The Life of Bryan

BLINK

2011-10-01T02:09:00.001-04:00

I'm currently working (slowly) through Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" (http://www.gladwell.com/blink/), which I am thoroughly loving so far! Knowledge about decisions aside, I will be adding below some of its more amusing quotes as I come across them ...

"Anyone who has ever scanned the bookshelves of a new girlfriend or boyfriend - or peeked inside his or her medicine cabinet - understands this implicitly: you can learn as much - or more - from one glance at a private space as you can from hours of exposure to a public face."

Quotes & Eulogies from Jack Layton's State Funeral at Roy Thomson Hall

2011-08-28T02:10:00.002-04:00

The video tribute/montage ...

"Jack was so alive. So much fun. So engaged in daily life with so much gusto. So unpretentious, that it was hard while he lived to focus on how incredibly important that was to us ... Jack simply radiated an authenticity and honesty and a commitment to his ideals that we now realize we've been thirsting for."

"You could wait forever for perfect conditions, or you can make the best of what you've got"

"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing." - Arundhati Roy

"Always have a dream that is longer than a lifetime" - Jack Layton

RIP Jack Layton

2011-08-22T10:45:00.001-04:00

It says something about a man when you rack your brain thinking about the things they said, and all you come back to is "I won't stop until the job is done".

A common thread among leaders in any field is that they are never, ever, satisfied. Complacency & the status quo are not in their psyche because things can be better, things can be different - if we have the courage to put ourselves forward and work at them. Jack embodied these values of courage, hard work and optimism better than any leader I have seen in Canadian politics in my 31 years. As the NDP, Liberals, and probably even the Conservatives all engage in hotly contested leadership races in the coming years - let us hope that they each look beyond the specific issues of the day and choose a leader who share these values too.

The best obit of the day so far is by Joanna Smith in The Toronto Star, at: Jack Layton Dead at 61

Mt Everest in 1996

2011-08-21T16:25:00.000-04:00

Fully addicted to this story and the various accounts & characters involved, I've now read three of the autobiographical books on the 1996 disaster upon Mt Everest, that from Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air); Anatoli Boukreev (The Climb); and Beck Weathers (Left for Dead).

Next up on the list: High Exposure by high altitude mountaineering legend David Breashears.

Marie

2011-08-14T21:53:00.004-04:00

Please return to this page after September 1st, 2011

Left for Dead

2011-08-14T21:36:00.003-04:00

Some of my favourite quotes from Beck Weathers' account of the infamous 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in his book Left For Dead:

"Our pace was that slow, rhythmic, metronome-like gait ingrained in the frame of my being through years of climbing." -p37

"You travel in a private bubble of light from your headlamp, the rest of the world as lost to you as if you were alone on the face of the moon." -p38

"In that moment, by saving those three people who otherwise surely would have died, Anatoli Boukreev became a hero. Let that be the way Anatoli is remembered." -p52

"Both of them knew exactly what lay ahead. When those moments had passed and Rob no longer had to be strong, you could hear him quietly weeping as he faced his own death. He didn't know the radio was still on." -p57

"You cannot sweat that small stuff, I said to myself. You have to focus on that which must be done, and do that thing." -p62

"The three of them - David, Ed and Robert - are elite mountaineers, among the most famous and accomplished mountain climbers in the world. It wasn't lost on me that I, the ultimate grunt at the end of his climbing career, suddenly was surrounded by a dream team of mountaineering. Another of life's little ironies." -p71

"I know a man who believes he has a brave heart, but he's never been sufficiently challenged to know if this is true. I will ask him." -p74

"Madan is to me the most extraordinary person in this story, because he didn't know me at all. He didn't know my family, and he has his own family, for which he is the sole provider. We were separated by language, by culture, by religion, by the entire breadth of this world, but bound together by a bond of common humanity." -p81

"I felt compelled to go to him. I didn't care where he was. I didn't really know where I was going, or how I would get there. But I figured I was going to find him." -p96

"At no point had this been a pretty or even interesting climb, but when we finally reached the Canelleta, I understood why Trevanian so fiercely loathes Aconcagua. The Canelleta may be the most miserable natural incline on Earth. You can't go up it quickly, because you can't get enough breath. But if you go too slowly it slides out from under you." -p242

Priority Neighbourhoods: A letter from John Tory to Community Development and Recreation Committee

2011-07-18T01:51:00.001-04:00

I've always felt John Tory was far better in municipal politics than on the provincial stage. I am in lockstep with his position on the current priority neighbourhood debate working its way through Toronto City Council, and I hope the Community Development and Recreation Committee considers his words below before making up their minds on this one. For the full link on Civic Action's website, check out: http://ow.ly/5Cm3p

July 12, 2011

Community Development and Recreation Committee
Toronto City Council
10th floor, West Tower, City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

Dear Community Development and Recreation Committee Members,

I am writing to you in my capacity as Chair of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance concerning the proposal to rename and review the programs put in place to improve our Priority Neighbourhoods.

Since its original inception as the Toronto City Summit Alliance, one of CivicAction’s principal concerns has been to identify measures we can undertake together, the results of which will be a healthy, prosperous and inclusive city region.

To me, and to most if not all of all of the thousands of people involved in CivicAction’s work, this has meant that addressing the special and often acute needs of some of our neighbourhoods stands high on the priority list. As a result, we have been very supportive of, and have in some instances partnered with the United Way, governments and other non-profit organizations, in efforts like the Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force to help the residents of those neighbourhoods overcome some of the unique challenges they face in trying to build up their lives and build up their neighbourhoods.

As you know, my long history with the United Way predates my return to a leadership role in CivicAction. In all of that time, and in visits to every one of the 13 Priority Neighbourhoods, never once has anyone mentioned to me any feeling of stigmatization as a result of this designation. I recognize that some residents may be concerned about labels, but the many I have met have told me that the Priority Neighbourhood designation gives them a sense of hope, because maybe, just maybe, it will encourage some focus on these areas with their special needs, and might in turn lead to crucial public and private investment. I have often said in my own speeches that the “Priority Neighbourhood” designation may in fact be too polite in that it doesn’t really seem as urgent as is the actual need to help some of our fellow citizens who are struggling the most.

My experience in public life has taught me to be very wary anytime I see people proposing a name change for a government program. I have learned that such a change is often proposed when the real intent is to downsize or eliminate the program. In the case of Priority Neighbourhoods, there are only success stories to tell, many of them modest, but representing a beginning. There have, however, been mentions of these programs being “handouts”, and of making programs available to an even broader range of neighbourhoods. These words seem to hint at the possibility that the real result of a name change would be to see some of these initiatives spread thinner, diminished or abolished and, notwithstanding the city’s financial difficulties, this would be a grave mistake.

None of the programs initiated under the Priority Neighbourhood heading amount to “handouts” as most people would understand that term. In many cases they do indeed represent a hand up: a small homework club here to keep kids in school, a recreation program there to give kids something to do. And far from chasing private investment away, the Priority Neighbourhoods program has attracted MILLIONS of dollars of investment, through generous donations to the United Way which have created Neighbourhood Hubs, to corporate sponsorship of new recreational facilities and the beginnings of some business investment.

There is indeed a spending problem at City Hall, but it does not lie in the programs like this which offer modest help to some of our citizens who are most in need. In my view, the Priority Neighbourhood programs may well offer the best rate of return of almost any dollars spent. While I’m sure we can find ways to deliver these programs more efficiently, just like all of the others, I would hope we will protect these initiatives as we go forward since the need is increasing, not diminishing.

One of the other things I have learned in my time in public life is that having a debate about a name change is much easier than actually addressing the real issue itself, whatever that may be. If you think about it for a moment, in the absence of any evidence whatsoever of any feeling of stigmatization, what possible benefit will come from spending even five minutes debating the name, as opposed to addressing the real issues facing these neighbourhoods, whether the dilapidated state of our public housing, the substandard recreation facilities, the much higher school dropout rate or the lack of access to economic opportunity?

I would respectfully advise your committee, and indeed all members of Council, to dispense with the name review and, if there is to be any review of the Priority Neighbourhood initiatives, to do it clearly and unequivocally with a view to maintain and make more effective the current programs, and to continue to treat this as a high priority of the Toronto city government.

We at CivicAction stand ready to offer any assistance we can in addressing this most important of challenges.

Sincerely,

John Tory
Chair

(not so) funny debt language

2011-07-07T13:51:00.001-04:00

Something just doesn't seem right about the Globe's analysis of our debt in today's business section. A line from page B7 reads:

"While Canada's total debt is around $560 billion (higher if the provinces are included), we are in good shape relative to most other countries ..."

Now I'm no economist, but given this particular usage of the word 'relative' I'm not sure those other countries represent a standard we want to be measured by!

The 10 Commandments of How to Get Along with People

2011-06-29T10:18:00.000-04:00

For the amusement of some of the Heal's out there, I recently stumbled upon our 96 years in Canada Cookbook that was published for the 1999 reunion (by the 1988 committee). To even greater amusement, there is a page that's dedicated to THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF HOW TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE, which I really needed to share=). My fav's might be bullets 3, 5 & 6 ...

Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice. How you say it often counts more than what you say.
Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.
Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody. Praise good work, regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.
Be interested in others, their pursuits, their work, their homes and families. Make merry with those who rejoice; with those who weep, mourn. Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard him as a person of importance.
Be cheerful. Don't burden or depress t hose around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappoinments. Remember, everyone is carrying some kind of load.
Keep an open mind. Discuss but don't argue. It is a mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.
Let your virtues, if you have any, speak fo rthemselves. Refuse to talk of another's vices. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of valuable time and can be extremely destructive.
Be careful of another's feelings. Wit and humour at the other person's expense are rarely worth it and may hurt when least expected.
Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world. Simply live so that nobody will believe them. Disordered nerves and bad digestion are a common cause of back-biting.
Don't be too anxious about the credit due you. Do your best, and be patient. Forget about yourself, and let others "remember." Success is much sweeter that way.

YouthLink-Pathways to Education celebrates 2nd year in Scarborough Village

2011-06-24T18:48:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending last night's year 2 celebration for YouthLink's Scarborough Village Pathways to Education program. Here is a pic of a mural that many of the youth painted that now hangs in the local Pathways office.

Gorgeous! It really is incredible how Pathways has become a blue-chip charity and how quickly it has grown since first launching in Regent Park in 2001. With 11 sites currently in operation with others surely being planned for roll out across Canada through their "Graduation Nation" campaign, they are in the middle of the kind of scaling up effort unheard of in the non profit world.

And the best part about it for a public health guy like me: It goes beyond the usual theorizing and is a practical example of how support around determinants of health can lead to real life objective outcomes that people of all political stripes can see.

For more info on YouthLink & Pathways to Education in Scarborough Village, please visit: http://www.youthlink.ca/pathways%20 or http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/comm-scarborough.html

Tip of the hat to 3 people from 3 parties

2011-06-23T13:34:00.000-04:00

Although it never received the hype of poverty reduction or other high profile parliamentary committees - the Select Committee on Mental Heath has probably been the most functional one of all during this government, no doubt in part due to members of all 3 elected parties working together.

With reasoned debate, a respected consultation process and evidence-guided recommendations - they seemed, at least from an outsider's perspective, to have worked as a committee should. While the debate will carry on as to how exactly the initiative will roll out and what the specific priorities will be - yesterday's announcement of a new 3 year $257 million strategy to support children's mental health (story at http://ow.ly/5oNSF ) is an important product of their work, will help thousands of children youth and families, and is a committment that has a decent chance of surviving an election due to the multi-partisan approach in which it was developed.

Big congrats are in order to Liberal MPP Kevin Flynn, PC MPP Christine Elliot, NDP MPP France Gélinas, and all others who worked hard on this one!

Blessed with great Uncles: A few old pics of Uncle Rod Nagina

2011-06-08T21:51:00.001-04:00

BEATFACE - "We Don't Need to Pretend"

2011-05-13T21:50:00.000-04:00

The Toronto based group, BEATFACE (http://www.beatfacemusic.com), aka my cousin's band just released their first single "We Don't Need to Pretend" off their long awaited debut EP, "Amy".

Check out the single on 1loveTO's site at: http://www.1loveto.com/2011/05/08/beatface-we-dont-need-to-pretend/ ... leave a friendly shout out on the comment board if you like!

-Bry

Virtual Wards - the next innovation in health care delivery?

2011-05-10T12:09:00.002-04:00

What a fantastic description of the piloting of 'virtual' patient wards by a unique clinical partnership of Toronto Hospitals in the below article ...

http://www.moneyville.ca/article/988545--virtual-ward-keeps-patients-out-of-hospital

I love the ambitiously creativity in this initiative. Obviously we must wait until late 2012 to see if the clinical and economic data ultimately decides how successful this initiative has been. However, if the assumptions are proven true that this improves patient health, reduces costly readmissions, and is more economically efficient than traditional services - then is could not be more timely, and is exactly the kind of health care innovation we need to scale up!

Want to be a Director of Toronto Community Housing?

2011-04-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

The Toronto Community Housing Corp (TCHC) is still recruiting a full Board of Directors. Applications are due this Friday for all interested in helping lead a period of phenemenol change for Canadia's largest landlord and social housing provider.

Check out the city's public appointments page for detailed info, how to apply, etc at: http://bit.ly/elziyK

A racoon filled flight

2011-04-06T14:46:00.001-04:00

I Flew out of Billy Bishop airport this past week, and couldn't help but be reminded of how much of a nicer experience it is than flying in or out of Pearson!

Fast shuttle from downtown to airport dock: No extra charge

Tiny wait to check in on a rush hour flight: No extra charge

Yummy in flight sandwich along with a Steamwhistle, served in an actual glass: No extra charge

Leaving your home/office and arriving at your destination in the time it would take you to board your plane at Pearson: Priceless

Oh ... and if you find yourself in Ottawa and enjoy a good microbrew - the 7 three ounce samplers for $8 at the Wellington Gastropub is hard to beat!

Trustee Laskin hits the right tone

2011-03-30T19:46:00.002-04:00

Kudos to Shelley Laskin, local School Board Trustee for St Paul's on her reasoned response to the controversial TDSB proposal to launch an Africentric high school program at Oakwood this fall.

In her words:

"I will not support this report. I will support referring this back to staff to answer the actual board recommendation (for a feasibility study to include options and recommendations, e.g. school within a school, specialized programs, etc.) and that would include a full consultation process with potential communities (including feeder schools) and recommendations for the timing of implementation that will ensure community consultation and necessary committee and board discussions."

Decisions about big and sensitive changes need to be studied thoroughly, communicated within an appropriate context, and be supported by real community engagement. Token consultations will not do. If you agree, then join me in calling or writing the two Trustees who represent most of Oakwood's catchment area with a quick message to urge their colleagues to do the same and ensure a full & inclusive consultation process.

Trustee Shelley Laskin: 416-397-3094 or shelley.laskin@tdsb.on.ca
Trustee Maria Rodrigues 416-397-3069 or maria.rodrigues@tdsb.on.ca

Some links to media reports on the issue:
March 30, in The Star: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/965530--trustee-seeks-to-delay-oakwood-proposal
March 28, in The Sun: http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2011/03/25/17758561.html

Remembering a giant in the fight against Diabetes

2010-11-01T11:04:00.000-04:00

On Nov 1, 1920 - exactly 90 years ago, U of T's Sir Frederick Banting gives a lecture outlining a vision of the pancreas that laid the foundation for a breakthrough that continues to save millions of lives each year. At the age of 32, the discovery of insulin would make him the youngest Nobel prize winner in the history of Medicine.

MOMENTUM SWINGS TO BRYAN!

2010-10-21T10:25:00.006-04:00

In case anyone is not on our mailing list - below is the email that went out this morning. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful team, and am touched by the many messages of support coming in following last night's airing of Goldhawk Live on RogersTV. Now on to four more days of non stop hard work to keep pressing our message of Be Healthy, Be Mobile, Be Engaged to close out the most important week of them all!
-Bryan

Read more

Toronto Star endorses Bryan!

2010-10-19T03:16:00.004-04:00

I am delighted to share the news that the Toronto Star has endorsed our campaign for City Council in Ward 40! In their words:

“Fresh thinking and original perspectives are essential given the financial challenges and broad public frustration left behind by the departing council. More city-builders are needed in office — energetic people capable of co-operation and inspiration.”
"Well-spoken Bryan Heal, a worker at a non-profit agency helping children and youth, deserves a chance to show what he can do."

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/877330--star-s-choices-more-fresh-faces-for-city-council

Weekend advanced vote is here!

2010-10-16T02:47:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone!

If you haven't already done so, be sure to go out and vote this weekend! Polling locations are being set up in every ward, and Bryan will be joining Ward 40 residents at Holy Spirit Catholic Church to cast his ballot on Sunday.

This is the only weekend opportunity people will have to vote, so we will be pushing hard encouraging as many people as we can to join us in voting early. Here are the three biggest ways you can help!

Read more

Final fundraiser as the race heats up!

2010-10-14T01:31:00.007-04:00

Dear friends

With advanced voting and debate season under way, the race is heating up in the final weeks! Tuesday's All-Candidates meeting was great fun, a spirited discussion was had, and I was delighted to make my case to an engaged room of residents in the Antrim & Dundalk communities. Many thanks are in order to the Glamorgan school and the Scarborough Civic Action Network (SCAN) for playing host, to all who came out to listen and learn, and to help: Sarah, Ronni, Scotty and Dad - you were a fantastic team to have had on hand!

Read more

Ward 40: This is what your ballot looks like!

2010-10-10T00:33:00.004-04:00

If you are aligned with the public school system ...

If you are aligned withe the catholic school system ...

Labour Council endorsement

2010-10-09T15:28:00.007-04:00

Thank you Toronto & York Region Labour Council for endorsing me and our "Be Healthy, Be Mobile, Be Engaged" campaign in Ward 40!

The official Toronto plan estimates that 1 million new people will move to our city, and twice as much to the GTA. Many of these new residents will call Scarborough home. When thinking about how to move people to work, get them to school, and reduce gridlock on our streets - there is no greater economic investment then an expanded TTC that better connects Scarborough to the rest of the city, and integrates seamlessly with transit systems in neighbouring municipalities. It's time for the GTA's municipalities to work better together and compete as an economic region - and that starts with a strong public transit system that connects us all.

In Scarborough, while our population has and continues to grow, there hasn't been a major transit investment since the introduction of the SRT line in 1985. Now reaching the end of it's lifespan, most of us will agree that it has not live up to it's potential. It's nice to have an election where transit is one of the defining issues, and while we all have varying viewpoints with whether we would like to see an expansion underground or above ground - what is not in question is that it is time to upgrade the SRT and extend the Sheppard line east from Don Mills and into Malvern.

Sheppard Transit & Upcoming Events

2010-10-07T16:38:00.009-04:00

Dear friends

On the heels of receiving high marks from the Public Transit Coalition and an “A” grade from the Toronto Environmental Alliance, I was happy to host a meeting this week on one of the biggest issues on all of our agendas: Transit City, and the proposed TTC plan for Sheppard Ave. Many thanks to all who braved the weather to come out for a spirited discussion on what has been the most contentious issue in our ward. Like many of us, if there is a chance to amend the current plan I will continue to advocate for the Sheppard Line to be built underground – it will be better for users, better for roads, and better for our community. For more info on my views on these and other transit priorities, please visit www.bryanheal.com/platform

Looking forward, we’ve got two more big events coming up next week and if you can spare a few hours – I need all the support I can get!

Read more

Advanced weekday voting begins!

2010-10-05T13:02:00.000-04:00

Tired of this election? Wanna get it over with already? VOTE EARLY!! Starting today you can vote at your Civic Centre from 10am-6pm on Oct 5, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13.

For more info at the Torontoist: http://bit.ly/9Y2elA

Torontopedia!

2010-10-05T02:41:00.003-04:00

Glad to see my profile published on our city's best wiki - Torontopedia! Please take a look when you have a moment ...

http://www.torontopedia.ca/Bryan_Heal

October Meetings & Debates

2010-09-28T12:10:00.002-04:00

Dear friends

Fall is here and we've got four weeks before the election on October 25th to spread our message and get out the vote!

There are several events being planned for this final month for you to come out and ask questions, show your support, and share your ideas about the kinds of change you want to see in our neighbourhoods and at City Hall. Be sure to add us to your calendar!

WARD 40 TRANSIT FORUM

From LRTs vs Subways, accessibility, TTC fares, and how to deliver a lengthy construction project that is respectful of its impact on Sheppard area residents and businesses - the transit plan for Sheppard and how it is implemented will be a defining issue for our Ward in the next term of Council. If you are concerned about these issues and want to learn more while helping develop some practical ideas - then join Bryan at his Community Forum on Transit & Sheppard Avenue Construction!

WHEN: Tuesday October 5th, from 6 PM to 8 PM
WHERE: At the Agincourt Public Library, ground floor meeting room (accessible)

Light snacks will be provided.

WARD 40 ALL-CANDIDATE DEBATES

Ward 40 Debate at Glamorgan Elementary School

The Scarborough Civic Action Network (SCAN) hosts an All-Candidates debate for residents of Ward 40. Come early for a Voter Education session, or just show up for the debate as Bryan and other candidates answer questions about the hot button issues before us in this election. To make sure your issues get discussed, please submit your questions in advance to Jessica at rjessica@agincourtcommunityservices.com

WHEN: Tuesday October 12th, Voter Education at 6:30pm, Debate from 7-9pm
WHERE: Glamorgan Elementary School, 51 Antrim Cres

Rogers Cable Live TV Ward 40 Debate

Most undecided voters make up their mind in the final week. Tune in on October 20th as Rogers TV hosts a final Ward 40 All-Candidates Debate in the home stretch! This Live TV broadcast will be hosted by Canadian journalist Dale Goldhawk. To make sure your issues get discussed, please submit your questions in advance to Dale at torontovotes@rogerstv.com (indicate your interest in Ward 40) or phone-in live during the program at 416-446-7090. We look forward to hearing from you!

WHEN: Wednesday October 20th, 8 PM to 9 PM (5 days before the vote!)
WHERE: Rogers Cable 63 in Scarborough, Cable 10 in Toronto
SHOW: Goldhawk Live

ArtsVoteTO 2010

2010-09-14T10:22:00.002-04:00

Our friends at ArtsVoteTO 2010 are organizing a collection of "I'm an Artist, and I vote" photo submissions for the slideshow to be displayed at the ArtsVote Mayoral Debate later this month at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Here is mine ...

Sept 10 and the end of nominations

2010-09-11T01:51:00.000-04:00

And so marks the end of the 2010 voteTO nomination period!

It's been a heck of a ride getting to this point, and I am thrilled to have had the support and encouragement from so many friends old and new.

It can take a whole heap of work and soul-searching to put one's self on the ballot, and I'd like to take a time out to aknowledge Mr Sy, Councillor Kelly and all candidates across Toronto who are contesting in the races for Mayor, Councillor and Trustee. Congratulations to all, and here's to wishing everyone a final 45 days of good debate and successful canvasses in our quest for a more informed and engaged electorate in 2010.

Bryan

--
Bryan Heal for City Council
Ward 40 Scarborough Agincourt
www.bryanheal.com

A grand birthday weekend!

2010-08-31T01:17:00.004-04:00

A great many and heartfelt thanks to all this past 31st birthday weekend. From gifts, cards, messages, bbq's, wonderful evenings out and a lot of help on the canvass - it's been a fantastic past few days with loved one's sharing in a nice balance of both politics and fun!

--Bryan

Timothy Eaton meeting notes

2010-08-24T10:32:00.003-04:00

Thank you Trustee Wong for hosting a lively public meeting concerning the sale of the Timothy Eaton school building and property.

For those who were unable to attend, the meeting featured a powerpoint presentation followed by a question and answer period with residents. Joining Trustee Wong on the panel were Shirley Hoy of the Toronto Lands Corporation, and Andrew Gowdy, the TDSB Planning Manager. After introducing the purpose of the meeting and giving the background rationale for closing the school, the bulk of the meeting focused on what happens next, the role of the Toronto Lands Corporation, how they accept proposals from potential bidders, and where students and daycare attendees who have used Timothy Eaton will be redirected to.

HIGHLIGHTS

- At the last public meeting, the community was in favour of leasing Timothy Eaton. The TDSB in their June 30th meeting, however, voted overwhelmingly to sell, and authorized the Toronto Lands Corporation (TLC) to circulate the property to a preferred list of public institutions.

- The child care centre will be relocated to Highland Heights Junior Public School

- Given the large scale residential developments planned for the area (e.g. Bridlewood Mall), some concerns were raised as to whether there was enough school space to serve an influx of residents. TDSB staff explained that the existing secondary schools in the area (Stephen Leacock, L'Amoreaux, Sr John A Macdonald) have the capacity to absorb new students, and are large enough to accomodate additions if enrollment increases substantially.

- The TLC will now proceed to offer the property to the following institutions for a period of 90 days, in order of priority:
French-language public district school board
English-language separate district school board
French-language separate district school board
English/French language college
The university whose head office is nearest to the property
The Province of Ontario
The City of Toronto
The Federal Government of Canada

- In an effort to keep the site in public hands and not sell to private ownership, Trustee Wong informed us that the TDSB approved a motion to bring the property back to the Board if no sale occurs with one of the preferred public institutions.

- If the City is able to secure at least part of the space - several community constituents including residents, non profit agencies and myself are in support of the develop of a 'hub' for needed services that will able to serve the Timothy Eaton area. There are at least two groups who have expressed interest in this idea - a United Way-led consortium of agencies, and a Family-justice group of agencies. Giving the pecking order of institutions, however, for the City of Toronto to be able to make use of the site, any proposal needs to be compatible with bids received from the institutions holding a higher priority status.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

If the City is able to secure at least part of the site, I would be delighted to discuss how we should best use the space at organizing@bryanheal.com or 416-760-2938.

For information regarding the decision to close and sell Timothy Eaton, the surplus process, what the raised capital will be used for, where students will be redirected to, enrollment projections and other TDSB issues please contact our local Trustee Soo Wong.

Big week for Ward 40

2010-08-23T17:46:00.000-04:00

With the Bridlewood Mall development before Community Council, the launch of the TTC's customer service panel report, a meeting on the sale of Timothy Eaton, and a vote on rooming house by-laws this Thursday = a big week for Ward 40 issues!

Regarding the public meeting tonight on the sale of the Timothy Eaton school - all area residents are welcome at the St Paul's L'Amoreux Centre, 3333 Finch Ave East at 7pm to share your thoughts on the future use of the school and the land. For those unable to attend, please visit www.bryanheal.com tomorrow afternoon where I will be happy to post an update.

Bryan

--
Bryan Heal
Ward 40 resident and local candidate for Toronto City Council

Bridlewood development supported by councillors, not residents

2010-08-21T23:08:00.004-04:00

Dear Friends

I attended this past week's Scarborough Community Council meeting. Most significant for Ward 40 residents was the afternoon deliberation and vote on the controversial condominium development proposed for the parking lot of Bridlewood Mall.

The series of large buildings has been met with criticism from the community, including myself, who questions whether the Warden-Finch area has the infrastructure in place to effectively support the additional units. Several deputations were made by community members giving testimony to difficulty with city planners near the end of the consultation process, as well as studies highlighting the gaps in services that already exist; that Toronto Hydro currently lacks enough transmission lines for the project; and that developments of this magnitude are more appropriately built around subway corridors. Most compellingly, one woman spoke of Finch Avenue being the busiest bus route in Canada, and of how much difficulty she has getting to and from work everyday - frequently having to wait for 3-4 full buses to pass her before she is able to board. A city that works, is a city that moves. As north Scarborough residents have to wait this long to get to work as it is, the next council should be planning, prior to approving new developments, of how to upgrade transit capacity so that service levels are not compromised as new homes are created.

That the Council voted unanimously to approve the development was not surprising. What was, however, is how poorly the merits of many arguments made by community members were even acknowledged. Councillors will vote as they will, but they need to remember that they serve us, and when a constituent brings forth a legitimate and well-reasoned argument on an important issue - that constituent deserves nothing less than the respect to have their concern openly acknowledge and (if possible) addressed.

-Bryan

For the InsideToronto/Scarborough Mirror article on the issue, please visit the followign url:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/863349--bridlewood-condo-plan-supported-by-councillors

Candidate Surveys

2010-08-15T17:52:00.002-04:00

Enjoyed completing the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) and the Clean Air Partnership (CAP)'s candidate survey on walking and cycling infrastructure. Including ArtsVote2010 and the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA), that's 3 report cards we currently await for the fall!

Next up: The Public Transit Coalition on the 23rd. And then the papers!

Looking forward to a fun & busy week ahead of meeting people, and more people :)

-Bryan

8 ways to help Bryan

2010-08-14T18:45:00.004-04:00

Courtesy of our lovely Facebook group ...

Dear Friends

Thank you for your continued support!

It's time to elect someone different.
It's time to elect someone who represents and understands the diversity of our communities.
It's time to support new leadership and elect Bryan for City Council in Ward 40!

Since launching our website, newsletter and Facebook page, we are delighted to have received so many words of encouragement and offers of assistance. If you would consider helping Bryan further, here are 8 things that we all can do to help send our good friend and colleague to City Hall:

1. Share Bryan's website link with your networks - www.bryanheal.com

2. Invite your FB friends to join our page at - www.facebook.com/healcitycouncil

3. Make a YouTube video supporting Bryan

4. Commit yourself to finding 5 people in Ward 40 who did not vote in 2006, to cast their ballots this October!

5. Help Bryan fundraise by making a donation (Ontario residents), sending a letter or hosting a small gathering. Whether it's $5, $750 or something in between - all generous contributions will go a long way in helping to print lawn signs, distribute flyers, and provide support for those needing assistance getting to the polls. Donations of $25 and above are eligible for a cash rebate of up to 75% back!

6. Volunteer with an event. We've got at least two big events in the works, and need all the help we can get!

7. Enjoy walking or cycling on a nice day? Come to Agincourt for a workout and drop some flyers along the way!

8. Save the date on October 25th and sign up to help Bryan get out the vote!

Thank you for all of your support!
--The campaign to Elect Bryan Heal to City Council in Ward 40 Scarborough Agincourt

www.bryanheal.com

ACORN Tenant vote rally

2010-08-13T13:32:00.004-04:00

I took a break from the canvass to attend ACORN Canada's tenant vote rally in St Jamestown.

Congratulations to ACORN Canada for launching this important campaign. While the voter turnout throughout Ward 40 is about 40% - in some building clusters it is as low as 10-15%, and that needs to change in this election and all elections!

-Bryan

Dave Meslin @ TEDxToronto

2010-08-11T19:49:00.003-04:00

Better Ballots is the best thing to have happened to this year's election season yet, with candidates and communities in all 44 wards talking about how to improve elections in Toronto. Let's all congratulate Dave Meslin on his upcoming speech to TEDxToronto, and listen to him discuss the voter apathy myth and current structural impediments to community engagement.

http://tedxtoronto.com/speakers/dave-meslin/

Dorset Park Community Planning Meeting

2010-08-09T21:33:00.000-04:00

Had a fun, informative and engaged meeting at 6 Glamorgan with area residents as we begin our strategic community building planning for the next year! Big thank you to the Action for Neighbourhood Change, the DP neighbourhood association and 6 for organizing and playing host.

Aug 6-8 weekend update

2010-08-09T08:59:00.004-04:00

Thanks for a great weekend team

We have recruited 30 new volunteers, put in a new print order to help drive the rest of the summer, and have now canvassed almost every storefront in the Ward!

We're looking at holding a fundraiser at a local venue in mid September, to help fuel the home stretch. If you're able to help organize, please join us at organizing@bryanheal.com

-Bryan

Review voting places for accessibility

2010-08-05T03:37:00.002-04:00

Toronto Elections has posted a tentative list of voting places for public review of the
accessibility features of the locations. The list highlights entrance
locations, and any modifications that are to be made to make the
location accessible on Election Day.

To view the tentative list visit, please http://ow.ly/2l6Gh .

Chewing on food as an election issue ...

2010-07-21T22:44:00.003-04:00

A re-post of the transcript of Joe Fiorito's article in the Toronto Star, 21 July 2010. For the original article, please visit: http://bit.ly/duAvkt

The Canadian Urban Institute gathered together a group of smart people recently, in order to ask why the issue of food did not seem to appear anywhere on the election agenda. A lively discussion ensued, although it wasn’t so much about why food was not on the agenda, as it was about why it ought to be.

Okay, why?

Because there are places in this city where it’s hard to find an unprocessed bite to eat. Because in some neighbourhoods the food bank is more important than the corner store. Because we are too fat. Because our kids think it isn’t food if it wasn’t wrapped in plastic. Because there are a dozen neighbourhoods in Toronto where you can’t walk to the store. Because many of us have no garden, nor any place to put one. And because lots of people have no idea how to buy a whole chicken and cut it up, using some of the meat for the grill and making soup from the rest of it.

You get the point.
A useful question, then.

Of the candidates for mayor, only Joe Pantalone showed up. That tells you something about him, and a little more about the others. The medical officer of health spoke first, about the Toronto Food Strategy. Darlings, I wonder if you knew we had such a thing. I also wonder if you knew that its goals are to protect the environment, promote social justice, foster economic development, support health and celebrate community. None of that sounds like a bowl of pho to me, with a pair of cha gio on the side. Here, however, I should note that my own personal food strategy is to keep it off my shirt. But the merest reason we need a food strategy is that this city buys 7,000 meals a day and serves them up in our shelters and childcare centres.
Our food strategy comes with a set of priorities, among them to eliminate hunger, to connect the city to the country, to develop food-friendly neighbourhoods, and to empower residents.

In plain language, if you can’t afford the lettuce at the farmers’ market, you should grow your own. An aside: The logo printed on the city’s food strategy documents shows fat slices of six different apples, stacked together to form an imaginary apple; of the six kinds, I could only name four.
What a sap?
What a wine sap.

There were more speakers; to them, I merely suggest that speaking from notes is always a good idea, because when you just get up and tell stories off the cuff, you run the risk of . . .
Sorry, my mind wandered.
I have, however, some questions of my own about food and the coming election:
When a developer finishes a neighbourhood, or a renovation in a neighbourhood, why is that developer not compelled to leave a couple of feet of topsoil behind, as opposed to an inch of sod on top of construction rubble?
Why doesn’t the city use some of its land to grow its own food and raise its own eggs and distribute the results in public housing?
Why doesn’t the city push the airport off the island, and reclaim the fields as farmland?
And why didn’t Toronto buy the last Canadian cannery in the Niagara region a couple of years ago, and use it to supply city schools with juice and fruit?
A final thought: in the summer, they teach kids to fish in the swimming pool at Scadding Court. Funny, you can eat what you catch in an indoor pool, but not what you catch from the Humber or the Don.
Why not?
You know who to ask.

More Mayoral candidates than the Media 5

2010-07-16T16:16:00.002-04:00

It is unfortunate that of 30+ Mayoral candidates, we only hear of five getting respectable media coverage. Several others have great goals for out city, and in a time where Toronto is facing big challenges - all good ideas deserve to be heard.

This weekend's goal,if you can spare a few minutes: Search online and look up the candidacies of Rocco Achampong & HiMY SYeD

What could $30 million do for your community?

2010-07-14T23:46:00.004-04:00

Tip of the hat to Councillor Heaps for challenging the deal that has Toronto taxpayers subsidising the property levy's on nine private golf clubs. At next month's executive committee meeting he will be requesting a legal review of this agreement. Sitting executive committee members include:

Mayor Miller; Deputy Mayor Pantalone; Councillor Carroll; Councillor Davis; Councillor De Baeremaker; Councillor Kelly; Councillor Mammoliti; Councillor McConnell; Councillor Mihevc; Councillor Moscoe; Councillor Rae

$30 million could have been invested in our communities, on our infrasture, towards transit or paying down our debt. Let's hope they do the right thing and move this forward.

For the Toronto Star's story on this issue: click here

One year on, still no answers in death of Kristian Thanapalan

2010-07-11T22:32:00.005-04:00

One year on, still no answers in beating death - thestar.com

Photo originally published by Tara Walton/Toronto Star

Dorset Park Day

2010-07-10T00:15:00.009-04:00

While it may be remembered for its G20 shinanigans, the June 26-27th weekend saw the 416 play host to a range of wonderful events and activities. Chief among them in Scarborough was the Dorset Park Day Festival. Held at McGregor Park, the community was out in full force. Not deterred by wind or rain, residents young and old came together and laughed, learned, ate good food and enjoyed wonderful entertainment. Much love is in order to all the organizers for all the planning that went in to the day, and for ensuring a seamless transition when the skies forced us inside. You know it's a good event when people have been there for five hours and still don't wanna go home when it's time to clean up!!! A few pics from the day ...

Scarborough royalty, MC Grimace Love performing for the room

DP Day's co-host asking the crowd when election day is this year

No Limit dancer's getting ready to perform

With Grimace Love after his set

Saying goodbye to Yodit and sending her all good wishes on her journey to Ghana!

Rotary's Canada Day Ribfest!

2010-07-08T14:21:00.008-04:00

What better way is there to spend Canada Day than with family, friends, good food and sunny skies?
Many thanks to Rotary International and its Scarborough clubs, the L'Amoreaux Community Centre, partners, volunteers, vendors and entertainers for organizing a fantastic international festival and ribfest weekend. I can say that hands down, I had the best ribs that I've ever had!!!

Scroll down for a few photos from the day
-Bryan

Maker of the best ribs I've ever had ...

Preparing to eat the best ribs I've ever had ...

Eating the best ribs I've ever had ...

Thanks Jen & Cybele for joining me on this fun afternoon!

NCCT Elections

2010-07-01T21:12:00.003-04:00

Thank you Tamil Elections Canada for allowing me the priviledge of observing the recent election of the National Council for Canadian Tamils (NCCT). With several thousand electors participating all across Canada, this was a wonderful display of democracy in action. Special congratulations is reserved for all candidates who put their names forward, and I wish all newly elected representatives all the best in your important work ahead.

-Bryan

For the official media release including the final election results, please visit: NCCT Election results

Autism Speaks: Support TEAM LUKAS!!!

2010-06-19T20:30:00.007-04:00

Update: Walk Now for Autism Speaks raised over 1 million dollars ... Congratulations to event organizers, walkers, sponsors and supporters all!!!

"1 out of every 110 children will be diagnosed with autism. 1 in 70 boys. We need to find out why. We need to find ways to better treat autism and support families. Help us find the answers!"

Sunny skies are predicted for tomorrow's WALK NOW FOR AUTISM SPEAKS event at Nathan Phillips Square. Time still remains to support TEAM LUKAS in their efforts to raise awareness and revenue for this important but underfunded area of research.

To make a contribution, small or large, please click on the donate link below:

DONATE TO TEAM LUKAS

Civic participation at the Mennonite New Life Centre

2010-06-11T02:02:00.004-04:00

I was delighted to speak this evening on day one of MNLTC's three day course on civic participation and community engagement. Following a day of learning about the Canadian Political System, and the upcoming municipal elections in Scarborough, newcomers listened to Councillor Kelly and I each give a presentation of our perspectives on municipal government and some of the issues at stake for new immigrants in this year's election.

Many thanks are in order to Ye Xia, Adriana Salazar, and the whole team at the Mennonite New Life Centre for organizing the course, for providing us with an opportunity to share our thoughts with new members of the community, and for offering this timely introduction to civics and the election process for all participants.

I look forward to seeing all in attendance out on the campaign trail soon!

Meeting on future use of Timothy Eaton school

2010-05-24T13:25:00.003-04:00

Last week, a meeting was held at the St Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre to give Trustee Wong and Councillor Kelly feedback on whether or not the school building and surrounding green space should be sold or leased, and for what purpose. While there were not a lot in attendance, a spirited discussion was had on this issue that all of us are anxious about. Frustrations were expressed as people didn't feel as if the community was given a proper chance to be consulted, given that this meeting was occurring just one week before an important vote. Condo owners and building tenants spoke of additional frustration from not receiving the invitation flyers in their mailboxes like everyone else, and those who knew about it had to rely on word of mouth to get there.

A few highlights from the agenda ...

- There are two properties at stake: The building itself, and the large green space surrounding it (12.3 acre lot in total)

- This coming Wed, May 26, the trustees will decide to either put the property up for sale, or for lease. The room was strongly in favour of leasing the property and not selling it.

- The notion of a high rise development was flatly rejected. The room was strongly in favour of using the building to house needed community services

- Consensus was not reached on what to do with the large green space. Trustee Wong indicated that the TDSB would want to sell a portion of the land to raise money. City staff and Councillor Kelly stated any development would be low lying (1-4 stories high)

- Frustrations were expressed at the process with how the Toronto Lands Corp accepts offers. After the trustees vote, the Toronto Lands Corp will accept proposals for 90 days from a preferred list of institutions. What this means is that if the City (& the community) wants services in that space, the other school boards, post secondary institutions, and the Province must all first take a pass. For a detailed description of the process, please CLICK HERE

For all interested in the upcoming TDSB discussion on this and other issues - the next TDSB meeting is this Wed May 26 at 7pm, and you can watch it live right from your computer, by clicking: TDSB LIVE

Jane's Walk in Dorset Park

2010-05-05T21:25:00.004-04:00

The "Dorset Park Discovery Walk" was the theme of this past Saturday's Jane's walk.

Organized by the local Action for Neighbourhood Change(ANC)office, it was a lovely walk with family, residents and guests as we learned from newcomers, seniors, and the Dorset Park Youth Council about what day to day life in the community, the history of its development since the dairy farms of the 1940's, and some of the changes we'd like to make a reality sometime soon!

A few pics for the album ...

Better Ballots

2010-04-27T14:38:00.005-04:00

The Better Ballots initiative for electoral reform wraps up tonight with its last of four town halls across Toronto. What’s great about this effort is that they are not pushing any one single idea, but are educating Torontonians on a range of practical (tested and working in other cities) ideas for how to improve civic engagement and voter turnout. And then it’s up to us to carry the conversation forward, get involved with the ideas that we think are best, and work our butts off to get one or two improvements passed and in place for 2014!

So here are the 14 Better Ballot ideas currently being discussed (click on the image to make it bigger). Some I’m quite familiar with, others not as much – but I’ve checked off where I currently stand beside each of the ideas being discussed. These are my Better Ballots ... what are yours?

-Bryan

For more information on the Better Ballots initiative, detailed descriptions of each idea, and next steps in this campaign for electoral reform, please visit www.betterballots.to

From town hall to town hall

2010-04-20T13:39:00.002-04:00

I’ve been to two town halls in two days, and going to another tonight.

Comparing the Let’s Talk event with TTC riders & workers to The Scarborough Hospital town hall is an interesting study in process.

Sunday’s Let’s Talk event was big, had the resources to promote it well, and post town hall news coverage in all the major networks and papers was just about guaranteed. And the turnout was a couple hundred strong, although a solid half the room were journalists, bloggers, candidates or campaign staff of some kind. But while a lot of good issues were shared and covered, the theme that permeated the whole event was how much customer service is a system-wide issue and that a more meaningful exchange would have been possible had all levels of the TTC been represented on the panel. As an evaluator, my favourite recommendation was by a woman named Vanesse, who said that we should use this as a starting point and come together a year from now to monitor what (if any) improvements have been made. I’ll endorse that plan wholeheartedly, with the suggestion that we all spend some time nudging both the union and the management to share a stage and take our questions together.

Monday’s Scarborough Hospital event was of a different nature entirely. Minimal PR budget; no enraged residents driving the conversation; smaller audience; part of a more traditional strategic planning process. It’s the process that’s worthy of mention, in that this was clearly one step in a well thought out plan to engage a community around a goal. Indeed, no need is the suggestion of a follow up town hall required – they’re already planning one for next year after a series of additional engagement opportunities, accountabilities and benchmarks along the way. As a member of the public, I didn’t learn as much from the other side as I did at Let’s Talk, but connected with some committed people and left confident that this was part of a process where an actual change was going to be made and that a year from now it’ll look a lot different.

Now let’s see what Dave Meslin has in store for us tonight with Better Ballots ... I can’t wait!

-Bryan

Remembering Terry Fox

2010-04-12T23:49:00.003-04:00

April 12th, 1980, exactly thirty years ago. I was less than one year old when Terry Fox dipped his leg into the Atlantic before departing St John’s for his marathon of hope. I was too young to follow his journey, I didn’t watch his famous double hop-step every Kilometre on TV, and I don’t have the images of his youthful energy and passion entrenched in my psyche like so many Canadians.

But I remain in awe of him in more ways than one. As a runner who once spent seven months training for a single marathon, I am dumbfounded by what this 22 year old was able to accomplish every day for 143 days. As a public health advocate, I have seen how his legacy has left a pioneering mark on cancer research that will continue to help so many in need for generations. As a human, his spirit and story is as inspiring as any I have every heard.

In honour of this 30th anniversary, the Terry Fox foundation is planning remembrances on the every one of the 143 days that he ran. If you happen to have memories or reflections on Terry (including dates if possible!) please share them with the foundation at www.terryfox.org/shareyourstories.

If you don’t, then sometime between now and June, try and take a few minutes and google Terry, the marathon of hope and its continued legacy – and you just might learn that he has impacted you too.

-Bryan

A Food Strategy for Toronto

2010-04-10T18:05:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends

From loving to eat, to needing to eat, affording to eat, and choosing how and what to eat – food is an undeniable pillar of our health, our cultures, and our communities. On a broader scale, the systems, jobs and education that go in to supporting how and what we eat are inextricably linked to the health, environment and prosperity of our city.

In taking a hard look at the Toronto we have, and in imagining the Toronto we want, a city-wide Food Strategy has been under development by a passionate ensemble of hard working individuals and groups. Recently endorsed by our Board of Health, the strategy project will be going to City Council this summer, and Toronto Food Connections is looking for all of our ideas on how best to shape the specific recommendations it will make.

A consultation report is available at www.toronto.ca/foodconnections , and calls for an initial focus on 6 priority areas:

1. Have high quality and culturally appropriate food options accessible in every neighbourhood
2. Eliminate hunger and reduce the one in ten Toronto households who cannot regularely afford enough nutritious food for their family
3. Empower residents with food skills and information, so that it is easy to learn about where food comes from, and to know how to cook and shop for healthy and affordable meals
4. Making Food and its systems and jobs a cornerstone of Toronto’s new green economy
5. Connecting our city and countryside, so that the GTA’s world class agricultural land and the cities it surrounds can grow in tandem and support each other
6. Embed food system thinking in city government, and help our leaders understand how improving our food systems from farm to fork, can help meet Toronto’s larger goals of being a city that is healthy, prosperous, and green.

As the specific plans on how to achieve these goals are under development – this is the time for all of us to weigh in and ensure that all geographic, demographic, economic, and cultural perspectives are appropriately considered. If you have a few moments, please take the time to review the report and/or send your questions or thoughts on the food issues most important to you and your communities to:

comment@torontofoodconnections.ca

This is an exciting initiative for Toronto – let’s help our leaders get it right!

Bryan
Local Health Committee member

LIBERATION OF OUR GENERATION: Expressions of Toronto Youth Artists

2010-03-12T15:18:00.003-05:00

DELISLE YOUTH (ART) GALLERY

Are you a youth interested in showing your visual or performance art in a youth exhibit?

We are accepting submissions for our 2010 art show. The deadline to submit is March 15th. Contact us for more info.

For any questions about the gallery, art submissions or performing at our opening event:

sharon @ 416.482.0081 X249
sgirgis@delisleyouth.org
Tara @ 416.482.0081 x236 tara_gingrich@delisleyouth.org

**Our upcoming exhibit LIBERATION OF OUR GENERATION: Expressions of Toronto Youth Artists is Opening on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at 40 Orchard View Blvd. This event is free of charge and open to the public!**

The Delisle Youth Gallery was created for the purpose of giving youth a space to express their voices through any form of art and share them with them with the community. We aim to build community awareness and acceptance of youth and youth issues and to foster, recognize and showcase personal strengths and diversity amongst Toronto's youth community.

The Delisle Youth Gallery is a youth-driven initiative and accepts art of any type or medium from all Toronto youth aged 13-19.

http://www.delisleyouth.org

Obama's vision for Health Care: Version 1

2009-06-15T21:36:00.001-04:00

Earlier today, President Obama outlined his vision for Health Care reform in the US to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Pretty good start so far. Now let's only hope Congress doesn't bloody it up too much as it works its way through each House ...

~BH

Below are the highlights, as summarized by Jesse Lee.

For the Full Text of the speech, visit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-the-Annual-Conference-of-the-American-Medical-Association/

Why Reform, Why Now

This afternoon the President gave a landmark, sweeping speech on health care reform to the American Medical Association in Chicago. More so than at any time before, he explained his vision for comprehensive reform that addresses every weak point in our health care system. It is a vision that implements best practices that have allowed some towns and companies to cut costs by as much as half compared to others. It is a vision that makes sure everybody has access to quality, affordable coverage, whether your family hits a rough patch or you have a pre-existing condition. It is a vision in which patients’ and doctors’ interests are aligned. And it is a vision where Americans’ choices of doctors and coverage are maintained, and they also have a choice of a public option that can help keep private insurers honest. It is a vision that focuses on prevention, making sure Americans stay healthy throughout their lives.

It is well worth the while to read through the entire speech, but here are a few key excerpts, including some key points you may not have heard before:

On the costs of inaction:

If we fail to act -- (applause) -- if we fail to act -- and you know this because you see it in your own individual practices -- if we fail to act, premiums will climb higher, benefits will erode further, the rolls of the uninsured will swell to include millions more Americans -- all of which will affect your practice.
If we fail to act, one out of every five dollars we earn will be spent on health care within a decade. And in 30 years, it will be about one out of every three -- a trend that will mean lost jobs, lower take-home pay, shuttered businesses, and a lower standard of living for all Americans.

And if we fail to act, federal spending on Medicaid and Medicare will grow over the coming decades by an amount almost equal to the amount our government currently spends on our nation's defense. It will, in fact, eventually grow larger than what our government spends on anything else today. It's a scenario that will swamp our federal and state budgets, and impose a vicious choice of either unprecedented tax hikes, or overwhelming deficits, or drastic cuts in our federal and state budgets.
So to say it as plainly as I can, health care is the single most important thing we can do for America's long-term fiscal health. That is a fact. That's a fact. (Applause.)

On incentives for doctors:

There are two main reasons for this. The first is a system of incentives where the more tests and services are provided, the more money we pay. And a lot of people in this room know what I'm talking about. It's a model that rewards the quantity of care rather than the quality of care; that pushes you, the doctor, to see more and more patients even if you can't spend much time with each, and gives you every incentive to order that extra MRI or EKG, even if it's not necessary. It's a model that has taken the pursuit of medicine from a profession -- a calling -- to a business.

That's not why you became doctors. That's not why you put in all those hours in the Anatomy Suite or the O.R. That's not what brings you back to a patient's bedside to check in, or makes you call a loved one of a patient to say it will be fine. You didn't enter this profession to be bean-counters and paper-pushers. You entered this profession to be healers. (Applause.) And that's what our health care system should let you be. That's what this health care system should let you be. (Applause.)

Now, that starts with reforming the way we compensate our providers -- doctors and hospitals. We need to bundle payments so you aren't paid for every single treatment you offer a patient with a chronic condition like diabetes, but instead paid well for how you treat the overall disease. We need to create incentives for physicians to team up, because we know that when that happens, it results in a healthier patient. We need to give doctors bonuses for good health outcomes, so we're not promoting just more treatment, but better care.

On making sure doctors and patients have all the right information:

A recent study, for example, found that only half of all cardiac guidelines are based on scientific evidence -- half. That means doctors may be doing a bypass operation when placing a stent is equally effective; or placing a stent when adjusting a patient's drug and medical management is equally effective -- all of which drives up costs without improving a patient's health.

So one thing we need to do is to figure out what works, and encourage rapid implementation of what works into your practices. That's why we're making a major investment in research to identify the best treatments for a variety of ailments and conditions. (Applause.)

On America’s relationship with doctors:

But my signature on a bill is not enough. I need your help, doctors, because to most Americans you are the health care system. The fact is Americans -- and I include myself and Michelle and our kids in this -- we just do what you tell us to do. (Laughter.) That's what we do. We listen to you, we trust you. And that's why I will listen to you and work with you to pursue reform that works for you. (Applause.)

Together, if we take all these steps, I am convinced we can bring spending down, bring quality up; we can save hundreds of billions of dollars on health care costs while making our health care system work better for patients and doctors alike. And when we align the interests of patients and doctors, then we're going to be in a good place.

On the Health Insurance Exchange and a public option:

Now, if you don't like your health care coverage or you don't have any insurance at all, you'll have a chance, under what we've proposed, to take part in what we're calling a Health Insurance Exchange. This exchange will allow you to one-stop shop for a health care plan, compare benefits and prices, and choose a plan that's best for you and your family -- the same way, by the way, that federal employees can do, from a postal worker to a member of Congress. (Applause.) You will have your choice of a number of plans that offer a few different packages, but every plan would offer an affordable, basic package.

Again, this is for people who aren't happy with their current plan. If you like what you're getting, keep it. Nobody is forcing you to shift. But if you're not, this gives you some new options. And I believe one of these options needs to be a public option that will give people a broader range of choices -- (applause) -- and inject competition into the health care market so that force -- so that we can force waste out of the system and keep the insurance companies honest. (Applause.)
Now, I know that there's some concern about a public option. Even within this organization there's healthy debate about it. In particular, I understand that you're concerned that today's Medicare rates, which many of you already feel are too low, will be applied broadly in a way that means our cost savings are coming off your backs.

And these are legitimate concerns, but they're ones, I believe, that can be overcome. As I stated earlier, the reforms we propose to reimbursement are to reward best practices, focus on patient care, not on the current piecework reimbursements. What we seek is more stability and a health care system that's on a sounder financial footing.

And the fact is these reforms need to take place regardless of whether there's a public option or not. With reform, we will ensure that you are being reimbursed in a thoughtful way that's tied to patient outcomes, instead of relying on yearly negotiations about the Sustainable Growth Rate formula that's based on politics and the immediate state of the federal budget in any given year. (Applause.)

And I just want to point out the alternative to such reform is a world where health care costs grow at an unsustainable rate. And if you don't think that's going to threaten your reimbursements and the stability of our health care system, you haven't been paying attention.
So the public option is not your enemy; it is your friend, I believe.

Perhaps the most rousing moment of the speech came about half way through, as he stated the underlying moral basis for health reform:

We are not a nation that accepts nearly 46 million uninsured men, women and children. (Applause.) We are not a nation that lets hardworking families go without coverage, or turns its back on those in need. We're a nation that cares for its citizens. We look out for one another. That's what makes us the United States of America. We need to get this done. (Applause.)

70.3

2009-04-25T22:49:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3vcn-9yI_Q

27 degrees outside. Talk of Sporting Life, Mississauga & Ottawa in the air. Looks like race season is upon us folks.

Grabbed some new kicks after my home girl kicked ass at Boston this week (nice job SPE). Bike tires are pumped again and itching to get back into some ‘non spinning’ rides. Started a new weight-routine on Wednesday. And my front crawl can no longer be described as ‘Pheobe-like’=)

All in all, it’s time to snap out of the random winter routine and into a proper program again. This Sunday marks 20 weeks until the big test of ’09 - the Suburu Muskoka Ironman 70.3 (the ‘half’ IM ... http://www.ironmanmuskoka.com/intro.htm). While I may be comfortable on my feet, I’ll be attempting swim and bike distances I’ve never come close to touching before. Basically - It’s gonna be a hard but fun four and a half months, and I gotta shoutout in advance to all the good people I’m running and riding with for both pushing and putting up with me ... these might be individual events, but we’re definitely in ‘em together!

On that note – fire me a message if anyone out there’s looking for people to run or bike with ... we’ll be plotting short, medium, and long workouts all summer long with fun peeps, and definitely embrace strength in numbers!

And if not – watch out for deets of a big September party in cottage country if that’s more your thing-;)

NCFC's 'Running Against Crime' marathon team, ING Ottawa Marathon 2008 (above)
TNRL crew, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2007 (below)

BOSTON MARATHON

2009-04-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

Any runner's in a position to webstream while at work - can catch today's Boston Marathon at the following link:

http://www.universalsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&KEY=&SPID=13048&SPSID=105671

If there are any friends/fam or other runners you wanna track online, receive live updates on etc - you can do so by entering their last name and bib # via the Boston Athletic Association's site at:

http://www.baa.org/2009

GOOD LUCK STEPH!

TAPPING INTO THE STRENGTH, COURAGE AND TENACITY OF STREET-INVOLVED YOUTH

2009-04-15T17:45:00.000-04:00

This story first appeared in the Winter 2009 publication of the YOUTHLINK Connector ...

As the new manager for YOUTHLINK’s Inner City programs, I have been deeply impressed with the passion and commitment shown by my new co-workers, whether they be direct service support workers, counselors, administrative support people, or managers.
Woven through every conversation and every program update has been an excitement about what we can offer to youth.

There are many words used to describe the youth for whom we provide support services – street-involved, homeless, vulnerable, atrisk, marginalized, system shy – and while these terms are useful to help people understand a bit about the circumstances that may have led the youth to our doors, none describe the strength, courage and tenacity they have demonstrated in order to survive.

The social exclusion faced by many of the youth because of generational and/or situational poverty, mental health issues, racism, abuse, neglect, cognitive and/or developmental challenges, family conflict, substance use, and/or conflict with the justice system is profound.

Many youth have a history filled with reasons to be wary of service providers. And yet, every day I see youth opening up, trusting in the staff at Inner City and Youth Skills Zone, accessing support and creating the links they need to move from simply surviving, to thriving. The youth are compassionate, intelligent, caring people whose lives have often been filled with heart-breaking challenges.

The dynamic support flowing through all aspects of services provided by the staff members of Youth Skills Zone and Inner City Drop-In makes a huge difference in the lives of the youth.

At Inner City, our message to youth is, “you don’t have to leave your past at the door—it is a valuable asset in building your future.”

The Peer Educator Program is just one example of how Inner City programs honour the youths’ pasts and help them use the skills developed through crises as
strengths they can build on to move forward in their lives.

I believe strongly in our ability to reach young people through our Inner City programs with this message and to provide real opportunities for them to develop these strengths. We are providing essential services for youth who have rarely, if ever, found the support and acceptance they have needed through mainstream systems.

As we continue to enhance our programming through computer training curriculum development, health promotion programs and new partnerships to support youth living with mental health issues, we will be reaching out to public, non-profit and private sectors for support.

We want to show street-involved youth that there is a wider community that believes in them as much as we do.

--Sabina Chatterjee, Manager, Inner City Drop-In and Youth Skills Zone

http://www.youthlink.ca

BLUESLINK

2009-04-14T22:36:00.000-04:00

On May 14th I'll be attending Blueslink - a Toronto fundraiser in support of some wonderfully effective inner-city programs supporting street-involved youth.

If you're going to be in the city, it's gonna be a fun night of Blues, giveaways and live music in support of a great cause. Check out the link for more info ...

~Bryan

http://www.youthlink.ca/BluesLINK09_eflyer.pdf

Army suppressing PTSD diagnoses?

2009-04-10T00:55:00.000-04:00

Salon.com's Mark Benjamin & Michael de Yoanna break the first of a string of stories stemming from the tape of a US Army Dr acknowledging the pressure he has faced to not diagnose PTSD in soldiers & veterans coming to him for health assessments, and the investigative journey and roadblocks that have since ensued with Military officials and the Senate Armed Services Committee.

http://www.salon.com/news/special/coming_home/2009/04/09/ptsd/

Food Insecurity

2009-04-04T12:12:00.000-04:00

Paul Caron, a former food inspector with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began speaking out this week about the weakness of our nation's food security, specifically regarding our vulnerability to cases of bioterrorism or future outbreaks of naturally occurring diseases (eg Salmonella, Lysteriosis).

When probing for details, it's hard not to agree with him that the status quo is inadequate and embarrassing, especially given the high level of awareness generated during last year's Maple Leaf Foods fiasco. Examples of vulnerabilities cited, in the context of meat, include:

- Where the US inspects all meat entering their borders, Canada not only pre clears meat imports before they're even at the border, but gives exporters at least three days notice whether their shipments will be checked or not checked.

- Once crossing the border, it's not just that only 1/10 shipments are sent to inspection facilities for a closer look, but of that 1/10 - the foreign company that sends its meat to Canada can hand pick which specific facility will 'inspect' their product. Pretty independent, huh?

Moral of the story, in the absence of new measures, one can smuggle just about anything into Canada via meat shipments.

-BH-

What happens to seized contraband?

2009-04-01T11:02:00.000-04:00

On Monday, The Canadian Press shed some light on the findings of a recent audit of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and specifically, what the heck happens to the guns, drugs, and other contraband that are seized.

Most seizures end up in Quebec or Ontario (Toronto, Windsor regions). Among the more ridiculous findings ...

- Meth, hash, steroids, blow, etc are all ending up in landfills because guards don't know that they are supposed to be destroyed

- In addition to drugs, guns & ammuno are sent to storage facilities/warehouses with either substandard or non-existent inventory controls

- Of 68 inspection sites, physical security was substandard for half of the interior facilities and for all of the exterior facilities. For example: 70% of warehouses were not continuously monitored (by guards, camera's or motion detectors); 15 sites, there was no control of access by non-government persons; and 23 sites had no inventory controls whatsoever.

Recognizing the potential goldmine this is for organized crime - I would love to also read a similar report of what happens to goods seized by police officers, to see if security or destruction practices are just as shotty. Both CBSA and police forces love to report on how much contraband they "remove" from the streets - but given reports like this, how certain can we be that they are actually staying off of the streets! While they often receive endless credit for removing such items from the market, rarely ever do we think about those numbers critically and ask for them to be put into a more meaningful context.

Going forward, it's time we start demanding much more transparency and accountability from our police and border services about the proportion of seized contraband that are actually being destroyed, and/or being stored in high security facilities with low risk of finding their way back to market.

-bRygUy-

Link to CBSA audits/evaluations: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/reports-rapports/ae-ve/menu-eng.html

Tobacco & Health, v2: CTCRI Funding Cuts

2009-03-31T17:10:00.000-04:00

A letter from Dr Roberta Ferrence, in response to news that the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative will no longer accept applications after 01 April 2009:

Dear Colleagues,

We were all deeply disappointed by the recent news that the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative will not be accepting new applications after April 1. We are grateful to Roy Cameron, Cheryl Moyer, Marie Chia and numerous other staff, as well as the funding partners, CIHR, NCIC (CCS), Health Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, who brought CTCRI into being and nurtured it for the past decade. During that time, we have grown from a small community of researchers and a few students to several hundred active and committed tobacco control researchers, practitioners and decision makers. We are optimistic that this community will continue to contribute in a major way to public health in Canada.

At this week's Ottawa Workshop, Best Practices to Target 12% by 2011, sponsored by Health Canada and CTCRI, we heard from Marie Chia about the implications of the CTCRI decision and potential next steps. At that time, OTRU offered to coordinate efforts to ensure that tobacco control research and capacity building will continue to garner funding from alternative sources that understand its importance.

To support this process, we will pull together information on alternative sources of funding for investigator and student research, conference travel and workshops, and identify specific programs that may provide support for the specific initiatives funded by CTCRI. This will be distributed shortly as an OTRU update.

We will also bring together contact information for key individuals and suggestions for content to support individual letter writing, so that you can communicate your own stories about the benefits of tobacco specific funding programs.

We will in touch soon and look forward to working with you.

Best regards,
Roberta

--

Roberta Ferrence, PhD,
Executive Director,
Ontario Tobacco Research Unit
University of Toronto and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

MAC

2009-03-26T02:47:00.001-04:00

I had a nice little visit to good 'ol H-town yesterday ... always feels like a fun homecoming when i step on campus! minus the TP and kegstands, of course=)

In all seriousness - it was great to have the opportunity to drop in on a couple classes, which in more ways than one helped inspire some of my own thoughts about how to develop a class or two in the not too distant future.

A big shoutout is in order to KT and the the students of 4JJ3 & 4TT3 - you all have enormous futures, and I can't wait to hear about what's next!

~BH

I VOTE TORONTO

2009-03-09T01:56:00.000-04:00

Just spreading the word about I Vote Toronto's campaign to extend municipal voting rights to non-citizen permanent residents.

Check out the Maytree Foundation's think piece for the argument's in favour @
http://www.joemihevc.com/WriteFolder/pics/Maytree%20policy%20in%20focus.pdf

and visit http://www.ivotetoronto.org to learn more about the campaign and how to get involved.

26 countries so far, including the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Chile, Barbados and Australia have to date enacted similar laws, which have been considered an important step in better engagement of newcomers in civic life.

~BAAH

VANNIS

2009-02-09T02:43:00.000-05:00

Latest endorsement for some good Toronto eats is VANNIS - a midtown (mostly) italian eatery at 672 St Clair Avenue West near Christie. It's only been open for about half a year now, but being in the old 'hood I couldn't help but pay attention to so many fam & friends vouching for this new little spot sandwiched between my old convenience shop and movie store.

So tonight was the night - dinner party for the Grand Sacki 60 - and it didn't disappoint. Server was fast, owner was friendly in full mingling spirit, and most importantly the food kicked ass and was in abundance. And the prices ain't bad either!

Moral of the story - I'll be back.

B

Ps - Order the Salmon or the Gnocci for an entree without regrets.

One year ends, Another begins

2009-01-03T02:57:00.000-05:00

While I won’t quite call it a holiday letter, the new year seems an appropriate time to resurrect the old bryguy blog=) So why not make post #1 a statement about the year that was, and what’s on the horizon for the year that is ...

Like many, 2008 had seen its ups and downs – for family, for friends, for myself. For all of you who were around for the highs, thank you for the memories - it’s been an extraordinary ride. For everyone adjusting to new realities, my thoughts are with you and let us look onwards and upwards as the sun rises on the new year.

Though it doesn’t feel like I got away too much this year, a quick glance back saw the bags being packed for a couple great visits to the nation’s capital, the west coast, the sun and sands of Cayo Sol Santa Maria (Cuba) - and a truly breathtaking hike of Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and fly-by of the famed Nazca Lines with Dad, Jen, Shaki, Sasha, and Ryan.

On the fitness front - the marathon with Regina’s NCFC gang was something I did not attempt to repeat (I know I’m a slacker Ben!).
While I still love pounding the pavement (or snow in this bloody cold country), I’ve been getting in some regular bike and swim sessions in pursuit of next year’s Ironman 70.3 (the half IM) competition in the Muskoka Lakes.

As I continue shedding grad school to official acceptance of the real world - I look forward to continued involvement with UNA-Canada’s Ripple Effect initiative, to teaching my first classes at McMaster, and to progress through the ever slow federal recruitment with the Public Health Agency & Department of Defence.

Should the latter effort be successful, there will certainly be one more far off adventure before buckling down. Location still TBD, but a visit to the Middle East tops the current list, with Russia coming in as a close 2nd – not to worry folks, not planning to conflict with the gamut of weddings that will no doubt keep the domestic travel circuit at capacity=) On a smaller and more immediate scale, Paul, Janice, Winy and I are kickstarting the year in style with a January road trip to D.C. to help roast the Obama’s in their new hometown!

Ok signing off for now – time to make it all happen! ‘Till next time - may peace, health, happiness and good people find you all in ‘09.

Need Action, Not Another Report

2008-11-20T22:41:00.001-05:00

Letter to the Editor in the 20 Nov 2008 issue of METRO (Toronto), in response to the launch of the 'Roots of Youth Violence' report. -Bryan

Re: Probe links youth violence to mental health neglect, Nov. 14

NEED ACTION, NOT ANOTHER REPORT

Dear Editor(s)

The links between mental health and violence have long been raised by clinical and social scientists, youth agencies, and community advocates. In raising the profile of the cause, we hope the recommendations of McMurtry & Curling to address the ‘Roots of Youth Violence’ are adopted so that real action is finally seen in communities at risk.

In a new approach, any provincial reorganization should consider a revised definition of ‘youth’ so that young people transitioning from the childhood to adult mental health system no longer lose proven crime and homeless-prevention services simply because they have turned 18 and no longer qualify.

The Roots of Youth Violence is an excellent study with serious recommendations. The time is now for those involved to demand real action from the Premier, and not allow this to be another report that ends up sitting in a library without affecting meaningful change.

Bryan Heal, Public Health Consultant

Life imitating Art imitating Life

2008-11-09T20:24:00.000-05:00

Some interesting connections between between the ascention of Barack Obama, and that of NBC’s The West Wing …

- A minority candidate from the democrats, only in Washington for a few years after a long resume in his community, runs for president while calling for unity and a different kind of politics.
- In the democratic primary he fights a long, hard and divisive campaign against an establishment candidate that everybody expects to win.
- He comes out on top after a divisive convention that threatens party unity going in.
- He delivers an inspiring speech at his party’s convention that makes people wake up and feel like he may be something special.
- In the general election, he goes up against a straight talking Republican from a western state known as a maverick in his party and more liberal than most republicans.
- He delivers an important address about race relations at a time when his poll numbers need a boost.
- A major crises hits the US which irreparably hurts his opponent’s support.
- He wins the Presidency.
- He appoints, as his Chief of Staff, a veteran of the last democratic
president with a big reputation for getting things done in often dramatic and unorthodox ways.

While these points can certainly describe Obama’s rise in real life, I had the TV character Matt Santos in mind while writing them. Not bad scripting, eh, for a show that ended well before Obama even announced he was running for President. Oh, a couple more things …

- The inspiration for the West Wing’s Matt Santos, was Barack Obama himself, after his convention speech way back in 2004.
- The political advisor the show’s writers consulted was David Axelrod, Obama’s Chief Strategist.
- Obama’s Chief of Staff, Ramh Emanuel, named just a few days ago, was the inspiration for the Josh Lyman character on the West Wing.

Let Stockwell be Stockwell

2008-11-03T00:30:00.001-05:00

I’m lucky to have a truly great MP in Dr Carolyn Bennett – it made my decision in our recent election pretty easy.

Partisan friends aside, I’ve never before spoken to so many people utterly bored with the political process, unhappy with their choices, contemplating strategic voting and other measures to vote for the lesser of all evils than actually *for* somebody.

The result: Not a whole heap of change. On the eve of an exciting and historic US election, it’s all a reminder of just how much we could use some fresher faces and a new kind of politics in our own system.

We do have a new cabinet though – so perhaps there’s still a chance for a shuffling of tactics as well. While he’s called for more reaching out and a team approach towards competence - the looming question going forward is whether or not the Prime Minister will give his Ministers more independence to be creative with their portfolios than lead with the firm, controlled, highly centralized grip we have seen since first taking office.

As a result of that centralized approach, most people seem to know Harper and what he stands for quite well, but so many of the rest of the players in the Conservative Party remain relatively unknown on the national stage (a couple newsmakers a la Baird, Bernier aside).

Not that I’m expecting it – but I’d personally love for him to go beyond the new job titles and really shake things, loosen the strings on his crew, and open us up to all the characters new and old. Radio personality Peter Kent, for example, finally gets his turn in office – let’s give him a good test to see whether is diplomatic skills can match his ambitions; We’ve got a rookie MP (Nunavut) tapped for Minister of Health – let’s get to know more about Leona Aglukkaq; And in an era of geopolitical races against time, we have another rookie MP (Oakville) tapped for Natural Resources – do we not want to learn more about her ideas for future directions in uncertain times.

Moral of the story: The people have spoken and have given Harper another minority, but are increasingly disengaged and just plain bored. Let’s add some excitement to the game and let our ministers be ministers for a change.

Passed by a one legged man!

2008-11-03T00:28:00.000-05:00

1.45.37

We’ll no records were falling at this year’s Toronto International ½ Marathon, but it was both a fun & strong finish to what’s generally been a pretty tough race season.

The day’s high was simply doing it – the downhill course, fall temp & tree colours down the long Rosedale Valley kept a smile on my face throughout.

The most interesting moment must have been the reality check where, after catching up to the pacer I wanted after a late start, and passing all kinds of tall people along the way – I suddenly found myself two thirds of the way through eating the dust of one dude who must have been pushing 100, and another with a prosthetic left leg!!

The low point was my seemingly obligatory 17-19k struggle where I wished I had followed Kei’s lead in doing some more progression runs in training. Thankfully this funk didn’t last too long – what helped snapped me out was remembering some race management tips from the courses’ “psyching team” at the Expo, and then thinking about where I am today compared to where it all started for me last year when I was clocking 40min 5k’s at NTO Yorkville on Thursdays!

So what’s next? We lay low, build up our strength, and wait till next season which hopefully will feel like just around the corner (if for any other reason than the winter will be over!). Next big goal: Ironman 70.3 (the ½ IM) in Muskoka … guess I better learn how to swim:)

HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA THEME SONG

2008-09-05T22:04:00.000-04:00

The words below were penned by my cousin Paul, whose sentiments I fully endorse in Micha being a great guy and that he has produced the best theme song entry in the field. Any comments or rating with CBC or further circulation of the link is greatly appreciated!
--Bryan

Hello Friends,

I hope everyone is well.

Have you heard of Mischa Chillak? He's a dude. He's also my good friend and a talented producer. We won't get into what he's worked on over the years (the score for Love Sex & Eating The Bones, Cheetos Chips jingles, a Glass Tiger remix, tons of production for Canadian hip hop acts...sorry), we'll just focus on one project in particular.

Long story short, CBC recently lost their licensing rights to the theme song for Hockey Night in Canada. So, they've created a contest where anyone can compose a new theme song, submit it, and CBC will select the best one. The winner receives a cash reward and hopefully opportunities for more projects.

Mischa’s entry, entitled ‘Dinny Dinsmore,’ can be heard at:
http://anthemchallenge.cbc.ca/mediadetail/312511

If you like (and I'm confident you will), please take a moment to sign up and leave a comment. There are countless other submissions, and I’ve put aside my bias when saying this, but nothing else I’ve heard even comes close.

Thanks,
Paul

Action on Air Quality: A Failing Grade

2008-08-18T21:46:00.000-04:00

A statement from Dr Carolyn Bennett (MP, St Paul's) on the recent CMA report on the health and economic costs of declining air quality, and the federal government's poor performance in this area. --Bryan

Conservatives must act now on air quality – Bennett
For Immediate Release August 13, 2008

OTTAWA – A medical report issued today is further evidence that continued inaction by the Conservative government on air pollution is costing Canadian lives, Liberal Public Health Critic Carolyn Bennett said today.

‘The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) makes it clear that we have to act now on air quality,’ said Dr. Bennett. ‘The government talks a lot, but they aren’t taking this issue seriously.’

Dr. Bennett was commenting on a report released today by the CMA that predicts air pollution will claim the lives of 21,000 Canadians this year alone, and expects another 710,000 deaths because of long-term exposure to air pollution by 2031.

‘The health and economic costs are staggering and it is obvious that we need to take real action to improve air quality,’ said Dr. Bennett.

The report also predicts the economic impact of air pollution because of worker absenteeism, higher health care costs and other factors will reach $10 billion and could total more than $300 billion between now and 2031.

‘The Harper government is not fulfilling its responsibility to protect the lives and health of Canadians. Their inaction is the equivalent of playing poker with their lives.’

Today’s report comes the same week that Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn came under fire for pandering to the fast food industry over the issue of idling vehicles and the dangers of the emissions they cause. Mr. Lunn chose to ignore scientific evidence and Canadians’ health by tampering with his department’s website, and increasing the recommended maximum time that cars should idle.

This also comes on the heels of news that the Conservatives’ much-touted air quality regulations, which were so badly designed that both environmentalists and industry opposed them. Not a single regulation has even been drafted due to Conservative mismanagement and the government has turned the whole thing over to an Advisory Committee to sort out the mess.

‘For the last two and a half years the Harper government has been claiming it is serious about addressing air quality and environmental issues, but the reality is the opposite,’ Dr. Bennett added.

http://www.cma.ca/multimedia/cma/content_Images/Inside_cma/Office_Public_Health/ICAP/CMA_ICAP_sum_e.pdf

Dr Sheela Basrur

2008-06-03T14:25:00.001-04:00

Public health in Canada lost a giant yesterday with the passing of our ever inspiring 'diminutive dynamo', Dr Sheela Basrur. Below is the statement released by Deputy Minister Sapford (MOHLTC) ...
-BH

I am greatly saddened to announce that Dr. Sheela Basrur passed away
earlier today after a valiant fight against a rare form of cancer. On
behalf of the staff of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care I
want to express my condolences to Dr. Basrur's family and to her many
colleagues both here in the ministry and in Ontario's health system.

Dr. Basrur was a former Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario
and a former Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto.
During her distinguished career, Dr. Basrur was instrumental in
proposing Ontario's first arms-length agency for health protection.
She led the development of Ontario's tobacco-control strategy. And
her leadership and expertise as Toronto's Medical Officer of Health
during the SARS outbreak of 2003 brought her world-wide recognition
and the respect of both her public-health colleagues and the people of
Toronto.

A private funeral will be held for Dr. Basrur. At a future date to be
announced, a public memorial will celebrate the life and professional
contribution of Dr. Basrur.

I know many of you worked closely with Sheela and had the utmost
respect for her. I would encourage you to take the time to share
memories and thoughts of her with eachother.

Donations may be made in memory of Dr. Basrur to:

The Grand River Hospital Foundation
835 King Street West
Kitchener, ON N2G 1G3

http://www.rnfoo.org/fall_event/fallevent_07.htm

Dramatic automakers

2008-06-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

Today’s business section of the Toronto Star reproduced a story from The Associated Press describing the big three U.S. automakers as in “Crises Mode” due to a consumer shift away from trucks and SUV’s. In it, the former chairman of American Motors Corp testifies that the industry has been caught flat footed without enough smaller, more fuel efficient cars to sell.

What strikes me odd about this whole thing is how on Earth they didn’t see this coming. While the reality of rising gas/petrol prices may have only set in after current production decisions were made, the issue of climate change has been prominent for years now and one has not needed to be an insider to observe the world moving in an increasingly fuel efficient direction.

It’s one thing to have anticipated a continued demand for big gas guzzlers, but to not have a risk management plan that could address the possibility of an ‘08 demand for more efficiency seems like pretty poor decision making – the kind that might put many companies out of business were they to misread the market environment this way. But this is the auto sector, and we need their jobs, so I’m sure one level of government will soon come along with an “incentive” to get them back on track!

ING OTTAWA

2008-06-01T12:05:00.001-04:00

While I took a good lesson in how much I'll have to train for the Fall - last weekend's ING Ottawa Half Marathon was a great start to the '08 running season. A gorgeous route, perfect weather, and the energy of the thousands made for an unforgettable race that will certainly be marked on next year's calendar.

Of particular coolness were all the friends and fam who were around – it really felt like a home away from home during those few days! BIG CONGRATS to Cousin Eva on an outstanding 1st half marathon; to Regina's Dirty Dozen for continuing to inspire; to Kei & Elaine who were the greatest photographer-spectators ever; and to the whole Arcola Private crew for hosting an all-round great weekend.

The biggest shout out of all is reserved for 'lil D, who successfully completed this half marathon at the age of 12!! I WAS a runner at that age, and distance running meant 3000 metres – a fraction of the 21Km he logged last Sunday. It may take him a few years to fully appreciate what he accomplished in Ottawa – but rest assured he'll have a chorus of reminders until he does=)

For all interested - here's a link to some race day photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2194691&l=fb0e4&id=72614809

Honouring the Past, Shaping the future

2008-06-01T02:25:00.000-04:00

This past week I was delighted to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of Ontario’s Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office (PPAO). Downtown Toronto’s Delta Chelsea played host to the gathering of consumer survivors, policymakers, human rights leaders, mental health advocates, and friends old and new to honour the service of an agency who has been at the forefront of patients’ rights for the past quarter century.

In addition to the history of progress and vision statements presented, one of the big highlights of the event was the launch of what will likely be remembered as a groundbreaking report titled “Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future: 25 years of progress in mental health advocacy and rights protection”.

It’ll take me a little while to get through it all, but this collection of over 100 insightful articles from consumers, advocates, political figures, physicians and lawyers already appears to be an important read for anybody with an interest in understanding recovery from mental illness and in shaping the systemic changes of tomorrow.

The report can be downloaded from the PPAO’s website, at: http://www.ppao.gov.on.ca/

A committee for the future

2008-06-01T02:24:00.000-04:00

A recent issue of NOW Magazine had an article describing one of David Suzuki’s long held desires for Canada – to establish a super-ministry of the biosphere, with a mandate and enough inter-jurisdictional clout to ensure green progress is a part of what all the other ministries are doing.

I’m not sold on the super-ministry idea as is, but the concept of a body dedicated to vetting new laws and policies against long term interests could be interesting. For it to work it would have to go beyond the biosphere and consider all interests from economic to health, education, and reducing social inequalities. In 1992, the Finnish Parliament had a similar thought when they established the brilliantly named “Committee for the Future,” tasked with the overarching goal of keeping Finland on a path for meeting its long term development goals. It’s hard to say how transferable their model is or even if it’s as holistic as we’d need – but in Canada where governments have term limits and reelection providing incentive for “short term” successes, having an independent public body keeping their eye on the bigger picture might be worth giving some thought to.

What not to do ...

2008-05-18T15:26:00.000-04:00

With all the travels of the past month, the training has kinda been on hiatus for a while. Today was supposed to mark my comeback with a slow 21K prep for next week's ING Ottawa race. Boy was it painful! Not that that wasn't my own fault or anything ...

It didn't help that yesterday flew by without me really eating (brunch being the lone meal of the day).

It didn't help going out last night - good times were had, but we didn't exactly "take it easy" as was planned=)

It didn't help starting the 21 dehydrated, not to mention still running on yesterday's brunch and whatever drink calories added up to.

And the rain and wind made it all the more wonderful!

As the running season officially begins, I think I broke just about every pre long run rule in the book. Big shout outs to Kei and Nelson for putting up with my pace this morning - next week I'll be in FAR better form!

Now for the nap of all naps.

A nice touch

2008-04-27T23:28:00.000-04:00

I had a nice experience on my last flight to Denver. In addition to a smooth ride, not terrible food, and a high quality of service - the flight crew of United Airlines 1136 carried out a particularely cool gesture.

After the standard safety procedures snoozefest, the crew asked the passengers if any of us were serving with the Canadian Armed Forces. One dude raised his hand to the applause of the airline, and the pilot went on to thank Canada for its shared sacrifice with the US in Afghanistan, while upgrading the gentlemen to First Class.

I didn’t think they did those sorts of things in the airline biz anymore. Whether it’s a rare gesture, or one that happens more frequently than I think – it was a nice moment.

DIANE LYNETTE LONGLEY

2008-04-26T19:41:00.000-04:00

A reproduced story from the 23Apr2008 issue of the Globe and Mail about our beloved mother, daughter, sister, auntie, teacher and friend. Read below or view the following link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080423.LIVES23/EmailTPStory/

Facts & Arguments: LIVES LIVED

DIANE LYNETTE LONGLEY
Matriarch, wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend, caregiver, music teacher, school concert organizer. Born Sept. 28, 1944, in Trinidad and Tobago. Died Feb. 23 in Toronto of brain cancer, aged 63.
RAWLE KASSIE AND BARB BROADBENT

submissions:lives@globeandmail.com

April 23, 2008

All her life, Diane gave. It was a duty thrust upon her at an early age, but one she chose later in life.

Born Diane Kassie, her mother died when she was 8, leaving her father with six children, including a newborn just two hours old. Diane, the first-born, helped raise her siblings.

She took piano lessons and, with her musical skills, became the pianist at her church while still in her teens.

In 1968, Diane immigrated to Toronto. She worked and took night courses, eventually graduating from the University of Toronto. In 1972, she began her teaching career - primarily in music - with the Toronto Board of Education.

Diane met Doug Longley in Toronto. They married in 1978 and raised two children, Catherine and Kelly.

Diane was a sociable person with a wonderful laugh and a sense of humour that shone through any situation. After she was diagnosed with cancer, as she arranged for her burial, she said, "Well, I just bought myself some new property!"

She was a dedicated teacher and had a keen interest in the world around her. Never one to mince words, she expressed her thoughts with passion, colour and wisdom. Her words were not always soft, but her heart was.

Music brought joy and peace to Diane's life. It was a love she shared through teaching - students would return from her classes humming tunes, and concert audiences would often be moved to tears.

Her empathy was extraordinary. You could count on her when times got tough. As a mother and aunt, she taught the younger generation many life lessons. She believed in cultivating strong relationships with family and friends, encouraged finding one's potential through education and urged choosing a career that fed one's passion.

Diane taught the difference between a house and a warm and loving home, frequently welcoming visitors to a home-cooked meal.

At Toronto Grace Hospital, where she lived her final days, she charmed staff and visitors, celebrated birthdays and gathered her children, nieces, nephews and friends to tell them witty life stories, evoking howls of laughter - so alien in a palliative setting.

Her niece, Roshini, a trombonist, captured Diane's aura at her farewell: "You will always be the music in my life, Auntie Diane, and I will always play for you. I will always remember your wonderful stories and smile - always with music in my heart."

Rawle Kassie is Diane's brother, and Barb Broadbent is her colleague and friend.

GTA Clause Skepticism

2008-04-21T19:30:00.000-04:00

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been up to speed on the recent contract dispute between the TTC workers, management and the City of Toronto. All I know is that expectations of a transit strike were widespread and that many of us who depend on it were actively making contingency plans on how to get to work this week.

So after finding out a deal had been reached I happened to read a couple stories on the 11th hour settlement, where one of the key terms - the "GTA Clause" left me puzzled. This clause stipulates that TTC workers would be guaranteed to have the highest wages of all transit workers in the GTA region over the next three years.

For one, the enforcability of how to "guarantee" such a clause is questionable - especially seeing as it's not the province that is footing the bill for the wage increases. A transit worker from York Region or Mississauga might legitimately ask why a transit worker from Toronto is worth more than them. Does the TTC have side agreements in place with other regional transit operators to not raise wages to much? I can't help but wonder what would happen if workers from either of those jurisdictions decided to fight for equal footing with their counterparts in TO.

All in all, I'm happy I can still ride the subways, but will be keeping an eye on developments over the term of this contract. With all the uproar and scrambling of the past week, along with the pre-weekend weigh in by Premier McGuinty - it may also be interesting to see if a more serious effort gets under way for the province to declare the TTC an essential service.

Running Ridiculousness

2008-04-21T19:04:00.000-04:00

So Paulette (P) and Bryan (B) looked at some bikes this past weekend ...

B missed his original morning plan and goes to the Nike Lounge to test out some new kicks over a quick 5k, just as P is coming back from leading a short 3.5K clinic

B says: Ya know, Endurosport's store and clearance outlet are both in akward locations for TTC - whadda ya say we hit 'em up over a long run?

P says: Hmm interesing i dunno ... how far would that be?

B says: It's not that bad - the store is about 6 and the outlet about 11 ... a slow 21-22K would take us there and back

P says: That could work ... lemme go home after work, drop off my stuff, and we'll head out this afternoon

B says: Great - I'll just head out for a quick test run and will see ya in a bit

B gets back, and P ups the ante with this line: There's also this Trek shop up on Yonge ... how about we hit 'em all up and make it a 30K?

B now says: Hmmm interesting i dunno ... I haven't hit that distance yet this year. Why not - let's give it a shot - go big or go home, right?!

A LONG TIME LATER - Booster Juice felt like finding White Castle, both of us could barely walk, and we felt great!

And the bikes weren't to shabby either:)

Great running routes Toronto: Warden Woods - TNRL

2008-04-18T14:01:00.000-04:00

Length: 18Km
Time: 99min

Weblink to map of route: http://www.runningmap.com?id=45638

Description: Warden Woods to Toronto Nike Runners Lounge (TNRL)@ Summerhill,
via Taylor Creek Park - DVP - Riverdale Park - Rosedale Valley

Obama: Destiny is in the blood?

2008-03-26T00:12:00.000-04:00

Interesting bit of into reported by the Associated Press yesterday ...

A research project conducted by The New England Historic Genealogical Society recently uncovered some remarkable family connections for the three US presidential candidates. Of them all, the lineage of Barack Obama is most associated with political power.

Obama’s list of (very) distant cousins (inc cousin’s "once or twice-removed") include:

- President George W Bush
- former President George HW Bush
- former President Gerald Ford
- former President Lyndon Johnson
- former President Harry Truman
- James Madison
- Vice President Dick Cheney
- former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
- US Civil War General Robert Lee.

Not bad, eh?

Source: The New England Historic Genealogical Society. The article "Ancestry of the presidential candidates" can be found on their webpage at http://www.newenglandancestors.org/

Health & health care: Time to get real

2008-03-24T00:44:00.000-04:00

We often teach our systems planners and policymakers the mantra that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is easier to provide affordable housing options for those in need rather than respond to a crises of homelessness when it arrives. Provinces that create new jobs to support an aging population will be more productive than those who are left scrambling when large numbers of baby boomers retire or need assistance with various forms of dementia. And so it goes.

When thinking about our populations' health, however - we have, until recently, done a rather poor job of adhering to the messages that we preach. Wait times for MRI's or hip replacements, access to state of the art surgical equipment, physician and nurse shortages, exploding pharmaceutical costs - All important issues, but so consumed are we with notions of "care," or the options available once people are already sick, that we forget how powerful a force improving our general overall health status' can be in keeping all these other issues in check. While healthcare demands at least 50% of some provincial budgets and there are no shortage of reports on how overburdened and inefficient our system is at risk of becoming - rarely (with the exception of education) has the "determinants of health" earned aggressive post-election action from a new government in my (not that) young life. A "determinant" in this context is a broad societal issue that has been shown to be a strong predictor of a population's health status. Examples would include poverty & housing, gender equity, globalisation & migration, the environment, education, and access to reproductive health and early child development strategies, for example. Improvements in these areas are highly correlated with better health outcomes, improved worker productivity, and reductions in healthcare usage/wait times/costs.

So what have we been waiting for? Well, political will as is usually the case with proactive solutions, has often been the limiting factor. As one of their more successful efforts, the WHO has a commission on the social determinants of health made up of influential international figures who have been quite effective at leaning on several governments to get real about these things. And it couldn't come at a better time. In response to the release of a major study on the impact of neighbourhood & living conditions on Type 2 Diabetes, for example, a prominent Ontario health official (in 2007) publicly commented along the lines of being too consumed with caring for people already with Diabetes that it is limited how much investment we can make to strategically prevent new cases. Type 2 Diabetes costs the Canadian economy over $13 Billion annually, and he is right to be concerned with preventing the costlier problems, which occur when a poorly managed case of diabetes results in complications such as stroke, kidney failure, amputations, blindness, etc. What is missing, however, is that many of the behavioural and lifestyle changes required to prevent these complications are the very same one's which would help prevent people from acquiring the disease in the first place. This is an area where a holistic upstream approach can help prevent both the disease in some and the complications in others, resulting in a tremendous potential for downstream savings in both lives and money. It was unfortunate to hear someone in his position appearing so short sighted on this issue.

But as I have indicated, there remains hope on multiple fronts. Strong public education became the defining issue of the 2007 provincial election in Ontario. Outside of unpopular wars, the environment has skyrocketed to the top of the agenda in most developed nations. With the notable exception of some marginalized populations, most pregnant woman can access quality reproductive health care, and most parents can access effective early child development training and support. Gender equity is an interesting issue - where Canada had a solid run of progress, rates of improvement in this area have somewhat stalled. I once had a conversation with a former cabinet minister under Trudeau who mentioned that a prerequisite for an issue to be taken up at cabinet during those years, was that it had to include a statement on what impact said legislation/policy/program option would have on gender. This rule applied to all cabinet ministers and it forced the highest levels of government to think about gender when developing ideas both large and small. Now one might question whether Harper & Co have implemented a similar prerequisite, but the idea is simple enough that it could realistically be adopted by a wide range of decision making bodies.

Of all the determinants, however, action to reduce the poverty burden is arguably the most exciting area for Ontario. An important election promise with a strong commitment from Premier McGuinty, Child & Youth Minister Deb Matthews has been put in charge of the powerful new Poverty Committee. With broad membership across most ministries, this committee has been tasked with setting clear poverty reduction targets and working through a plan to achieve serious action. This level of inter-governmental cooperation is well over due, as effective action on most of the determinants requires a concerted effort from all of the non-MOHLTC ministries. After all, one might argue that the key to controlling escalating costs and an overburdened health ministry, is to do everything else better.

Super Tuesday & us

2008-02-06T02:32:00.000-05:00

As the Super Tuesday results continue to trickle in, when it comes to politics I can’t help but find myself so much more interested in what is happening in the US than I am in that of my own country. Perhaps a minority situation and the constant talk of an election without actually having one has left me bored with our status quo. Perhaps the uniqueness of the Clinton-Obama affair is simply worth watching. Whatever the case, the outcome of the US race has undeniable implications for Canada. With McCain running away on the Republican side, and with Clinton or Obama headlining the Democratic ticket – there are already some clear issues that Canadians can take note of, irrespective of who wins the Presidency.

Each of the three frontrunners is committed to action on climate change, in developing comprehensive immigration reform, and in giving greater attention to the conflict in Afghanistan.

The Environment …

On the environment, when it comes to taking aggressive steps and joining international frameworks, the Harper government has been steadfast in Canada’s opposition to recommended action plans unless major developing country emitters (read: China & India) commit themselves as well. China and India, in turn, remain opposed as long as the world’s biggest polluter, the US, remains a holdout. Barring any major upset from Mitt Romney down south, the US position on this will be changing as soon as a non-Bush is sworn in next January. As for us – if the Con’s remain in power next year and the US/China/India all embark on a new path, the pressure to fall in line and adopt a major shift in policy will be huge, and if they don’t I can’t wait to hear the reason!

Migration …

2007 saw a surge in the number of Latin American migrants entering Canada from the US following failed immigration reforms coupled with changing national security laws. All three leading candidates have similar calls out for "comprehensive immigration reform" involving various pathways to citizenship/legality for the millions already living and working in the US in an undocumented manner. As we saw last year, however, there is enormous opposition to such reforms in both the House and the Senate. Granted Bush is having trouble getting much of anything done these - but if a new President with a decent approval rating tries to push it through and still fails, then we can surely expect to see far greater numbers of migrants crossing the 49th parallel than we already have to date.

Afghanistan …

The Manley Report has certainly re-energized the debate about Canada's role in Afghanistan. The Conservatives want to stay, but only if they can recruit additional troop support from our NATO allies. The Liberals want to stay, but only if the primary focus of the mission(s) shifts from combat to economic development and rebuilding efforts. Even though the Iraq debacle has been at the centre of the foriegn policy debate in the US, each of the leading candidates have made efforts to pledge greater attention and resources into Afghanistan. The problem for us is that we won't know what the specific nature of that support will look like until 2009 - possibly long after our MPs have voted on whether we'll stay or go. But as we are making these choices, I do wonder the extent to which a changing mood from Washington is considered by those voting on this delicate issue.

As for the actual Super Tuesday results - all predictions held true in that it's neck and neck for Democrats. Clinton & Obama - two well liked candidates each with oodles of cash to spend ... good luck sorting this one out anytime soon! I only hope that the nominee actually gets selected by primary voters, and it doesn't come down to superdelegates and the backrooms of a brokered convention. But that would make for some good television:)

A Toronto Food Strategy

2008-01-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

Beginning with the January 15th meeting of the Downtown Toronto & East York Local Health Committee, I will begin to be involved with discussions about the types of things that might feed into an official City of Toronto Food Strategy.

The idea would be to develop a strategy that (a) can be implemented, and (b) considers the following criteria:

- Improves health
- Is better for the environment
- Promotes economic development
- Promotes social justice

While I will be coming at this from a public health/safety perspective, food quality/cost/availability is something that we all have a stake in, and any good public policy will certainly grow alongside the views of many sectors.

This is also one of those things that has the potential to generate a wide variety of opinions. If any of you have questions, ideas, concerns, etc that would be relevant for us to consider, I would love to hear about it and welcome all comments - so please feel free to clog up my inbox!

Black-focused schools: What do you think?

2007-11-16T02:16:00.000-05:00

In response to disproportionately high dropout rates and poor academic performance among black youth, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is debating the idea of piloting an "Afrocentric" school.

My initial reaction is to oppose the plan. This is a serious and complicated problem that the TDSB should be working hard to do something about. But to frame this issue strictly as a failure of the education system somewhat misses the point, as it deflects attention away from the broader social issues at the heart of why so many of these kids do not succeed.

Poverty, stable housing, food security, knowledge of risk behaviours, access to healthcare and key services - the "social determinants" per se, or the indicators of socioeconomic status which are all linked to educational performance by a vast body of evidence. It might not come as a surprise that these are also among the chief determinants of health, as well as crime.

The 13 "priority neighbourhoods" as identified by the City of Toronto and major stakeholders (e.g. United Way) were acknowledged for being grossly underserved urban areas requiring a greater investment of resources. These communities also have a few other things in common, such as:
- High percentage of low income earners
- High percentage of low income single parent families (that single parent is usually a woman)
- Poor access to health and social services
- High rates of Homelessness
- High rates of Type 2 Diabetes
- High rates of Tobacco use
- High rates of school drop out
- High concentration of Afro-Canadian residents

Even if we were to achieve the best and most engaging schools in the world, I am inclined to think the overall improvements would be limited. Unless there is a strong effort underway to address the underlying socioeconomic determinants affecting these communities, too many kids will fail to meet their academic potential and decide that the classroom isn't for them.

Now these are just my early thoughts on the subject based on some reading and experience with underserved youth ... It's a tough issue to be confident with though, and I am still trying to talk it through with anyone I can to help firm up my position. Publicly or privately, I'd love to hear your thoughts if you care to weigh in.

Tax Cuts: Not all will feel the benefit

2007-11-12T21:21:00.000-05:00

An anecdote from today’s Toronto issue of Metro News regarding the Federal Government’s announced “Mini-Budget”...

When asked about the Finance Minister’s statement that “these tax cuts will move some 385,000 people off the income tax rolls altogether,” Don Drummond, Chief Economist for TD Canada Trust, responded as follows:

“Don’t get sucked in by that … the low-income earners he refers to will hardly feel a benefit at all … Most of those people were only paying $5-10.”

Tobacco & Health, v1: Tax Policy

2007-10-26T21:25:00.001-04:00

As some of you know I am involved with a course run through the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. Discussions in this class cover a pretty decent snapshot of the tobacco cessation debate from genetics, farming, engineering, pharmacology, policy, marketing, and organized crime. While it is an elective for me, I am enjoying the class and am learning new things every week. In this Tobacco & Health series of notes, I'll be putting out random statements on different elements of the debate which I've found particuarely interesting.

Would love to hear any thoughts or experiences ya'll might have on the subject!
Now to the subject matter at hand ...

In the past decade we have seen gradual increases to cigarette taxes, which is a trend that will likely continue for some time. Increases in the purchase price of cigarettes in Ontario has been fundamental to recent tobacco control efforts, as well as a key factor in preventing more and more young people from developing smoking habits in the first place. But while the benefits of such policies have been widespread for the general public, certain marginalized subsets of the population have been adversely affected.

One such group of individuals are those with mental health comorbidities - that is, people living with a mental health illness who are also addicted to cigarettes. While price increases have lead to reductions in the amount purchased by the average smoker, it has been documented that this has not only not been the case with mental health consumers - but that many of them are willing to spend higher and higher percentages of their incomes on cigarette purchases. The resulting effect is that higher cigarette taxes without additional supports puts far too many of these individuals deeper into poverty and leads to greater dependence on the system.

In public policy, there is no perfect legislation. Even the best policies that benefit the most will still work against the interests of some. In the tobacco context, while I am strongly in favour of raising the price tag on cigarettes to as high a level as we can go - I wouldn't think of doing it on its own without it happening alongside effective harm reduction programs that are easily accessible and appropriately targets those who will be most adversely affected by it.

Last week's news ...

2007-10-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

There was a big news day this past week that I've been meaning to comment on - but it's taken me a few days to find enough procrastination time to write about it! Wednesday 17 October, 2007 was the date, where three stories in particular peaked my interest - and no, I'm not even touching the ridiculousness of the Federal Throne speech and the Opposition responses to it=)

So from Health, to Foreign Affairs, to Jobs, here we go ...

HEALTH

Researchers from the University of British Columbia reported the results of a large Epidemiological study indicating that while the daily consumption of Aspirin, a popular blood thinner, can reduce the risk of heart attack in men by a substantial 25%, it confers virtually no benefit to women. While I haven't personally reviewed the study - if follow up research confirm their findings, it will have major implications for Canadian women as millions of people across the country from both sexes currently take Aspirin as a way to prevent the onset of a heart attack. It is difficult to say why the practice started in the first place if the evidence wasn't there to support it - but it has been a widely held belief for many years that a daily dose of Aspirin can prevent heart complications. Perhaps there was solid evidence in the past, but those studies only looked at male subjects. Perhaps there was a clever marketing effort by the makers of Aspirin that caught on and gave people hope. Whatever the case, unless these findings are promoted in a better way, millions of women will continue to spend their money on a product that might not be doing them any good.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

For the first time in over 25 years, the US has announced a major shift in its Naval strategy, with a key priority now being humanitarian missions around the world and how this can help improve international cooperation with affected countries. This is welcome news for myself and some old colleagues. After the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the logistical expertise of military actors in South Asia were critical to so many relief operations in helping reach tens of thousands of people boxed in from the outside world by the destruction and debris caused by The Wave. In this regard, the US Navy proved incredibly valuable, and in particular, the resources provided by the USS Mercy Hospital and the USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier enabled a type of humanitarian relief programming that had not been possible in previous post disaster environments. During these times, we'd often engage in debate over how the world's powers had struggled with what to do with such massive militaries after the Cold War, and just how well matched they are suited for working through the many logistical and security dilemmas present in complex humanitarian emergencies. The general reality with all of this, unfortunately, is that providing humanitarian relief is not what they have been designed for! In now seeing that they have learned, however, the potential diplomatic benefits involved with helping others manage a crises, perhaps a new chapter is indeed being written and we will hopefully see more of it.

JOBS

There is a new proposal being debated in the manufacturing sector that would tie the salaries of workers to the rise and fall of the Canadian dollar. The seemingly endless rise in strength of the "Loonie" this past year has presented a host of new constraints on exporters who do most of their business in the reciprocally weak US currency. So what's the proposal? Well details remain vague, but they are trying to develop a system that would allow employee wages to increase or decrease should further changes in the dollar significantly impact on sales/profits. As most middle class Canadians depend on a consistent income to plan their lives around - a change in how their salaries' are determined such as this probably wouldn't do too much for the long term stability they are looking for!! This is especially so seeing as the strength or weakness of the dollar is generally far out of the influence of any one person or employer.

COOL RUNNINGS, v4: Toronto

2007-10-22T00:06:00.001-04:00

It's been a week now since the Toronto International Half Marathon and the legs are still in recovery mode. The good news is that I hit my time goal with a 1hr 39min 11sec chip time (1hr 40min 10sec gun time) for a 387th place showing (of 3494 finishers). It wasn't just me though - I don't know if it was the layout of the route, later start time, or general atmosphere, but everybody I knew who ran this race seemed to have done really well and were happy with their efforts. Even a last minute entry that I knew from someone who not only hadn't trained for it, but ran with a partially injured foot, put up an impressively strong performance. It was simply an all 'round good day.

With this being the last competition before Jamiaca, I've been thinking more about how to mentally approach the long one. I've realized these past few weeks that I really enjoy the half marathon distance and can see myself running at this level more and more in the years to come. As for the full 42.2Km run, however, it's a much different beast, and I don't think I'll be aiming for any particular crazy time goal or anything like that. My current philosophy is to keep training hard from home to get in as best shape as possible so that I can run it comfortably and have some fun out there - to enjoy the race instead of simply surviving it! From what I've heard from last year's runners, the course they've chosen is a gorgeous one, hugging Negril's Seven Mile Beach - one of the most famed coastlines in all the Caribbean, and I plan on soaking up every minute of it to the sounds of chill reggae music with the sun shining from above.

Only six weeks to go now of training and tapering till we board that jet plane. The NCFC crew from Regina are doin their thing well too and have been running just as hard. After competing in their final tune up in Kelowna a couple weeks back, they're looking strong as we enter the final 40 days of this madness. Not that anyone's counting.

Ontario Votes ...

2007-10-13T03:13:00.000-04:00

With the Liberals earning an even larger majority government, the New Democrats increasing their seat count, and the Green Party quadrupling their popular vote to a record 8% - it seems as if every political party except for the PC's has reason to celebrate the results of this past Wednesday. For the Conservatives, however, they got their butts kicked, and John Tory is taking a serious beating in the press for leading them to a distant second.

As his resignation seems all the more imminent - when thinking about his tenure I get reminded of an episode from The West Wing, where a political strategist tells Republican candidate for President (played by Alan Alda) that he is the best thing to have ever happened to the Democratic Party because his presence brought his party closer to the political center. With respect to Ontario politics I see Tory as having played a similar role these past three years in leading the PCs toward the center on many issues - with the Liberals, NDPs, and the province in general greatly benefiting from this during debate. But alas, like all political trends - this one will surely end before long.

What happens next with the PCs is anyone's guess. But they have broad support, a large donor base, and will no doubt return as a political force in 2011 - probably with a leader emerging once again from the far right. So for the rest of us - now is the time to go back to work and get something done so that they won't have a chance when that happens!

Voting - Must we all?

2007-10-07T03:00:00.001-04:00

As we approach another round of provincial elections in Ontario, and as I've been joining the ranks of canvassers telling people to go out and vote - I increasingly wonder whether or not it really is something everybody should be doing. I mean, in an ideal world all of us would be civic minded, informed on the issues and motivated to vote for the candidate that's best suited to represent our needs and wants. But that really isn't the world we live in now, is it?

My thoughts on this are somewhat framed around two groups of people - those who are uninformed and uninterested in politics and don't plan on voting, and those who are highly informed/interested but plan to symbolically abstain or not vote because they are simply unhappy with all of their choices for candidates/parties.

Even though both groups have distinctly different reasons for keeping away from the ballot box, many of them will in fact follow their gut and stay away. But a good chunk of them won't be able to escape at least some inevitable promotional effort for them to hit the polls - and some of these will take the bait. Of those who do end up voting 'for the sake of voting' and check a name that they are not personally happy with - the potential consequences can be pretty darn big seeing as we've got close races at all political levels these days, and that they could inadvertently help put a government in power that could end up screwing them in return.

So I'm a little torn - part of me still feels as if we would all be better off if everybody voted, yet a growing part of me feels like a bad vote can be far worse than a non vote.

Where do ya'll stand on this one?

COOL RUNNINGS, v3: Scotia

2007-10-06T15:38:00.001-04:00

So we passed the first big test with last weeks 21.1 Km Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon. I came in at 1hr42min for 593rd place of 5364 runners in this event ... I was quite pleased in being able to maintain my pace from the Midsummer's run, especially as I was slow out the blocks from not exactly doing the greatest job at pre race bathroom management! That'll definitely change for next Sunday ... we're somewhat sandwiched between two big races these days with the Toronto International approaching quickly on 14 October. They say two weeks really isn't enough time to improve much on a time - but with better race morning eating habits plus more downhill on the the course, I'll take a shot at breaking into the 1hr30's.

What was nice about the Scotia run though was that it was a relatively flat course, much like what the Reggae will be like in December. I have come to quickly respect the value of incorporating hill training into one's workouts. I've been running up quite a bit of hills this summer, and though it pisses one off how slowly it takes to finish a run with proper uphill sections - it preps you real well for those flat/paved runs so that come race day you feel like you're flying! Now that is not to say I'll be going nearly as fast come Jamaica - 42.2Km is bloody long!! I used to think that these half's would help me think of a realistic time goal for the long one, but after Sunday I'm not so sure ... a couple buds I've run with this summer who are generally much stronger than me at the 21K distance ran the full marathon and clocked in around 3hr49min. Sure it's not feasible to expect to keep the half pace over a proper 42K, but it's tough to judge just how much slower you're actually gonna be when doing it ... I've got a couple mths yet and I'm only now getting into the really longer training distances, but for the moment I think I might be shooting for 3hr45 - we'll see how that changes!

August 28th

2007-09-26T11:42:00.000-04:00

More than 2 years since Hurricane Katrina, the US senate has only now passed a Water Projects Bill which, among other things, authorizes money for the long term strengthening/securing of the levees in New Orleans.

The day before reading about that bill I found myself listening to a lecture by political strategist James Carville on the topic of Katrina, other storms, and preparedness issues. He said something in his opening remarks that struck me as a remarkable coincidence - that the two most destructive hurricanes in the history of the USA, Andrew (1992) & Katrina (2005), both made landfall on the 28th of August in their respective years. The significance of this concidence stems from the fact that storms only get named when they reach a certain level of intensity and potential for destructive capability, with names following the order of the alphabet. As climate scientists have long warned that rising water levels and warmer oceanic temperatures would result in a greater frequency and magnitude of severe storms - that 2005 saw the 11th named hurricane by the time in the season that we had our first in 1992, lends support to the inconvient truth that it isn't some distant future they prophesize about.

And its not just about the frequency of bad weather. At the time Katrina hit, it was the 4th most severe Atlantic hurricane in recorded history - a short lived ranking as it was eclipsed by both Hurricane's Rita and Wilma later that year. Some relevant observations from this current 2007 season include:

- When the Atlantic Hurricane Felix hit the Nicaragua-Honduras border, it signalled the first time time in recorded history that two hurricanes made landfall at Category 5 status in the same season
- The intensity with which Felix moved was also unprecedented in that it grew from a Category 2 to a Category 5 storm in just 15 hours
- Felix hit Nicaragua on 04 September. Just a few hours earlier, the Pacific Hurricane Henriette made landfall in Mexico, marking the first time that Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes have made landfall on the same day.

Severe weather patterns in the Americas are more unpredictable than ever, and greater numbers of people are and will continue to be affected.

So what are policymakers doing about it? Katrina might have kickstarted a new wave of thinking about how we respond to disasters when they occur - but when it comes to prevention, however, and preparing at risk populations against future events - it's much more talking than action. I understand that the political process is slow and deliberate, and I am pleased that the Water Projects Bill passed with such a healthy majority. But a full two years after New Orleans was under water, this really is just a first step in that this Bill only authorizes the amount of money that is allowed to be spent on these projects - it does not committ anyone to implement anything or set a timeframe for when they might do so. Because of this, the Louisiana levees, for example, could remain inappropriately secure for sometime - and for those of us wanting greater action on this soon, we've gotta keep talking about it, keeping the agenda public, and not get complacent in thinking that the situation is resolved because a vote has passed.