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© BOPINION EVEN THE GROUNDHOGS CAN'T TAKE FEBRUARY ANYMORE THE ONLY THING § THAT GETS ME : é THROUGH IT IS i = KNOWING IT’S THE SHORTEST MONTH ON THE CALENDAR, WRITES DREW EDWARDS Val-d'Espoir, a little town in Quebec, has a Groundhog Day celebra- tion similar to the one they hold in Wiarton. But when organizers went to wake their physic rodent Fred earlier this could do his lead. mething else tie Sodioreaken month has to answer for. My favourite February facts: it was one of the last DREW EDWARDS: Column to be added to the calendar nath" in old English, pair- ing a_ horrible, bitter month witha horrible, bit- ter leafy foodstuff. And that's what February feels like, just endless days of eating nothing but kale. Now listen, I get that this is Canada and it's cold here. m fme with that. I mbrace it even: I ride my bike outside, go for walks in the snow and gaze through frozen lids at the barren tundra. It can be beautiful. We have four distinct seasons and brings a little something to the table, evenifit's only to appreciate the others (that's right winter, you suck too). But by the time Febru- ary rolls around, I'm sick of it. This winter hasn't been particularly cold but have no idea where my sunglasses are right n because a) it's only light out for 37 seconds a day and b) there's no conclu- sive evidence the sun is ac- tually producing warmth or brightness of any kind. The second month also comes with my least fa- vourite fake cultural event: Valentine's Day. My memories are rife with the agonizing adolescent dis- appointment which has, in turn, made mea reluctant -giver as an adult. I know my wife is going to do something nice for me and I feel terrible for loathing Cupid and the stupid forced romanti- cism. Each year, knowing the February malaise in com- ing, I resolve toplana trip to somewhere warm ai sunny but never sae manage it. Travelling by air these days seems like a gauntlet run of cancelled flights and lost baggage and the only thing I can think of that would be worse than being in some crowded, overpriced, CO- VID-infested resort is get- ting stuck there in perpe- tuity. TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA Metro Creative photo February feels ke fst endless days of eating nothing but kale, writes Drew Edwat So, once again, I'll just stick it out here and com- plain. The only thing that at ges me through Febru: knowing it's the shortest onth on the calendar —I really lose it during leap years —and that its close arks the unofficial e1 of ‘winter catt least inmy de- lusional it snowed almost "10 centi- metres last April). And it could be worse, I suppose: Fred the ground- hog is having an even worse February than me. Drew Edwards can be reached at drew@drewed- wards.ca PUSHING BACK AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING CINDY MCMANN Column Human Trafficking Awareness Day is Feb. 22, an important opportunity to open up some conversa- tions about an issue that impacts all of us in Guelph and across Wellington County. we tend to think of hu- § man trafficking as a prob- FA lem that only happens in g big cities, but traffickers § target and recruit people all across Canada, even in § ruraland remote locations. Ed Contrary to popular belief, people who are trafficked in Canada usually stay in king corridor in Canada is actu- ally the 401. WHAT CAN Y WE DO ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING? earning more is a good first step to pushing back on the rising rates of traf- ficking in Guelph and across Wellington County and the Waterloo Region. Trafficking often looks very different from what people expect, so the more we learn about it and the more we share our learn- ing, the better we can be at spotting it and disrupting ” We can also talk about trafficking with the young people in our hee Young people are at risk because traffickers, especially sex traffickers, target them specifically. In fact, 45 per cent of people who experi- ence trafficking are be- tween 18 and 24 and a fur- ther 24 per cent of traffick- ing victims are under 18. The more young people know, the more we can em- power them to recognize when someone is trying to exploit them and to reach out for help. And finally, we can have conversations about the larger systemic changes we would need to make to reduce the likelihood of trafficking happening in our communities. Canada ig, but we haven't elimi- nated the structural fac- tors that create conditions where trafficking can thrive in the first place. Addressing the root causes of trafficking will be ur most effective way of challenging trafficking in our communities. That will include having hard con- versations about how to create pathways out of pov- housing as a human right and to exploit people and fewer footholds in our communi- ties. TO LEARN MORE uu or someone you know isat risk of or has ex- perienced ‘ficking, you can reach out to Guelph- Wellington Women in Cri- sis for support at 519-836- 1110 ext. 222 or through our 24/7 Crisis Line at 519-836- 5710 or ——1-800-265-7233 (SAFE). And if you'd like to learn more about human traf- ficking in the region, sign up for our Human Traffick- ing Awareness Day virtual event on Feb. 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. Register at www.shor- turLat/alY68 or visit and restoring Indigenous connections to traditional territories. When we create more pathways to prosperity, we give traffickers fewer ways s.org to learn more. Cindy McMann is a public educator at Guelph- Wellington Women in Cri- sis. ABOUT US This newspaper, | published 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 concems write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., IN M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca nn¢e Aocna Nesektaiacounet editorial@waterloochronicle.ca Pcie ican waterlonchronicte @wichrot WHO WE ARE Publisher and Chief Executive Officer Neil Oliver Vice President, Conte Community and Operations Dana Robbins Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar Advertising Representatives Fran Hendry, Katrina Anderson, Jan Bodanka, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Cassandra Dellow, Zaid Shahabuddn, Managing Editor Robyn Wilkinson ‘Online Editor Loraine Centeno lews Editor Ned Bekavac Reporter Bill Jackson Director Creative Services Paul Gostlin Waterloo Chronicle 219 Labrador Dr. Suite 203, Waterloo, on N2K on Phone: 519- Web: www. watefonchonil.ca Letters to the editor Allletters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail sustomerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000. 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