Community Action articles from June 2005

Community Action archives from June 2005

A strange but useful decision.(COMMENTS)(Chaoulli v. Quebec)
June 20, 2005... Strange but useful are the ways to describe the recent Supreme Court decisions in the Chaoulli v. Quebec case. Strange because the justices made the unusual choice to hear the case after two lower courts ruled against the appellants. The lower...

New Brunswick and Ontario set to end mandatory retirement.(INCOME SECURITY)
June 20, 2005... New Brunswick and Ontario are taking steps to end mandatory retirement. They will join other provinces that have banned forced retirement--Manitoba, Quebec, Yukon and a number of countries worldwide, including the USA, Australia and New...

Caplan's Ontario home care review backs competition and quality controls.(HEALTH)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- Ontario's review of home care, headed by Elinor Caplan, received mixed responses. Because it recommends changes to assure continuity and quality controls and funding, it is supported by the Ontario Association of Community...

Canada's "shabby" welfare gets worse, National Council on Welfare reports.(INCOME SECURITY)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- "Canadian welfare policy over the past 15 years has been an utter disaster," the National Council on Welfare concludes in its latest report, Welfare Incomes 2004. The NCW laments the "shabby treatment" of welfare recipients by federal...

Hospitals assess mental health care.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- Ontario has its first report that provides data to assess the quality of in-patient mental health care, Hospital Report 2004 Mental Health points to certain areas where improvement is necessary. The suggestions for improving...

Calendar Canada.(Calendar)
June 20, 2005... June 28-July 3: Conference: Youth in care; Canadian Foster Family Association, Alberta Foster Parent Association, Alberta Children's Services, Child Welfare League of Canada, National Youth in Care Network, Association of Youth in Care;...

Foreign calendar.(Calendar)
June 20, 2005... June 26-30: World Congress of Gerontology; International Association of Gerontology; Rio de Janeiro; [E] nortonsa@uol.com.br June 27-29: International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing; Trondheim, Norway; www.iahsa.net/norway...

Toronto child institute recognized for research work.(CHILD & FAMILY)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- The Child Development Institute, a Toronto agency received the first National Award for Outstanding Research and Evaluation in Child Welfare of the Child Welfare League of Canada. The CDI provides a range of prevention and...

Experts warn on federal-provincial child care agreement.(CHILD & FAMILY)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- Three education experts are urging caution as Ontario finalizes its child care plans with the federal government, warning that new federal funding for Ontario must be accompanied by a stronger policy framework than is now outlined in...

Agreements on early child programs.(CHILD & FAMILY)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- The federal government signed Early Learning and Child Care Agreements in Principle with Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan and expects to put similar agreements in place with the remaining provinces and territories over the coming...

Ontario plans more flexible adoption process for 9,000 crown wards.(CHILD & FAMILY)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- The Ontario government announced plans to reform the province's adoption system so that more children can find a safe, secure family. Children and Youth Services Minister Marie Bountrogianni said, "The current system is too rigid,"...

NS ombud views child & srs agencies.(CHILD & FAMILY)(Nova Scotia)(Ombudsman Act)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia's amended Ombudsman Act places school boards, child welfare agencies, licensed child-care facilities, nursing homes, residential care facilities for seniors, hospitals and community colleges under the jurisdiction of the...

Bush associate in top UNICEF job.(CHILD & FAMILY)(United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... NEW YORK -- Ann Veneman has taken on the role of new Executive Director of UNICEF. Veneman was Secretary of Agriculture in the Bush cabinet. Her appointment raises a number of questions about the changes she may bring to the organization...

Settle protection cases out of court.(CHILD & FAMILY)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- The Ontario government has introduced legislation to enable CASS to resolve more child protection cases outside of the courts by encouraging more collaborative solutions such as mediation. These less adversarial are intended to help...

Housing subsidies reduce undernourishment among U.S. kids.(CHILD & FAMILY)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... BOSTON, MA -- Children in low income families that receive public housing subsidies are less likely to show signs of undernutrition than those of comparable families not receiving housing subsidies, especially if the family is not only low...

Child care set for Surrey hi-rises.(CHILD & FAMILY)(YMCA of Greater Vancouver)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... SURRY, B.C. -- A new 4,300 square foot child care centre of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver will be located in the Optima high-rise development in Surrey Central City. Set to open in 2008, the YMCA Child Care Centre at Optima will be located in a...

Funding.
June 20, 2005... Social Development Canada 613-941-0766 Imagine Canada. Toronto. For a Community Awareness Project that will encourage dialogue among non-profit and voluntary sector organizations to increase awareness of the common issues and...

New measures raise EI benefits in poor regions.(INCOME SECURITY)(Employment Insurance)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- Approximately 300 million dollars in new measures aimed at enhancing the Employment Insurance program will benefit more than 220,000 Canadian workers annually stated Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Human Resources and Skills...

Oshawa couples have highest median income in 2003.(INCOME SECURITY)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- Median total income for couple families in Canada fell 0.5% to $62,600 in 2003. But Couple families in Oshawa, where General Motors and auto parts manufacturers dominate the employment scene, had the highest median total family income...

National Council on Welfare appts.(INCOME SECURITY)(appointments)(Gail MacDougall, Joseph Tietz)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development, today announced two appointment to the National Council of Welfare: Gail MacDougall and Dr. Joseph Tietz. Gail MacDougall holds a Master's degree in social work and is an assistant...

Order of Canada awards.(Robert G. Evans, Wanda Thomas Bernard and Matthew W. Spence were inducted)
June 20, 2005... The following were among those recently inducted into the Order of Canada: Robert G. Evans, Vancouver, Officer of the Order of Canada is one of the world's leading health economists who has conducted comparative studies of various...

New UNHRC appointed.(INCOME SECURITY)(Antonio Guterres appointed at United Nations. Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... NEW YORK -- The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, has appointed former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres of Portugal as the new UN high commissioner for refugees.

London shelter expands.(SHELTER)(Mission Services)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... LONDON -- Mission Services opened a new addition and renovations to its facilities. The Mission expands from 79 to 167, plus 19 emergency beds. Total cost of the project was $5.4 million. Contributions were received from the federal, provincial...

Women's shelter numbers down.(SHELTER)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- The numbers of female victims admitted to shelters for domestic violence declined by 7% in a two year period ending in 2003, according to the Statistics Canada Transition Home Survey, a biennial census of such facilities. However, the...

Publications.
June 20, 2005... Coordination and integration of primary health care within local health integration networks. The Association of Ontario Health Centres, Toronto. www.aohc.org\ Health Care Renewal in Canada : Accelerating Change January 2005, Health...

Periodicals received.
June 20, 2005... Brainwaves, Brain Injury Community Re-entry (Niagara) Inc., St. Catharines ON, June 2005 Connections, Ontario Association of Credit Counselling Services, Grimbsy ON, Spring 2005 in the know, Trinity Home Hospice, Toronto. Moving...

Carol Richards receives OMD's Salk Award.(HEALTH)(Carol L. Richards receives Jonas Salk Award of Ontario March of Dimes)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- Physiotherapist Dr. Carol L. Richards received the 2005 Dr. Jonas Salk Award of the Ontario March of Dimes. The $10,000' prize is co-sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur and OMD. The award recognizes Dr. Richards' achievement as a pioneer in...

Alberta expands telehealth clinical services.(HEALTH)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... EDMONTON -- Twenty-one new telehealth initiatives have been allocated $2.6 million from the province's Telehealth Clinical Services Grant Fund. The fund supports new telehealth programs to enable Albertans to have access to needed medical...

Drug treatment courts expand to four more cities.(HEALTH)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, and Minister of Health, Ujjal Dosanjh announced funding for the establishment of four new Drug Treatment Courts in Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg and Ottawa. This move...

CRC pleads guilty to tainted blood charges and funds two projects.(HEALTH)(Canadian Red Cross)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... HAMILTON -- The Canadian Red Cross has undertaken two initiatives as it pleaded guilty to charges of providing blood products in the 1980s that were infected with (HIV) and Hepatitis C. The initiatives are: * a $750,000 contribution to...

Hospital mental health study finds need for improvements in first report.(HEALTH)
June 20, 2005... TORONTO -- The University of Toronto-based Hospital Report Research Collaborative has published its first report that provides data to assess the quality of in-patient mental health care. Hospital Report 2004 points to areas where improvement...

Arbitrator ups nursing home pay.(HEALTH)(Gordon Simmons)(Hillside Manor Nursing Home)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... KITCHENER -- Arbitrator Gordon Simmons has awarded unionized long term care workers at Hillside Manor Nursing Home wage increases and pay equity improvements ranging from 12 to 13 per cent over three years. The workers also won shift...

Attendant care for student clients.(HEALTH)(Carleton University/Algonquin College Attendant Services )(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- The Carleton University/Algonquin College Attendant Services is open for new clients at each campus this September. The program provides 24-hour attendant services to students with disabilities who study and live in accessible...

CMHA lauds PC mental health stand.(HEALTH)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- The Canadian Mental Health Association expresses support for Opposition Health Critic Steven Fletcher, MP, and the Conservative Party of Canada for their support in pressuring the federal government to establish and implement a...

Clinton urges easier AIDS drugs policy.(HEALTH)
June 20, 2005... NEW DELHI -- Former President Bill Clinton said in India the U.S. needs to be more flexible in allowing dollars allocated for AIDS prevention to be spent on lower-cost generic drugs, and American drug companies "have been too harsh" in lobbying...

CHEO has Canada's 1st CLICK.(GENERAL)(Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario)(Child Life Interactive Computers for Kids)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... OTTAWA -- Microsoft Canada and Children's Miracle Network launched Canada's first Child Life Interactive Computers for Kids program at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. The CLICK program enables children and their families...

Dutch study claims heroin prescriptions less costly to society.(GENERAL)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... AMSTERDAM -- Researchers at the University of Amsterdam suggest that it is much less costly to society to supply heroin to those who are addicted than to deal with them through the current systems of treatment and criminal prosecution....

Community corrections to be run by Native groups in Manitoba agreement.(GENERAL)
June 20, 2005... WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba Metis Federation, the Southern Chiefs' Organization, the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. and the Province of Manitoba signed agreements to establishment First Nations and Metis community corrections agencies. ...

New centre opens in downtown Winnipeg.(GENERAL)(Murdo Scribe Centre)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba government has established the Murdo Scribe Centre to meet the education, training, career development and employment needs of inner-city residents. The centre will work with community service agencies, employers,...

Rape counsellor refuses to open files in US airforce case.(GENERAL)
June 20, 2005... COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- Rape crisis counsellor Jennifer Bier is resisting demands that she turn over her counselling records of a former client, a cadet at the "Air Force Academy located in this city. Though Bier is a civilian employed by a...