Poverty Awareness in York Region

Glenn in action

When asked by my buddy Glenn to accompany him along to a kick off for a Newmarket mayoral candidate, I wanted to say no, but, instead, the polite Glenn to "olive branched" me an out before replying by offering to call me the following day just prior to him going, and, if at that time I wanted to go with, we'd do so. Always the procrastinator, I agreed.

Mayoral Candidate Chris Campbell listens

As I say, my first reaction was no, mainly because I'd heard the candidate running against him was doing so only because no one else was, and that he did not expect to win. Also because I love politics but I hate the politics of politics, if you will. If I have no reason to be around it, I certainly don't want to just for the sake of it, but complacency in a mayor or council is the worst thing you can have in politics, and the need for adding "new blood" essential to maintaining civic order.

Obviously I chose to go, and was mildly surprised to see a fairly full room of would be supporters of this candidate a local lad come home to roost, but, always the skeptic, especially when it comes to politics, I arrived with both guards up.

Maple Bacon Flavoured Chips eh? Lol

As Glenn dashed off to take his myriad of a million great pics, I asked some questions, wanting to know about this Chris Campbell who dared challenge the almighty municipal Lord Mayor Van Bynen for the town's mantle-head, and came away impressed.

Firstly, him being a local boy, to me anyway, shows he has some invested emotional interest in the town. As I explain it, someone who grew up around a special tree has an attachment that someone not growing up in the area may know enough about to appreciate. But I certainly needed more than that from anyone running, and, as I learned more, liked what I heard.

Watch Chris Campbell's campaign launch highlights here

Here was a mayoral candidate, actually talking about jobs and acknowledging that at 8 %, Newmarket is running unemployment a full percentage point above the national average - in one of the most prosperous areas in the country. Someone who dared say that Newmarket should be demanding a better deal from the Region, instead of rambling off googly gok, and understanding that businesses are hurting! He's also someone who is well schooled - specifically for politics too - so understands its complexities as well as the business side, through spending years as a successful business person and who is now willing to invest himself back into this town.

Newmarket Mayoral Candidate Chris Campbell

To me his words were a beacon of hope - someone who gets that it's a town full of people, and not a small group, who should be benefiting from everything this town has to offer. He even spoke about some hockey and soccer players having to play in other towns to afford it, something he found appalling - whereas Tony Van Bynen attended the grand opening of a car dealership last Oct 17, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, ignoring for a third year in a row the invitation to attend, even to say hello. Asked if he'd be attending our youth road hockey event in 2014 he said to send his office an invite. I did. No reply. Complacent.

Diane Humeniuk, greeting people like old times!

So when Diane Humeniuk, a former Regional / Councilor herself, and long time personal acquaintance of mine, whom I had no idea was involved, spoke of Chris returning e-mails in her introduction of this candidate, I knew what she meant.

At this point, Campbell seemed far from just a guy  running for the sake of it, but instead a guy with substance, some smarts and maybe indeed the change this town needs to keep it from turning into whatever the region, province, feds, and corporate friends of the mayor tell it to be. He certainly impressed me in that regard and comes with much more credentials for the job of managing, a now small city than the former bank manager Van Bynen ever did. And photo ops of VB hob-knobbing with C.E.O.'s scare, not impress me.

Curious Newmarket residents attend

This is still our town. Other people than the status-quo can run it. Better. And before it's gone, and before council become too complacent, we best find someone else to lead - a leader, which Chris Campbell also spoke of - leadership - and this guy seems worth a look see. Don't take my word for it though check out his website for yourself - but he seems certainly qualified and genuinely seems to care, and that my friends makes him a serious candidate that I believe we can trust to tend for our town. More at least.Lol.

End of night shot!

Also on hand this night was Regional Councilor candidate Darryl Wolk whom I first met some years ago in relation to a sponsorship for our community youth award. The jixt of what I hammered home with Darryl, was that when it comes to municipal politics, I actually don't care what party you support provincially and federally, I want someone who is willing to work with anyone. That what I liked about municipal politics, is those party's flags are not needed, and, in fact, should not be paraded out at all in my opinion. Darryl agrees. Yay. Lol.

There was another person there I didn't so much agree with (surprise of all surprises! lol) - As I believing council members should be full time, especially now as the town grows out of control, we need full time conentration - and him believing otherwise...Arggg..politics again..Don't get me started! Gle-e-e-enn! Let's go!

Tom Out!

I just got back from a stop in at Dan's - you might remember Dan Philion who is confined to a wheelchair by muscular dystrophy and whose simple request over Christmas to have someone put him to bed at night, as he cannot do it unassisted, has been ignored by the government appointed "caregivers" who claim they "don't have anyone available" to do this at night time. That confused me since most people go to bed at night, and if they are the community care access centre in charge of putting our disabled to bed, then you'd think they'd do that. Apparently not?

After personally assisting Mr Philion myself for the past month to bed, because his service providers apparently cannot and he has no immediate family able to,  I got fed up with the various excuses they've been feeding him. For one, if they don't have someone for that time I suggest they get someone, as obviously there is a need, and if it's happening to Dan - where people's dignity is being controlled by some company claiming they don't have the staff and "get what we give" you types of attitudes - then you can bet it's being done to others - and especially the most vulnerable who may not have anyone speaking up for them like Dan does.

YR's $4 transit rates highest in Canada

But I can tell you right now I will not let up on this issue - this I promise you! As I watch the way our seniors and vulnerable disabled are treated and expected to have a certain level of suspended rights and dignity because of their conditions is just wrong. PACC hosted both the Square Table on Poverty which included MPP Frank Klees and MP Belinda Stronach (although she usually sent a pair of stand ins) and Newmarket York Regional Councilor John Taylor among some including the now Mayor of East Gwillumbury, and as well hosted and prepared a social audit report outlining these issues which the region endorsed, but has since ignored. Questions of dignity and treatment of clients was a number one reported issue but little has changed to address it still. All I hear is fluff about how wonderful the same charities and care givers are doing, whilst people like Dan cry out to no one listening or face waiting lists too long to wait for. People need to go to bed every night.

He's spoken up before, as a participant in both the social audit, while in proces of having his child taken at birth based on his disability, and as well as part of that "Square Table on Poverty" so many years ago now it seems. His issue then was that he couldn't work because he deejayed and they had no transit service to get him there and back. That was 7 or 8 years ago - in 2014 they just finally began offering service to disabled after 10 pm after more PACC noise.

One idea that sprang from the Square Table was that they were also going to help start up a non-profit business that Dan was instrumental in seeing a need for, which was the trend toward people throwing out returnable bottles and a service that would pick them up. At the time, during the Square Table on Poverty which included someone from every level of government, MPP Frank Klees had a restauranteur that was interested to have the service he'd said and Stronach's person insisted they wanted to help make it so and would arrange a meeting there. Well it never happened that's all we know. I don't care who walked across what floor politically; all I know is nothing got done from ther on in so we folded the group. For years Dan asked me about that business that never was and the meeting that never happened. I guess a guy can dream. Meantime we complained about transit so he could DJ at least on occasion.

Virtually the same crew still runs the ships he's complained to, and PACC's efforts have been ignored or stifled, so he's been feeling helpless, even depressed. Imagine losing all control of things around you, and none would be so if not for your disability. You'd even have privacy for the most basic of needs like going to the bathroom.

HE STILL GET'S NO ASSISTANCE TO BED TODAY.  DEC - Jan 19 2014

THAT'S OKAY I'M KEEPING A TAB AND WILL BE BILLING THE COMPANY LATER FOR MY 'TEMP' SERVICES AND THEN DONATING THE MONEY TO DAN SO HE CAN MAYBE BUY SOME GROCERIES.

Dan relies on charity organizations just to get out his door. Well, guess what? They've shown up once all this desperate winter and he's now, in addition to that dilemma, had to deal with getting to bed, but today was a last straw for me - for this service provider company to now tell him they can't have anyone come and get him out of bed until 12:30 pm Sunday, when offering a to bed service time at 7pm, is outrageous and cruel. They don't give him a choice either, he is simply informed they don't have anyone today and that the end of it. Not today!

I referred Dan's dilemma once again to MPP Klees' office and as yet have heard nothing back. MP Lois Brown told Dan exactly what I told him she would whixch was that "it wasn't her department but she'd make some calls". Regional Councilotr John Taylor - the one with the most influence on the issue at hand and it's state - has thus far informed Dan about the new later service available for transit now and will get back to him regarding the CCAC / Caregivers issue and getting to bed. I hope he figures it out soon because I'm sure Dan is not the only one being forced into these vulnerable and inhumane conditions. This is Canada for Gosh sakes have we forgotten everything we stand for in our rush towards the " Canadian Dream?" And what pray tell is that dream anyway? To make excuses for everything wrong we do? Or to make results? I don't know anymore.

I plan to take action to raise a petition to have this company removed as care givers of our disabled. It is disgraceful, and when clients or patients tell these companies they are not being treated with respect - by repeat offenders - we also expect action not reward with new contracts because they are the cheapest. Shop around. You want to be in the human care BUSINESS you better be into it for the right reasons or get out!

Too much charity...not enough care.

Stay tuned!