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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1984-10-03, Page 29GODEIUCH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1984 -PAGE 11A R ® • 0 must be assisted to stay in communities BY JACK RIDDELL, MPP A recent Globe and Mail article reported some startling facts about the impact that an aging population will have on the alloca- tion of health care resources over the next 40 years. A Task Force funded by the Canadian Medical Association estimates that at least 12.8 per cent of Canadians alive in the year 2,001 will be over 65 - the current level is 9.7 per cent - and that the figure will rise to at least 17.5 per cent by the year 2,021. Canada already institutionalizes far more of its elderly than the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. If we con- tinue to -put elderly people in hospital long term care facilities and mental health in- stitutions at the current rate, in the year 2,021 the country will need 1,300 bed long term care facilities' in addition to the facilities it has now. This prospect alarms the Task Force for two reasons: "The costs will not only be pro- hibitive but we' will perpetuate the callous, practice of warehousing the elderly". Fortunately, there is a healthy list of alternatives which if implemented serve both the welfare of older Canadians and the public purse. The key is to assist the elderly to stay in their communities for as long as possible. Meals On Wheels can provide nourishing food; homemaker services can clean homes and run errands; drop-in centres can pro- vide dental care and eye check-ups. Mobile hospital units already proved effective an experimental project in New Brunswick, could provide health care to the elderly at home. "Through the use of this unit hospital ad- missions are avoided, early discharge from hospital is possible, the terminally illcan be treated at home and admissions to nursing homes can be postponed." ' These services will cost money but everything is relative..Almost 10 per cent of Canada's elderly are now in institutions; if the level were reduced to even six per cent on a par with the rates in the United States and the United Kingdom, the report estimates the country would save 16.3 billion dollars in capital construction costs over the next 40 years. •The Task Force identifies a major pro- blem with geriatric care in Canada. With few exceptions there are no facilities which let people move with ease through the various stages of care - low (Home for the Aged 1, medium ( Nursing Homes) and high (chronic hospital care). Passage from one to the other is a nightmare of waiting lists, overcrowding and. conflicting jurisdictions between departments of health and social services. So it is writes the Task Force that "the pa- tient who has entered hospital cannot be moved out again to a Nursing Home because his place has been filled. There perhaps would be vacant places in the Nursing Home, if current residents who would be "-"ariommeimommommumimmorimmommomomme natural disasters know they are going to get a certain degree of assistance without begg- APPLIANCE REPAIRS Large or small, we'll fix them all.... Our repair experts will have your appliance in tip top shape fast. Call Us Today At PECK APPLIANCES 'IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN VARNA' VARNA 482-7103 E stahlished 1876 McKILLOP MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY ff Ph. 527-0400 91 IV(ain St. South, Seaforth FULL COVERAGE Farm & Urban Properties DIRECTORS & ADJUSTERS 482-3354 527-1877 523-9390 524-7051 527-1837 527-0508 482-7593 527-0687 345-2397 Ken Carnochan Lavern Godkin John Mc Ewing Stanley Mcllwain Donald McKercher Kenneth Moore J.N. Trewar'tha Stuart Wilson Pail Rock AGENTS Graeme Craig E.F. "Bill' Dur,t Bob McNaughton 887-9381 527-1455 527-1571 CALLA 'k' AGENT OR THE OFFICE PARK better m Homes for the Aged, could find a spare place. Those in Homes for the Aged might be better m purpose built apartments with supervision, and some occupying.these apartments would be better in the communi- ty." A, More flexible approach to health care and social services in the community could work wonders in relieving a crisis which will grow worse as the number of dependent elderlyin'creases. Emergency fund Liberal Leader David Peterson has yet once again called upon the Provincial Government to establish an Emergency Relief and Disaster Fund. The extensive damage suffered by com- t. munities in London, as a result of the tor- nado` in the area on Sunday, September 2, has dramatically highlighted the need for such a fund, which could be used to provide assistance to families and individuals, to be used for the repair of damage to property, as well as making adequate short-term pro- vision for people who are the victims of a natural disaster. Cutting a wide swathe through a ten -block area of South London, the tornado sent more than thirty people to hospital, and caused damage ranging from demolished roofs and walls to broken windows in more than 600 homes and businesses. While the full extent of the damage suf- fered m this most recent natural disaster is not yet known, initial estimates are in the region of $4-$5 million. At this point in time, the City of London has not yet determined whether to initiate the complicated formal request for financial assistance from the provincial. government. That decision, as is the case for all municipalities, will be based on the'total cost of the damages, existing municipal resources and ,the problems of creating a bureaucracy to manage. the relief program. This is of course, an additional reason to consider the creation of an emergency fund to cover such contingencies. • The Ontario Liberal Party does not' believe that the province's policy of mat- ching funds raised by the municipalities in times of disaster after special resolutions have been passed and special arguments made - is good. enough. Local government should not have to pay for the damage in such situations. We have for a long time advocated the establishment of an emergency fund: In 1977 Liberal House Leader Robert Nixon (Brant - Oxford -Norfolk) introduced a resolution in the Ontario Legislature which provided for a consistent policy by the government on the types of support which would be made available to communities caught in disastrous natural circumstances, rather than leaving' crucial assistance to the generosity of the government of the day to decide. Following the extensive damage suffered b' many Ontario communities in May 1983, our Party once again expressed the belief that an emergency relief fund should be established to provide necessary loan and grant assistance to individuals and com- munities which were subjected to extraor- dinary expenditure due to natural disaster. We proposed that such assistance be payable through municipalities or by the Ministry of Northern Affairs in the unorganized parts of the province. On several occasions, we have called for a clearly understood designation procedure followed by a clear allocation of funds which can be in some kind of a revolving account so that the people who are subject to these ing for it. It 'was suggested that the has c payment should originally come from Win- tario resources. Municipalities designated disaster areas could call for aid from such a fund to repair the kinds of damage which would be check- bthe officials of the Min ed carefully y istry, particularly with the assistance of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, and that payments be made on that basis. As Robert Nixon pointed out during debate in the Ontario Legislature on Oc- tober 15, 1979, Ontarians are accustomed to seeing what happens in the United States, where a flood or windstorm or other natural disaster usually brings about an almost im- mediate response from the governor of the state - and in certain circumstances a response from the President himself - with the designation of a disaster area, which means immediately that specific help by way of personnel and dollars is expected and forthcoming. It is not necessary to pre- sent special resolutions or special arguments, or to be "grateful" for assistance which is forthcoming. Industrial waste One of the most contentious environmen- tal issues is that `of the disposal of industrial wastes. According to the Ministry of the Environ- ment, Ontario generated some 72.4 million gallons of hauled liquid industrial waste in 1983 - over and above the wastes which are not hauled but are dumped directly into the environment by industries. The total amount of liquid industrial wastes gnerated is estimated by the Ontario Waste Manage- ment Corporation to be close to 150 million gallons per year. Approximately 27 million gallons of this waste is relatively innocuous oily water, in- ert sludges and inorganic waste. However, there are a number of highly toxic wastes, including organic (petrochemical), organic solvents. paints. pigments and adhesives, Plastic resins and acids. Smaller, bat still significant, amounts of very highly toxic wastes were also generated in 1983, in- cluding chlorinated solvents, cyanides, metal finishing wastes and PCB's. Looking specifically at the hauled liquid industrial wastes, 21 million gallons (29 per cent of the- 72.4 million) were hauled to sewage treatment and liquid waste treat- ment facilities. Unfortunately, many of these plants don't have the capacity to treat toxic chemicals adequately, and much of the liquid industrial waste enters our water- ways relatively untreated. Another ten million gallons (13.8 per cent) were buried in landfills and on sludge farms in the province. Six million gallons were sent to public landfills and four million gallons were sent to private sites. in 1983, the Ministry of the Environment permitted seven public landfills in Ontario to legally accept liquid industrial wastes. These sites were m Barrie Brantford, Guelph, Paris, Welland, Hapiilton and the Tricil facility of Cortina. It's interesting to note that in 1980, some 23 sites in Ontario were accepting wastes for landfilling. During the past 20 years millions of gallons of highly toxic wastes were illegally dumped in small landfill sites throughout Ontario. Many of these landfills have now been closed and capped with clean soil and seeded grass. Some are still open, but now only receive relatively harmless domestic wastes. The fact is, however, that over 800 aban- doned garbage dumps have been identified in Ontario, some of which contain liquid in- dustrial wastes which are now migrating in- to groundwater drinking supplies. Landfills which no longer receive liquid wastes, but which did so in the past and now pose serious health hazards to the adjoining communities are: Eric Pauze, Perkinsfield (four wells contaminated); Waste Manage- ment Inc. Stouffville (14 wells con- taminated) ; and WMI, Aurora (eight wells contaminated). Plumes of contaminated groundwater are migrating off each of these landfills and have contaminated the drinking water of a number of homes in the vicinity. In addition to the municipal landfills; there are more than fiftrivate and in- dustrial disposal sites whi eceive liquid industrial wastes. These -include Dow Chemical and Polysar in Sarnia; Robson Lang Tannery, .Oshawa; DHI Ltd., Streetsville; Canada Printing Ink, Burl- ington; and Beardmore Tannery, Acton. Tricil Ltd. operates Ontario's largest chemical waste incinerator and the pro- vince's only publicly -accessible secure land- fill- that is a landfill located in deep clay soil which inhibits liquid wastes from leaching down into the groundwater. This landfill receives over half of the liquid industrial wastes disposed of fn landfills, Tricil's in- cinerator burned over 12 million gallons of liquid industrial wastes last year. In total, Tricil received 15 million gallons of wastes in 1983, representing 21 per cent of the total hauled liquid industrial wastes generated that year. In addition to the wastes which are sent to the landfills, incinerators and water treat- ment plants, 13 million gallons .were reclaimed and reused by industry. Eight million gallons were sent to waste transfer stations for resale to other users, and 7.6 million gallons were shipped out of the pro- vince, primarily to the United States and Quebec. Become a farm vacation host The Ontario Vacation Farm Association (OVFA) consists of 6,t farmers who open their farms to paying 'guests as a unique vacation alternative, , The main objective, f the program is to educate visitors about a 'culture. 1984 was a very succ ful summer for the program with business booming. Those interested in becoming an OVFA host should contact Ms. Samme Putzel, Co- ordinator, OVA, RR 2, Vankleek Hill OR your local Rural Organization Specialist, Karen Rodman, OMAF office, Clinton. Food processor workshop offered No, it is not just another kitchen gadget! The food processor is probably the best in- vestment you will make in your kitchen and once you familiarize ,yourself with it, you will wonder how you ever managed without one. Mrs. Deborah Laskin -Rich, an ac- complished gourmet cook and successful caterer, offers you a one day workshop in the use of the food processor on Saturday, November 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cen- tralia College of Agricultural Technology. The fee is $10 for the day which includes lun- ch. You don't have to be a gourmet to take this course but you may become one once you know about the wonderful world of pro- cessing. For more information on this fall course and to register, contact Centralia College of Agricultural Technology, Huron Park, On- tario (519) 228-6691. Register early as enrol- ment is limited. Students gradate LAURINDATOLCHARD Laurinda Tolchard, daughter of Art and Donna Tolchard of Goderich, graduated from Career Canada College in Hamilton as a dental assistant on September 5. She is now employed with Dr. Jim Robertson in London. Laurinda is a 1983 graduate of Goderich District Collegiate Institute. +++ ANN LEEKING Anne Leeking, daughter of Morley and Eileen Leeking of Goderich, graduated from Marvel School of Hairdressing. and Barber- ing in London on September 20. +++ K. SANDY PALMER K. Sandy Palmer, daughter of Eileen Palmer of Goderich, graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa on June 18 with an Honors B.A. (French major). 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