HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-12-27, Page 1212-TH( HURON UUXPO$ TOR, O...mber 27, 2000
Corresprnd(:riCe
WrapAround seed planted
growing in Huron County
In 1997 the WrapAround
seed was planted in
Ontario. That seed has
since taken root and
continued to grow locally
with the development of
WrapAround in Huron
County.
The development of
WrapAround within Huron
County is overseen by a 14
active member Community
Team who have been
working hard at
incorporating provincial
guidelines into the creation
of our local community's
policies and procedures. A
Review Committee (sub-
committee of the
Community Team) has
been established whose
role it is to review
WrapAround Plans
ensuring the Critical
Elements of WrapAround
have been followed and
assist in locating and
accessing community
resources on behalf of a
family involved in the
WrapAround Process.
The WrapAround process
assists a family with a
child(ren) 18 years of age
and younger, who is
experiencing difficulty in a
number of areas of life to
improve their lives. A
trained WrapAround
Facilitator is assigned to
assist the family through
the process.
Within Huron County a
number of staff from
agencies that have
dedicated their time and
resources in support of this
community directed
initiative. have been
trained as WrapAround
Facilitators.. However,
more facilitators are
needed particularly
volunteers from the
communities of and
surrounding Wingham,
Lucknow. Seaforth, Exeter
and Goderich.
During the last year there
have been a total of eight
families referred to the
WrapAround Process, three
of which are currently
involved in the early stages
of the referral process.
Two families are
working at developing
their WrapAround Plans,
while three families have
been able to meet their
needs without the formal
completion of a
WrapAround Plan. It is
expected that as public.
awareness along with the
continued development of
this community directed
initiative, the number of
families involved in the
WrapAround Process will
increase.
In addition to these
developments, the Ministry
of Community Social
Services has provided
dollars provincially in
order to fund a one year
Demonstration Project.
Through this funding, the
Community Team has been
able to hire Deb MacLean
on a part time temporary
basis to assist in the
coordination of the Huron
County initiative. Ms.
MacLean has been
involved in Community
Development with the
WrapAround initiatives in
both Huron and Perth
Counties for the last year.
People still not aware
of changes to drunk driving
laws and penalties
Canadians know the limits,
and generally avoid drinking
and driving. But many don't
know what the penalties are,
and few believe they are
being applied. -
Last June. Parliament
enacted a change to the
Criminal Code to allow a
maximum sentence of life in
prison for impaired driving
causing death. Yet an
Environics poll
commissioned by the Canada
Safety Council found that 65
per cern of Canadians - 56
per cent of men and'74 per
cent of women - think
Canada's impaired driving
laws are not strict enough.
"We doubt Canadians want
the death penalty for .
impaired driving." said
Canada Safety Council
president Emile Therien. "A
lot of people don't realize the
law is already very strict."
Of those surveyed. 62 per
cent knew they could be
charged with a criminal
offense if their blood alcohol
concentration (BAC)
exceeds .08. A further 26 per
cent thought .05 was the
limit. The Canada Safety
Cquncil finds it encouraging
that 88 per cent know the
limit or err on the side of
caution.
The Criminal Code
sections on impaired driving
were recently toughened. If
the punishments were
increased as a deterrent.
reasoned Thenen, they will
fail unless people know the
new penalties.
Only four in 10 correctly
believed a first-time
impaired driving conviction
brings a minimum S600 fine
and one year driving
prohibition. (That penalty
was increased in June 1999,
from a S300 fine and three
month suspension). Only two
in 10 correctly believed that
life.in prison is the maximum
penalty for impaired driving
causing death. (Prior to June
2000. it was 14 years).
Ironically. better education
respondents were less likely
to know the penalties than
those with lower levels of
education.
On top of this. most
respondents didn't think our
courts make drunk driving
charges stick. One in four
thought Tess than 25 per cern
of charges result in
convictions. Only one in 10
correctly answered that over
75 per cent of charges result
in convictions.
Of all criminal charges,
impaired driving has the
highest conviction rate - 77
per cent nationally in 1998,
including guilty pleas and
those found guilty after trial.
Over 40 per cent of
respondents said they'd been
stopped by police in the past
year to check for impaired
driving. Residents of British
Columbia (67 per cent) and
in particularly Vancouver (71
per cent) are most,likely to
have gone through a roadside
check.
"Visible, effective
enforcement is a proven tool
in the fight against impaired
driving," said Therien. "If
people believe they will be
caught. they are far less
likely to offend. When the
chance of being caught is 40
per cent. the police are doing
a very good job."
Seventy per cent of __
.Canadians said they never
drive after drinking any
amount of alcohol.
Respondents in the Atlantic,
provinces'were (east likely to
drink and drive.. According
to the Canada Safety
Council. this confirms that
social drinkers have gotten
the message. •
"Behaviour patterns have
changed," concluded
Therien. "If they're going to
be drinking, most people
plan ahead not to drive."
"We've come a long way
in the fight against drinking
and driving in changing the
behaviour of most
Canadians." said Mark
Yakabuski, Vice President of
the insurance Bureau of
Canada. "But there is still a
lot to be done to reach repeat
offenders and to further
enforcement of impaired
driving legislation."
Forty-one per cent of men
but only 18 per cent of
women admitted to driving
after drinking any amount of
alcohol. The fact that men
are more likely than women
to drink and drive is reflected
in 1998 statistics that show
eight men were charged with
impaired driving for every
woman.
Less than one per cent of
respondents admitted to
drinking before driving
several times a week. This is
in line with research that
identifies hard core dunking
drivers as the less than one
per cent of drivers who cause
a disproportionate number of
road crashes, injuries and
deaths. Five per cent said
they drive after drinking
every week or two. Of the
total six per cent who
regularly drink and drive.
most were men (77 per cent)
and over 1/3 had a university.
degree. '
"The test of any law is its
perceived effectiveness,"
commented Environics Vice
President Chris Baker.
"Although Canadians are
changing their behaviours in
a positive direction, many
believe those charged with
impaired driving stand a
good chance of evading
conviction. That is clearly,
not the case."
Baker noted that the poll
shows a misconception of
how the justice system
applies the law, which may
undermine public confidence
that governments are taking
the problem of impaired
driving seriously." Canadians
need to know the law is very
effective in its application,"
he said.
In 1998, crashes involving
drinking drivers killed 986
people. Drinking drivers
were involved in 3,382
serious injury crashes.
The Environics Research
Group surveyed 2,088 •
Canadians between
September 25 and October
16, 2000. Nationally, the
results are accurate to within
.142 Fovea. 19 times out
of 20. The Canada Safety
Council commissioned the
poll, with financial support
from Justice Canada, the
Insurance Bureau of Canada,
the Motorcycle and Moped
Industry Council and the
Driving School Association
of Ontario.
Annual Brodhagen
District Chamber
of Commerce
Snowmobile
Poker Rally
She is available to provide
information to interested
persons or groups about
WrapAround, which
includes volunteer
opportunities such as
joining the Community
Team: facilitating families
through the WrapAround
Process; assisting people
with such things as '
budgeting, grocery
shopping or transportation;
or through monetary or in-
kind donations ,to the
WrapAround Flexible
Fund. Please contact Ms.
MacLean for more detail at
(519) 273=1020. Her office
is located at Family
Services Perth Huron in
Stratford.
M.C.L. SOUND
FULL D.J. SERVICE
Book Your Receptions,
Buck & Does early!
For more info. call
John: Clinton
482-9984
Barry/Donna: Mitchell
348-0516
Perth County Plowmen's Assoc.
invite you to come and
join us for an
OPEN HOUSE
in honour of
Amy Holmes.
who was crowned
2001 Ontario Queen of the Furrow
Sat., Jan. 6, 2001
2-4pm-
at Rostock Municipal Building & Hall
527-0180
Happy
New Year
from Bob & Staff
HOLIDAYS HOURS
M & THINISDAY11AMto11 PM.
MPH & SATURDAY 11 AM to 1 AM
SUIDAY & MONDAY CLOSED
Take home a
part baked
pizza for
New Year's Eve
or New Year's Day
Starts Wednesday, December 27th
SATURDAY
JAN. 6, 2001
Rain del,: Feb. 3. 7001
Brodhegen Community
Centre
Registration
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Food Avatlabie in the hstN
Fine Furniture & Window Fashion
467 Main St. Exeter
235-0173
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