Community Action articles from June 2004

Community Action archives from June 2004

Get out the vote.(Comments)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
June 14, 2004... A federal election is ahead of us and once again we urge our readers to participate in the election process by helping to get out the vote. The steady decline of voter participation is of concern. The turnout of electors in the last...

A challenging election.(Comments)
June 14, 2004... All Canadian parties once again pledged allegiance to the principles of Canada's national health care system--public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility. All have promised to increase spending on...

Why are today's immigrants earning less than newcomers in the '60s.(Income Security)
June 14, 2004... OTTAWA -- Since 1980 the earnings of new immigrants to Canada deteriorated because of a complex set of factors involving the value of foreign job experience, language abilities and nation of origin. This is reported in a Statistics Canada...

Bankrupty ties up client records and staff waiting severence pay.
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- Toronto's low-inocome Jane-Finch neighborhood, has been left without an important mental health and social resource. Client and patient records are tied up with a bankruptcy trustee and staff have not received their remuneration....

'Public benefit' prevails in UK charity law reform.
June 14, 2004... LONDON, UK -- The British Parliament is now considering a bill which will be the most important change to charities legislation since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The new law will define charity in relation to "public benefit" and offers a...

Calendar Canada.(Calendar)
June 14, 2004... June 22-23: Skills training: Applied Suicide Intervention; Canadian Mental Health Association, Waterloo Regional Branch and Wellington-Dufferin Branch, Waterloo; www.cmhawrb.on.ca June 24-27: International conference on affordable housing;...

Foreign calendar.(Calendar)
June 14, 2004... July 11-12: Mental Health in Corrections, National Conference on Correctional Health Care; Las Vegas; www.ncchc.org July 14-15: National Conference: Substance abuse, child welfare and the dependency court; U.S. National Center on Substance...

Nurse charged with possession of child pornography.(Child & Family)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- Scott Faichnie, a nurse in the oncology unit of the Hospital for Sick Children, was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and making it available to others by computer. Before becoming a nurse Faichnie had been...

Moncton Salvation Army workshops for women involved in justice system.(Child & Family)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... MONCTON -- The Salvation Army Correctional and Justice Services, in partnership with the Moncton United Way, is offering a series of workshops on "Keys to a Loving Relationship." The sessions are designed for women who because of difficulties...

Child prisoners in Asia face abuse, UNICEF says.(Child & Family)(United Nations Children's Fund)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... GENEVA -- Incarcerated children in Asia face inhumane treatment, are often denied basic rights such as health care and education and are highly vulnerable to drug abuse, sexual exploitation and HIV/AIDS, UNICEF said yesterday in a report that...

Manitoba extends family property rights for common-law couples.(Child & Family)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's new legislation that extends family property laws will take effect June 30. Under the act, couples in common-law relationships will have obligations and rights with respect to property, including providing for a partner...

New child agency combines two organizations.(Child & Family)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- A new agency, the Child Development Institute, opened in Toronto. It was created by the amalgamation of Earlscourt Child and Family Centre and the 90 year old Creche Child and Family Centre. Tony Diniz is the Executive Director,...

Agreement close on parental leave program in Quebec.(Child & Family)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... MONTREAL -- The federal and Quebec governments have reached an unofficial agreement in principle on their quarrel over the parental leave program that has had both sides in court, according to a Canadian Press report. Claude Bechard,...

Steps needed in U.S. to reduce number of kids in foster care.(Child & Family)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... WASHINGTON -- A major overhaul of the foster care system in the United States, including restructuring federal financing and greater accountability on behalf of the courts, is necessary as the "critical first step to solving many other problems...

40% of worlds kids not registered.(Child & Family)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... BANGKOK -- More than 40 percent of children worldwide were not registered at birth, Plan International Executive Director John Greensmith reports. "After working in many countries, we realized that many children we helped do not exist...

RCMP investigated for child abuse.(Child & Family)(Royal Canadian Mounted Police )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... OTTAWA -- The Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, Shirley Heafey, announced that she is initiating a public interest inquiry into complaints related to RCMP investigations of alleged sexual abuse at the Kingsclear...

Man. cuts domestic violence program.(Child & Family)(Winnipeg's Family Violence Intervention Program )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... WINNIPEG -- The decision to end Winnipeg's Family Violence Intervention Program was criticized by local social workers and police as short-sighted. The program had police officers and social workers dealing with domestic violence. The Manitoba...

YMCA opens academy.(Child & Family)(Young Men's Christian Association )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- The YMCA Academy has been launched as an independent high school for youths who have been "disengaged from institutional learning, or who are at risk of doing so". The academy is sponsored by the YMCA of Greater Toronto. The...

Maytree Foundation, Toronto 416-944-2627.(Funding)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Canadian Council for Refugees. To strengthen the organization's communications capacity. This will include working more effectively with the media; educating the public on refugee issues and thus increasing support for Canada's role in...

Human resources and skills development, 519-645-4013.(Funding)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... ALDERCentre, Toronto. For ALDERCentre Employment Assistance. $282,304 Yonge Street Mission, Toronto. For Evergreen Employment Assistance Services. $182,587 Operation Springboard, Toronto. For Springboard Employment Assistance...

Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Community Accessability Program 416-325-6207.(Funding)
June 14, 2004... East Parry Sound Almaguin Highlands Community Living. To develop a public education program and tool kit that will provide information about the barriers faced by children and adults with developmental disabilities. $4,500 Kapuskasing...

Trillium Foundation Ontario 800-263-2887.(Funding)
June 14, 2004... Port Hope-Cobourg and District Association for Community Living (Community Living West Northumberland). To equip meeting rooms in a facility that is used by several Port Hope and Cobourg community organizations, including those providing...

Cut disincentives for older workers remaining in labour force--C.D. Howe.(Income Security)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- Major changes are required to the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans to eliminate fiscal disincentives to work for older workers or else the plans could face a significant shortfall in skilled workers in the coming decades says an...

Unionized male workers with disabilities earn better salaries.(Income Security)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... OTTAWA -- Disabled male workers with disabilities, who are also unionized, are likely to find themselves earning salaries in the top quarter of the earning range while most unionized female workers with disabilities still earn salaries in the...

Families earn more in Ottawa area.(Income Security)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... OTTAWA -- Median total family income for couple families in Canada was $61,200 in 2002. However the differences in Census Metropolitan Areas range from $55,500 in Abbotsford, BC to $77,900 in the Ottawa-Gatineau CMA. Auto manufacturing...

One in six kids still in poverty Canada 2000 wants social investment.(Income Security)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- "For almost 30 years, Canada has maintained an average poverty rate of one child in six. It is a constant pattern in the fabric of Canadian society," says Canada 2000's report, Pathways to Progress: Structural Solutions to Address...

Florida's Bush wants to contract out the state's entire welfare system.(Income Security)(Governor Jeb Bush)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TALLAHASSEE, FLA -- Gov. Jeb Bush announced that he intends to turn over Florida's entire welfare system to private operators without waiting for federal approval. The move is unprecedented, though states have turned over parts of their welfare...

Critique of Quebec poverty plan.(Income Security)
June 14, 2004... MONTREAL -- Quebec's much lauded poverty plan came in for criticism by Alain Noel of the Departement de science politique, Centre de recherche sur les politiques et developpement social, Universite de Montreal. According to Noel, the plan...

Publications.
June 14, 2004... The publications listed below are for information purposes only. To obtain copies contact the publisher. The entries in this section are listed free of charge and are limited to material published in Canada and by Canadian authors. Publishers...

Videos.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Story of Bain Co-op, Parts 1 & 2, Judy Koch. vtape.org kickstART! A Celebration, Lorna Boschman & Society for Disability Arts and Culture, Vancouver. www.s4dac.org Crisis Call: Healthcare services, Laura Sky, Toronto. The Cuerrier...

Periodicals received.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Making Waves, special edition, Community Economic Development Magazine, CCE Publications, Port Alberni BC, Spring 2004 Reaching Out, Victim Services of Peel, Brampton ON, Spring 2004 Vision, The Canadian National Institute for the...

Patient safety concerns lacking, study finds.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... OTTAWA -- Limited financial and human resources pins the lack of leadership on local, regional and national levels adversely affects the ability of health organizations to deal with patient safety concerns in Canada says a report on patient...

Rehab driving centre opens in Toronto.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- The Bridgepoint Community Rehab Driver Assessment and Training Centre opened. The centre offers a specialized team of occupational therapists and certified driver rehab specialists to help clients with compromised physical and...

Manitoba labour groups want mandatory devices to end needlestick injuries.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... WINNIPEG -- Manitoba Labour unions want the provincial governruent to require the mandatory use of safety-engineered needles and medical sharps devices. They argue that this would, almost eliminate the 3,500 needlestick injuries that healthcare...

Ontario will fund 80% of Sudbury hospital redevelopment.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... SUDBURY -- The Ontario government's cover 80 per cent of the Sudbury Regional Hospital redevelopment aimed at providing northeastern Ontario with better access to health services. The Sudbury Regional Hospital redevelopment project...

Ontario increases funding for public health to reach 75% by 2007.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- Ontario will increase the provinical share of public health cost costs from 50 per cent to 75 per cent by 2007, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced. This follows the recommendations of the report on the...

Health centre opens in Gimli.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... GIMLI, MB -- Gimli Community Health Centre, a new facility that will provide access to care for residents of Gimli and the surrounding region, was officially opened by Premier Gary Doer. The Centre is part of the Interlake Regional Health...

Sex change before HR panel.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- The Ontario government made a sudden, abrupt change when it shut down talks to settle a human rights complaint regarding the 1998 de-listing of sex-change operations from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, particularly when the...

Nigerian state lifts polio vaccine ban.(Health)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... LAGOS -- Nigeria's predominantly Muslim state of Kano has ended its eight-month ban on polio vaccinations, declaring that samples of new vaccines were "found safe," a local official said. The ban led to outbreaks of polio in nine African...

Down to This.(Book Review)
June 14, 2004... Down to This, by Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall. Random House, Canada. You have an addiction to alcohol. You are distressed by your lover leaving you and you want to find yourself?. What do you do ..? You go to live in Tent City, Toronto's...

Gilda's Club.(Appointments)(Baldachin, Larry appointed as Executive Director)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Larry Baldachin, Executive Director, Gilda's Club, Greater Toronto.

Victim Services of Peel.(Appointments)(Chorley, Fred appointed as Executive Director)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Fred Chorley, Executive Director, Victim Services of Peel, Brampton ON.

Sunnybrook & Women's Foundation.(Appointments)(Goldthorp, Kevin )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Kevin Goldthorp, Sunnybrook & Women's Foundation, Toronto.

Hospice of Peel.(Appointments)(Greer, Theresa appointed as Executive Director)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Theresa Greer, Executive Director, Hospice of Peel.

Canadian Policy Research Networks.(Appointments)(Hay, David appointed as Director)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... David Hay, Director of the Family Network, Canadian Policy Research Networks, Ottawa.

Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Bonnie Heath, Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, Toronto.

National Anti-Poverty Organization.(Appointments)(Howlett, Denis appointed as Executive Director)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Denis Howlett, Executive Director, National Anti-Poverty Organization, Ottawa.

Are some fundraisers cynical?(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... "In my opinion, charity fraud is not widespread and the reason is simple: it's a lot easier to get people to part with their money by appealing to their greed, vanity, fear, or shopping instinct than by appealing to their generosity." Dan...

Supreme Court rules freedom of grounds "reasonable" for inmate.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... OTTAWA -- The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Ontario Review Board met the test of "reasonableness" when in 2000 it moved Pertti Tulikorpi from a maximum security facility to a medium security facility that allowed him more freedom by...

Ontario funds to improve accessibility in business and historical sites.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... TORONTO -- Three new projects were created to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Ontario's Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration announced $505,055 to fund projects under the EnAbling Change Program which will fund the...

Health and social sector jobs continue upward trend.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... OTTAWA -- The upward trend continues for health care and social assistance employment. Employment rose by 19,000 in April, continuing the upward trend that began two years ago. The gain in April was primarily in offices of health care...

Fraser study says legalized marijuana could generate more than $2 billion in taxes.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... VANCOUVER -- A Fraser Institute report, Marijuana Growth in British Columbia, says the BC marijuana crop has a retail value of over $7 billion. The report, published by the market-oriented think tank, proposes that taxed as a legal product, it...