem that needs attention. What can you do if you are concerned about a man in your life? First of all, ask about it. Talk about changes you've noticed and listen without judging or jumping to fix the problems. Al- so discuss next steps for seeking support - maybe a visit to a doc- tor or counsellor or trying a new coping strategy might help. And keep in touch - a phone call, text, or coffee meetup can go a long way to show your support. If you're concerned about someone in your life and aren't sure how to help, reach out and get some support and guidance for yourself. Call our office at 1-for yourself. Call our office at 1-f 877-693-4270. Melanie McGregor is the communications and advance- ment specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Hal- ton Region Branch, which pro- vides mental health/addiction community support and educa- tion. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. OPINION IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO SUPPORT MOVEMBER STATS HIGHLIGHT THE NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON MEN'S CANCERS AND MENTAL HEALTH, WRITES MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGRE- GOR Column Newsletter Sign up for our newsletter at insidehalton.com /newsletter