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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 27 ,2 02 2 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca insidehalton@metroland.com facebook.com/OakvilleBeav @OakvilleBeaver WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Jason Pehora Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Director of Distribution Charlene Hall Circulation Manager Kim Mossman Directors of Advertising Cindi Campbell and Graeme MacIntosh CONTACT US Oakville Beaver 901 Guelph Line Burlington, ON L7R 3N8 Phone: 905-845-3824 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Advertising: 289-293-0620 Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail kmossman@metroland.com or call 905-631-6095. Letters to the editor Send letters to insidehalton@metroland.com. All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at insidehalton.com OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM A hawk visits a front porch on Otter Crescent. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Aysha Bhabha photo SNAPSHOT It's about trust. Our rela- tionship with our readers is built on transparency, hon- esty and integrity. As such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This column is part of that project. Anyone who makes a living with words and lan- guage should not only val- ue that privilege, but con- tinually learn from it. Thankfully, my compa- ny takes this to heart. A reminder of that re- cently crossed my email in- box in the form of a revised CP (Canadian Press) style book -- a blueprint for this country's journalists. The updated guide in- cludes numerous exam- ples of what can be consid- ered offensive in terms of words and phrases, along with more sensitive -- and thus more suitable -- alter- natives. One suggestion that caught my attention proba- bly wouldn't have struck me as necessary at one time, but definitely holds some significance these days. Now in my early 50s, I'm fast approaching a time when the label of senior or elderly will no doubt be thrust my way. I'm not wild about ei- ther descriptor, nor should anyone else be. With that in mind, the consensus is that "older adult" be used in- stead. Some may see this as nitpicky or an overreac- tion in the name of politi- cal correctness. I reject that theory. Who are any of us to tell another person that they're being overly sensitive? With no doubt extensive collaboration and discus- sion going into the CP style revisions, suggested changes cover seemingly every way we describe peo- ple -- be it by race, gender, illness or a personal strug- gle they may live with. And as far as I can tell, accuracy has not been sac- rificed for sensitivity. In fact, in many cases the for- mer has been strengthened in pursuit of the latter. The CP style evolution is the result of painstaking examination, and those en- trusted with that should be commended. They've provided added ammunition in the battle to eliminate hurtful lan- guage. Now it's our job -- reporters and editors -- to take those tools and put them into practice. None of us are naïve enough to think this CP style upgrade marks an ul- timate solution. We must continually examine the ways we describe others. That should be a never- ending obligation, and we're in it for the long haul. Steve LeBlanc is the news editor for Metro- land's Halton newspapers. We welcome your ques- tions and value your com- ments. Email our trust committee at trust@met- roland.com. STRIVING TO END HURTFUL LANGUAGE CP STYLE REVISIONS A STEP TOWARD POSITIVE CHANGE, WRITES STEVE LEBLANC STEVE LEBLANC Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM PETER WATSON Column Asset allocation is the most important decision for investors. Stocks have a higher ex- pected rate of return than bonds. They also have a higher amount of uncer- tainty and volatility. Bonds have a lower ex- pected rate of return. They are less volatile and the risk of losing money is far less than owning stocks. The trade-off between stocks and bonds is depen- dent on your financial ob- jectives, and particularly on your time horizon. For example, if you plan to buy a house in the near future, bonds might be more at- tractive because they are less likely to lose value than a stock. If you are planning for the long term, for example retirement, then owning stocks will have a higher expected return and al- though you can expect more volatility, a longer- term time frame reduces that risk. Someone with a long- term focus who has the ability and the tempera- ment to accept risk, will likely own mostly stocks. A shorter-term focus and somebody who is more risk adverse will likely own more bonds. Most investors take a balanced approach. For ex- ample, their portfolio could include 60 per cent stocks and 40 per cent bonds. We suggest articulating your financial objectives. Understand your time frame. Be aware of the po- tential return and volatili- ty between stocks and bonds. The result is a portfolio allocated in a manner that fits your circumstances. Peter Watson is regis- tered with Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI) to provide investment advice. Investment products are provided by ACPI. ACPI is a member of the Invest- ment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACPI. Watson provides wealth management services through Watson Invest- ments. He can be reached at www.watsoninvestment- s.com. ASSET ALLOCATION KEY TO INVESTING