tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56532438159498176662024-03-05T13:58:53.631-07:00TAIT ON EIGHT with GREAT news!More news, views and all kinds of stuff from Edmonton Sun columnist Cam TaitAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-57452303950677359552014-04-30T10:42:00.001-06:002014-04-30T10:42:16.312-06:00Heidi and Tyler: new roommates; old friends - Q AND A<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Tyler Parker</span></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 130.65pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Q: What do
you hope to learn from living with Heidi?</i></span></span><b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A: I hope to learn what it takes to
make a good relationship and then take it to the “I do everything for you” step
without making it odd or embarrassing to both parties. </span></span></i></b></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Q: Why do you want to become a
Health Care Aide? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>A: I want to become a health care
aide because of Heidi. I see the world as a cruel place that we need to fix. This
world is not ready for people to change how others see “CRIPS”. It’s a touchy
subject that not everyone is comfortable with talking about because, as humans,
we don't always see how we treat others well. when I'm out with my aunt I get
questioning looks “why is that young women with that *crip*?” My answer to
their looks is “She’s with me and I will protect her”. Not everyone gets just
how strong my relationship with her is. My aunt has saved my life more than once.
In junior high I was a mess but my aunt would not let me quit anything. She
would take me for a day or for a week and I would get through it all. I never
have had a relationship like I do with my aunt. She can make my awful days into
good days and my good days in to amazing, awesome, beautiful days. </i></b></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>She pushes me to be the best I can.
It’s because of her that I'm working so hard to get my diploma and also to
become a healthcare aide. She makes everything better with her huge happy grin
that she always has for me. When I was a little girl I met my aunt that has
changed my world, turned it upside down and put it back together to make me smile;
even when I thought I never would again. she is my influence that saves me from
making my life worse and helps.</i></b></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Heidi Janz</span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Q: How did you meet Tyler?<b><br /></b></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b> A: Tyler is my ADOPTIVE
niece – it’s the closest / most convenient shorthand identifier we could find
for our rather complex connection. Here’s a Reader’s Digest version of how
Tyler came into my life: Some 13 years ago, Tyler’s grandfather, Shafer Parker,
became my pastor. I soon developed a close friendship with Shafer and his wife
Jeanne – and over time, also with their eldest son (Tyler’s stepdad), Tyler’s
mom, and their two kids: Tyler (then all of 5 years old), and Sean (then a
newborn). </b></span></i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Q. Why did
she move in with you?</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p><b><i> </i></b></o:p></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b></b></span></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5653243815949817666" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b>A: Due to frequent relocations,
Tyler has had to go to 2 high schools in the past 3 years. Faced with another
move, she was frustrated and on the verge of quitting high school. Tyler’s goal
is to become a Health Care Aide. But I felt strongly that it’s important for
her future that she finish high school before going on to her HCA training. So,
I offered to have her come live with me to finish high school and then go on to
take her HCA training at Nightingale Academy. Her entire family thought it was
a good idea, Tyler took me up on the offer, and here we are. </b></span></i></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Q. What are you learning?</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> A: The
importance of PRAYER!!!!!!!!!! . How to negotiate multiple roles of
surrogate mom, aunt, landlord, roommate, confidante, & counselor. (No
wonder I’m so tired!) 3. How to establish rules and boundaries, while giving
her the freedom she needs to make her own decisions as a young adult. (This is
still VERY MUCH a work in progress!!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">) </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></b></span></blockquote>
</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-79606911874245060472014-04-16T12:02:00.001-06:002014-04-16T12:02:23.181-06:00Walter Gretzky addresses year-round minor hockey<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From what I’ve seen in recent
summers, local hockey rinks are almost as busy as outdoor swimming pools. But
is it a good idea for young hockey players to lace up skates and strap on the pads
year round? Walter Gretzky says no.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“I’ve seen it,” says Walter, the
father of Wayne. “When kids play hockey all year long they are tired in February.”</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqHri8_-A1EjWwv2NG_8esimP-eO5fUU1d6fjhjpr_gIXSWoUjFgcYUcCcarAuEKn8_FXwb-Rq8e0X3UiZljoqW_hzzJMj4Pc2K-yaSYy6r9MMaKqjhBCvlTS-L4Uei9XSiiH8fDMh04/s1600/walter-gretzky-topics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqHri8_-A1EjWwv2NG_8esimP-eO5fUU1d6fjhjpr_gIXSWoUjFgcYUcCcarAuEKn8_FXwb-Rq8e0X3UiZljoqW_hzzJMj4Pc2K-yaSYy6r9MMaKqjhBCvlTS-L4Uei9XSiiH8fDMh04/s1600/walter-gretzky-topics.jpg" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Walter thinks kids should play as
many sports as they can so they can have different experiences. He gave an up
close and personal example: Wayne loved baseball and could have made the major
leagues. We all know he took a different path and made National Hockey League
history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It raises an interesting debate:
would Wayne have been so dominate in the NHL if he only played hockey?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Walter made the observation last
week when he was in Edmonton for The 2014 <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Alzheimer's Face Off</span> luncheon. Retired Vancouver Province
columnist Jim Taylor conducted a very entertaining question and answer session
with the ever engaging Walter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net">Email me</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Twitter @camtait</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-56950826607794354592014-04-13T07:10:00.000-06:002014-04-13T07:10:03.453-06:00"Making the words work" — Jim Taylor<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When Jim Taylor and John Short are sitting across from you
at the dinner table, you’re in for a real treat. And, if you happen to be a
newspaper reporter like me, listening to two veterans spin stories about their
adventures is an unforgettable evening, laced with subtle lessons — just like
how they write.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18_U4xuL4ZK9DB3BkB1UHW9Vv6FYlhX6JxwB-OJc-KiyI9oXCVdrx3Jv3PNn0k12KsQtuQ9jOviT7VUJU7HEtsbfYnJTyflsDLnEQYJdKCZYAa8eOch652G5aRJ9ne7nJYanqBPlEiFg/s1600/taylor_j2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18_U4xuL4ZK9DB3BkB1UHW9Vv6FYlhX6JxwB-OJc-KiyI9oXCVdrx3Jv3PNn0k12KsQtuQ9jOviT7VUJU7HEtsbfYnJTyflsDLnEQYJdKCZYAa8eOch652G5aRJ9ne7nJYanqBPlEiFg/s1600/taylor_j2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">…Jim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jim wrote over 7,500 sports columns for newspapers including
the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province and Calgary Sun. John wrote sports for
the Globe and Mail, the Canadian Press, the Edmonton Journal and he is a colleague
of mine at the Edmonton Sun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jim was in town Thursday to be part a charity event. A few
weeks ago he suggested the three of us have dinner “and tell a few stories.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I just listened. I may have been in the newspaper business
for over 30 years, but, frankly, I felt like a journalism student taking his
last class.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jim and John met in the mid-1960’s, decades before the
Internet. They relied on notepads and manual typewriters to write their stories
and columns. But, more important: their reputation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jim gave a great example: he was writing a book with Wayne
Gretzky, and several days before Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles, Jim had the
story. But he had an agreement with Wayne: not to write anything in the
newspaper he discovered while writing the book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And he didn’t.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have to wonder if that would have happened in today’s
social media.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0e9wwZbOBmPqJsHTTyZWECFOnCxkIYoaoLIGK1bpCGTCHy-sKtLtgx9XrppcnzhkkqLpYM-axAquqlFpbphKt-wDnOEYGoVriodHFjgtwJ9U9ULYBcoM9YEV8Bz1ZDgUNLKSg66RP7g/s1600/John_Short-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0e9wwZbOBmPqJsHTTyZWECFOnCxkIYoaoLIGK1bpCGTCHy-sKtLtgx9XrppcnzhkkqLpYM-axAquqlFpbphKt-wDnOEYGoVriodHFjgtwJ9U9ULYBcoM9YEV8Bz1ZDgUNLKSg66RP7g/s1600/John_Short-4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">…John</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">John says reporters and people they write about these days
don’t share time together like they used to — over dinner, or over a cup of
coffee. Building relationships are so very important in any business,
especially the media.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Funny thing happened, too. Nobody’s cell phone went off once
over dinner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mrs. Tait joined us and I’m glad she got a glimpse of
newspaper reporting years ago. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“I have never heard you so quiet over dinner in the 19 years
we’ve been married,” she said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that made me wonder if, perhaps, I don’t listen enough.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net">Email me </a></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Twitter @camtait</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-9366915062028456572014-04-08T22:43:00.000-06:002014-04-09T10:49:13.440-06:00Remembering a volunteer's volunteer<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-CA">By </span></span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Sharan Sandhu</span></b></span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp_J6ah6qTgPD8nRahXm56QdklIqtqu_0dCfMBnOJmHGMdWSFqD4rBBj0d8kXnqknqE7lxsITFjXzWdzl468SZNOHFQ3Y8mSwO5C6eaRjwstNR5PT-gRwmfP2XuOgtRHi-9xIeHTBkOQ/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp_J6ah6qTgPD8nRahXm56QdklIqtqu_0dCfMBnOJmHGMdWSFqD4rBBj0d8kXnqknqE7lxsITFjXzWdzl468SZNOHFQ3Y8mSwO5C6eaRjwstNR5PT-gRwmfP2XuOgtRHi-9xIeHTBkOQ/s1600/image.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier; font-size: small; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"> Bernie Karcher</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">A cheerful
average height man with military-cut hair walks-in vigilantly across the South
East Police Station, bringing smiles on everyone’s face. Left and right, he
tosses good-natured greetings with a mysterious smile, acknowledging volunteers
and police officers by their names. His memory borders on uncanny. He heads for yet another volunteer
opportunity: his thoughts are focused improving the overall quality of life of
fellow Albertans, and the community as a whole.</span></b><br />
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">He moves
quickly — so fast that people have come to think of him as a blur: the vague
outline of a loose black jacket, accented by a splash of small hair showing few
grey streaks. His jacket is draped loosely across his shoulder as if he’s
daring the world to grab hold and try to slow him down. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">This was Bernie
Karcher.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk3ZKGhAL5Ly9_9x1RD3MFZk76LRPE9-ZpUWFWk0DjxM9AkaGkqKY2wX3qCnrCs7S2KQSNE0Razacb1gHgyXeYEV_ddzF-LMF8J7zdzaIHJE7vklmCXeLajCYWnIQUGWzgX9fA8ZHR6Y/s1600/image+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk3ZKGhAL5Ly9_9x1RD3MFZk76LRPE9-ZpUWFWk0DjxM9AkaGkqKY2wX3qCnrCs7S2KQSNE0Razacb1gHgyXeYEV_ddzF-LMF8J7zdzaIHJE7vklmCXeLajCYWnIQUGWzgX9fA8ZHR6Y/s1600/image+copy.jpeg" height="320" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">….Bernie on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Bernie had the ability to make people crave to do volunteer work with
him. The enthusiasm and support he gave to every volunteer made them find the
work fun. As President of Mill Woods Community Patrol Bernie communicated with
all volunteers and treated them
with respect, and encouraged them when needed. Bernie tried to get the best out
of his team of volunteers by being understanding them and inspiring them. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">He made you feel as if you were involved in a very important enterprise,
where discipline was the priority and things are going well. He was a great
volunteer leader. If you ever patrolled with him, you saw some of the finest
traits of him, like his observations, his enthusiasm, his confidence and his witty
comments. Bernie Karcher was <i>quick</i>
but not hasty, <i>committed</i> but not
rigid, <i>analytical</i> but did not
over-analyze and he was <i>thoughtful</i>,
but is not obsessive. The people who knew him from many years say that he could
smell the problems in the community when he was patrolling, and that was the
reason that he spent good time attending courts. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Among all
the action, Bernie sat with his Blackberry/laptop or iPad with his small glasses
sitting on his nose and then went about his work. He updated the volunteer status, looked at new
volunteer applications, studied newly introduced laws and legislations to be
introduced and so much more. He
could easily multi-task. But the amazing thing is that Bernie occasionally threw
comments into all the conversations that are happening around him. It always
amazed me that he could concentrate intently on his volunteer work,
professional work and still know what was going on with his family.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Bernie was
very well aware of his professional, personal and volunteer responsibilities
and amazingly he keep a perfect balance. He was available wherever he was
required, and he showed up for everything because he just wanted to be there to
show that it mattered. That’s why he was a terrific human being: he understood
the importance of being there, of being having a presence, and of showing up. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The best thing about Bernie Karcher was that being the head of Mill
Woods Community Patrol, he did not command excellence; he built excellence. In
his words, excellence is “being all you can be” within the bounds of doing what
is right for the organization. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Bernie was a recipient of many
awards, including the 2009 <i>Harry Hole</i> Community Policing and the Good
Neighbours Award. On May 10, 2013, another feather was attached to his cap —
the 22<sup>nd</sup> Annual Crime Prevention Award for 2013 for Mill Woods
Community Patrol in the category of Police-Community Collaboration. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">In my opinion Bernie was a true role model for every volunteer to make Alberta an
exemplary place to live in.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">This is the person that was: the
person who died on March 27<sup>th</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">He touched many people through his
volunteer efforts with MWCP, Operation Red Nose, the Edmonton Indy, the MS Bike
Tour, Santas Anonymous, the Progress Club, World Triathalon, the Mill Woods
Presidents’ Council, Mill Woods Canada Day celebrations. Bernie constantly made
the extra effort to reach out and make a difference in somebody’s life. His
cool-headed and positive approach to every situation struck a chord with
thousands of people he interacted with, along with me. His irreverent sense of
humor and love for helping people of any background will ensure that he will
never be forgotten. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Rest in Peace, Bernie Karcher.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwcZLLxFs4E9m7qCqLB94wjXdbjsrrb-hKJPKhKJTIqn6rt6xvwMBCcqzoCfplKfAm-HE-mfy9Zo6eQZcF8cYQze8NquhdE9AueXC6kkOn9zoZsmOKbqZToteeiq10WYGcFklPMLNj5w/s1600/image-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwcZLLxFs4E9m7qCqLB94wjXdbjsrrb-hKJPKhKJTIqn6rt6xvwMBCcqzoCfplKfAm-HE-mfy9Zo6eQZcF8cYQze8NquhdE9AueXC6kkOn9zoZsmOKbqZToteeiq10WYGcFklPMLNj5w/s1600/image-1.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">…Bernie in the blue shirt<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net"><span style="font-size: large;">Click here to send an email</span></a><br />
l</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-42644291019867727132014-04-08T19:57:00.002-06:002014-04-08T19:57:59.037-06:00We're back blogging with a new name: TAIT ON 8<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ah, what the hell: I’ll have a Coke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog. <a href="http://camtaittalk.blogspot.ca/2013/09/the-tait-debate-shame-on-coca-cola.html">In fact, thelast was way back in the fall when I was mad at Coca-Cola.</a> But we can’t stay mad at something forever, right? So I’m going to fire up the blog again because there’s so much to share.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I March 20 joined the Edmonton Sun as a columnist. Tait on 8 is the name and we sharing good news in the Edmonton area. The response has been overwhelming. And we have so many great stories to write that, unfortunately, we can’t get them in two columns in the Sun and Edmonton Examiner. So we’re going to use my blog to help out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like, Wednesday. Mill Woods Community patrol acting president Sharan Shandon sent an email about Bernie Karcher.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Shandon says Bernie was a dedicated volunteer and was very well known throughout the community. Sharan wrote a very nice piece about his friend Bernie and we’re going to post it, including pictures, tonight or first thing Wednesday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I really want to hear from you about good things going on in your life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s funny, isn’t it? We’ve all heard people say “whenever you’re going through a rough period call me — I’m always here to listen”? And that’s great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But when your life is on fire, when things are going great, when you’ve reached one of your dreams, I would like to know.</span></div>
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Please share.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net"><span style="font-size: large;">camtait@telus.net</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter @camtait.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">(Please visit <a href="http://challengeinsurance.ca/">Challenge Insurance </a>where I work as a special projects advisor.)</span></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://edmontonsun.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">The Edmonton Sun.</span></a></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-24942866297972080892013-09-20T20:03:00.001-06:002013-09-20T20:03:30.848-06:00The Tait Debate: Shame on Coca-cola
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhZkRZ-zmWMGvQHAD_6ZVDrFkOLvNOLtVyAOjfYOxr_4mHGHf7ae82A84B-IpNi3JWFF7MBlpq-IrcVOFAMaz7XsdbyfSghJ9D9veR9zDduwXVi228eNtT8Xye92bYAbna3CMg8DaI_4/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhZkRZ-zmWMGvQHAD_6ZVDrFkOLvNOLtVyAOjfYOxr_4mHGHf7ae82A84B-IpNi3JWFF7MBlpq-IrcVOFAMaz7XsdbyfSghJ9D9veR9zDduwXVi228eNtT8Xye92bYAbna3CMg8DaI_4/s320/images.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I may have very well sipped my last Coca-cola. The soft
drink giant is in the throws of a promotional campaign where words, in English
and French, are engraved in caps and customers are urged to put words together.
In a news story Friday, Shannon Denny, director of brand communications with
Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada, said the idea is for folks to put together
humorous sentences. But there was nothing funny when the words “You retard”
showed up in Blake Loates’ husband’s Vitaminwater cap bottle, a Coke product.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What was especially concerning to Loates is her sister has a
younger sister who with autism and cerebral palsy. The R-word? Very demeaning —
even derogatory — to people with disabilities. I know: I have cerebral palsy, a
physical disability. Yet, over my five decades, I have been called a retard. I
find that offensive. In September of 2013 I find it very, very offensive and in
extreme bad taste from Coca-cola. They should hang their heads in unforgiveable
shame. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In French, Denny says, retard means delayed. I really could
care less. The mere fact Coca-cola decided to use the word is simply wrong. It
shows their pathetic and archaic way of thinking, and says volumes about how
they view people with disabilities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I really have to wonder. Because for all of my adult
life I know organizations and associations promoting the abilities of people
with disabilities have worked hard — damn hard — to create proper language.
Such efforts try to create positive awareness so people with disabilities can
be seen as people. Not names. Yet, time and time again, we hear of stories of
negative terminology being used. I wonder if the hard work of people with
disabilities are, in fact, being listened to. The Coca-cola story is certainly disheartening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think I’m going to mix myself a stiff drink. And I know
one thing: I won’t be using a Coca-cola product for mix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net"><br /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net">CLICK HERE</a> TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN AN EMAIL</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-85287532361305053512013-09-20T13:22:00.002-06:002013-09-20T13:22:30.329-06:00Ending poverty begins by looking at it, face to face<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">From the outset, it could very well be too much to ask: how do we end poverty? How? How can we as a community even begin to start to chip away at such a monumental issue with so many challenges, which seemingly leads to dead ends? The answer is very simple, really: we have to acknowledge it. That’s what happened Thursday when the 2013 Alberta Capital Region United Way campaign kicked of in Edmonton at the Expo Centre with 700-plus supporters in attendance. This year’s campaign has a lofty goal — $23.6 million — and took a diversion from past campaign kick-offs.</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">In the past, kick-off lunches have been inspired with stories from people who have benefited from United Way programs and agencies. They have ranged from convicted criminals, to single parent families, to people with disabilities, to people with addiction issues and many more. Their stories have been inspiring. They have shown United Way dollars changing their lives. Yet, there has been common theme in almost all of them: poverty. Because if you don’t have money, maybe you turn to crime; if you don’t have money to provide for your family, maybe you turn against the people you love the most and break up your family; if you don’t have money and you become disabled and can’t get proper resources, maybe you turn to drugs or alcohol.</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">“Imagine this. Each and every day you wake up, you are focused on one thing – surviving - day-by-day. You’re not sure if there will be enough money to meet the rent, pay the heat or put food on the table for your family,” United Way campaign chair Gary Bosgoed described to the crowd. “Your transportation is limited. You catch a lift with friends, you walk or you take public transit – that is, when you have bus money. And university for your kids? Well, that’s for other people. Your biggest worry today is finding the money to buy their school supplies – and as for the class field trip, that’s just not in the budget.”</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The numbers are quite staggering, Poverty is a way of life for 120,000 people in the Alberta Capital Region. And here’s the figure that is most startling: 37,000 are children. “Kids,” says Bosgoed, “who aren’t concerned about the latest in video games or fashion trends – but they are concerned about getting enough to eat.” Under those conditions opportunities can be hard to come by and the challenges can become endless.</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Yet, there is hope. United Way has done extensive research and has come up with a plan: Creating Pathways Out of Poverty. Funds from this year’s United Way campaign will go to three key areas: education of children from early years to high school to help them reach their full potential; providing income support to folks who are homeless or have low incomes, and creating wellness, physically and mentally, without the worry of fear and violence in our communities.</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">“Poverty is not something that one organization, government or group can tackle alone. It takes all of us working together with measurable and specific goals in mind,” says Bosgoed.</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Perhaps, then, the question isn’t how can we end poverty, but rather this: How can we not?</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">(Cam Tait is a semi-retired Edmonton Journal columnist who is the Special Project Advisor for Challenge Insurance in Edmonton.) </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-4412925020468441732013-09-17T14:17:00.002-06:002013-09-17T14:25:30.437-06:00The Sept 17 Tait Debate: Teenagers perform home care for mother when workers fail to show up<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpp8Qdn6hpnKguwUksIdE2TSNlcf0CO4MrrcvQXtJQzgDShmrSjNM-tY2CszslFx13wyW-e_RW9G7zLvfFMllCsETuEyK8M129W-HmewBjxN7mTlbRnushUB2OeRi5fbMsDrDm_VJPM8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpp8Qdn6hpnKguwUksIdE2TSNlcf0CO4MrrcvQXtJQzgDShmrSjNM-tY2CszslFx13wyW-e_RW9G7zLvfFMllCsETuEyK8M129W-HmewBjxN7mTlbRnushUB2OeRi5fbMsDrDm_VJPM8/s400/photo.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susan Beaudoin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Susan Beaudion is a proud mother of two teenagers and she
wants to care for them and give them as many opportunities as she can. But it’s
been very hard to do that lately and because Susan needs her kids to help with
when home care workers don’t arrive for scheduled visits: her teenagers help her getting dressed and helping her
onto the toilet. That’s the reality for the 43-year-old woman who has had
multiple sclerosis for 23 years and uses a wheelchair. Susan is supposed to get
help from WeCare Health Services four times a day to help her get up in the
morning, dressed and go to bed in her Beaumont home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But ever since Aug. 1 when We Care signed a new contract with
Alberta Health Services Susan has not had home care workers show up for several
shifts. On Monday night her scheduled help did not show up and she had to put
herself to bed. Other times she relies on family and friends for help. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Any transfers to the toilet, or meals were done by my kids
who are teenagers,” she says of a recent Sunday when her help didn’t show. “But
they should not have sole responsibility of their mother's care. They helped me
to get into bed that night.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Susan says the problems started when AHS changed the We Care
contract. Since Aug. 1, We Care home care workers are not being fully paid for mileage
for visits in non-Edmonton towns. We Care employees now have to pay for a
significant portion of operation a vehicle out of their own pocket. “Before the
August cutbacks I had three regular homecare workers that did above and beyond what
was needed,” says Susan. “They became my friends and they treated me with
dignity and respect. They have left because they could not afford to stay. They
had to find other jobs because they had bills to pay too. They all loved their
jobs before the cutbacks.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We e-mailed Don Fraser in the Edmonton We Care office twice
for him to comment on the missed visits. E-mails were not responded to. Mr.
Fraser is welcome to respond at the end of this blog post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Susan says sometimes the We Care office calls her to say
nobody comes. Sometimes not. And that leads to confusion: One day Susan was
called and said nobody would be filling the shift. Then, someone did arrive 30
minutes and helped her but nobody came for the rest of the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Susan says it is very mentally taxing just not knowing who
is coming and when. “I am exhausted! Trying to always try to cover for the lack
of care I am receiving. Trying to keep a house going with minimal care when I
receive it. This has totally affected my plans because I need to have my
friends and family stop just being family and friends to become being
caregivers. We can't have fun and socialize but now they have to help me, too.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Susan continues: “My home does not feel like a home with
complete strangers coming in and out. Daily it is changing. Having the same
caregivers come regular is so important because you form a trust with that
person. It takes time to tell them (someone new) and showing them, and then in
return receive minimal care. It is like asking a complete stranger to do
something personal for you, (and) you don't want to.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Susan has reported the missed visits to her case manager.
Her case manager is upset with the situation and has recorded the information. “I
am hoping that more people that speak out that this will be rectified. I think
they (We Care) are going to have to pay their staff better which includes
travel especially outside the city,” he says. “I am feeling so frustrated with
this that I don't know what else to say. I guess before I felt like a
contributing person in society and now I feel like I am trying to exist.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>(Cam Tait is a semi-retired journalist who has cerebral palsy and uses home care in Edmonton)</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep the conversation going by clicking <a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net">here </a></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-55473180263633035722013-09-13T11:35:00.000-06:002013-09-13T11:35:18.408-06:00The Sept. 13 Tait Debate: A sentimental journey in a '72 Cutlass Supreme<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJT-hZ1aeWmFb3ng3Hi-PJicjJlYMIFD1sgYNGaI-hQeuXQxZYcJFJCsl6Gpz7wRJ5czo4qzdqmLLnaHARxNqKqDcBF7zo1hig6u-BjJs6Rh-0yhMJPdDCVw6OIBuhXZYFuWW9yx1pEZ0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJT-hZ1aeWmFb3ng3Hi-PJicjJlYMIFD1sgYNGaI-hQeuXQxZYcJFJCsl6Gpz7wRJ5czo4qzdqmLLnaHARxNqKqDcBF7zo1hig6u-BjJs6Rh-0yhMJPdDCVw6OIBuhXZYFuWW9yx1pEZ0/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When Garry Meyer emailed me Wednesday to say he would be by
Thursday morning to pick me up in his 1972 conver<i>tible</i> Cutlass Supreme, my reaction was “Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.”
I’ve known Garry for years as a great master of ceremonies for events and a
great practical joker. Nineteen-seventy-two Cutlass? A convertible? Bring on
the pictures. But then, just after 9 a.m., Garry was in front of my place,
adjusting the top in a brown ’72 Cutlass Supreme. “We’ll take the top down for
the ride back,” Garry said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All summer long Garry and I have been planning a trip from
Edmonton to Camrose to visit a mutual friend. Thursday was the day. Away we
went on a warm fall morning where I learned about the brown Cutlass. When I got
in one look at the dashboard took me back to my teenage years: an AM radio with
a needle indicating the station frequency, little metal levers for the heat, long
rods on the passenger side for air vents on the side of the vehicle and laps
belts minus the shoulder harness. We weren’t even five minutes away from my
place when people started honking horns and flashing the thumbs up. People
loved see the car. “I once had someone leave me a note on the windshield saying
if I ever wanted to sell it call — and there was a woman’s phone number
attached to it,” says Garry. Another time he ran into the wife of the car’s
original owner in a Sherwood Park parking lot where she thanked Garry for
taking such good care of the car.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But he has no plans to sell the car. In fact, he restored
the vehicle twice, the last being when he put a 350 Rocket under the hood. He
loves driving it and has wheeled it down to Montana.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Garry hasn’t named given the car a name: he doesn’t have to.
Garry bought the car from <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444;"> </span></span><em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal;">Stedelbauer </span></em>Chevrolet
on July 13, 1983 the day before his mother went to the Misercordia Hospital for
a routine cancer check-up. The next day Mrs. Meyer passed away. “On both sides
of the car I have HMM engraved,” Garry says of his mother’s initials.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-23353102504063996872013-09-11T13:38:00.000-06:002013-09-11T13:42:17.898-06:00The Sept. 11 Tait Debate that's actually a rant (please click here for more)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc6hPi8rhT7QqGGBbb5yWztKdFpeUyK931MBCXEdOQGzNu2rbs8ef5fhLR0iU9d0ZiCrbnKX-s02vG5vKtnesAVExsh2BzdtBKgztIs7yElyV4Kelgx7o4kzUZSrCcib5wCVHqJi9u4I/s1600/imgres-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc6hPi8rhT7QqGGBbb5yWztKdFpeUyK931MBCXEdOQGzNu2rbs8ef5fhLR0iU9d0ZiCrbnKX-s02vG5vKtnesAVExsh2BzdtBKgztIs7yElyV4Kelgx7o4kzUZSrCcib5wCVHqJi9u4I/s1600/imgres-5.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I knew the new cancellation policy the Disabled Adult
Transit Service would smack me. I just didn’t know how hard it would smack me
until Wednesday morning. DATS is asking users to cancel their rides two hours
before their pick-up. Now let me share my Wednesday morning: at 10:11 a.m. I
received an e-mail from the person I was going to meet for lunch. He had to
cancel. Out of respect for DATS I called and cancelled my ride, scheduled for
10:45 a.m. The operator on the telephone said I would be marked a no-show
because I did not give two hours notice. My response was “That’s not fair
because my schedule changed and I could not help it.” The operator countered by
saying I should call DATS Community Relations to discuss and better plan my
trips.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am not happy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I could have gone for lunch myself, I suppose. But that
really didn’t appeal to me. I am a busy person and there are many other things
I need to get done today. Even though lunch would have been nice, I can use the
time to get my work done. Makes
sense, doesn’t it? Yet, I get my knuckles slapped and am told I need to plan
better. How? How does DATS expect people plan for the unexpected?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Would have DATS rather me not call and cancel, some 32
minutes before my trip, and have to driver show up in front of my door and ring
my bell, only to me told I wasn’t taking the trip? I’ll take that debate any
day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But what really frustrated is the tone DATS has: that users
have change of plans. That’s one of the byproducts of being contributing to the
community and, most importantly, making connections. But to be reprimanded and
to be felt like you have committed a cardinal sin is, simply, wrong. It also
discourages independence and could lead to some folks wondering why they should
even bother to make plans when DATS shakes their finger at them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don’t think that’s very fair.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if you have any experiences like this — or know of
someone who has — please share your at the bottom of this post or<a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank"> click here.</a></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-55488490197508747872013-09-10T07:50:00.003-06:002013-09-10T08:11:29.085-06:00The Sept. 10 Tait Debate: Thirty home care visits missed in Leduc over the weekend (PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MORE)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRHGoA56OeEEi6RKTVSaRbJhsNLbmTKVQmQBuj25TS12Wng397iwFq3H54XUcXNV5gpJxk528ohlfBvT5MCNnJcJMEllSpxQ7aZTuihV9Rw3rEmSh6wS54tFxzUXxv35ErQVaZkjMVkM/s1600/imgres-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRHGoA56OeEEi6RKTVSaRbJhsNLbmTKVQmQBuj25TS12Wng397iwFq3H54XUcXNV5gpJxk528ohlfBvT5MCNnJcJMEllSpxQ7aZTuihV9Rw3rEmSh6wS54tFxzUXxv35ErQVaZkjMVkM/s400/imgres-4.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More than 30 people scheduled for home care services in
Leduc did not have their shifts covered Sunday. WeCare Home Health Services
employee Cindy Mielke posted the
situation on Facebook Sunday before she said she became aware of the situation
at 8 a.m. Mielke who has 16 years of experience, was in the Leduc WeCare office
when she was told the shifts were not covered by staff. “It’s very unusual,”
she said through an email exchange. “I used to be a co-odinator with WeCare. If
the weekend and nightly shifts were not booked we stayed late and got them booked.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But with Alberta Health Services re-vamping home care
recently, staff are leaving the positions. Wages have been cut as well as
vehicle allowances for staff. Mielke has seen the damage first-hand. One of her
regular clients recently went an entire weekend without getting help for a
bowel routine. “I got a phone call at 10:15 one Saturday morning asking if I
would go but I was already in Red Deer for the weekend. WeCare couldn’t fill her shifts,” she says.
Two days later Mielke went into work with the woman and she says it was a
disaster. “Because she went all weekend without she became very incontinent in
her bed and she was deeply embarrassed. Poor woman,” she says. Mielke has also
heard of people not getting a bath for a month because of shifts not being
filled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There’s another alarming side of this story: the mental
anguish of people with disability being uncertain of personal care attendants
not coming. Wondering if you will get help or not can grind a person down. It
can dampen one’s confidence to live in the community … independently. The sad
thing here is the provincial government is not paying much respect to personal
care attendants. Mielke says she’s feeling like a newspaper carrier, rather than
someone who provides needed personal care. “AHS needs to understand the rights
of the ones who are disabled and or elderly. I help people with their daily living. I hope I give them
dignity and self-respect,” she says. “People that are going through issues,
whether it’s having a hard time growing old and all the complications that go
with it. Or, ones suffering from disabilities and all the things they go
through in a daily manner.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wages show respect. But Mielke doesn’t see it. She runs her
vehicle for 60 cents per kilometre but is paid 40 cents per kilometre, one way, when she travels to help
people in rural Alberta. That means she dips into her own pocket. Clearly, it
isn’t worth her while and says, after calculations at $17 per hour, she’s
making less than minimum wage. “I’d be making more at Wal-Mart where my car is
parked for eight hours,” she says.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that’s a real shame. Because it takes someone special
with understanding, patience and a giant heart to be a personal care attendant.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“I think it’s the love of money, prestige and power,” Mielke
says of the current dimise of home care in Alberta. “Until they (AHS) find themselves
in a similar position, they really don’t give a damn.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Front line home care workers need to be paid more. They have
to be: otherwise more visits are going to be missed. There were over 30 visits
missed Sunday. And, that’s 30 too many.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>(Cam Tait has cerebral palsy and uses home care in Edmonton)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>KEEP THE CONVERSATION ROLLING BY<a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank"> CLICKING HERE</a></i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-9211902452176163382013-09-09T08:12:00.000-06:002013-09-09T08:24:14.540-06:00The Sept. 9 Tait Debate: Steve Hogle once again has the look of being a rookie<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbP63oTBcHvtZefu5llXALoh3TSTrW1lirPTSJaCK20E7F5DaYnUySRdZZmTGHsWrWxB2d-InXwYaI1WleOEbYd6VKzznybxcMiHrATjXZkwnTHy5xnZk7nSWp9Eleg5lAj050roIJ0zg/s1600/4352473092_33dd96cb3e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbP63oTBcHvtZefu5llXALoh3TSTrW1lirPTSJaCK20E7F5DaYnUySRdZZmTGHsWrWxB2d-InXwYaI1WleOEbYd6VKzznybxcMiHrATjXZkwnTHy5xnZk7nSWp9Eleg5lAj050roIJ0zg/s320/4352473092_33dd96cb3e_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve Hogle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On a warm evening in June of 1973 a dark curly-haired
13-year-old sat on the end of the baseball bench along the third baseline of
Jubilee Park in west Edmonton. He was a rookie. Didn’t play much. But he was
eager, ready to learn and had a confident — although not cocky — attitude,
which clearly showed he was ready for anything. That’s was my introduction to
Steve Hogle. And that same image, four decades old this summer, replayed itself
last Thursday: Steve was wearing a suit and tie, replacing the red and white baseball
uniform, sitting on the end of a table, looking poised and ready. Once again, he’s
a rookie — this time as president of the Western Hockey League Saskatoon
Blades.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I spoke to Steve about 10 days back. He had taken a leave
from the Edmonton Oilers as vice-president of communications. Not looking for a
change, he said a wonderful opportunity surfaced. He needed time away to think
about it. The reporter in me was begging to ask the question of what that might
be; the friendship in me whispered “Nah, leave it alone. He won’t tell you
anyway.” So I did. Steve did, however, grant me this: “It’s hockey related.”
Edmonton Journal sportswriter Jim Matheson wrote a<a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Edmonton+dealer+expected+take+control+Saskatoon+Blades+franchise+Wednesday/8865209/story.html" target="_blank"> story </a>Wednesday about the Saskatoon
Blade sale from Jack Brodisky to Edmonton car dealership owner Mike Preistner.
The president of the team, Matty wrote, would be my old friend Steve, a
long-time friend of Preistner’s. The day after the story ran in The Journal,
the Blades new ownership was introduced. Sure enough. Steve was there in his
new role as president.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=998000" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=998000" target="_blank">(Please click here for Steve's interview Friday on CTV Morning Live.)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the years, Steve and I have bumped into each other
countless times. He father Bruce was a tremendous television news reporter and
then manager. Steve followed his dad’s legacy, working his way up to director
of news and public affairs with CTV Edmonton. He left television to become
vice-president of communications for the Alberta <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDAHizJi9IgPPCY-FYMtJAg-aXPzPbCmCRVuDIk4GCB7LFye89OlibzTGJFCdwBsqSrjyCo31Zf7vdon2k_WcVB9litYgDtslMpvsGtZ1y47GFcdj6wwI-ix7RDeQhKghg0p_GYYWcEo/s1600/imgres-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDAHizJi9IgPPCY-FYMtJAg-aXPzPbCmCRVuDIk4GCB7LFye89OlibzTGJFCdwBsqSrjyCo31Zf7vdon2k_WcVB9litYgDtslMpvsGtZ1y47GFcdj6wwI-ix7RDeQhKghg0p_GYYWcEo/s1600/imgres-1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce Hogle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Research Council in 2007. Then
he joined long-time friend and Oiler owner Daryl Katz in a communications role
during negotiations between the team and the city on a new downtown arena.
After the arena deal was secure, Steve turned his talents to the Oilers,
overseeing broadcast operations and website content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whenever we talked hockey always entered the conversation.
He often fed me stories of up and coming minor hockey players in Edmonton to
write about when I was an Edmonton Journal sportswriter. Steve loves to see
people succeed. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">He’s also been a great friend to me. When I took a buy-out
from The Journal in 2012 he was the first person to call and see how I was. He
told me the best my part of my life, while unknown, was just around the corner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, it’s my turn to return the favor as Steve enters his
new chapter in life. Given his eagerness in his eyes and how he relates to
people I have no doubt Steve Hogle will have super Saskatoon success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-10626666523877607282013-09-07T19:11:00.000-06:002013-09-08T11:06:41.606-06:00The Sept. 7 Tait Debate: An invitation for ice cream with my grandson to those who think we received preferential treatment (CLICK FOR MORE)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRB9p78h-PIdPnXcG0r7mNuIVFygmQAvNsXPYCFADxdcGTMYGhRhowzYVMnPzMZfUpQNCP5DDRMiHSmRDRrUJ7f75y_lok-AZHvsNkW8_7X95HPzrXf7Wenuz1LhjhiGY11WsS8hs3Gs/s1600/IMG_0700_0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRB9p78h-PIdPnXcG0r7mNuIVFygmQAvNsXPYCFADxdcGTMYGhRhowzYVMnPzMZfUpQNCP5DDRMiHSmRDRrUJ7f75y_lok-AZHvsNkW8_7X95HPzrXf7Wenuz1LhjhiGY11WsS8hs3Gs/s320/IMG_0700_0630.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our grandson Nicholas in our living room (AFTER SCHOOL)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just a little after 7:30 a.m. weekdays my day begins when my
10-year-old grandson Nicholas walks into our bedroom door and leaps on to our
bed. First, he gives my wife Joan a big hug to start the morning and then rolls over to my side. “’Morning, Papa,” Nicholas says, often punctuated by a long yawn. I pull
myself out of bed, get into my wheelchair and watch cartoons while Joan cooks and gives him breakfast. It has been our way of life for five months now after Nicholas’ mother passed away from
cancer. Our son Darren drops him off in the morning. Joan drives Nicholas to school in the morning, takes him lunch and then picks
him up in the afternoon. Nothing was going to stop Joan and I from providing
the best environment for Nicholas and a time when he needed it the most.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But we came very close to losing that. Very close. In June
Alberta Health Services decided to re-vamp home care by dismantling many
successful programs. I have cerebral palsy and require assistance in bathing,
dressing and other things. Since 1997 Joan and I have lived in a condominium with
24-hour home care. Under the brilliant leadership of founder Larry Pempeit who
formed Creekside Support Services — a non-profit group — 14 people with
physical disabilities in the Creekside complex live independently … all because
of home care. That wasn’t good enough, it seemed for AHS. In fact, they told us
a new homecare provider would be coming in, with new staff, who, incidentally,
might be on-site 24 hours a day like we had. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It scared me. I was afraid I might have to move into a
nursing home. Nicholas wasn’t ready for that, I said to myself. It would also
mean I could no longer be the grandfather I wanted to be. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So we fought like hell. The day before we met AHS officials
and were told of the changes, my neighbor Heidi Janz and I had a chat. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2HWtYOTK-2aiTefB3Cxtl-Gt_7yXi9ufraLxZr8Ay72gQggnfsSG6Rl9DmxbvuQrCcLegyOfNtIiu_rLlthtt_7rZbvwMk5cYjMa-tlqj2IAJ-jvMvHQnw4Q0z38lQHd774-vYPNGQI/s1600/RED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2HWtYOTK-2aiTefB3Cxtl-Gt_7yXi9ufraLxZr8Ay72gQggnfsSG6Rl9DmxbvuQrCcLegyOfNtIiu_rLlthtt_7rZbvwMk5cYjMa-tlqj2IAJ-jvMvHQnw4Q0z38lQHd774-vYPNGQI/s320/RED.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alison Redford</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What if,
we wondered, we asked Alberta premier Alison Redford for coffee to share our
story? So we did on this very blog. <a href="http://camtaittalk.blogspot.ca/2013/06/coffee-ms-redford.html" target="_blank">(Have a look here.)</a> The day after I
received an e-mail from Redford’s press aide Neala Barton saying our invitation
had been accepted. We met Redford five days later and within 48 hours our
meeting, the AHS decision was reversed. We still have our homecare program
intact.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last week Creekside Support Services came under fire in a
report <a href="http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/8832.asp" target="_blank">(click here)</a> on how the home care contracts were handed out. One unnamed company is
claiming we got preferential treatment because we met with Redford, causing <a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/Braid+Premier+Alison+Redford+reversed+foolish/8870711/story.html" target="_blank">Calgary Herald columnist Don Braid</a> to chime in on the debate.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HMm0zh-5mRUoUwktY48tZeAns8GqfH6hpAoWoX9-U0kNgZRxzjFje-nc2FAVYi31G0CPabgHQqlWT9y1mK8ogbeaogmtoFyNPGKwdfIOM8A1MgCG_xLM6UeKqe0TxjOW-jTUzHUUal8/s1600/shapeimage_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HMm0zh-5mRUoUwktY48tZeAns8GqfH6hpAoWoX9-U0kNgZRxzjFje-nc2FAVYi31G0CPabgHQqlWT9y1mK8ogbeaogmtoFyNPGKwdfIOM8A1MgCG_xLM6UeKqe0TxjOW-jTUzHUUal8/s1600/shapeimage_2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hedi Janz</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://camtaittalk.blogspot.ca/2013/09/sept-6-tait-debate-guest-blogger-dr.html" target="_blank">I find this very petty. So does my friend Heidi who replied Friday with this.</a> One has to wonder if this company even asked for a meeting.
Funny what happens when a requests are made ... I would suspect the got in a
huff because the reversal had a huge financial impact on them. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">For me, it was personal. It was about my family, and it was
about having existing services in place so I can be the best husband, father
and grandfather I can be. It’s about the circle of care: because I am cared
for, I can care for others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homecare isn’t just about dollars and cents. It’s about
empowering people to be the best they can be. So rather than inviting this
unnamed company for coffee, I’m inviting them for ice cream with Nicholas and
I. They can ask Nicholas how much fun it is jumping on Papa every morning to
wake him up — and then draw their
own conclusions.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicholas in our living room playing trains</td></tr>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-37551520614870767342013-09-06T14:25:00.000-06:002013-09-06T14:30:13.061-06:00Sept. 6 Tait Debate: Guest blogger Dr. Heidi Janz on home care report (click here for more)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h1 align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA">How Does Granting a
Plea for Dialogue to Save Our Independence Become “Preferential Treatment”?</span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">by
Dr. Heidi Janz</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a <i>Calgary
Herald</i> column which appeared on September 4, 2013, Don Braid reports:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a long
report on clumsy and insensitive AHS handling of new homecare contracts,
there’s a startling line on page 88 that instantly rang political gongs on
Wednesday. <br />
<br />
Some homecare providers vying for contracts, the document says, “were upset
that other service providers that had approached the Premier received
preferential treatment and in their view this option should be available to
other providers.” <br />
<br />
The wider finding of the report, ordered up by Health Minister Fred Horne, is
that Alberta Health Services kind of forgot about the people who need home care
when it started awarding big contracts to private national companies. <br />
<br />
That jolted AHS and led to a reshuffling of contracts, some of them away from
big outfits like Ontario’s Bayshore, and back to worthy non-profits that have
served Albertans for decades. <br />
<br />
But the full report didn’t come to light until Wednesday … And it contained
that explosive suggestion — repeated without elaboration — that Premier Alison
Redford was somehow playing favourites behind the scenes. <br />
<br />
Redford herself didn’t comment Wednesday. But her press aide, Neala Barton,
says the only relevant meeting on Redford’s schedule was with an Edmonton co-op
agency in June. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was well
publicized at the time, mainly because one of the players is the remarkable Cam
Tait, blogger, and longtime Edmonton Journal writer who has been afflicted with
cerebral palsy all his life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, in the interests of full disclosure, let me <i>confess</i> that it was I, along
with friends and fellow Creekside Support Services users Tait and founder
Larry Pempeit, who <i>conspired</i> to <i>unduly influence</i> Premier Redford to reverse a wrong-headed decision by AHS to blow up our <i>user-run</i> homecare services, and hand
over all control of our personal care—and, with it, practically all control
over our lives—to a big-box, for-profit homecare provider. For anyone
interested in <i>the facts</i> of what such
an arbitrary change in homecare provider would have meant for us, here they
are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 108.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·
</span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">No longer were we 14 Creekside users with physical
disabilities to have any say at all in where, when, or by whom our personal care
was provided. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 108.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·
</span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We were going to lose all of our current health care
aides—many of whom had worked with us for 10 years or more.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 108.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·
</span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We would no longer be able to receive personal care services
outside our home. For some of us, this would mean no longer being able to go to
school or work.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 108.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·
</span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">According to the representatives of Alberta Health Services Homecare, with whom we met just five
days before we met with Premier Redford, there was no guarantee that the new
service provider would be able to provide the 24/7 care that many of us
require, and currently receive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If any of you are surprised by any of these
facts, you’re in good company—so was Premier Redford. My own sense is that it
was being presented with the <i>real effects</i>
that this decision was going to have on <i>real
people </i>that affected the reversal of this decision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, to those unnamed applicants accusing us
of unduly influencing the Premier, I would simply ask this: <i>Would the decision on who was awarded
Homecare contracts affect any aspect of your personal life, other than perhaps
the size of your bank account? Would it affect when (or if) you get up in the morning? When (or if) you can use the bathroom?
Who cleans you after you use the bathroom</i>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you’ve answered “yes” to any of the preceding questions, we
owe you an apology.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If not, I’d say, you owe us one.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WNJJ9nXXT_28PIGD1OgRXHJ67xDKGKyE0W-P5sBWpHiED5IhYKt3dQPDMC0ycjqu-MMkRrqqDmRBLMIi32AZLjW7ZiEPSaaaxkvRt2L6Pn2jn1_eIxK4oRhJeaUPkL0_n_FDKBnkE2w/s1600/5958909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WNJJ9nXXT_28PIGD1OgRXHJ67xDKGKyE0W-P5sBWpHiED5IhYKt3dQPDMC0ycjqu-MMkRrqqDmRBLMIi32AZLjW7ZiEPSaaaxkvRt2L6Pn2jn1_eIxK4oRhJeaUPkL0_n_FDKBnkE2w/s1600/5958909.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/Braid+Premier+Alison+Redford+reversed+foolish/8870711/story.html" target="_blank">Please click here for Don Braid's column</a>.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To keep the conversation going please click <a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank">here</a></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-8557094219951043882013-09-04T12:11:00.002-06:002013-09-04T12:26:54.354-06:00The September 4, 2013 Tait Debate: Q and A with DATS director Deanna Crozier<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Deanna Crozier, director of the Disabled Adult Transit Service, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">joined us on a Q and A on the new two-hour cancellation policy.</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">1) Were you surprised by the feedback you received on the two-hour cancellation policy?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: "If DATS users, caregivers, and families have feedback on this matter, it surprises me they didn’t contact DATS directly. To date, we have received only 25 non-favourable calls to DATS Community Relations, e mails and correspondence. In addition, some of the e mails and contacts were forwarded to us from other sources. I replied to all e mails and written correspondence and advised I was available to meet. To date, I’ve had one call back.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">In the DATS Customer Care Centre, we have had questions, clarifications, and many scenarios posed as well as comments like “it’s about time”. Many users challenge us to be more efficient. The introduction of the 2 hour cancellation notice is one way we’re addressing this challenge.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Customer feedback comes to us in a variety of forms. In addition to our standard tools, we now have the opportunity to engage our customers through social media. A challenge for us is the immediacy and “free flowing” aspect of social media. We need to ensure our responses are timely but also accurate. This poses a communication challenge that we have been and will continue to pursue with our City communication liaisons.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">2) DATS users were not asked for their input on this. Why?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: "DATS stakeholders were asked for their input.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"We use the DATS Advisory Group (DAG) to provide ongoing input in the planning and operation of DATS – this was discussed at their meetings. We also send items for the Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board’s Manager’s Report – this topic was included twice.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The DATS Newsletter is a key communication tool for us. Bi – monthly newsletters are distributed in print (regular and large) and electronic formats as well as on CD’s.. We solicit customer feedback on items included in the newsletters and include our contact info in every issue. As noted above, we didn’t receive much input on this issue. As well, we issued a specific Customer Bulletin on this issue and solicited feedback - we received minimal response.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">3)As an user I was somewhat disappointed in the explanation in the DATS newsletter on working late and feel comparing it to a car-pool and, in fact, I don't understand that. How does a car pool and a public-funded transportation system draw a parallel each other?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: “Both are a pre-arranged ride and if it’s frequent, some of our customers have worked with their employers to make</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> it more of a formal arrangement.”</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">4) Do you see this as perhaps an opportunity to build a better relationship of understanding between DATS users and administration?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: “Overall, we have a good relationship as evidenced by the annual customer satisfaction surveys. However we believe any and all contact with customers is an opportunity to build better relationships.”</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">5)Do you think if there would have been more consultation with users there might have been a buy-in from customers?</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: “Based on customer reaction when we introduced the change, there haven’t been customer issues. To date, we’re pleased with customer buy in.”</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">6) How was the time of 7 a.m. determined for the no-show policy not to be in effected? Were users asked?</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: “It isn’t possible to provide 2 hours notice for trips before 7 am week-days and 8 am week-ends and Stat Holidays – staff aren’t in until 5 week-days and 6 week-ends and holidays to accept cancels.”</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">7) When and how do you think you will see the two-hour policy be beneficial to DATS?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: “This change is designed to benefit both customers and DATS Administration. This allows DATS to be more efficient with the yearly budget approved by City Council and maintain/improve service to our customers. For example:</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">· More same day customer trips accommodated and perhaps at different time periods;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">· Better (and more) accommodation for “ready early” customer requests;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">· Improved on-time performance for customer trips and perhaps at different time periods.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">8) DATS has said the city is growing. Are there plans for a budget increase to address the city's growth?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier: “The growth to the peripheries of the city poses scheduling efficiency issues. Continuous improvement in scheduling has been a focus for quite some time. This additional cancellation notice will help DATS be more efficient in scheduling and service delivery.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Our strategy is to maintain our current budget. One of our goals is to accommodate increased demand for DATS by assisting customers to make better use of regular ETS bus and LRT.”</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">9) Please list three things why you think the two-hour cancellation policy will assist DATS in the next three years?</span></blockquote>
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Same as #7 above:</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Crozier:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">· More same day customer trips accommodated and perhaps at different time periods;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">· Better (and more) accommodation for “ready early” customer requests;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">· Improved on-time performance for customer trips and perhaps at different time periods.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING BY CLICKING <a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-74742605300386923842013-09-03T12:39:00.000-06:002013-09-03T12:39:00.392-06:00DATS rolls out new two-hour cancellation policy today; user Brenda Lewis responds<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the day the Disabled Adult Transportation System
rolls out their new two-hour cancellation policy. I think we have to keep an
eye on this, looking for the good and the not so good it will bring. If you are
a DATS user, please email your thoughts and experiences on the changes <a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the DATS newsletter, the changes were explained Brenda
Lewis shares her opinions one the answers from DATS.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> DATS
newsletter question: What about medical appointments? What if they are running
late?</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> DATS
answer: When you book your appointment, let them know you will be traveling on
DATS and confirm how much time you will need for your </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">appointment. Please allow enough time for
your appointment before your return trip. If you finish up early, just call and
let us know you are ready early.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> BRENDA LEWIS: “Asking
how long an appointment might be is unreliable to<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>say the least. Never would the doctor
be consulted about the length of an appointment, so a nurse or receptionist
would not be qualified to answer<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>that question. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> The
question should be; what happens when DATS gets me there late?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> Why
are same day trips becoming more of a priority then trips dutifully made one to
three days in advance? Would I fare better booking<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>same days all the time if same day trips are
a higher priority than previously booked trips! I</b>s there incentive? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> DATS
newsletter question: What if roads are bad and I arrive late and can't use my
return trip?<br /> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">DATS Answer: Late cancellations are not
recorded on your file if it is because DATS was late getting you to your
destination. </span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <b> BRENDA:
“That's the least they can do, and I do mean the least!! Quite the olive
branch!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> Raise
your hand if you think bad roads are the only reason DATS would get you to your
destination late??”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> DATS
question: What if I can’t make my early morning trip?</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">DATS
answer: For trips before 7 a.m. weekdays and before 8 a.m. weekends, the
current cancellation notice will still apply.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> BRENDA:
“This rule should be moved from 7 am to 10 am. Many people are not awake or, if
needing assistance getting out of bed, before 7 or 8 am. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> If
you are ready early to go home, you can phone to see if they can pick you up
early. What if we get to our destination late? Will we be able<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>to be picked up later to accomplish what we went
to do or have to call it a write off and a total waste of a trip? DATS doesn't
want their time wasted<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>but mine is up for grabs! Is my time worth
less than theirs?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> This
new rule might not be as hotly contested if it hadn't been preceded by other
rule changes that put more limits on our independence.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Booking three days in advance as opposed to
two. Some people like it, some don't. Life is not cut and dried so please
tell me how well I can make a<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>booking(3 days ahead) when I don't know when
I will get there??? Allow yourself 90 minutes to get somewhere whether
it's ten blocks away or clear<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>across the whole city? <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> In
the summer months, during decent weather, I could decide to cancel DATS and
take the regular ETS, (which I thought was highly encouraged, by the way). But
with our weather changes, even an hour would be better for feeling confident
the weather will hold if I cancel!!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> It
might look good on paper but taking a trip off one driver's schedule but adding
a new trip to someone else's schedule results in someone<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>getting behind. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Reading between the lines, I come away with:
if DATS is not working for you, you can always twist your daily life schedule
to fit theirs. I am not<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>saying I'm demanding or expecting perfection
from DATS or any other public works and I'm not saying I'm not grateful for
their service. But I guarantee<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I wouldn't put these thoughts together if I
didn't feel very disrespected and fairly sure that this change will restrict my
independence even more.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>I'm all for compromise and respecting rules
but only if they are just and make sense. We were not consulted.”</b></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>COMING TUESDAY: A Q and A with DATS director Deanna Crozier</b></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-8895049659933414012013-09-03T06:47:00.000-06:002013-09-03T06:47:35.733-06:00Cam 'n Eggs and a good reminderGood morning and let's be careful out there!
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-71068220013829427522013-08-28T21:04:00.002-06:002013-08-28T21:06:08.582-06:00"I have a dream today" — songs to mind us of Martin Luther Kings August 28, 1963 speech
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A week from now the Disabled Adult Transportation System is
bringing a new policy where you have to cancel two hours in advance or you get
hate mail. And if you get enough hate mail, you could be suspended from
service. So, as DATS user, after much deliberation I have decided how I am
going to handle it. I’m going to ignore it. Pretend it isn’t even there. I am a
busy person and if I can’t cancel within the said period, bring the hate
letters on. I really don’t care if I get suspended.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What bothers me is the way this was handled. DATS didn’t ask
users at all for their input. I find that very interesting given today’s
information age. They did bend a bit, saying those cancellations up until 7
a.m. will not go on the hate mail list. I don’t think that’s good enough. If
DATS administration would have asked users, they would know many things can happen
in the morning: personal care aides may be late, or not show up; equipment such
as wheelchairs and lifts may falter; accidents in the home might happen and
other things. Many of these things happen after 7 a.m. Respectfully, I think
the exemption time for the two-hour policy should be extended to 10 a.m.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But nobody asked. Nobody from DATS did their homework. So
despite 550 names on a petition the two-hour policy swings into affect next
week. Bring it on, I say. Because
I think this is a great opportunity for people with disabilities to make
another profound statement that cookie cutter philosophy without consulting
consumers does not work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING</a></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-54271432643921135802013-08-23T20:24:00.000-06:002013-08-23T20:25:46.368-06:00Tea with Tait .... on the beach!If you can't make it to the lake tonight we'll bring it to you!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-81072488559287487782013-08-23T12:02:00.000-06:002013-08-23T12:02:19.801-06:00The Friday Camburger: How does que-jumping build a caring culture?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The media around these parts have many stories and angles
covered about the que-jumping debate in the province’s health system following
the release of a report. You can find the details, stats, figures, graphs —
everything you wanted and more — in those reports. I’m not going to debate the
report today, but rather ask a question: what kind of a caring culture does
que-jumping create?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We need to challenge ourselves to be mindful of Albertans
with severe health issues should be a priority. As a province we have a
responsibility in that regard. We need to ensure all Albertans that when they
go to get medical help they will get it in a timely manner. Part of the
recovery process in any illness starts the minute a physician starts listening
to a patient. That hope is priceless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s no secret: the Alberta family is expanding. We need to
care for one another in new ways and be compassionate and understanding as our
population grows. Building an unselfish culture is crucial as we move forward
into the future: putting others first. I really don’t see how que-jumping will
increase Albertan’s capacity to care for eachother.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank">KEEP THE CONVERSATION ROLLING BY CLICKING HERE</a></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-39128322965081477452013-08-21T10:44:00.003-06:002013-08-21T15:16:30.251-06:00The Camburger — Let's get hugging, Edmonton<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We need volunteer huggers in Edmonton, stationed on the High
Level Bridge. A few on the north side and some on the south side. Because
sometimes a hug can lead to conversation, which could be life-saving. Edmonton city
councillors voted Tuesday to look at options in securing the High Level Bridge
to bring down the number of suicides. There were 14 deaths last year around the
bridge area: 14 too many. And 41 reported suicide attempts between 2011 and
2013. Forty-one too many.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think people who find themselves in such a state of
thinking about ending their lives are going to find their way on to the bridge,
no matter what. But if there were folks around watching, looking for signs of
distress we might be on to something. What if the city and The Support Network
got together and trained volunteers to help? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There could be rewarding in so many ways. For volunteers it
would provide a way for them to reach out in ways they might not even know they
had. Maybe just an hour at a time. For people in need, a caring face can do so
much. Sometimes, just seeing someone can comfort us. And a welcoming hug could
change someone’s life. What do you think, Edmonton?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO COMMENT</a></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-37680670123474979002013-08-20T22:04:00.000-06:002013-08-20T22:04:29.068-06:00Wednesday's Cam 'n Eggs with Grace and Ish Naboulsi, and Craig StylesGOOD MORNING!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8AXBe7D1Xwfv08SK2dwVHS8ZkPc8N0KeeCYkY6Kqf8iTP_aaYnHqrzBHLIJLUZIsUzhSj6onhGmthWmU8K6ZxEGhMpTwuP7wbdvcEzIRze7xPNDaL_e0uBNTNTpWOF2aMZShBnKXYE8/s1600/8803767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8AXBe7D1Xwfv08SK2dwVHS8ZkPc8N0KeeCYkY6Kqf8iTP_aaYnHqrzBHLIJLUZIsUzhSj6onhGmthWmU8K6ZxEGhMpTwuP7wbdvcEzIRze7xPNDaL_e0uBNTNTpWOF2aMZShBnKXYE8/s640/8803767.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Grace and Ish Naboulsi, right, with the help of longtime friend Craig Styles, raised $282,000 to thank the University Hospital for helping Grace with a heart ailment. PHOTO by Nick Lees</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Lees+heart+imaging+equipment+Mazankowski+Institute/8803766/story.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Lees+heart+imaging+equipment+Mazankowski+Institute/8803766/story.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Lees+heart+imaging+equipment+Mazankowski+Institute/8803766/story.html" target="_blank">For more information please click here to read Nick's Edmonton Journal column on the event</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Lees+heart+imaging+equipment+Mazankowski+Institute/8803766/story.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:camtait@telus.net" target="_blank">Keep the conversation going here</a><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Lees+heart+imaging+equipment+Mazankowski+Institute/8803766/story.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-30588334111684882592013-08-20T21:25:00.000-06:002013-08-20T21:56:34.751-06:00Tea With Tait — The Gretzky Tales - Part V — "Have one for me"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i> (It's been fun, sharing my stories with Wayne Gretzky over the past few days. Here's the last instalment.)</i></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKJItEd4weTkKRteG5wHSAhWaZ25e4OLUinOXOVvjPZXli7dkyFlaGyCMP5ZKOhtUlGZqc_x8-MtNVQ2LBlT5TYJOOjsnKPFDy-O5ShfOyK-52yMwKskymZk3soIQidrUIp-0oFtQET0/s1600/imgres.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKJItEd4weTkKRteG5wHSAhWaZ25e4OLUinOXOVvjPZXli7dkyFlaGyCMP5ZKOhtUlGZqc_x8-MtNVQ2LBlT5TYJOOjsnKPFDy-O5ShfOyK-52yMwKskymZk3soIQidrUIp-0oFtQET0/s400/imgres.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wayne as coach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I see Wayne the odd time
now when he comes to Edmonton. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the most amazing
things to me about Wayne is how he always encourages people to look to the
future. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whenever we had a chat
at the morning skate of a game, he would end by saying: “You’re coming to the
game tonight, right? I’ll see you after the game.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And he would. It
wouldn’t be for very long because he had a plane to catch. But right before he
left the rink, he would always say
“I’ll find you when we are in town next.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And he always did. His
time was so restricted he often did not have time for a quick hand shake and
hello. But he always did that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ll never forget in
December of 2008 when the Phoenix Coyotees were in Edmonton to play the
Edmonton Oilers. I was on the bottom of Rexall Place near the Phoenix dressing
room and watched the team walk under the stands on to the ice. With his hands
in his pocket, Wayne followed the team out and, minutes before the game, probably
had a million thoughts. He saw me, stopped and shook my hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Cam, how are you?
Everything OK?” he asked. “It’s game time but God bless.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the winter of 2002,
Kevin Lowe had me phone him before every hockey game Canada played at the Salt
Lake Winter Olympics. (Wayne and Kevin were part of the management team.) The
night before Canada met the Americans in the gold medal game, I made my call.
Kevin took it and said someone wanted to say hello.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha78FhX43lM_wtgqdrkX-tm2dFSWz0KxCRAjT-7XX2HIkdqLIUp3ZMJZ8IUJEriCy5q2IJ2ZSfQ3XGOQkdG6IEGVYVzCVTDj5iZetpY4l4jn511OojmNbAzJJodrWFRiKERGl8HPuOuSQ/s1600/moss_joey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha78FhX43lM_wtgqdrkX-tm2dFSWz0KxCRAjT-7XX2HIkdqLIUp3ZMJZ8IUJEriCy5q2IJ2ZSfQ3XGOQkdG6IEGVYVzCVTDj5iZetpY4l4jn511OojmNbAzJJodrWFRiKERGl8HPuOuSQ/s200/moss_joey.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joey Moss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of Wayne’s special
friends is Joe Moss, who has Downs Syndrome and can be difficult to understand
at times.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kevin handed Wayne his
cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Hi Gretz. How are you?”
I asked when I recognized his voice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Joey!” Wayne exclaimed,
thinking I was Moss. “How nice of
you to call.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And, he was serious.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Sorry, Gretz. It’s
Tait.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There was a long pause
at the end.</span></span></b></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Well, you’ve been
drinking, haven’t you? Have one for me.”</span><span style="font-family: Geneva;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwqfCedFa2DxoDilzXRh7XnnEGWgz4VNXX5x1OvjMNMBR1-fDvA6fen_zmPcwUnovXDtDUnXVUOxfkxhRO4s7z1LtZLcqxZRJf1vUlwHkIx1MVMPE47bSQP5Iz2Z5rCZmtRvc9mIq0F0/s1600/tait-gretzky1999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwqfCedFa2DxoDilzXRh7XnnEGWgz4VNXX5x1OvjMNMBR1-fDvA6fen_zmPcwUnovXDtDUnXVUOxfkxhRO4s7z1LtZLcqxZRJf1vUlwHkIx1MVMPE47bSQP5Iz2Z5rCZmtRvc9mIq0F0/s640/tait-gretzky1999.jpg" width="434" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Wayne, Bill Comrie, Glen Sather and myself at the Northlands in 1999 in Edmonton</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://camtaittalk.blogspot.ca/2013/08/tea-with-tait-gretzky-tales-part-iv.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://camtaittalk.blogspot.ca/2013/08/tea-with-tait-gretzky-tales-part-iv.html" target="_blank">PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS PARTS OF THE SERIES</a></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769087784934814986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5653243815949817666.post-69796943877163447522013-08-20T12:22:00.003-06:002013-08-20T19:49:27.170-06:00Tuesday's Camburger: A hateful letter challenges us all<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have lived with cerebral palsy all my life, use a
wheelchair, and had the priceless
support from my family and community around me as a young boy. That’s why the
recent story of Brenda Millson and her grandson Max extremely disappoints me
and has me very, very concerned. Max is 13 years old and has autism. Ms.
Millson had an anonymous letter delivered to her in Newcastle, Ont. suggesting
the family either leave the neighborhood or Max … well, you read the letter
below.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This type of behavior is sad, on so many levels. It is also
darn right scary for people with disabilities to have people who have such
attitudes. Horrifying, in fact. And it lends itself to ask countless questions:
what would cause someone to do this; do we need more public awareness campaigns,
starting with government and the non-profit organizations representing
disability, challenging and remember to include people with disabilities; do we
need to provide better support systems to include people with disabilities in
communities, creating even more understanding; do we take a deep look at
ourselves and re-examine our own
beliefs; do we …?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I feel terrible for Max and his family. In an ever-increasing
population it is indeed a shame we, as a society, have not embraced one another
more—despite our abilities and disabilities. I am hopeful, though, this is an
isolated incident will create discussion and education. In the end, the community around Max will support him
and give him everything he need to
succeed. I have faith it people. I speak from experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Family+autistic+asked+anonymous+letter+leave+community+have+euthanized/8808553/story.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Family+autistic+asked+anonymous+letter+leave+community+have+euthanized/8808553/story.html" target="_blank">THE NEWS STORY WITH THE LETTER</a></span></div>
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