The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

OPINION Parents call on Catholic board to repeal fundraising policy RE: Halton Catholic school board finds 30chari­ties in line with sanctity of life policy In recent weeks, the Halton Catholic School Board has found itself in the news for policies it has enacted in regards to which organizations and charities are acceptable to receive funds raised in campaigns organized by its schools.As parents of a child in an elementary school within the board, we can­ not express how deeply disappointed we are in the board's decision, as well as how misguided and con­fusing a message this sends to the parents and students of the board. To begin, it is unclear as to why this has become an issue to begin with.For decades, students and faculty of all schools joyfully participated in various fundraising en­ deavours. These fundrais­ ers benefitted laudable or- The new policy...sets the wrong precedent to teach students how to become valuable members of society. - Joel MacLeod and Amanda Downs ganizations, such as the Terry Fox and Heart and Stroke foundations, the Canadian Cancer and Mul­tiple Sclerosis societies and the United Way, to name a few. The long­ standing partnership be­ tween schools at all levels of the board and these or­ganizations was never questioned or controver­ sial. We are baffled as to why now these relation­ ships are put into jeopardy due to this poorly imple- mented policy. The new policy, which prohibits fundraising for any organization that "di­ rectly or indirectly" does not fit with the board's cri­ teria, sets the wrong prece­ dent to teach students how to become valuable mem­ bers of society. This policy gives li­ cence to judge our neigh­ bour rather than help our less fortunate. It is sending the clear message to stu­ dents, parents and the public at large, that the Halton Catholic District School Board views the above-mentioned organi­ zations, as well as any oth­ers it wishes to catalogue under this policy, as im­ moral and unethical. This presumption, falls well outside the mainstream of Canadian society. Furthermore, what pre­ cedent does it make for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for students and their fami­ lies? It is very likely that stu­ dents have been affected by cancer, multiple sclero­ sis, heart disease or any other major illnesses. If these students and their family members partake in treatments derived from work funded by these orga­ nizations, are they them­ selves immoral and uneth­ ical individuals? It is not an easy ques­ tion to answer, and per­haps trustees ought to have asked themselves this prior to rushing to pass judgment. The school board is put­ ting dogma ahead of reali­ ty. Students who are op­posed to this new policy are right in voicing their opinions. They are only seeking to help the less for­ tunate of our society. This is a lesson that Jesus him­ self told us was most im­ portant above all others. We wholeheartedly support them. They are ad­ mirable and the board ought to listen to their voices and correct this mistake.We are asking for the board to repeal this policy and make it clear that the schools in its mandate are permitted to fundraise for the organizations and charities that they have supported in the past.Joel MacLeod and Amanda Downs, Burlington Town of Oakville should implement measures to rid ur­ ban areas of coyotes I regularly see coyotes in my neighbourhood, the Charnwood area of south­ east Oakville. They are probably living in the wood lot on Charnwood Drive. There are two big, healthy coyotes roaming the area. They are heard howling at various times of the night and early morn- ing. They are quite accus­ tomed to people and are not afraid of us. Having reported these signings, including one on March 21 at 10:45 p.m., I'd like to voice my concern about our coexistence with these predators. I've lived here for over 30 years and until about three years ago, I had nev­ er seen a coyote. I raised three sons here, safely. I have a dog, a coton de Tu- lear, and I live in fear of her being attacked and killed in our own contained backyard. I find it difficult to un­ derstand why I have to con­trol and licence my pet while the town appears to do nothing about the coy­ otes. Just reporting coyote sightings with the town is useless. The Town of Oak­ ville needs to take mea­ sures to rid urban areas of these predators.Laurie Maveal Oakville Farewell foot pain Our foot care starts with education. We treat all foot issues so you can live without pain & improve mobility. ■ B est C h iro p o d ist/C lin ic / • We put care O rthotics provider since 2004 & service first! ^ 905 6321414 9 728 Burloak (South of the QEW) Foot & Health Clinic .com Does your financial advisor know your life goals? M a rc N u tfo rd Financial Advisor 2387 Trafalgar Road Unit 82 Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 905-822-2023 www.edwardjones.com/marc-nutfo rd Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund Edwardjones M A K IN G S E N S E OF INVEST ING A IR E O N E M A D N E S S S A L E HIGH EFFICIENCY FURNACE & CENTRAL AIR ONLY ~ o r . g y ' Starting From *Call for Details PA CKA G E IN CLUDES: • 95.5% High Efficiency Gas Furnace • High Efficiency Central Air R410A Refrigerant • 10 Year Factory Warranty (sj^ o) UPGRADE YOUR FURNACE FOR ONLYft Starting From *Call for Detail 10 Year Factory Warranty FURNACE DIAGNOSTIC SPECIAL FAST & RELIABLE SERVICE *Call for details. Reg. $99 9 LOCATiONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER SU R E O N E HEATING & COOLING www.aireone.com O A K V I L L I 0 5 - 8 4 9 - 4 91 -8 8 8 -8 2 7 -2 6 6 5 o | O akville Beaver | Thursday, April 5,2018 insidehalton.com http://www.edwardjones.com/marc-nutfo http://www.aireone.com