I am...

Thanksgiving in Canada was in October, yesterday my friends in the US celebrated it but to me it is today. Today I am thankful to have a freezer full of food, a well stocked pantry and the ability to add a variety of veggies and items to my lunch, dinner or snacks.

I am thankful to have the means to buy fresh food and have a healthy diet and choice. I am also thankful I was able to participate in the Donated Diet to help me learn and understand. You truly can see the struggles some people go through.

I am also humbled as sometimes I have taken for granted our social safety net, assumed we will always be there to take care of those in our society who need a hand up.

I am mindful of some things that were said the other day. That all of us need to drop our bias’s we may have of why some one is using the food bank or on social assistance and offer help.
I am mindful of the cold today that may have some worried about putting the heat up a few degrees, or about where the money will come from for a winter coat or boots.

I am sorry as I have been guilty of donating close coded items to the food bank. From now on I will add in canned veggies and fruit. Even that would have been a treat!

I am respectful of those who try to be jugglers and provide for them selves and family under the difficult rules of our Social programs. Which first seems to try and rob you of your dignity and self respect.
I am confused as to why we allow something that costs the Canadian economy 72 Billion a year to continue. Governments will focus on cutting deficits but what about our people? All orders of government and all parties are responsible for not getting to work to eliminate poverty.

Finally, I am grateful to have been asked to participate. To be able to advocate on this issue and to try to work with Regional Staff and others to work for solutions.

I am grateful there are social agencies and people out there who spend everyday trying to help people.


I have always felt that the answer is not government but with all orders of government, social agencies, faith based groups and business working together.
We have work to do and need to get started…..NOW!

Who burnt the beans!

The Donated Diet Day 1
Well the day started innocently enough with instant coffee. Been a number of years since I have had instant coffee and forgot how little I enjoy it! I also had cheerio’s for breakfast. Not a big stretch as I do frequently.
I also decided if I have some of the larger items I would use what I had here and not open a box or package when I have one already open. The box I got I will give back to the food bank.
My morning seemed to be spent talking about the results of yesterdays summit and the diet. I talked to a reporter who was interested in hearing more about it.
I also dove into the box to do some menu planning. I noticed something that happens with some food that is donated. It was close coded or expired. Close coded is when the best before date is about to expire, or has expired. Caution always has to be exercised when that happens.
I opened the 3 items and found that they were indeed past. The metallic smell of the pineapple gives it away. I have a safe food handling certificate. What could have happened to someone who didn’t?
Lunch was an adventure. I opened a can of pork and beans. Added in some pepper and turned on the stove. The phone range and before I could get back to them well they were warm and a bit burnt. Keeping in mind trying to see what it was like, I knew some people may not be able to throw them out and open another can. So I ate them. With a can of tomato juice that was in the box.
Not the best meal I have had but with Rolaids it was sufficient.
I stopped this afternoon at St Albans Church in Glen Williams. They are a Tuesday drop off point for “Food for Life”. An organisation that distributes fresh food to a variety of drop off locations within Halton Region.
Walking into St Albans was truly humbling, not by the volume of food they may have given out today, but for the work they all do to assist people to get food who need it.
Today they had distributed food to 56 people when I had arrived. They were getting ready to pack up but they knew a regular had not dropped in and they did not want him to miss out. They also deliver food to people who call in.
Some of the items they had today were red and Spanish onions, peppers, romaine lettuce, ground beef, salmon, sausages and rabbit. They also had pepper squash and Anise.
Father Aaron Orear takes the initiative to find recipes for different vegetables that comes in so people who take them can cook with confidence.
I had heard one of the difficulties facing people who are on “food bank diets” is the type of food tends to be processed, high in starch, carbs, sugar and salt. Imagine if my Doctor said I had to lose weight and cut down blood pressure!
The relief I felt over seeing the meat was it opened up what dinner could be. I had a box of hamburger Helper but no meat. So I substituted ground beef I had at home, added in a pepper and onion and went to cook.
I had Hamburger helper, with onions, peppers and green beans. A snack during the evening was a orange stolen fromt eh poverty summit yesterday.
It will be interesting to step on the scale in the morning after the high fibre starch laden meals today.
So why do we figure someone who goes to a food bank is okay eating past expired food we would not?

The Donated Diet

Tonight for dinner I am having something not unusual for me. I am having a savory roasted Turkey breast with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy. Whole wheat bread and a garden fresh salad with Vidalia Dressing and grated parmesan cheese. Dessert will be apple pie with 4 yr old Cheddar cheese. Sound good? It will be…. Is it the different from what I cook at home most nights? A little bit but not that far from what I have.
I am a foodie… Self confessed person who loves to cook and enjoys the gastronomic delights a kitchen can hold. I grow my own spices in the summer along with garlic onions and tomatoes.
I used to be a Kitchen Manager for a 200 seat Fine dining restaurant, ran a pub and was the Food and Beverage Manager of a couple of golf courses.

But tonight in Halton and across our region will be people who are wondering what they are going to have. Whether they will have enough to afford both food and the hydro bill. Deciding if the few extra bucks will go to the car repair, new winter coat or for dinner.
We were asked today to think of the first thought we had that morning when the alarm went off. Was it about paying your bills, wondering where the next meal is coming from or a the need for a pair of winter boots? Probably not.
One of the items that was raised at the Halton Poverty Summit was the Donated Diet. The donated diet is designed to highlight the fact that a single person in Ontario would be required to live on $585 a month. That is after all assets and savings are exhausted.
WOW.
The idea of the Donated diet is that Community Leaders would be asked to live on 3 days worth of food that would come from a local food bank. The cost of the food would be donated so that no food is taken out of circulation or anyone needing the food would go without.
Doing the diet in Halton with me is; Gillian Tuck Kutarna is the HDSB trustee for Halton Hills and works at the legal clinic as a staff lawyer, Barbara Burton is the CEO of the United Way of Oakville, Brennan Carson is a board member of Food for Life, Dr. Bob Nosal is the Medical Officer of Health, Halton Region, Sheldon Wolfson is the Commissioner, Social and Community Services Department, Halton Region, Michael Bird is the Bishop of Niagara of the Anglican Church of Canada. Bishop Bird grew up in the Kerr St. area of Oakville and Ted Arnott, is the MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills.
It should be interesting. I immediately noticed a huge difference from what given to us. I had bread, coffee, sugar, a squash, flour and salt in my box. While others had ground beef, recipes, fresh fruit and vegetables. That is in addition to macaroni, pasta, box of cereal, pasta sauce, soup and canned fish and meat.
Some boxes looked pretty grim and empty by comparison. One I saw was so empty I was taking items out of mine and adding it to the other one. But all of us were given the addresses of where food agencies will be tomorrow for fresh fruit in our area.
As I was leaving I had someone come over and tell me that the reality would be I would look at the sandwiches and fruit left over. With that in mind I picked up 3 oranges. Dropped one into a box that was skimpy and took the other 2 home.

I will keep you posted as to what I create. My plan is to stick as close to the box as I can. If I need butter, milk or any other ingredients they will be used sparingly. My morning coffee will be from the box, instant. Spices? Not unless I have too. I know I have a lunch this week. My lunch that day will either be brown bagged or will be reminiscent of the contents in my box.

Some have suggested we do it for a month or 2 months to get the feel of it. While 3 days may seem like a small time to do it will provide a window into what some people face each day.
Stay tuned.

Halton Leadership Summit on Poverty Reduction

Today I attended the Poverty Summit. Rather timely after being at FCM meetings last week. The summit was well attended by social, faith, and other community groups. As well as leaders from the United Ways of Halton, Habitat for Humanity, school Boards. But most importantly by people who either are receiving social assistance or who have been recipients in the past. We were reminded the name should be elimination not reduction as reduction says that a level is allowed.

Poverty is estimated to cost the Canadian economy 72 Billion per year according to the Toronto Star editorial on Nov 21st. We have been studying it to death. We have the studies from the “social determinants of Health”; we have the data collected by the Our Kids Networks and the groups like the United Ways. We have the data what we have not had in Halton is the program or the people to push it. Push it big time. Hamilton has done a Roundtable on Poverty Reduction. That is a model I have had phone calls from people in other areas tell me we should do. Or the work of the Toronto City Summit Alliance.
The City of Vancouver has found that the cost of providing housing for someone is about 37,000 a year. But the cost for that same person if they were homeless is over $52,000 a year. The home gives them a base and a place to grow in and feel safe.
I do not think the solutions to Poverty elimination are all government. But business, community groups and all level of government must work together and find the solutions.

My thanks to the organisers for the hard work they did in getting everyone together.

Go Train Returns to Acton!

Go Train
WOW what an exciting announcement out of the blue on Friday. GO Train service will be coming to Kitchener, Guelph and Acton on the Georgetown line. It was expected we could see it about 2013 or 2014 so having it 2 yrs earlier is awesome!
Acton’s long history with the train will be renewed by the ability of people to “Get on the GO” here and head to Toronto, or in the evening to Guelph or Kitchener. We had GO Train service in the early 90’s but the NDP government cut it out as a cost saving measure. Imagine where we would have been if it would have been allowed to develop!
The Town wisely purchased the parking lot by the tracks that was used by the service and it will be pressed into service again for GO with parking and a ticket kiosk as well as shelters.
The announcement was made possible by the twinning of the “Iron bridge” outside of Georgetown which has been a bottleneck for freight and passenger traffic for years. The Federal and Provincial Government have twinned the bridge across the Credit River Valley and the new service is a testament to it.
It was a surprise to come in the house and find a message from CFRB asking for my comments. Anyone who heard me could tell my enthusiasm for the train returning!
Imagine you will be able to work downtown, but hop on the train here. No traffic tie ups on the 401 or parking hassles.

Great News GO Transit and Metrolinx! Hopefully the next one will be all day service to Georgetown!

FCM Advocacy Days

This week, after the Regional Health and Social Services meeting finishes I will be heading to Ottawa. While visiting the nation’s capital is always nice, it will be a work trip on behalf of Towns and Cities form all parts of our great Country.
Each November the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) holds advocacy days. During this time we go out in groups of 3 or 4 (Councillors and Mayors), with FCM staff and have meetings with MP’s and senior staff.
It is a tremendous opportunity for us to advocate on behalf of all Municipalities for items of common interest. Such as the need to tackle the 123 Billion dollar infrastructure deficit facing our communities. Or for services like programs for new immigrants and affordable housing.
The meetings allow the MP’s to find out areas of concern to the Municipalities and also for them to provide input to us. This year it is projected that we will be meeting with 90 MP’s over a 3 day period.
Such meetings helped highlight the need for stimulus programs to be set up and money flowing quickly to the Municipalities during the present economic crisis. In Halton Hills we have had money for the new Acton Library, road projects, recreational facilities at Trafalgar Sports Park and the twinning of the CN tracks allowing GO Train service to return to Acton.
I am always awestruck as I enter into the Government buildings and especially the House of Commons. The majesty and beauty of the building is inspiring. Walking the halls there I am struck by the sense of history and hope for the future.
This year due to meeting schedules I will not be able to attend Question Period. Our MP Michael Chong had presented a motion that called on their to be renewed civility in Question Period and also put a onus on Ministers to actually answer the question.
I frankly find the format now to be a bit of theatre of the absurd. Cheap shots and theatrics for the TV cameras instead of an opportunity for questions to be put the Government about programs and ideas. Let’s hope Mr. Chong’s well received motion can restore the true sense of what Question Period should be.
I look forward to the meetings with the MP’s as well as our regular agenda. The next four days we will deal with items such as international trade, affordable housing, and infrastructure spending and rural affairs. Also on the radar will be to make sure the Municipal message is clear for the next Federal election expected probably in the spring of 2011.

Remembrance Day and Cenotaph Services

“Never in the face of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”
Winston Churchill

Each year I am fortunate to be invited to participate in the Royal Canadian Legion Cenotaph Services. Most years I am asked to march with the Legion members and to lay a wreath. I get a chance to visit with them and enjoy their company over lunch and the social hour that follows.
The Cenotaph services in Acton, Georgetown and Glen Williams are always well attended. There is always a great crowd of people showing their respect to those who paid the supreme sacrifice. Also, to those who have served peace time operations. Or who have served in other wars. We must remember that today, Canadians are still putting there lives at risk for us. Fighting the war in Afghanistan or serving in UN missions around the world.
Over the last few years we have seen a shift in Remembrance Day, we have lost our last World War 1 soldier and we are losing most of our Soldiers who fought in World War 2 and Korea. We are not losing them to a foreign enemy but the one who most of us will lose to eventually, old age.
We have in that time seen great respect and public outpouring for those who are fighting in Afghanistan and serving in our armed Forces. Most cars have a support our troop’s sticker on them, or poppies or other magnets to remind us. People are wearing red on Friday in a show of support.
We as a nation mourn together when news of another young life lost reaches us. People by the thousands stand on bridges and on the side of the Highway of Heroes and watch as a procession brings them home. We close the busiest Highway in the Country to show our respect.
Having family who fought in past conflicts and some that have served in Afghanistan and Iraq brings the procession close to home. Every time I hear of a soldier’s death I silently hope and pray it is not a relative. The first name on the Cenotaph in Georgetown is Air Force F/Lt C N Somerville. Killed in training in 1915. Imagine the Air Force in 1915.


I am fortunate to be able to do the job that I do because of those who came before me. People from all walks of life have fought for this country and the ideals we hold dear. They did not fight for glory they fought for principles.

Tomorrow, as I will do many times over the year, I will pause and say thank you and pay respect to our veterans. Whether it is Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, Veterans Day or what ever you observe in our Town, City or Country, you should do the same.

Lest we Forget