MPP Jim McDonell: Government reviewing Service Ontario Closures

The mission and your role

In my last reflection on the church ministry, I shared my religious experience on the physical nature of the Church, and our concerns toward it. 

God has entrusted the Church to us, and one of the primal metrics that really matter about the life and ministry of the Church, is the individuals and families the church has been able to help, to become better people.

I’d like to shortly reflect on the mission and ethos of this very aging Church of Christ, and the role each one of my readers can play in it. 

It is evident that the Christian church is going through various upheavals that affect not only its future, but also its present authenticity in the actual society.

The church’s mission is to make of all nations disciples of Jesus the Christ, through sacraments, teaching and preaching the Good News that transforms peoples’ lives into the likeness of Christ, and all this done in the power of the Holy Spirit.

How do you see this mission successful? What was, or is your investment in it? Truth is: the church mission reveals that to be a Christian is conditional. To choose not to be Christian is relative. 

After all, all of us are the children of God: therefore, whatever claims to be of God is ultimately our responsibility not our right! To make a concrete point: the majority of our church members are boomers. The seniors are the wise and the cornerstone, even the pillars and, or the potters of our pride or irritability today.

While churches and communities strive to offer them the care worth their sweat, here is some food for thought as noted by Gary Nicolosi, about few crisis facing our elders: There is the crisis of purpose…Physical breakdowns, loss of parents, the surrender of youthful dreams and forced retirements are making Boomers ask, “What else is there?” 

There is the crisis of disillusionment…The ideals of the 1960s seem to be unrealized as the world goes from crisis to crisis. Boomers are asking, “Is changing the world even possible or has cynicism won the day?” 

There is the crisis of priorities…Consumer culture claims you can have it all, but there are too many choices, too much debt and too little time. “Can anyone really have it all?” 

There is the crisis of relationships…“Should anyone say forever?” For Boomers and their children, the answer seems to be no. 

There is the crisis of loneliness…Boomers value their freedom and autonomy, but they still seek connection, conversation and community. “Where do you find meaningful relationships in a superficial world?”

There is the crisis of security…Economic uncertainty has led to spiritual anxiety. 

There is the crisis of spirituality … Organized religion has given way to a nebulous spirituality. Where do you find something rock solid for your life in a world that is falling apart…is the church a refuge place?” 

The quest for satisfaction is immensely exacerbated by the desire of the resurrection. By resurrection I mean, a revisit of our former truisms, or the good memoirs of the past: I want those glorious moments to happen again. 

The good news is: our souls never age: the spirit of God in us is ever fresh, the heart of love is Christ-centered and ever loving, despite the dusting body which returns to ashes as naturally ordered. 

However, when life becomes the party we did not wish for, while we are still here, the church and community are invited to offer the dance.

To conclude: what is so exciting about serving in these conditions? What is compelling to believe in a church whose future is dependable on freewill donations? 

While the church cannot answer why bad things happen to good people, the church can offer comfort and guidance to God’s children to deal with some heavy dilemmas, in the name of Jesus the Christ, the head of the church. 

All for Jesus, and Jesus for all.  

Rev. Manassé Maniragaba, 

Associate Priest for the

Morrisburg Anglican Parish

 

The dying Jesus is the evidence of God’s anger toward sin; but the living Jesus is the proof of God’s love and forgiveness. ~Lorenz Eifert

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In an effort to provide support to local communities our Government has taken action through Canada’s Gas Tax Fund. 

In recent years, the Gas Tax Fund has been extended, doubled, indexed and made permanent. 

These improvements to Canada’s Gas Tax Fund provide predictable, long-term funding for Canadian municipalities to help them build and revitalize public infrastructure while creating jobs and long-term prosperity.

The Gas Tax Fund is providing Ontarians, including the constituents of SDSG, with stable funding that will have a tangible impact on their quality of life and the long-term sustainability of their communities. 

Through the Gas Tax Fund, municipalities across Ontario have benefited from close to $4.7 billion in predictable and flexible funding for local priorities since the program began.

Municipalities have been able to distribute these funds into drinking water, wastewater infrastructure, public transit, community energy systems, solid waste management, and local roads. By investing these funds in important local infrastructure we are creating jobs, promoting growth and building strong, prosperous communities across Canada, and right here in SDSG. 

As announced in Economic Action Plan 2013, the eligible categories for the Gas Tax Fund will be expanded and the Fund will be indexed at two per cent a year in $100-million increments, starting in 2014. 

This represents $21.8 billion in flexible, long-term funding for municipal infrastructure. 

This expansion will now allow municipalities to invest in projects supporting culture, tourism, sport and recreation; disaster mitigation; broadband communication systems; highways; short-line rail; short-sea shipping; brownfield redevelopment; and local and regional airports. 

In 2013 to 2014, SDSG municipalities have received the following funding to support its local infrastructure priorities: Cornwall – $2,819,953; South Glengarry – $395,094; South Stormont – $384,051; North Stormont – $207,639; South Dundas -$323,621; North Dundas – $340,339.

I am confident that Canada’s Gas Tax Fund provides long-term funding to help SDSG communities build and revitalize their local infrastructures.  

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Hospital Hiring

Friends,

My name is Christopher Cameron and I am a Registered Nurse employed full-time at The Ottawa Hospital and casual at Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH). On two separate occasions I was denied full-time employment at CCH because I did not speak advanced French. In addition, I had over seven years of experience and certification in the specialty. The nurses who were awarded the positions spoke advanced French; however had no training or experience in the specialty. The Hospital spent approximately $12,000 to $15,000 on each separate occasion to train both nurses in the specialty. Please take the time to view my You-Tube video: type “Language Discrimination”

Over the past several months, since Dr. Tombler wrote his infamous Letter to the Editor, “Loss of Good Nurses” (Standard Freeholder-Feb.2, 2012)-exposing CCH discriminatory hiring practices, I have been protesting in front of the Hospital.

On March 3, 2012, a rally was called and over 200 people came out to support Equality for All.

Many Hospital staff, over the last few months, have expressed their own stories of discrimination and the stories of others who are too afraid to speak up. One staff member was so distraught about the bullying and abuse she has encountered from administration that she broke down in tears.  How does a public entity condone bullying behaviour towards staff whose main objective is to care for others?

Since this peaceful protest started, I have met many wonderful and supportive people in our community, but it’s not all good. Hospital administration has called the police three times, complaining about me stopping traffic at the hospital entrance. When in fact, I was called over by drivers to sign our petition asking for the Provincial Government to assess CCH’s discriminatory hiring practices. 

I have been called many things, including–bigot, hillbilly, thug, KKK and Anglo-Saxon extremist…I have gotten many honks and a few “birds”. One retired nurse protester’s life was even threatened by a group of young men. Local media groups have even been approached by some groups to stop printing “Hospital Protest” stories. Furthermore, Francophone interest groups and associations have decided to get involved and divide our community.

The fact of the matter is all this never had to happen if CCH administration had really cared about the community it serves. When the two English Hospitals–Cornwall General and Hotel Dieu amalgamated in 2004, CCH applied for the FLSA (French Language Service Act). Since the FLSA’s implementation, countless people have been discriminated against either because they did not speak French or did not speak French well enough. 

The Administration has the ability to change the French requirement from mandatory to asset, but is unwilling to budge. This does not serve our community or our patients’ best interests when language trumps education and experience.

Chris Cameron RN

Long Sault, ON

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