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By Nathan Howes SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER New chair says Red Cross works hard at home 3 · Thursday, December 29, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com Peter Hodgson's first response in his new role with the Canadian Red Cross is to give the organization more prominence in Halton. The 58-year-old was recently named president of the Halton Area Branch Council (HABC) of the Canadian Red Cross. Previously, he was chair of HABC's Community Awareness Committee. Hodgson has a strong background in volunteer work spanning some 20 years -- including roles with a mental health clinic, Burlington counselling service and the Ontario Special Olympics, among others. And, currently as a staff sergeant with the Halton Regional Police Service -- many of his 37 years there spent in Oakville -- he also has a good understanding of the community. "The life experiences you come across as a police officer allow you to see (what) some of the less advantaged in our community have to put up with and some of the challenges ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER at the helm: Peter Hodgson has been named president of the Halton Area Branch Council of the Canadian Red Cross. that they face," said Hodgson. "I think that's going to help me in any involvement with the charitable (organization)." Members of the HABC play an advisory role to branch staff and volunteers in assessing community needs, monitoring service delivery and supporting local fundraising and public relations activities. Hodgson also spent time working with disaster management -- responding to personal disasters, such as house fires, to get people "over the hump" for the first 72 hours afterwards, he said. Now, Hodgson, a Burlington resident, wants to bring more awareness to the work Red Cross carries out close to home. He acknowledged people often look at the efforts made by the international branch, but will overlook local accomplishments. "A lot of the work the Red Cross has (done) is not known. The international level of work is tremendous, but many don't see a lot of the stuff that is done locally, provincially and nationally," said Hodgson. 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New subscriptions call (905) 845-9742 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com Safe Drivers Save More Sample Your Choice Auto insurance rates** from Allstate. 2009 Honda 2004 Dodge Accord LX Caravan SE AGE 45 35 25 $950 $1,018 $1,274 $854 $914 $1,124 2007 Chevy Impala LS $833 $893 $1,098 ANNUAL PREMIUM Ask about our discounts and features: · Claim Forgiveness · Disappearing Deductible · Waiver of Depreciation - 36 month · Multi-vehicle When fitness leader Lee Scott started power walking in preparation for the 2001 Vancouver Marathon, she could not have predicted how walking would change her life and the lives of others. Since then, she has designed North America's leading coaching program for people who want to get fit from walking and she has become a recognized expert on how to coach walking athletes. She has walked 21 marathons and numerous other distance events. In 2008 she won the walking division of the Cleveland Marathon with a time of 4:55:58 and in the fall of 2009 she won the second annual Kitchener Waterloo Walking Classic 10k in a time of 1:01:35. Her personal best for a half marathon is 2:14:58 and for a full marathon is 4:51:51. These race finish times and that of "WoW" trained walkers are comparable to those of many runners. WALK YOUR BUTT OFF! P O W E R WA L K I N G O Call Allstate First. Oakville Agency 203 North Service Rd. W Oakville, ON 905-465-4400 1-800-255-0179 *You may qualify for discounts of up to 45% when you combine your auto and home insurance with Allstate. Inclusive of all other discounts as applied to Allstate's base rates. Terms and conditions apply and may vary by region. Rates and discounts subject to change. **Rates shown include the following: $1,000,000 liability coverage; $300 comprehensive and $500 collision deductibles; maximum years of licensed experience and driven for pleasure under 12,000 km/year. Rates include: multi-car, "Take Two" Advantage®, renewal credit, Elite and Advantage driver discounts. Specific underwriting criteria apply and are subject to change. This information is intended for promotional purposes. Rates and discounts are applicable to Oakville and based on June 22, 2011 rates. Trademark owned by Allstate Insurance Company used under licence by Allstate Insurance Company of Canada. ©2011 Allstate Insurance Company of Canada 014E-04/11 Scott has been featured in magazines, on television, and at conferences across North America. Scott and her coaches are teaming up with the Running Company at 114 Lakeshore Rd E to present their Walk Your Butt Off: High Performance Introduction course which meets on Saturday mornings at 9:30am for 8 weeks beginning January 7. Because of the small group environment and unique coaching method, this program suits people of all fitness levels who want to improve cardiovascular fitness and who may consider walking a marathon or other distance event! Come out to our information meeting! Thursday, January 5, 6pm at The Running Company, SW corner of Lakeshore and Navy in downtown Oakville. te oo ng ew Gr eni ! e N De op 12 Th l G. ool 20 ae ch ber ich r S m M nio pte Se Se It's not just a school, it's a reinvestment in our future. The vision behind thi s project is based on cre ating a student-centred lea rning environment to unleas h the academic potential of all students in the College and to maxim ize the accomplishments and potential of our gradua tes. - Marc Ayotte, Head of College Hillfield Strathallan athallan College is an independent day school for or students fr from Montessori 3 and Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Visit us at www.hsc.on.ca. worth it. Call Yes, my child is 905-389-1367 Scott Barton at Call us at 416-766-0774 or e-mail us at INFO@WOWCOMPANY.NET for more information.