Suicide Prevention Day

It was an absolutely wonderful experience says 13 year old Tayler Pilon of Morrisburg who participated in the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Man in Motion Relay at Smiths Falls on Saturday, October 29. 

“It was awesome,” says Tayler who was accompanied by her mom Laury, her grandmother Inez Bilmer and a large number of family members to Smiths Falls where she ran in memory of her beloved ‘poppy’ Les Bilmer, who was left a quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury suffered in 2000.

Les passed away in May of 2004.

Tayler was one of seven participants in the Smiths Falls segment of the relay, “three wheelers and four runners”. It was a great experience. I met a lot of nice people.”

When Tayler learned she was one of 2,000 Ontarians selected for the relay, she and her mom Laury set a goal to raise $1,000. As of last week, they raised $2,020. 

“That is way more than I ever expected. I want to thank all the people who donated. It is going to a great cause.” 

Both Tayler and her mom were impressed with the day, the organization, the coordination and the wonderful spirit of all those working in the relay.

“They made it so much fun,” said Laury. 

“You clapped people off the bus, and they played music all the way along the route,” says Tayler. “Everything was laid out and ready to go. Everyone was so willing to help and there was always a person around if you had a question.”

Tayler says it was an honour to carry the commemorative Rick Hansen Difference Maker Medal (produced by the Royal Canadian Mint) which was passed to her by Amanda Lawson of Brockville. She then  carried it to a waiting Marshal Hogan of Smiths Falls who was the community ‘medal bearer of the day’.

As a participant Tayler received a replica of the medal and will keep her “Man in Motion’ Nike track suit.

Major sponsors for the 25th anniversary relay are Nike and McDonald’s Restaurants.

Twenty-five years ago, Rick Hansen wheeled through 34 countries in 26 months to complete his now-famous Man in Motion World Tour. He raised millions of dollars and invaluable awareness for people with spinal cord injuries and related disabilities.

The 25th anniversary relay started in Newfoundland in August and will end May 22, 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Pictured: Above Taylor is passed the Relay Medal by Amanda Lawson of Brockville. Below she is pictured with Marshal Hogan of Smiths Falls who was that community’s ‘medal bearer of the day’.  In the background of the bottom photo (far right) is her grandmother Inez Bilmer.

[…]

Here, this morning, August 28, at 8:30 a.m., South Dundas officially opened for business in the municipality’s new headquarters, the South Dundas Municipal Centre.

While the $4.1 million renovation project to refit the old Morrisburg High School, that broke ground December 6, 2012, is not yet complete, the second and third floors of the building, are ready to welcome its first new tenants.

The second and third floors are the domain of the municipality. 

Only days before the municipality moved in, reporters were allowed to tour the facility. 

The most striking features of the building, and the thing that many of those who will work there like best, is the many large windows that give the building a bright, airy atmosphere. Not only do they provide a great view overlooking surrounding Morrisburg, they fill the building with beautiful daylight and they can be opened too.

Those who visit the South Dundas Municipal Centre for municipal business will enter go to the second floor where they will be greeted by South Dundas’ administrative staff, at their new counter that opens into the large administrative area. 

The administrative offices, like all of the offices in the building are grouped together with other offices in areas that they are calling pods. The administrative pod includes the treasurer’s office and the clerk’s office.

According to staff, the administrative space is similar in size to that in Williamsburg, but the layout has been much improved for better efficiency. 

Another pod includes the planning and public works pod which includes offices for planning and building staff along with public works manager. This pod includes a common work area and three offices, each about 110 square feet in size.

Another pod features a meeting room and offices for the fire chief, economic development officer and manager of recreation programming. For the first time, these managers will all be under the same roof. 

At the far end of the hall is the chief administrative officer’s office which includes some extra administrative space and an extra office.

There are enough offices for all South Dundas office staff, and some room for growth in the new building.

The second floor has two meeting rooms, and an archive room for records currently in use by staff.

The third floor is where South Dundas council will meet. Council chambers, with a small caucus room and an office for the use of the mayor and council fill the east side of the third floor and the west side is a large recreation area, that will house some of the recreation programming activities that South Dundas offers. 

The old wooden front door, is being replaced with glass to preserve some of the look and character of the 1925 building.

Once paving is complete, there will be about 100 parking spaces available at the SDMC. The front lot alone has parking for 40. The paving is being done in two sections to allow the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic to remain open for regular hours throughout the construction process.

The next step will be completion of the first floor of the building, the new home of the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic. The clinic plans to be in that space early next month. 

Once the first floor is complete, the renovation project then shifts to the existing St. Lawrence Medical Clinic space. Part of that will be retained for SLMC for administrative purposes, but part of the building will become the home of the new Morrisburg branch of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Library. 

[…]

News Release – Dec 5, 2011

QUEEN’S PARK – Stormont, Dundas, and South Glengarry MPP, Jim McDonell blasted the McGuinty government for playing politics with the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) by linking its future to an unknown program for Southwestern Ontario.

Jim McDonell expressed shock that the government has introduced a bill it knows will put the EODF in jeopardy.

To extend the EODF, the government’s bill forces MPPs to also vote for a new program in Southwestern Ontario that’s surrounded in serious questions – including how it will be funded and what accountability measures it will have.

“We don’t need this bill for the EODF program. The program exists already and it has the support of Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and our caucus,” stressed Jim McDonell.  The fund was created to address the unique challenges of Eastern Ontario, challenges that still need to be addressed. 

“However, we won’t support a bill bundling it with a program that has so many unknowns. The McGuinty government is asking for a blank cheque and we all know that would be a costly disaster for taxpayers.”

In fact, Jim McDonell noted that with an estimated $28 million still left in the fund after more than three years, the EODF could be extended through March of 2013 with no new government spending.

Jim McDonell said the government is using the threat of cancelling the EODF as a tactic to force the Legislature into helping Premier McGuinty keep an election promise to establish the Southwestern Ontario fund.

It’s a promise that comes with an $80-million price tag at a time when the province has a deficit of $16 billion.

“Rather than debate the merits of the new Southwestern Ontario program, they’re pitting regions against each other with this bill,” explained Jim McDonell. “It’s unfortunate that, at a time of economic turmoil in this province, the McGuinty government would choose to play political games instead of focusing on job creation.”

Jim McDonell called on Economic Development and Innovation Minister Brad Duguid to do the right thing and separate the two programs and bring together Eastern Ontario MPPs to review the EODF before it expires in March, 2012.

“Let’s stop playing partisan politics and do what Ontarians expect MPPs to do in this minority legislature, which is to work across party lines to fix the serious challenges facing the province today,” urged Jim McDonell.

[…]