The Lucknow Sentinel, 1993-05-26, Page 3Recognizing the barriers
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painted -on designation simply cover
it up with their car, said Lori.
Audrey Ritchie
Audrey Ritchie, a young Lucknow
woman, was bom with spina bifida.
As a member of the local access
awareness committee, Audrey does
her best to help those who are not.
disabled understand and recognize
barriers faced by people in wheel
chairs, using walkers or with
mobility problems.
Audrey said she is fortunate
because she now has a motorized
scooter with hand controls that
makes her entrance into buildings a
little easier to handle. Audrey did
point out that winter weather isn't
her favorite. Getting, around is made
more cumbersome for her with the
slippery sidewalks, snow and slush
to contend with,
Audrey has learned to cope with
certain barriers, but sometimes she
does need the help of others, and
she always appreciates . the assis-
tance. One thing that does upset her
is people staring at her.
She emphasizes that access is for to be aware of is a projection from
everyone - people with disabilities, a building that does not go right to
the elderly, mothers with strollers
or wagons.
Audrey has seen many
improvements take place in this
community and others and hopes to
see them continue. She is par-
ticularly pleased with the entrance
to the lower level of the town hall
and the wheel chair ramp into the
Community Centre.
Audrey too agrees that when
people do renovations on public
buildings the input of those a
disability could be very helpful.
Jacqueline Pentland
Twelve -year-old Jacqueline
Pentland has been visually impaired
since she. was six years old. Born
with spina bifida, Jacqueline main-
tains her mobility withthe use of
splints on her feet. The
deterioration in her sight was
caused by shunt problems.
This youngster, with her out-
going positive attitude was keen on
talking about the neat things she
uses to beat the visual barrier she
faces. Her CMB cane is, as to
millions of others, an international
signfor the visually impaired. One
of the toughest things for Jacqueline
• He sees death daily
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nationally to get under people's
skin and talk about drinking and
driving.
"In my job you see death' every
day. You know, drinking and
driving is literally a suicidal act. If
you know it can kill you... it's
suicidal. You wouldn't take a
loaded gun and just put it to your
head, It's Russian Roulette with a
vehicle."
But on top of it all, Georget has
felt the impact of drinking and
driving personally. His former
partner and another co-worker were
on their way home one evening and
were hit directly on the passenger
side -- where his partner was sitting
--• and the car was thrown into a
hydro pole. Both ambulance atten-
dants had to be cut from the wreck-
age by fire fighters. His partner,
while surviving, can never return to
the paramedic field and has to work
at a desk. The other friend also
survived; he too struggles with his
return to work. The accident hap-
pened in 1991.
The pickup truck that struck the
two was ;driven by a, 17 -year-old
boy who had been drinking.
Previously the truck was in a
separate accident and had no head-
lights or licence plate.
"When your kid goes out, find out
how manypeople willbe in that car
ani'-d—ia-6-stiliere are enough
seatbelts for all. It's amazing how a
car will roll and roll and throw out
the human contents and kill them,
but it will throw the bottle intact,"
. he said, turning to a slide of a
smashed car in the ditch, a covered
body laying nearby, and not so far
away a partially -filled 40 ounce
bottle of rye, undamaged.
"There is a serious problem
among Grade 8s and 9s across this
country. How do we prevent this?"
Georget said the majority of kids
he speaks' with in the .younger
grades will say the number one
reason they drink is peer pressure --
"It's cool, or, everyone does."
He said parents must teach their
kids to be assertive and know they
have many options. Barring that, try
to reflect the need for responsibility
in your own behavior. "You say it,
you mean it, you do it."
And that also applies, to punish-
ment.
Georget warned parents not to be
too aggressive when' dealing with
kids that have been drinking, or will
be. Let them know that you would
prefer to . have them home alive
rather than getting in a car with a
drunk driver. Let your kids know
they will not be punished for cal-
ling home in the wee hours of the
morning for a ride. He, said it's
better to have to get out of bed to
go fetch your kid from a party than
face the police. officer at the front
door.
"We can be friends with our kids,
but they don't want us to be buddy -
buddies. They want us . to be
parents." In closing, Georget
praised the efforts of the local
,OSAID chapter. ,
"You are doing a wonderful job,
and we need more of you out there.
Your parents should be very
proud." Georget now faces the very
challenging and emotional task of
presenting his seminar in Oran-
geville thiS week -- not too far from
where eight teens were killed two
weeks ago returning from a bush
Ply. •
Ten important tips,
for parents of teens
This list was developed for
parents by the many young of-
fenders serving time at the Guelph
Correctional Centre in Ontario.
1 Keep Cool. Don't fly off the
handle.
2. Bug us a little. Be strict.
3. Get tough if we're lying, stealing
or being cruel.
4. Call our bluff. Don't compromise
or be intimidated by us.
5. When we need punishment, dish
it out, BUT let us know you still
love us even though we let you
down.
6. Praise us when we deserve it.
7. Be honest. Tell us the truth. We
can take it. Lukewarm answers
make us uneasy. We can smell
uncertainty a mile away. •
8. Light a candle, show us the way.
We need to believe in something
bigger than ourselves.
9. Don't get strung out on booze or
pills. Remember children are great
imitators.
10. Don't blow your class, Don't
try to talk, dress or dance like your
kids. You embarrass us and you
look ridiculous.
the ground. People with a visual
impairment use the symbolic white
cane to determine hazards. Tapping
in a side-to-side manner, at ground
level will detect any hazards, but it
does not signal anything higher.
Jacqueline has a "really neat"
talking computer to aid in her
schooling. The Wingham Public
School student also reads braille
which is one of her school subjects.
She delights in telling others about
her special ball that she can play
catch with, her talking alarm clock
and her braille watch.
Jacqueline copes very well and is
a doer, always wanting to be in-
volved in as much as possible.
Access Awareness Week is about
breaking down the barriers - the
physical and mental. To that end
various special events will take
place. A Kids on the Block troop
will perform at some of the. local
schools between May 30 and June
5, and the Forest City Flyers bas-
ketball team will return to F.E.
Madill to take on the CKXX Tri-
Hards on June 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Lueknow Sentinel, Wednesday, May 26, 1993 - Page 3
May 31 to June 6 Is National Access Awareness Week. Audrey
Ritchie (left) and Jacqueline Pentland are two area residents
who are doing their best to spotlight barriers faced by those
with disabilities. The book held by Jacqueline Is one of three
braille sections that make up the novel she is currently reading.
(Pat Livingston photo)
PUBLIC NOTICE
MAITLAND RESOURCES
PHILIP
EN,VIRQNMENTA1 INc
Maitland Resources, .a joint venture between Sifto Canada and Philip Enviranmental,
proposes to establish a storage and placement facility for post recycled industrial residuals
in the Sifto Goderich rock salt mine. The mine is located on lands in the Goderich harbour.
The proposal may include a Sorting and recycling facility at the mine site. The type of
materials under consideration will be limited to carefully selected and screened solid; bulk,
post recycling residual industrial materials: The materials to be considered- for placement in
the mine will include solid industrial waste.
Approval of• this proposal may be required under •provincial and/or federal legislation,
including Environmental Assessment Act df the Province of Ontario. Evaluation of the
proposal will involve a study of all environmental, transportation, safety, .land use,
economic and other factors associated with such a facility. '
Maitland proposes that this evaluation be carried out with full public participation by the
Goderich community. As the first steps if1 the process of evaluating the proposal, Maitland
will hold a public meeting and form a public Study Group,, AH interested are invited to
attend a: •
PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday; June 10, 1993
7:00 p.m.
Goderich District Collegiate Institute
• 260 South Street
Goderich, Ontario
At this meeting representatives of Philip Environmental and Sifto Canada will outline the
proposal, 'describe the' proposed study, and the approval process,, introduce the companies
who have formed Maitland Resources, and ask for volunteers from the community to join
the publQc Study Group.
The Maitland Environmental. Assessment Study Group „
,.How °to Get Involved
Public-participateop_ipJLi_eeyaLu_ation of this proposal is important. Maitland proposes to
form an Environmental Assessment Study Group and invites applications from all citizens
interested in membership,
The Study Group will play a vital role.in the evaluation of the proposal. The Study Group
will include representatives of Municipal Government, 'the public at large and Maitland, The
activities 'of the Study Group will include:
• , participation in ma_ king decisions which will guide the environmental assessment of
the proposal '
'identifying community concerns and ensuring that those concerns are addressed
throughout the Environmental Assessment process;
and
communicating to and receiving communication from the public at large
If you would like to participate in the Study Group, please send your name, address
and phone number, along with a brief description of your interest to:
Mr. Al Hamilton
Mine Manager, Sifto Canada Inc.
• P.O, Box 370
Goderich, Ontario
N7A 3Y9
or attend the public meeting and advise us of your interest at that time.
For further information, please call Mr. Hamilton at (519) 524-8180
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