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The Citizen, 2004-10-14, Page 6Well done Geoff Peach, of Blyth, holds the award presented to the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation in recognition of exceptional performance and dedication to improving the Great Lakes. With Peach, staff person with the Centre, are from left: Ken Hunter, Goderich; Patrick Donnelly, Centre staff; Stephanie Donaldson, Centre director and Deb Shewfelt, Goderich mayor. (Photo submitted) Tips for responsible gambling (NC) — For many people, gambling is exciting and entertaining. They make careful decisions about spending time and money, where to go and how to have fun. The following are some ways people gamble responsibly: • Gamble for entertainment, not as a way to make-money • Balance gambling with other leisure activities • Only use discretionary income, not money for everyday expenses • Set a budget and stick to it. If you have lost the money you budgeted for gambling — stop • Don't borrow money to gamble • Avoid on-site cash machines for additional gambling money nil RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING COUNCIL (Ontario)' • Always set a time limit • Take frequent breaks - • Be aware — risk increases at times of loss or depression If you want to know more about responsible gambling, visit the Responsible Gambling Council (Ontario) website at www.responsiblegambling.org or phone at (416) 499-9800 in Toronto or toll free at 1-888-391-1111. — News Canada PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2004. Coastal Centre gets bi-national recognition On Oct. 6, the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, a non- government organization dedicated to protecting Lake Huron's coastal ecosystems, was honoured at a conference in Toronto on the environmental health of the Great Lakes. The State of the Lakes Ecosystem conference (SOLEC) is a bi-national conference held every two years to report on, and discuss the state of the Great Lakes ecosystems. At each SOLEC conference, a committee recognizes some leading examples of organizations or projects that it considers to be making a significant contribution to the improvement of the Great Lakes environment. This year, the Coastal Centre was selected to receive SOLEC's Success Story award. contribute to the improvement of Lake Huron," noted Matt Pearson, chairman of the Centre. The award, which was nominated by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority in London, Ontario, specifically identified the Centre's work in sand dune conservation and community outreach, most recently in the communities of Sauble Beach and Saugeen Shores. Its work in dune education, protection and restoration in these Lake Huron communities, has led to an improved understanding of these fragile and irreplaceable coastal features. "The importance of dunes to the coastal ecosystem has been largely misunderstood, and as a consequence, we have seen the deterioration of many of our dune systems along Lake Huron," noted Geoff Peach of Blyth, coastal resources manager at the Centre. "These are irreplaceable resources and we are working with community groups all along the lake to protect dunes and the rare vegetation that we often find within them." As well as work in dune conservation, the Coastal Centre is actively involved in coastal issues like water quality, biological diversity, climate change and coastal processes. The Centre's website can be found at www.lakehuron.on.ca SOLEC's website is at cfpub.binational.net/solec As a recipient of the Success Story designation, the Centre received an award presented by the U.S. Consul General in Toronto and the Canadian Consul General in Buffalo, which recognized the Centre's achievements. "Receiving this Bi-national award is really quite an honour, and recognizes the hard work that our staff have put in over the years to Working together, the Prime Minister, Premiers and Territorial leaders have signed a 10-year plan, supported by $41 billion in new federal funding, that will lead to better health care for Canadians. Better Health Care g Reduce waiting times • Improve access so that Canadians don't wait as long for key tests, treatments and surgeries al More Doctors, Nurses and other Health Professionals • Plans to train and hire more health professionals while also developing faster accreditation for foreign-trained health professionals g Expand home care • Provide better support for people being cared for or recovering at home t Improve access to family and community care • Increase 24/7 access to doctors, nurses and other health professionals Better Access to Needed Medicines • A commitment to manage drug costs and ensure that no family is forced to choose between needed medicines and financial ruin 1 Improved Aboriginal Health • New investments and better planning to close the gap between Aboriginals and other Canadians in terms of health Shorter Waiting limes The federal, provincial and territorial governments have committed to report clearly on the progress_we are making in health care and, for the first time will report on progress in reducing waiting times. E' Comparable indicators ... so we can measure • Federal, provincial and territorial governments will use comparable information to report their progress in improving access to doctors, and to diagnostic and treatment procedures g Benchmarks ... so we know what we are striving for • Federal, provincial and territorial governments will set medically acceptable waiting times — based on advice from medical experts — starting with cancer, heart disease, diagnostic imaging, joint replacement, and sight restoration g Targets ... to drive change • Provincial and territorial governments will set their awn targets and report annually to citizens on progress in reducing waiting times Canadians will see for themselves where their health care money is going and how it is making a difference. To obtain a copy of "The 2004 Health Care 10-Year Action Plan at a Glance", call 1 800 0-Canada (1 800 622-6232) or, to see it on the web, click www.canada.gc.ca/healthplan. e Government Gouvernement • of Canada du Canada Canad'i