www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, October 28, 2016 | 6 On Monday (Oct. 31) night, Oakville will, as it always does on this date, turn into a town lled with ghosts, goblins and other ghoulish personalities. The promise of other-wordly fun will lurk around every corner and a few safety precautions should see the annual celebration remain fun rather than turning into a nightmare. The Halton Regional Police Service offers some tips to help prepare young and old for safe and enjoyable trick-or-treating. Parents are reminded: · Costumes should be bright and flame-resistant with reflective strips, so children are more easily seen at night (and remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards and brooms, etc.); · Costumes should be short enough to avoid tripping; · Remind children to keep away from open fires and candles (costumes can be flammable); · Face-paint, not masks or cloths that cover the eyes, is the preferred facial makeup as it increases a young trick-or-treater's ability to see well in the dark; · Remind children to keep to the sidewalks and not walk in the street; · Explain to children trick-or-treating is done most safely by going along one side of the street and then the other, and it's best to cross the street only at intersections or crosswalks, not zigzag back and forth; · Remind children to look both ways before crossing the street and not to walk out from near parked cars; · Provide yourself or the children with a flashlight to see better and to be more visible to others; · Have children plan their trick-or-treat route and share it with their parents and family; · Trick-or-treaters should travel in groups of four or ve, while young children should be accompanied by an adult; · Visit homes that have the porch light on; · Make sure children know they should accept treats at the door and must not get into cars or enter the homes of strangers; · Remind children not to eat their treats until they are examined at home by an adult. Nothing should be eaten if the package is open. Small, hard candy is a choking hazard for young children; · Set agreed-to boundaries with your children. Explain the importance of staying within them and arriving home on time; · Never travel in areas that are dark and vacant; · Never talk to strangers; · Never go anywhere with strangers or someone you don't know very well. Always check with parents rst. And for those rushing to make it home in time to enjoy trick-or-treating with their children, or to be at the door when the rst trick-or-treaters arrive, remember to drive safely... slow down and be extra vigilant. Pet owners, too, should remember to keep their fourlegged friends at home and indoors, where they will be safe from potential harm. Have a happy -- and safe -- Halloween. 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. Have a safe Halloween Editorial "Connected to your Community" 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 54 | Number 85 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 Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER KELLY MONTAGUE DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Director of Production MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager My View Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member M Canada's national security framework y appointment to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security has offered me the opportunity to recommend policy and review legislation that has direct impact in Oakville North-Burlington and across Canada. The committee has a responsibility for public safety and national security, policing and law enforcement, corrections and conditional release of federal offenders, emergency management, crime prevention and the protection of Canada's borders. Our committee was the rst to complete a clause-by-clause review of legislation (Bill C-7) and earlier this month, tabled a unanimous report in the House of Commons titled, Healthy Minds, Safe Communities: Supporting our Public Safety Of- Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Pam Damoff Oakville North-Burlington MP Proud Official Media Sponsor For: cers through a National Strategy for Operational Stress Injuries, calling on the government to develop a national strategy for supporting our public safety of cers and rst responders. Currently, the committee is studying our national security framework to help inform future changes to our national security tools to ensure they are effective in keeping us safe while protectsee Input on p.7 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. 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