Monthly Archives: January 2011

Thanks

Ya gotta eat.

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Food is one of those necessities that, like oxygen and water, you don’t survive long without. You can wear you clothes to tatters, you can live in a tent, you can live on the street – but you’ve got to eat to live.

It is because you have no choice about eating, that the rising cost of food imposes such a burden on the poor – and those who endeavour to ensure those who cannot afford this necessity of life, get enough food to sustain life.

Which is why Saturday January 22 found the Thursday Night BBQers holding their first ever fundraiser to help cover the rising cost of the food – costs that until now have come out of their own pockets.

Many people find sustenance at the Thursday BBQ and on their (and my own) behalf I want to proffer thankful appreciation to those who made raising funds to defray rising food costs possible.

Thanks to Immanuel Fellowship Baptist Church who provided the use of their parking lot and assorted accoutrements to hold the fundraiser – a BBQ/bake sale/flea market.

Thanks to those who donated items, baked goods et al to be sold.

Thanks to the BBQers who gave their time not only to put on Thursday’s repast but put in all the additional time required to put on the fundraiser – so they could continue to spend time providing a Thursday night repast.

Thanks to the volunteers who gave their time to assisting in putting on the fundraiser, most generously giving up their Saturday to put on the fund raiser.
Special thanks to those who came out to support the fun raiser with their wallets. The success of any fundraiser lies in the members of the community who come out and open their wallets to contribute. Some of who simply came by to make a donation – or to pay (when you do the math) outrages prices for (admittedly tasty – but not THAT tasty) smokies and burgers.

For a community to be whole and healthy it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other – for without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.

Caveat emptor, Issues

Second class citizens, 3rd rate medical care

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Seeing Mr. P’s walking arrival at Thursday night’s meal for the hungry on the grassy roadside of Gladys underscored the fact that although it is annoying and demeaning, it is not being treated as second class citizens that worry’s the homeless, mentally ill, addicted, poor and powerless when they HAVE to deal with the Abbotsford Regional Hospital. Rather, it is the 3rd rate medical treatment that is afforded to ‘second class citizens’. Not simply because one is often sent on ones way without receiving even minimally adequate care or receiving care that complicates or exacerbates the problem, but because the ‘treatment’ one gets at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital can be downright deadly to one’s survival.

If that statement seems less than charitable it is because I have experienced the less than professional ‘care’ dispensed to the homeless and powerless and over the years have watched the toll that the behavior at Abbotsford Regional Hospital has exacted from the homeless community.

I am personally reminded of this fact of life for ‘second class citizens’ every time my neck acts up and I need to have it lanced and go on antibiotics.

This is a result of the time several years ago I went to Emergency to have an infection in/on my neck lanced and the cyst removed. As I say, I could have lived with the doctor’s attitude – if only he had done a proper job and removed all the cyst.

He didn’t, so every once in a while the piece of cyst he didn’t clean out causes an infection which needs to be lanced to drain the pus and other assorted gunk and a course of antibiotics. A process I go to a walk in clinic for, rather than risk a return to Emergency.

In light of the problems and complications the treatment afforded ‘second class citizens’ at Abbotsford Regional Hospital causes I consider myself lucky to suffer what is more of an annoyance than a threat to life or limb.

Last spring (2010) I attended the memorial for Laurie McDonald, a member of Abbotsford’s homeless community who had the misfortune to seek medical attention at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre.

She had gone to Emergency several times to seek treatment for balance problems and had been sent away after having been told she was fine.

The next time she had balance problems she was in Saskatchewan and went to a hospital in Swift Current (I believe). Which quickly, after a few tests, sent her to Regina where tests showed her balance problems were caused by a brain tumour. Within days Laurie was in surgery, which was successful. Unfortunately she died of complications.

To be accurate the unfortunate thing about her death was that she had gone to Abbotsford Regional Hospital’s Emergency for over a year about her balance rather than the hospital in Swift Current Saskatchewan.

A disturbing thought/reality is that if Laurie had sought medical treatment in Saskatchewan first, rather than at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, it could well have been a life saving decision.

Mr. P’s walking arrival at the Thursday night dinner was notable because it was not that many weeks ago that Mr. P was unable to walk more than a few steps and appeared to be knocking at deaths door. Over months and weeks he had been repeatedly hauled off by ambulance to Emergency at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. Despite the increasing frequency of his visits to Abbotsford Regional Hospital’s Emergency he just kept getting worse – heading downhill at an increasing rate.

It looked like Mr. P was not long for this world – until he was fortunate enough to be in Mission when he needed to seek medical treatment.

They admitted him to the Mission Hospital for several days, over which time they ran tests to see what was causing his health problems. As a result of the treatment Mr. P received at Mission Hospital he reappeared in Abbotsford bright eyed and bushy tailed. Alive, well and capable of walking to this Thursday night dinner.

Which is why Mr. P’s walking along the road to the dinner on Thursday night called to mind the unacceptable state of affairs at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital – were for ‘second class citizens’ seeking medical care, their best way of achieving good medical care is to catch the Valley Connector to Mission and Mission Hospital or go to the Greyhound station and catch a bus to Saskatchewan.

Municipal, Snafu

Citizens? Ignore ’em.

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““I’m not sure it’s fair to deny this [4633 Sumas Mountain Road] development,” she [Councillor Lynne Harris] said.”

It seems extremely fair to me to withhold council’s rubberstamping of another development on Sumas Mountain until the study on the effects previous developments had on property downhill and downstream is available.

If we are speaking of lack of fairness it seems extremely unfair to: 1) be making this decision without waiting for the IMSP study that would show whether development has negatively impacted property downhill and downstream; 2) that council in prior years routinely rubberstamped developments without studying what effect development had on property downhill and downstream; 3) to sneak the matter back before council for approval after deferring the decision on the development at a meeting attended by those who own property downhill and downstream; 4) to hold a re-vote when one of those who originally voted on the matter wasn’t present – especially given that councillor voted to wait for the report on the effect development has had.

Or perhaps Councillor Harris meant it was not fair to the developer not to rubberstamp (business as usual) the development but to use evidence (the ISMP study) in making the decision on whether to approve the development. Or perhaps Councillor Harris meant it was not fair to put the interests of Abbotsford’s citizens and area residents ahead of the interests of the developer?

“Councillor Lynne Harris said after “serious reflection” away from the “emotion of the table,” she had changed her mind.” So Councillor Harris was unwilling to stand up and face Abbotsford citizens whose property will be negatively impacted by the development in a forthright manner and vote to approve the development, but is quite willing to slither into a council meeting where she would not be facing those whose property will be negatively impacted by the development and sell out the interests of those citizens ?

There are several words that describe the behaviour of Councillor (Et tu) Harris vis-à-vis this development, but there was nothing fair in her betrayal of the residents of the properties downhill and down stream.

In addressing his guileful return before council of the development on Sumas Mountain Mayor Peary attempted to use doublespeak (language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses meaning) to hide the fact that he was once again placing the interests of developers ahead of the interests of the citizens of Abbotsford (notably those property owners who will be negatively impacted by the development).
For example: ” Peary said he only has 30 days to ask for a reconsideration and had he waited for the next meeting, it would have been too late.”

To late for what?

To take advantage of the absence of Councillor Ross who was not a supporter of approving the development before the ISMP study was complete?

To have the development approved before the ISMP study provided evidence to support the position of property owners downhill and downstream that development on the mountain has negative effects upon them and their property is available?

Why else the rush to decision? As Mayor Peary himself acknowledged when he stated “We would just be reconsidering it in February…”, the decision was due for reconsideration next month (February) – hardly an unreasonable delay.

Or for example: “Peary told The News that the watershed is 1,500 hectares in size, and the 65-unit townhouse development is “a tiny dot” on it.”

What does the size of the watershed have to do with anything? The important point is that “tiny dot” that is the 65-unit townhouse development is right above the “tiny dots” that are the properties of Abbotsford citizens.

How about: ” What’s more, he [Mayor Peary] said city staff assure him that water detention requirements in the development will mean there will be less runoff from the developed land.”

Would this be the same staff who assured citizens the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Complex would make a profit and not be a black hole consuming millions of taxpayers dollars?

“… less runoff from the developed land.” Less runoff than what? The floods currently hitting Australia? What is a little more flooding, eh Mayor Peary? Given his drive to have the development approved at any cost the mayor would not want to remember that just a few years ago a “little more flood” would have had the Fraser River breeching its dikes and pouring into Abbotsford.

Contrast Mayor Peary’s doublespeak with the words of Councillor MacGregor who demonstrated a clear grasp of the situation when he stated ““We need to see this report. … we need to wait.””

I would suggest that Mayor Peary needs to remember that his duty of care is owed to the citizens of Abbotsford and not to developers, or wealthy citizens purchasing a professional hockey team, et cetera. But…… given the mayor’s behaviour since he took office and the manner in which he snuck this matter back before council when the timing would ensure that the development was approved – reminding the mayor of the duty of care he owes Abbotsford’s citizens would be a waste of breath.