tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64170748042346193952024-03-17T01:14:46.996-07:00Terry O'NeillThe blog title says "elect", but I've now retired from elected office and am volunteering with several non-profit charities.Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.comBlogger305125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-57016012254443061152023-12-18T12:24:00.000-08:002023-12-18T12:26:16.912-08:00Making news with my news reporting!The story appeared in the BC Catholic in June of 2023:
The document shown is related to my four-year campaign to wrest information from the Fraser Health Authority about its policies and practices relating to Medical Assistance in Dying.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SxBm6d_vgm5Ynhpwx4Y-QpMyyjQESv0sXIoBgdrKg9fPH5yHi-83BL2DY4ThewUZLzMQ5FSPoMvYlPReyB5HWYtChDs58UIw_eBS3KiRgYrMX562i-UGe3W6J9T1_xGzFP-PqmbIQE4OVRPwsTr1c701E78Kuu6qM-ZeR91D1bmNO9Y2HCOR_4RP1DPd/s3231/OPIC%20001.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="3231" data-original-width="2531" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SxBm6d_vgm5Ynhpwx4Y-QpMyyjQESv0sXIoBgdrKg9fPH5yHi-83BL2DY4ThewUZLzMQ5FSPoMvYlPReyB5HWYtChDs58UIw_eBS3KiRgYrMX562i-UGe3W6J9T1_xGzFP-PqmbIQE4OVRPwsTr1c701E78Kuu6qM-ZeR91D1bmNO9Y2HCOR_4RP1DPd/s600/OPIC%20001.jpg"/></a></div>News coverage of euthanasia, pandemic restrictions, and Indigenous issues helped earn The B.C. Catholic 13 newspaper awards from the Catholic Media Association.
The 2022 awards were announced at the association’s annual conference in Baltimore Friday.
In addition to awards for news writing, design honours went to the newspaper’s senior visual designer Inca Siojo-Das. Writing awards also went to two long-time B.C. Catholic columnists and reporter Nicholas Elbers.
The newspaper performed strongly in several reporting categories.
Contributing writer Terry O’Neill won two news writing awards, including second place in in-depth news/special reporting for his article “Overdose Call to Action,” which examined through Catholic social teaching the issue of drug decriminalization as a solution to the drug overdose crisis. Judges called it a “timely piece that keeps key components of faith” at the centre “as it deep dives into the reality of the situation.”
Terry O’Neill’s series on the impact of euthanasia on palliative care won second place in investigative news writing.
O’Neill also took second place in investigative news writing for a piece describing how soaring assisted suicide is having a detrimental impact on palliative care. Judges complimented how O’Neil’s “clear and organized writing style” fit the investigative piece.
O’Neill and editor Paul Schratz took third place in religious liberty reporting for a series of entries titled “Church Under Fire,” which judges said were “tightly written, thoughtful and well told.” Schratz looked at how government pandemic restrictions triggered conflict and confusion among parishioners. O’Neill contributed two columns looking at the rise in anti-Catholic attacks and church burnings following reports of unmarked graves being discovered in Kamloops.
Schratz received an honourable mention in coverage of political issues for several articles addressing the growing division in Canada resulting from government restrictions on religious liberties.
Schratz also took third place in national/international editorial writing for a piece examining the enactment of the Emergencies Act through a Catholic social lens. Judges said the article did “a good job of providing a sort of public policy post-mortem whose conclusions should be applied in other contexts and should be remembered in case future application might be warranted.”
Inca Siojo-Das also received second place for her layout of a feature on icons at Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral.
Schratz also won third place for regional news writing for “Divided in the North,” which looked at the impact of pandemic restrictions on a church community. Judges said the article nicely illustrated “multiple facets of the complex issue of COVID restrictions.”
Reporter Nicholas Elbers received third place for sacramental reporting with his coverage of the translation of the liturgy into Indigenous languages. Judges said Elbers brought an important topic to light in a way that builds community and connection “through clear yet warm rhetoric.”
The B.C. Catholic also won first place in the headline category for “Fiddling while Rome learns” on a story about a Metis fiddler in Rome for last year’s meeting between Indigenous representatives and Pope Francis.
The newspaper and the Archdiocese of Vancouver Communications Office received an honourable mention in the diocesan annual report category for the 2021-2022 Archdiocese of Vancouver annual report, featuring Siojo-Das’ design work and content from the communications team.
Siojo-Das also received second place for layout of a feature on icons at Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. The layout was described as simple, creative, and both “easy to read” and “pleasing to the eye.”
She also won an honourable mention for layout of a World Cup 2022 feature by Pat Macken entitled “Unity in Faith and Footie.”
Two long-time columnists also picked up awards. Colleen Roy won second place in the Family Life category, while Alan Charlton took third in the Arts column category.
Judges said Charlton offered “excellent insights,” “careful reflections,” and “effective retrospective” on art past and present.
Nicholas Elbers’ coverage of the translation of the liturgy into Indigenous languages earned third place for sacramental reporting.
Roy was praised as a “good conversationalist” and storyteller whose topics are interesting, “descriptive and well written.”
The Catholic Media Association is the largest association of Catholic media professionals in North America, with more than 200 publication members and 800 individual members. The annual awards honour the contributions of Catholic media organizations and individual media producers in the United States and Canada.Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-44458144327693594912023-12-18T12:17:00.000-08:002023-12-18T12:17:44.325-08:00Bouquets of love: offering the lonely blooms instead of tombs
A story I wrote for the B.C. Catholic about one of my projects, published in the spring of 2023:
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It’s been 29 years since the pro-life committee at St. Joseph’s Parish in Port Moody launched Blooms into Rooms as a way to animate the Prayer for the Reverence for Life’s call to support the sick and the elderly. The committee also intended the project to signal opposition to the then-ominous spectre of legalized euthanasia.
Today, with the virus of “Medical Assistance in Dying” infecting all too many of the sick and elderly, projects like Blooms into Rooms are proving to be more important than ever.
The idea for Blooms into Rooms was simple: a few volunteers from St. Joseph’s would visit a single care centre on Holy Saturday and give patients a flowering plant, a homemade greeting card and, most important of all, some companionship.
Since then, the flowers project has blossomed, with the result that this Easter weekend volunteers from two Catholic high schools and six parishes will be delivering flowers to almost 1,300 seniors and patients in six communities.
Life Compass, the north-of-Fraser Catholic pro-life group, has become a key partner in this project and, for the first time this year, the Archdiocese of Vancouver is providing financial support with funds raised through the Pro-Life Sunday collection.
Post-pandemic restrictions still rule out one-on-one visits, but organizers hope the flowers and cards will lift the recipients’ spirits and send the message that they are valued.
The importance of projects like Blooms into Rooms is becoming more evident now that MAiD is not only legal and shockingly permissive in scope but is also being actively encouraged as an end-of-life-care option.
Blooms into Rooms volunteers from St. Patrick’s Parish in Maple Ridge.
Moreover, statistics show the primary reason so many elderly are choosing to seek assistance in ending their life is because they are lonely, depressed, and feel their life lacks meaning or value.
Life-affirming Catholics have worked hard over the decades to oppose assisted suicide laws, but even as their warnings of a slippery slope have come true, Catholic opposition has failed to change public opinion, failed to influence politicians, and failed to sway the courts.
Many in the pro-life movement are now pointing out how vital it is to connect with the most vulnerable in order to give them the love and support they need to continue to choose life.
Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, delivered that message in a series of presentations in B.C. in early March. He encouraged Catholic parishes to establish outreach programs aimed at supporting the sick and elderly.
Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition speaks with listeners. “Most people ask for euthanasia because they are going through a difficult time of life,” he said. (Nicholas Elbers photo)
And a single flower can make all the difference. In the pre-pandemic days when Blooms into Rooms volunteers visited seniors personally, one volunteer brought a small flowering plant to an elderly woman living in a Coquitlam seniors home. The woman was confused and angrily ordered the volunteer to take the plant away. “I didn’t order it and I don’t want to pay for it,” she said.
The volunteer explained that it was a gift. The woman responded, “A gift? For me? No one ever gives me anything. Thank you!” She then shed a few tears of happiness.
Blooms into Rooms organizers have watched as this sort of connection, multiplied hundreds or thousands of times over, has a positive, life-affirming impact. And they’re not the only ones.
Michele Smillie, of the archdiocese’s Life, Marriage, and Family Office, points to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Horizons of Hope program, a toolkit on palliative care, as one of several initiatives aimed at supporting the sick and the elderly.
Smillie also says the archdiocese’s Spiritual Care Training program, the latest installment of which wrapped up on March 29, offers effective training to help Catholics connect with persons who are suffering and need support.
“End-of-life care is difficult for many, and there are sometimes significant physical, as well as psychological issues,” Smillie said. “We all feel helpless sometimes, overwhelmed, lonely and have some fear of the future. This doesn’t mean we want to be killed. It only means we are human. What we need is good medical care including palliative care and we need community. We need to feel important and that we mean something to someone.”
The Compassionate Community Care organization, which is associated with the EPC, provides resources for those looking to advocate for loved ones who are in care. The archdiocese will be presenting the organization’s volunteer-training sessions in the fall.
LifeCanada National is also now looking to expand its Dying Healed program in response to the spread of MAiD. The program trains individuals to help those who are suffering mentally, physically, and spiritually, so they can experience “healing of a deeper kind.”
Pat Wiedemer, the organization’s president, said she not only wants to make the program more accessible by making it available online but also plans to expand its scope to include individuals who are living alone or have no friends, as well as patients in palliative care. “People have lost meaning in their lives,” she said.
She stressed that young people also need support, especially given the looming expansion of MAiD to mature minors. “Despite social media, they’re suffering great loneliness. Look at the rise in the rate of suicide, the rate of anti-depressants,” she said. “We have a generation that doesn’t know how to deal with human relationships.”
For Wiedemer it’s sadly ironic that at a time when so many deny the existence of God on the grounds that human connection is sufficient, those connections are being denied to the sick and elderly when they most need it. “We’ve got to do better. We’ve got to make time for life.”
Which is what Blooms into Rooms is doing now that it has expanded into Christmas, although its main focus continues to be Easter, when Catholics celebrate not only life here on earth but eternal life.
Forms of outreach like these offer yet more ways Catholics can support the culture of life, if for no other reason than such work embodies the second great commandment, to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-46396656555264173982023-12-18T12:09:00.000-08:002023-12-18T12:11:11.486-08:00Jazz Evensong: Gathering in the key of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTngWlaPFqw3Ch_4kyJmwF2xZ9vwz0kd-zZmLVPlfOq9qjtfNdux9KWgaFRFCvAL1RGJIRiqek57LDSvRjDQnVnbJV_0Qk0xNyen7wjyR6G7UOwv0G4p2Y1TwzGomf4YwOWitV0bZxEZml07D3E3Ck4P0ynXSEWoBlYZopXhv4sEWwtXBsreYRv468IH3/s3054/Fraser%20homily%20with%20%20vocalist%20Angela%20Verbrugge%20looking%20on.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="2290" data-original-width="3054" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTngWlaPFqw3Ch_4kyJmwF2xZ9vwz0kd-zZmLVPlfOq9qjtfNdux9KWgaFRFCvAL1RGJIRiqek57LDSvRjDQnVnbJV_0Qk0xNyen7wjyR6G7UOwv0G4p2Y1TwzGomf4YwOWitV0bZxEZml07D3E3Ck4P0ynXSEWoBlYZopXhv4sEWwtXBsreYRv468IH3/s400/Fraser%20homily%20with%20%20vocalist%20Angela%20Verbrugge%20looking%20on.jpg"/></a></div>A small Christian church in Burnaby has embraced jazz music to revitalize its congregation and at the same time inspired a Catholic priest in Coquitlam to consider singing from the same songbook.
Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Brian Fraser, Brentwood Presbyterian Church began offering jazz-music-infused services in 2009 and then weekly Jazz Evensong events in 2017.
Today, the church (which is immediately south of Holy Cross Church in Burnaby) has become something of a jazz mecca, allowing musicians to rent the acoustically rich space for rehearsals, and even commissioning composers to write Christian-infused jazz music.
Father Larry Lynn speaking with Jazz Evensong organizer Rev. Dr. Brian Fraser. Inspired by Jazz Evensong, Father Lynn is interested in creating a “jazz vespers program” at his parish, Our Lady of Lourdes in Coquitlam.
During each Wednesday-night Evensong event, Rev. Fraser devotes 10 minutes between musical sets to reflect on connections between the Christian message and jazz music.
In late September, for example, he spoke about American jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams, a convert to Catholicism, who said, “Jazz is healing to the soul.”
Fraser commented: “Now, I don’t have the musical capacity that Mary Lou Williams had. But one of the things that we talk a lot about here at Brentwood – especially the relationship between jazz and faith – is that we are all jazz musicians because the most common form of jazz in the human experience is ordinary conversation.”
He explained, “Every time you open your mouth to have a conversation, you are playing jazz. There’s a structure, vocabulary, and grammar. Each of us, with our unique voices, in our unique ways, in our unique situations and contexts, use that structure differently ... One of the things that we keep focusing on is that jazz musicians and Christians tell love stories.”
Father Larry Lynn, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Coquitlam and a life-long jazz lover, is intrigued by what he has seen at Brentwood Presbyterian.
“I love Pastor Fraser’s initiative to try to bring jazz into his church,” Father Lynn said. “I love that he prayed before the concert and that he invoked Jesus during his talks. He’s providing a space for people to encounter Christ through a medium that doesn’t usually acknowledge the spiritual, even though it can be a thoroughly spiritual experience.
“Music moves the soul – that’s the reality and I think jazz, because it’s a kind of exploratory music, might be for those who are open to an exploration of their soul.”
On a recent evening when Father Lynn attended Jazz Evensong, the Mike Allen Quartet performed the music of John Coltrane’s landmark jazz album, A Love Supreme, which is widely seen as a work of deep spirituality.
Father Lynn said the event moved him to consider the question of where we encounter Christ. “When Christ was walking the earth, he met people at precisely the place he found them,” he said. “And they could be anywhere or anybody: rabbis, tax collectors, pharisees, paupers, beggars, governors, high priests, adulterers, thieves. demoniacs, widows, fishermen, you name it.
“He loved them all and showed them the way. I’m sure if he had met some jazz musicians, he would have grooved along with them. But they would have known they were in special company and Jesus would have had them seeing clearly his Gospel message. He would have met them in the key of God!”
Father Lynn said he thinks “it would be great” for a Catholic church to explore something like a jazz vespers program. “At my parish, I’m doing a renovation of the church basement and I’m thinking about allowing it to be a venue for small music groups, whether it’s jazz, chamber music, folk music,” he said.
“What a beautiful thing it would be to invite folks in and see Jesus in their lives in and through the music they love. How awesome that would be!”
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-8897437591694931932020-05-16T11:42:00.002-07:002020-05-16T11:55:31.472-07:00Understanding loneliness and isolation in the age of COVID<div style="background-color: #f6f5f3; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: freight-text-pro, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 23px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; position: relative;">
<i>I've had the great opportunity, over the past month, to report and write for the </i>BC Catholic<i> newspaper on the issue of loneliness and isolation. All the pieces are below, in chronological order. I hope you find them informative and, ultimately, helpful!</i></div>
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<b>HOME ALONE – introduction Isolated and lonely: we can do better than this</b></div>
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April 21, 2020</div>
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It came as no surprise to me when the Angus Reid Institute reported earlier this month that the number-one thing most people are looking forward to, once pandemic-prevention measures are lifted, is a simple hug. </div>
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After all, we humans are social animals, and we ache because we are not allowed to shake hands, to hug, or to hold anyone but the family members with whom we live. No e-facsimile can replace an encouraging pat on the back, let alone a warm embrace from a loved one.</div>
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For me, so-called social distancing (it’s now <em style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">physical</em> distancing, right?) has boxed me in at exactly the time I would normally have cooed and cuddled with my newest grandchild, born April 5, and given my ever-more-fragile father a gentle hug on his 92nd birthday, celebrated April 20.</div>
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Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m fine. There’s actually a far larger and more important issue at stake: the unknown impact that the widespread quasi-quarantine is having and will have on members of our society, especially those who were already isolated and lonely.</div>
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This is no small problem. Loneliness and isolation are growing, and with them grow adverse physical and psychological impacts. And no amount of hyper-connected, 5G wizardry can take the place of physical presence and physical contact.</div>
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We’ve been seeing the problem worsen for decades now. It’s one of the reasons a little group of us at St. Joseph’s Parish in Port Moody started the Easter Flowers project more than a quarter of a century ago. Now called Blooms into Rooms, the project’s aim is to cheer up the sick and the elderly on Easter weekend by bringing them flowering plants, homemade greeting cards, and a bit of companionship. It’s also an important way we “bring to life” the Prayer for Reverence of Life.</div>
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Our teams visited 1,200 seniors a year ago, and we were making plans to visit 1,500 this Easter when we had to cancel the whole 2020 campaign because of the COVID crisis. How sadly ironic: at the exact time when the sick and the elderly were most vulnerable and could have most benefitted from some love, they were denied it.</div>
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Our increasingly fractured and isolated society was on my radar several years ago when, as a member of Coquitlam City Council, I wrote a report for my colleagues and senior staff with a proposal to help bring our community closer together.</div>
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Three troubling trends needed addressing, said the report: growing isolation of seniors; barriers to integration of new Canadians; and the rise of the “gig economy,” which meant the loss of traditional workplace communities and the corresponding isolation of workers.</div>
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My proposal was to enhance and tie together programs that the City already had in place, with the overarching goal of increasing a sense of belonging. If Vancouver could aim to be the greenest city on the planet, why couldn’t Coquitlam become the city where you best belonged? I even came up with a slogan: “Coquitlam: You<em style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"> belong</em> here.” </div>
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Alas, after two years of internal discussions, reports, and even the hiring of an outside “facilitator,” the idea ground to a halt, reasons for which were stunningly varied and don’t warrant elaboration in this space.</div>
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The coronavirus crisis can and will worsen all the problems I identified above. At the same time, though, the crisis also seems to have led to a recognition that isolation, lack of community, and loneliness are real problems. One hopes that such recognition endures once the crisis ends. </div>
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I will be doing my part to keep the issue in the public eye in future issues of The B.C. Catholic as I examine these problems in greater depth and suggest ways to address them.</div>
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Meantime, it’s back to Zoom, Signal, and FaceTime for me as I embrace, not my friends and family, but pale imitations of human contact, all while humming the tune to <em style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Where Two or Three are Gathered</em>.</div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;"><b>HOME ALONE – Part 1: pandemic is forcing us to address our isolation crisis</b></span></span></div>
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April 28, 2020</div>
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Click on a news website, watch a TV news broadcast, or open a newspaper, and you will invariably encounter a story about the adverse psychological effects related to the quasi-quarantine regulations society is enduring in an effort to thwart the COVID-19 pandemic. </div>
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Headlines such as, “Lockdown tougher for singles,” “Residents of B.C. feeling stressed,” “Despair deaths rise during economic crisis,” “COVID-19 pandemic could Increase social isolation,” and “Half of Canadians say mental health has worsened during COVID-19 pandemic” are prevalent in the papers, as anxiety escalates over the damage being done to the mental health, not only of society’s most vulnerable, but also of a general population that is being forced to severely limit its social interactions.</div>
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What’s worse, the enforced isolation appears to compound an existing and growing problem of social isolation and loneliness. The fact is, well before the current coronavirus crisis descended upon us, experts were warning of the troubling growth in the number of people who feel disconnected, isolated, and alone.</div>
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The trend first gained widespread notice in 2000 with the publication of the book <em style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Bowling Alone</em>. The title of author Robert D. Putnam’s book refers to the fact that as more Americans take up bowling than two decades earlier, fewer were joining leagues – which meant they experienced less social interaction. </div>
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Yet, amid the almost-universal hand-wringing over how the COVID-19 quarantine is worsening this problem, rays of hope are brightening the gloom. At Star of the Sea Parish in Surrey, for example, Elaine Webb heads a team that’s been placing regular calls to isolated seniors, even buying groceries for them. “It’s incredible to hear the gratitude from the folks – [they say] ‘Oh, wow! This is wonderful,’” Webb says. All in all, the program has been “wonderful” for both the volunteers and the seniors.</div>
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<figure class="inline-editable-image-container block-img-or-group fr-draggable fr-fic fr-dib" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 30px; max-width: 100%; position: relative;"><figcaption class="fr-inner figure-caption" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #aeaeae; cursor: text; font-size: 19.55px; line-height: 1.4; padding-top: 0.5rem; position: relative; z-index: 5;"><span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px; font-weight: lighter;">Moreover, while there’s no doubt many are suffering during the current crisis, it may well be that people of faith are better equipped to ride out the emotional and psychological storm whipped up by COVID’s rupturing of our social connections. Rev. Dr. Nathan White, executive director of the Institute for Faith and Resilience, says, “At a personal level, faith can provide things like meaning and hope, and a kind of a larger meta-narrative with which we can understand our lives.” </span></figcaption></figure></div>
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Even in the face of the ongoing and unprecedented loss of our physical faith community – most notably, the closing of churches and the cessation of shared celebration of the Eucharist – there’s evidence aplenty that a strong connection to God not only makes us more resilient to the sort of turmoil currently buffeting our lives, but also positions us to actually take advantage of quiet times through meaningful self-reflection.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: lighter;">Even so, we shouldn’t get too comfortable in our Catholic pews. There’s a very real pain being felt, worsening the loneliness and isolation that has been eating away at our culture for several decades. Concern over this is reflected in Archbishop Michael J. Miller’s joining with more than 100 other Christian leaders last month to issue a statement addressing address the situation.</span></div>
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“We recognize how worrying the global pandemic is,” they declared. “It is a crisis which provides uncertainty, panic, loss, discouragement, and loneliness.” <span style="font-weight: lighter;">The statement continued: “We pray that the Spirit of Christ will bring you peace and an abiding sense of calm. The promise of scripture offers us hope: ‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you. You are in the palm of my hand.’ (Isaiah 41:10).”</span></div>
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If a social-connections crisis now exists, it surely exacerbates an existing one. <em style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Bowling Alone </em>revealed a drastic decline in “social capital” – organizations from clubs to labour unions, in which people with shared interests come together. The reasons? Author Putnam cites the modern economy’s pressures on personal time, urban sprawl, too much television, and generational divides.</div>
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Putnam’s research centred on the U.S., but there are complementary findings in Canada. In June of last year, the Vancouver-based Angus Reid Institute conducted a survey in partnership with Cardus (a non-partisan, faith-based think tank) exploring the quality and quantity of human connection in the lives of Canadians. They found “significant segments of society in need of the emotional, social and material benefits” that connectedness can bring.</div>
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Sixty per cent of Canadians responded that they would like their friends and family to spend more time with them, and just 14 per cent described the current state of their social lives as “very good.” In addition, one-third were unable to identify friends or family members they could count on to provide financial assistance in an emergency, and nearly two-fifths were not certain they could count on someone for emotional support during times of personal crisis.</div>
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“Social isolation and loneliness are one of the biggest challenges of our time,” Cardus executive vice president Ray Pennings said regarding the survey. “They’re a symptom of our culture’s obsession with personal autonomy, leaving us living life as ‘I’ instead of ‘we.’ In doing so, we reap the poorer financial, mental, and physical health associated with isolation and loneliness, possibly making us more vulnerable to things like drug abuse, suicide, and the debt spiral caused by payday loan use.”</div>
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Similarly, the Vancouver Foundation’s <a href="https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/connectandengage/key-findings" style="background-color: transparent; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #da3842; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.25, 1) 0s;"><em style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Connect &Engage</em> report</a>, released in 2017, found that “across almost every measure in our survey, people in Metro Vancouver are taking part less in community-related activities.” As well, “fewer than half are willing to respond to a question from a stranger (48 per cent), and only 23 per cent will ask a question or initiate a conversation.”</div>
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<figure class="inline-editable-image-container block-img-or-group fr-draggable fr-fic fr-dib" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 30px; max-width: 100%; position: relative;"><figcaption class="fr-inner figure-caption" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #aeaeae; cursor: text; font-size: 19.55px; line-height: 1.4; padding-top: 0.5rem; position: relative; z-index: 5;"><span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px; font-weight: lighter;">Even so, Lidia Kemeny, who headed the foundation’s study, some good arising from the current crisis.</span></figcaption></figure></div>
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“I think people are challenging the status quo that led us to the space of people feeling lonely and isolated,” says Kemeny, the foundation’s director of partnerships, grants and community initiatives.</div>
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“And what I’m seeing is people recognizing the importance of reaching out to each other, and a lot of very hopeful signs of people really feeling how important it is to connect with each other.”</div>
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Moreover, there’s something good in the current state of affairs even for those who are struggling, says Kemeny. “By virtue of this being a universal experience right now, I think we’re also pulling [loneliness] out from behind the shadows in a way.”</div>
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She says, “I see people talking about this a lot more. I think there’s an ease and comfort, in acknowledging that we are lonely, that isn’t as stigmatized as it was before.”</div>
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Of course many challenges remain and the future is uncertain. How we Catholics cope with, respond to, and overcome those challenges will be the focus of this series in the next few weeks.</div>
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We’ll examine the ways Catholics are responding to the current trying times – how parishioners and priests alike are finding new ways to connect with each other and maintain their faith communities.</div>
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We will also further explore the powerful connection between faith and resilience – a connection that makes us stronger in the face of adversity.</div>
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Finally, we’ll look at the opportunities for spiritual growth that enforced isolation presents to us. As American Bishop Robert Barron recently suggested during one of his popular video addresses, “Perhaps we could all think of this time of semi-quarantine as an invitation to some monastic introspection, some serious confrontation with the questions that matter – some purposeful sitting alone in a room.”</div>
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A good thought. Moreover, if what 17th-century French theologian Blaise Pascal wrote is true – that “all of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone” – then it must also be true that those who follow Bishop Barron’s advice to, in effect, “sit quietly in a room alone,” surely have the potential to solve more than just their own problems. We shall see.</div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;"><b>HOME ALONE – Part 2: Catholics find ways to stay connected in pandemic</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">May 7, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">When asked what she misses most about not being able to attend 9 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Joseph’s Parish in Port Moody, 88-year-old Leona Ransom doesn’t miss a beat when she answers, “the choir.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;"> A three-decades-long member of one of the parish’s choral groups, Ransom says nothing can replace the positive feeling she experiences when she joins with her fellow choristers to sing a hymn in four-part harmony.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“Singing is such a marvellous way of expressing everything,” says Ransom, a soprano. “Being surrounded by music is such a tonic. Surrounded by music, and contributing to it, you come away feeling ‘I’ve accomplished something or given something’ or ‘I’ve been alive and well for the five minutes.’”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;"> A widow who lives with one of her adult children, Ransom confides that she also misses the camaraderie of the choir, and she certainly hopes for an early end to the social isolation mandated by health authorities to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">A retired counsellor, Ransom is well aware of the social and health benefits of being part of a faith community, but says she is content with the weekly homiletic email she receives from her pastor Father Thomas Arackal, and with using the phone to stay in touch with loved ones. “Everybody seems to be OK,” she shares. “I think we’re all kind of lonesome, but we’ll get through it.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Helping the isolated and lonely withstand the stresses and strains of the COVID crisis has been a concern of priests and parish groups alike. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">Resilient and optimistic, and with friends and family to support her, Ransom is in a good position to withstand the stresses and strains of the COVID crisis. Others may not be so fortunate, and that’s been a concern of priests and parish groups alike since the beginning of the pandemic crisis.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">Questions on how best to keep faith communities alive as well as serve needy individuals have been answered with solutions ranging from the adoption of new communication technologies to the restructuring of existing programs. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">At Church of the Assumption Parish in Powell River, for example, Father Patrick Tepoorten responded quickly to the closing of churches and cessation of public services by staging daily outdoor adoration of the Holy Eucharist and by livestreaming daily Mass on Facebook – one of 47 parishes in the Archdiocese of Vancouver currently doing so.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Adopting the unfamiliar technology didn’t come without its problems, though. “I learned that if you push the ‘magic wand’ on Facebook, it adds beards and faces,” Father Tepoorten confides, noting that at least one priest in Italy became an Internet sensation after mistakenly engaging the feature. “For me, it was Good Friday when I ended up sporting a [virtual] blue beard. Some of our parishioners thought it was hilarious.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Overall reaction to televised Masses, whether on social media or television, has been positive. “Our parishioners are very appreciative that they have the Mass on Facebook,” he says. “They say, ‘I’m so grateful you’re doing this. I’m just so grateful – it’s contact with the Mass.’” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">Father Tepoorten has concerns, however, about the long-term impact on his parishioners, the majority of whom are seniors. He and his assistant have not been able to provide the pastoral care – visiting homes and hospitals – that they usually perform, and phone calls seem to him to be more intrusive than helpful. “I don’t want to disturb them in their cocoon of self-isolation.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Nevertheless, he is optimistic that parish life will return to normal when the crisis ends because he senses that his parishioners’ faith is making them hungry to get things back up to speed. “I think we really feel the need in our community,” he says. “I think, in a strange way, it’s a great lesson in the need we have for each other – it’s a real affirmation – and how much we miss each other.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">At Star of the Sea Parish in White Rock the COVID-19 crisis led an existing parish group to pivot in how it delivers spiritual and social support to isolated and lonely seniors. Elaine Webb, a retired nurse, says the parish formed a Pastoral Care Visitation ministry a year ago, training 50 men and women in how “to provide a little bit of company and companionship with lonely and frail seniors” in homes or residential-care facilities, and to better connect them to parish life. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“The issues are common,” Webb says, “One of them is loneliness, another is fear.” Reaction was overwhelmingly positive. “They are just so grateful. You can see the little spark of joy that we bring,” Webb says.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">But it seemed that no sooner did the ministry start rolling than it was forced to suspend operations because of the coronavirus crisis. Working with a 250-name list of seniors provided by the parish office, the visitation team joined with members of the Catholic Women’s League and Knights of Columbus to keep connections alive through regular phone calls. It seems to be working.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“All those who were called expressed gratitude, surprise, and were generally pleased that the Church had reached out and taken the time to connect,” Webb says. As well, almost all said they were fine and had support from adult children, friends, and neighbours. Surprisingly, “no one asked for assistance with groceries or medication runs. But some wanted the parish bulletin [because they didn’t have internet access] and a few wanted holy water. Generally folks were positive and accepting of the current circumstances.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">In fact, the response has been so positive that “it could inform a new way to go forward with support of our senior parishioners,” Webb says.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">The pandemic’s impacts on social and spiritual life are not limited to isolated seniors, of course. Patrick Calderon, who serves on the core team of the Holy Rosary Cathedral Young Adults group, says that, pre-COVID, the group could have up to three events a week, as well as a monthly social gathering.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">The pandemic’s no-group-gathering order struck at the very heart of the group’s mandate “to cultivate faith and create friendships through fellowship,” as well as providing educational and service opportunities, says Calderon, a 26-year-old consultant who is a graduate of both Notre Dame Regional Secondary in Vancouver and Notre Dame University in Indiana. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“We were very conflicted as to how to proceed when the quarantine first started,” he says. “We thought that we can’t just disappear. We need to show to the people that we were serving that Church doesn’t stop for you, that there’s still an opportunity for you to engage as Catholic young adults.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Now the group meets every Monday via the Zoom app, focusing on faith issues related to the Holy Spirit. Attendance is limited to 15, which is about five fewer than normal meetings, but the virtual gatherings help fill a void. “I think there’s a great longing for in-person interaction and for real community,” Calderon says.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“But, you know, I think it’s a time for us, as young adults, to put into practice skills we grew up with all our entire lives – skills of connecting via technology, and to show that there are ways of getting together even without being physically present.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Calderon admits that some aspects of the meetings are lost because a vital part of gathering together has always been socialization, but “it’s important for us – because there’s a real longing for community – to do whatever we can do to provide something in the interim.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">As for Calderon personally, he describes himself as “rolling with the punches and appreciating the grace that is present in this particular moment.” In fact, he believes there’s an opportunity to pursue a more contemplative path than the one he was living. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“But I know that absence makes the heart grow fonder, as well,” he says, “And I think our return will be even better than what we had in the past. I think we have really gotten to see the value of this community. And we’ll come back when this is over with a newfound appreciation for all that we have around us, and just be grateful for it.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">The crisis is affecting parishes and parishioners in countless ways, and no one knows what the “new normal” will look like when it finally ends and parishes can resume in-person operations. Meanwhile many Catholics seem to be finding a silver lining in the COVID cloud, embracing new technologies to stay in touch, finding new ways to serve fellow parishioners, using quiet times to better themselves, or simply being determined to make the best of a sad situation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">During a time when isolation and loneliness can be corrosive, the hopefulness that animates these actions is surely showing itself to be a crucial element of the Catholic character.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;"><b>HOME ALONE – Part 3: the psychology of hope and resilience amid isolation </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">May 12, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">In his 2017 book The Catholic Guide to Loneliness, author Kevin Vost cautioned readers not to let virtual conversations take the place of real, face-to-face meetings with friends and loved ones.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Today, as society is in its third month of enforced social isolation precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vost notes the irony of social-media platforms such as Facetime and Zoom actually becoming invaluable tools to help people stay connected and feel less lonely.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“So, now those have become valuable things that we do need to cultivate, perhaps even with people we didn’t cultivate before,” Vost said in a telephone interview from his home in Springfield, Illinois. “Show those people that we do care about them. If you’ve just texted them in the past, pick up the phone now and talk to them. This crisis can prompt us to interact in more significant ways.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">Moreover, the crisis may also lead people to realize that they had been taking their friendships for granted. “I hope it will really help us to realize what we are missing – that absence makes the heart grow fonder,” says Vost, who holds a doctorate in psychology.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Vost is one of several faith-based experts contacted by The B.C. Catholic in recent weeks to offer insight into pandemic-related psychological issues that society in general and Catholics in particular might be experiencing. The latter focus arises from the fact that, as members of a faith whose essential features include a regular “mass” gathering at which a physical “communion” with God is celebrated, Catholics might be especially hard hit by the loss of social interaction resulting from the quasi-quarantine that officials imposed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">The good news, however, is that the same faith uniting Catholics in communion also tends to position Catholics to better take advantage of the imposed isolation, as well as to make us more resilient in the face of adversity. It’s one of the fruits of the virtue of hope.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Michael Hryniuk, a Toronto-based theologian, author and educator, says it’s certainly true that Catholics may be grieving the loss of their physical faith communities – and that such sorrow may be especially acute when compared with a general, non-religious population that has not suffered such a profound disconnection.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">However, Hryniuk believes that loss is more than offset by the strength that Catholic believers can draw on because of their faith. It starts with a deep connection to the Church’s 2,000-year history. “It’s not something we think about consciously, but we feel it – we feel it in the depths of our psyche,” he says. Combined with our embrace of “that sense of the sacred,” it’s a powerful defence to loneliness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">As well, “really fresh research in the last five years shows that, in terms of resilience, how children who have experienced a sense of connection to a higher power – not just belief and values – but a real experiential grounding in faith, their outcomes are just vastly better,” he says.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Hryniuk explains this through an analysis of “attachment theory,” which is usually cited to show the importance of the connection between parents and children. “What the infant needs most, to fund their human development, is the foundation of primal trust in their caregiver,” he says. “And what that amounts to is, ultimately, a sense that the universe in friendly.” Similarly, a strong relationship between God and his children produces the same beneficial effects.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Rev. Dr. Nathan White, the executive director of the Institute for Faith and Resilience, based in Lafayette, Louisiana, says a number of factors explain why people of faith are better able to endure and prosper in difficult times. “At the personal level, faith can provide things like meaning and hope, and kind of a larger meta-narrative in which we can understand our lives,” says White, a former U.S. Army chaplain.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“There’s also the community side, where being in a faith community – being surrounded by others who help support us and who have similar views of life, and with whom we can process our own emotions and thoughts – produces a powerful [effect].”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">White has also said that his most recent book, Biblical and Theological Visions of Resilience, is designed to encourage readers by explaining that the Judeo-Christian tradition “has a wealth of resources to help individuals understand and resiliently navigate experiences of adversity.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Author Vost says his book, on Catholics and loneliness, has multiple goals. The first is a message to those who are feeling lonely. “There is one thing you can be sure of,” he says, “and that’s that you are not alone, because one of the great ironies of loneliness now is that it is extremely rampant around the world. So this book is for people who are lonely, to help them find ways to bear it, to endure it, or possibly to reach out and overcome it.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">The book is also aimed at people who want to reach out and help those who are lonely. “Another of the big ironies of the book is that the things that people should do to help other people who are lonely, some of those are exactly the things that the people who are lonely should be doing to reach out to other lonely people,” he says.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">In one of the book’s chapters, called “The Loneliness of Christ,” Vost describes how “the Gospel itself shows us how Christ himself experienced loneliness on earth … where Christ endured loneliness, not only on the cross but also during the night of his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">He also provides practical advice for overcoming loneliness, including a list of “Thirty Ways to Love Your Brother.” These include such activities as praying, playing, smiling, greeting, reconciling, sharing meals, submitting to God, slowing the pace of one’s life, and listening.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">An important chapter in the book deals with something Vost calls “The Solace of Solitude.” It draws on the examples of saints “to show us, in times when we must be isolate, what positives can come from that – in what ways we can use that time to grow closer to God, to grow more careful in our thinking about how we can relate to others, once we are finally set from our restrictions,” he says, noting that the advice is especially relevant during the current COVID crisis.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Hryniuk agrees. “I think the greatest gift of this whole [pandemic] is not just about expanding our tools and platforms for connecting. It’s about solitude, and I think what’s going on here is that people are learning how to connect in a more deeply, prayerful way, with God and with themselves, and with their families and friends.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">He continues: “It’s remarkable. When I talk to people now, I am interacting with people who are not tired, who are not wiped out by the pace of their life, who are not too busy, who are taking walks in nature, playing with their kids. It’s a different world, and I think it has helped people to kind of go deeper into their faith.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Ultimately, Hryniuk believes we will emerge stronger from the current crisis. “I think we are going to adapt and maybe even ultimately expand our repertoire, so to speak, of how we express our life in the body of Christ in the world,” he says.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“We are a global church, and we’re connecting with people from all over the world in ways we probably never would have. But this [pandemic] has kind of rocked our world. So I’m hopeful that we’re going to adapt, and then, when we meet again, there’s going to be some new awareness of how we can connect in other ways.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">This adversity, then, should end up bringing us together and, in so doing, make us stronger – just as the Church’s “National Prayer for Canada in the Wake of the COVID-19 Crisis” envisions “the more together we are, the better and stronger we will emerge.” If so, it will surely be a strength built on a foundation of a faith, animated by the virtue of hope, and sustained by an ever-loving God who promised never to leave nor forsake us.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;"><b>Exercise is good, but sharing is better</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">May 12, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">Psychologist and counsellor Denis Boyd, a member of All Saints Parish in Coquitlam, offers some useful advice to people who are suffering increased stress, sadness, or anxiety during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. In fact, he says there are two simple but important ways to release stress and grief from your system.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">“One is to talk about it,” Boyd says. “And the second is to write about it. So, I would be encouraging people to talk out loud with somebody they consider a reasonably good listener – and hopefully they also listen well to them – about that they’re feeling overwhelmed, or bad, or frustrated, or whatever it might be.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">He continues, “Or, if the people they’re with are already stressed or are not available, they can become short-term journal writers, where they write down what they’re thinking, how they’re feeling, and they’ll get a nice release from doing that.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">Boyd notes that another outlet which is often talked about is exercise, but he believes exercise doesn’t really release a lot of stress. “Walking is very good, but it can’t compete with writing and or talking,” he says. “So I would get people thinking out loud about what they’re going through, even if it gets repetitive. It helps them unwind.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 23px;">He also believes that people can help themselves overcome the negativity in their lives through a shift in their attitude. He points to the example of Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist who survived concentration camps in the Second World War, “because he came to the conclusion that we have no control over what happens to us. Our only control is how we deal with what happens to us.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">This attitude is connected to being grateful for the things that you have. For example, those who are finding it difficult to endure the current quarantine-like conditions could focus on the beautiful spring weather and scenery. “There are many things we could show gratitude for – just the beauty around us, the fact that we have good food to eat, and more people aren’t sick.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">He continues, “That attitude – and if you’ve written a bit about how sad you feel, or that you’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed – puts you in a better place to then look at the things you are happy about. So there’s a one, two sequence there. Because if the stress level is very high, it may be hard to see the good, and yet if you release some of that upset, you’re going to notice the good a little more. And actually, if you focus on what you have gratitude for, you’re less likely to get stuck thinking about the negativity as well.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">Boyd also recognizes that, even after the crisis ends, some people will be bothered by negative memories. “Historically, you and I and many of the readers were raised with, ‘you put your feelings away and push on.’ You know, ‘survive, tough it out.’” That’s not healthy, though, because “you accumulate a lot of leftover emotion from old events, traumatic or otherwise.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;">What happens, then, is that “the memories tend to be stronger and more upsetting, because, when you went through them, you just stuffed the pain away, didn’t dance with it, didn’t deal with it.” The solution is to act now – to “take time to write and talk about what we’re living now.” What that does in the long term is diffuse the memory, “so in the future the memory will be less intense if they’re negative, or more vibrant if they’re positive.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 23px;"><i>Denis Boyd is a registered psychologist, practising in Coquitlam. His name and contact information appear on a list, compiled by the Archdiocese, of professionals who say “they are Catholic or a practicing Christian from another tradition and will support clients that want to adhere to the Church’s teachings in the area of life, marriage and family.”</i></span></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-14618379052628139642020-04-16T09:56:00.002-07:002020-04-16T09:57:53.289-07:00God, Gaia, and COVID: at the root, be not afraid<i>My latest work for the BC Catholic:</i><br />
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<b>W</b>ith the COVID crisis now in its second month, it’s increasingly common, and completely understandable, for people to search for meaning in such an unusual and frighteningly impactful event. Indeed, our search for meaning, in times of both crisis and contemplation, is central to humanity.<br />
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In ages past – during the time of the Black Death, for example – plagues such as the one that currently befalls us were widely seen as punishments from God. Today, however, our more scientific and rational worldview largely eschews such “angry-god” interpretations.<br />
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Exceptions exist, of course. A spokesman for the radical Islamist group ISIS, for example, asserted that the coronavirus is a “soldier of God” sent to expose the “brittleness and vulnerability” of the West’s material strength. And John Carson, an adviser to a leading Irish political party, asserted in early April that COVID-19 is “God’s wrath against corrupt governments” that legalized same-sex marriage and abortion.<br />
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As well, the traditionalist website LifeSiteNews reported that Catholic prelates such as Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes and Bishop Athanasius Schneider “see the corona crisis as a punishment from God, just as God has punished His people in the past when they erred into sin and faithlessness. Recently, Bishop Schneider had called the coronavirus crisis ‘a divine intervention to chastise and purify the sinful world and also the Church.’”<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A theology student at a protest in Toronto</span></i><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></td></tr>
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God may indeed be displeased with both humanity’s obsession with material goods and its legalization of morally indefensible activities, but a belief that he is now punishing all of us for those actions is not consistent with Church teaching. Indeed, as Archbishop Michael Miller observed in a March 27 video interview, the COVID-19 outbreak “is not a chastisement or a punishment or anything of that sort. Sometimes people start thinking that way, and I think that’s just mistaken.”<br />
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Wise words, indeed.<br />
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What, then, of a growing number of published opinions that view the pandemic, not as a punishment from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but as a reprimand or castigation from another entity, one that goes by the names of Mother Earth and Mother Nature?<br />
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Consider the words of Ed Finn, a former leader of the NDP in Newfoundland, who wondered whether COVID-19 is “Mother Nature’s latest effort to rid herself of the virus of mankind.” At the least, such a comment strikes a discordant note coming from someone who, as a former politician, should be seeking to serve humanity, not describing humanity as a “virus.” Equally troubling is Finn’s characterization of Mother Nature as a conscious entity who has decided to wreak vengeance on mankind. We await the evidence.<br />
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Similarly, writing on the “Counterpunch” website, Evaggelos Vallianatos, an environmental strategist who worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 25 years and is the author of six books, had this to say in a column titled Nature’s Revenge: “The corona virus pandemic is no accident. Like past global epidemics, it’s a warning that nature has had it with the ecocidal proclivities of man. Nature (the Earth) is fighting back. Climate change is sowing pandemic diseases.”<br />
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One can be forgiven for having difficulty finding a foothold of prudence and wisdom, let alone scientific fact, in such an assertion. What’s more, one searches in vain for an explanation for the inconvenient fact that pandemics aplenty existed in the pre-Industrial Age.<br />
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It doesn’t take someone with a degree in theology to see that the ubiquity of such responses is linked to enduring remnants of the New Age movement’s attribution of mystical aspects to the Gaia hypothesis – the conjecture that the Earth is a complex and self-regulating system involving all organic and inorganic entities. While meant to be a scientific theory, it has encouraged adherents to, in effect, deify the Earth by imbuing it with qualities associated with the primordial goddess of Greek mythology after whom the hypothesis was named.<br />
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Certainly, humanity’s appreciation of the many wonders of the Earth has grown in lockstep with the deepening not only of our scientific knowledge about the natural environment, but also of the harm humans can do to it. As Christians, it is also natural for us to ponder the question of how we can best be responsible stewards of God’s creation.<br />
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A good example of such rumination is Pope Francis’s 2019 book, Our Mother Earth, which called for a “spiritual rebirth” leading to “a profound revision of our cultural and economic models” that would not only be more environmentally prudent but also promote justice. The work challenged many Catholics, but should not have come as a surprise given Pope Francis’ long record of social and environmental declarations.<br />
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His more recent statements related to the cause of the COVID pandemic can be more challenging still. He told a Spanish journalist in March, “There’s a saying, which you have heard: ‘God always forgives. We sometimes forgive. Nature never forgives,’” the Pope said.<br />
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Pope Francis did not portray the pandemic as a punishment from God, but he did opine that it was the result of nature having a “tantrum” or a “fit” over environmental degradation.<br />
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He elaborated on his comment in a later interview. “I don’t know if it is nature’s revenge, but it is certainly nature’s response,” he said of the pandemic. “Every crisis contains both danger and opportunity: the opportunity to move out from the danger. Today I believe we have to slow down our rate of production and consumption and to learn to understand and contemplate the natural world.”<br />
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Coincidentally, the quasi-quarantine condition that we are currently enduring has inspired some of us to do exactly that – contemplate the natural world (as found in our backyards at least). And although Pope Francis has not made a technical argument about the relationship between human action and the natural world’s reaction, his opinion certainly deserves our contemplation too.<br />
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So, what are we to make of all this? As always, we are called upon to give prayerful consideration to life’s problems, especially when they involve such grave issues. God gave us our brains to engage in rational thought, our hearts to feel, and our conscience to guide us. Our faith illuminates all this and will surely help us to act accordingly.<br />
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What seems to be important now is to keep the faith as well as to keep calm. Indeed, in his video interview, Archbishop Miller acknowledged that while “fear is understandable” as an emotion and something leads us to act prudently, “there is no need to fear in the deeper sense, the spiritual sense.”<br />
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He suggested the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, who proposed the following way of discerning: “If there is fear or panic or lack of calm interiorly, that lack is a sign of things not going well, not going for the best. And so I think that we have to really rely on our faith and be able to experience both fear as a human emotion, and understand that, but not ultimately to be afraid.”<br />
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<i>Terry O’Neill is a journalist and a parishioner at St. Joseph’s, Port Moody.</i><br />
<br />Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-6118399404978102562020-02-11T12:40:00.000-08:002020-02-11T12:42:30.882-08:00The late Justice Proudfoot was more than just a trailblazer<i>The following is the text of a story I wrote for the </i>B.C. Catholic <i>newspaper. The story will be published in the Feb. 17 edition of the weekly publication.</i><br />
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<b>W</b>hen the nice old lady in the little red sports car pulled up to their school, students at St. Augustine’s Elementary in Vancouver knew they were in for a special day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proudfoot: An Order of B.C. recipient.</td></tr>
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Whether the short-haired, soft-spoken woman would drop in on classrooms, spend time with kindergarteners, or have serious chats with Grade 7 students about their responsibilities, she always left everyone feeling a little better about themselves. Their affection for her was made clear after Mass on Sundays, when children would inevitably flock to her. The warm-hearted widow was especially close to her two Grade 7 “prayer buddies.”<br />
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That woman, Patricia Mathilda Proudfoot, passed away last fall at the age of 91, her death generating not only sadness in the St. Augustine’s community, but also laudatory news stories and published memorials about her trailblazing legacy as British Columbia’s first female judge at three levels of the courts.<br />
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On Nov. 25, 2019, a special joint sitting of B.C.’s Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and Provincial Court took place at the Vancouver Law Courts in honour of Proudfoot, with members of the judiciary gathering to remember her and her contributions to the legal profession.<br />
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Accounts of her life largely omitted what she meant not only to St. Augustine’s school and parish, but also to the Archdiocese of Vancouver. These contributions were formally recognized in 2013 when Archbishop J. Michael Miller conferred on her the cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (for Church and Pope), the highest Catholic award given to lay people.<br />
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Observers and acquaintances agree that the mark she left on society can be found not only in the example she set by quietly living out the principles of her Catholic faith, but also in the enduring nature of her principle- and common-sense-based jurisprudence.<br />
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Nowhere is this more evident than in her 1993 ruling in Rodriguez v. The Attorney General of B.C., when, sitting as a Justice of the B.C. Court of Appeal, Proudfoot and another judge upheld a lower-court ruling that denied euthanasia-advocate Sue Rodriguez the right to an assisted suicide – a ruling that was upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada later that year. (In 2015, however, that same court reversed itself and legalized assisted suicide.)<br />
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Today, as the federal government looks at expanding the circumstances in which Canadians can obtain “medical assistance in dying,” and with increasing international evidence that liberal euthanasia laws are leading to people being killed without their consent, Proudfoot’s warning about potential abuses of assisted suicide looks prophetic. “There is reason to fear that homicide of the terminally ill for ignoble motives may readily be disguised as aiding suicide,” she wrote.<br />
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“I think she called it right on,” said Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. “What you have with this legislation in Canada [is] the perfect cover-up for murder.”<br />
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Proudfoot was the youngest of 10 children (nine girls and a boy) born into the German-speaking, wheat-farming Fahlam family of Kronau, Sask. Proudfoot told an interviewer for the Oral History Project at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law that when the double-whammy of Depression and Dust Bowl drought led to the farm’s ruin, her parents and seven of the children, including Patricia, drove in a McLaughlin-Buick – their belongings towed behind in a homemade trailer – to Rutland, in B.C.’s Okanagan, to begin anew as fruit farmers. “Dad arrived, literally, with empty pockets,” she recalled.<br />
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Her only surviving sibling, Helen Schaeffer, 92, of Summerland, continued the story in an interview with The B.C. Catholic. “We were all raised Catholic. We went to church regularly at St. Theresa’s [parish in Kelowna],” she said. “We even had to go on Saturdays. We had a wonderful upbringing. Mother never preached to us, just set a good example.” She recalls her famous sister as being somewhat of a tomboy, extremely sports-minded, very bright in school, and wanting to be a lawyer from a very young age.<br />
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Proudfoot worked at up to three jobs to pay university tuition, graduated from UBC law school in 1952, and was called to the bar the following year, practising until she was appointed to the B.C. Provincial Court in 1971 – the first woman judge to sit in its criminal court. She was also the first woman judge appointed to the County Court of B.C., and to the B.C. Supreme Court. She was elevated to B.C.’s highest court, the Court of Appeal, in 1989 and retired in 2002.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proudfoot (r) with sister: Strength of character.</td></tr>
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“Patricia was a wonderful judge,” said her eulogist, retired Provincial Court Judge Bryan Davis. “She did have high expectations of everyone. She was kind, fair, reasonable, compassionate, and never intellectually dishonest or without integrity.”<br />
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His assessment is widely shared. “She treated her colleagues with respect and expected people to treat her the way she treated them,” said Lauri-Ann Fenlon, a current Justice of the B.C. Court of Appeal. “She was certainly a person of principle and good character.”<br />
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Although she and Proudfoot never served together, Fenlon said she knew Proudfoot by reputation as someone who approached the law in a very practical, common-sense way. Importantly, “she had courage – a strength of character.”<br />
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Other colleagues support the assessment. Mary Margaret MacKinnon, who serves as general counsel to both the Archdiocese of Vancouver and the Catholic Independent Schools of Vancouver Archdiocese, sat with Proudfoot on several boards. She said Proudfoot continually raised new ideas and looked for fair solutions.<br />
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“She gave of her time and talent to the archdiocese, and we are all in a better place because of that,” MacKinnon says. “She was filled with wisdom and kindness and good judgment. More importantly, she had a fantastic sense of humour and capacity for fun.”<br />
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Evidence of both wisdom and humour can be found in an anecdote that an online commentator, Kerry Kozak, shared following Proudfoot’s passing on Oct. 9. “I was a ‘rookie’ Supreme Court clerk,” Kozak wrote, “[…] when Madam Justice Patricia Proudfoot came into the courtroom. At the same time, so did 16 naked men and woman – Doukhobors who were protesting criminal charges brought against them in Grand Forks. Proudfoot had all the windows opened in that courtroom on a very chilly, cold day in the old New Westminster courthouse. […] They were all dressed the next day.”<br />
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On other professional fronts, Proudfoot led the B.C. Royal Commission on the Incarceration of Female Offenders and was a member of the Committee on Sexual Offences against Children and Youths, the Canada Pension Appeals Board, and the Canadian Panel on Extraordinary Challenges for the North American Free Trade Agreement.<br />
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As a volunteer, she worked with Vancouver Foundation projects involving children and youth, and the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews. Additionally, she was an honorary director of Big Sisters of B.C., a long-time supporter of the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and sponsored at least five children in various countries through World Vision. Her many honours include three honorary degrees and membership in the Order of B.C.<br />
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Justice Patricia Proudfoot received the Order of British Columbia in 2007.<br />
Proudfoot served the archdiocese as a member of the Advisory Committee on Clerical Sexual Misconduct from 2000 until 2015. Msgr. Gregory Smith, who was a fellow member of the committee until he left for studies in Rome in 2004, recalls well her solid counsel.<br />
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“I still marvel that for so many years we had someone of her stature serving, helping the Church deal with these critical issues – a tough-minded judge who had headed a Royal Commission looking into sexual abuse of female prisoners,” he said.<br />
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“It shows not only the depth of Pat Proudfoot’s commitment to the archdiocese, but also the depth of the archdiocese’s commitment to rooting out the destructive problem of sexual abuse by clergy.”<br />
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Proudfoot married travel writer Arthur Proudfoot in 1959, the marriage lasting 37 years until his death; they had no children. Schaeffer recalled that her sister drifted away from the Church for many years but returned with renewed faith later in life.<br />
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It was at St. Augustine’s Parish in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood where Proudfoot’s commitment to community and church took root most profoundly. “It’s pretty clear that in her life she was very passionate about many things,” said parishioner Lawrence Pillon, “but about young adults and children in particular. There are many examples where she extended her expertise and her support in so many ways. And we certainly felt it at the school.”<br />
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Pillon said Proudfoot’s contribution to the steering committee (now called Faith and Foundation), struck to build a new St. Augustine’s school, was exceptional. “I think her participation was one of the reasons it was so successful,” he said. Today, two of the three phases of the new school have been completed.<br />
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“Here was a person who didn’t have children in the school but felt [the call] to be part of this whole great effort,” said Pillon. Along the way, “she became very close to the teachers, and I just can’t say enough about how close she became to so many people in the community during those years.”<br />
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He said Proudfoot wanted to inspire people to do the best they could. “And sometimes in the church, you really have to have that inspiration, that courage, that dedication, and she certainly exemplified that.”<br />
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The funeral Mass for Patricia Proudfoot was held Nov. 2 of last year at St. Augustine’s Church. A great crowd of parishioners – young and old, friends and acquaintances, and co-workers and admirers – attended, filling parking lots and neighbourhood streets with their vehicles.<br />
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One car was missing, though: a little red BMW Z3 sports car that over the years had become so familiar to the St. Augustine’s community. Needless to say, that car – and the extraordinary woman who drove it – will not soon be forgotten.Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-77585058576262077292019-11-26T12:39:00.001-08:002019-11-26T12:40:19.490-08:00When pro-environment means anti-human<i>I am happy to report that the following piece has just been published in the </i>BC Catholic <i>newspaper.</i><br />
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By Terry O'Neill<br />
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It was less than a quarter of a century ago that then-Pope John Paul II first warned about the multiplicity of societal trends in human attitudes and practices that were producing a “culture of death.” One can only wonder what he would make of today’s even more terminal view of humanity.<br />
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Writing in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae, now-Saint Pope John Paul II shone a harsh and revealing light on the “veritable structure of sin” that has led to modern society’s embrace of such destructive, behaviours as artificial contraception, abortion and euthanasia.<br />
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Today, however, that’s not even the half of it. Indeed, in an increasingly alarmed and virtually pro-suicidal response to mankind’s impact on the natural environment, some thought leaders are disseminating profoundly anti-human, anti-human-life sentiments.<br />
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Take Samantha Kelly, a professor of history at Rutgers University. When asked this month by The Atlantic (a pre-eminent American publication) what “one thing” she would change if she could go back in time, she answered, “The invention of agriculture. Imagine: far less environmental degradation and income inequality…”<br />
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That may be, but researchers have found that the Earth could support only about 100 million people living the sort of hunter-gatherer lifestyle that immediately preceded mankind’s invention of agriculture. They also found that only 57 percent those 100 million would reach the age of 15 and that the life expectancy of all hunter-gatherers would be between 21 and 37 years.<br />
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In other words, Professor Kelly’s ideal, pre-agriculture world would not only see the elimination of 7.5 billion men, women and children from the Earth, but also the consignment of the “lucky” survivors to short, nasty and brutish lives.<br />
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And, oh yes, there would also be no more Professor Kellys to pontificate about the problems of world, for it was the adoption of the very invention that she decries that gave birth to modern civilization and, with it, the sort of educational institutions from which she has the leisure to conjure her opinions. Or maybe she would rather be a gatherer of berries and a bearer of multiple babies, most of whom die in infancy.<br />
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But one should not be too harsh with Prof. Kelly. After all, she is an out-and-out moderate when it comes to this sort of stuff. For example, in recent months, media outlets have published stories on the “Conceivable Future” movement which encourages participants to consider whether, given the “realties” of the “climate crisis,” they should forego having children.<br />
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More extreme are the “voluntary human extinction” and “anti-natalist” movements, the latter of which argues that all human life causes nothing but harm. “Their notion, that having children may be a bad idea, seems to be gaining mainstream popularity,” observes The Guardian.<br />
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Such profoundly misanthropic views used to be held only by radical environmentalists such as Stewart Brand, of the Whole Earth Catalogue, who penned these immortal words: “We have wished, we eco-freaks, for a disaster to come and bomb us into the stone age.'<br />
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Not to be outdone, B.C.’s own Paul Watson, he of the Sea Shepherd Society, once declared, “Humans are the AIDS of the earth.”<br />
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More appalling yet is this from David Graber, a research biologist with the American National Parks Service: “We have become a plague upon ourselves and upon the earth...until such time as Homo sapiens should decide to rejoin nature, some of us can only hope for the right virus to come along.”<br />
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A notorious 1992 Time magazine cover story signalled how such anti-human ideas could be conceived. Entitled, “The Last Eden,” the story described a remote part of an African jungle that was untouched by humanity. This “Eden,” the magazine wrote, would be destroyed by any sort of human activity.<br />
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But, surely, this concept turns the Christian ideal of Eden on its head. Where the Bible paints a pre-fall picture of Eden as a paradise where humans and the natural world lived in perfect harmony, Time sees Eden as devoid of men and women. No Adam, no Eve, no anybody.<br />
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Most of us hold to some sort of middle-ground, an approach that neither supports an irresponsible exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources nor an irresponsible attack on humanity. Good Christians, after all, know that humans were created in the image of God, and that we are charged to be wise stewards of the Earth.<br />
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Nevertheless, one senses that, as concern over climate change grows, the anti-human view is gaining ground, infecting especially the worldview of our young people, and, in so doing encouraging a profoundly pessimistic even nihilistic personal philosophy.<br />
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As a life-long pro-life advocate, I see this as a new and threatening front in an ongoing war – a war whose shape Saint Pope John Paul II first described with ominous precision in Evangelium Vitae.<br />
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“This situation, with its lights and shadows,” he wrote, “ought to make us all fully aware that we are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the ‘culture of death’ and the ‘culture of life.’ We find ourselves not only ‘faced with’ but necessarily ‘in the midst of’ this conflict: we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life.”Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-36194352530242686222019-07-08T16:15:00.001-07:002019-07-08T16:15:38.842-07:00Nelly Shin's 'vocation' to serve<span style="font-size: large;">A</span> few days ago, I wrote on <a href="http://www.terryoneill.ca/"><b>this blog</b></a> about why I've chosen to support Nelly Shin,<u><b> t<a href="https://www.pmcconservatives.ca/nelly_shin">he Conservative Party of Canada candidate</a></b></u> for Port Moody-Coquitlam in the October general election. From our first meeting, Ms. Shin struck me as an intelligent, sincere, and compassionate person who is motivated by a genuine desire to do good through public service.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9um-T3WppKsfpCZfweweYQzHu5p107c_5R-spM44ARXadhff50cGunQYDmnEI86bFYMY50PIr87KQVtV_qEjpMyQs-J1UBPLzyF9FjBD45xq7Ldxe7JJ6GBibj2ptBLpcel2zZT68ooi8/s1600/IMG_2510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9um-T3WppKsfpCZfweweYQzHu5p107c_5R-spM44ARXadhff50cGunQYDmnEI86bFYMY50PIr87KQVtV_qEjpMyQs-J1UBPLzyF9FjBD45xq7Ldxe7JJ6GBibj2ptBLpcel2zZT68ooi8/s400/IMG_2510.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calgary MP Michelle Rempel (l) and Shin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nelly delivered a similar positive message when she was campaigning for a Conservative nomination in Richmond Hill last year*, according to <u><b><a href="http://www.emilyswright.com/posts/2018/6/18/nelly-shin-potential-pc-candidate">a blog post </a></b></u>about her that was published in June, 2018 by Ontarian Emily Wright.<br />
<br />
Headlined, "Vocation as a Career," the post opens with a quote from Leo Tolstoy which reads, "The vocation of every man and woman is to serve other people.”<br />
<br />
The post then continues, "Where Nelly is today is the outcome of a series of small yet pivotal journeys that shaped the direction of her life's work. Her career spans several different job spheres, all connected by the common thread that is her hunger for purpose, and her aspiration to better society."<br />
<br />
The next section of the article describes her journey as an educator, skips her stint as a composer and recording artist, and then picks up with her work as a counselor with Christian missions. The piece closes with the following summation:<br />
<br />
"For Nelly, running for office is about trying to do the life work she's been doing in terms of restoring peoples' lives and bettering society from a position where she has the authority to make the changes that would most benefit those that need it."<br />
<br />
That's certainly the conclusion I have reached and I hope others will too.<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>*Nelly stepped aside to allow a former Conservative MP, Costa Menegakis, to have an unimpeded path to the nomination.</i><br />
<br />Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-49064528153076532222019-07-02T09:15:00.001-07:002019-07-03T15:30:04.272-07:00Nelly Shin's resolute road to the Conservative Party's Port Moody-Coquitlam nominationCanadians have a big decision to make on October 21 -- electing a new federal government. Residents of the Port Moody-Coquitlam riding have an important role to play in that historic moment, as their longtime MP is retiring, a move that opens the door to the election of a a brand-new person to represent them in Ottawa.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxHapZAXDEv6_oG-SvXItsCC2BiRcAewOhtNWxGrJUFhffPQY7U-q4J19Gfus9-d2uBe2nrcZJtilXBz77wTtQH1OtpM5rFeYHQCsDWgEkj2WDX21FnXDBdLKKVn6MrxJ7skw3aRZZBEm/s1600/IMG_1932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxHapZAXDEv6_oG-SvXItsCC2BiRcAewOhtNWxGrJUFhffPQY7U-q4J19Gfus9-d2uBe2nrcZJtilXBz77wTtQH1OtpM5rFeYHQCsDWgEkj2WDX21FnXDBdLKKVn6MrxJ7skw3aRZZBEm/s320/IMG_1932.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shin and St. Germain: Endorsement</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
One of the leading contenders must certainly be Nelly Shin, a bright, engaging and compassionate educator, artist and community worker who is representing the Conservative Party of Canada. Here is a<b style="text-decoration-line: underline;"> </b><a href="https://www.pmcconservatives.ca/nelly_shin"><b>link to her website</b>.</a></div>
<div>
Nelly's backstory is a compelling one. She had originally intended to seek a nomination in the Ontario riding of Richmond Hill but graciously and without complaint stepped aside to clear the way for a former Conservative MP to seek the nomination.</div>
<div>
Still wanting to serve the country, and reflecting on a rewarding stage in her life when she had lived in B.C., she--like so many other thousands of people every year-- decided to move to the province to start fresh.</div>
<div>
A <b><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Nelly-Shin/dp/B000A5CSZK">talented singer, pianist and composer</a>,</b> Nelly says she chose Port Moody because it's the self-proclaimed "City of the Arts." Contrary to some allegations made by political opponents, Nelly does not fit the definition of a "parachute candidate": she decided on her own to move to B.C.; the Conservative party paid none of her expenses; the party made no official decisions or decrees to support her nomination. Importantly, she has now made a home for herself in Port Moody.</div>
<div>
This is in clear contrast to the path taken by the NDP leader, for example, who ran (successfully, as it turned out) in a recent Burnaby by-election, even though he doesn't live in the province. Interestingly, the<b> </b><a href="https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/whats-wrong-with-jagmeet-singhs-ndp/"><b>party's support is plummeting</b> </a>in B.C. </div>
<div>
Another unfair charge emerged when the Conservative party disqualified the only other candidate seeking the nomination, a young man who worked for the better part of a year attempting to secure that nomination.</div>
<div>
It was said that the disqualified candidate, Matthew Sebastiani, was "blocked," a word that connotes unfairness. It's understandable that the disqualification upset some people, but it's always difficult to explain the justification for disqualifications because the party never makes public its reasons for such decisions. Nevertheless, I have a good understanding of the process, and I trust that the decision was not taken lightly, and was reached only after a fair and just review of the facts.</div>
<div>
And so, here we are, less than four months to go until the general election. I, like several others (including former candidate Tim Laidler, leading Tri-Cities Conservative Dave Bassett, and legendary former Conservative senator, MP and party president Gerry St. Germain), have decided to publicly endorse Nelly. Moreover, I have decided to take a role on her campaign team.</div>
<div>
I didn't do this lightly, but only after getting to know Nelly Shin; she is intelligent, compassionate, talented and, most of all, committed to public service. I think she will make an exceptional Member of Parliament.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-64011403462400385252019-04-04T14:56:00.002-07:002019-04-04T15:07:47.070-07:00Judicial activism is still an issue<b>I </b>received an interesting email today from a professor of law who reminded me of an article, about judicial activism, that I had written for <i>The Western Standard</i> in 2006, and asked if he could place the article's text on one of his professional pages. The article, he said, is no less relevant and important today than it was 13 years ago.<br />
I assented, of course, because I completely agree with him about the importance of the issue. Indeed, it's worth noting that, as part of the current SNC scandal that has so roiled the Liberal Party of Canada, it was charged that PM Justin Trudeau rejected a recommendation, from then-Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, for an appointee to the Supreme Court of Canada on the grounds that the judge expressed some concern about the high court's judicial activism. Trudeau was said to be aghast at the suggestion of his appointment, exclaiming that it would have been highly unsuitable because the Liberal Party of Canada was, after all, the "Charter party." Here's<a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/trudeau-rejected-jody-wilson-rayboulds-conservative-pick-for-high-court-sources"> a link to that story.</a><br />
And here is the complete text (as submitted to my editor at that time) of my March 2006 article:<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span lang="EN-US">The right to create new rights</span></h2>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-US">Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin defends
the Supreme Court’s ultimate power to make law</span></h3>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">TERRY O’NEILL<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Parliament made history this past Feb. 27 [2006] when a special ad-hoc, all-party committee of the House of Commons gathered in
front of reporters and television cameras to query Supreme Court of Canada
nominee Marshall Rothstein. It turned out to be a rather gentle affair: more a
friendly meet-and-greet with Rothstein, a 65-year-old Manitoba legal scholar
and federal court judge, than a rough-and-tumble American-style grilling. But
it was precedent-setting, nevertheless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Never before had a nominee to the country’s
highest court been compelled to face politicians in a public forum as a
requirement to obtain his appointment. In fact, it was the first time a
nominee’s name had even been made public before his appointment. Equally
precedent-setting was the fact Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who led his
Conservative Party to victory in the general election only a month before, had
selected Rothstein from a list of three candidates nominated, again publicly,
by a committee established by the former Liberal government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Still, it was a cautious and eminently polite
step towards the sort of judicial accountability practiced in most other modern
democracies. The MPs did not have the power to stop Rothstein’s appointment,
which Harper made official the following day. Nor did they have the authority
to ask questions relating to specific legal matters. Nevertheless, Justice Minister
Vic Toews, who once studied under Rothstein, had ample justification in
describing his former professor’s three-hour conversation with politicians as
“historic proceedings in the life of our country.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Of course, Toews was referring to the novel
public hearing itself, not to its content, which was quickly forgotten. But
Rothstein’s answers to MPs’ questions, about the role of the judiciary in
general and about the live-wire issue of judicial activism and the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms specifically, were significant in any regard. “The
important thing,” he said at one point, “is that judges, when applying the
Charter, have to have recognition that the statute that they’re dealing with
was passed by a democratically elected legislature…and therefore, they have to
approach the matter with some restraint.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Rothstein’s invocation of “restraint” might
strike some Canadians as nothing more than an expression of good, old common
sense. But at a time when the Supreme Court of Canada is under steady fire from
traditionalists for its lack of said restraint, his avowed adherence to prudence
is noteworthy. Especially so when compared to the recent public utterances of
the woman under whom he is now directly working, Chief Justice Beverley
McLachlin. Indeed, in several speeches and interviews of late, McLachlin has
not only defended the court’s liberal interpretations of the Charter, but has
also arguably imagined new ways in which the court’s <i>de
facto </i>law-making powers might expand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This certainly appeared to be the case in
an eyebrow-raising address she delivered to a legal conference in New Zealand
on Dec. 1 of last year. And it would seem to be equally true for the
unapologetic position she took in an exclusive interview with the <i>Western Standard </i>on March 25 in Ottawa. An edited
transcript of the interview can be seen on page xx. Her message, in a nutshell,
is this: that, when necessary, the Court has every right—nay, every responsibility—to
invoke “unwritten values” when ruling on matters not explicitly enunciated in
either the Charter or the country’s laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Critics such as Rory Leishman, author of
the upcoming book<i> Against Judicial Activism</i>, believe that,
when the Court finds itself in uncharted Charter waters, it is far more
appropriate for the judges simply to turn the matter back to Parliament. He
says it’s what the judges should have done in Parliament’s 1998 request that the
Supreme Court rule on the constitutionality of Quebec separation; no law
existed in this area, Leishman points out, so the court should simply have
thrown the matter back to the government. Instead, Leishman says the court
concocted new law and regulations covering the secession of provinces from
Confederation. Parliament is, after all, supposed to be the one that makes the
law; the courts, on the other hand, are supposed only to interpret the law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">But Leishman, a columnist for the London, Ontario <i>Free Press</i>, and a host of other critics
believe the Supreme Court has muddied the distinction. “They’re violating,
essentially, the separation of powers,” he said in an interview. “And it will
have disastrous consequences for respect of the independence of the judiciary,
which is vital to democratic, constitutional government.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">That remains to be seen, but Leishman’s
book, selected chapters of which were made available to the <i>Western
Standard</i> in March in advance of its publication, reaches much the
same conclusion as did the book, <i>The Charter Revolution and the Court
Party</i>, published in 2000 by University of Calgary academics F.L.
(Ted) Morton (now an Conservative MLA in Alberta) and Rainer Knoff. And that is
that, in myriad ways, the Supreme Court has used the Charter to change
government policy on, according to the Calgarians, “an ever-expanding list of
controversial issues—abortion, aboriginal rights, gay rights, bilingualism,
criminal law enforcement and prisoner-voting.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">To many traditionalists, especially social
conservatives, the most notorious of the Court’s infringements on Parliament’s
territory took place with its 1995<i> Egan </i>decision, in which
it added homosexual rights to the list of protected persons named in section 15
of the Charter. It did this in spite of the fact Parliament had explicitly
omitted homosexuals from the section prior to the Charter’s adoption in 1982.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It was in her New Zealand speech last year
that McLachlin delivered perhaps the clearest and most complete enunciation of
the reasoning behind such judicial activism. And she also opened the door to
yet further court adventures into what, for all intents and purposes, can be
seen by most Canadians only as law-making.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">To McLachlin, “there exists fundamental
norms of justice so basic that they form part of the legal structure of governance
and must be upheld by the courts, whether or not they find expression in
constitutional texts.” She recognized that critics contend that “the invocation
of unwritten norms cloaks unelected and unaccountable judges with illegitimate power
and runs afoul of the theory of parliamentary supremacy.” Yet, she countered
that “the idea of unwritten constitutional principles is not new and should not
be seen as a rejection of the constitutional heritage” shared by countries such
as Canada and New Zealand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">She pointed to the idea of natural law,
which is the age-old understanding that unchanging moral principles exist which
are common to all human beings, and explained that the unwritten norms or laws to
which she was now referring are like a “new natural law,” one “which goes by
the name human rights.” Whether explicitly expressed in a written form or not, McLachlin
contended these laws are of paramount importance to a civilized country: “…the
legitimacy of the modern democratic state arguably depends on its adhesion to
fundamental norms that transcend the law and executive action.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">McLachlin recognized that the identification
of such transcendent unwritten constitutional principles—principles so powerful
that a judge has the duty to ensure that they prevail over “laws and executive
action”—cannot be achieved without difficulty. But she argued that “three
sources of unwritten constitutional principles can be identified: customary
usage; inferences from written constitutional principles; and the norms set out
or implied in international” treaties. It is a court’s duty to recognize these
unwritten fundamental principles or norms, she argued. “This is not law-making
in the legislative sense,” she declared, “but legitimate judicial work.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Toronto lawyer Gwendolyn Landolt, national
vice-president of REAL Women of Canada (a conservative research and lobby
group), concludes McLachlin’s speech was an announcement of a not-so-veiled grab
for more power. “The Chief Justice is of the belief that judges, upon their
appointment to the bench, acquire such wisdom and knowledge that they are able
to determine with certainty what is best of all Canadians,” Landolt wrote in a
January analysis. In a more recent interview, Landolt elaborates, “What she’s
trying to do, I think, is say, ‘We judges are impeccable. We have the authority.
We the judges know best. We are qualified. We can make these decisions, because
we swear an oath to be impartial,’ which is bunk.” The truth, Landolt asserts,
is that judges are political appointees, and they often act it. In her speeches
and interviews, “All McLachlin is really doing is being a propaganda machine,
saying ‘how noble we are and that we’re not activists,’” Landolt says. “But
every time she opens her mouth she just shows exactly what she’s doing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">And, anyway, McLachlin is far from
consistent in applying her logic. For example, in the judge’s interview with
this magazine (a transcript of which was shared with Landolt), McLachlin
defends the extension of same-sex rights to homosexuals as “a proper legal
interpretation” based on the “open ended” language of section 15 of the
Charter. However, the REAL Women spokesman notes that McLachlin could just as
easily have applied to the same logic to property rights, which were also left
out of the Charter. Instead, the Chief Justice told this magazine that such an
issue would be best left to government. “That would be a decision for the
provinces and federal government to make if and when they want to make it,” she
said. Concludes Landolt: “She’s not being consistent.” It is difficult to
escape the conclusion that such inconsistency may be due to a political bias:
the advancement of homosexual rights is a liberal cause; property rights are generally
championed by conservatives (see story, page xx).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Morton sees the same inconsistency. “It
just shows her underlying ideological bias in favour of the sort of left-wing
socialist causes,” he says. The academic-turned-politician does not see an easy
fix to the problem of one-sided judicial activism. Even if Prime Minister
Harper were to institute a more rigorous parliamentary review of Supreme Court
candidates, nothing would change for many years because no new appointments are
foreseen until about 2013; that’s because Supreme Court judges serve until they
are 75 years old. McLachlin, for example, has served on the court since 1988
and has been Chief Justice since January 2000, but she is only 62. He points
out that, in most European countries, judges typically serve for just nine
years, and their appointments are staggered. On the other hand, as in stands in
Canada now, “Harper could govern for the next two years, get re-elected to a
majority government and govern from 2008 to 2012 and never make and
appointment.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Parliament does have the power to
reconstitute the Supreme Court; after all, the court was created by an act of
Parliament in 1875. Parliament might also establish a special committee to
examine Supreme Court rulings that overturn laws and report to Parliament on
possible remedies; former Reform Party leader Preston Manning once suggested the
establishment of such a committee. Regardless, nothing this far-reaching currently
on the agenda of any major party.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Moreover, making major changes to the
Court, specifically as it relates to the Court’s power to interpret the
Charter, would be a dicey move, politically. An Environics Research Group poll,
conducted to mark the Charter’s 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary in 2002, found that
seven of 10 Canadians believed that the Supreme Court of Canada, and not
Parliament, “should have the final say when the Court declares a law unconstitutional
on the grounds that it conflicts with the Charter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Significantly, however, the poll did not
ask about the Court’s expanding power to create new law. And at a time when
social activists are publicly musing about enshrining the right to state-funded
medicare or the right to welfare, these are significant issues indeed. The ultimate
question, then, is this: who do Canadians trust to decide what’s best for the
country: 308 elected parliamentarians or nine unelected judges?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-31909611995642802222019-03-25T15:32:00.002-07:002019-03-25T15:35:33.656-07:00<br />
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Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-61440474568560568082019-01-03T17:26:00.001-08:002019-01-03T17:26:47.221-08:00Unconventional glamour, conventional excellenceIt is, of course, a terrible shame that Squamish resident Mike Racicot died last summer after jumping off a mountain in Switzerland. Terrible that either his wingsuit or parachute failed him. Terrible that the calamity occurred when Racicot, at age 37, was still in the prime of his life. Terrible that he left so many saddened friends and relatives.<br />
As we learn from a feature story, which comprised three-quarters of a page in a <a href="https://www.pressreader.com/canada/vancouver-sun/20190103/281629601400718">recent edition of the Vancouver Sun</a>, Racicot was something of a thrill-seeking non-conformist who, while growing up, helped form a “graffiti collective” that “left their marks” on (i.e., vandalized) buildings throughout Ottawa.<br />
Later, after riding a scooter across Canada, he settled (or, more precisely, squatted) in Whistler. Finding rents too high, he built a rudimentary treehouse with materials he stole from construction sites. He then lived at this secret, off-the-grid hideout, reportedly surviving on food he could obtain from local hotels, again by theft.<br />
Despite his illicit eccentricities, he became something of a “legend” within the thrill-seeking “community” because of the enthusiasm with which he embraced the sport of jumping off natural and man-made structures.<br />
The lengthy Sun story also makes much of the unconventional way in which the ashes of Racicot’s cremated body were dispersed. It seems that his fellow thrill-seekers scattered them from atop peaks and cliffs throughout the world. It’s what Mike <br />
wanted, they said.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTISOzuSzvGbYeNndqePBTi0bYKT6sAX14VKXELMHyuavXQ5PuyqSqdigsX_WcQQU6f3Pqk8A_B3xKntSbeJ2VwMieovtCQBckwc7buxwNz9EW09hFppxxnVaUIfs1Di0lnVCMv4N3ihPS/s1600/IMG_0261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTISOzuSzvGbYeNndqePBTi0bYKT6sAX14VKXELMHyuavXQ5PuyqSqdigsX_WcQQU6f3Pqk8A_B3xKntSbeJ2VwMieovtCQBckwc7buxwNz9EW09hFppxxnVaUIfs1Di0lnVCMv4N3ihPS/s320/IMG_0261.jpg" width="320" /></a>At which point I must now pause and disclose that I am writing this during the late afternoon of January 3, a day which began with my reading of the story described above and then continued with my driving, along with my wife, to a cemetery where we met other family members and a priest.<br />
We assembled under a dark-blue tarp, which did little to protect us from the day’s unmerciful wind and icy rain. And then we prayerfully interred the remains of my brother Steve, <a href="http://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/stephen-oneill-1957-2018-1067944366">who also died last summer</a> and who also left behind many grieving friends and family, including his wife, four children and one grandchild (with one more soon to be born).<br />
Steve, who succumbed to cancer at age 61, left a legacy of excellence and integrity. A gifted construction engineer and project manager, Steve was widely respected and admired in his industry. He was equally accomplished and renowned as a volunteer, one who donated his time and talent to everything from the administrations of track-and-field meets to the construction of a parish school in North Vancouver.<br />
He was what we used to call “a solid sort of a guy,” “a good family man,” and “a good provider.” Steve was justifiably proud of what he accomplished, and his family is justifiably proud of him. <br />
But, as we stood around Steve’s grave, saying our final farewells, I could not help but reflect on the nature of this particular age in which we live – an age that celebrates the renegade, even the felonious one, while paying scant attention to those, like Steve, who lived a life of quiet, conventional excellence.<br />
Is a good and outstanding person just too mundane for the news media to care about? Is a charming and unconventional miscreant just too thrilling to ignore?<br />
What I do know is that a 1,200-word story about the death of an adrenaline junkie is, essentially, a celebration and glamorization of a lifestyle and, as such, it is also an encouragement of it. And I think we should aim higher.<br />
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Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-11577768804470581462018-02-16T18:57:00.000-08:002018-02-16T19:09:01.188-08:00Supporting a very worthy cause<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://talithakoumsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/talitha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://talithakoumsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/talitha.jpg" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please support this great event on March 3 . <u><b><a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/set-her-free-gala-tickets-41987309172">Click her</a></b></u>e for more details and ticket info.</td></tr>
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<br />Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-60763449513538857452018-01-16T09:52:00.002-08:002018-01-16T16:02:16.264-08:00Opening the door to more commemorative crosswalks<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnWBn4io8DFym8s-g6CO_d0XCT-55583en9kxO1AS4TJPrOW3_t1jFkV1g85p4fvd3J977L61BG3oGiCEz3Xd8VfL9dTPepgYa9pVMvZmq2D6ojgHEPZ7AOklQx3RPIJvJovDCxXqtfaw/s1600/The-Beetles-Abby-Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnWBn4io8DFym8s-g6CO_d0XCT-55583en9kxO1AS4TJPrOW3_t1jFkV1g85p4fvd3J977L61BG3oGiCEz3Xd8VfL9dTPepgYa9pVMvZmq2D6ojgHEPZ7AOklQx3RPIJvJovDCxXqtfaw/s400/The-Beetles-Abby-Road.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most famous of all crosswalks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>After I delivered the following speech at Council in Committee yesterday, most councillors indicated that, while they did not want to start a process to create a new policy for allowing commemorative crosswalks and other forms of public messaging, they would be open to considering one-off applications, just as they did for the rainbow crosswalk last fall. I take this as progress, because last fall most councillors seemed to suggest that they considered the rainbow crosswalk to be the one and only such installation that they would support, and, anyway, some predicted that the approval of the rainbow crosswalk would not generate any new requests for other crosswalks. A presentation just a few weeks later, by Brad Chase, Indicated otherwise. It will now be interesting to see what sort of proposals for commemorative or celebratory crosswalks emerge. Here is the text of my speech:</i><br />
<br />
Last fall -- after the majority of council directed staff to install a rainbow crosswalk in the city, and, later, further directed staff to use the unique, six-colour motif, first developed as a sign of support for the gay-pride movement, for that crosswalk -- a gentleman named Brad Chase made a presentation to Council in Committee<br />
He asked that we consider installing more crosswalks to show our support for other causes – specifically to signal our opposition to hate crimes against victims of discrimination – everyone from Jews and Catholics to First Nations and the homeless.<br />
He also presented some design options for various groups (including one depicting poppies, to celebrate the service of our Veterans. I think it’s important to say now that, while I understand Mr. Chase’s intention, I am quite certain that veterans would not want to see images of poppies being trodden upon and driven across.).<br />
At the time, I made some generally supportive comments in reply to Mr. Chase’s presentation, but Council in committee did not formally reply and no direction was given to staff. Since then, Mr. Chase has communicated with council, asking about what action would be taken in response to his presentation.<br />
I believe, that to be fair, council should now give Mr. Chase an answer. And I believe that this answer should be that council will instruct staff to begin a process to install other memorial or celebratory crosswalks – a process that, unlike that which led to the decision on the first cross walk, will include full and meaningful consultation with the people of Coquitlam.<br />
Now, some on council may argue this is not necessary, because they have already adopted a one-size-fits-all crosswalk. To support this argument, they may point to the original contention, made by the crosswalk proponents, that the rainbow crosswalk has become a universal symbol of acceptance.<br />
However, the logic buttressing this argument crumbled when one of the proponents herself told committee that a second crosswalk was needed to support transgender individuals, and then later told the press that a specific gay-pride motif was needed for the rainbow crosswalk – and not just one depicting a general rainbow.<br />
I believe council was aware of the resulting messaging problem, which is why it unanimously supported the installation – adjacent to the crosswalk -- of signage reading, “Diversity Lives Here.” <br />
But clearly, as Mr. Chase has demonstrated, that didn’t do the trick. Some of us warned that the adoption of one, issue-specific crosswalk would open the very door that we saw Mr. Chase walk through, but the majority rejected this argument.<br />
It’s worth noting here that last summer, Chilliwack city hall received a request to install a rainbow crosswalk somewhere in that city’s downtown. Within a week, the city received a request from a Chilliwack Pro-Life group to install a “pro-life crosswalk” depicting “painted crosses or infant feet.” No doubt seeing where all this was heading, Chilliwack council responded by creating a new policy directive to deny all requests to decorate any crosswalks.<br />
Also noteworthy is the fact that Coquitlam council’s longstanding no-proclamations policy used to be seen by council as a de facto no-decorated-crosswalk policy, as well. But that understanding was turned on its head last fall, and now council is at – not a crosswalk – but a crossroads, facing a choice:<br />
Does it refuse Mr. Chase’s request and all similar future requests, and by so doing attempt to cling to the fragile rationale in support of its initial decision?<br />
Or does council recognize that, to be reasonable, fair, equitable and democratic, it should entertain new requests. And, to support this, that it should employ an open, reasonable, fair, equitable and democratic consultation process – just as it did two years ago when it developed a new <a href="http://www.coquitlam.ca/city-hall/news-media/news-media/2016/03/30/coquitlam-invites-applications-for-cultural-displays-at-city-hall">Cultural Displays Policy</a>.<br />
I believe it should adopt the latter course and embark on a meaningful public-consultation process to develop a more inclusive crosswalk and issue-messaging policy. This consultation should involve community groups, the general public, and council’s own advisory committees, including but not limited to the Multiculturalism Advisory Committee and the Universal Access-ability Advisory Committee.<br />
Who knows what great ideas they will come up with, not only for crosswalk themes but also messaging themes? After all, the celebratory message “Diversity Lives Here” captures only a small part of what makes Coquitlam great. In fact, in and of itself, diversity is actually a rather hollow thing. To fill it out –to bring it to life – one surely needs charity and kindness, love and respect, and courage, wisdom, and justice – all of which are certainly worthy of celebration!<br />
So, I ask my fellow council members: what road do we take?<br />
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Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-62067499685113862462017-11-12T15:57:00.002-08:002017-11-12T16:25:54.566-08:00Nuttiest professors redux<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyE7o9uoBzsQi-tDBbGfbXL48jShMtu6Gd7j1-O9GnJ6n6NYUWxFzJ952_tBgrBsVIDSXvVxSYYGka6lXPJmwfiJdQLEBBhyT_8R0kXSOc1wF13GzgAIwmRy6Ki73tQgiJTq2Xhw4smx7/s1600/weststd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="347" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyE7o9uoBzsQi-tDBbGfbXL48jShMtu6Gd7j1-O9GnJ6n6NYUWxFzJ952_tBgrBsVIDSXvVxSYYGka6lXPJmwfiJdQLEBBhyT_8R0kXSOc1wF13GzgAIwmRy6Ki73tQgiJTq2Xhw4smx7/s200/weststd.jpg" width="148" /></a>The <a href="https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/jordan-peterson-creating-climate-of-fear-and-intimidation-u-of-ts-professors-say/article36924134/">news</a> that University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson is planning to launch a website that would help students keep track of (the many) left-wing academics on campus has, predictably enough, elicited shrieks of condemnation from the snowflake culture-warrior class.<br />
But Peterson is surely onto something. And the very fact, that some of his fellow professors are attempting to censor him, only proves his point.<br />
And, oh yes, also serves to buttress the argument that I made a decade ago when I <a href="http://www.psych.toronto.edu/users/furedy/Papers/af/wstd06.htm">wrote a cover story,</a> for the Western Standard, which shone a harsh light on Canada’s “nuttiest professors.”<br />
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<br />Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-42039267435329267982017-10-31T14:17:00.001-07:002017-10-31T14:17:28.749-07:00We grow in Metro but shrink at Metro board<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej2ytEBluE3EF7xZ29zCocbDI7FodTO_Z447ZWjzqilcpYlVdyzIQGaEw7QdVX440fiH9FgBZfUsX8kXq8Lx7roFUWMnwLTLf_LjqrBN2Xlyvl_T7pcw6yadaxpp8eJkrUYa-gRjk0bEB/s1600/metro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej2ytEBluE3EF7xZ29zCocbDI7FodTO_Z447ZWjzqilcpYlVdyzIQGaEw7QdVX440fiH9FgBZfUsX8kXq8Lx7roFUWMnwLTLf_LjqrBN2Xlyvl_T7pcw6yadaxpp8eJkrUYa-gRjk0bEB/s320/metro.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Metro board meeting last week.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">H</span>ere’s an interesting quirk, of the Metro Vancouver Regional
District’s board composition and voting strength, that came to light with
Metro’s recent adoption of a new board composition schedule based on 2016
census data:<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Under the allocations associated with the 2011 census, the
board comprised 38 directors holding among them 129 votes. With the population increases
over the ensuing five years, several communities (but not Coquitlam, however)
hit thresholds that entitled them to more voting strength, with all votes now
totalling 134; two communities (Surrey and Delta) became entitled to a new
director, the number of which will now total 40 sitting at the Metro board.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But here’s the thing: even though Coquitlam’s per-capita
growth was very high, and overall population grew by almost 13,000 to 139,338,
it didn’t reach a new threshold, so it gained neither voting strength to add to
its seven votes (divided four and three between its two directors) nor a new
director. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The bottom line is this: in 2011, Coquitlam had 5.4% of the
region’s population and enjoyed 5.4% of Metro’s vote allocation and 5.3% of its
directors. Today, our population represents 5.65% of the region’s total, but
our voting strength has dropped to 5.2% of all votes and our percentage of
directors has dropped to 5%. Doesn't seem fair, does it? But, as I said at the outset, it's just a quirk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That's why I didn’t raise this at the recent board meeting I attended
as the mayor’s alternate, but I did raise the issue of the open-ended nature of
the system, which sets no ceiling on the number of directors sitting on the
board; instead, directors keep being added as population thresholds are
met. This struck me as rather
inadequate, given the expected 1-million-person growth the region will see by
2040.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In response to my questions on the matter, I was told that
the system is under review internally, which is very good news. Any new proposal for a ceiling or other
amendments will have to go to the province for approval.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>For the full Metro report on this issue,<u><b><a href="http://www.metrovancouver.org/boards/GVRD/RD_2017-Oct-27_AGE.pdf"> please click here</a></b></u> and navigate to page 274 of the document.</i></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-35127605630669126482017-10-17T11:10:00.002-07:002017-10-19T12:50:07.988-07:00Rainbow logic supports rainbow crosswalk<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLRMMLq86THfBLOIrJ2B4r9pMBVxTS60Ki8etsPISol9QSC3vUTy6fZtD_fU7Frw0KMcqENnDPnOnrql1datlZk6n9PSSZcRelNvkhyLw3aR3TNcDym5UYLR7mk0N3aAHsMIYOMe_cR0z/s1600/pride+flag.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLRMMLq86THfBLOIrJ2B4r9pMBVxTS60Ki8etsPISol9QSC3vUTy6fZtD_fU7Frw0KMcqENnDPnOnrql1datlZk6n9PSSZcRelNvkhyLw3aR3TNcDym5UYLR7mk0N3aAHsMIYOMe_cR0z/s400/pride+flag.jpe" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pride Flag: Strikingly similar to "diversity" crosswalk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A</b></span>nd so, Coquitlam will now have its very own “rainbow” crosswalk, lovingly applied along a strip of pedestrian pavement directly south of city hall at the western side of the intersection of Pinetree Way and Burlington Avenue. The multi-hued fixture will surely<a href="http://www.coquitlam.ca/docs/default-source/council-agenda-documents/regularcouncil_2017_10_16_-_item_7.pdf?sfvrsn=2"> enliven the city hall precinct,</a> even as it stands as a testament to some dubious decision-making and the power of virtue signalling.<br />
Exactly what the rainbow crosswalk will officially stand for is still not quite settled. Reasonable folks, who are relatively familiar with recent history, might conclude that it is a sign of support for the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transexual-Questioning (LGBTQ) “community.” But the majority of council say this is not actually the case.<br />
Rather, they say it is a sign of the city’s acceptance and even celebration of diversity. But, surely, such an assertion contradicts the rainbow crosswalk’s colourful history.<br />
The idea to create rainbow crosswalks appears to have first emerged in West Hollywood as part of the 2012 Gay Pride Month celebrations. Why a rainbow? As Wikipedia says, “The rainbow flag or gay pride flag, is associated with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and LGBT activities around the world.”<br />
The direct connection between the rainbow crosswalk and LGBT(Q) was just as clear when, in 2013, Vancouver unveiled Canada's first permanent rainbow crosswalk in the West End to help mark the city’s Pride Week. Councillor. Tim Stevenson explained that the crosswalk helped reflect the area's significance as the city’s “gay village”. He is<a href="https://www.straight.com/life/405041/vancouver-unveils-canadas-first-permanent-rainbow-crosswalks"> quoted by the <i>Georgia Straight</i></a> as saying, “This really does mark the strongest support the city has ever shown towards the GLBTQ community.”<br />
Now, given that council has a longstanding policy not to issue proclamations in support of any specific group or cause, and given that the installation of a rainbow crosswalk would surely constitute a <i>de facto</i> proclamation in support of the aforementioned “community,” one might conclude that Council would not, could not, and would never support the installation of said crosswalk.<br />
But this is where it gets cute. When making her presentation to Council in Committee last month, Nicola Spurling argued that the rainbow crosswalk was not actually a symbol of support only for those identifying as LGBTQ, but was a “a universal symbol of acceptance…”<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNi-eS_Ux7jKSSHFRdDlHMUxv-nov5uCU8pqpREK-ywStYKn0pbIMxJjfrCz55lInNuwQLeLDy24KwkRvRYzDLCtXhZqhjjxVYUe1pXnjjif1VIP8u3lBBdxDQa8MaJzx-Xzk7tsF6HLRx/s1600/pride+crosswalk.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNi-eS_Ux7jKSSHFRdDlHMUxv-nov5uCU8pqpREK-ywStYKn0pbIMxJjfrCz55lInNuwQLeLDy24KwkRvRYzDLCtXhZqhjjxVYUe1pXnjjif1VIP8u3lBBdxDQa8MaJzx-Xzk7tsF6HLRx/s400/pride+crosswalk.jpe" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Crosswalk: Pro-LGBTQ or pro-diversity?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The majority of Council bought the argument but, even as they did, seemed to realize that many citizens might not view it so broadly, so they called for the crosswalk to be accompanied by an explanatory sign, that would say something like “diversity lives here.”<br />
Hmmmm. I sincerely doubt that Council would have a similar reaction to, let’s say, a Christian group that came to council asking for crosswalk depicting Christ and his apostles –even though they might argue with great fervor and compelling rhetoric that Christ is a universal symbol of the power of love and peace, and what the world needs now is, certainly, more love and peace.<br />
Neither would Council support the environmental-action Blue Dot group asking for images of the blue earth to fill crosswalks, even if it might argue with great passion and reason that the earth's environment is endangered, and that everyone loves the earth and we must protect it.<br />
In both cases, it is true that the groups are invoking universally accepted or supported themes, but they are also using very particular images associated with their particular group in an attempt to advance those themes. Council would rightly adhere to the logic of its long-standing no-proclamation policy, and reject the overtures on the grounds that they constitute <i>de facto</i> proclamations in support of a particular group.<br />
And that is the reason I voted last night against the installation of the crosswalk. It was not because of any opposition to the high ideals of inclusivity, just as I do not oppose the flowering of love and peace in the world, or the protection of Earth from pollution.<br />
Rather, it is because, in supporting this crosswalk, Council is actually singling out for support one particular cause among the many scores of worthy causes that exist in the world. And that is simply unfair, unequal and inequitable.<br />
Having lost that vote, however, I did support a second motion to have staff present a report back to Council in Committee on the options for explanatory signage designed to try to persuade the populace of our fine city that the Pride Crosswalk isn’t really a Pride Crosswalk. I look forward to the discussion that will surely follow.<br />
<br />
<div>
UPDATE: As Alice said, this whole thing is becoming curiouser and curiouser. On Oct. 18, Ms. Spurling<u><b><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/3811671/city-of-coquitlams-approval-of-rainbow-crosswalk-slap-in-the-face-for-queer-community/"> complained</a></b></u> that the crosswalk design brought forward by city staff was not the exact "Pride" design, but was one that merely depicted the colours of an ordinary rainbow. She said this constituted a "slap in the face" for the "queer community." It will be most interesting to see where all this leads. </div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-76883468453414829472017-09-05T18:03:00.000-07:002017-09-08T15:27:02.193-07:00Foreign-funded interest group seeks to sway next civic election<div class="MsoNormal">
An organization called the <a href="https://dogwoodbc.ca/">Dogwood Initiative</a> (also known as Dogwood BC|) has announced it
intends to get involved in next year’s municipal election in Coquitlam. The
environmental and government-reform group has every right to do so, of course, but the potential
consequences of its involvement further bolster my ongoing argument that the
provincial government should deliberate very carefully before enacting any
municipal-level campaign-donation “reforms.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Such reforms are top of mind this week because, with news
that the NDP government’s first throne speech is to be delivered on Friday,
Sept. 8, speculation has turned to what the contents of that speech may be.
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ndp-can-t-afford-to-break-key-fundraising-promise-experts-1.4274497">Many observers predict </a>the Horgan government will have to address its
longstanding commitment to introduce provincial campaign-donation reforms. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This, in turn, leads me to wonder if the NDP will decide to
act on municipal-level campaign-donation and -spending restrictions, as has
been called for by some local politicians but which has been opposed repeatedly
by me; moreover, such possible restrictions were the subject of <a href="http://electterryoneill.blogspot.ca/2017/07/green-leader-agrees-to-coquitlams-call.html">a cautionary letter</a> sent by Coquitlam Council to the three provincial party leaders last
spring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Faithful readers of this blog will recall that<a href="http://electterryoneill.blogspot.ca/2014/12/let-freedom-reign-in-campaigns.html"> I have long argued</a> that restrictions on corporate and/or union donations will severely handicap
independent and unaffiliated candidates, unfairly helping candidates who are members
of slates or parties, or who have the backing (and access to membership lists)
of labour unions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is also evident is that, if severe donation
restrictions are put in place, outside special-interest groups will likely end
up playing a bigger role, not only in pre-campaign marketing, organizing and
lobbying efforts, but also during campaigns themselves. It is easy to imagine a
variety of issue-oriented groups moving into the vacuum created by hamstrung
candidates who, because of donation and spending restrictions, will be unable
to produce the flyers, pamphlets, and advertising they could produce in past
election campaigns.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And here’s where Dogwood comes into the picture. The organization <a href="about:invalid#zClosurez">boasts on its website</a> that it had a
successful (but, in my eyes, largely unrecognized) impact on the last provincial
election. “We had 71 election related events over the last two months across
B.C.,” the group reported in early June. “We made 36,564 phone calls to get out
the vote. We had 13,576 live conversations with our supporters. We texted
63,000 people. That is powerful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“We made sure our supporters, those who want to stop Kinder
Morgan, ban big money, and end thermal coal exports, showed up at their voting
polls. We talked to people who weren’t sure who they were voting for or if they
were voting. We helped British Columbians find their polling place and bring
the right ID. And we know by how tight this election was that every vote
counted — especially in those important ridings where anti-Kinder Morgan
politicians were elected like Burnaby North, Coquitlam-Maillardville and
Courtenay-Comox.“ <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Coquitlam residents should take special note of the fact
that DI is, essentially, claiming credit for helping elect NDP MLA Selina
Robinson and defeat BC Liberal candidate Steve Kim.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As suggested above, it is worth underlining that the DI is an
enthusiastic supporter of<a href="https://dogwoodbc.ca/petitions/ban-big-money/"> banning “big money”</a> from elections and has even<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez"> called a “corruption inquiry”</a>into BC politics. Of course, the way I see it, a ban on
so-called big money would undoubtedly strengthen the DI’s hand, giving it less
competition in the marketplace of political ideas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moreover, the DI’s call to eliminate “big money” from
politics can easily be seen as rather rich coming from an organization whose $2.2-million-dollar
budget (for the year ended March 31, 2016) has its own share of “big money”
revenue, to the tune of $922,447 in grants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All this wouldn’t necessarily be of much interest to
Coquitlam civic voters were it not for the fact that, on June 13, Alex McGowan,
who identified himself as “the Dogwood BC Provincial Organizer in the area including
Coquitlam,” told me in an email that his organization “recently made the
decision to invest in building teams in the area from Burnaby to Maple Ridge in
advanced [sic] of the 2018 municipal election.” He continued, “I know you are
an incredible advocate in your community and I think we can find space to work
together.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I responded to his invitation to meet me by posing a series
of questions, including these:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*From which organizations, and of what total, did you
receive grants in 2016? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*What were the services you provided, and to whom, that
accounted for the reported $350,427 in "fee for service" revenue in
2016?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Your organization's website celebrates the "behind the
scenes" impact the DI had on the last provincial election. The site also
states that the DI is a "registered sponsor" under the "Election
Act." ... [W]hich candidates or parties did you sponsor, and how much did you spend
in support of that sponsorship? (Please itemize).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Is it the DI's intent to formally or informally support
candidates, based on their support of your policies and or campaigns, in next
year's municipal elections? If so, can those candidates expect to receive
indirect or direct financial support from the DI? If so, how much?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mr. McGowan’s responses were revealing for what he said and
what he did not say. Most importantly, he revealed that the group receives an unspecified amount of funding from sources in the United States. Here is his complete
answer on this subject: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“On fundraising: - 60% of Dogwood's funding comes from
non-grant sources: individuals and earned revenue; none comes from government
or corporations; among the foundations that support Dogwood several are based
in Seattle, a city that shares the Salish Sea with British Columbia. Dogwood’s
campaign decisions are independent from any financial influence since no single
source provides more than 5% of total revenue. We receive donations from over
10,000 individual Canadians.”<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He did not provide the names of any of those foreign
funders. But a little Internet sleuthing turned up the fact that the San
Francisco-based Tides Foundation, which has been the subject of <a href="about:invalid#zClosurez">several exposes</a>
by <i>National Post</i> contributor Vivian Krause, has been one of the DI’s major funders, pouring <a href="about:invalid#zClosurez">$187,425 into its coffers in2015 alone. </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One suspects that those BC voters, who are concerned about
corporate and union donations to local politicians, would also be concerned about foreign advocacy groups’ support of a local special-interest
group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am also wondering why Mr. McGowan did not answer my
question about the nature of the “fee for service” revenue it received in 2016.
He did say that, “We have registered as intervenors in the past three elections.
We have never endorsed or financially supported any candidate or party as per
our non-partisan status. We remain committed to that policy. Our election work
continues to be about increasing turnout and engagement. In regards to election
spending, all registered intervenors are required by law to submit detailed
reports to all applicable election oversight bodies.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s good information, but the non-partisanship implied by
Mr. McGowan’s statement seems to be at odds with the declaration, quoted above,
that, “We made sure our supporters, those who want to stop Kinder Morgan, ban
big money, and end thermal coal exports, showed up at their voting polls.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I had a brief phone chat this week with Mr. McGowan about some of the gaps
in the information he supplied. We hope to have a fuller talk in the near future; if we
do – and if any more details are forthcoming – I will update this article.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>SEPT. 8. </i>I have now had a good discussion with Mr. McGowan about some of the issues I raised, above.<br />
*On the fee-for-service issue, he stated firmly that DI does not sell its services to any political organization. Rather, its does training and consulting-type work for other non-profits.<br />
*On the question of foreign donations, he stated that the amount the DI receives is "relatively small" and the money has been primarily used to support the DI's campaign to stop coal-port expansion.<br />
*On the apparent conflict in values -- the DI is opposed to corporate and union funding of parties and candidates, but in favour of its receipt of foreign grants -- Mr. McGowan says the distinction is that the DI is not responsible for making decisions.<br />
*On the possibility that, if successful, DI's opposition to union and corporate funding would create a more open playing field for DI and other organizations to influence public policy, he say Dogwood does not have the funds to run ads in every municipality.<br />
*And, finally, on the apparent, de-facto partisanship, he said that, yes, the DI "definitely" wants to influence elections, but it does so by identifying party and candidate stances on crucial issues, and then communicating (to people they have identified who support the DI's goals) those stances. The DI does not specifically endorse or support any party or candidate, though.<br />
<br />
For my part, I told him that it was my opinion that I am concerned about the impact of foreign money on local politics, that I believe its work constitutes de facto endorsement of candidates, and that the DI's anti-corporate and -union donations stance would, if implemented, unfairly favour candidates aligned with organized parties or slates, particularly if those parties and slates are affiliated with unions, which have access to volunteers and membership lists.<br />
<br />
We agreed to disagree.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-90542200812815072812017-07-24T17:01:00.003-07:002017-07-24T17:01:52.998-07:00Green leader agrees to Coquitlam's call for 'careful deliberation' of campaign-spending reforms<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LhuWTm9wDnr_2E5bWN5B2kDtFLGcAxRVN74KVzE-1DwkI1TCVzaAN6LDCd9OEzSYLkL6B652OiZqA8dAggyJOpQn2J_c-nP2fVMOj3FmMjgkwd9BYrAY5yyKSiI36tDlZOUQw_7qd_Of/s1600/weaver+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LhuWTm9wDnr_2E5bWN5B2kDtFLGcAxRVN74KVzE-1DwkI1TCVzaAN6LDCd9OEzSYLkL6B652OiZqA8dAggyJOpQn2J_c-nP2fVMOj3FmMjgkwd9BYrAY5yyKSiI36tDlZOUQw_7qd_Of/s400/weaver+001.jpg" width="306" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he New Democrat-Green government in Victoria has
pledged to ban corporate and union donations and to impose strict
maximum-donation limits at the provincial level. Upon the announcement of the
two-party pact (and, moreover, after the BC Liberals’ last-gasp Throne Speech,
which delivered a <a href="http://vancouversun.com/news/politics/daily-poll-did-the-flip-flop-throne-speech-cost-premier-christy-clark-her-credibility">flip-flop promise of campaign-financing reform</a>), I feared
that the new government would “double down” and automatically impose the same
restrictions at the municipal level – something that I think would have a
catastrophic impact on local-level politics.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am pleased to report, however, that the leader of one of
the two parties in the new political compact, Green leader Andrew Weaver, has, in
response to a letter from Coquitlam Council urging caution in proceeding with
such changes at the local level (a letter that was sent at my request and supported
by all but one of my Council colleagues), issued a statement promising there
will be “careful deliberation” before action is taken.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And thank goodness for that. As I have declared several
times over the past few years and, moreover, have written in formal submissions
to the provincial government on the matter, stringent donation regulations
would have several unintended, negative consequences, the most worrisome of
which is that they would severely handicap unaffiliated (i.e., independent) and
new candidates, while at the same time giving an unfair advantage to political
machines, parties, and those candidates who are affiliated with organizations
that have a large membership base, such as labour unions. <a href="http://electterryoneill.blogspot.ca/2014/12/let-freedom-reign-in-campaigns.html">Please read one of my earlier blogs </a>on the issue for a more complete analysis.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Coquitlam’s letter to the leaders of the three political
parties in the legislature, our mayor, Richard Stewart, pointed out that <span lang="EN-US">donors to municipal campaigns do not
receive a tax credit for any portion of their donation, making the financing of
said campaigns more difficult than those at the Provincial or Federal level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Mayor
Stewart continued that, In light of this, many candidates rely upon business or
other organizational donations to support their campaigns to make up for the
gap in individual contributions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">He also said that Coquitlam Council fears that removing
this mechanism of support could lead to a dearth of candidates seeking local
elected office, thereby increasing the power of incumbency and limiting voices from
across the political spectrum. </span>As well, he
worried that such changes may also encourage an increase in slate politics and
affiliated councils as candidates seek to bolster their support through a
variety of labour and other organizations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as I am aware, Dr. Weaver is the only one of the three leaders to
respond to our letter. Here is the complete text of that response:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Thank you for your correspondence of June 9 regarding
municipal campaign finance reform. I apologize for the delay in responding. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“I appreciate the concerns you raised regarding the effects
of campaign finance reform at the Municipal level. I share your view that our
democratic systems should be structured to support a wide range of candidates
stepping forward to run for office, from a diversity of backgrounds and
representing a diversity of views. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“In my view, campaign finance reform at both the Provincial
and Municipal levels is an essential way to strengthen our democracy and reduce
the influence of special interests on our elections and on government
decision-making. I believe that this reform can be undertaken in such a way
that ensures that a wide range of independent candidates feel able to run for
political office. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“I agree that there must be careful deliberation by government
on the impacts of any legislative change, and ensuring that government
undertakes this reform in a comprehensive and deliberative way is a top
priority of my caucus colleagues and myself.
<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Thank you again for writing on this crucial issue. If you
have specific thoughts about how reforms might be best undertaken to address
your concerns, my office would be delighted to hear from you.” </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I appreciate Dr. Weaver's thoughtfulness in dealing with this important issue, and look forward to future communication with him and his party on the subject.</div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-28763445867637385552017-04-17T10:15:00.000-07:002017-04-18T15:28:23.370-07:00Two decades and going strong!<i>The following is an edited version of a 'story' I wrote this morning for my parish bulletin and the</i> BC Catholic<i>.</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUNVBDzsWRWal8yZSirCDkISHsMFfANZ07-AwKQwA_RkhcklLqdqmMxfpmel-YDWlAauSpQ2pTRals7dYiLPK4RDTHMBFCBDJEjvHotJJsvirVJgMdGnhOLC_-JphnB1txhQ0yDnE6T51/s1600/IMG_1122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUNVBDzsWRWal8yZSirCDkISHsMFfANZ07-AwKQwA_RkhcklLqdqmMxfpmel-YDWlAauSpQ2pTRals7dYiLPK4RDTHMBFCBDJEjvHotJJsvirVJgMdGnhOLC_-JphnB1txhQ0yDnE6T51/s320/IMG_1122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picking up 500 flowering plants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">M</span></b>embers of St. Joseph's Parish in Port Moody launched the "Easter Flowers" project more than 20 years ago, delivering 80 flowering plants, donated by Wim Vander Zalm of Art Knapp’s in Port Coquitlam, and an equal number hand-made greeting cards, made by parish students, to patients at Eagle Ridge Manor.<br />
<br />
This year, the parish’s example inspired three other parishes to join the project on Holy Saturday (April 15), resulting in cards and flowering plants being delivered to 500 seniors and patients in four facilities from Maple Ridge to Port Moody.<br />
<br />
“We launched ‘Easter Flowers’ as a way of bringing to life our commitment to respect life until its natural end,” says parish organizer and project coordinator Terry O’Neill. “We wanted to show the sick and elderly that they are loved and valued. We also wanted to demonstrate to our fellow parishioners and to the community at large that we put our beliefs into action.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq-xdy_IJeiEhc6HLyq5VG6otkLJuRc-zPopdQpqtf8BXpwVK1IpcaIAXQF-B6XehTHsyyMU4-38kjzCbEIiwaAFkC3ip1HCs7yBAJ3dFPdQF_vlzBN1co4buAIX73vkeXiH-9QIHYvM7/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq-xdy_IJeiEhc6HLyq5VG6otkLJuRc-zPopdQpqtf8BXpwVK1IpcaIAXQF-B6XehTHsyyMU4-38kjzCbEIiwaAFkC3ip1HCs7yBAJ3dFPdQF_vlzBN1co4buAIX73vkeXiH-9QIHYvM7/s320/IMG_1139.JPG" width="240" /></a>“The project has been a great success, allowing individuals and families to volunteer, bringing good cheer to the elderly, supporting care-home staff, and generally giving our Easter weekend even greater significance.”<br />
<br />
Last year, reflecting on the 20-year run on the project, Vander Zalm urged O’Neill to expand the project. “In these troubled times, people need to see that there is still love and caring in the world,” Vander Zalm said. O’Neill promised he would do so.<br />
<br />
Working through contacts he made at the new north-of-Fraser life-action group, Life Compass, O’Neill was able to deliver on the promise, with the result that, on Holy Saturday, dozens of volunteers from four parishes delivered flowering plants and hand-made greeting cards to about 500 people at four seniors’ residences or care facilities from Maple Ridge to Port Moody.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNk32CHN2jjzYBAxMZ1yih-iO_tVtWVmuinLwSokC8ZApFFB6RFLQ_s2AQiYVvriRtmxeMqUGRgWnlJGiOyZ1mslwLl9ZNkAfJZM6sCBIMe85H-jUvnMywIIflf7niqyJrNEyRKw-w_oT/s1600/IMG_1153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNk32CHN2jjzYBAxMZ1yih-iO_tVtWVmuinLwSokC8ZApFFB6RFLQ_s2AQiYVvriRtmxeMqUGRgWnlJGiOyZ1mslwLl9ZNkAfJZM6sCBIMe85H-jUvnMywIIflf7niqyJrNEyRKw-w_oT/s320/IMG_1153.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers from St. Joseph's Parish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sandra Dulong coordinated at St. Clare of Assisi, in Coquitlam, delivering about 80 plants to residents of Dufferin Care Centre in Coquitlam. “It’s all about giving back to our seniors, who have given us so much – to give them a little more comfort at Easter,” she said. “We need to tell them that we value their lives as much as we value our own.”<br />
<br />
Britt Bright coordinated at St. Luke’s Parish, Maple Ridge, delivering about 150 plants to residents of Baillie House in Maple Ridge: “We did this in order to show that elderly people, at the end of life, are as important as our young people,” she explained.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Loch coordinated at St. Patrick’s of Maple Ridge, delivering upwards of 200 plants to residents of Maple Ridge Seniors Village. Volunteer Anna Tillotson said that she and her husband, Mark, had a personal reason for participating. “Mark’s father was in a care home last year before he passed away, and we could see what a positive effect a visit had on the residents,” she stated. “It just brought them so much joy.”<br />
<br />
Besides coordinating the four-parish project, Terry O’Neill once again organized the St. Joseph’s team as well, as they visited Eagle Ridge Manor, delivering plants to about 80 residents: “In truth, we end up getting more than we give,” he said. “It’s very fulfilling to see what a positive effect we can have, not only on the residents, but also on the staff. All in all, it’s a very rewarding exercise, bringing to life our commitment to respect life from conception to its natural end.<br />
<br />
“Wim Vander Zalm has been my partner in this project from Year One. He supplied the flowering plants; we supplied the feet on the ground! His generosity, his support and his commitment have been absolutely vital in making our Easter Flowers program the success that it has become. Thanks, Wim!”<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-58179118920637816922017-04-07T13:03:00.001-07:002017-04-07T13:03:09.262-07:00Signal Hill's Value Project is a success<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep0N_1bMBpVC5V_e3XG_hAoFiz0ltOxLJrHeaai4EuwyCjyevINLJtYgQe-cAQXIf97N8ymHp59Gsk348EdlD7sZLGfrzFPBqRW9njtV3bE7MRGmPjjpmsipRsBrTqu-m9lgCADvvMtGv/s1600/IMG_1097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep0N_1bMBpVC5V_e3XG_hAoFiz0ltOxLJrHeaai4EuwyCjyevINLJtYgQe-cAQXIf97N8ymHp59Gsk348EdlD7sZLGfrzFPBqRW9njtV3bE7MRGmPjjpmsipRsBrTqu-m9lgCADvvMtGv/s400/IMG_1097.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>O</b></span>ne of the charities I volunteer with is Signal Hill, an
educational non-profit dedicated to inspiring young people to "Value Every
Person" – themselves and others. One
of the ways we try to do this is through The Value Project. This morning, I was
honoured to attend a student-led Value Project rally/presentation at a Surrey
high school, where I hoped to see the fruits of our commitment to this project.
I was not disappointed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s how Signal Hill explains the rationale behind The
Value Project: “We are living in a value crisis. Our culture treats human
beings like commodities and values possessions and status over relationships.
We are constantly being fed the message that we are not beautiful enough,
not smart enough, and not strong enough. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Young people see the fallout from this value crisis every
day at school and in their own personal lives. Because they experience these
problems on an everyday basis, we believe that these young people are in the
best position to find a solution and communicate the message of Value Every
Person to their peers. That's why we train young people to speak to their own
generation about the value of human life.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETDj2LT_gDa1JiWQ3pqb6SECv8BYCRi7GVQw1hSVORa2xjczfL89nPQ9qUxYm2ASLse_mIwazzmYJGMVvBrJOGWyCZjYsKZw5WG1ZoTy_ka9JnRxB3ed0LZKO5AnNB_rMZLRw1CqCGYHt/s1600/IMG_1108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETDj2LT_gDa1JiWQ3pqb6SECv8BYCRi7GVQw1hSVORa2xjczfL89nPQ9qUxYm2ASLse_mIwazzmYJGMVvBrJOGWyCZjYsKZw5WG1ZoTy_ka9JnRxB3ed0LZKO5AnNB_rMZLRw1CqCGYHt/s320/IMG_1108.JPG" width="320" /></a> Enter The Value Project, a three-day symposium where high
school students learn that valuing themselves and valuing others has the power
to transform their personal lives and their school community.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Signal Hill explains further: “Led by a team of experts from
the fields of communication, media, and marketing, the students are educated
about the inherent value of every human being; equipped with the skills to
craft a customized media campaign, and given the support to implement it within
their schools - spreading Signal Hill's message of ‘Value Every Person’ to
everyone they encounter.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Five students – Samantha, Christina, Steve, Rachel and
Beatrice – from Holy Cross Regional Secondary in Surrey completed such a three-day
symposium a few months ago; they presented their project to the school this
week, culminating with this morning’s multi-media event.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a series of informative, insightful and moving speeches
and presentations, the five challenged their fellow students to look beyond
surface appearances – to shatter the mirror – in order to find each person’s
intrinsic worth. “Remember, you’re more than your reflection,” one said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8BK0BK_nDh1mU_fl7sHlC3CAatQ4kzrVhkjfrfFXThXIW6A0eASNNeIAGHEM5HHq6OBK8S9kPnyx4u7ZSC-4g1ptZZhIcJCNQWtNVzJDBzX2KBX1JR6jrTGCQD3CwILR1mkUWadHhigO/s1600/IMG_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8BK0BK_nDh1mU_fl7sHlC3CAatQ4kzrVhkjfrfFXThXIW6A0eASNNeIAGHEM5HHq6OBK8S9kPnyx4u7ZSC-4g1ptZZhIcJCNQWtNVzJDBzX2KBX1JR6jrTGCQD3CwILR1mkUWadHhigO/s320/IMG_1107.JPG" width="320" /></a>They continued: Too often, people feel they have to measure
up to a perfect, non-attainable standard. It’s called a “value prejudice,” and
it’s a debilitating way of living, leading to low self-esteem, harmful relationships,
and bad decisions in time of crisis. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The powerful counter-approach is this: we are all deserving
of love and respect by the simple fact of our existence. “We all bleed red,” one
student leader said. We must get past labels that lead to insecurity, and judgemental,
hurtful actions. “The way we see people affects the way we treat people.” Find
the diamond at everyone’s core and treat them as the precious, unique,
intrinsically beautiful people they are.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to thank the Holy Cross community for allowing fellow Signal Hill board member Pat Myers and me to sit among upwards of 800 students this morning
to witness this remarkable and inspiring event. So much good will emanate from this project, I'm sure!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those wanting to learn more about Signal Hill, please
visit <a href="http://www.thesignalhill.com/">www.thesignalhill.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-41925073429107286212017-01-10T15:56:00.001-08:002017-01-10T15:56:35.950-08:00What Do Higher Property Values Mean for Taxes?<i><br /></i>
<i>With all the discussion, misinformation, speculation and confusion about the impact of soaring assessment rates on property taxes, the City thought it was a good idea to public this detailed explanation and offer it to local news outlets. I agree and I hope it calms some of the nerves out there!</i><br />
<br />
COQUITLAM, BC, Jan. 10, 2017 - A higher assessed property value is usually good news for property owners – it means the value of their investment is going up.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzTxyVBKgJ8Ym0v1GifylON7ziUFQOPvpcqAeJfFD5ozZc1Qre3u05c6IZCmpZTqGmc_EhkUENo63KQHTHfDSLB0gTnolxytVUVoTjaugSqQsophNf_zhz_CseOESxsgo1l8WXBD0FeXB/s1600/assess+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzTxyVBKgJ8Ym0v1GifylON7ziUFQOPvpcqAeJfFD5ozZc1Qre3u05c6IZCmpZTqGmc_EhkUENo63KQHTHfDSLB0gTnolxytVUVoTjaugSqQsophNf_zhz_CseOESxsgo1l8WXBD0FeXB/s400/assess+001.jpg" width="400" /></a>But does a higher assessed value also necessarily mean higher property taxes? Not exactly. <br />
<br />
When a city plans its budget for the year, the amount it needs to collect (revenue) is based solely on the services it plans to provide (expenditures). Let’s say this amount is $100 million. No matter how much property values go up or down, the City still only needs to collect $100 million to do its job for the year.<br />
<br />
In a separate process, the BC Assessment Authority, a provincial body, determines the value of all properties across the province, based on factors such as age, location, size, improvements and the value of recent nearby sales. The City is not responsible for property assessments, however the City is mandated by provincial legislation to tax the homeowners based on the assessed value of their property. <br />
<br />
These two processes come together when cities set their tax rate (sometimes referred to as the mill rate): the calculation that determines each property’s share of the cost to run the city that year. If average assessed values go up, the tax rate goes down to compensate. The opposite is true if values decrease. But in the end, working from the example above, only $100 million is collected.<br />
<br />
<b>2017 Tax Increase</b><br />
In Coquitlam, the 2017 tax increase for the average residence is 2.48%, which is in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). As the cost of maintaining service levels continues to rise, the City is constantly striving to find efficiencies in the provision of services, as well as other sources of revenue. As such, this is the lowest tax increase in 25 years. <br />
<br />
What this means is that if your home’s assessed value went up by the average (33%), your taxes will go up 2.48%. However, if your assessed value increased by more than the average, your taxes will increase by more than 2.48%. However, it still won’t increase at the same percentage as your property assessment increase. Similarly, homes with a below-average increase in their assessment could find themselves paying lower taxes than last year.<br />
<br />
<b>Homeowner Grant </b><br />
The Homeowner Grant is a provincial grant outside of the City’s control, but the City is responsible for administering the Grant on the province’s behalf. The Homeowner Grant assessment threshold was raised in 2017 to $1.6M at which point the grant is gradually reduced by $5 per $1,000 value. Therefore depending on your property assessment, you may not lose the entire grant, just a portion of it.<br />
<br />
Municipalities share the publics’ concern about the need to ensure the Homeowner Grant remains available as the assessed value of B.C. real estate continues to rise and we will continue to work with the province on this issue.<br />
<br />
Any questions related to your property assessment should be directed to BC Assessment Authority (1-866-825-8322). The deadline to appeal your assessment is Jan. 31.<br />
<br />
For information on property taxes in Coquitlam, visit www.coquitlam.ca/propertytaxes.<br />
<br />
<br />
Media contact:<br />
Rhonda Anderson, Revenue Services Manager<br />
604-927-3920<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-47216723148318697182016-12-08T09:13:00.001-08:002016-12-08T09:18:57.824-08:00In my books, the biggest city issue is....<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>City Council gave unanimous approval to the first readings of the <a href="http://www.coquitlam.ca/city-hall/news-media/news-media/2016/12/06/2017-budget-balances-growth-with-infrastructure-investment">2017 budget bylaws</a> this past Monday. </i>The Tri-City News<i>' <a href="http://www.tricitynews.com/news/property-taxes-up-2-13-in-coquitlam-1.3829623">coverage </a>(most of which is not yet online) focused on our policies and usage of reserve funds. My focus, however, was on a more pressing issue. Here is the text of the speech I delivered.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_Q7xhyphenhyphenceyjoW6zIMoYQaC7E5wdUKZL5DBTVw0iFguCADirN7rksgbqXkjaSWrxIUtooBywAght44zAGH08DkaDM-tMZznsPabcy1qFFQm-5HXSZfvG0c0Nvhvs4f3ztcSK0dxPSXM35Z/s1600/125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_Q7xhyphenhyphenceyjoW6zIMoYQaC7E5wdUKZL5DBTVw0iFguCADirN7rksgbqXkjaSWrxIUtooBywAght44zAGH08DkaDM-tMZznsPabcy1qFFQm-5HXSZfvG0c0Nvhvs4f3ztcSK0dxPSXM35Z/s200/125.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic: City of Coquitlam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">The first
readings of the budget bylaws are traditionally accompanied by statements from
the mayor and councillors about the general state of affairs in the city and
the specific level of such things as tax rates and municipal spending. The
mayor has very adroitly covered all of this ground and more in his address.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">And I want
to declare now that I agree with him that the budget before us tonight is well
worth supporting. I am especially pleased that, for the eighth consecutive
year, the rate of increase has declined; this year it’s 2.17 per cent, the
lowest in 25 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">While there
are parts of it with which I don’t agree, on the whole it strikes a commendable
balance between, on one hand, provision of needed services and amenities, and,
on the other, the sort of fiscal responsibility that our residents expect of council.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">I am proud
to be part of a council that takes its duty in this latter area seriously. Ours
is a council that, unlike so many other political bodies, works hard to avoid
political gamesmanship, posturing and pandering; instead, it really does focus
on doing the best for the whole community – making decisions based on principle
and strong policy, rather than on prejudice and political pressure. And that’s
a very good thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">I must point
out, however, that, while having sound budget policies and practices is
absolutely central to the work that we do here – and, moreover, that it is, in
fact, the foundation upon which is built the entire edifice of services that
the city provides – it actually isn’t the single, most pressing issue that
concerns me…. and confronts us all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">The issue
isn’t the tax rate; it isn’t the level of government services; it isn’t the
numbers of workers on city payroll; it isn’t parks, arenas, tennis courts,
artificial-turf fields or a museum; it isn’t laying more pipe and filling more
potholes; it isn’t water quality, air pollution, or safe streets, either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Those are
all areas of importance. But, surely,<i> the
</i>most pressing issue is one that affects us, literally, where we live. It’s
housing affordability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">The measures
that council has taken over the past few years --- and will, one hopes, continue
to take in the years to come – will be a critical part of this council’s
legacy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">This council
has long stated that the primary responsibility for providing “deep
affordability” rests with the two senior levels of government. Nevertheless,
through adroit use of the city’s re-energized Housing Affordability Fund, the
city is set to do its part in this crucial area. Especially noteworthy is our
support of the Talitha Koum housing project.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">To be clear,
though, housing affordability has always been an issue for lower-income
individuals and families. On the other hand, the now fully-emerged crisis that
is upon us now is a more contemporary phenomenon – the large gap between what
middle-income earners can afford and what the market demands they pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Consumers
have had to adjust their expectations. Many looking for a single-family home
have had to set their sights on a townhouses or condo. Those who might, in a
more affordable market, be looking to buy a condo now might, instead, look to
rent. And so it goes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">The single
most important thing the city can do to assist those in the market is to
facilitate the construction of new housing, whether it’s for sale or for rent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">That has
certainly been a main focus of mine over the five years I have spent on
council, and I am pleased to say that, in most cases, it is a focus that is
shared by the majority of council. Whether it’s approving townhouse
developments on Burke Mountain, Condo Towers in the city Centre, rental
projects in Burquitlam, or subdivision of lands in Maillardville, this is a
good thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yes,
amelioration of adverse community impacts must always remain a concern, but I
believe our paramount responsibility in the face of an unprecedented crisis is
– and must continue to be -- to keep a clear focus on making good land-use
decisions that lead to the creation of more places that people, young or old,
poor or rich, single or married, can call home.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-16933935480190426572016-12-03T10:18:00.001-08:002016-12-05T10:33:04.296-08:00Lafarge tour underlines scope of work, reveals surprises<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyY8wUoDwpQquvLAbSMd_Y8By-3wYOsb1bUKmh3xDriJpK27GeTPRly_MsaUCSifgZQVB1rMr8SIKSz1dsSUOBhs2hrzdbEQdaklVy8p6elj8VIyXpqqLTt_lZeNe8uC_a-HH-Q8ubEsG/s1600/IMG_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyY8wUoDwpQquvLAbSMd_Y8By-3wYOsb1bUKmh3xDriJpK27GeTPRly_MsaUCSifgZQVB1rMr8SIKSz1dsSUOBhs2hrzdbEQdaklVy8p6elj8VIyXpqqLTt_lZeNe8uC_a-HH-Q8ubEsG/s400/IMG_0337.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south across lower part of reclamation site.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>T</b></span>he four-wheel-drive pickup truck works its way slowly up a steep, rocky road, as a group of Lafarge Canada executives and I tour the company's huge pit area off Pipeline Road in Coquitlam.<br />
<br />
It's clear the landscape has been considerably altered by the decades-long extraction of gravel from the site, and that Lafarge's current reclamation project is a massive undertaking.<br />
<br />
How massive? Costs for security alone, including a 24-hour-a-day, two-person crew, are $1.5-million a year. Overall costs are a company secret.<br />
<br />
As we trundle up the rough road, Nick Leuzinger, Operations Manager, GVA Aggregates; Chen Mei, VP Aggregates, Greater Vancouver Aggregates Division; and Patrick Dobbyn, Land & Resource Manager (and the man who arranged this early-December tour), point to areas where work needs to be done: hillsides have to be stabilized to the extent that, ironically for a site from which thousands upon thousands of truckloads of aggregate were extracted, structural fill has to be trucked <i>into</i> the site.<br />
<br />
Coincidental to my tour (which was sparked by the wrapping up of the Coquitlam River Aggregate Advisory Committee, which I had chaired), the company's request for a Conservation Permit, to facilitate its reclamation work, will be before Council on Monday, Dec. 5. Please <a href="http://www.coquitlam.ca/docs/default-source/council-agenda-documents/regularcouncil_2016_12_05_item_11.pdf?sfvrsn=2"><b><u>click here</u></b> </a>to read the report.<br />
<br />
Operating as Coquitlam Sand and Gravel, Lafarge Canada Inc. was, for many years, one of the major aggregate-industry operators along the Coquitlam River. However, after costs to operate the company's 37-hectare pit on Pipeline Road became too high due to the high level of fine sediments in the gravel deposits, the company decided to cease operations on the site.<br />
<br />
Lafarge is now in the midst of a major reclamation project at the site, one whose goal is to stabilize the site and return it to a safe, natural state, removing all general structures and roads, disposing of fuels and other toxic materials, delineating the watershed and improving drainage, and instituting a re-vegetation plan.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyOAtCNQMHhvbs_zQAKlzzO8ipxmjeEFjj2Lbf6_433n1AAMBJao9266wfRzn-gadvx-lsbdeOTPq-tSf4KETO_IdM6TbegV3fSwXuh7qBkCHvLlXtjr8D7PmZLEbFACg_zimB7NwUeyv/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyOAtCNQMHhvbs_zQAKlzzO8ipxmjeEFjj2Lbf6_433n1AAMBJao9266wfRzn-gadvx-lsbdeOTPq-tSf4KETO_IdM6TbegV3fSwXuh7qBkCHvLlXtjr8D7PmZLEbFACg_zimB7NwUeyv/s400/IMG_0326.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrace to "hidden valley" of reclaimed main pit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The company's plan is to complete the reclamation by 2018 and, after monitoring to ensure that the reclamation is successful, return the 87-hectare site to the Crown in 2021. After that, it may well become an attractive destination for hikers and mountain bikers. Views from the site to Burke Mountain (to the east) are spectacular, and the terrain -- natural and man-made alike -- is most interesting.*<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mM93k_nhqdEWYzw4iONMp7dIsvvmloYUvhPcALlu52IL2TV6s1ocbWNboRffBCdoW4ilZseScpp9M2J9jTIhI1lnGIegQSQtG__KYqMtcJfQbLq0c_PG_9MXA4ICPEuK6lCUf3I4V_6S/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mM93k_nhqdEWYzw4iONMp7dIsvvmloYUvhPcALlu52IL2TV6s1ocbWNboRffBCdoW4ilZseScpp9M2J9jTIhI1lnGIegQSQtG__KYqMtcJfQbLq0c_PG_9MXA4ICPEuK6lCUf3I4V_6S/s400/IMG_0334.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hillside of reclaimed main pit: Look closely to see four deer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Of special note are two features. First is the new Mantle Creek watercourse that Lafarge is constructing. Designed to mimic natural flowing patterns, the new watercourse will be built to handle the most extreme rainfalls. Especially impressive are the extensive rock-works (aka rip-rap) and holding pond at the base of the new course.<br />
<br />
Second is the Main Dig Site in the upper (southwest) corner of the site. Lafarge's extraction of millions of tonnes of material has created a massive, crater-shaped, amphitheatre-like valley which, now that it has been re-vegetated, is already home to a herd of rambunctious black-tailed deer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWT4ZMGcNmfYvYs22FBi-VOYbGrzfa7G99Uh_6ynFh-x3MPKya_uf0MJIf-m3SUcchwSbcCwKaPe_d5l954jglnCKdoaQqfhrss5IP135mcQWm32_s187Xj21JXHMfbf6ebqRlVlzKpQ7/s1600/IMG_0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWT4ZMGcNmfYvYs22FBi-VOYbGrzfa7G99Uh_6ynFh-x3MPKya_uf0MJIf-m3SUcchwSbcCwKaPe_d5l954jglnCKdoaQqfhrss5IP135mcQWm32_s187Xj21JXHMfbf6ebqRlVlzKpQ7/s320/IMG_0377.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At base of new Mantle Creek.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The only easy way to get into the valley is via a single roadway through a gap in the valley, which gives the visitor a rather dramatic and sudden view of this otherwise hidden gem.<br />
<br />
One can imagine that, decades in the future, the valley will be a favourite destination for picnickers or maybe even the site of al-fresco concerts, with thousands of spectators lining the valley slopes.<br />
<br />
For now, though, the entire site is off-limits to the public. Movie-goers will, however, have a chance to see some of the site's spectacular, steep and forested lands next summer when the latest <i>Planet of the Apes</i> instalment, <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jj_nHwTI7g">War for the Planet of the Apes, </a></i>is released; the production spent several months shooting on location this past summer, going so far as to build a fort at the top of a steep ravine that forms part of the future Mantle Creek watercourse.<br />
<br />
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<i>*Long-term plans for the site are uncertain, as the property is outside Metro Vancouver's urban-containment boundary and, as such, is also not part of Coquitlam's Northwest Burke Visioning process.</i>Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417074804234619395.post-13662182842052583192016-11-28T12:52:00.000-08:002016-12-16T17:36:46.218-08:00Looking forward to new assignments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixY__I6_pOyZALVs3p-1ne8v11PziRMLlekVYX2pW6D-xmvA6Y_UpnZVrntZCvdih-vULbQt6m11bCZKxkoQ_PB-GMhAdIP_zz3H3XcIKJUZPF5-dES7CsVKJzNP9N0c-KnqqYcpbNZdQu/s1600/O%2527Neill_council_Sept2014_meeting04+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixY__I6_pOyZALVs3p-1ne8v11PziRMLlekVYX2pW6D-xmvA6Y_UpnZVrntZCvdih-vULbQt6m11bCZKxkoQ_PB-GMhAdIP_zz3H3XcIKJUZPF5-dES7CsVKJzNP9N0c-KnqqYcpbNZdQu/s320/O%2527Neill_council_Sept2014_meeting04+%25282%2529.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A</b></span>t the end of each year on Council, we decide among ourselves which Council members will sit on which committees and boards for the following year. Two of my long-time duties -- chair of the Coquitlam River Aggregate Advisory Committee and chair of the Evergreen Line Public Art Task Force -- have now ended because both bodies have completed their work, so I am looking forward to some new duties in 2017. Here's what I will be up to:<br />
<b>Metro Vancouver</b>: New for 2017, I will be Mayor Richard Stewart's alternate on the Metro Board. I will also be a member of Metro's <b>Performance and Audit Committee</b>.<br />
<b>Culture Services Advisory Committee:</b> I will continue to sit on the committee for the sixth consecutive year, but will be moving to the vice-chair position, with Councillor Towner taking over the chair.<br />
<b>Multiculturalism Advisory Committee</b>: Continuing for third consecutive year as vice-chair, with Councillor Brent Asmundson continuing as chair.<br />
<b>Sustainability and Environmental Advisory Committee</b>: A new responsibility for me, as I will be chairing the committee, with Councillor Chris Wilson as vice-chair.<br />
Thanks to my Council colleagues for supporting me on the above!<br />
As well, I will be continuing as the Mayor's Designate (City Rep) on the board of the <b>Coquitlam Foundation.</b><br />
Please <u><b><a href="http://www.coquitlam.ca/docs/default-source/council-agenda-documents/regularcouncil_2016_11_28_item_8.pdf?sfvrsn=2">click here</a></b></u> to see the full list of committee, board, panel, partnership, roundtable, and task-group appointments.<br />
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<br />Terry O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10765789121279043561noreply@blogger.com0