IT HAS BEEN 30 YEARS

 IT HAS BEEN 30 YEARS

By Lisa Freeman
  It has been 30 years since the murder of my father on a cold winter evening in February of 1991. John 'Terry' Porter was on parole for another crime when he axed my father, Roland Slingerland, to death in Oshawa- my Dad was the maintenance man for some rooming houses when Porter came looking for a former girlfriend. The woman had been moved to another location for her own protection, my father knew where she was, but refused to tell him. Terry Porter took an axe, roofer's hatchet and hammer and mercilessly attacked my father, hacking him to death. I was 21 years old at the time, and I identified my father a few hours later. Terry Porter was charged with first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, no eligibility for parole for 25 years.
There is nothing I can utilize that could accurately measure the impact that my father's murder has had on me- not only did Terry Porter leave his finger prints at the crime scene but all over my life as well.  For the first two decades I would rarely speak of this crime to anyone- Terry Porter was incarcerated, there were no support services for crime victims as there is now, so I moved on with my life as best I could, trying to look ahead of me rather than behind.  In 2012, at the 21-year point of his sentence, the parole process for Terry Porter began to unfold with his application for escorted temporary absences from the penitentiary in Kingston. Despite it widely being reported that a life sentence carries an automatic no eligibility period for 25 years, this is untrue- parole begins at the 21-year mark.
For the first time in two decades, I would see my father's killer again, this time in board room at a prison in Kingston, when I would stand in front of him and read my victim impact statement. There was nothing to guide me on how to best write an impact statement except guidelines from the Parole Board- and I was shocked that they instructed me to 'keep my statement short- about 10 minutes when read aloud.' No, I told them, my statement will be as long as it needs to be, because I am more than a 'ten-minute victim'. I was told that I would deliver my statement whilst seated, and at the beginning of the hearing; and I said no, pushed for and was allowed to stand to read my statement at the end of the hearing. I wanted to make sure my voice, not the offender's, was the last they heard before they made any decisions. Even though I did my best to prepare myself before I got to the hearing, nothing could ever prepare me for what happened inside the room that day when one of the panelists introduced me twice, by full name, to the room, and in front of my father's killer. Not one person at the parole board told me that they would say my name in front of Terry Porter that day, no one had thought to ask me if I wanted to be identified, or how I would like to be introduce, if at all. I received an apology letter from the head of the Parole Board of Canada for the distress they caused me that day, but that wasn't enough, I wanted change, and I wanted to make sure no one would ever have to go through what I experienced.
That person who rarely spoke of the murder of her father for two decades was long gone -I took my story to the media and it marked the first of four times I would be on the front page of the Toronto Sun. In 2014 a bill was passed in Parliament to change the policies and procedures of the Parole Board of Canada to better reflect the needs of victims of crime, specifically how they want to be addressed, or not addressed at all at Parole hearings.
When the Covid 19 pandemic affected parole hearings and stripped victims of crime of their right to attend hearings to present statements, but at the same time allowed offenders to participate by video link , I, along with Oshawa MP Colin Carrie and Quebecois Senate Pierre Hughes Boisvenu pushed back hard in parliament and the media for the Parole Board to include Canada's crime victims in this important process. After a lot of hard work and pressure, the Parole Board finally relented and included us. When the Parole Board moved Terry Porter to a prison less than 10 kms away from my sister's house and didn't inform me until 24 hours later, that was the precursor to my Bill (S-219) that was tabled in the Senate in December of 2020 by Senateur Pierre Boisvenu and Justice Critic Shannon Stubbs and MP Carrie, that would make amendments to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to better inform victims of crime of the critical information they are due.
There is still a lack of support for those bereaved by homicide, and a lack of resources for crime victims outside of those published by the Parole Board. I am proud to say that I am doing my part to change that, by facilitating a Homicide Bereavement Support Group through York Victim Services, the first of its kind in Ontario. I am a return guest speaker in Criminology & Victimology class rooms and I have published a book; She Won't Be Silenced and a Work Book designed to help people write stronger victim impact statements. I am a national voice for Canada's crime victims but I am only in that role by standing on the shoulders of those who support me.
My father's murder has become two separate issues for me- to continue to keep a dangerous man in prison- Terry Porter is still incarcerated and was denied full parole in October 2020- and secondarily as the catalyst to help re-balance the system- beginning with greater transparency and greater respect for the needs of Canada's crime victims. I refuse to stand still in a system that continues to re-victimize and re-traumatize those who already carry so much. For this my father would be proud, even more so than I've kept his killer incarcerated for more than 3 decades, but that I have brought change and, in his memory, have made the path a little easier for those who follow me.

  Canadians, the Budget, and COVID in Ontario
(The good, the bad and the ugly)
by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
As we face more and more limitations on our civil liberties most Canadian politicians from left leaning to right leaning, are more concerned with protecting their privileges than serving the people. Wake up Canada!
The recently presented Federal budget with its undertone of political ambitions, just like the Ontario provincial budget, seems to be bent on drowning the next generations in immense debt.  The political class does not seem to care about the future of Canada. Can we blame them?... they were elected……
Let's start by evaluating the federal budget just submitted. To do this, we need to ask a very simple question: what immediate problems need to be resolved and what is the vision for the future?
This budget, set out in 700+ pages of (red) ink, trumpeting concern for the people, says a lot about government motivations.
As a humble citizen I can only try to answer, what to me, is the most pressing question at this particular moment: where will economic growth come from over the long term once the pandemic is over?
To start, it is clear that the government's decision to spend more than $100 billion in so-called short-term stimulus is a foggy political solution for a fast brewing economic problem.
If you look more closely, you'll find that the budget arithmetic doesn't match the current economic data, but what can you expect from the parliamentary elite.
The budget document is clear on that front: "Private sector economists expect real gross domestic product (GDP) to rebound from a 5.4 per cent contraction in 2020 to a growth of 5.8 per cent in 2021 and 4 per cent in 2022, a faster recovery than the growth rates of, respectively, 4.8?per cent and 3.2 per cent projected in the November 2020 Fall Economic Statement (FES 2020)."
Try to find a clear plan and path to make Canada more productive and competitive in the 739 pages that follow.
Although some of the objectives and proposed measures such as investments in child care, skills, life bio sciences and clean tech, should be applauded, it is hard to find a coherent growth plan for the future.

Real governing is about making choices, but if this budget can be defined as anything, it is everything and nothing. Does it define and focus on sectors of the economy in which Canadians might be competitive on the global stage?  Like nuclear energy for example? In the 270 measures this budget proposes there is not a single reference to anything like that.
Our labour force is aging and our low levels of business investment reflect a lack of large and technologically leading Canadian firms operating in our economy. We need to encourage more innovation to grow more firms.
The government's response in this budget? Essentially, it has not addressed our innovation shortcomings (vaccine manufacturing) and has been silent to date on this front.
The Strategic Innovation Fund, which gets a boost of $7.2 billion over the next seven years, is not the best of what industrial policy has to offer: instead of building sectoral capabilities in investing in applied R&D, which is what global leaders like the Germans, Americans and South Koreans do, it provides subsidies and repayable loans to firms.
Does it drive more business investments and make our firms more competitive on the global stage? In the last three decades, nobody has ever tried to answer this question seriously in Ottawa, whichever government was in power.
What about the need to concentrate on applied research??What about aggressively commercializing our publicly-funded research? What about funding our National Research Council better? As an engineer, I was one of the few politicians in Ottawa who took the trouble to visit their facilities and understand the outstanding work they do. Unfortunately, engineers are an endangered species in the Canadian House of Commons.
Other countries in the western world, and China, act more boldly in their budgets, creating mission-driven institutions that are unconstrained by the pitfalls of an antiquated public service bureaucracy.

What does this budget say about our level of ambition, and our resolve for steadfast execution and implementation? How fast will we move to assert ourselves economically in this new geopolitical environment?
On the same day that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled the budget, NASA flew a helicopter on Mars and charted an unprecedented new partnership with the private sector on space exploration. Back in Ottawa, our budget allocated $90 million for incubators and accelerators "to give enrolled start-ups access to advice."?
It seems we are often the last to realize that the world is moving faster than we are. Just look at our record on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
While China and the United States are moving fast to build their Electric Vehicles (EV) supply chains, bureaucrats at Natural Resources and the Treasury Board Secretariat will be busy in the coming year working on a new Treasury Board submission to fund a new "Critical Battery Minerals Centre of Excellence."?which, as usual, will be well behind the times.
This budget in essence adds many more layers of duplication and bureaucratic complexity to a system that was never known for its nimbleness and agility. A more focused public-private partnership in key areas to drive growth which would achieve better results is substantially missing in this budget.

After doubling our federal debt in only six years, and spending close to a trillion dollars, not having a concept on long-term development is the worst possible legacy of this budget and really bad for the future of Canada.
Most of the problems with the federal budget are also true of the last Province of Ontario Budget. However, in Ontario we have more serious problems.  Let's take a look at the disastrous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is really ugly.
A complete breakdown of intelligent communications between the Government of Ontario and their advisory body, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Table, has resulted in an unprecedented number of bad decisions made by the Government of Ontario.
The "Table", composed of some 100 doctors, researchers and specialists, is the independent body that furnishes advice to Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet on how best to beat the deadly pandemic. It is their modelling that shows Ontario careening towards 30,000 news cases per day.

How can such an immense body produce valuable real time information? Quantity doesn't mean quality.
Were they as useful as they pretend to be, they would have arrived at better conclusions at the earlier stages of the pandemic. Pointing fingers and blaming only the government is unprofessional. They should take their share of the responsibility, not a Pontius Pilate attitude.

The lack of understanding and lack of communication between these entities has generated actions such as dispatching police officers to police the pandemic in an unprecedented limitations of civil liberties. Though later withdrawn, this measure generated elements of civil disobedience, and compromised the people's trust in the government's ability to deal with the health crisis.

As a result we're in a complete mess, and the headless chicken syndrome has become the new pandemic and order of the day in Ontario.
What do you think?

10 Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out in 2021 - Part 1

 The Art of Finding Work
By Nick Kossovan
10 Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out in 2021 - Part 1
    In 2021 successful job hunting requires having a LinkedIn profile that's current and optimized. It's not enough to simply exist on LinkedIn. In this column and the next, I'll provide ways to create a profile that'll attract employers and hiring managers.  
  Your goal is to create a profile that attracts attention, says the right things, and is a catalyst to connecting you with people who can help you. LinkedIn can literally get your name in front of thousands of professionals in your industry. If you're looking for a job, that's huge!
Something to keep in mind: Employers will read through your profile before deciding to schedule an interview with you.
Here are the first 5 ways you can make your LinkedIn profile stand out:
1. Add a headshot
It's mind-boggling how many LinkedIn profiles don't have a headshot, which is the equivalent of wearing a paper bag on your head at an industry tradeshow. Put a face to your name and add a profile picture, a good one. Your profile picture is the first impression people will get of you.
2. Create an eye-catching headline
Your headline is right below your name and therefore the first thing your profile visitors will read. It's your profile most valuable real estate. LinkedIn's default settings will create your headline with your current position, but you can edit it to whatever you want. You have 120 characters to work with, so write something that will resonate. Envision the text of a billboard advertisement for you and what you do. Instead of just listing your job title, mention your specialty and how you benefited your company or customers. Write for your target audience. Are you speaking to industry peers, customers, or hiring managers?
Example:
Inside Sales Representative · SaaS · $68.8 M in Software Sales Generated Since 2016
This tells the reader your job, what you bring to the table, and enhances your credibility.
3. Craft an interesting summary
Your LinkedIn summary is your opportunity to tell your career story with up to 2,000 characters. Spend some time crafting your story in a way that makes the reader say to themselves, I got to meet this person! Keep in mind attention spans are short; I don't recommend you use all 2,000 characters. Keep your summary in the 1,000 - 1,250 characters range.
Your summary shouldn't be rehashing your experience. Mention what you do well, where you're a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in and what you're able to bring to an employer. Keywords here is crucial! Use words strongly connected to your industry, while painting a picture of who you are as a professional.
Example:
As an information security analyst at Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary, I manage the day-to-day flow of information into and out of the hospital. With a focus on database management, my job ensures critical computer systems, medical files, and patient history remain active and never fail. My team and I stay updated on the latest trends in information security to not only keep Rockyview General Hospital safe but also on the cutting edge.
4. Highlight your experience
You can do much better than merely cutting and pasting your resume onto your LinkedIn profile. Include past jobs you deem relevant to where you want your career to go and use three to five exciting and impressive bullet points for each job
Use action words to show your responsibilities and what you accomplished (results) for your employer. Using numbers as much as possible, communicate the impact you've made, the initiatives you led, and the revenue influence you had (most important).
Example:
Directed launch of 12 new product lines, with total annual revenue of $1.3B.
5. Use visual media
Like on Twitter and Facebook, you can add a background banner photo on LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn background banner photo should reinforce who you are and visually support your profile's written portions.  
LinkedIn allows you to connect other media to your profile such as YouTube videos, infographics, PowerPoints. Don't be shy to be creative with relevant media to make your page jump off the screen and demand attention.
Next week I'll provide 5 more suggestions to make your LinkedIn profile job hunt ready.

Unsung Heros

 Unsung Heros
 Written by,  Sharleen Cainer, BSW RSW
We often complain about the multitudes of “things” that could be done and still till this day have not been accomplished and while we are at it, we complain about the people in charge who should have made it all happen.  The one thing that none of us do enough of is celebrate the hero of the day who did make the effort to get it done.

Welcome Home For Less made and continues to make significant contributions fighting for the cause. Were we successful in swaying Durham Council into providing for the homeless? Well not really. We responded to all that was required and attended all meetings to which we were invited.  We were very politely told that there were other players that had come to the table with similar ideas. Of course, those similar ideas were twice the cost so therefore could house half of what Welcome Home For Less could do. Without belaboring the point the unidentified players also have long standing relationships with the council.  So Welcome Home For Less has not brought it home yet and neither has anyone else. Then of course there was the fabulous Beaverton project that was finally set to house 40 people of undefined social requirements, and personal needs but later defined as NOT homeless, while being introduced as an initiative to address the homeless issue and to be accommodated at the estimated cost of 14 million.  The people of Beaverton remain concerned but the rest of the people in the region remain confused after everyone received a dressing down from the Speaker of the House regarding their reluctance to accept what is now known as the Beaverton Project. So, suffice it to say without attitude that York Region Council has not hit a home run on this either.

We have seen many academics come to the table heavy with smarts attempting to solve this problem, but they too have not been able to “cut the mustard” with anything more than insurmountable bureaucratic gestures which have amounted to spectacular barriers to access for those who have that one challenge. The challenge of access.  Access to services, access to rental units, access to food security, access to home stability, access to treatment and so on.

Taylor Bailey is a young man who has taken the plight of the homeless very seriously.  He has a caring and ingenuous attitude. His academic career is not stellar, which he is quick to point out, but we have learned that academia, the pursuit of knowledge has not brought a resolution for the plight of the homeless.  I interviewed Mr. Bailey because of his interest on this matter and his undying compassion to help less fortunate people come to a place in their lives where they can feel confident and can move forward.  He describes himself as being unable to read, but still he has managed, with support from good friends, and family to own his own home.  He then provides affordable rental accommodation to others. He has made agreements with bureaucracies on behalf of his renters to ensure the renters stay on their feet, until they can get on their feet.  He doesn’t have a social work degree, nor a diploma in community development and so therefore Mr. Bailey’s access to an employed position within the region is barred. He attends to the less fortunate out of his own volition.

Although it sounds to be a very easy thing to accomplish, there are very few people doing it. At Welcome Home For Less we look at Taylor Bailey and others who, from the goodness of their spirit provide for others, often when they can barely provide for themselves as, Unsung Heros.

Mr. Bailey is formulating a plan to purchase city owned land, which has recently come up for sale.   I would like to take a moment to point out that there are four parcels of city owned land in the region.  Welcome Home For Less attempted to access these lands for the purposes of erecting mobile units. The council indicated there were other companies at the table who were scheduled to apply for those properties.  It appears that those preferred companies never able to make their plans happen and maybe it never happened because the cost of property has now skyrocketed. The council can now sell these parcels of land at an over inflated price so as to be sitting pretty while the ranks of the homeless and needy grow exponentially.  While we ponder this, where is the RHI (rapid housing initiative) money? The federal government gave all municipalities large budgets to address the issues of homelessness in each region. Where’s our RHI money? Its somewhere in the Koffers of Durham Region gathering dust and interest. Lots of interest. We are all interested in knowing why this money isn’t being visibly spent for that on those for whom it was intended.

Through all the disappointments, posturing, denial, and a turned blind eye, there is a faint light at the end of a long tunnel. Along comes Mr. Taylor Bailey who is just doing his own thing not because he is going to be rewarded or recognized in any kind of way, but because it is just the right thing to do right now. We need folks like this. We need to celebrate Mr. Bailey for his initiative and his vision. 

Coming of Age

 Coming of Age
Q I am female and a triplet. Unfortunately, my relationship with my parents is almost nonexistent due to the anger I have felt toward them. Throughout high school my parents treated one daughter like gold, and the other two were left hanging.

     Both of my siblings have their drivers license. I do not, in fact, even have a permit. My parents forbade it because they think I have anger issues and will end up hurting someone. Sadly, the only people I feel anger toward are my parents.

     I want them to understand how I feel. I want to prove to them I can act mature and safe behind the wheel and get along like any other civil adult. However, whenever I broach the question to them, they brush it off, which usually makes us end up in a screaming fight.
     I will soon leave for college, and I don’t know how to fix the relationship with my parents. I feel horrible about everything, and since I will be away at college, I want two things. Please tell me what to do to fix this strained and difficult relationship and how to stop blowing up at them?
Cecilia

A Cecilia, your letter sounds as if you are trying to win approval from your parents, or trying to disprove their erroneous beliefs. Your letter does not sound like a letter from an angry person.
     You don’t say your parents had you clinically assessed for anger, that you received a diagnosis, or that you have been counseled for anger management.
     The reality is you got stuck with a label and labels are hard to pull off. It’s not that all labels are bad. When the label is positive, a child might try to live up to the label. But the label you received is damaging.
     Perhaps you were a fussy baby; perhaps your parents’ favored child resembled someone your parents wanted to curry favor with; or perhaps, as a child, you put your parents on their back foot when you caught them in a lie and they used this label to control you. We don’t know.
     But something here does not fit. You express yourself like an innocent person, a person misjudged. And if you were unjustly labeled, why wouldn’t you be angry? Furthermore, how is it you are grown up enough to go off to college but are not grown up enough to drive?
     Your parents don’t get to have it both ways.
     You sound to us like a young woman who is self-aware. You’re off to college. You are of age. Once you leave home, you can solve the license issue for yourself. What’s more, in college you are free to pull off that label once and for all.
     Not all parents are fair. Some parents create rivalry among their children. Some parents mis-parent. Some parents act as if their child should be infallible when they themselves are highly fallible.
     There is no reason to think your parents will outgrow their behavior. But there is reason to believe you can take the steps necessary to improve your life. Not to show them up, but to step into the adult world.
     Near the end of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, the main character, says something wise. “Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.” That’s the soundest advice we can give you.
 Wayne & Tamara  
write:  Directanswers@WayneAndTamara.com

Gout: No Longer the Blue-Blooded Disease

 Gout: No Longer the Blue-Blooded Disease
 W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones
          King Henry VIII of England offers an excellent example of how too much wine, rich food and obesity trigger the agony of gout. But why did Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, and Benjamin Franklin, to name a few, develop this excruciating disease? And how can you decrease the risk?

          More than nine million North Americans suffer from gout, a type of inflammatory arthritis in which the body produces too much uric acid, or the kidneys fail to excrete enough.

          Genes play an important role. Gout and diseases such as diabetes are more likely to occur if there is a family history. But given the rise from only 3 million cases just over a decade ago, more than genetics is driving the problem.

          Uric acid is not friendly to joints. Dr. Larry Edwards, professor of medicine at the University of Florida, says, “People with high levels of uric acid can be accumulating crystals and damaging joints for years before they have their first gout attack.”

          Dr. John Fitzgerald, professor of medicine at the University of California and co-author of the American College of Rheumatology’s latest clinical practice guidelines for gout, says, “Gout is part of the metabolic syndrome,” and that people diagnosed with gout suffer first from the early stages of Type 2 diabetes and obesity, which increase the risk of gout.  It is a classic example of the Gifford-Jones Law that states one disease often leads to another and another.

The first attack of gout is a huge wake-up call. Dr. Thomas Sydenham, “The English Hippocrates”, died of gout in 1698. He wrote, “The victim goes to bed and sleeps in good health. About 2 o’clock in the morning, he is awakened by a severe pain in the great toe; more rarely in the heel, ankle or instep… Now it is a violent stretching and tearing of the ligaments – now it is a gnawing pain and now a pressure and tightening. So exquisite and lively meanwhile is the feeling of the part affected, that it cannot bear the weight of bedclothes nor the jar of a person walking in the room.”
Will one attack inevitably mean another? If you do not have high levels of uric acid in the blood, kidney disease, and are fortunate to have the luck of the Irish, there is a possibility that years may pass without another attack.
On this premise, your doctor may decide to “wait and see” alongside regular checks of uric acid levels.
But as another attack may occur at any moment with increased risk of injury to kidneys, your doctor may decide it is prudent to start urate-lowering therapy (ULT). There are several drugs that taken daily will lower uric acid and help stop crystals from forming in kidneys.
Studies from the University of California show about one-third of gout patients now receive URT. This treatment may take as long as six months to control the blood level of uric acid. Until lowered, there may be more attacks.

          Other studies in the U.S. and the Netherlands have identified genes associated higher levels of uric acid in the blood, including up to a 40-fold increase in the risk of gout.
          Diet can play a role in treating gout. Some doctors suggest cutting down on foods that increase uric acid such as red meat, shellfish, alcohol, and sugar. But results are limited.
          Genetic testing holds promise in identifying cases before symptoms appear. For now, prevention is the best course. Adopt a healthy lifestyle to keep gout from suddenly causing a painful wakeup call during the night.

   SoSign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones

Keep Looking for Sunshine You Will Find It

 Keep Looking for Sunshine
You Will Find It
By Paul Skuza
I recently discovered the musical "Hamilton'' and have been immersed in the soundtrack over the past month. One lyric that reoccurs in the production is, "Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now." Although the story takes over 200 years ago, hearing those words over and over, I cannot help but think how that outlook is as true today as it was back then. Ultimately, a lot of it is about perspective. Whether it be a battle with a global superpower for a nation's independence or surviving a pandemic, you can make an argument that  this is a recurring theme in life. With all of life's challenges ,we can live in gratitude. The question is, which do we want to focus our energy on?
Before I go any further I want to  clear that I have  also been frustrated with all things related to this pandemic. I am  saddened to see or hear about people getting sick and dying here and all over the world. I truly miss seeing family and friends due to isolation and this pandemic. My professional world has been turned upside down.. I am  in the health and wellness industry and pandemic has had an impact. I have been disappointed with inconsistencies and ever-changing restrictions. It has been a very difficult year to say the least.
 I can have an "all or nothing" mentality, but also believe  that it is possible to struggle and still find  good in whatever situation I am in. Throughout my career as a health and fitness professional, I have enjoyed going to work every day and making positive connections with people,hoping to influence the environment for the better. Covid-19 restrictions have made that much more challenging. For the past six months, our facilities have been closed to the pandemic. There were some extremely difficult decisions to be made and challenges to overcome. Reflecting on the past year, I admit that there have been many lows. At the same time, there was a ton of positive work done. For that I am grateful.  
I want to share some of the amazing projects and accomplishments our organzation has done to help fulfill the mission of building healthy communities. Some of which I have been fortunate to be involved in directly. Not having direct interaction,  contact with our members or connecting with people in our centres, we took to the virtual platform to connect and help address a need for home fitness and social interaction. There are now multiple live classes daily available to members, dozens of prerecorded workouts, online coaching, and more. These programs have all been accessible to everyone free of charge in an effort to help keep our members engaged and motivated to a path of physical health. I have been grateful to lead some virtual workouts through facebook live, zoom, and youtube. Online platforms may not feel the same  as the real deal in person experience. It is definitely the next best thing and has been a ton of fun . We are  staying connected with our members. Staying connected is important. As the weather changes  and restrictions loosen, we hope to return  to outdoor classes and workouts, as we did last year. It was  very well received and our members enjoy it. Teaching classes to smiling faces on green grass with the sun and sky in the background is actually a fitness experience hard to beat in my opinion.
 You might be able to tell by now, I am a fitness Coach.  I have always incorporated exercise as a part of my lifestyle and have  a passion for wellness. I have a strong background in sports and football. I am aware and always want to share with others the positive benefits  that exercise can have  on mental and emotional health.  I know it is not the only component to wellness, but an effective way to assist in managing mental and emotional health and stress.  The YMCA believes in this principle as well. We are more  than just a gym. We are a wellness community.
 My  colleagues started a program to deliver food and essential supplies to families in low-income neighbourhoods. We are talking about hundreds of packages delivered weekly during this pandemic and  lockdown to those who need it most. This was at no charge to families. We delivered complimentary flowers and exercise bands to hundreds of older adults in our communities. Our goal was to engage with the older population and attempt to brighten their day. We recognize that Senoirs are impacted by this pandemic and wanted to serve this part of our community. Other health and fitness centres around the association came up with new ways to support the community by offering  the use of our showers to medical professionals and front line workers  after their shift before returning home. We also have had many food and clothing drives, and offer the gymnasium as overnight shelter to the homeless population every night during extreme cold temperatures this past winter. Child care centres, before and after school programs have also been putting in great  effort to make sure children in our day care centres are in a safe environment. Summer camp programs were modified but still took place and gave kids a chance to experience a lot of the same wonderful opportunities that help campers develop social skills. Our charity work continued at every level and significant money was raised through generous donations from members and sponsors. I was honoured to help lead a virtual "SWEAT for strong kids'' event that raised over $100,000, and that was just one event! Hundreds of thousands more were raised to help more people access programs that can help them on their health and wellness journey. Grants were secured to make significant (and much needed) building improvements at several locations.
The list honestly goes on and continues to do so as I write this. Being directly involved in some of the work has been a privilege. Thinking about some of the great things that are being done throughout our communities by great people  including the YMCA is inspiring. I truly believe that it is okay to feel frustrated at this time and it is causing  stress but it is important to be  grateful. Having a positive outlook can take us a long way. Throughout human history you can make a strong argument that there is a constant.  Life  will be tough! We need to finish STRONG! In the words from the play Hamilton, "Dying is easy young man, living is harder"

The rise of China and the dangers ahead

 The rise of China and the dangers ahead
by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
It seems to me that a new danger is rising over the horizon and the Western world, including Canada, is ignoring it. Countries once united against the Soviet Union in the cold war era, now seem disunited in dealing with Communist China.

The risk of Chinese "adventurism" is rising, while great power rivalry that used to characterize Central Europe during the Cold War, has shifted to the Pacific region. Yes, today it is China that represents the bigger menace over the long term to Western values and interests. At present, China is primarily an economic and political threat. Not an immediate military threat yet, but heading in that direction at high speed.
China's primary ambition is to supplant the United States at all cost, as the world's largest economy and the region's dominant power. It also learned from the relatively mild world reaction to Russia's annexation of Crimea, that the annexation of Taiwan might be feasible in the very near future.
Steered by a clever and highly educated leadership, modelled on a modified communist doctrine that has been transplanted into a contained capitalistic economical environment, China is now a real and a dangerous addition on the world's political scene.  With lessons learned from the failures of previous communist regimes, it represents a formidable force.

The People's Republic of China had outlived its one-time ally and patron, the Soviet Union. After all, it has cracked down on Hong Kong, clashed with India in the Himalayas, levied tariffs on Australia after officials criticized its handling of the coronavirus, and said Britain would "bear the consequences" for excluding telecom firm Huawei from its 5G network. Neither has Canada escaped Chinese retribution. The arrest of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig was in retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou.  Chinese spokesmen have also used derogatory words lately, in referring to Canadian leadership, and have listed Canadian MPs as persona non grata who dared to challenge them on human rights issues.

China has been steadily investing all over the world, with a shrewd interest in European infrastructure: State-run shipping companies own significant stakes in 13 European ports, for instance, and the telecom equipment company ZTE has a large presence in southeastern Europe.

When countries cede control of their infrastructure, their manufacturing
of strategic items, their resilience or ability to recover from the shock of a natural disaster or armed attack, suffers immensely. Such developments also make it easier for Beijing to impose its will.
China has already proved itself adept at using other tools in its arsenal - such as economic influence - to intimidate and coerce states, as when Beijing imposed an eight-year ban on Norwegian salmon in retaliation for the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident.
It used the same tools on Canadian exports of canola following the arrest of Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou. They also restricted PPE exports just as Canada's supplies reached critical stage in the COVID-19 fight.  Being the producers of 50% of the world supply, they can wield a heavy hand there.
 
To safeguard against a future when China decides to wield its growing military power in a similar fashion, it is important to reorient military alliances towards South East Asia.  NATO should refocus today, and invest more in military assets and planning in that region. The entire Western world needs to focus more on China than pay such disproportionate attention to Russia. We must be careful not to force Russia to gravitate towards an alliance with China.  That would be extremely dangerous. Strategically it is extremely important to avoid the formation of a Moscow -Beijing axis.

China has already begun to encroach on the North Atlantic region as well. In the Arctic, for example, Beijing is working on liquid-natural-gas drilling projects with Russia; it is also sending icebreakers to the Norwegian Sea. Not to mention that sooner or later China will encroach on Canadian interests in the Arctic.  There has already been an attempt to buy a mining operation, which, for the moment, has not succeeded.
To address these developments, Canada cannot stay idle.  We must start by formally and seriously including the "High North" in strategic documents for the first time.  We must increase Canadian presence in the region by all possible means, including a robust military. This issue pertains to North American security, and therefore Canada must work closely with the United States on it.

For the western allies a rapid refocusing on South East Asia and curtailing Chinese ambitions in the region is a must. It is necessary to deepen and broaden the relationships with partners in the Indo-Pacific region and Canada must play an important role.

By necessity, refocusing on China would involve a change in the mind-set of existing traditional military alliances such as NATO. Beyond ending the training and advising missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, pausing NATO expansion for the moment would make sense, since it would be inadvisable to add new members - such as Ukraine and Georgia, thereby provoking Russia - as it works out its identity crisis.
Russia is already pretty much contained; admitting Ukraine and Georgia now, a move for which many Europeans have little appetite, would doom arms-control and other negotiations with Moscow. Regrettably, as with Russia, Europe is divided over how to deal with China. Many European allies are wary of picking sides in the struggle for influence between the United States and its Asian rival.

Some, like Germany, even appear outright resentful at the suggestion that they must choose. German Chancellor Angela Merkel rushed last year to conclude the E.U.-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment
China's rise is indisputably the most significant geopolitical development of the 21st century. It would be strange for the Western world including Canada to ignore the challenge and to downplay the danger posed by China's growing influence in the world.

The 2020s are shaping up as the dangerous decade and hopefully China does not do something rash.

Hope for the best!

VACCINES AND NANOBOTS

 VACCINES AND NANOBOTS

By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”
   The question in everyone’s mind is.  Should I or Should I not take the vaccine?  Those that took it may be re-thinking their choice as more and more information is being released by so called science.   Government is all for it as without to much thought a vaccine technically means that the virus will go away and the economic damage can begin healing.
I am constantly receiving information and have in the past had the advantage of reading and seeing things that most never get to know about.   I see the world not just a country.  I see the desperation and hear the conspiracy theorist hype up fear.  Fear of catching the virus and fear of getting inoculated. The real question is what are we up to.   Is the cure real and or just another double edged sword that governments of the world are being forced to use without knowledge of what they are doing to their own people.
My first degree from York University in Canada was in the field of psychology.  I first came to know about nanobots in the early 80’.   In the 80’s, nanobots as we know it today were used primarily for industrial applications.   It was thought that nano technology behind the scenes was becoming another cold war race of sorts as governments and many in academia became entangled in projects directed to using these particles to influence the thought and moods of the masses.   One application the Russians has mastered was the ability to use nano particles to track people moves almost like a form of pre-GPS technology as we know it.   I personally worked on a program through the University that was specific to cognitive and bio-psychological applications were nano technology at least in theory could be used to indirectly and even remotely produce a reaction that was that similar to mood or a feeling in a living human being.   My work was very theoretical and very limited.  Now you may be asking.  What is Nano technology or nanobots as we know them today.
Nanobots are robots that carry out a very specific function and are ~50–100 nm wide. They can be used very effectively for drug delivery. Normally, drugs work through the entire body before they reach the disease-affected area.  They can be used very effectively for drug delivery.
The field of nanotechnologies, which studies phenomena at the nanometer scale, 1 to 100 nanometers, is today in full expansion and finds applications in medicine, electronics and the development of new materials.
Richard Adolf Zsigmondy made the  first observations and size measurements of nanoparticles had been made during the first decade of the 20th century by Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, winner of the 1925 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, who made a detailed study of gold sols and other nanomaterials with sizes down to 10 nm using an ultramicroscope.
Adriano Cavalcanti is known as nanorobot pioneer, Cavalcanti is the medical nanorobotics inventor for the practical hardware architecture of nanorobots, which was integrated as a model based on nanobioelectronics for applications in environmental monitoring, brain aneurysm, diabetes, cancer and cardiology.
These tiny, autonomous robots don't need computer programs to repair circuits. ... By exploiting such quirks of nature, scientists have now built nanobots that can repair broken circuits that are too small for a human eye to see.   The most commonly-cited danger of nanobots is their purported ability to self-replicate. Nanobots aren't all that useful if you have to manufacture them yourself. If you can make a few and then have them reproduce to make copies of themselves, that's a far more efficient way of getting enough of them for useful work.
In today high tech world  a remarkable combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and biology has produced the world's first "living robots". Research team of roboticists and scientists published their recipe for making a new lifeform called xenobots from stem cells. ... Using their own cellular energy, they can live up to 10 days.   This technology is one of the primary agents in the many vaccines introduced to the world.   Little real research on the impact on human biology.   The thing about this type of technology.  Once introduced to the human body it can’t be removed.   Although the nanobots can't be removed, there might be a solution to this problem. Nanobots are technology on a quantum level, and in order to solve this problem, we need to address this situation on a subquantum or soul level.   In other words impossible.   In my study at the University one of the inclines of the relationship between psychology and nonotechnology was the future implications for governments to utilize this in order to create a new world order based on stimulants in the air much like the 5G+ technologies, microwaves, x-ray, and many more.    
The “G” associated with cellular networks stands for generation. 5G is the fifth and newest generation of cellular network technology and it should expand the capacity for mobile networks, allowing more devices to use the network than ever before.  This technically, some are seeing as the vehicle to manipulate nanobots in human bodies.
Can nanobots control you?  Mind control is real, it could be developed with invasive neurotechnology as brain nanobots that can control directly the activity of victim neurons and thus, control different body's functions like the motor functions.  This can be proven/verified by science.
Can nanobots make you immortal?   Yes. nanorobots could be programmed to rebuild older cells into younger copies on a regular basis thereby the human body could become immortal. You could live a disease-free youthful life, forever.
Can nanoparticles change your DNA? New research by scientists shows that when cellular barriers are exposed to metal nanoparticles, cellular messengers are released that may cause damage to the DNA of developing brain cells. ... During their interactions with cell membranes and internalisation into cells, key signalling pathways and processes are altered.  So yes.
So far nanoparticle-based vaccines  obtained  approval by the US Food and Drug Administration could represent a giant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 18 November 2020, BioNtech and Pfizer announced the final results of their COVID-19 vaccine phase 3 clinical trial1. Only a couple of days earlier, Moderna had also revealed the preliminary outcome of their phase 3 study2. With a claimed efficacy in preventing infection of 95% and 94.5%, respectively, BNT162b2 — the vaccine developed by the small German start-up and the giant American pharma — and mRNA-1273 — developed by the Cambridge-based biotech company in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health — are on route to becoming the first prophylactic measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Two COVID-19 vaccines that use nanoparticles are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. These vaccines contain a strand of genetic code that provides instructions for building a protein that’s found on the coronavirus. When cells take in this genetic code, they build the protein.
When the immune system sees the protein, it begins building antibodies against it that help the immune system fight the coronavirus. After the body has built up an army of antibodies, it can fight off a COVID-19 infection before it causes disease.
This new class of DNA- and RNA-based vaccines deliver the genetic sequence of specific viral proteins to the host cells using nanotechnology platforms. Traditional vaccines instead trigger immune responses upon injection of entire viruses, either as attenuated live viruses, inactivated viruses or engineered viruses, into the body.   Then the question remains.   Do we surrender to government pressure to vaccinate?  Do we trust science?   They said that when they found th e
 ‘God’ particle that they had all the answers to creation.  Now we are faced with the possibility of extinction by submission.   Can we play God and survive the possible extinction of yet another civilization.  My two cents.   Wait it out a bit more until we start seeing the true essence of  science.  Once proven then make a conscious decision on what you are injecting into your soul.

The Cross Eyed Saga

 

The Cross Eyed Saga
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”
   
  I don’t know about you.  But I am sick and tired of being led by the crossed eyed thinking we are blind to their incompetence when it comes to COVID-19.
  I say this because it has become clear that politicians have no clue on what is at stake and or how to combat an invisible enemy.    An enemy released upon civilization by design to slowly kill each one of us.   This I believe in my opinion was not a mistake.   A mishap.  An accident.  I believe this was an intentional attack on humanity by the Chinese government.   A government that main business is to oppress it’s own people and manipulate free thought through misinformation.
  What better way to do this then to release a silent weapon that attacks the enemy when less expecting it and when not prepared.
   Case in point what happened across the world.   Politicians in general across the world all share one principle.   Greed.   The also share the fact that they are far from experts in any field other then the particular discipline they come from.   Not even the expert can be held to be a reliable source as they themselves are at awe when it comes to dealing with Covid.
Look at what has happened in Canada just recently.  In Ontario the numbers dropped to 800 and our politicians in their desperate attempt to gain votes order everything to re-open.  Only to be faced with a huge spike to up to 3,000/day.   Just this week Ontario government was  considering provincewide stay-at-home order, closing non-essential retail: that non-essential retail stores would be limited to curbside pickup. Big-box stores, meanwhile, would be restricted to essential aisles only.
  Does this sound to  you like a rational solution to the problem.  Obviously not.  All the government is doing is protecting big box stores.
  I say that if we look back at EXXON oil spill.  How the world was quick to act.   Here we have the worst infestation due to the negligence of a country and we do nothing.
  I have a suggestion for our government.   First, Acknowledge that the virus originated from China.   Acknowledge that the Chinese government is responsible and hold them accountable.   But, wait if they do they will impose sanctions on the Walmarts of the world and we would loose jobs and good coming from China...    I say to our government grow some balls.   Cut China off.   Hold them accountable and clean up this Covid mess once in for all.   If we are to follow science then lets do what we know in the combating of virus.   Let’s not politi-manage this cause it is not working and if anything even with the vaccine.  Getting worst.
I say.  Cut all imports from China.   Demand that they pay for their negligence to the tune of $10,000./per person across Canada.   Then, shut down the country for the next 6 months.  No one is allowed to do nothing.   Nothing stays open except grocery stores and pharmacies and essential services.   Everyone in over the age of 16 in  Canada would receive $10,000./month.   This would inject money into the economy.  It would put people mind at ease.   It would finally put an end to COVID.   As it stands people are afraid.  People are about to loose their businesses.  People do not feel safe/secure in their communities.   We need to take control of this at once.  We need to make China accountable.   China has no interest in the world finding a silver bullet when it comes to the vaccine solution... I even go as far as suspecting that the Chinese government is responsible for all the variants that technically may be released through the vaccines they produce.  Coincidence or fact.  The variants were found in Brazil.  A nation that utilized primarily vaccine made in China.   Same with the African strain.   Canada needs to be the leader in calling out the Chinese government and demand accountability.

It’s Dangerous to Ignore Vitamin K2

   It’s Dangerous to Ignore Vitamin K2
 W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. and Diana Gifford-Jones
          Some vitamins don’t get the attention they deserve. Ask anyone about vitamin K2 and few people can give an answer. In Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient for Heart and Bone Health, Dr. Dennis Goodman says ignoring vitamin K2 can be dangerous. So here are some important points to help you understand why K2 needs more attention.

          In 1929, Dr. Hendrik Dam, a Danish scientist, discovered vitamin K. Now we know there are two types of K: K1 and K2. Most people get sufficient amounts of K1 by eating leafy green vegetables, rich in this vitamin. If you’re cut, K1 plays a role in blood clotting.
K2 supports bone density. Bones, although solid structures, are not inert. Rather, they are constantly changing. Cells called osteoblasts build up bone, while other cells, osteoclasts, are breaking it down. Until around 30 years of age, osteoblasts win. But then osteoclasts take over in mid-life and we begin to lose one percent of bone mass each year.
          There is a good solution. Bone must be built up early in life to ensure that it does not become like Swiss cheese later on, a condition called osteoporosis. These bones can snap like a dry twig, resulting in broken hips, which may mean ending life in a wheelchair or death.

          Vitamin K2 serves the important role of helping direct calcium into bone where it belongs. A Japanese study showed that vitamin K2 decreases the risk of spinal fractures by 60 percent and hip fractures by 80 percent.
          A combination of calcium and K2 is like building up money in the bank early in life. Later on, there will be enough calcium for some of it to be withdrawn from bones without causing a fracture.

K2 also supports cardiovascular health. If you have been reading this column for years, you know the benefits of vitamin C in decreasing the risk of coronary attack. But vitamin K2 also plays a role in fighting cardiovascular disease.
          We all need calcium for strong bones. But too much calcium can be deposited into coronary and other arteries if there is a deficiency of vitamin K2. For instance, calcium can be deposited into the aorta, the largest artery in the body, that carries blood to all our organs. Calcium deposits in this location weaken the wall of the aorta increasing the risk of rupture and sudden death.  

A Dutch study of 4,600 men aged 53 and older showed that a high intake of vitamin K2 decreased the risk of aorta calcification by 52 percent. Another study reported that K2 decreased the risk of coronary attack by 41 percent. In a study of 16,057 women, those on high doses of vitamin K2 lived 9 percent longer.
K2 can help with other health problems too. K2 acts like a traffic cop. It helps direct calcium traffic into tooth enamel decreasing the risk of dental decay. Some researchers report that K2 increases insulin sensitivity making it more effective in the fight against Type 2 diabetes.
          There is no easy test to measure K2 levels. But if suffering from osteoporosis, heart disease or diabetes, you are most likely deficient in vitamin K2. Statin drugs to lower blood cholesterol inhibit K2 synthesis.
 
        People who are taking blood thinners should not take vitamin K as it decreases the effectiveness of these drugs.
          Vitamin K2 is an especially important partner to vitamin D, which controls the absorption of calcium. Various brands of K2, including in combination with D, are available, so check with a health food store and your doctor for guidance.

Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones

Covid-19 pandemic and remembering the Battle of Vimy Ridge 104 years later.

    Covid-19 pandemic
 and remembering the
Battle of Vimy Ridge
104 years later.

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East
     As the world continues to wage war on Covid-19 mutants' invisible tyrants, Canadians are being encouraged to remember the efforts of soldiers during those four bloody days between April 9 and 12, 1917 in France.
Even with the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging our nation it is important to remember that more than a century ago this nation really got created by the effort of all Canadians demonstrating patriotism and a high level of civic responsibility. Today we are asked to demonstrate the same patriotism and civic responsibility against the new enemy.
A couple of months after the critical battle at Vimy, another enemy, the Spanish flu, decimated the world, which also had drastic repercussions in Canada. And now the Covid-19 pandemic is testing the world once again.  Today we are facing a similar situation which requires that all Canadians unite to care for each other. We must rely on our own civic responsibility and sense of duty to win this battle against the coronavirus enemy.   Let us now go back in history to the days of Easter in 1917, which defined the birth of a proud and compassionate nation.
As dawn broke on that morning at Vimy, close to a hundred thousand Canadians poured from trenches, dugouts and tunnels, surged up a slope and conquered an enemy position considered impregnable by its German defenders and, frankly, by Canada's allies.
This was the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Forces fought as a unified unit. They planned and rehearsed, planned again, and they stockpiled vast amounts of ammunition. On Easter Monday (April 9), they launched the battle, and because they were so well prepared, the artillery barrage was said to be so enormous, you could hear the distant thunder of it as far away as London, England, a distance of more than 250 kilometres.
It was a costly victory. 3,600 Canadians making the ultimate sacrifice, and approximately 7,000 being wounded on the 9th: the worst day's losses for Canada in the war. Many historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness. Canadians had done a remarkable thing and, with French and English, First Nations and recent immigrants, they had done it together.
Vimy was followed by other Canadian victories, some of them even greater feats of arms. Sir Arthur Currie, Canadian Corps commander after Sir Julian Byng, the victor at Vimy, was promoted, boasted that he had won an even better victory at Lens when he persuaded his British commander-in-chief to let the Canadians capture Hill 70, forcing the Germans to counter-attack at enormous cost in German soldiers' lives.
Currie's arguments for smarter tactics carried weight chiefly because of Canadian success at Vimy. The Vimy experience provided a pattern for future successes. The Canadians had rehearsed tirelessly before the battle. They dug trenches and tunnels and piled tons of ammunition for the heavy guns that pulverized German trenches and wiped out most of the German artillery hidden behind Vimy Ridge.
The motto for Canadian success was "thorough". Nothing that could help soldiers succeed would be ignored. Digging trenches and tunnels and lugging artillery shells through miles of wet, muddy trenches was brutally exhausting work.
The Vimy victory shaped a Canadian way of making war. Other nations might celebrate flamboyant valour or dogged sacrifice; Canadians built on the conviction that only thorough preparation could spell success. At Hill 70, at Amiens, in crossing the Canal du Nord and even by capturing Passchendaele in October 1917, Canadians could take pride in their "ever-victorious" Canadian Corps.
Then came the Spanish flu.  Also known as the 1918 flu pandemic, it was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic. The virulent Spanish flu, a devastating and previously unknown form of influenza, struck Canada hard between 1918 and 1920. And after a century here we are again hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic which started in 2020 and has already claimed many victims worldwide, 23,172 Canadian victims as of today, and continues to rage dangerously on its third wave.   The international Spanish flu pandemic killed approximately 55,000 people in Canada, most of whom were young adults between the ages of 20 and 40. These deaths compounded the impact of the more than 60,000 Canadians killed in service during the First World War (1914-18).
Inadequate quarantine measures, powerlessness against the illness, and a lack of coordinated efforts from health authorities led to insurmountable chaos. Countless nurses, volunteers, and members of charitable organizations risked their lives to ensure that a large number of the ill and their families survived. Sound familiar?
With no vaccine or effective treatment, this devastating pandemic affected every inhabited region in the world, including Canada. It came in multiple waves.
The first wave took place in the spring of 1918, then in the fall of 1918, a mutation of the influenza virus produced an extremely contagious, virulent, and deadly form of the disease. This second wave caused 90% of the deaths that occurred during the pandemic. Have we learned anything?   Subsequent waves took place in the spring of 1919 and the spring of 1920. The total number of deaths, estimated at between 50 and 100 million, claimed the lives of somewhere between 2.5 and 5% of the global population. Most of the victims were in the prime of their lives.  Can we learn something from history?
In Canada, the disease arrived at the port cities of Québec City, Montréal, and Halifax, then spread westward across the country. The intensification of the war effort in the final year of the war was instrumental in the transmission of the disease, as troops travelling from east to west by train, mobilized to participate in the war in Siberia, brought the virus westward with them.
Municipal and provincial authorities tried to save lives by prohibiting public gatherings and by isolating the sick, but these provisions had little effect. As the rates of infection grew, the number of healthy workers declined. Does this sound familiar?  Did lockdowns work then?  Why should they work better now?
Before long, the Canadian economy was paralyzed. Health care professionals were perhaps the hardest hit. Ultimately, it was volunteers, nurses, paramedics, and members of religious communities who, risking their own lives, visited those who were ill and their families to deliver modest health care and the supplies needed to survive.  Does anyone remember them today?
Criticized for failing to provide resources and coordination to public health authorities across the country, the federal government responded to the crisis by founding the Department of Health in 1919. Do you think, maybe the time has come to revamp our health protection system?
So it is time for reflection, learning from our own history and acting accordingly. Let's not forget!
Are our leaders leading or hiding? Lest we forget…

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise
By Deidre Newman, Whitby Councillor, West Ward
 "Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." Victor Hugo
As the world battles the evolving global pandemic, people respond. Families seek refuge in their homes.   Business owners struggle to survive closed doors. Health Care workers serve without rest. Teachers, tested to the limit, rely on their adaptability Youth, without close embrace, become technologically savvy. Seniors, facing isolation, meet family through closed windows. Governments confront the pandemic with best efforts to provide the vaccine in an efficient, safe and equitable process to protect life and return hope.  We are in a unique time as we search within ourselves for compassion, resilience and strength to counterbalance the feelings of distress, anger and fear.  Through this experience, we embrace life as a sacred gift and reflect on our past to support life in the present and for the future.
The Past
"To restore light, the past unites the present reality with future dreams" My first memory at the age of 5 was placing an election sign for my father on the front lawn of a neighbour.   My father was elected as the Mayor of Whitby at 34.  For a decade, he served as Mayor and oversaw the amalgamation of the Town and Township of Whitby-Brooklin, the formation of Durham Region and service as President of the then Canadian Federation of Mayors and Municipalities.  Our family was immersed in the community and I was inspired by him.  I received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, a Law degree from Queen's University and a Certificate for French study from the University of Paris. As a young lawyer, I worked at a Toronto law firm, as a Policy Advisor with the Government of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resource on Freedom of  Information and Privacy legislation and  as a Counsel for law students instructing on  legal skills at the University of Toronto Student Legal Aid Clinic. As an experienced lawyer, I have served vulnerable people, through my own law practice in Whitby, focusing on family law in all of its facets with the intersecting aspects of criminal law. As a volunteer, I have been a fitness instructor for many years at the Toronto YMCA and have run more than fifteen marathons including the Boston Marathon. In 2018, I entered public service as the elected West Whitby Councillor to serve people by seeking to achieve a balance between the Town's rich heritage past and a dynamically growing Town in the present and future.
The Present
"In the midst of darkness, light persists."  Mahatma Gandhi General Governance during a State of Emergency In March 2020, the Town of Whitby declared a State of Local Emergency following the States of Emergency declared at the Regional, Provincial and National level. On April 7, 2021, the Province of Ontario declared a third State of Emergency and a Stay-at -Home Order. Since March 2020, as a Whitby Councillor, I have participated, without interruption, on policy, planning, operational and capital decisions at Town Council meetings (conducted virtually), working with health care and government partners to protect the health, safety and essential service delivery to the community.
Health and Well-Being
"What hurts you, blesses you." Rumi During the pandemic, there have been opportunities to support the health and well-being of people in our community.
As a Whitby Councillor, I have acted:
- to support Health Care Workers at Lakeridge Health Whitby  by donating many masks at a time when masks were scarce and creating and delivering gift baskets with gifts  donated from local businesses;
- to celebrate Health Care Workers at Ontario Shores and Lakeridge Health Whitby by delivering art and flowers and participating in a vehicle parade to express thanks;
-to honour Health Care Workers in Long Term Care facilities in West Whitby including Amica Whitby, the Village of Taunton Mills, Lynde Creek Manor and VIVA-Whitby Shores by delivering Art and flowers to express thanks;
- to empower Youth as the Mayor's designate on Youth Council with the initiation of Whitby Youth Day and by mentoring and supporting Youth events including the delivery of gift boxes from the Town for student graduates;
- to support Seniors by responding to individual requests for support; and
- to encourage All to enjoy Art at The Station Gallery (virtually) and outdoor fitness by running along the Whitby waterfront.
Food Security
During the pandemic, there have been opportunities to provide food to families in need in our community.  As a Whitby Councillor, I have acted:
- to support Caremongers Whitby initiated by Niki Lundquist by volunteering and donating food for food drives, delivering hot meals to families, donating gift cards to youth, collecting foodbank donations from All Saints Catholic Students and volunteering for a bottle drive to raise money for continued kind deeds;
- to support the Salvation Army Whitby Food Bank, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Food Bank, Kendalwood Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul Society by contributing food and monetary donations;
- to support Meals on Wheels organized by Community Care Durham by delivering hot meals;
- to support the Brock House Food Frenzy hosted by The Rotary Club of Whitby; and
- to support Feed the Need Durham by donating trays of soup for the Durham Crusader U13 hockey players' I Play for Soup initiative.
Business Recovery
During the pandemic, there have been opportunities to support businesses in our community. 
Whitby Council has endorsed Whitby's Economic Development Recovery Plan to the end of 2021 with a long-term Economic Development Strategy to follow. The Durham Region Economic Task Force has provided a collaborative approach to achieve the shared goal of economic recovery and access to information on business supports from all levels of government. 
As a Whitby Councillor, I have acted:
- to meet more than thirty small business owners in Whitby (following safety protocols) to present a Town of Whitby Business Kit and conduct a survey to understand the impact of the pandemic;
- to shop local; and - to respond to individual business owner inquiries as requested and provide support  through the Town's Economic Development Department.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
During the pandemic, there have been important opportunities to support diversity, equity and inclusion in our community. Focused work is required to enhance education, understanding and systemic change as our community grows.
As a Whitby Councillor, I have acted:
- to address justice issues as a member of the Regional Community Action Group on Anti-Black and Systemic Racism; - to participate in the Peaceful March for Justice; - to honour through remarks the Durham Community Action Group at their AGM; and - to speak on Justice and Anti-Black and Systemic Racism for the Whitby Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
"When you take the first step into the darkness, you must believe that there will be something solid for you to stand on or from which to fly and see the edge of light." Patrick Overton  Have faith dear World.  The sunlight will come.

The Art of Finding Work

 The Art of Finding Work
By Nick Kossovan
    Thank you, and welcomes, for reading my column The Art of
Finding Work, which I hope will become part of your job search journey.
COVID19 has had a significant impact on the job market. Millions of Canadians have been laid off, had their hours reduced and furloughed. Companies are reassessing if, when, and how they hire. Yes, there are fewer jobs out there, but there are still plenty of jobs-you just need to be strategic in your job search.
Here are my top 5 job search strategies.
1. Have clear goals.
Reflect on your personal and professional goals. Start by asking yourself:
-    What excites you?
-    What are your non-negotiable "must-haves" for your next position?
-    What are deal-breakers?
-    What's your minimum salary and benefits requirement?
-    Do you want to work for a start-up or a well-established company?
-What type of culture are you looking for? (Never underestimate the importance of "cultural fit".)
By reflecting on how you want your next job to look like, you'll not be throwing (metaphorically) spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. You'll be focusing your time and energy on opportunities that are right for you.
2. Freshen up your resume and LinkedIn profile.
Surprisingly in 2021, your resume is still the first document hiring managers ask for.
Make sure your resume has a clean format with plenty of white space. Don't list every job you've ever had, just those that are recent and relevant.
Start your resume with a summary of your accomplishments and include any credentials, certifications, and relevant experiences. Highlight your achievements by numerically quantifying accomplishments (i.e., Successfully brought 75 new clients, surpassing the quarterly goal of 50.).
Keep in mind your resume is an organic document. When applying to openings, edit your resume to include phrases in the job description. Many employers use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to filter resumes. If the ATS doesn't pick up relevant language, your resume will not be selected.
Give this same attention as mentioned above to your LinkedIn profile, along with having a professional profile picture.
3. Write an enticing cover letter.
Your cover letter has one job: To get the reader to read your resume.
Customize your cover letter for each position you apply to, don't simply repeat your resume. As with your resume, paraphrase the language found in the job description to show you're a fit.
Use your cover letter to highlight your most relevant experiences. Don't focus on what you want, which is obviously a job. Focus on explaining (READ: selling) what value you'd bring to the employer.
4. Enlist Your Army.
It's common knowledge most jobs are never advertised-the job postings online are just a fraction of current job openings. Most positions, I've read as high as 70%, especially those of senior executive, are filled via professional and personal connections.
Often the word "networking" has a negative connotation-it shouldn't. Networking is simply connecting with people, the goal being for people to know you professionally and personally, and vice versa. I'm sure you heard the adage, it's not who you know, it's who knows you.
Right now, you have a network of people who can help you. Your family friends, neighbors, past colleagues and bosses, alumni, your barber, even your LinkedIn connections-anyone you touch base with regularly or have in the past, is a potential lead to a job opportunity. Start leveraging whatever current network you have while actively expanding your professional network.
Consider using a networking app, such as Invitly, LetsLunch, or Shapr. These apps will help you find professionals in your area who are open to meeting up for coffee or lunch.
5. Subscribe to job alerts.
There's no shortage of resources you can use to stay current with job openings. Indeed, Google for Jobs, Eluta, are just a few job boards you can receive job alerts from.
These sites curate from across the Internet job openings, which are then delivered to your inbox every day based on the criteria you specified. This saves you countless hours of not having to search job postings. In next week's column, I'll discuss what is never mentioned, which is good news for job seekers-there's no universal hiring methodology.

The Beginning Of The END

 

The Beginning Of The END
By Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher

“I live a dream in a nightmare world”
   
   If we learn anything from our time spent on earth is that everything has a Beginning and an unfortunate end.   This pattern can be felt in just about every aspect of our perceived reality.   From our physical being.  At birth we begin a journey towards our unequivocal end.  To our many encounters.... Things start off really good and eventually all end up falling apart and or ending.   
   As a society the same can be seen.... things begin with a bang and normally end up fizzing out.
  Physiologically speaking.... our ends come due to a series of events.  From health conditions to all of a sudden accidents.    Normally we have some sort of indicator at hand not to mention age itself.
    We are upon a very special holiday.  Easter is celebrated by Christians as a joyous holiday because it represents the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament and the revelation of God's salvific plan for all of humankind. In commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus, Easter also celebrates the defeat of death and the hope of salvation.
Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic, Greek, Latin) or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.
The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. ... From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection.
  The human mind in it’s quest to beat the odds and justify and end to a life have gone for thousands of years way beyond the call to rationalize something we all have to face and something that there is no real explanation for.
   Wit this said as you celebrate this great holiday.  Think about what the end to anything is.  Some argue that it is the Beginning of something else unknown.  Others believe it is just that the end.
Well if we look at world history.   Ancient civilizations have come and gone many times.   
  The fact that we celebrate holiday’s like easter... is a testament to our denial of the facts.    That the end is the end.   
   Look at what is happening globally.   The world has been infected in the worst way possible.  Scholars have warned us for decades on the fate of the human race.   They predicted it would come in the form of war, famine or disease.
Well, we have plenty of wars on the go...   Famine has been with us since the Beginning of time.
disease is the keeper.      
Not to sound hysterical and nor neurotic in my thinking... Previous civilizations have come and go due to the same.   Should we not be listening, observing and preparing.
They say that a vaccine is the magic bullet.  Yet the virus keeps mutating.   A vaccine that has significant impact on human DNA.
Everyone is quick at getting it.   The numbers keep surging.   Something is not working.   I hear the argument by many... well we as a civilization have been vaccinated before and it worked.
Yes, I agree.   The difference here is that the introduction of previous virus occurred some what natural.  In this case the origin and or purpose of deployment is unknown.  In my opinion we are dealing with one of the most sophisticated warfare ever introduced to the world.   As we spend this holiday eating chocolate eggs from and Easter bunny.   Think about what we are being injected with as Easter Bunnies do not lay chocolate eggs.

Canadian Covid-19 vaccines saga

   Canadian Covid-19

vaccines saga

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East
    As we continue to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the availability of vaccines and the vaccination of the population itself, we are seeing scientific confusion, contradictions from the responsible medical bodies at all levels of government, and disarray both in the supply of vaccines and their distribution.

Let's review the (mis)information that has been hurled at us. Dr. Theresa Tam said last week that Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) work in "lockstep," after NACI announced last week it was advising a pause in the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for those under the age of 55 due to the rare possibility of blood clots. At the same time, Germany was advising a pause in the use of the A-Z vaccine for those under the age of 60 due to the same rare possibility of blood clots. So what is the critical age 55 or 60?

Not long ago the same NACI recommended suspending the use of AstraZeneca for those over the age of 65 years and Ontario announced a starting date for vaccinating people aged 60 - 64 with it.   Weeks later, the NACI reversed its position, citing access to new information as their reason. What kind of mediaeval hocus pocus is this?  Modern science is supposed to be clear and reproducible.

So who is the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)? Though created in 1964, it was a low profile organization until recently.  Prior to the pandemic it met only three times a year to discuss vaccines for diseases such as influenza, mumps and measles.

According to Dr. David Naylor, co-chair of Canada's COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, "NACI's committees are made up of volunteers, many with heavy daily responsibilities during the pandemic."  If they are medical professionals, however, one would expect sound and reliable recommendations from them.  However, the NACI's recommendations on the spacing of vaccine doses, for example, are the longest in the world and have come under fire from scientists both at home and abroad.  Not very reassuring, is it?

Returning to the controversy over the Astra-Zeneca vaccine, Health Canada has stated that it is continuously monitoring the AstraZeneca situation and will be working with international manufacturers to require a "detailed assessment of the benefits and risks of the vaccine by age and sex in the Canadian context".  At this time their guidance on the use of AstraZeneca remains the same.  They still maintain that the benefits outweigh the risks and the vaccine itself has "not been associated in the overall risk of thrombosis."
Canada has already administered around 300,000 doses of the vaccine, with no reports of adverse side effects. Cases of blood clots in Europe have been reported mainly in younger women. Following the announcement of the NACI recommendation all provinces and territories have adjusted their own guidance.
Certainly for the average Canadian this change in recommendation will add to vaccine hesitancy, create confusion, and elicit a lot of questions and concerns. This, at a time when the only way out of lockdowns and hospitalizations is to achieve herd immunity as quickly as possible.

Let us now look at how our glorious and competent public health authorities, populated by science bureaucrats, have reacted during critical times in the pandemic.
COVID won't be Canada's problem please do not be racist; until they had to admit that we are officially in a pandemic.
There is no evidence of asymptomatic spread do not panic; asymptomatic spread is real.
Masks are not helpful at all; everybody wear masks please.
Canada will have adequate vaccines; dear friends of the world, please send us vaccines because we cannot manufacture our own.
Vaccine doses shouldn't be spaced more than three weeks apart; in Canada, vaccine doses can be spaced four months apart.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is not safe for seniors; the AstraZeneca vaccine shouldn't be given to people under 55. And so on…, what's next?…….politicians blindly hiding behind their heroic posturing following this voodoo dance, issuing orders that defy common sense.
Canada's Auditor General, Karen Hogan, in a well documented and scathing report, emphasized Canada's public health officials' shocking number of mistakes. The top of the list was the failure of our early warning system coupled with inaccurate risk assessments.
The tragic result was the needless deaths of thousands of seniors in long term care homes and congregate living centres.  These statistics have given Canada the worst record for COVID-19 deaths in long-term care homes among wealthy countries.
The most relevant example of the politicians hiding behind so called "health experts" is the federal government who has relied religiously on advice from them. The most famous face is that of Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam. Her most egregious advice change was declaring that, "Putting a mask on an asymptomatic person is not beneficial, obviously, if you're not infected." Two months passed before she took back those words.

However, the responsibility for these errors sits higher; with the federal, provincial and local governments. Federally the cabinet and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself failed to heed early warnings from other countries. He failed to put in border controls that could have slowed the import of the virus. When he finally instituted them it was already late, and they serve only as punitive measures, restricting the freedoms of Canadian citizens.
He failed to procure enough vaccines in time to prevent the third wave from taking hold, betting on a (now collapsed) partnership with Communist China.
Provincial and local politicians are also guilty of shifting leadership duties to others, then blaming them for their own lack of leadership in the pandemic.
After a year of personal, social and economic upheaval, Canadians are at a breaking point. They need confidence in their public officials, their elected representatives and the decisions these people make. They cannot afford more hocus-pocus. They need a responsible leadership, from the top on down.
The conclusion is, that despite claims to the contrary, we are being subjected to a flip-flop, medieval 'science' a.k.a. witchcraft, led by incompetent bureaucrats and certified by clueless politicians hiding behind them. In the meantime the people are suffering, the economy is destroyed, and slowly we are sinking into third world country territory.
This situation has to change. What do you think?