HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-06-24, Page 37Ontario's adoption
records are now open.
visit www.ontario.ca/adoptioninfo
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Effective June 1, 2009, Ontario's adoption records are open. This means that adopted adults and birth
parents can apply for post -adoption birth information from birth records and adoption orders.
An adopted adult, 18 years of age or older, can now apply for a copy of his or her original birth registration
and adoption order. A birth parent can receive information from the birth registration and adoption order of
the child that was placed for adoption once that child turns 19 years old.
If you want your identifying information kept private, and if the adoption order was made before
September 1, 2008, adopted adults and birth parents can file a disclosure veto.
To learn more about your right to information and privacy regarding adoption,
visit www.ontario.ca/adoptioninfo or call 1-800-461-2156 (TTY 416-325-3408).
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Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - Page A37
Willsie motivates Eagles with triumph over tragedy..
Denny Sett
signal -star staff
David Willsie, captain of the Canadian
National Wheelchair Rugby team, motivated
St. Armes' students to embrace the challeng-
es life presents and persevere against stacked
odds, and showed them how a bench -warm-
er can work to become captain of a national
team.
Willsie, -who has scored medals and hon-
ours in international competitions and the
Paralympics, was the guest for St. Anne's
co -curricular celebration held at The Cove
on Tuesday, June 9. He spoke about the ac-
cident that put him in his chair, and the chair
that has put him on the podium.
Introduced by Anna Lambert, St. Anne's
Co -Minister of Sports and Recreation, the
Porchester--born athlete explained that a
hockey injury was the cause of his paralysis.
"I went headfirst into the boards, and I
was paralyzed from the chest down," he ex-
plained. "But I was inspired in the hospital."
Willsie said that while he was recovering,
he was visited by members of the wheelchair
rugby team, who didn't even wait for a re-
sponse before they were measuring him up
for position and chairs.
In the space of three years, Willsie went
from learning he was paralysed to earning
gold medals, starting with a 1995 accident,
Tempest shuts
out South Huron
On June 18, the U 11 Tempest girls played
their rival, South Huron. After an even first
half, Goderich pulled ahead to be the stron-
ger team in the second.
Sierra Burt started the goal scoring, with
Quinn Talbot quickly adding a second. Ash-
ley Bakker added two more goals for a final
score of 4-0.
Lauren Doherty and Kyra Lewis played
solid games on defence. The shots that did
get though, were expertly stopped by God-
erich's keeper, Megan Johnston.
J,.
of sar- luewater Billiards and
Darts
Three -game winners:,
Dennis Brennan
Marion Miler ',
'Helen Scott
Jim Howard-
Janet Barton"
Barbara Howar
Brian Johnson
Jim Black
Audrey Black`'
Tony Tillman
Cecelia Pye
Boston Pizza three -game
winners:
Dawn Rose
Bob. Barton
Ann T llmann
Photo by Denny Scott
St. Anne's graduating student Anna
Lambert gets a lesson in wheelchair
rugby courtesy of Team Canada cap-
tain, David Willsie.
and progressing to the Wheelchair Rugby
World Championships in 1998.
Willsie said that his physical prowess
wasn't the only thing that let him onto the
court.
"I was invited to try out for the Canadian
team, but I got cut," he said. "I found out they
had, a second tryout out east, so I went there.
The coach told me that 1 sucked, but I would
get a lot better, and put me on the team and
told me to sit on the bench and watch."
The story takes a Cinderella-esque turn
here, when the coach turned to Willsie dur-
ing a game and told him to .get on the court
because he needed a word with the player
Willsie would replace.
Willsie had been watching the entire game
and saw exactly how his opposition was
breaking out, which gave him the insight
he needed to try and pick off a pass. Things
didn't go exactly as planned though, as the
ball ricocheted off his head. Either way, he
had achieved the turn -over.
Thanks to his ability and keen sense of
plays, that tournament marked his end as a
bench warmer and put him on the starting
line for Team Canada.
As a representative of Canada, Willsie
said, he gets to see the best of the world, and
they welcome him with open aims.
"I remember, we were playing in Sydney,
and it's a rugby nation, so they have some
great hecklers there," he said. "But we were
lined up to come out with the other nations,
and when other nations came out there would
be a subdued cheer for them, but when Can-
ada was introduced, the crowd went wild.
Canada gets a warm reception like that ev -
erywhere."
To better demonstrate the game, Willsie
oversaw a game played by students before
his speech.
Wheelchair Rugby, formerly known as
Murderball, is a 4 on 4 no -holds -barred sport,
where the aim of the game is to take the ball
across a goal in the opponents end.
In wheelchair rugby, knocking players out
of their chairs is more than a by-product of~
the rough play, it is a means to end. Taking
people out causes turnovers and makes op-
portunities for a team to score Willsie said.
By days end, Willsie showed students how
fun, and difficult, adding wheels to a game
can be.