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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, April 10, 2013 | 6 Editorial There has been plenty of talk lately about the expanding Sunshine List of public sector workers earning six- gure salaries. Ooh, aahs, daydreams of making such annual salaries, whether such pay cheques are valid at taxpayer expense and the like. Certainly, matters of concern surround the Sunshine List, but what really needs attention is the growing number of Halton residents who could be placed on a `Poverty List.' In today's Oakville Beaver, you'll nd a story on the latest forum hosted in Oakville late last week by the Halton Poverty Roundtable. Like others before it, this forum examined a key element in the cycle of poverty. This topic was income security. It's a tting kickoff to our latest series, which will examine poverty -- something many don't believe truly exists in Oakville, or Halton. In Thursday's Oakville Beaver, readers will nd the rst of Metroland West Media Group's four-part series, Living in Poverty: When Poverty Hits Home. The series examines the complex social issue of poverty in Halton, a region not as af uent as you might think. According to Statistics Canada data analyzed by non-pro t group Community Development Halton, the number of low-income families living in the region increased from 8,700 to more than 10,000 between 2006 and 2009 -- a jump of 19 per cent. The subsequent economic downturn is believed to have in ated that statistic even further. In the series, Halton Poverty Roundtable co-chairs Marc Hamel and June Cockwell inform us that poverty does indeed exist here in no small numbers and will continue to grow unless the community can come to terms with it and work together to address it. Perhaps that's the ultimate goal of this series -- to open the eyes of readers to a situation that isn't going to improve unless a solid plan is executed. And rst that requires education, an attitude of compassion and non-judgment and a willingness to take action. Living in Poverty: When Poverty Hits Home looks at the issue's multiple dimensions, those who deal with it on a regular basis, contributing factors and barriers, possible solutions and resources that can offer assistance. The series -- investigated and written by the Oakville Beaver's David Lea who teamed up with reporter Julia Le of the Milton Canadian Champion -- begins in tomorrow's paper and will continue in consecutive Thursday editions. We hope you nd it enlightening and signi cant, and that it inspires you to become part of the solution to this dark spot in humanity -- and in Halton. "Connected to your Community" This is poverty here at home 467 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Fax: (905) 337-5566 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 39 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 Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Reaching across the world to help Kelsey Parsons Oakville Beaver guest columnist My View MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager I t was the night before I was to y to West Africa, and I was in the Oakville house I grew up in, surrounded by ceramic dolls and faded photos. I had spent the day wandering the bustling downtown of my hometown, pondering the starkly different life I was about to throw myself into. I had graduated from Carleton University with a degree in journalism and anthropology the year before, and I was nally going to get a chance to use my skills in a setting where they would really matter. I had accepted a position as a Communications Of cer for Women in Law in Development in Africa (WiLDAF Ghana), an NGO which teaches rural women about their legal rights. It was a dream and a terrifying prospect all at once. As I sat on my bed, I felt weightless and unsure. Is this the right decision? Am I ready to move so far from home, for a full year? Will I make friends? Will I be happy? My head spun with doubts and fears. Fast forward six months, and I can answer yes to every one of those questions. In the process, I've learnt fear is the ultimate propeller, a sign that what you're about to do is different from what you have before. It's a spark for change, the storm before the calm. I'm now happy, healthy (minus that bout with malaria), and living in Ghana. I'm using my skills to tell stories about the lives of the people WiLDAF has helped, and I'm learning about life every step of the way. There was the story of Comfort, a woman who was able to acquire fruitful land after she attended a property rights session WiLDAF hosted. She led me by the hand, weaving through the cocoa and orange trees that now supported her, and introduced me to her 88-year-old father who granted her the land after she educated him about the law and land rights. Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: ATHENA Award see Fear on p.7 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, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. 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.