Huron Expositor, 2004-09-15, Page 7News
Dublin man ready for nine-month
Katimavik cross-country adventure
By Marc Hulet
Mitchell Advocate Staff
Shaun O'Reilly is ready for
the adventure of his life.
O'Reilly, who lives just
north of Dublin, left to
participate in the nine-month
Katimavik program on Sept.
8.
The program, which
receives funding from the
Canadian government
through the Department of
Heritage, is a national youth
volunteer service program.
Over the next nine months,
O'Reilly will live with 10
other program participants
between the ages of 17 and
21.
They will split their time
between living in Barrie,
Ontario; St. Roch, Quebec
and Canmore, Alberta.
The day before he left,
O'Reilly, who turns 19 in
December, said he is excited
about the opportunity that
this program affords him.
"It sounded like a fantastic
opportunity to see Canada,
try new jobs, make some
contacts and grow as a
person - to see what I'm
capable of," he said.
O'Reilly also said he is
looking forward to travelling
and seeing the Rocky
Mountains in Alberta.
Through the Katimavik
program, O'Reilly will be
trained in five areas:
leadership, official
languages, environment,
cultural discovery and
healthy living.
The participants in the
program will be expected to
participate in 35 -hours of
volunteer work each week.
The community work
projects could include such
things as building hiking
trails in parks, participating
in public relations activities,
organizing exhibitions in
museums and teaching
children how to read.
Emilie Hamel, a former
participant in the program
from Quebec, said the
program helped her to
become a better person.
"Katimavik changed my
life," she said. "I have
evolved, I have gotten to
know myself and I have a
better idea of where I'm
Marc Hulet photo
Shaun O'Reilly, 18, puts the finishing touches on his packing
on Sept. 7 in preparation of his nine-month journey as part
of the Katimavik program.
going in life."
What exactly is in store for
O'Reilly and his housemates
though is unknown.
"1 haven't heard anything
yet," he said. "Right now the
whole nine months are a
mysterious thing, full of
surprises."
O'Reilly said he expects to
miss his family (dad Dennis
and brother Adam, plus
numerous other relatives) and
friends, although he expects
to keep in constant contact
with them via the phone and
e-mail.
"I'll miss being a loafer the
most," O'Reilly said with a
wry smile. "I hear they'll
work me like a dog."
That said, O'Reilly is eager
to grow as a person.
"I want to learn to be
responsible for myself and he
more self-reliant and learn
how to act in the workplace,"
he said, adding that he just
learned how to do laundry
last week.
"I'll be surviving on my
own survival skills for the
first time."
O'Reilly said he has
Council receives
complaint about
all -wheels park
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
Huron East will be writing
a letter
explaining
how it arrived
at a location
for the
Seaforth all -
wheels park
to a
homeowner
beside the
downtown
park.
Douglas
Stewart, who
owns the
house on the
corner of
Victoria and
Gouinlock
Streets, wrote
to council
expressing
concern
about the
skate park location and the
"negative impact of the
park's presence on the
quality of life and property
values in the
neighbourhood."
"It seems to us the
peaceful atmosphere of the
neighbourhood has changed
rather dramatically with the
new park in place," said
Stewart's letter.
Stewart, who spends
several weeks each summer
at his childhood home in
Seaforth, said he was
"appalled and dismayed" to
find the skateboard park
beside his house during his
last visit to town.
He questioned why the
park was located in a
residential arca, why other
locations were rejected and
whether other
residents in
the arca were
consulted
before the
park location
w a s
determined.
"I realize
that some
people may
feel I have no
business
raising these
questions and
criticising the
location of the
park since I do
not live in
Seaforth. I am
a local
taxpayer,
however, and I
take much
pride in this neighbourhood
and is pleasant quality of
life," he said in his letter.
At council's Sept. 7
meeting, Mayor Joe Scili
said the Huron OPP prefer
the current skate park
location and reminded
council that out of seven
possible locations, only two
were municipal property.
"We have to remember we
were all young disturbers at
one time. We have to work
with our youth because one
day, they'll be sitting in these
chairs," Seili told council.
"We all like the idea of a
skate park but not in our
neighbourhood," he said.
Quoted
'It seems to us
the peaceful
atmosphere
of the
neighbourhood
has changed
rather
dramatically
with the new
park in place,'--
Seaforth homeowner
Douglas Stewart
spoken with most of his
housemates and they all seem
to have similar personalities
and interests so he doesn't
forsee there being too many
problems adjusting to a house
full of people his own age.
"We seemed to click," he
said, adding that he heard the
dropout rate can he fairly
high in the first three months.
"It'll be survival of the
fittest."
When O'Reilly returns
from the program, he plans to
go to college to become a
child and youth worker.
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