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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 10 ,2 02 2 | 6 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 news- paper 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 editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Donna Luelo 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 Shahabuddin, Managing Editor Robyn Wilkinson Online Editor Loraine Centeno News Editor Ned Bekavac Reporter Bill Jackson CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 219 Labrador Dr. Suite 203, Waterloo, On., N2K 4M8 Phone: 519-886-2830 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor 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 waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA Our municipal govern- ment is the one that im- pacts our lives most direct- ly, and yet, it's also proba- bly the government we know least about. Unless there's a burning issue in our neighbour- hood, we're largely content to let the municipal ma- chine hum merrily along, so long as the garbage is collected, the roads are plowed and the water is still flowing cleanly from the tap. In fairness, municipal government also gets less media coverage than it once did. With diminished resources and experience at a premium, the scrutiny of local government isn't what it once was. This is a time of year, though, when we all tend to take a little more notice. As final budget num- bers have been reported now around the region, the most cursory overview shows a wide range of in- creases, from a low of 1.9 per cent in Kitchener to a high of 7.7 per cent in Wil- mot. Increases in the town- ships stand in contrast to those in the cities, with rates above 5 per cent for all save North Dumfries, which has approved a 3.6 per cent hike this year. In the cities, Kitchener's tax hike of 1.9 per cent is fol- lowed by Waterloo at 3.1 per cent and Cambridge at 4.24 per cent. There's a case to be made for every expendi- ture and, in the end, the perceived value is in the eyes of the individual tax- payer. In both Woolwich and Wilmot, a portion of the tax increase this year will be used to fund investments in infrastructure. Woolwich residents will see a 2.5 per cent levy applied, while Wilmot's infrastructure fund will require 2 per cent of the overall tax increase. These projects, while not at all glamorous, re- present some of the most important work a munici- pality does. That infrastructure "catch-up" funds are re- quired also points back to previous councils who ne- glected the necessary work and kicked the costs down the road. The approved budgets in Wilmot and Wellesley al- so contain another notable line item. Both townships intend to hire more staff. In Wilmot, almost one- third of the overall 7.7 per cent increase will be used to increase the comple- ment of civil servants, while in Wellesley there is also more money in the budget to hire more people. In these economic times, we would hope that the additional hiring -- and additional money re- quired for it -- was vigor- ously debated and closely scrutinized. Waterloo's 3.1 per cent tax hike this year caps a three-year spending plan that went unchanged even in the face of COVID-19. The hike will also leave this council as the group that escalated taxes during its term at a rate steeper than most every other Waterloo council this century. A 4.24 per cent tax in- crease in Cambridge will pay for a fully renovated Preston Auditorium, a pro- ject that on its own ac- counts for about one-quar- ter of the overall increase. In Waterloo Region, our upper level of municipal government is asking for an additional 4.56 per cent in taxes for improvements to transit and costs for po- licing, to name but two items accounted for. We tend to grumble any time we're asked to pay ex- tra, but we must remember that a lot of work goes into preparing and approving municipal budgets. Still, it helps to know just a little bit more about what we're paying for. Columnist Mike Far- well is a broadcaster, MC and advocate. Follow him on Twitter at @far- well_WR, or connect with him via Mike.Far- well@rci.rogers.com. BUDGET TIME AN INTERESTING TIME MIKE FARWELL Column In recognition of Inter- national Women's Day this year, CMHA Waterloo Wel- lington is raising aware- ness of the COVID-19 pan- demic's impact on the men- tal health of women. The combination of bearing family obligations and work-related stress is leav- ing women burnt out and depleted. Why do women carry a heavier mental health bur- den? A recent report by Carleton University's Sprott School of Business shows women have experi- enced much higher mental health-related challenges as a result of the pandemic. Juggling work, home and caregiving responsibilities resulted in moderate to high levels of stress, with nearly a quarter of women surveyed experiencing signs of brain fog, fatigue and chronic stress. As caregivers and nurturers, women feel responsible for everyone's well-being. Un- der these circumstances, it is incredibly challenging to focus on and prioritize our own needs. We have experienced that trend locally, with more than half of the calls received for crisis services through Here 24/7 and IM- PACT (Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team) coming from women. Many of them are reaching out for support with anxi- ety and depression, suicid- al ideation, and relation- ship conflicts. CMHA Wa- terloo Wellington is ad- dressing this need so women in our region are better supported. Although we have been incredibly resilient over the past two years, the pan- demic has taken a signifi- cant toll on the mental health of those working the front lines, and women make up the majority of paid care workers in the country. We have also heard the term "she-cession" to de- scribe the disproportion- ate impact of COVID-19 on women in the workforce. A Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey shows, as of January 2021, more than 200,000 women fell into long-term unemployment. Factors contributing to driving women out of the workforce include a lack of affordable child care, paid sick days, social or income supports, and flexibility in work-life balance. We need to acknowledge the regressive impact this pandemic is having on gen- der and race equality, and explore solutions to reverse this trend in hopes of im- proving social and econom- ic outcomes for women across the country. For some women, the pandemic has also exacerbated other structural inequalities linked to factors such as eth- nicity, class and disability. Despite these challenges and risks, we continue to see and celebrate the strength and resilience that women demonstrate daily. There are so many things we can learn from women, as they have navigated this pandemic with the strength and value of their networks, the ability to clearly ask for help, and the ability to pivot and adapt in this ever changing landscape. Lever- aging the support of other women who understand can be one of the best ways to foster a positive, healthi- er mindset during these dif- ficult times. I am amazed and inspired every day by these stories of resilience and hope. We all know a woman whose mental health has been impacted during this pandemic. As we count down to the Run for Wom- en on May 15, CMHA Wa- terloo Wellington is calling on the community to sup- port our daughters, moth- ers, sisters, grandmothers, friends and co-workers. Show your support for the women you know, and join us in this amazing commu- nity event. You can support CMHA WW by making a donation at www.cmhaww.ca/do- nate. To access 24-hour support through our Here 24/7 Crisis Support, call 1- 844-437-3247. Helen Fishburn is the CEO of the Canadian Men- tal Health Association of Waterloo Wellington. RAISING AWARENESS OF PANDEMIC'S IMPACT ON WOMEN HELEN FISHBURN Column