The Citizen, 2018-09-06, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018.
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ARMERS’ REVOL
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An epic Canadian story about a rebellion whose
reverberations helped build the very Canada we know
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1837: THE F LTT
Written by Rick Salutin & Theatre Passe Muraille
Directed by Gil Garratt
August 1 to September 15
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I have to admit that when Citizen
Editor Shawn Loughlin sent me a
reminder of my deadline for my
September column I was not sure
what I was going to write about.
Summer has not been awesome for
me. My body has not been co-
operating. One of the
complications of a spinal cord
injury is low blood pressure – so
low that if I weren’t already sitting
I’d be lying on the floor. No energy,
no fun.
On this rare Thursday afternoon I
found my inspiration and perhaps a
cure. My goal was to get out of the
house and have some outside
activity. The Huron Stewardship
Council hosted a fundraiser for the
Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre. It
is the turtle “hospital” where any
injured Huron county turtles go to
recover. My friend, Rachel White,
co-ordinator for the council, was
the driving force behind the event,
so I was happy to go and support
her. Also, I love turtles. Especially
tiny hatchlings like the ones they
released into the water at the
Morrison Dam, just east of Exeter.
So there we were, Oliver and I,
walking on the trail by the dam and
I found my inspiration. It came
from seeing someone else using a
mobility device. I saw the photo
even before I had taken it. Gordon
(from Lucan) was walking with his
wife and grandson. It made me
realize that this was not just
something that I had been missing
in my life this summer, but that it
was possible for me to get out and
enjoy the outdoors.
I grew up playing in nature (most
people my age did). As an adult, I
hiked, skied and rode a mountain
bike. As a teacher I did my best to
get kids out of the classroom as
often as the weather and
curriculum would allow. We all
need nature for the benefit of our
mental health. There is a ton of
research showing that Nature
Deficit Disorder is a real thing.
Sunlight on our skin, the sound of
wind in the trees, the cicadas and
crickets after dark are all soothing
to our souls.
But herein lies the challenge. The
built environment is tough enough
to make accessible where we use
materials that make surfaces flat –
like concrete and pavement. In
nature, we have to deal with soft
surfaces of soil and sand,
obstructions like rocks and roots
and then add water into the mix.
One the biggest changes that comes
from requiring a wheelchair is the
energy it takes to move it. The
surface with the least resistance
wins! The crushed stone path at the
Morrison Dam was well drained,
firm, even, root free, and with some
help up the hills, easy to navigate.
This wonderful trail allowed me
to get out into nature with my son,
hearing the wind in the trees and
witnessing the launching of the
hatchlings into the dam. What
makes the difference is being able
to do it together. It’s not just about
accessibility for those who need it
directly, it’s also about everyone
else who is connected with that
person. Now grandkids can walk
with their grandparents, parents
can push strollers and I can roll
with my family and my friends.
This is my new goal – finding
places in nature where I can roll
with some ease. Come winter, it
will be searching for trails to use a
sit ski, but there’s no rush for that
to happen.
Enjoy what is left of summer,
find a place to get out and listen to
the birds and wind in the trees.
Spend the cool, bug-free evenings
along a river pathway or forest trail.
Take all of your people with you –
don’t leave anyone inside!
Nature’s medicine or nature is medicine?
By Julie Sawchuk
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Get out
Making a point to get outside, no matter your level of mobility needs, is crucial to living a
healthy life, says Blyth’s Julie Sawchuk, above left. She recently spent some time outside with
her new friend Gordon, above centre, and his grandson in Exeter. Below, Sawchuk and her
son Oliver took in the trail on their own during their Exeter visit. (Photos submitted)
Get information
on Huron County attractions
on the
Stops Along The Way
section of our website
www.stopsalongtheway.ca