As published in The Erin Advocate
The Erin Refugee Action group was launched on March 3, with the goal of bringing a Syrian family of four to live in the community.
A fundraising target of $40,000 has been set, to provide for various needs during the family’s first year in Canada. That’s more than the minimum of $27,000, since the group wants to have a contingency fund for unexpected costs.
“We’ve raised $9,500 so far, and have an anonymous donor matching funds – we’re almost halfway there,” said Chair Barbara Harrison. “We have heard that many of the Syrian refugees are from rural areas. We hope to be matched with one of those families.”
The timing is still uncertain. The family could arrive within three months of a match being made, or it could take up to a year, said Harrison.
Support for the project has been provided by Transition Erin and local churches. The application for the sponsorship is being done through the Anglican Diocese of Niagara with local charitable donations processed by All Saints Church in Erin.
The money raised so far is in addition to about $10,000 raised in December with an event at Erin United Church, mainly to support the First Line for Syria sponsorship in Mono. That group has now welcomed a Syrian family of three. Khaleel Huseyin Alos, his wife Sabah Abdulkadir, and their seventeen-year-old daughter Helin had to move from their home city of Damascus to a refugee camp in Turkey. Now they have moved into an apartment in Shelburne.
Erin Refugee Action has set up a steering committee and has a broader group of volunteers. Drivers will be needed to help a family get to shopping, employment, appointments and English language classes.
“We'd love to get the service groups involved as well as other churches, local businesses and any community groups,” said Harrison. “One of our goals is to create community connections. We are hoping that other groups will take on some of the fundraising.”
The plan is to start off with temporary housing in Erin, then arrange longer-term accommodation either in the Town or within a practical distance, depending on the needs and preferences of the family.
Anyone who wants to volunteer, or find out what is happening, is welcome at the next meeting on April 6, from 7 to 9 pm (or come at 6 pm to be part of the fundraising team meeting). The location is All Saints Anglican Church Hall, on Main Street, Erin. Two immigrants from Syria will be leading a discussion on Syrian culture and resettlement.
Donation cheques should be made out to All Saints Anglican Church (with Erin Refugees in the memo line). Tax receipts will be issued for donations $10 and over. Donations can be mailed to Erin Refugee Action, PO Box 308, Erin, N0B 1T0. On-line giving options are being arranged, and donations of furniture, clothes and food will eventually be needed.
“We'll keep fundraising even after reaching our $40,000 goal,” said Harrison. “We may end up being matched with a family larger than 4 members (and therefore need more money) or might even consider sponsoring a second family, perhaps related to the first.”
More information is available on the Erin Refugee Action Facebook page. Email contact can be made at erinrefugeeaction@gmail.com.
In addition to the 25,000 Syrians the Canadian government had committed to resettling, it has announced a plan to increase the number of privately sponsored refugees this year. The number had previously been about 6,000 per year, but now they are setting aside up to 18,000 spaces for them.
Immigration officials have told private sponsorship groups that Syrian refugees who arrive after March 1 will have to pay back the costs of their airfares and medical exams — about $1,000 for each plane ticket and several hundred dollars per person for health screening. Sponsorship groups would not be obligated to cover that cost, but they could end up doing so.
However, Syrians being sponsored through the government-assisted “Blended Visa Office Referred” program – the joint sponsorship that the Erin group hopes to be part of – will continue to have those expenses paid by the government.
Overall, Canada plans to admit between 280,000 and 305,000 new permanent residents this year, the highest projected level in decades. There will be a priority on reuniting families. Those coming primarily to seek work in Canada will make up the largest block of the 2016 immigrants, estimated at 162,400 people.
Showing posts with label Social Services. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Social Services. Show all posts
March 16, 2016
January 13, 2016
Community grant requests invited
As published in The Erin Advocate
As usual, the provision of grant money from the Town of Erin to community groups will get some intense scrutiny. This is quite proper, since it is public money, but the amount is very small compared to the Town’s overall spending.
The current plan is to give out $32,950, the same as last year, with the final amount and allocations to be set during upcoming budget debates.
A report last October from Finance Director Sharon Marshall, based on the work of a Grant Committee, recommended that almost half the money ($16,000) go to East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) to support the Seniors Program at Centre 2000.
Other local groups seeking funding for 2016 from the remaining $16,950 must apply by January 31. That amount represents about one tenth of one per cent (0.128%) of Town spending, budgeted in 2015 at $13.2 million.
It is only natural that people focus attention on smaller amounts. Most councillors and residents do not have the expertise to critique expenditures of hundreds of thousands of dollars on fire department equipment or bridge construction projects.
I don’t know when the law changed, but it was normal until the mid-1900s for major spending bylaws to be put to a public vote in Ontario municipalities. I wonder how that would work today? Unfortunately, we are down to a state where public input has become symbolic at best. Most people have no expectation of influencing public affairs.
But getting back to local grants, Council has adopted a policy that clarifies how applications are considered. A Grant Committee is appointed each year, made up of the Mayor, CAO, Economic Development Officer, Treasurer and one other Councillor. They review the applications and make recommendations to the full Council.
The maximum grant (except for EWCS) is $3,000. Each application should support the priorities of Council, and will be evaluated by the following criteria:
• Benefits the majority of Town residents
• Facilitates self-sufficiency and/or sustainability of the community organization
• Promotes volunteerism, participation and leadership development
• Promotes affordable, accessible, inclusive and diverse programs or services
• Fosters a healthy, safe and active community
• Provides new or complimentary programs or services
• Supports efficient and effective use of municipal resources and facilities.
The policy prohibits community grants to faith organizations, political groups, hospitals and other medical services, schools and government agencies.
A link to the policy and the application form is available on the home page of the Town website, erin.ca. Applicants will need to provide information on their plan, volunteer involvement, the organization’s goals, other funding sources, previous Town grants and current executive.
Applications for grants will be accepted from any individual, group, or organization operating on a not-for-profit basis, having a formal organizational structure, and providing local services, products, programs or initiatives.
Grants can be used for core operating funding, one-off events, special programming or small capital purchases.
The Town already provides some benefit to local groups by charging reduced fees for use of Town facilities. Council is planning to review its policy on waiving fees, but fees will not be waived as part of the community grants process.
As usual, the provision of grant money from the Town of Erin to community groups will get some intense scrutiny. This is quite proper, since it is public money, but the amount is very small compared to the Town’s overall spending.
The current plan is to give out $32,950, the same as last year, with the final amount and allocations to be set during upcoming budget debates.
A report last October from Finance Director Sharon Marshall, based on the work of a Grant Committee, recommended that almost half the money ($16,000) go to East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) to support the Seniors Program at Centre 2000.
Other local groups seeking funding for 2016 from the remaining $16,950 must apply by January 31. That amount represents about one tenth of one per cent (0.128%) of Town spending, budgeted in 2015 at $13.2 million.
It is only natural that people focus attention on smaller amounts. Most councillors and residents do not have the expertise to critique expenditures of hundreds of thousands of dollars on fire department equipment or bridge construction projects.
I don’t know when the law changed, but it was normal until the mid-1900s for major spending bylaws to be put to a public vote in Ontario municipalities. I wonder how that would work today? Unfortunately, we are down to a state where public input has become symbolic at best. Most people have no expectation of influencing public affairs.
But getting back to local grants, Council has adopted a policy that clarifies how applications are considered. A Grant Committee is appointed each year, made up of the Mayor, CAO, Economic Development Officer, Treasurer and one other Councillor. They review the applications and make recommendations to the full Council.
The maximum grant (except for EWCS) is $3,000. Each application should support the priorities of Council, and will be evaluated by the following criteria:
• Benefits the majority of Town residents
• Facilitates self-sufficiency and/or sustainability of the community organization
• Promotes volunteerism, participation and leadership development
• Promotes affordable, accessible, inclusive and diverse programs or services
• Fosters a healthy, safe and active community
• Provides new or complimentary programs or services
• Supports efficient and effective use of municipal resources and facilities.
The policy prohibits community grants to faith organizations, political groups, hospitals and other medical services, schools and government agencies.
A link to the policy and the application form is available on the home page of the Town website, erin.ca. Applicants will need to provide information on their plan, volunteer involvement, the organization’s goals, other funding sources, previous Town grants and current executive.
Applications for grants will be accepted from any individual, group, or organization operating on a not-for-profit basis, having a formal organizational structure, and providing local services, products, programs or initiatives.
Grants can be used for core operating funding, one-off events, special programming or small capital purchases.
The Town already provides some benefit to local groups by charging reduced fees for use of Town facilities. Council is planning to review its policy on waiving fees, but fees will not be waived as part of the community grants process.
January 06, 2016
Helping Syrian refugees as they arrive in Greece
As published in The Erin Advocate
Barbara Harrison wanted to do more than just help Syrian refugees as they arrive in Canada. After seeing some of these victims of war while travelling in Greece last fall, she looked for a way to make a practical and personal contribution to the relief effort.
“It makes you feel like there’s nothing you can do – it’s such a big problem,” she said. “But there is so much we can do.”
The Erin resident has now travelled to the Greek island of Lesvos, where many Syrians land after a perilous sea voyage, to work as a volunteer with local agencies. She will be there with her friend Denise Bates from Tennessee until January 17.
“I’m sure it will be a profound experience,” she said.
Harrison is part of the Transition Erin group and her trip was highlighted at their recent fundraising event, An Evening of Dickens. About $10,000 was raised, with most going towards a sponsorship in Mono. But more than $1,000 will go to Harrison’s project, for medical supplies, food, clothing, blankets and direct aid to “boots on the ground” agencies in Greece.
“We want to support the Greek economy and spend the money there,” said Harrison. She and Bates have raised about $2,000 through online crowdsourcing (Act4Lesvos2016 on generosity.com). They are paying their own travel, accommodation and other expenses.
The situation on Lesvos can be chaotic, as officials struggle to provide food and shelter in makeshift refugee camps. The island is the shortest crossing point from Turkey on the trip to northern Europe, and refugees are expected to stay only a few months.
Local aid groups are operating without central coordination and without strong backing from international agencies. The island has only 86,000 residents and they have been overwhelmed in 2015 – sometimes with more than 1,000 refugees per day.
“While I've worked with refugees for 20 years, I personally have never seen such a human crisis as intense as this one,” said Bates, on their fundraising site. “We are a global community. We should have each other's backs.”
Harrison expects to be doing manual work – washing clothes, moving supplies in warehouses, delivering meals, looking after children and providing transportation. She does not speak Greek, Arabic or Farsi, but does not expect to have any trouble finding English speakers to help with translation.
Apart from the assistance they can deliver, the travellers have a professional interest in the refugee crisis. The experience will serve as research for an academic paper on grassroots assistance for refugees.
Bates’ background is in Public Health, and Harrison taught previously at the University of Guelph. She has been involved in promoting the idea of learning through service and community engagement, and has offered a course on the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Program.
After Harrison returns, Transition Erin will host an evening for her to share stories about the trip. It will be held on Monday, January 25, from 7 pm to 9 pm, in the lower hall at All Saints Church, 81 Main Street in Erin. It will also be an opportunity for local groups to explore ways of working together to offer more support to Syrian refugees.
Harrison is hopeful that the Erin community will be able to organize enough support to sponsor a refugee family.
Barbara Harrison wanted to do more than just help Syrian refugees as they arrive in Canada. After seeing some of these victims of war while travelling in Greece last fall, she looked for a way to make a practical and personal contribution to the relief effort.
“It makes you feel like there’s nothing you can do – it’s such a big problem,” she said. “But there is so much we can do.”
The Erin resident has now travelled to the Greek island of Lesvos, where many Syrians land after a perilous sea voyage, to work as a volunteer with local agencies. She will be there with her friend Denise Bates from Tennessee until January 17.
“I’m sure it will be a profound experience,” she said.
Harrison is part of the Transition Erin group and her trip was highlighted at their recent fundraising event, An Evening of Dickens. About $10,000 was raised, with most going towards a sponsorship in Mono. But more than $1,000 will go to Harrison’s project, for medical supplies, food, clothing, blankets and direct aid to “boots on the ground” agencies in Greece.
“We want to support the Greek economy and spend the money there,” said Harrison. She and Bates have raised about $2,000 through online crowdsourcing (Act4Lesvos2016 on generosity.com). They are paying their own travel, accommodation and other expenses.
The situation on Lesvos can be chaotic, as officials struggle to provide food and shelter in makeshift refugee camps. The island is the shortest crossing point from Turkey on the trip to northern Europe, and refugees are expected to stay only a few months.
Local aid groups are operating without central coordination and without strong backing from international agencies. The island has only 86,000 residents and they have been overwhelmed in 2015 – sometimes with more than 1,000 refugees per day.
“While I've worked with refugees for 20 years, I personally have never seen such a human crisis as intense as this one,” said Bates, on their fundraising site. “We are a global community. We should have each other's backs.”
Harrison expects to be doing manual work – washing clothes, moving supplies in warehouses, delivering meals, looking after children and providing transportation. She does not speak Greek, Arabic or Farsi, but does not expect to have any trouble finding English speakers to help with translation.
Apart from the assistance they can deliver, the travellers have a professional interest in the refugee crisis. The experience will serve as research for an academic paper on grassroots assistance for refugees.
Bates’ background is in Public Health, and Harrison taught previously at the University of Guelph. She has been involved in promoting the idea of learning through service and community engagement, and has offered a course on the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Program.
After Harrison returns, Transition Erin will host an evening for her to share stories about the trip. It will be held on Monday, January 25, from 7 pm to 9 pm, in the lower hall at All Saints Church, 81 Main Street in Erin. It will also be an opportunity for local groups to explore ways of working together to offer more support to Syrian refugees.
Harrison is hopeful that the Erin community will be able to organize enough support to sponsor a refugee family.
December 02, 2015
Bill Dinwoody an advocate for health and recreation
As published in The Erin Advocate
Erin has lost a strong advocate for community health care and recreation services.
Bill Dinwoody, 73, chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee and the Erin Trails group, passed away on November 20 after a brief illness. He is mourned by his beloved wife Martha, and children Thomas, Johanna and Shana.
“He was thoughtful, kind and soft-spoken,” said Joan Fisk, Chair of the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). “He gave great advice and had a deep feeling for community health care.”
Dinwoody was to retire this month from his service on the LHIN Board of Directors, which administers funding for hospitals, long-term care, community agencies and home care. He was on the Finance Committee, working to improve efficiency and accountability in the local system, which serves 775,000 residents.
“He was a very positive person – an important citizen who will be sorely missed,” said Mayor Al Alls. A memorial service was held on November 28 at Butcher Family Funeral Home.
Dinwoody was a senior manager at the Royal Bank of Canada, and had retired after a 45-year career. He managed the strategic technology planning and development function, and served on national and international committees to develop a strategic technological direction for the banking industry.
Erin has lost a strong advocate for community health care and recreation services.
Bill Dinwoody, 73, chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee and the Erin Trails group, passed away on November 20 after a brief illness. He is mourned by his beloved wife Martha, and children Thomas, Johanna and Shana.“He was thoughtful, kind and soft-spoken,” said Joan Fisk, Chair of the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). “He gave great advice and had a deep feeling for community health care.”
Dinwoody was to retire this month from his service on the LHIN Board of Directors, which administers funding for hospitals, long-term care, community agencies and home care. He was on the Finance Committee, working to improve efficiency and accountability in the local system, which serves 775,000 residents.
“He was a very positive person – an important citizen who will be sorely missed,” said Mayor Al Alls. A memorial service was held on November 28 at Butcher Family Funeral Home.
Dinwoody was a senior manager at the Royal Bank of Canada, and had retired after a 45-year career. He managed the strategic technology planning and development function, and served on national and international committees to develop a strategic technological direction for the banking industry.
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Bill Dinwoody helping out on CVC’s Check Your Watershed Day, measuring temperatures in the West Credit River, making sketches of bridges and looking for obstacles to the movement of fish. |
He lived formerly in Toronto and Shelburne, and had a passion for outdoor activities such as hiking, horseback riding and fishing. He had been a scout leader, a ski instructor, a Sunday school teacher, a guitar player and a wood carver.
He was very active with Credit Valley Conservation, which honoured him with awards for his work on the Woollen Mills Trail and organizing tree planting projects.
Providing leadership on the Erin Trails group, he also helped develop the Rotary and Water Tower Trails, as well as Riverside Park, which had its official opening this year.
With Recreation and Culture, he was an advocate for the Skatepark that was built next to the Centre 2000 arena.
He was very active with Credit Valley Conservation, which honoured him with awards for his work on the Woollen Mills Trail and organizing tree planting projects.
Providing leadership on the Erin Trails group, he also helped develop the Rotary and Water Tower Trails, as well as Riverside Park, which had its official opening this year.
With Recreation and Culture, he was an advocate for the Skatepark that was built next to the Centre 2000 arena.
November 25, 2015
Residents’ Association builds neighbourhood connections
As published in The Erin Advocate
The Erin Residents’ Association (ERA) has been building new links of friendship and support in the community, and is inviting more people to get involved.
“We try to connect people with each other,” said founder David Spencer, who saw the benefit of a multi-interest group, in addition to existing networks such as service clubs, church groups and sports associations.
The spark was a series of power blackouts in recent years, where there was a need for more support among neighbours and communication with the Town and Ontario Hydro. The group has succeeded in getting a transformer replaced. They are also keeping the Town informed about burned-out or malfunctioning streetlights.
The primary activity, however, is community building, including social events, encouraging people to support local businesses and an informal Neighbourhood Watch effort to promote a safe environment and provide information to the OPP when necessary.
The group is marking its first anniversary with a fundraising dinner at David’s Restaurant this Saturday, November 28, at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $40. Funds raised will go to finance ERA projects and charity initiatives within the village of Erin.
More information about the dinner and the group is available at erinresidents.wordpress.com, and Spencer can be contacted at https://erinresidents.
There is a regular e-newsletter with information on coming events (like the Teen Battle of The Bands), local services (like the Education Workshops hosted by the East Wellington Family Health Team) and links to other community organizations (like Transition Erin). Past issues of the newsletter are available on-line through Google Groups.
The ERA is inclusive and non-political, and membership is free. People can sign up as members, or just to receive the newsletter.
Volunteers are needed to expand the group’s activities, which could include making residents more aware of all the goods and services that can be purchased in Erin. Businesses can arrange to have their name and web link on the Resources page of the ERA website.
“It is sad to see stores and restaurants closing,” said Spencer. He is a teacher in Peel, and one of the people who helped start Erin Radio following the major power blackout of 2003.
There are no strict boundaries for ERA membership, but their area of interest is Erin village, with about 30-40 active participants. They have organized activities such as bowling, campfires, dog days, street parties, home music jams and yard sales, and have made an effort to welcome new families that move to the village. They help educate people about how to maintain a septic system.
Members have the option of sharing information about their children, to promote connections between families with children of similar ages, and about their dogs, to facilitate joint dog walking.
If the organization expands in the future, Spencer said there is the possibility of having different zones in the Town, so people could connect with their relatively close neighbours, but also be part of a larger community group.
The ERA is separate from other local organizations such as the Hills of Erin Residents’ Group, which is focused on opposition to expansion of the CBM gravel pit north of Hillsburgh. It is also separate from the Concerned Erin Citizens (CEC) group, which is focused on concerns about local taxation, spending and wastewater issues.
The Erin Residents’ Association (ERA) has been building new links of friendship and support in the community, and is inviting more people to get involved.
“We try to connect people with each other,” said founder David Spencer, who saw the benefit of a multi-interest group, in addition to existing networks such as service clubs, church groups and sports associations.
The spark was a series of power blackouts in recent years, where there was a need for more support among neighbours and communication with the Town and Ontario Hydro. The group has succeeded in getting a transformer replaced. They are also keeping the Town informed about burned-out or malfunctioning streetlights.
The primary activity, however, is community building, including social events, encouraging people to support local businesses and an informal Neighbourhood Watch effort to promote a safe environment and provide information to the OPP when necessary.
The group is marking its first anniversary with a fundraising dinner at David’s Restaurant this Saturday, November 28, at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $40. Funds raised will go to finance ERA projects and charity initiatives within the village of Erin.
More information about the dinner and the group is available at erinresidents.wordpress.com, and Spencer can be contacted at https://erinresidents.
There is a regular e-newsletter with information on coming events (like the Teen Battle of The Bands), local services (like the Education Workshops hosted by the East Wellington Family Health Team) and links to other community organizations (like Transition Erin). Past issues of the newsletter are available on-line through Google Groups.
The ERA is inclusive and non-political, and membership is free. People can sign up as members, or just to receive the newsletter.
Volunteers are needed to expand the group’s activities, which could include making residents more aware of all the goods and services that can be purchased in Erin. Businesses can arrange to have their name and web link on the Resources page of the ERA website.
“It is sad to see stores and restaurants closing,” said Spencer. He is a teacher in Peel, and one of the people who helped start Erin Radio following the major power blackout of 2003.
There are no strict boundaries for ERA membership, but their area of interest is Erin village, with about 30-40 active participants. They have organized activities such as bowling, campfires, dog days, street parties, home music jams and yard sales, and have made an effort to welcome new families that move to the village. They help educate people about how to maintain a septic system.
Members have the option of sharing information about their children, to promote connections between families with children of similar ages, and about their dogs, to facilitate joint dog walking.
If the organization expands in the future, Spencer said there is the possibility of having different zones in the Town, so people could connect with their relatively close neighbours, but also be part of a larger community group.
The ERA is separate from other local organizations such as the Hills of Erin Residents’ Group, which is focused on opposition to expansion of the CBM gravel pit north of Hillsburgh. It is also separate from the Concerned Erin Citizens (CEC) group, which is focused on concerns about local taxation, spending and wastewater issues.
October 07, 2015
Poverty concerns should move to the front burner
As published in The Erin Advocate
Poverty is big problem, but it doesn’t seem to be a big issue in the current federal election. Perhaps there is a feeling that it is too complex a problem to do anything about. Perhaps issues that will take decades or centuries to fully solve are beyond the interest span of a four-year government.
Internationally, is Canada willing to look beyond its short-term goals as an elite nation, by fostering improvements in human rights and economic self-sufficiency in poorer nations?
Domestically, are we willing to tackle the challenge of respecting the rights of First Nations people, while enabling them to prosper within our broader society?
Canada can be proud of its social safety net, but the cost could become unaffordable if we don’t fix some of the underlying economic problems.
Are we willing to write off whole sectors of the population to chronic poverty – the addicted, the mentally ill, the pensionless, the disabled, the ones poorly served by our schools, the ones with unexpected burdens and the ones with simple bad luck? Or do we look for dignified ways for them to contribute and have some hope of improving their situation?
Taken one at a time, the problems are solvable. At the All Candidates meeting last week, I asked candidates if they support a substantial increase to the federal minimum wage.
As Conservative Michael Chong pointed out, there is no actual minimum wage for federally regulated industries, where many workers already earn substantially more. The Liberals cancelled the minimum almost 20 years ago, but the NDP and Greens want to bring it back and increase it to $15 per hour over several years.
Chong said it is better for provinces to set the main minimum wage (currently in the $10 to $11.25 range in Canada) since the cost of living varies regionally. Still, I think would be valid for the federal government to send a signal that the status quo for the working poor is unacceptable.
Some economists say minimum wage increases cause harm, since employers hesitate to hire more workers, and that added wage costs drive up prices. These are legitimate concerns, but I believe the employment impact would be short term for viable businesses. And I’d be glad to pay a little more at Walmart or McDonald’s.
Brent Bouteiller of the Green Party backs a $15 per hour minimum wage, but said the impetus needs to come from the grassroots level to affect provincial policies.
Liberal Don Trant did not address the minimum wage. “Our approach would be to increase the income taxes on the wealthiest 1% of the population and redistribute that money to the middle class,” he said. “The middle class needs the money, and their spending stimulates the economy.”
That is all valid, but it doesn’t deal with the people who are struggling to join the middle class. Those who pay little income tax, but are often uncertain if they will be able to pay the rent and buy groceries next month. The minimum wage affects not only young people trying to break into the job market, but middle agers hurt by lack of opportunity in the economy and seniors who must work to supplement their pensions.
“It’s not the middle class people who are making $60,000 or $70,000 a year who need a $15 per hour minimum wage,” said the NDP’s Anne Gajerski-Cauley.
“It’s the poor people that need it. When we can lift those people out of poverty, all of us will be dignified, so I strongly support it.” For that, she received a round of applause.
Poverty is big problem, but it doesn’t seem to be a big issue in the current federal election. Perhaps there is a feeling that it is too complex a problem to do anything about. Perhaps issues that will take decades or centuries to fully solve are beyond the interest span of a four-year government.
Internationally, is Canada willing to look beyond its short-term goals as an elite nation, by fostering improvements in human rights and economic self-sufficiency in poorer nations?
Domestically, are we willing to tackle the challenge of respecting the rights of First Nations people, while enabling them to prosper within our broader society?
Canada can be proud of its social safety net, but the cost could become unaffordable if we don’t fix some of the underlying economic problems.
Are we willing to write off whole sectors of the population to chronic poverty – the addicted, the mentally ill, the pensionless, the disabled, the ones poorly served by our schools, the ones with unexpected burdens and the ones with simple bad luck? Or do we look for dignified ways for them to contribute and have some hope of improving their situation?
Taken one at a time, the problems are solvable. At the All Candidates meeting last week, I asked candidates if they support a substantial increase to the federal minimum wage.
As Conservative Michael Chong pointed out, there is no actual minimum wage for federally regulated industries, where many workers already earn substantially more. The Liberals cancelled the minimum almost 20 years ago, but the NDP and Greens want to bring it back and increase it to $15 per hour over several years.
Chong said it is better for provinces to set the main minimum wage (currently in the $10 to $11.25 range in Canada) since the cost of living varies regionally. Still, I think would be valid for the federal government to send a signal that the status quo for the working poor is unacceptable.
Some economists say minimum wage increases cause harm, since employers hesitate to hire more workers, and that added wage costs drive up prices. These are legitimate concerns, but I believe the employment impact would be short term for viable businesses. And I’d be glad to pay a little more at Walmart or McDonald’s.
Brent Bouteiller of the Green Party backs a $15 per hour minimum wage, but said the impetus needs to come from the grassroots level to affect provincial policies.
Liberal Don Trant did not address the minimum wage. “Our approach would be to increase the income taxes on the wealthiest 1% of the population and redistribute that money to the middle class,” he said. “The middle class needs the money, and their spending stimulates the economy.”
That is all valid, but it doesn’t deal with the people who are struggling to join the middle class. Those who pay little income tax, but are often uncertain if they will be able to pay the rent and buy groceries next month. The minimum wage affects not only young people trying to break into the job market, but middle agers hurt by lack of opportunity in the economy and seniors who must work to supplement their pensions.
“It’s not the middle class people who are making $60,000 or $70,000 a year who need a $15 per hour minimum wage,” said the NDP’s Anne Gajerski-Cauley.
“It’s the poor people that need it. When we can lift those people out of poverty, all of us will be dignified, so I strongly support it.” For that, she received a round of applause.
September 23, 2015
Social justice requires choices for common good
As published in The Erin Advocate
Of course, we should pay heed to events like Hunger Awareness Week, now in progress. It is so easy to let it slide by, since the issue never seems to go away. We should not be lulled into thinking, however, that there are no solutions.
Poverty may well be part of the human condition, but that does not relieve us of an obligation to better the lives of people other than ourselves. We have the capacity to ensure that everyone gets enough food.
East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) is urging us to wear red this week, to show common cause with those in need and others who care. We can certainly educate ourselves at sites like foodbankscanada.ca.
But what does it profit a wealthy town, in a wealthy nation, to merely read up on the problem, to wring its hands and say to the hungry, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill”, yet not supply their bodily needs?
We can make the leap from words to action by actually bringing food to the EWCS office at 45 Main Street, or donating money to help their food banks in Erin and Rockwood.
In the last year, EWCS distributed 50,000 pounds of food, valued at $125,000. They handled 1,350 visits and provided for some 300 individuals – 42% of them children.
With food bank use rising 25% in the last seven years, Canadians need to ask themselves what kind of country they want to live in, and identify the areas where the social values we cherish have been eroded.
We live in a world dominated by competition, but we are not mere victims of market forces. We can make choices that promote the common good. We can ask questions that push the discussion of hunger beyond the need for charity.
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its wealth into the hands of a very few, who are already wealthy? Will that promote prosperity and stability?
The creation of a middle class, imperfect as it may be, has been about sharing the wealth. Its impending demise is quite properly an election issue.
If we are forced to become a less wealthy nation, perhaps due to the rise of previously impoverished nations, are we willing to share the reduction equitably? Can we abandon the myth of perpetual growth?
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its workers into low-wage jobs – part-time, casual, temporary and casual work, with no security or benefits – while allowing real estate values to skyrocket? It is the epitome of unsustainability.
How can we lie to our children, telling them that education and hard work will allow them to maintain a standard of living that is, in fact, slipping away from the majority? Does their education include ways to be happy with less?
One of the pieces in this economic puzzle is the minimum wage, which finally hit $11 last year and will soar to $11.25 next month. Considering the value of these jobs to our economy, it is not nearly enough.
There’s a movement for higher increases (read up at 15andfairness.org), which make good economic sense. People need hope of decent work, not charity. A higher minimum wage would stimulate growth in the economy, providing more spending at small, local businesses.
Tax cuts for profitable corporations do not produce the same benefits. They are under no obligation to create more jobs or pay better wages.
That’s why we elect governments, whose job it is to do what’s best for society as a whole. Let’s make sure they get on with it.
Of course, we should pay heed to events like Hunger Awareness Week, now in progress. It is so easy to let it slide by, since the issue never seems to go away. We should not be lulled into thinking, however, that there are no solutions.
Poverty may well be part of the human condition, but that does not relieve us of an obligation to better the lives of people other than ourselves. We have the capacity to ensure that everyone gets enough food.
East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) is urging us to wear red this week, to show common cause with those in need and others who care. We can certainly educate ourselves at sites like foodbankscanada.ca.
But what does it profit a wealthy town, in a wealthy nation, to merely read up on the problem, to wring its hands and say to the hungry, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill”, yet not supply their bodily needs?
We can make the leap from words to action by actually bringing food to the EWCS office at 45 Main Street, or donating money to help their food banks in Erin and Rockwood.
In the last year, EWCS distributed 50,000 pounds of food, valued at $125,000. They handled 1,350 visits and provided for some 300 individuals – 42% of them children.
With food bank use rising 25% in the last seven years, Canadians need to ask themselves what kind of country they want to live in, and identify the areas where the social values we cherish have been eroded.
We live in a world dominated by competition, but we are not mere victims of market forces. We can make choices that promote the common good. We can ask questions that push the discussion of hunger beyond the need for charity.
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its wealth into the hands of a very few, who are already wealthy? Will that promote prosperity and stability?
The creation of a middle class, imperfect as it may be, has been about sharing the wealth. Its impending demise is quite properly an election issue.
If we are forced to become a less wealthy nation, perhaps due to the rise of previously impoverished nations, are we willing to share the reduction equitably? Can we abandon the myth of perpetual growth?
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its workers into low-wage jobs – part-time, casual, temporary and casual work, with no security or benefits – while allowing real estate values to skyrocket? It is the epitome of unsustainability.
How can we lie to our children, telling them that education and hard work will allow them to maintain a standard of living that is, in fact, slipping away from the majority? Does their education include ways to be happy with less?
One of the pieces in this economic puzzle is the minimum wage, which finally hit $11 last year and will soar to $11.25 next month. Considering the value of these jobs to our economy, it is not nearly enough.
There’s a movement for higher increases (read up at 15andfairness.org), which make good economic sense. People need hope of decent work, not charity. A higher minimum wage would stimulate growth in the economy, providing more spending at small, local businesses.
Tax cuts for profitable corporations do not produce the same benefits. They are under no obligation to create more jobs or pay better wages.
That’s why we elect governments, whose job it is to do what’s best for society as a whole. Let’s make sure they get on with it.
June 10, 2015
Erin in top 100 of Canada’s Best Places to Live
As published in The Erin Advocate
High income, low crime and low unemployment have teamed up with a strong arts and sports culture to place the Town of Erin at #76 on the MoneySense list of Canada’s Best Places to Live.
This is the first time Erin has been included in the magazine’s annual ranking of 209 municipalities. Orangeville is another new arrival, coming in at #97, and it seems we live in a good neighbourhood. Veterans of the list include Caledon at #56 this year, Centre Wellington (Fergus-Elora) at #52, Halton Hills at #21 and Guelph at #15.
Of the 209 places listed, Erin scored in the top 25% for income, employment, arts and sports activity and lack of crime.
It scored lower in the categories of affordable housing, healthy population growth (only 1.3% in five years), access to health care, low taxes, good weather, and ease of walking, biking and taking transit. The report says 3% of Erin residents use public transit to get to work.
Many Canadians say the place they live is the best, but MoneySense writer Mark Brown says the list is not about civic pride. “The purpose is to take an objective look at the communities across the country and identify the ones where residents can thrive,” he said.
The statistics were provided by Environics Analytics, Statistics Canada, Environment Canada and IHS Automotive. Points were awarded to communities using weighted categories: Weather - 10%; Commuting - 11%; Wealth - 28%; Demographics - 17% and Other (including crime, amenities, healthcare, culture and taxation) - 35%.
Boucherville, Quebec (south of Montreal) came in #1, while Calgary, a former #1, slipped to #19. Other highlights include Burlington #3, Oakville #6, Stratford #7, Waterloo #16, Toronto #35, Kitchener #40, Hamilton #41, Milton #57, Mississauga #61 and Brampton #154.
The median annual household income in Erin is listed at $105,809, with average discretionary income of $58,112 and an average household net worth of $784,001.
In comparison, households in the Town of Caledon are said to have median annual income of $95,118, with discretionary income averaging $61,238, net worth at $926,552, property valued at $621,859 and property taxes at $3,414.
The value of an average Erin resident’s primary real estate is pegged at $576,460, with the property tax averaging $3,306. What that tax figure includes, and for what year, is not stated, but it does not line up with the Town’s numbers.
After passage of the 2015 budget, the Town of Erin calculated that a home assessed at $400,000 would generate about $1,150 in Town taxes, $2,596 in County taxes and $780 in School taxes, for a total of $4,526. That’s up 2.22% from 2014.
Erin is not on any of the specialty lists published by MoneySense, including Canada’s Richest Cities, based on Household Net Worth. Caledon places #9 on that list with households averaging $926,552. That’s similar to places like Oakville, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Aurora, but far short of West Vancouver, #1 with households averaging $3,152,364.
Halton Hills has the distinction of being #9 on the list of Best Places to Raise Kids. It has an average monthly daycare cost of $1,222, with 62.6% of families having children, 20.6% of the population under age 15, and a crime rate that has dropped 32% in five years.
Other interesting facts about Erin from the profile:
• Population: 11,282.
• Unemployment rate: 2.98%.
• Crime Rate per 100,000 people: 2,636 (down 23% in the last 5 years).
• Violent crime severity index: 15.8 (compared to Halton Hills at 20.1, Guelph at 42.5 or Brampton at 51.3).
• Average income tax for a person earning $50,000: $8,571.
• Vehicles 2012 or newer: 17.9% (Luxury vehicles 2012 or newer: 1.3%).
• People walking to work: 2.6%.
• People employed in arts and recreation: 2%.
• Medical doctors per 1,000 people: .98.
• Owned homes: 94.8%.
• Climate: 750 mm annual rainfall, 105 days with maximum temperature over 20°C, 7.7 days over 24°C.
High income, low crime and low unemployment have teamed up with a strong arts and sports culture to place the Town of Erin at #76 on the MoneySense list of Canada’s Best Places to Live.
This is the first time Erin has been included in the magazine’s annual ranking of 209 municipalities. Orangeville is another new arrival, coming in at #97, and it seems we live in a good neighbourhood. Veterans of the list include Caledon at #56 this year, Centre Wellington (Fergus-Elora) at #52, Halton Hills at #21 and Guelph at #15.
Of the 209 places listed, Erin scored in the top 25% for income, employment, arts and sports activity and lack of crime.
It scored lower in the categories of affordable housing, healthy population growth (only 1.3% in five years), access to health care, low taxes, good weather, and ease of walking, biking and taking transit. The report says 3% of Erin residents use public transit to get to work.
Many Canadians say the place they live is the best, but MoneySense writer Mark Brown says the list is not about civic pride. “The purpose is to take an objective look at the communities across the country and identify the ones where residents can thrive,” he said.
The statistics were provided by Environics Analytics, Statistics Canada, Environment Canada and IHS Automotive. Points were awarded to communities using weighted categories: Weather - 10%; Commuting - 11%; Wealth - 28%; Demographics - 17% and Other (including crime, amenities, healthcare, culture and taxation) - 35%.
Boucherville, Quebec (south of Montreal) came in #1, while Calgary, a former #1, slipped to #19. Other highlights include Burlington #3, Oakville #6, Stratford #7, Waterloo #16, Toronto #35, Kitchener #40, Hamilton #41, Milton #57, Mississauga #61 and Brampton #154.
The median annual household income in Erin is listed at $105,809, with average discretionary income of $58,112 and an average household net worth of $784,001.
In comparison, households in the Town of Caledon are said to have median annual income of $95,118, with discretionary income averaging $61,238, net worth at $926,552, property valued at $621,859 and property taxes at $3,414.
The value of an average Erin resident’s primary real estate is pegged at $576,460, with the property tax averaging $3,306. What that tax figure includes, and for what year, is not stated, but it does not line up with the Town’s numbers.
After passage of the 2015 budget, the Town of Erin calculated that a home assessed at $400,000 would generate about $1,150 in Town taxes, $2,596 in County taxes and $780 in School taxes, for a total of $4,526. That’s up 2.22% from 2014.
Erin is not on any of the specialty lists published by MoneySense, including Canada’s Richest Cities, based on Household Net Worth. Caledon places #9 on that list with households averaging $926,552. That’s similar to places like Oakville, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Aurora, but far short of West Vancouver, #1 with households averaging $3,152,364.
Halton Hills has the distinction of being #9 on the list of Best Places to Raise Kids. It has an average monthly daycare cost of $1,222, with 62.6% of families having children, 20.6% of the population under age 15, and a crime rate that has dropped 32% in five years.
Other interesting facts about Erin from the profile:
• Population: 11,282.
• Unemployment rate: 2.98%.
• Crime Rate per 100,000 people: 2,636 (down 23% in the last 5 years).
• Violent crime severity index: 15.8 (compared to Halton Hills at 20.1, Guelph at 42.5 or Brampton at 51.3).
• Average income tax for a person earning $50,000: $8,571.
• Vehicles 2012 or newer: 17.9% (Luxury vehicles 2012 or newer: 1.3%).
• People walking to work: 2.6%.
• People employed in arts and recreation: 2%.
• Medical doctors per 1,000 people: .98.
• Owned homes: 94.8%.
• Climate: 750 mm annual rainfall, 105 days with maximum temperature over 20°C, 7.7 days over 24°C.
May 06, 2015
Lions walk supports dog guide program
Some of Erin’s finest fundraisers will be straining at the leash when their dogs take them for a walk on Sunday, May 31. The Erin and District Lions Club is hosting its first National Dog Guide Walk on the Elora Cataract Trailway, starting at Centre 2000.
There will be swag bags for the dogs in attendance and a free barbecue for the human participants. Sign in starts at 11 am and the walk is at 12 noon.
Organizer Wendy Parr says the idea is to create a fun social event, to raise money and inform people about the training of dogs to support people with various disabilities.
The goal is to get at least 100 walkers and raise $25,000 – the amount it takes to train one dog for its special duties. All of the funds will go directly to the training of dogs, which are provided at no cost to qualified applicants by the Lions Foundation of Canada.
For more information, go to www.purinawalkfordogguides.com. Click on “Find a Walk” and then to the Erin page, where people can register, make an immediate donation or create a team.
Registration can be done at the event as well, and you don’t have to have a dog to go on the walk. The plan is to walk to Winston Churchill Blvd. and back, a round trip of about 4 km, but participants are welcome to do a shorter section if they wish.
More than 200 similar walks are happening on the same day across Canada, a tradition that started 30 years ago. Parr had attended the one in Fergus in previous years, and had often thought it would be great to organize one in Erin.
With the support of the Erin Lions, she has been busy promoting the event to local businesses and schools. Helping her is Bonnie Gagnon, a local foster mum for prospective guides, currently caring for Garbo, a 9-month-old black lab.
Prior to their formal training, puppies are sent to foster families who house-train them, teach them manners and basic obedience, expose them to many different situations and get them used to the distractions of public areas such as streets and malls. Nestlé Purina PetCare donates all food and the Lions Foundation covers routine veterinary expenses.
For nearly 100 years, Lions Clubs around the world have supported projects to prevent blindness, restore eyesight and provide eye health care. The Lions Foundation operates a dog training centre in Oakville, plus a breeding and training facility in Breslau.
The program started out with only canine vision dogs, but now has expanded to include hearing ear dogs for the deaf, seizure response dogs for those with epilepsy, service dogs for other physical disabilities, autism assistance dogs and diabetic alert dogs.
Once fully trained over two years, the dog is matched with its handler who then spends one to four weeks at the Oakville facility, learning how to handle, trust and bond with their new Dog Guide. Breeds commonly used are Labrador Retrievers, Poodles (for those who are allergic to most dogs) and Golden Retrievers.
The trained dogs give their handlers the confidence to navigate obstacles in public areas and help them pursue education, careers and community participation.
More information about the work of the Lions Foundation is available at www.dogguides.com.
There will be swag bags for the dogs in attendance and a free barbecue for the human participants. Sign in starts at 11 am and the walk is at 12 noon.
Organizer Wendy Parr says the idea is to create a fun social event, to raise money and inform people about the training of dogs to support people with various disabilities.
The goal is to get at least 100 walkers and raise $25,000 – the amount it takes to train one dog for its special duties. All of the funds will go directly to the training of dogs, which are provided at no cost to qualified applicants by the Lions Foundation of Canada.
For more information, go to www.purinawalkfordogguides.com. Click on “Find a Walk” and then to the Erin page, where people can register, make an immediate donation or create a team.
Registration can be done at the event as well, and you don’t have to have a dog to go on the walk. The plan is to walk to Winston Churchill Blvd. and back, a round trip of about 4 km, but participants are welcome to do a shorter section if they wish.
More than 200 similar walks are happening on the same day across Canada, a tradition that started 30 years ago. Parr had attended the one in Fergus in previous years, and had often thought it would be great to organize one in Erin.
With the support of the Erin Lions, she has been busy promoting the event to local businesses and schools. Helping her is Bonnie Gagnon, a local foster mum for prospective guides, currently caring for Garbo, a 9-month-old black lab.
Prior to their formal training, puppies are sent to foster families who house-train them, teach them manners and basic obedience, expose them to many different situations and get them used to the distractions of public areas such as streets and malls. Nestlé Purina PetCare donates all food and the Lions Foundation covers routine veterinary expenses.
For nearly 100 years, Lions Clubs around the world have supported projects to prevent blindness, restore eyesight and provide eye health care. The Lions Foundation operates a dog training centre in Oakville, plus a breeding and training facility in Breslau.
The program started out with only canine vision dogs, but now has expanded to include hearing ear dogs for the deaf, seizure response dogs for those with epilepsy, service dogs for other physical disabilities, autism assistance dogs and diabetic alert dogs.
Once fully trained over two years, the dog is matched with its handler who then spends one to four weeks at the Oakville facility, learning how to handle, trust and bond with their new Dog Guide. Breeds commonly used are Labrador Retrievers, Poodles (for those who are allergic to most dogs) and Golden Retrievers.
The trained dogs give their handlers the confidence to navigate obstacles in public areas and help them pursue education, careers and community participation.
More information about the work of the Lions Foundation is available at www.dogguides.com.
December 31, 2014
Exchange program reduces fentanyl misuse
As published in The Erin Advocate
In an effort to reduce the black market supply of the lethal prescription drug fentanyl, Wellington County is promoting an exchange program that requires patients to return all their used medication patches before getting new ones from a pharmacist.
Modeled on a successful program in North Bay, it is an initiative of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy (WGDS), which tries to reduce substance misuse through prevention, treatment, harm reduction and law enforcement.
“There is a lot of concern because of the lethality of the drug,” said WGDS Manager Adrienne Crowder, noting that the patch exchange reduces risks to individuals and the community. “The program creates a partnership between patients, doctors and pharmacists. It’s a more connected care pathway that is good for everyone.”
Use of the program is optional for pharmacists and doctors, but WGDS is urging them to participate. The County has produced a video on the issue, created by Ironcloud Productions of Hillsburgh, which can be accessed at www.wellington.ca or through a “fentanyl patch” search on YouTube.
It says police and health care providers in Guelph and Wellington are seeing increased misuse of the drug. It includes a first-person account of a recovering addict, an 18-year-old girl who started by taking painkillers from the family medicine cabinet at age 14, then moved on to stronger substances. Addicts may end up selling their possessions and resorting to crime in order to buy more of the drug.
In North Bay, where fentanyl addition was a particularly severe problem, a patch exchange program has made the drug much more difficult to obtain on the street – forcing dealers to import it from other areas.
In October, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli proposed a private members bill that would mandate the Patch-for-Patch program for pharmacies across Ontario. Patients who do not return their used patches undamaged would have to provide an explanation, and their doctor could refuse to authorize a further supply.
Known by the brand name Duragesic, fentanyl is a painkiller 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. It was originally an operating room drug and a treatment for terminally-ill patients, but is now used for various types of chronic pain.
In 2011, it caused 102 overdose deaths in Ontario. It has come into wider use since then, after the Canadian government pulled OxyContin from pharmacy shelves in 2012, due to its high level of abuse. Fentanyl is intended for slow release through a patch over 72 hours, but addicts remove the drug from the patch so it can be smoked, injected, chewed or made into pills. Police say its potency is dangerously unpredictable.
It has become a street commodity, with some addicts stealing patches from legal users or retrieving used patches from garbage cans to get a residual amount of the drug.
Even legal use of the drug is risky, with 30 million tablets or patches of high-dose opioids (oxycodone and fentanyl) dispensed in Canada annually from 2006 to 2011. Statistics Canada estimates that approximately 1 in 10 Canadians suffers from a chronic pain condition.
A six-year study led by Tara Gomes at St. Michael’s Hospital, reported in the November, 2014 issue of Canadian Family Physician, showed that with Canada and the US leading the world in high-dose opioid prescriptions, Ontario had the highest rate of fentanyl dispensing – 112 patches annually per 1,000 population.
Some researchers believe it is being over-prescribed, with little evidence of safety or effectiveness at high doses, and with wide variations in provincial guidelines for doctors.
Methadone is used to treat addiction to heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, percocet and morphine, blocking their euphoric effects and reducing withdrawal symptoms. Guelph has four methadone clinics; Orangeville has one and Georgetown will have one this January. Addicts can also be treated in residential rehabilitation programs, but there are waiting lists.
In an effort to reduce the black market supply of the lethal prescription drug fentanyl, Wellington County is promoting an exchange program that requires patients to return all their used medication patches before getting new ones from a pharmacist.
Modeled on a successful program in North Bay, it is an initiative of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy (WGDS), which tries to reduce substance misuse through prevention, treatment, harm reduction and law enforcement.
“There is a lot of concern because of the lethality of the drug,” said WGDS Manager Adrienne Crowder, noting that the patch exchange reduces risks to individuals and the community. “The program creates a partnership between patients, doctors and pharmacists. It’s a more connected care pathway that is good for everyone.”
Use of the program is optional for pharmacists and doctors, but WGDS is urging them to participate. The County has produced a video on the issue, created by Ironcloud Productions of Hillsburgh, which can be accessed at www.wellington.ca or through a “fentanyl patch” search on YouTube.
It says police and health care providers in Guelph and Wellington are seeing increased misuse of the drug. It includes a first-person account of a recovering addict, an 18-year-old girl who started by taking painkillers from the family medicine cabinet at age 14, then moved on to stronger substances. Addicts may end up selling their possessions and resorting to crime in order to buy more of the drug.
In North Bay, where fentanyl addition was a particularly severe problem, a patch exchange program has made the drug much more difficult to obtain on the street – forcing dealers to import it from other areas.
In October, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli proposed a private members bill that would mandate the Patch-for-Patch program for pharmacies across Ontario. Patients who do not return their used patches undamaged would have to provide an explanation, and their doctor could refuse to authorize a further supply.
Known by the brand name Duragesic, fentanyl is a painkiller 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. It was originally an operating room drug and a treatment for terminally-ill patients, but is now used for various types of chronic pain.
In 2011, it caused 102 overdose deaths in Ontario. It has come into wider use since then, after the Canadian government pulled OxyContin from pharmacy shelves in 2012, due to its high level of abuse. Fentanyl is intended for slow release through a patch over 72 hours, but addicts remove the drug from the patch so it can be smoked, injected, chewed or made into pills. Police say its potency is dangerously unpredictable.
It has become a street commodity, with some addicts stealing patches from legal users or retrieving used patches from garbage cans to get a residual amount of the drug.
Even legal use of the drug is risky, with 30 million tablets or patches of high-dose opioids (oxycodone and fentanyl) dispensed in Canada annually from 2006 to 2011. Statistics Canada estimates that approximately 1 in 10 Canadians suffers from a chronic pain condition.
A six-year study led by Tara Gomes at St. Michael’s Hospital, reported in the November, 2014 issue of Canadian Family Physician, showed that with Canada and the US leading the world in high-dose opioid prescriptions, Ontario had the highest rate of fentanyl dispensing – 112 patches annually per 1,000 population.
Some researchers believe it is being over-prescribed, with little evidence of safety or effectiveness at high doses, and with wide variations in provincial guidelines for doctors.
Methadone is used to treat addiction to heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, percocet and morphine, blocking their euphoric effects and reducing withdrawal symptoms. Guelph has four methadone clinics; Orangeville has one and Georgetown will have one this January. Addicts can also be treated in residential rehabilitation programs, but there are waiting lists.
December 24, 2014
Town seeks Economic Development volunteers
As published in The Erin Advocate
Erin’s new Town Council is appealing for participation from all sectors of the community as it establishes an Economic Development Committee.
Bob Cheetham, the Town’s Economic Development Coordinator, presented the Terms of Reference (TOR) to councillors on December 16, and they gave unanimous support.
“This has got to work,” said Councillor Matt Sammut. “I’m really hoping our community steps forward and we get some really good economic minds that are passionate about this. We need our economy to not only stabilize, but revitalize.”
The committee will help create an action plan and be dedicated to the “economic well-being and future prosperity of the community”. Principles will include enhanced quality of life and “responsible and sustainable growth”.
Councillor Jeff Duncan noted that the local economy consists of residents and businesses, not the Town.
“The government can’t make this stuff happen,” he said. “We can facilitate and try our best to get things to happen, but we really do need some good people to really drive this and make it successful.”
Councillor John Brennan, who has represented Erin at the Wellington County Municipal Economic Development Group and Hills of Headwaters Tourism, said the timing is right for this initiative, with opportunities to leverage funding from various sources.
“What starts out as a relatively modest investment by the Town grows into something that can really make some great change. We’re never going to get a better opportunity,” he said.
Specifics of the mandate include marketing the Town as a destination, enhancing growth in specific sectors, identifying new trends and looking for partnerships.
Cheetham said the TOR follows the general principles of several others he has been worked on, and of earlier consultations in Erin. Calls for expressions of interest will be advertised in local media, and the TOR is available at www.erin.ca.
“The make-up of the committee is sectoral, with broad-based representation from the community, which is important if you are going to have good collaboration and a bottom-up approach,” said Cheetham.
Although he’s only been on the job for a month, he says, “This is a community with a heart. I’ve seen that. It’s got all kinds of potential. The assets are there. They just need that vehicle to move them forward. And we’ll be coming back to the rest of you in the community to be part of that.”
Mayor Al Alls noted that County Councillor Pierre Brianceau has a seat on the County Economic Development Committee and that the new Warden, George Bridge is a strong supporter of the process.
Members will be appointed to the Town committee by a vote of council. Prospective members will fill out an application by January 15, where they will indicate their interests, experience and priorities. Those will be reviewed by Town staff, who will make recommendations at the next council meeting on who should be appointed.
Initially, one member of council will be appointed as the committee chair. The normal term of committee membership will be three years. The meetings will be open to the public.
The committee will have no binding authority, but will advise and assist council. They will report to Chief Administrative Officer Kathryn Ironmonger or her designate. They will normally communicate to council through staff, but may appear before council as a delegation.
They will be expected to seek consensus and normally the majority opinion would be communicated to council. On matters of significant disagreement, the chair will have the option of reporting minority positions to council.
The committee will have up to 14 members and the Town hopes to include representatives of commercial and industrial businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Improvement Area, agriculture, the equine sector, recreation, culture, tourism, education, health care, information technology, social services and youth (18-24).
Erin’s new Town Council is appealing for participation from all sectors of the community as it establishes an Economic Development Committee.
Bob Cheetham, the Town’s Economic Development Coordinator, presented the Terms of Reference (TOR) to councillors on December 16, and they gave unanimous support.
“This has got to work,” said Councillor Matt Sammut. “I’m really hoping our community steps forward and we get some really good economic minds that are passionate about this. We need our economy to not only stabilize, but revitalize.”
The committee will help create an action plan and be dedicated to the “economic well-being and future prosperity of the community”. Principles will include enhanced quality of life and “responsible and sustainable growth”.
Councillor Jeff Duncan noted that the local economy consists of residents and businesses, not the Town.
“The government can’t make this stuff happen,” he said. “We can facilitate and try our best to get things to happen, but we really do need some good people to really drive this and make it successful.”
Councillor John Brennan, who has represented Erin at the Wellington County Municipal Economic Development Group and Hills of Headwaters Tourism, said the timing is right for this initiative, with opportunities to leverage funding from various sources.
“What starts out as a relatively modest investment by the Town grows into something that can really make some great change. We’re never going to get a better opportunity,” he said.
Specifics of the mandate include marketing the Town as a destination, enhancing growth in specific sectors, identifying new trends and looking for partnerships.
Cheetham said the TOR follows the general principles of several others he has been worked on, and of earlier consultations in Erin. Calls for expressions of interest will be advertised in local media, and the TOR is available at www.erin.ca.
“The make-up of the committee is sectoral, with broad-based representation from the community, which is important if you are going to have good collaboration and a bottom-up approach,” said Cheetham.
Although he’s only been on the job for a month, he says, “This is a community with a heart. I’ve seen that. It’s got all kinds of potential. The assets are there. They just need that vehicle to move them forward. And we’ll be coming back to the rest of you in the community to be part of that.”
Mayor Al Alls noted that County Councillor Pierre Brianceau has a seat on the County Economic Development Committee and that the new Warden, George Bridge is a strong supporter of the process.
Members will be appointed to the Town committee by a vote of council. Prospective members will fill out an application by January 15, where they will indicate their interests, experience and priorities. Those will be reviewed by Town staff, who will make recommendations at the next council meeting on who should be appointed.
Initially, one member of council will be appointed as the committee chair. The normal term of committee membership will be three years. The meetings will be open to the public.
The committee will have no binding authority, but will advise and assist council. They will report to Chief Administrative Officer Kathryn Ironmonger or her designate. They will normally communicate to council through staff, but may appear before council as a delegation.
They will be expected to seek consensus and normally the majority opinion would be communicated to council. On matters of significant disagreement, the chair will have the option of reporting minority positions to council.
The committee will have up to 14 members and the Town hopes to include representatives of commercial and industrial businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Improvement Area, agriculture, the equine sector, recreation, culture, tourism, education, health care, information technology, social services and youth (18-24).
Main Place group plans new youth programs
As published in The Erin Advocate
The Main Place Optimist Club of Erin is organizing a renewed effort to provide social and recreational activities for local youth.
Mary Shields and Kevin MacPherson from the group appeared as a delegation at the December 16 meeting of Town Council to provide an update and seek ongoing support.
The extensive activities of Main Place and Erin Hoops were severely curtailed last year after the death of organizer Patrick Suessmuth, and the deterioration of the old public school building to an unusable condition.
“We’re finalizing our incorporation and hoping to run a March Break Camp,” said Shields. “We are determined to fill that void. We really can’t have our youth with no place to go outside of school, because they will start looking for their own fun, and that won’t be good.”
They will be arranging activities at new locations. Being an Optimist Club provides them with essential liability insurance.
“I worked 10 years with Pat, and we had 100 kids a week for summer camps,” said MacPherson. “It was a really good thing.”
Councillor John Brennan said, “You have a great deal of dedication and courage – you are treading in the footsteps of a giant.”
Councillor Matt Sammut said, “What you are doing is outstanding. It is important that youth have things to do, especially some of the economically challenged families. I hope we’ll be able to support in different ways.”
Mayor Al Alls said that some funding for the group might be available through East Wellington Community Services.
The Main Place Optimist Club of Erin is organizing a renewed effort to provide social and recreational activities for local youth.
Mary Shields and Kevin MacPherson from the group appeared as a delegation at the December 16 meeting of Town Council to provide an update and seek ongoing support.
The extensive activities of Main Place and Erin Hoops were severely curtailed last year after the death of organizer Patrick Suessmuth, and the deterioration of the old public school building to an unusable condition.
“We’re finalizing our incorporation and hoping to run a March Break Camp,” said Shields. “We are determined to fill that void. We really can’t have our youth with no place to go outside of school, because they will start looking for their own fun, and that won’t be good.”
They will be arranging activities at new locations. Being an Optimist Club provides them with essential liability insurance.
“I worked 10 years with Pat, and we had 100 kids a week for summer camps,” said MacPherson. “It was a really good thing.”
Councillor John Brennan said, “You have a great deal of dedication and courage – you are treading in the footsteps of a giant.”
Councillor Matt Sammut said, “What you are doing is outstanding. It is important that youth have things to do, especially some of the economically challenged families. I hope we’ll be able to support in different ways.”
Mayor Al Alls said that some funding for the group might be available through East Wellington Community Services.
December 22, 2014
On-line votes needed for book store grant
East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) is hoping for community support to win a $10,000 grant to improve its Bookends Store.
The $10,000 competition is sponsored by ADP, a company that provides payroll and human resource services to small business. EWCS supporters can go to www.adpgrant.ca, register in the Entries section, and vote up to once a day for the local project.
Councillor John Brennan urged Erin residents to participate, at last week’s council meeting. The five businesses getting the most votes will have a chance to get the grant.
EWCS would use the $10,000 for new flooring, a desk and other improvements to the Bookends used book store (and on-line store) on Main Street in Erin.
For more information, visit the EWCS Facebook page, or read about Bookends at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com.
The $10,000 competition is sponsored by ADP, a company that provides payroll and human resource services to small business. EWCS supporters can go to www.adpgrant.ca, register in the Entries section, and vote up to once a day for the local project.
Councillor John Brennan urged Erin residents to participate, at last week’s council meeting. The five businesses getting the most votes will have a chance to get the grant.
EWCS would use the $10,000 for new flooring, a desk and other improvements to the Bookends used book store (and on-line store) on Main Street in Erin.
For more information, visit the EWCS Facebook page, or read about Bookends at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com.
December 17, 2014
The Art of Believing an evening of fun
As published in The Erin Advocate
The quality of fun is not strain'd. It droppeth – not unlike a gentle rain – among those that seek it.
And thusly doth it go in the current Erin Theatre production, entitled The Art of Believing, served up with a nice buffet dinner at David’s Restaurant until this Friday.
It is their 8th Annual Christmas Dinner Theatre, written by Susanna Lamy and directed by Kathryn DeLory. It’s a comedy, ostensibly about a ritzy art auction attended by the audience, but mainly about the antics of the auction house staff and several art buyers.
It could be characterized as an art forgery who-dunnit mystery, in which the plot can be put on hold at any time for some light-hearted singing and choreography. Audience members get to fill out a form to guess the culprit, with the correct answers entered in a prize draw. (Beware of cast members mingling with the crowd, and avoid choosing the obvious suspects.)
There is a real art auction involved as well. The pieces used on stage (famous Impressionist and early 20th Century Modernist works) were created by local artists Susanna Lamy, Jayne Reid, Melissa Staples, Richard Day, Barb McKee and Rhonda Williamson. They are being auctioned off silently, with proceeds to East Wellington Community Services.
Bids can be made in person at the shows or by phone. Go to www.erintheatre.ca to see the images, check the auction procedures and learn about the local artists. As of Monday, bids were in the $50 to $225 range.
The play is also a crash course in Art History, presented in the unstuffiest of manners by the frugal Cora Moneypenny (Carol McCone Day). She and her ever-complaining husband John Carp (Peter King) have many hilarious bits, sparked mainly by his poor hearing.
Helena Beckett (Susanna Lamy) is an art gallery curator of speckled reputation who has rounded up some multi-million dollar masterpieces for auction. She and uptight art historian Nellie Holt (Denise Rowe) try to figure out how they ended up with a fake Monet.
They work their shticks with panache, as does Christina Penner (Laura Schnablegger) a nosey reporter, eager for scandal and ready to twist people’s words against them. So unrealistic.
Bob Holler (Howard Lopez) is a used car salesman who brings a delightful sprinkle of lechery and lowbrow art commentary to the mix. His attentions are directed to the slightly disreputable auctioneer Jamie Gavel (Pamela Keyes), whose frantic live auction routine adds a generous bolt of energy to the show.
The mysterious Brother Bruno (John Carter), delivering a Van Gogh from a French monastery, tries valiantly to honour his vow of silence by communicating with a very humourous series of mimed messages.
The crew list for the production features many of the cast, along with Richard Day, Mike Russell, Jill Rogers, Melissa Staples, Barb McKee, Paulina Grant, Brenda Wainman and Katherine DeLory.
Together, cast and crew have produced a delightful diversion, a lighthearted lark, a respite from reality, a thespianic thpectacle. Label it as you like – it was fun.
The quality of fun is not strain'd. It droppeth – not unlike a gentle rain – among those that seek it.
And thusly doth it go in the current Erin Theatre production, entitled The Art of Believing, served up with a nice buffet dinner at David’s Restaurant until this Friday.
It is their 8th Annual Christmas Dinner Theatre, written by Susanna Lamy and directed by Kathryn DeLory. It’s a comedy, ostensibly about a ritzy art auction attended by the audience, but mainly about the antics of the auction house staff and several art buyers.
It could be characterized as an art forgery who-dunnit mystery, in which the plot can be put on hold at any time for some light-hearted singing and choreography. Audience members get to fill out a form to guess the culprit, with the correct answers entered in a prize draw. (Beware of cast members mingling with the crowd, and avoid choosing the obvious suspects.)
There is a real art auction involved as well. The pieces used on stage (famous Impressionist and early 20th Century Modernist works) were created by local artists Susanna Lamy, Jayne Reid, Melissa Staples, Richard Day, Barb McKee and Rhonda Williamson. They are being auctioned off silently, with proceeds to East Wellington Community Services.
Bids can be made in person at the shows or by phone. Go to www.erintheatre.ca to see the images, check the auction procedures and learn about the local artists. As of Monday, bids were in the $50 to $225 range.
The play is also a crash course in Art History, presented in the unstuffiest of manners by the frugal Cora Moneypenny (Carol McCone Day). She and her ever-complaining husband John Carp (Peter King) have many hilarious bits, sparked mainly by his poor hearing.
Helena Beckett (Susanna Lamy) is an art gallery curator of speckled reputation who has rounded up some multi-million dollar masterpieces for auction. She and uptight art historian Nellie Holt (Denise Rowe) try to figure out how they ended up with a fake Monet.
They work their shticks with panache, as does Christina Penner (Laura Schnablegger) a nosey reporter, eager for scandal and ready to twist people’s words against them. So unrealistic.
Bob Holler (Howard Lopez) is a used car salesman who brings a delightful sprinkle of lechery and lowbrow art commentary to the mix. His attentions are directed to the slightly disreputable auctioneer Jamie Gavel (Pamela Keyes), whose frantic live auction routine adds a generous bolt of energy to the show.
The mysterious Brother Bruno (John Carter), delivering a Van Gogh from a French monastery, tries valiantly to honour his vow of silence by communicating with a very humourous series of mimed messages.
The crew list for the production features many of the cast, along with Richard Day, Mike Russell, Jill Rogers, Melissa Staples, Barb McKee, Paulina Grant, Brenda Wainman and Katherine DeLory.
Together, cast and crew have produced a delightful diversion, a lighthearted lark, a respite from reality, a thespianic thpectacle. Label it as you like – it was fun.
November 19, 2014
Local focus will help build up community
As published in The Erin Advocate
There was a lot of talk during the election campaign about kicking some fresh energy into the Erin economy. With Christmas approaching, there are opportunities to take action that will strengthen the community.
One aspect is local shopping. You can only have a quaint shopping district if there is a critical mass of activity and the stores have enough revenue to survive. It is not a matter of charity, but of giving them the chance to compete.
So I urge people to walk around, talk to business owners, check out what’s available, go out for dinner, and try to do at least $50 worth of Christmas shopping within Erin. It’s all well and good to bring in new business investment, but the top priority has to be preserving and expanding what we have.
Another aspect may be called charity, but that too is really a local investment. By helping people through hard times, we improve everyone’s quality of life, build community awareness and cycle money through the local economy. And when our economy gets stronger, there will be less need for services like food banks.
There are lots of ways to volunteer and make donations, many of them organized by East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) and the various clubs and churches that contribute to its programs.
Despite living in a wealthy nation, some 842,000 Canadians got help from a food bank in March this year. That’s up only 1% since last year, but up 25% since 2008. Click here to access HungerCount 2014.
Demand continues to increase at the local Food Bank. They have helped 1,088 people (including family members) so far this year, distributing 39,596 pounds of food – the equivalent of $99,000 at the grocery store – and the year is far from over.
Station 10 Firefighters are holding their 10th Annual Food Drive and Barbecue on November 22 and 23, 10 am to 2 pm at Marc’s Valu-mart.
The Brighten Up Toy and Game Shop at 67 Main Street is holding its 3rd Annual Toy Drive on November 22, 11 am to 3 pm, supporting EWCS efforts to provide Christmas cheer to local families, seniors and single people in need.
“Times are definitely tough at Christmas for many of our client families who are already struggling with a limited budget,” said Erika Westcott, EWCS Manager of Marketing and Fund Development.
EWCS will launch its annual Christmas appeal on December 2. Last year they surpassed their target of $25,000, and will be shooting for the same amount this year. They’ll also be promoting their new, more accessible website.
The agency had been investigating the idea of a community kitchen, but it was an expensive project that really wasn’t wanted by clients. They have been able to follow through with some workshops on how to make nutritious meals at low cost.
The Adopt-A-Family Christmas program provides donors with several ways to help. Anonymous sponsorship of families with children 16 and under is coordinated by The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. Clients provide a wish list and donors are asked to provide some gifts (including something small for the parents) and a $25 grocery gift card for each family member.
The EWCS office coordinates sponsorship of seniors, adults of youths over 16. Donors can team up with friends or fellow members of various groups to co-sponsor a family. People can also contribute to food hampers that ensure clients get a Christmas dinner and Christmas morning breakfast. And of course, donations of food or any amount of money are appreciated at any time of the year.
“Everything that comes in is used – the focus is on the clients,” said Westcott. There’s more information at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com, or call 519-833-9696.
There was a lot of talk during the election campaign about kicking some fresh energy into the Erin economy. With Christmas approaching, there are opportunities to take action that will strengthen the community.
One aspect is local shopping. You can only have a quaint shopping district if there is a critical mass of activity and the stores have enough revenue to survive. It is not a matter of charity, but of giving them the chance to compete.
So I urge people to walk around, talk to business owners, check out what’s available, go out for dinner, and try to do at least $50 worth of Christmas shopping within Erin. It’s all well and good to bring in new business investment, but the top priority has to be preserving and expanding what we have.
Another aspect may be called charity, but that too is really a local investment. By helping people through hard times, we improve everyone’s quality of life, build community awareness and cycle money through the local economy. And when our economy gets stronger, there will be less need for services like food banks.
There are lots of ways to volunteer and make donations, many of them organized by East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) and the various clubs and churches that contribute to its programs.
Despite living in a wealthy nation, some 842,000 Canadians got help from a food bank in March this year. That’s up only 1% since last year, but up 25% since 2008. Click here to access HungerCount 2014.
Demand continues to increase at the local Food Bank. They have helped 1,088 people (including family members) so far this year, distributing 39,596 pounds of food – the equivalent of $99,000 at the grocery store – and the year is far from over.
Station 10 Firefighters are holding their 10th Annual Food Drive and Barbecue on November 22 and 23, 10 am to 2 pm at Marc’s Valu-mart.
The Brighten Up Toy and Game Shop at 67 Main Street is holding its 3rd Annual Toy Drive on November 22, 11 am to 3 pm, supporting EWCS efforts to provide Christmas cheer to local families, seniors and single people in need.
“Times are definitely tough at Christmas for many of our client families who are already struggling with a limited budget,” said Erika Westcott, EWCS Manager of Marketing and Fund Development.
EWCS will launch its annual Christmas appeal on December 2. Last year they surpassed their target of $25,000, and will be shooting for the same amount this year. They’ll also be promoting their new, more accessible website.
The agency had been investigating the idea of a community kitchen, but it was an expensive project that really wasn’t wanted by clients. They have been able to follow through with some workshops on how to make nutritious meals at low cost.
The Adopt-A-Family Christmas program provides donors with several ways to help. Anonymous sponsorship of families with children 16 and under is coordinated by The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. Clients provide a wish list and donors are asked to provide some gifts (including something small for the parents) and a $25 grocery gift card for each family member.
The EWCS office coordinates sponsorship of seniors, adults of youths over 16. Donors can team up with friends or fellow members of various groups to co-sponsor a family. People can also contribute to food hampers that ensure clients get a Christmas dinner and Christmas morning breakfast. And of course, donations of food or any amount of money are appreciated at any time of the year.
“Everything that comes in is used – the focus is on the clients,” said Westcott. There’s more information at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com, or call 519-833-9696.
October 22, 2014
Return of Homechild highlights local talent
The new production of Homechild – The Musical at Centre 2000 this week is a showcase of local musical and dramatic talent, shining a light on a dark corner of Canadian history and celebrating the power of family ties.
Hillsburgh playwright and composer Barb Perkins remains passionate about telling the story of the hundreds of thousands of impoverished British children who were shipped to colonies including Canada between 1860 and the 1930s. They were promised a better life, but often experienced hardship, abuse and discrimination as indentured farm labourers and domestic servants.
The story of Perkins’ own family history has been transformed into a play that has an evolving life of its own. It centres on Nan and three other children taken from a family of nine in Wales, and their desire to be reunited.
September 28 was British Home Child Day in Ontario and some members of the cast performed songs from the play at a day of special events held at Black Creek Pioneer Village.
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| Stephanie Baird and Jeff Bathurst share a song of hope. |
The play originally had a workshop staging at the Charlottetown Festival in 1999, but found its home in Erin with a full production in 2005. Since then it has been mounted by groups in Oakville, Ottawa, and in January of 2013 by Orangeville Music Theatre.
Drama teacher Steve Sherry, who helped with the show in 2005, is artistic director this time around. Music is directed by Pam Claridge, Jim Hanenberg and Barb Perkins, who is also co-producer with Chris Bailey. The Stage Manager is Stephanie Giugovaz, assisted by Jim Baker and Nancy Larocque.
Set Design and Construction are by Steve Sherry, Michael Russel and a crew of helpers, with painting by Klara Gooding and Stephanie Baird, who is also the Choreographer. The Dance Captain is Tori Ridley. Props are coordinated by Susan Wilson and costumes created by a team of nine: Barb Perkins, Christine Turnbull, Gillian Bailey, Cecile Bull, Lorraine Fennell, Sue Harvey, Nancy Larocque, Kim Pearson and Jacqueline Pilote.
The cast includes Jeff Bathurst as Will, the father of the family, and Stephanie Baird as his wife Ellyn. Young Nan is played by Paula Turnbull, Young Mary by Sierra Virgin, Young James by Brett English and Young Thomas by Dylan Larocque. The Matron is played by Candace Kelm, Older Nan by Sarah Martin, Older Mary by Racheal Seifried, Older James by Dexter Adkin and Older Thomas by Corey Kalynchuk.
The Male Chorus is Des Baxter, Brad Finch, Jim Hanenberg, Mark Keir, Mark Ladouceur, Dick Murray and Keith Smith. The Female Chorus is Tori Bennett, Karen Heckman, Elyse Hodgson, Kathy O’Shea, Kim Pearson, Tori Ridley, Sierra Virgin and Cathy Waters. The Youth Chorus is Theo Adkin, Tessa Dandy, Klara Gooding, Josie Larocque and Brad Pearson.
Tickets are available at the Brighten Up Toy and Game store in Erin – call 833-9258. More about the show is available at www.homechildmusical.com and about the Child Emigration movement at www.canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com.
October 15, 2014
Students help Habitat for Humanity
Students at Erin Public School put their painting talents to work on October 10, helping Habitat for Humanity refurbish unwanted items into valuable products. Habitat helps keep material out of landfill sites, selling a wide range of merchandise at its ReStore locations, including 104 Dawson Road in Guelph. This raises funds for its primary activity – mobilizing volunteers to build affordable housing.
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| Nancy Fraser, Associate Director of Volunteer Services with Habitat for Humanity, helps Meghan Allison use a hack saw to chop the head off a golf club. The heads are inserted into backer boards to create unique coat racks. Other projects included converting old cupboard doors into serving trays and old picture frames into miniature blackboards. |
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| Colin Brownlow gets very precise with the yellow paint on the back of his chair project. Stenciled designs were added later. |
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| Simon Wharton gave up on the paint brush and used his hands to paint this chair yellow. |
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| Braiden Reilley and Kole Wigfield apply pink paint to coat rack boards. |
September 17, 2014
EWCS holds 30-year celebration
As published in The Erin Advocate
Members of East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) were thanked last week, and reminded of the importance of maintaining Canada’s social safety net, by someone who was helped to great success by the system.
Joe Roberts, known as the Skid Row CEO, spoke at the 30th Anniversary Celebration following the EWCS Annual Meeting at the Legion Hall. It also included a Walk Down Memory Lane, with photos from the agency’s history.
“A sense of humour is the best weapon against adversity,” said Roberts, now a successful author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He told of a period in his life when alcohol and drugs provided temporary protection from his troubles, but trapped him in a difficult street life in East Vancouver.
“I leaned heavily on resources in the community for food and clothes,” he said. “I was loved where I was at and not rejected. They took me as I was. There was a seed of possibility, as a space I could move into.”
With the help of many people, especially his mother, he was successful in rehabilitation, education and eventually the business world. It started with a prayer and a promise that if he got a chance at success, he would pay it forward and “do something for the next guy”.
EWCS paid tribute at the annual meeting to its volunteers, including the board members. Mary Ellen Miller and Deanna MacKay are retiring, as is President Allan Alls, turning the reins over to Brett Davis. New members are Wayne Stickley, Brad Boland and Bob Porter.
Alls touched on some recent EWCS highlights including increased funding support, increased staff pay and research into new youth programs.
The event had started with some controversy when member Jane Vandervliet rose on a point of order to challenge the legality of the meeting. She said that the board had failed to have updates to corporate bylaws approved by the members at last year’s Annual Meeting, and that notification of recent efforts to correct the situation did not come in the proper form and time frame.
Alls acknowledged the bylaw problem, but argued that it was not practical to defer the issue to a future meeting. Members voted to carry on with the meeting. CEO Kari Simpson provided an overview of the changes to the bylaws and members voted to accept them.
Financial Statements show that EWCS had total assets of $613,583 as of March 31, 2014. Salaries and employment benefits were the major cost at $510,688, followed by occupancy costs at $46,624. Total expenses were $774,241.
Revenue came from numerous sources, including the Ministry of Health at $197,392, Ontario Early Years at $144,072, fundraising, events and general donations at $122,482, retail sales at $82,101, Guelph-Wellington United Way at $70,049, Seniors Program income at $51,727, Wellington County at $29,325, the Township of Guelph Eramosa at $16,000 and the Town of Erin at $13,302. Total revenue was $768,756, an increase of $44,953 compared to 2013.
Members of East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) were thanked last week, and reminded of the importance of maintaining Canada’s social safety net, by someone who was helped to great success by the system.
Joe Roberts, known as the Skid Row CEO, spoke at the 30th Anniversary Celebration following the EWCS Annual Meeting at the Legion Hall. It also included a Walk Down Memory Lane, with photos from the agency’s history.
“A sense of humour is the best weapon against adversity,” said Roberts, now a successful author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He told of a period in his life when alcohol and drugs provided temporary protection from his troubles, but trapped him in a difficult street life in East Vancouver.
“I leaned heavily on resources in the community for food and clothes,” he said. “I was loved where I was at and not rejected. They took me as I was. There was a seed of possibility, as a space I could move into.”
With the help of many people, especially his mother, he was successful in rehabilitation, education and eventually the business world. It started with a prayer and a promise that if he got a chance at success, he would pay it forward and “do something for the next guy”.
EWCS paid tribute at the annual meeting to its volunteers, including the board members. Mary Ellen Miller and Deanna MacKay are retiring, as is President Allan Alls, turning the reins over to Brett Davis. New members are Wayne Stickley, Brad Boland and Bob Porter.
Alls touched on some recent EWCS highlights including increased funding support, increased staff pay and research into new youth programs.
The event had started with some controversy when member Jane Vandervliet rose on a point of order to challenge the legality of the meeting. She said that the board had failed to have updates to corporate bylaws approved by the members at last year’s Annual Meeting, and that notification of recent efforts to correct the situation did not come in the proper form and time frame.
Alls acknowledged the bylaw problem, but argued that it was not practical to defer the issue to a future meeting. Members voted to carry on with the meeting. CEO Kari Simpson provided an overview of the changes to the bylaws and members voted to accept them.
Financial Statements show that EWCS had total assets of $613,583 as of March 31, 2014. Salaries and employment benefits were the major cost at $510,688, followed by occupancy costs at $46,624. Total expenses were $774,241.
Revenue came from numerous sources, including the Ministry of Health at $197,392, Ontario Early Years at $144,072, fundraising, events and general donations at $122,482, retail sales at $82,101, Guelph-Wellington United Way at $70,049, Seniors Program income at $51,727, Wellington County at $29,325, the Township of Guelph Eramosa at $16,000 and the Town of Erin at $13,302. Total revenue was $768,756, an increase of $44,953 compared to 2013.
August 27, 2014
EWCS celebrates 30 years of caring
As published in the Erin Advocate
East Wellington Community Services is marking its 30th anniversary with a look back at its humble origins and a party to inspire renewed commitment to the future.
The public is invited to join current and past volunteers, board members and staff for refreshments at the Erin Legion on September 8, at 7 pm. Activities will include a Blasts from the Past slide show hosted by Children’s Services Manager Marlene MacNevin, who has been with the agency 28 years. RSVP to Tammy at 519-833-9696.
The guest speaker will be Joe Roberts, a former homeless skid row addict who turned his life around to become an author and the CEO of a successful Canadian company. He is a professional motivational speaker and an advocate for at-risk youth.
The idea of a local agency to provide services to rural and village residents in the Erin-Hillsburgh-Rockwood area started with a meeting of citizens in 1983 at the Legion Hall. In 1984 they opened the East Wellington Advisory Group (EWAG) Multi-Service Centre and Info Erin at All Saints Anglican Church.
“We felt that our community had fallen between the cracks of the service delivery system and that it needed something of its own,” said founding President Kasia Seydegart, in an article on the agency’s history. “The pivotal issue in our community was lack of resources for children and teens. EWAG had to bring the services to the people rather than bring the people to the services.”
Over the years, EWAG became part of the community fabric, recruiting an army of volunteers to share their talents, and earning broad support from residents, businesses, service clubs, governments and churches. It was built on the principles of easy access, coordination of various services, local management and opportunities for people to learn and contribute.
Here are just a few highlights of the agency’s initiatives and partnerships over the years: the Info Erin Directory, the Nearly New, Bookends, Again and New to You Stores, Panda’s Place, Erin Child Care Outreach (now Ontario Early Years), Employment Services, the Seniors Day Program, services for active seniors including recreational programs, the 109 Club and day trips, the Rural Women’s Shelter Program, a van and a lift-equipped bus, the Eramosa Seniors’ Resource Centre and the Toy Lending Library in Rockwood, free computer/internet access, United Way support, the Food Bank and Christmas Hamper programs and the launch of the East Wellington Family Health Team medical centre.
The registered charity changed its name in 2009 to East Wellington Community Services, with offices at 45 Main Street in Erin (where a series of partner agencies also provide services) and at 106 Church Street in Rockwood, and extensive information available at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com.
With the recent loss of youth programs at Erin Hoops / Main Place, EWCS is conducting a survey of youth to find out what services they would like in the community and how the agency could help. It is available through the East Wellington CS Facebook page or at www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y8NN8F9.
Many of EWCS programs get government funding, but local contributions of time, money, food, equipment, clothing, skills and services form a major part of the agency’s support. Fundraising efforts range from the retailing of clothes and books to the annual Golf Tournament, the High Tea and High Heels event, the ongoing bottle drive, and even wine sales through The Little Grape That Could. Financial support can be raised through hosted events, given personally at the offices or online through the Canada Helps website.
“Donations are essential – they really keep the agency thriving,” said Erika Westcott, Manager of Marketing and Fund Development. “We have a real relationship with the community.”
So if you have never had any connection with Community Services, or if it’s been a while, please give it some thought. Sooner or later, you or someone you care about will benefit from this network of support.
East Wellington Community Services is marking its 30th anniversary with a look back at its humble origins and a party to inspire renewed commitment to the future.
The public is invited to join current and past volunteers, board members and staff for refreshments at the Erin Legion on September 8, at 7 pm. Activities will include a Blasts from the Past slide show hosted by Children’s Services Manager Marlene MacNevin, who has been with the agency 28 years. RSVP to Tammy at 519-833-9696.
The guest speaker will be Joe Roberts, a former homeless skid row addict who turned his life around to become an author and the CEO of a successful Canadian company. He is a professional motivational speaker and an advocate for at-risk youth.
The idea of a local agency to provide services to rural and village residents in the Erin-Hillsburgh-Rockwood area started with a meeting of citizens in 1983 at the Legion Hall. In 1984 they opened the East Wellington Advisory Group (EWAG) Multi-Service Centre and Info Erin at All Saints Anglican Church.
“We felt that our community had fallen between the cracks of the service delivery system and that it needed something of its own,” said founding President Kasia Seydegart, in an article on the agency’s history. “The pivotal issue in our community was lack of resources for children and teens. EWAG had to bring the services to the people rather than bring the people to the services.”
Over the years, EWAG became part of the community fabric, recruiting an army of volunteers to share their talents, and earning broad support from residents, businesses, service clubs, governments and churches. It was built on the principles of easy access, coordination of various services, local management and opportunities for people to learn and contribute.
Here are just a few highlights of the agency’s initiatives and partnerships over the years: the Info Erin Directory, the Nearly New, Bookends, Again and New to You Stores, Panda’s Place, Erin Child Care Outreach (now Ontario Early Years), Employment Services, the Seniors Day Program, services for active seniors including recreational programs, the 109 Club and day trips, the Rural Women’s Shelter Program, a van and a lift-equipped bus, the Eramosa Seniors’ Resource Centre and the Toy Lending Library in Rockwood, free computer/internet access, United Way support, the Food Bank and Christmas Hamper programs and the launch of the East Wellington Family Health Team medical centre.
The registered charity changed its name in 2009 to East Wellington Community Services, with offices at 45 Main Street in Erin (where a series of partner agencies also provide services) and at 106 Church Street in Rockwood, and extensive information available at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com.
With the recent loss of youth programs at Erin Hoops / Main Place, EWCS is conducting a survey of youth to find out what services they would like in the community and how the agency could help. It is available through the East Wellington CS Facebook page or at www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y8NN8F9.
Many of EWCS programs get government funding, but local contributions of time, money, food, equipment, clothing, skills and services form a major part of the agency’s support. Fundraising efforts range from the retailing of clothes and books to the annual Golf Tournament, the High Tea and High Heels event, the ongoing bottle drive, and even wine sales through The Little Grape That Could. Financial support can be raised through hosted events, given personally at the offices or online through the Canada Helps website.
“Donations are essential – they really keep the agency thriving,” said Erika Westcott, Manager of Marketing and Fund Development. “We have a real relationship with the community.”
So if you have never had any connection with Community Services, or if it’s been a while, please give it some thought. Sooner or later, you or someone you care about will benefit from this network of support.
July 23, 2014
Cutting wait times for mental health services
As published in The Erin Advocate
The flood of calls to a new mental health helpline has prompted an increase in funding from the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), part of a $1.23 million investment in crisis response, referrals, addiction treatment and suicide prevention.
The Waterloo Wellington LHIN board has approved an additional $950,000 for the “Here 24/7” service, operated by the regional branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). It provides a live-answer phone line, as part of a new system providing a single point of access for anyone who needs information, referral, assessment and treatment.
“Calls to Here 24/7 have exceeded expectations by more than 75%,” said a LHIN announcement after the June 26 board meeting. “While more than 7,800 residents have been helped since April, there are still others who hung-up before receiving help. The additional funding will reduce the wait time for callers, reduce the number of callers who hang-up before being helped, and reduce wait times for residents needing a formal assessment for addiction and mental health needs.”
The helpline number is 1-844-437-3247. Residents can go to www.here247.ca or show up in person at 147 Delhi St. in Guelph or 234 St. Patrick St. E. in Fergus.
The LHIN board, which oversees the allocation of Ministry of Health funding for local needs, has also approved an additional $200,000 for the CMHA’s Youth and Young Adult Skills for Safer Living Program.
“This peer-led group program is a skills-based intervention that addresses the needs of individuals that engage in suicidal behavior,” said the announcement, noting that 47% of youth ages 12-24 have suicide-related concerns at some point, and that among youth, suicide remains the 2nd leading cause of death.
“Transitional age youth (ages 16-24) are a vulnerable population as their developmental needs may not be adequately met by existing programs that are designed for either children or adults.”
In addition, CMHA will receive $75,000 to produce 60,000 suicide prevention information packages for local distribution, and to host more group “postvention” sessions.
Postvention is the effort to improve the quality of life and avoid further suicides among those grieving a suicide loss.
The flood of calls to a new mental health helpline has prompted an increase in funding from the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), part of a $1.23 million investment in crisis response, referrals, addiction treatment and suicide prevention.
The Waterloo Wellington LHIN board has approved an additional $950,000 for the “Here 24/7” service, operated by the regional branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). It provides a live-answer phone line, as part of a new system providing a single point of access for anyone who needs information, referral, assessment and treatment.
“Calls to Here 24/7 have exceeded expectations by more than 75%,” said a LHIN announcement after the June 26 board meeting. “While more than 7,800 residents have been helped since April, there are still others who hung-up before receiving help. The additional funding will reduce the wait time for callers, reduce the number of callers who hang-up before being helped, and reduce wait times for residents needing a formal assessment for addiction and mental health needs.”
The helpline number is 1-844-437-3247. Residents can go to www.here247.ca or show up in person at 147 Delhi St. in Guelph or 234 St. Patrick St. E. in Fergus.
The LHIN board, which oversees the allocation of Ministry of Health funding for local needs, has also approved an additional $200,000 for the CMHA’s Youth and Young Adult Skills for Safer Living Program.
“This peer-led group program is a skills-based intervention that addresses the needs of individuals that engage in suicidal behavior,” said the announcement, noting that 47% of youth ages 12-24 have suicide-related concerns at some point, and that among youth, suicide remains the 2nd leading cause of death.
“Transitional age youth (ages 16-24) are a vulnerable population as their developmental needs may not be adequately met by existing programs that are designed for either children or adults.”
In addition, CMHA will receive $75,000 to produce 60,000 suicide prevention information packages for local distribution, and to host more group “postvention” sessions.
Postvention is the effort to improve the quality of life and avoid further suicides among those grieving a suicide loss.
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