HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarming '88, 1988-03-30, Page 34PAGE 10. FARMING ’88, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1988.
476 Main Street
Exeter, Ontario
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[519] 235-0170
43 West Street.
Goderich, Ontario
N7A 2K5
[519] 524-9444
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Queen’s Bush Rural Ministry counsellor Brian Ireland, right, here being interviewed by CKNX assistant
farm editor Andy Williams, says that the local media has been instrumental in spreading the word that
help Is available to rural people. “If we can prevent even one suicide, we’ll have done our job, ’ ’ Mr. Ireland
said.
Staff
overwhelmed
with calls
Continued from page 9
became ill soon after the service
began, Brian, whoiswell-knownas
an effective farm activist, was
asked to step in to assist.
It was a fortunate move, as the
calls that have flooded in since the
service began far exceeded all
expectations: Brenda and Brian
together have fielded close to 400
calls over the past 15 weeks, while
Brian put in more than 140 hours on
ministry business in February
alone.
“The response has been stu
pendous,’ ’ Brenda told the Howick
Junior Women’s Institute to whom
she had been invited to speak
earlier this month. “It just proves
that there is a tremendous need out
there that wasn’t being met
anywhere else.”
According to the East Wawa-
nosh farmer, the calls for help have
ranged all the way from the trivial
(“...an older man looking for a
younger woman to take care of his
kids ... ”) to the extremely serious,
such as providing immediate
counselling for potential suicides.
Brian figures that Queen’s Bush
has been able to prevent at least
two farm suicides since it began in
December, and that alone, says
Bill Wolfe, makes it successful. A
study in the early 1980’s indicated
that 34.8 per cent of farm fatalities
were suicide, although it is a grim
statistic never talked about as the
agricultural crisis deepens.
“There’s a solution for every
problem, and none are too small or
too large for us to handle,’’
explains Brian. He estimates that
close to 50 per cent of the calls he
and Brendatakeare of a serious
nature, while two to five per cent
could be termed “very serious”.
The rest are mainly from the
media, seeking information on the
service, and from people who know
what it is they need, but don’t know
where to go to find it.
“Those are the easy ones,’’
Briansays. “We have gathered
together an extensive file of area
resources, and usually we can tell
them immediately who to call for
the assistance they need. If we
don’t know, we know how to find
out, and we will call them back.”
Continued on page 11
A,.
JACK RIDDELL
Huron County remains one of the
leaders in agriculture production
in Ontario. Our farmers are the
backbone of the local economy.
I am proud of that our food
producers provide us with the
highest quality, safest food in the
world at the lowest of prices. And
I am equally proud to represent
this great county at Queen's Park
both as its Member of the
Legislature and as the Minister of
Agriculture and Food.
As always, I remain at your
service in the Ontario legislature.
Simply contact meat any of my
offices in Exeter, Goderich or
Wingham.
Ontario
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
HONOURABLE
JACKRIDDELL
M.P.P.-HURON
198 Josephine Street
Wingham, Ontario
NOG 2W0
[519] 357-2463
Zenith 14730
Parliament Buildings
Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A2
[416] 965-1080
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