To Council/Mayor/City Clerk/Chief Administrative Officer
THE PRESENTED BELOW IS THE DOCUMENT THAT THE CITY OF OSHAWA WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATION QUICKLY PASSED
From: Joe Ingino - Central Newspapers
To: City of Oshawa Re: Report Number: CNCL-23-120
Request To Have Report Number: CNCL-23-120 disqualified and annulled due to the following presented below facts.
Request: To speak before council in regards to the same.
(read below - the red hyper text are expert comments on the matter) In Black is the actual REPORT CNCL-23-120
Public Report
To: Council in Committee of the Whole From: Tracy Adams, Chief Administrative Officer, Office of the C.A.O.
Report Number: CNCL-23-120 Date of Report: November 15, 2023 Date of Meeting: November 20, 2023 Subject: Public Notice Policy Ward: All Wards File: 03-05
1.0 Purpose
The purpose of this report is to repeal Notice to the Public By-law 147-2007, as amended (“Notice By-law” or “By-law 147-2007, as amended”) and to
present an updated Public Notice Policy for adoption as required by Section 270(1)(4) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001 c. 25 (“Municipal Act”).
(By-law 147-2007 was the By-law that the City used to select media supporters over the years. Their changing it is in violation of the Municipal Act as the act mandates transparency from the City. Under the old By-law the city had control on who they would award civic contracts based on supporting political agenda. Since Metroland bankruptcy. The City is faced with having to deal with the only existing newspaper that meets and exceeds all Municipal Act standards. Due to the Clerk and C.A.O poor judgement and no-expertise presumptions and opinions and erroneous recommendations. The City is under the erroneous believe that there is no publishing newspaper in Oshawa.
2.0 Recommendation
It is recommended to City Council: That based on Report CNCL-23-120 dated November 15, 2023: 1. That Council pass a by-law to repeal By-law 147-2007, as amended, and in a form and content acceptable to the City Solicitor and Director, Legislative Services/City Clerk; and, 2. That Council adopt the Public Notice Policy as generally set out in Attachment 1 to said Report; and, 3. That Council authorize staff to update the Corporate Advertising Policy as necessary to ensure consistency with the Public Notice Policy.
3.0 Executive Summary Not Applicable
4.0 Input From Other Sources • Corporate Leadership Team • Corporate Communications • Corporate Strategic Initiatives • Legal Services • Legislative Services • Planning Services
5.0 Analysis -- 5.1 Background
Section 270(1)(4) of the Municipal Act requires a municipality to adopt and maintain a policy with respect to the circumstances in which the municipality will provide notice to the public, and, if notice is to be provided, the form, manner and timeframe(s) such notice shall be given. (These notice as per the Municipal Act in order to maintain transparency under Section 270 section 1 sub section 5. The manner in which the municipality will try to ensure that it is accountable to the public for its actions, and the manner in which the municipality will try to ensure that its actions are transparent to the public. This excludes any City ran scheme including social media - web pages - or electronic format. The media by the act is in a newspaper operating within the municipality. A city newspaper that is arms length from the municipality. Under the old by-law the City had the luxury to pick and choose who they would award contracts. They also had the luxury of not doing business with newspapers that did not suit their political agenda by blaming it on budget restrains. In this erroneous report. The City attempts to act as the local media and control what they put out. Where and to who they put it out. This is a clear contravention of the Municipal Act).
As a result of Bill 130 amending the Municipal Act in 2007, the City passed Notice By-law 147-2007 on December 17, 2007 as an interim measure to identify when and how the City will provide notice to the public. Following the passage of the by-law, staff were directed to review the extensive list of matters that require public notice contained in the by-law to refine it. The amendments to refine the list of matters in 2008 is the only time this Notice by-law has been amended since its original passage. (The City is once again wrongfully using Bill 130 to justify controlling and acting as the local media. Bill 130 came to play as a tool to expedite some aspect of municipal governance. Primarily to deal with development and construction matters. Not newspapers and not giving any municipality the right to violate the Municipal Act. Not a tool justify the City position as supreme and final.)
At that time, it was determined by the Clerk that a newspaper defined as “a printed publication in sheet form published regularly at intervals of not longer than a week consisting in part of news of current events of general interest and distributed to the public and/or sold to regular subscribers that, in the opinion of the Clerk, has such circulation within Oshawa as will provide reasonable notice in circumstances where notice is required to be given”. Since then, the media landscape and the way in which members of the public receive and obtain information has dramatically changed. (The Central Newspaper Legally, and meeting the criteria as per the clerks definition an as per the DEFINITION OF A NEWSPAPER UNDER THE LEGISLATION ACT. This bringing to question the Clerks lack of knowledge of a newspaper that has been operating in the City of Oshawa for over 28 years. This bringing to question how the clerk and the CAO made such erroneous and damaging decision. Knowingly very well, that the advertising should be place in the Central as per the Act. It is beyond words how the clerk and the CAO passed by The Sun, The Start, The Globe and mail. All newspaper that have operated within the City limits for over 50 years. The City clerk and the CAO clearly made an error in their judgement and recommendation. The City Clerk is fully aware of the Central Newspaper as through the many years she has had interactions with the same. CAO to claim that the city of Oshawa has no in print newspaper that meets the criteria brings to question on how many other matters has the CAO poorly used her judgement and how much has her poor judgement cost the city?)
5.2 Statutory Notices
Notice to the public is required under several different Acts including, but not limited to, the Municipal Act, the Planning Act, the Development Charges Act, 1992 and the Ontario Heritage Act. These Acts (and/or associated regulations) generally outline the circumstances where such notice will be given and often prescribes the form and content of such notice. Statutory notice to the public under such legislation or by-law will be completed in accordance with this policy as well as any prescribed notice content as set out in each respective Act, associated regulations or by-law.
(The policy in question is a contravention of the Municipal Act and therefore non valid and should be squashed before it puts the city in judicial review and or legal challenge.)
5.2.1 Ontario Heritage Act
Sections 26(4) and 39.1(3) of the Ontario Heritage Act state where a municipality is required by Part IV and Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act to publish a notice in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality. However, notice given in accordance with a policy adopted by a municipality under Section 270 of the Municipal Act is deemed to satisfy this requirement. Therefore, the City’s Notice By-law and/or Notice Policy would satisfy the Ontario Heritage Act. Typical Notices published under Parts IV and V of the Ontario Heritage Act may include: •Intention to Designate a Property; •Passing, amending or repealing a Designation By-law; •Creation of a Heritage Study Area; or, •Designation of a Heritage Conservation District and District Plan. The proposed Public Notice Policy directs notices given under Parts IV or V of the Ontario Heritage Act to be provided to the public in the form and manner set out in the Public Notice Policy and therefore notice in a newspaper is not required. (This is another error by the Clerks office as per the the Act. It stipulates that it is to be a transparent means of notice. Not a City controlled policy that is not published to the wider audience in a newspaper. The reason that the acts require publishing in a newspaper in that it arms length from the municipality. The key word is transparency. Under the erroneous policy presented by the Clerk and CAO. The policy 1. Does not meet the act mandate. 2. It is not transparent. 3. It is based on false/inaccurate information. 4. This bringing to question the intent. The purpose and the erroneous assumption presented.
5.3 Current Practice
Under the current Notice by-law, when notice is required under the policy the Clerk must publish the notice in a newspaper at least once.
In addition, the Notice By-law includes the publishing of these notices on the City’s dedicated Public Notices web section on the City of Oshawa website: Oshawa.ca/PublicNotices. The current website module for the Notices page also allows users to subscribe to the Public Notices news feed to receive all notices directly via email. Currently, there are approximately 900 subscribers to this news feed. In addition, these notices are posted to the City’s corporate social media account, where appropriate.
(This is contravention of the Municipal Act as it is not transparent for the City to profess to be the local media. Not only that. The erroneous policy makes once again falsely assumptions that people actually go to the city web page for notice, news and updates. This is a hugely erroneous assumption. It also shows such disrespect for the economic situation of many in the community. To make the assumption that everyone can afford computers, internet, cell phones is horrendous. This policy is so wrong that since it’s inception it has only attracted 900 subscribers to its news feed. The City web page developers lack understanding of the internet and online presentation. So much so that not even staff at the City have full understanding of how to navigate it’s own City page. This policy must be squashed and the city must go back to the previous policy with an amendment to include The Central Newspaper, The Sun, The Star or the Globe and Mail). As it stands this policy is nothing short of an insult to those in the industry operating within the City limit. It is an insult to any small local business. It is another black mark for Oshawa and anyone thinking of wanting to do business with the City of Oshawa.
5.4 Proposed Policy
The proposed Public Notice Policy (refer to Attachment 1) provides a separate policy document in lieu of a by-law. This approach is reflective of revised document templates and practices to provide consistency with respect to formatting and content for all Corporate Policies. In addition, municipal bench marking suggests that a separate policy document is a common approach. (Attachment 1 is nothing much different than this document.)
The key differences between the existing Notice By-law and the proposed Public Notice Policy are: •Removal of the existing requirement for print advertising; •Implementation of a new requirement for additional notices to be posted on bulletin boards in City Facilities; and, •Refinement of the list of actions that require notice by the municipality. The proposed Public Notice Policy will continue to require posting of notices on the City’s website, (on the dedicated Public Notice web section). Additionally, a Communications Plan will be implemented that includes a number of tactics to encourage community members to subscribe to such posting, including but not limited to: •Subscribe call to action to featured on the City’s homepage;•Notice to community stakeholders; •Subscribe flyer and/or notification in City printed materials (e.g. construction notices,mailer's, etc.); •Social media “subscribe” campaign; and, •Subscribe call to action included at the bottom of City e-newsletters. (The City under any act can’t go changing clear mandates by the Municipal Act. It is not a matter of interpretation. The City can’t go around making it’s own rules that benefit the City. The City can’t deem itself the local media with wider coverage than the local newspaper. The City can’t go ignoring and acting on erroneous information in order to justify it’s political agenda to control what is put out to the citizens of the City. In this case the Clerk and CAO erroneous made recommendation without acknowledging and or contacting the local newspaper that meet and exceed the requirements.)
5.4.1 Removal of Print Advertising
As outlined in the Corporate Advertising Policy, the City had previously maintained a dedicated “City Page” coordinated in local newspaper(s) where many of the required notices were published. The Oshawa Express ceased production (both print and online) in 2021; Oshawa This Week (along with numerous other Metroland community newspapers) ceased production of print newspapers in September 2023. (The Central Newspaper has been serving Oshawa/Durham for the past 28 years. Why is The Central Newspaper passed over. Is politically motivated? Is that transparent. Can the people of Oshawa Trust a city ran web page? A news letter where only 900 people signed up for... Or be forced to visit some site to look at some electric board? The new policy was passed without consultation. It was passed based on ) Where a legislated notice requirement under an Act or Regulation must be provided but there are no suitable printed newspapers that meet the definition of a Newspaper under the Legislation Act (being a document in printed form, published at regular intervals of a week or less, is circulated to the general public and consists primarily of news of current events of general interest), notice shall be given in the form and manner set out in the policy as well as any prescribed notice content set out in the relevant legislation. (This is false and a slap in the face to every local business. I Joe Ingino been in contact with the clerk Mary Madeiros and Tracy Adams, Chief Administrative officer. They both without a doubt know about the Central and our history. How can they make a statement as the one above with a clear bias and nonpolitically motivated conscious? They both know of the Sun, The Star and the Globe and Mail operating within City limits. I bring both of them to close scrutiny and bring them to strictest of proof for their recommendation.)
Environics data indicates that the majority of the population in Oshawa regularly access and use the internet for information and communications and use the internet as their main source of news. In fact, 88.5% of Oshawa residents accessed the internet in the last seven days and 89% have a mobile phone. (Bring this to strictest proof.) Given that most residents access news and information online, and that the City has already begun making efforts to encourage residents to subscribe to the City’s website for municipal news and information, it is recommended that the Public Notice Policy no longer prescribe that notice to the public be published in a newspaper at least once and that the Corporate Advertising Policy be updated to remove reference to the City Page along with minor housekeeping updates.
(I bring these figures to the strictest of proof. These numbers are not reflective of the reality of the claim. Anyone in the social media/internet/podcasting/broadcasting. Will tell you these numbers have been fraudulently put together to justify the City erroneous position. I call on council to deploy disciplinary actions against Medeiros and Adams as they have brought Oshawa to a shameful position if not one of legal challenge. I demand that this document be called back and that the city abide by the Municipal Act as all other municipalities. Oshawa is not a stand alone city that can now control the media through a medium that is far from proven to be what Madeiros and Adams attempt to claim. This is far from transparent and in the best interest of the people of Oshawa.)
5.4.2 Bulletin Boards in City Facilities
The Public Notice Policy recognizes that not every community member may have regular access to the internet to view the City’s website or access to receive emailed public notices. As such, the Public Notice Policy proposes implementing the additional requirement of posting notices on bulletin boards inside City Facilities in prominent locations that are accessible to the public during the Facilities’ regular business hours, such as but not limited to the following: •Civic Recreation Centre •South Oshawa Community Centre •Donovan Recreation Complex •Delpark Homes Centre •Northview Community Centre •City Hall. Where bulletin boards do not currently exist, new boards will be added, such as in City Hall near Service Oshawa. When a public notice is to be posted, a copy of the notice will be sent to all City Facilities. Staff at the City Facilities will be responsible for posting the notices on their respective boards. In addition, the notices may be sent to other community stakeholders who will also be encouraged to post the notice on their respective public bulletin boards. (By the City own admittance - NOT EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER MAY HAVE REGULARS ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.... Not to mention those that are not computer savvy or those suffering from all kinds of learning disabilities or the handicap. If electronic newsletter are failing only 900 subscribers. What make the City believe that people that can’t afford internet or computers can afford to travel to a city selected place Bulletin Boards. Bulletin boards full of advertisements. City Clerk and CAO have made a monumental mistake with their recommendation. Either one of them consulted the local experts. They failed to contact the only based out of Downtown Oshawa in print newspaper. Neither, the clerk or the CAO are qualified to make such recommendation to council to make such policy changes.)
5.4.3 Refinements to the List of Actions that Require Notice
As noted, the Municipal Act requires the Public Notice Policy to include the circumstances in which the municipality will provide notice to the public. It is important to note that, with the exception of statutory notices under the Ontario Heritage Act, this list generally includes the non-statutory circumstances under which the municipality will give notice to the public. Where statutory notice is required under any Act or regulation, the City will follow the Public Notice Policy in addition to any notice content or on site signage for site specific matters. Also removed from the list of circumstances is the amending of a procedure by-law. Most changes to the City’s Council Procedure By-law 128-2022 (“Procedure By-law”) are minor in nature or need to be made urgently due to other factors (i.e. Pandemic emergency). (Minor changes!!! The recommendations are made on false information and on non-expert assumptions and presumptions based on made up statistics without substance. The policy change is in clear violation of the Act-s. The policy change is non transparent. The policy change does not meet the Act intent and or purpose of transparency. The policy change puts the city in a position of legal challenge and or judicial review. The City Clerk and the CAO have made wrongful recommendations. This bringing to question both of their intents. Did this happen out of lack of understanding and information gathering before recommendations? Or is this some how politically orchestrated in order for the city to justify becoming the local media. This is in clear violation of all the acts. Represents and stand for.)
Further, nothing in the Public Notice Policy prevents the Clerk from providing additional notice to the public where appropriate or from Council directing additional notice be given for any particular matter. Where a new Procedure By-law is being enacted or completely repealed and replaced, notice in accordance with the policy would still be required. It is also important to note that all matters considered at Standing Committee and Council meetings are noticed as part of the agenda publication which includes posting online and subscriber distribution. (In which again shows the lack of understanding by the clerk and CAO as to what is regulatory and what is mandatory, oppose to what is general information normally dispensed by the clerk.)
6.0 Financial Implications As the revised policy no longer requires advertisements in printed newspapers, this will result in cost savings for the municipality with respect to Corporate Advertising budgets.
(This so called cost savings for the municipality is at a huge cost to the taxpayers. Another example of the clerks lack of understanding of the Act, the regulations pertaining to the same and the definitions. As clearly the clerk nor the CAO can logically give creditability to the fact that The Central Newspaper, The Sun, The Star and the Globe and mail do not meet or exceed the Municipal Act definition, requirement of what a newspaper is. This is not a cost saving. This is a huge liability for the city in a civil claim and or a judicial review.
Not to mention the shame it brings the city.)
7.0 Relationship to the Oshawa Strategic Plan
The recommendation in this report responds to the Oshawa Strategic Plan Goal of Accountable Leadership. Signed by Mary Medeiros Director, Legislative Services/ City Clerk and Tracy Adams, Chief Administrative Officer, Office of the C.A.O.
IF THIS IS AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT. WE ACCEPT AN APOLOGY - IF THIS WAS DONE WITH INTENT AND MALICE WE REQUEST COUNCIL ACTION.
The City of Oshawa prides itself in claiming to be inclusive. Pro- local business - Pro Downtown - Anti Prejudice and Bias.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE -- WHO FUMBLED THE BALL - WHEN EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN RECEIVING THE ONLY IN PRINT
NEWSPAPER DELIVERED TO THEIR HOME FOR YEARS. The Central Newspaper. On November 20th, 2023 without any consultation and or research, Council passed a resolution to accept the
above report, base on the Chief Administration Office and the City Clerks recommendations. It was passed by council erroneously.
The Central Newspaper requests to speak before city council on this matter. The Central Newspaper also asks that this Policy change be squashed.
The Central Newspapers asks for accountability from the Chief Administration Officer and Clerks office.
The Central Newspaper request disciplinary actions to be taken against both the CAO and clerks office for misleading council. For making recommendations that the CAO and clerks knew
was false. The Central request disciplinary action against the both aforementioned.
The Central does not feel that a Judicial review and or any further legal consideration is required at this time
THE ITEM BELOW WAS SENT TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ORDER TO ASSIST IN WHAT THE ACT MANDATES - HAVE A READ.
NOTICE TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES
Ate: All Municipalities From JOE INGINO EDITOR/PUBLISHER CENTRAL NEWSPAPERS
January 1st, 2024
CLARIFICATION ON WHAT MUST BE PUBLISHED UNDER THE SECTION 270(1)(4) OF THE MUNICIPAL ACT
I know many community leaders have been left scrambling since the irresponsible closing of Metroland. Most municipalities not knowing what the actual legal responsibilities are. The key is the word ‘TRANSPARENCY’. After extensive legal consultation with experts in Municipal Law. These are our findings: As you will note reading this document ‘TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY” are the Act primary mandate.
Re: Clarification on ONTARIO MUNICIPAL BOARD regulatory advertising regulations and legal mandate:
- For the past two months many of you have been grappling with how to meet the requirements under Section 270(1)(4) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25 (the “Act”) which requires the municipality to adopt a policy with respect to the circumstances in which the municipality shall provide notice to the public. (This does not include. City operated Digital pages, newsletters, social media). It makes reference to print.
- Municipalities are bound by the Municipal Act, to publish the following in a local newspaper: following matters: Statutory Notice – Matters under Parts IV and V of the Ontario Heritage Act. Where the Municipality is required to publish notice under Parts IV and V of the Ontario Heritage Act and many more. This includes at the Region level also.
Other Notice to the Public Municipal Act Section Action 34(1), Permanently closing a Highway, Establishing Toll Highways, Naming or changing the name of a highway, Naming or changing the name of a private road, Passing or amending a by-law concerning the fortification of land, Passing or amending a licensing by-law, Passing or amending a by-law requiring the registry of businesses , Passing or amending a by-law to change the name of the municipality, Passing or amending a by-law to change the composition of City Council, Passing or amending a by-law with respect to the establishment or dissolution of wards, Enacting a Procedure by-law, Adopting all or part of a budget, Passing or amending a by-law establishing a fee or charge. General closures, opening. Facility repairs. Garbage collection. Road Closure. Construction.
Statutory Notices – Notice to the public is required under several different Acts including, but not limited to, the Municipal Act, the Planning Act, the Development Charges Act, 1992 and the Ontario Heritage Act. These Acts (and/or associated regulations) Where a legislated notice requirement under an Act or Regulation must be provided in a suitable printed newspapers that meet the definition of a Newspaper.
Ontario Heritage Act - Sections 26(4) and 39.1(3) of the Ontario Heritage Act state where a municipality is required by Part IV and Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act to publish a notice in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality.
- The act is specific in its directive in that: Municipalities are to publish in a newspaper operating within their jurisdiction in order to maintain transparency, (Transparency is the quality of being easily seen through, while transparency in a business or governance context refers to being open and honest. As part of corporate governance best practices, this requires disclosure of all relevant information so that others can make informed decisions.) Municipal electronic forms of notices are not deemed transparent as the municipality has full control of a new self serving media. Since most municipalities claim to be pro-supportive of local businesses that they would continue the tradition of being transparent and publish in the local newspaper. Electronic media does not meet the Acts requirements or guidelines and are leaving municipalities open for judicial review and or legal challenges.
Even though the introduction of Bill 130. does not give municipalities to take control of the local news media or through their very hard to navigate web pages and other electronic means. Bill 130 only give municipalities the power to expedite on some manners. Experts in the field quickly assess that all municipalities do not hold the expertise and or knowledge to properly inform the community at large. Web pages do not work. Social media have proven to fail. Newsletter total failure. Electronic boards, not for suited for general Act notices. Other municipalities have already tried to go full digital and are failing horribly. Not only are citizens becoming upset at not getting information. The electronic numbers are minimal and way below the threshold of any newspaper. This putting municipalities following suit in danger of legal challenge and or Judicial review as it is a clear violation of the act that protects from municipalities controlling public information access. In the past municipalities favored one newspaper over another due to the amount of bias coverage in order to protect political municipal agenda. Under an electronic scheme. It would bring total bias and control to a small number of people. Primarily those elected. Favoring them in any future election.
Much like personal councillor newsletters. This type of self promotion using taxpayers dollars may be seen as political campaigning and contravene the Ontario Municipal Elections Act.
The Legislation Act currently defines “newspaper” as something: “(a) printed in sheet form, published at regular intervals of a week or less and circulated to the general public, and (b) consists of news of current events of general interest.” For Municipalities to use the fact that one newspaper declared bankruptcy... and to claim they do not have newspaper representation is erroneous and puts those municipalities in violation of the act in a push to control the media in their municipality in order to not be transparent.
Currently across Durham Region: There is the Central Newspaper. A newspaper that has served the Region for over 28 years. Serving Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington and Port Perry. A very well read and respected newspaper across the region in print every week. Many of you reading this get home delivery and or have advertised at one point or another. The Central an awarded winning community newspaper works with all global news agencies and is recognized as the same. The Central during COVID was recognized by the Federal and Provincial government as a source for all their advertising and notices pertaining to COVID. Also, operating in the region is the Sun, The Star, The Globe and Mail. All the aforementioned more than meet any requirement by the ACT and or threshold required by any municipality.
All the noted media are major players in the newsprint industry.
Why have all these newspaper operating within your communities been passed up or not considered?
As a local expert in both social media and print media. I look forward to hearing from you to assist in re-instating transparency to your municipality. I can understand the confusion. I can understand the lack of qualified staff to make the quick transition to any of the other local newspapers. I am here to help. I am here to meet with any community that needs advice or expertise on this matter. A local newspaper is an indication of the municipalities success. Don’t let one greedy bad apple ruin it for those that truly serve our community.
Newspapers are a place that brings our communities together. Let’s work together to re-store the damage caused by Metrolands irresponsible actions.
Joe Ingino
Editor/Publisher Central newspapers
The Oshawa/Durham Central Newspaper, The West Virginia Central Newspaper
The above Notice was sent out to all municipalities and all council members. It was intended to assist and educate as most in council did not even know where to look when it came to the legal requirements set forth by the Municipal Act to safeguard against exactly what the City of Oshawa has done by going digital.
As one of the only experts in internet technologies pertaining to publishing and broadcasting. The Central newspaper can attest to the fact that social media was never designed to publish municipal notices as the technology is selective, exclusive and requires the internet. The internet may be expensive for some...and out of reach for others as tough economic times makes it impossible for families to enjoy any perks. Therefore, any notice or posting online does not get to the targeted audience.
THE CITY NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
THE CITY NEEDS TO LIVE BY IT’S CREDO OF SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES
THE CITY NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND LIVE BY IT’S INCLUSIVENESS CALL - DEMAND FAIR AND TRANSPARENT LEADERSHIP.
You the taxpayer have now an opportunity to have your voice heard. STOP THE ATTEMPT TO CENSOR YOUR INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK - YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED IN A PROVEN ADEQUATE MANNER AS PER THE MUNICIPAL ACT MANDATES.
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING. WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE - TO THE MAYOR AND DEMAND DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST THE CLERK AND CAO.
DEMAND THAT YOU KEEP GETTING INFORMATION IN YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER
Write To Your Local Municipality And Demand Resolve - Together We C
By Common Sense Health – W. Gifford-Jones MD
and Diana Gifford
One week into the New Year, and how are you doing on your resolutions? Most people make ambitious plans at the end of December and by this point can’t remember what they were. A few people overdo it, like those who commit to running a marathon before they’ve had success with a daily walk. If you are constantly worrying about how to strike the perfect balance, that’s also a waste of your time and no help for your heart.
The best habits for health are regular moderate exercise, a healthy diet, good sleep, and an upbeat outlook. First thing in the morning, every morning, is a natural time to check in with yourself. Step on a scale and make sure the number you see never goes above your set healthy weight. If it does, use intermittent fasting and moderate activity to get back in your zone. Take a moment to plan the good health elements of your day, making them enjoyable pursuits.
People often set their goals too high. The classic examples are patients who have been told by their doctors that they have blocked coronary arteries. Anyone having experienced and survived the crushing pain of a heart attack will know how living with the threat of impeding doom drives a commitment to action. A myocardial infarction becomes an “ego infarction” and they simply overdo it. Too much, too suddenly is risky business.
Regrettably, some patients become cardiac basket cases. Take the story of the doctor diagnosed with heart disease who lay in bed for hours on end listening with a stethoscope to the beat of the heart.
No sane doctor would advise this, nor that patients take up marathons. A common funny line goes, “Whenever I feel like exercising, I lie down until the feeling passes.” Good marks for humour, but not the right approach.
Being inactive is the same as being in decline. Muscles atrophy. Bones lose mass. Circulation weakens and less oxygen reaches vital organs. Mood is dampened. Social connections dissipate. Unless you are lying around outside in the sun, a vitamin D deficiency is probably involved. The list goes on.
So yes, go out and buy a new pair of running shoes to carry you through the year ahead. But you might consider calling them walking shoes.
There are a multitude of studies on how exercise impacts the human body, including those that compare intensive training with more moderate efforts. The findings show that you don’t need to push it with strenuous exercise. A study at Guelph University found that moderate exercise five days a week had better results in terms of reduced body fat and improved blood pressure than shorter periods of more intense exercise three days a week.
Regular moderate exercise is also known to help control blood sugar levels. Aerobic activities like going for a brisk walk will lower glucose levels, while weightlifting, for example, and other high intensity activities can have the opposite effect.
Getting outdoors for exercise has other benefits. Researchers have found changes in brain chemistry from a walk in the woods. People suffering from depression report it’s a do-it-yourself form of therapy. The cost of a pair of shoes and some time out of your day are far better investments in well-being than resorting to pharmaceutical drugs designed to treat one problem or another.
Here's a challenge for the new year. Ask your doctor to tell you their preferred approach to fighting heart disease or depression. If they start to list the latest drugs, then walk, don’t run, for the woods!
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
