Other Community News
Phelpston By Taylor Shewell
The annual Easter egg hunt in Phelpston was a big hit on Saturday March 30th.
Thank you to the Elmvale Lions club for the delicious hot dog BBQ, the Phelpston CRA for running the event and Councillor Alexander.
The bunny was hopping, the Easter music was blasting, the crafts were fun & the chocolate treats & BBQ were delicious!
Happy Easter Phelpston!
April 8 2024 Solar Eclipse
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. Learn all about solar eclipses in this video!
Whoa! It’s the middle of the day—so why is the sky getting dark?
It’s a solar eclipse!
A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.
Sometimes the Moon only blocks part of the Sun’s light. This is called a partial solar eclipse.
Other times, the Moon blocks all of the Sun’s light. This is called a total solar eclipse.
As the Moon blocks the Sun’s light, it casts a shadow on part of the Earth.
The Moon’s shadow creates a trail as Earth rotates. This trail is called the path of totality.
If you want to experience total darkness during an eclipse, you have to be in the path of totality.
In that path, the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s light for a few minutes. It gets so dark that it looks like night time during a full Moon!
If you don’t know what’s happening, it can be confusing. Animals can get confused too.
But this total darkness can also be kind of cool for scientists who study the Sun’s atmosphere, called the corona.
The corona is very dim. It’s usually hard to see because the Sun is so much brighter.
But, when the Moon blocks the Sun’s light during an eclipse, all you can see is the light from the corona!
Total solar eclipses over the land—where people can see them—don’t happen very often.
But when they do happen, the Moon gives scientists—and the rest of us—a glimpse at the corona’s beautiful streams and ribbons. Thanks, Moon!
Find out more about the Sun at NASA Space Place.
By https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/eclipse-snap/en/
Sea Cadets Reach New Depths
April 3, 2024 – On March 23 and 24, 2024 five members of the 286 Trillium (RCSCC) Midland Sea Cadet unit learned a new, completely free, lifelong skill provided by Huronia Navy League at the Barrie Scuba House. This skill acquisition began with a swim at the Midland’s YMCA pool where potential Cadets showed their swimming skills to determine if they were ready to begin their PADI certification. Following this, the in-pool skills required the Cadets to learn how to wear the scuba equipment, breathe under water, swim with their gear on, and be safe at all times. After a great weekend of learning, the Cadets will meet again with Barrie Scuba House in May for their in-water training to finish their PADI open water certification. The final swim will be in Georgian Bay at Cedar Point. Way to go Cadets!
Any teens, 12-18, interested in learning more about our free program or joining the Sea Cadets, can contact our office on Tuesdays around 6pm: 705-536-1660 or 286sea@cadets.gc.ca
In April, our Cadets will have fun at a glow in the dark bowling night and a weekend get-away in Owen Sound earning their Emergency First Aid and touring Georgian College, the Chi-Cheemaun, among other activities.
Pension Plans – By Brian Belcourt, Financial Advisor
April 7, 2024 – How are Canadians saving for their retirement in these difficult financial times. With the increasing cost of living, housing, food, transportation, and clothing, where do the funds come from to save for retirement?
This is why it is important to have a pension plan at your workplace to provide the necessary funds to support your retirement spending. There are different types of Pension Plans that a workplace puts in place for their employees. The Pension Plan could be a defined contribution pension plan (DCPP), a defined benefit plan (DBPP) or a pooled registered pension plan (PRPP).
A defined contribution pension plan is the most common type of plan by employers today. The reason it is poplar with employers, is that they have controlled costs for the future of the company. Both the employee and the employer typically contribute a percentage of your salary into the plan. When you retire or leave the company the fund value is your retirement savings. Typically, if you are 55 you have the option to start an income from the value of the retirement account or you can leave it until 71. You are responsible for the investment in the account during the growth and income stage of the investments. The value of your Pension Plan depends on the investment performance of the funds in the pension plan. After you leave your employer, you have the option usually to move the value of the account into a (LIRA) Lock in Retirement Account with your financial advisor or leave the funds with pension provider. When you decide to start an income from your DCPP or LIRA you must follow government rules on withdrawals from a (LIF) life income fund, or you could purchase an Annuity. The advantages of a DCPP are; 1. You control the investments and 2. You can name a beneficiary who will receive 100% of the value of your investments at time of your death.
A defined Benefit Plan guarantees you’ll receive defined monthly benefits. Some plans the employer contributes all the funds into the plan with other plans, the employee also contributes into the plan. A DBPP is typically calculated by your years of service, your age, and your salary. A DBPP works very much like an Annuity guarantee income for your life. In a DBPP the employer is responsible for the investments in the pension plan to make sure there is enough funds to support the employees pension benefits. The advantages of an DBPP are the employee knows how much they will receive in retirement and the funds will last their lifetime if the employer properly funds the account.
A pooled registered pension plan is like a Defined contribution pension plan except the Employer contributions are not mandatory. The PRPP was introduced to help small businesses and self-employed individual save for retirement.
Employment pension plans are more important than ever with families struggling to save for their retirement. Also, life expectancy will increase meaning your retirement funds will have to last longer.
If you have questions about your retirement savings it is never too early to talk with your financial advisor.
Ontario Raising Minimum Wage to Support Workers
Increase to $17.20 an hour follows passage of government’s fourth Working for Workers Act
By Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
March 28, 2024 TORONTO — The Ontario government is increasing the minimum wage from $16.55 per hour to $17.20, effective October 1, 2024. This 3.9 per cent annualized wage increase is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) and brings Ontario’s minimum wage to the second highest in Canada.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is helping nearly one million workers earn more money for themselves and their families,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “We are providing businesses with certainty and predictability by announcing this annual wage increase six months in advance, while also helping families offset the rising cost of living, so that Ontario continues to be the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
A worker making the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week will see an annual pay increase of up to $1,355. There were 935,600 workers earning at or below $17.20 per hour in 2023.
This minimum wage increase builds on the government’s Working for Workers Four Act, 2024, which provides ground-breaking protections for millions of workers in Ontario, including strengthening wage protections for restaurant, hospitality and service workers by clarifying that employers can never deduct an employee’s wages in the event of a dine and dash, supporting injured workers and banning requirements for Canadian work experience in job postings – a first in Canada.
