The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2004-03-03, Page 1�isC"nadaU��M,,&�1 _Diast CaInc. Joy Finlayson & Sharon Medd Mortgage Consultants ..Finally, a company that starts with a discount" 1=•11 \ l.,iu -1 1.-.1I..1 III (5 199) 5?7-1):;-()o Sharon Medd, Associate Broker M.V.A. Appraiser Vlsit: mls.ca for information or listings In Huron/Perth .�' .T.�v.....r.t-.�...� n ,61 -• Wednesday, March March 3, 2004 x1.25 includes GST r4.714 Doug Elliott. CFP. B.Math un ole mesad Mafia 1t & Best Gi ttr,wC.t Rates Daily Interest Account Savings 2.05%` 3.ob% 3.80% CARTIER PARTNERS FINANCIAL SERVICES -A Make %ln Mar aemr*tQmpiiy- I: If•TTlI ti:Ul1111l11l111it 26 Main St., Seaforth 527-2222 In brief Local hospitals • given new operating funding The week after a $200,000 new equipment grant was announced by the province for Seaforth Community Hospital, another $200,000 was given to SCH by the province for operating costs. The new funding was part of a more than $2.5 million boost to the operating budget of the Huron -Perth Healthcare Alliance, which included $305,000 to Clinton Public Hospital, $190,000 to St. Marys Memorial Hospital and $1.852 million to Stratford General Hospital. "It's very welcome news," said Mary Cardinal, Seaforth hospital's site leader, on Friday. "It's money we were hoping to get as relief from our projected deficit of $3 million for the 2003/04 operating year," she said. Cardinal said that while the funding was announced for each hospital, there is only one operating budget for the alliance. New funding was also announced for other hospital in Huron and Bruce Counties by Huron - Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, including $332,000 for Exeter South Huron Hospital, $456,000 for Goderich Alexandra Marine Hospital, $902,000 for Kincardine, South Bruce -Grey Health and $265,000 for Wingham and District Hospital. "This funding will improve access to quality. health care and reduce wait times for important health care procedures in Huron - Bruce," said Mitchell in a press release. In a similar announcement, Perth - Middlesex MPP John Wilkinson said the one- time funding will "correct years of chronic underfunding of our hospitals." Both MPPs said the Liberal government hag outlined new "change strategies for health care in Ontario including `rigorous new accountability requirements," "a sustainable financial footing for hospitals," strong community health care services and a new emphasis on preventing illness and promoting healthy living, including reducing smoking and increasing rates of physical activity. By Susan Hundertmark New CCAC building open for business Susan Hundertmark photo Kathy Scanlon, executive director of the Community Care Access Centre, and staff members from left, Tammy Beange, Val Presseault, Darlene Bogie and Pam Gethke, stand in front of the new building housing the CCAC's 40 employees in Seaforth. (Susan Hundertmark photo) Two weeks at Ground Zero a life -changing experience,^� speaker to s service Cubs By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor The smell of death is still in his nostrils and the sound of mothers crying is still in his ears two years after the two weeks that forever changed Bert Gauthier's life at Ground Zero in New York City. Gauthier, a funeral home director in Orangeville and soldier in the Salvation Army, spoke at Brotherhood Night in Seaforth last Thursday at the local Legion. Three and a half months after the terrorist attack that destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, Gauthier volunteered as chaplain and volunteer supervisor for 14 days at Ground Zero. "1 was the only funeral director from Canada to go. 1 guess they knew that as a funeral director, 1 wasn't going to topple over if I went into a room with a grisly sight," he said during an interview after his talk. Gauthier was recruited for the job at the medical examiner's officer at Ground Zero by the Salvation Army headquarters in Ottawa and took over from a Colonel in the U.S. Army. "He looked totally exhausted after two weeks on the job. He was glad to see me," he said. While he was on site, there were 26 50 -foot trailers full of body parts that workers were trying to identify. "What they would do is when body parts were recovered and delivered to this site, Bert Gauthier they would be DNA'd, given a file number, placed in boxes or containers and then placed in the trailers. When other body parts were found and matched by DNA, they would be placed with the matches," he said. "The smell was something else. The smell of death was everywhere," he remembered. Gauthier worked from 4 p.m. to midnight for 14 days straight looking after the families who came to the site looking for news of loved ones. When the body of a firefigher or police officer was discovered and identified, Gauthier would conduct a service that evening. "The body would be draped in the American flag and 100 workers would line up, standing at attention in a row to the hearse, waiting to take the body away to the family," he said. Gauthier said he still gets flashes from his two weeks there. He remembers being called outside by a "great big policeman" whom he found leaning up against a trailer "crying his eyes out." "They had just found his brother," said Gauthier. As well as feeding 100,000 workers each day, the Salvation Army provided Bibles and pamphlets to anyone who wanted them and they disappeared daily. "1 remember looking at the pit where the Soo SMELL, Pfd 2 By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor While the Community Care Access Centre offers most of its services through home visits, executive director Kathy Scanlon says the CCAC's new building in Seaforth will give the centre more visibility in the community. "We used to be on the second floor of the high school in Clinton and people didn't come in. And, they often didn't even know we exist. We wanted this new building to be accessible because we're hoping people will come in and see us and learn what we have to offer," says Scanlon. CCAC's 40 employees moved last week into the new building, which was built by the Seaforth community development trust behind the Seaforth Medical Clinic. The centre is funded 100 per cent by the provincial Ministry of Health to provide See DIRECTOR, Pogo 2 Susan Hundertmark photo Shrove sausages Ma -year-old Abby Thompson, of Egmondville, digs into the pancake and sausage dinner held on Shrove Tuesday at St. Thomas Anglican Church in Seaforth last week. Beef farmers confused by new provincial aid By Sara Campbell Expositor Staff A local cattle producer says the Ontario government's announcement of new funding and other initiatives to help agriculture has caused confusion to already frustrated and disappointed farmers. "We know there is good news of funding coming soon but we don't know how it will be split up," said Glen Walker, president of the Huron County Cattlemen's Association. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Agricultural Minister Bob Speller were at the annual meeting of the OCA on Feb. 25 in Toronto to announce $10 million in new funding to support a cull -animal strategy aimed at providing markets for Canadian beef in the wake of the closing of the United States border. In a press release from the Premier, it to provide $64 million for all e ligible producers as part of the federal - provincial transition funding to the n e w generation of farm safety net programs which includes $7 million to beef producers "There was confusion at the OCA meeting. They Quoted stated Ontario's commitment made the funding announcement but we don't know what will be done with it," said Walker. "It's just frustrating." Walker said Speller did announce changes to the cull cow program that farmers can qualify for $159 per head and will no longer he required to provide sale for slaughter receipts to receive payments. Farmers can also qualify for $1 a day to cover feed costs between Dec. 16, 2003 and May 24, 2004. That means up to $320 per head is available to producers who have cull cow they need to market. For beef herds the eligible cull rate is eight per cent of beef while for dairy it is 16 per cent. Any cows over 30 months of age had to have been owned by the farmers as of Sept. 1, 2003. "We knew there were changes coming," said Walker. "We also heard that the province will be investing $10 million to get Gencor (Fond Inc.) started. So hopefully we'll see that happen soon." . Gencor Food is working towards getting the old MGI plait in Kitchener back in operation as it was the only slaughtering facility in Ontario able to process a large amount of cattle daily. The Premier also Soo CULL, Pogo 2