I’d like to wish you and yours all the best this holiday season! The holidays bring celebration and cheer, and I hope they also give you the opportunity to enjoy time with family, friends and loved ones. Just know that Halton’s essential services and programs will continue to be available for you throughout the holidays, thanks to the commitment of Halton staff.

Taking care of our mental health and each other

While the holiday season can bring celebration, it can also be a challenging time for many. If you are struggling, I encourage you to reach out to family, friends and colleagues and have conversations surrounding mental health. Though you might not be struggling, please check in with the people around you who may need a little extra support. We offer Mental Health resources across Halton, along with other services that you may find helpful.

The Halton Region branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is a great resource that offers:

• free telephone counselling anytime by calling 289-291-5396; and
• other mental health and addiction supports, including information to help you support a friend or family member.

The Halton Regional Police Service Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST) is available residents who are experiencing a mental health crisis. This team of health care workers and HRPS officers are trained in mental health and crisis intervention, and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-877-825-9011. Please visit the Halton Regional Police Service’s website to learn more about COAST.

Thank you to Halton Region staff for another great year

I would also like to recognize Halton Region staff for their hard work and dedication, ensuring that we were able to achieve a 97 per cent satisfaction rating with the services residents and businesses received in 2022.

I would like to thank everyone in Halton for keeping our community a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire. Happy holidays—I look forward to working with you in 2023!

Essential Regional services will remain available over the holidays. Regional facilities will be closed from 4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 23 until 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 3. To access Regional services during this time or to learn more about holiday hours, please visit halton.ca or call 311.