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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-01-10, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1990. Federation gets definite ‘maybe’ on grant request Members of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture didn’t get the answer they wanted when they appeared before the Huron County Council Thursday but they didn’t get the bad news they were trying to prevent either. Chris Palmer, President of the Federation and Brenda McIntosh, Vice-president appeared before council to try to rescue a request for a $15,000 grant from the county which the Executive Committee had recommended be turned down. Mr. Palmer said the Federation had approached the county last year and had been turned down but had been encouraged to try again before budgets were in place this year. He said the money is badly needed to allow the Federation to do its job. The work the Federation does in preparing studies and taking on projects saves the county thousands of dollars a year, he said. Mr. Palmer pointed out that if the old system where all farmers in each township paid a levy on their taxes to the Federation, the money raised would be much larger than the request. The request, he said, would replace the grants given by some, but not all townships. West Wawanosh Reeve Cecil Cranston wondered if the size of the grant was negotiable and Mr. Palmer said his group would be willing to listen to proposals but if the grant was below $8,000, it would likely choose to turn down the grant in favour of continuing to work with township councils (town­ ships gave $7,600 last year). Tom Tomes, Reeve of Stephen wondered if the membership of the Federation has declined. Mrs. Mc­ Intosh said membership was down from a peak of 2500 to about 1500 members. John Rodges, deputy­ reeve of Goderich Township point­ ed out that very little of the $130 membership fee paid by Federation Group to help cancer victims Living with cancer is traumatic, not only for the patient but for the family as well, and to better deal with the disease 12 new ongoing support groups are being formed with one of these being established in Goderich. Meetings for ‘Living with Can­ cer’ are on a drop-in basis so attendance will vary. Individuals do not need to join to become a member. Anyone with cancer is welcome, as are their family mem­ bers, without medical referral. Objectives of the support group include: helping people receive support in coping with the emo­ tional and social problems often associated with cancer; meeting others who have coped effectively with cancer and showing them they are not alone; talking about mis­ conceptions surrounding the di­ sease and its treatment; and pro­ viding information regarding com­ munity resources that are avail­ able. Heather Campbell, a registered Nurse at Victoria Hospital in Lon­ don is organizer of the group. Ms. Campbell, is associated with the London Regional Cancer Centre in addition to being a V.O.N. (Victor­ ian Order of Nurses). She explains that her objective with the group is to assist people in connecting with others in similar situations so they can help each other. “It is not group therapy, it is a support group for individuals to share feelings and experiences,’’ she says. “The group leaders will not give medical advice or sugges­ tions regarding the individual’s treatment.” For more information contact the Canadian Cancer Society at the Clinton Office. 482-7832. members goes to local work (the speakers confirmed $3 stays in the county, the rest goes to the Ontario Federation). Hullett Reeve Tom Cunningham said that with more people letting other people do the work, the Federation was important. While saying he had had his disagree­ ments with the Federation in the past and probably would in the future, he said that agriculture is very important to the county, including the urban areas. The Federation had listened to the suggestions of the County that it shouldn’t be going to both the township and the county levels seeking grants, and it had come back, as requested before the budget was set. His only problem, he said, was with the size of the grant request. But Dave Johnston, Reeve of Bayfield, said he had a problem with the request in that the county doesn’t pay the membership fees of union dues for a lot of other people in the county and it might set a precedent in this move. He sincere­ ly appreciated the work of the Federation, he said, but he could­ n’t support the grant. Reeve Cunningham said that the county pays to support the South­ western Ontario Travel Associa­ tion, something that many people in Bayfield benefitted from. Albert Wasson, Reeve of Blyth said the Executive Committee had to look at the fact that last year’s budget increased by nearly 20 per cent and had to justify the fact this would be an expense over and above last year’s budget. Reeve Cunningham proposed that the matter be looked at at biidget time and a grant be made unless it significantly increased the budget. Reeve Johnston said that $15,000 isn’t likely to make much impact on the budget. In the end, council agreed with Reeve Cunningham to refer the matter to the executive committee to explore when preparing the budget. WIN A TRIP TO ORLANDO SAT. FEB. 10, 1990 BRUSSELSOPTIMISTS VALENTINEDANCE &DRAW . per ticket AVAILABLE FROM ANY OPTIMIST MEMBER As of January 1,1990 . you no longer pay OHIP premiums And you are still covered When will premium payments end? January 1,1990. Ontario residents are responsible for paying their premiums until the end of December 1989, for the period through March 31,1990. Will there be enough money to maintain the quality of health care we enjoy today? Will my health care coverage continue? Yes. If you were covered you will continue to be covered under your present OHIP number. Payment of the final premium will ensure continuous coverage to March 31,1990. After April 1,1990, coverage will automatically remain valid for all eligible residents of Ontario. Ontario’s health care system covers all residents of the province including students, senior citizens, retired people, people on social assistance, people who are employed, unemployed or self-employed. Yes. Last year nearly fourteen billion dollars, one third of the entire provincial budget, went towards providing health care for Ontario residents. The elimination of premiums in no way affects the amount of money the government has committed to health care. It simply changes one of the sources of the money. In the past OHIP premiums only paid for a very small part of the Ontario health care sys­ tem. Most of the money for health care came from general revenues collected through the tax system. What do I do when I go to the doctor or the hospital? Do what you usually do. Use your OHIP number. It’s still the same. Present your number to show that you are eligible for health care services. What should I do if I do not have an OHIP number? Did we miss answering one of your questions? Contact your local OHIP office. Will the change affect personal coverage under company plans such as semi-private coverage or company drug plans? No. Why did the Ontario Government eliminate OHIP premiums? If you have further questions here are two ways we can help you: 1) Call your local OHIP office. You’ll find the number in the blue pages of your local telephone directory. or 2) Call the Ontario Ministry of Health toll-free number: 1-800-268-1154. TDD 1-8OO-387-5559. In the past, many companies paid all or a percentage of OHIP for their employees. Other companies-paid nothing. Many Ontarians paid OHIP premiums on their own. Unfortunately, many of the people who had to pay their own premiums were those who could least afford them. The new Employer Health Tax and the elimination of OHIP premiums will make the system fair for everyone. 7 Ministry of Health © Ontario Ministere de la Sante