FROM THE ARCHIVES…

'Alliance joins the NO" Campaign'

This was the headline on the Outaouais Alliance Referendum Issue of January 1995. Guy Bisson, Council for Canadian Unity co-ordinator for the NO campaign in the five provincial ridings in the Outaouais welcomed the Outaouais Alliance's determination to work actively against the breaking up of Canada. "Committees for the NO are being established in every Quebec riding so that all people who love Canada and care equally about Quebec can joint the NO team. This fight transcends political affiliation, language, gender, age and ethnic origin. We are proud to have the strength of the Outaouais Alliance add to the cause."

SHAWVILLE IN TRANSITION

Just beginning its third year, Shawville's Revitalisation Project is in transition, moving from planning stages to implementation. The international non-profit organization 'Main Streets Foundation' gives its expertise to projects like Shawville's that successfully apply to their program. Bonnie Richardson, the Project Coordinator, is the one who was hired to carry out the mandate that brings residents and community and business leaders together to first survey the needs, the resources, and mine for ideas and then to develop an action plan for the revitalisation.

The overall mandate is to strengthen the community socially and economically. The surveys have been done, the sketches of possible street frontage completed and the community consultation meetings continue. In the next stage, 3 committees are formed to finalize action plans and implement agreed upon actions. They are economic development, physical development and animation (events and promotion). When the project mandate comes to an end, the idea is that the community has enough tools and expertise to continue capitalizing on the community's strengths. Good luck to Shawville and all its volunteers who support the Revitalisation Project.

Bonnie Richardson can be reached at (819) 647-5223 for further information.

Feeling Secure about Health Care

One of the mandated areas of Outaouais Alliance concern is health care.

This is the area where people understandably are the most passionate about sharing their perspectives and hopes. Everyone wants the security of knowing that our health care system will take care of us in our time of need, regardless of whether we are comfortable speaking the language of the province’s majority. It is ironic that medical diagnosis and treatment can be so complex, and yet it is sometimes something as banal as the language of communication that can become the main problem.

The possibility of not being able to access the best medical services is threatening to English-speakers. It is a perception so real that it could deter English-speakers from living in Quebec, and which has sent so many of us who live here across the bridge in our search for health services we can be sure about, even if it means paying out of pocket to make up the difference in what Quebec will pay for an Ontario service. It also makes residents angry that some of the health institutions they helped to build with financing from the English-speaking community, now no longer offer services in English, if they’ve been designated a francophone institution.

I have the pleasure of serving as Chair of the Regional Committee for Access to Health and Social Services for English-speakers, at the Régie Régionale de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (RRSSSO), which is the Regional office for health and social services. This is a committee which serves to inform its members of new directions the Régie is taking, makes the Régie aware of the reality of services in English, and makes recommendations to the Régie Board.

Despite having lived in West Quebec for 17 years, the amount I didn’t know about health services here could (and does) fill several reports. Which hospitals are designated francophone institutions, which are bilingual institutions; the percentages of anglophones per region, reflecting greater or lesser demand for English services; which services need the critical mass of population found in Ottawa, that the Outaouais doesn’t have; what emergency services are provided where; even what CLSC stands for!! (Centre Local Services Communautaires).

Everything old is new again at this committee – we are required to take a fresh look at old problems in West Quebec: the doctor shortage, unacceptably long waiting lists, signs, reception and phone messages in hospitals and CLSCs in French only, repatriation (the fancy word for encouraging English-speaking West Quebecers to stay on the Quebec side for their medical care. Currently 12% of residents choose to go to Ontario for their health care.). Dissatisfied users of our health system are encouraged to complain to the appropriate authority. It is the responsibility of users of the health care system to register our complaints, so that problems can never be addressed by the institution. There is a complaint assistance and support centre number you can call toll-free at 1-877-767-2227.

However, as a member of this committee, I also get to hear happy stories from patients who praise their health care professionals for the calibre of the service they provided and the ease of communication that was achieved. I believe the service has been improving by leaps and bounds over the decades and promises to continue in that direction.

Some issues are specific to Anglophones in their particular need to be able to express themselves and be understood in the language they are most comfortable in, but others are general situations for patients of any mother tongue that need to be ironed out.

A growing trend in thinking about health care policy is an emphasis on education and individuals’ responsibility for their own health. It has been suggested that four factors may reduce mortality, in the following proportion: the health care system (11%), environment (19%), human biology (27%), and lifestyle (43%). The health care system may or may not deliver among the most important factors in treatment, speed of intervention. An example of how environment affects health is the shocking rise in the rate of asthma, caused by air pollution. The factor of human biology refers to individuals’ genetic make-up.

And lastly, lifestyle, the factor over which we have the most control. Individuals may not need to rely on the health care system, the cost of which everyone decries, to the extent that they do if they did their utmost to take care of themselves. Smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, activities with a high risk of permanent and costly injury such as not wearing a helmet while bicycling or not wearing a seatbelt, are all lifestyle choices that may all add to costs and increase mortality. A recommendation has been made in health care reform that people should pay part of the costs of a health care service resulting from their self-destructive action, for example smokers or drunk drivers injured in a car accident.

Education on health issues may be insufficient. Physical education programs in schools and to the public like Participaction continue to be cut, even though approximately 60% of Canadians do not have an adequate level of physical activity to receive optimal health benefits, and there is a growing problem of obesity in children.

The Régie has made moneys available to improve public health projects. Partnering with sectors outside of health institutions - like police, schools, municipalities, and community groups - is empowering in that it fosters participation by the community in matters concerning its own health. Forty-one projects have been submitted this year in areas as varying as food security and crime prevention. Please contact the OA office if you have an idea for a public health project. The deadline for submissions is in June.

Also serving on the Régie committee are members of a non-profit group of volunteers called ENRICH (English Network of Resources In Community Health), which you may not know about but which has been working effectively since 1995 to improve the health of West Quebecers in several respects. ENRICH started as an Outaouais Alliance committee.

ENRICH has had several initiatives that are real success stories. I will describe one program at length because I believe it is a shining example of a homegrown, needs-based, effective and successful program was developed by volunteers, and built with successful partnering, funded by the RRSSSO, and recognized. It has received prizes and been honoured at conferences. It continues to work in more communities, affecting the lives of greater numbers of youths at risk.

“Aware, Prepared and Linked” is a program developed by ENRICH, (quoted from the flyer:) “for English-speaking families with teens who are at high risk for substance abuse and school drop-out…The English-speaking population of western Quebec is a vulnerable one that is difficult for existing health and social services to reach. The youths of this area have been characterized as high risk for physical, emotional, social and economic problems and are disadvantaged in terms of the availability, accessibility and appropriateness of the services required.” The program is comprised of an 8 week summer program for teens 13 to 17 years old, and an 8 week family follow-up. Participants are referred from CLSCs and schools. All have experienced difficulty at school and at home, they may be in families where there is alcoholism or chemical dependency, and may have run away from home. The program offers interactive sessions and guest speakers covering anger management, communication skills, resumé writing, coping skills and strategies. There is a work placement. Teens are paid, with a bonus at the end of the summer for completing their commitment.

“Aware, Prepared, and Linked” is the story of adults concerned enough for the kids at risk in their communities to devote countless hours of their time to developing a solution that has helped many families through tough times.

The School Board is also responsible for aspects of health care in our community. Children and young adults with special needs receive support in a limbo between the health ministry and their schools. The Ministry of Education says there were up to 50,000 children in the province with handicaps, social maladjustments or learning difficulties in English school boards this year. Many of them are integrated into classrooms. Five percent have classification that require major health resources: from severe behavioural, language, developmental, or psychopathological disorders, to intellectual, visual, hearing, or motor impairments. The schools, with the limited budgets that we constantly hear about, may shift their educational priorities away from special needs, and so the Health sector must fill in as provider. As the number and proportion of special needs students rises, the resources required will also rise, costs which only escalate if care is not provided immediately.

The exodus of youth from Quebec has affected the health of those who remain behind. With fewer family caregivers available, many elderly Anglophones turn to their hospitals and CLSCs for care. If they are uncomfortable with the communication they have with their care provider, many may not go back for follow-up or call again when they need the help.

In March the treasurer of OA Camille Chapman and I attended a conference on Health in Montreal, hosted by the CHSSN (Community Health and Social Services Network), the provincial group concerned with health services, of which Outaouais Alliance is an affiliate member. That conference also helped to fill in some answers we had to questions in the health field.

At the provincial level, you may remember the hubbub in the press in December when all 11 Committee members of the provincial committee on Health services in English resigned en masse when it was revealed that the Minister of Health and the premier were operating with a hidden agenda, developed in secrecy and without consultation, that would reduce the scope of Health and social services in English. That Committee had been trying to negotiate a renewal of the Access Plan, an initiative that had for decades been building trust between French-speaking health care professionals and their English patients. A sector group, in cooperation with several regional associations, OA included, built a coalition action campaign and lobbied the premier, and the Health Minister with 1000 hits via a special email address. This campaign was paid for by a donation in trust for initiatives of this nature. Recently Premier Landry announced that he would not touch the Access Plan until after the election. Our collective efforts were successful in influencing the government to abandon its plan to put Access Plans in jeopardy. After all, the Liberals, who may form the next government, will surely be more reliable partners around the table! This campaign was an example that the English-speaking community at present is sufficiently organized, collaborative, and competent at navigating the political system to mobilize around issues critical to their health.

There are other anomalies I find out about because of this Committee: perhaps a disproportionate number of health care professionals in West Quebec may be unilingual, for this famously bilingual region. This may be because starting salaries in Ontario are significantly higher, so bilingual staff are likely to apply there. The nursing program at our own English institution, Heritage College, places students for their work terms not in Quebec hospitals for the most part, where their language skills in English would alleviate some of the communication problems anglos encounter, but in Ontario hospitals. Why is this so?

What has got us through and made things improve is the good faith of most people, English- and French-speakers, opening themselves up to the possibility of learning Canada’s other language and overcoming the initial hesitancy to work in it. And we must remember that while finding the health services that you need in English can be a challenge, the same experience awaits francophones in most regions outside Quebec. But the question for members of the English-speaking community in West Quebec remains: how well do we know the health needs of our community? Do we know if those needs are being addressed? And what do we want to change to ensure the continued health of all of us in the coming years? Outaouais Alliance will be undertaking research into community needs this summer, to try to find answers to some of these questions.

APICO

APICO (Association pour l'integration communautaire de l'Outaouais) is a non-profit organization that serves persons with intellectual impairments and their families. Founded in 1957 the association's main objectives are to encourage and facilitate the social integration of persons with intellectual impairments in their communities in the Outaouais.

Their aim is to provide practical assistance, to secure recognition of the right of persons with intellectual impairments to be full citizens, to facilitate integration into the community, to initiate integration projects aimed at autonomy, to educate the public and government agencies, and to offer respite to primary caregivers through organized activities.

Their desire is to ensure that every client can be integrated into the community, receive its services and enjoy a full life. They feel it is important to involve the families as they play a fundamental role in a person's development. .

Well known in the francophone population, APICO is making efforts to raise its profile in the anglophone community. Presently, 1-2% of its clients are anglophone.

Among the services APICO offers are recreation clubs, information and referral services, summer and day camps for various age groups, dances, sports and cultural activities. These services are possible because of a dynamic and dedicated team.

At present there are day programs offered in Aylmer and Gatineau.

With over 150 volunteers and a volunteer board of directors APICO is still looking for involvement from more members of the community. The integration of people into society and the community is very much a "shared success".

If you are interested in volunteering or becoming a supporter, APICOs contact points are: 10 rue Noel, Hull, QC J8Z 3G5 Telephone (819) 771-6219. Email apico@ncf.ca

Vallée Jeunesse has success in working with Youth

Established in 1996, Vallée Jeunesse (VJ) has a mandate to work with 12-16 year olds who are in difficulty at school and/or with society. Their program is preventative and hopes to reach those youth that are at risk of dropping out of school or out of society altogether. Youth are referred by secondary schools in the Outaouais. VJ has intake, assessment, counselling, educational and activity components. Presently, there are access services in Aylmer, Gatineau, Papineau and Maniwaki.

In 2001 VJ started working with the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB). The original program used with French speaking youth was adapted to meet the needs of the English-speaking community. It became more free flowing with an 'in' and 'out' component option throughout the school year. Each adolescent's case is different so individual programs vary in length. There are 12 spaces available at any one time in the English program. Tracy Charles, resource counsellor, says that the need for the English program has been constant since inception.

Newly based at the former Pavillon de Parc on Broad Street in Aylmer, the present facility has a classroom, lunch area, conference room and office space. The lone teacher works with the students in English and Math only. A program coordinator provides activities and counselling is also part of the process.

The VJ success rate is 85%. Not all students referred by the school board are taken into the program. They are sometimes referred to programs more suited to their needs. VJ partners with other organization working with youth in the Outaouais like CJO, Heritage House, PEEP, CLSC, and Pavillon Jellinek.

Outaouais Alliance was involved at the beginning of this project and was used to make the original contacts with the WQSB. Contact is maintained through our Community Liaison Officer.

Information: Jean Lalonde, Executive Director, VJ (819) 684-5151 Tracy Charles, Resource Counsellor, English Program (819) 685-2364

A Carrefour Jeunesse Opens in Aylmer!

Anne-Marie Charron, counsellor at the newly opened Carrefour Jeunesse says the office is open Tuesday - Thursday, 8:30 - 4:30 p.m. at the West Quebec Career Centre on Frank Robinson in Aylmer. The Carrefour is getting better known through publicity and word-of-mouth

This point of service in Aylmer, working out of the Gatineau Carrefour Jeunesse, offers 3 types of service for people 16 - 35 years old. There is bilingual job counselling available on a one-to-one basis. Individuals are coached on job searches, job interviews, and resume writing. The latest information on training, cultural exchanges and government programs is also available. Two computers are available on site for internet job searches and clients have access to the fax. One career counsellor meets with the clientele by appointment and provides guidance on their best choices for the future. Entrepreneurship is the third thread where help is given with business plans. An example of a successful enterprise resulting from this service is the Bicycle Repair Shop on Principale in Aylmer.

If you know youth who are on a search for a job, please refer them to their nearest Carrefour.

Carrefour Jeunesse Points of Service:
Aylmer: 682-7712
Gatineau: 561-7712
Pontiac, Campbell's Bay: 648-5065
Papineau, Buckingham: 986-5248

RÉPIT PONTIAC

On quiet Reid Street in Campbell's Bay, there is a jewel of a residence for seniors. The St. Joseph Manor, operated by Répit Pontiac, a non-profit private enterprise, is home to 29 seniors mainly from the Pontiac. 75% are English speaking. Residents come to the home by referral: CLSC, CHSLD, CH Pontiac, CHSLD Hull or even through the family doctor.

A homey, bright building, originally built by the Pembroke Diocese in 1968 as a nursing home, it was sold to the Régie of Health and Social Services, who determined that it was no longer needed as a Nursing Home. The former institutional look is softened by themed seating areas throughout the home.

Residents have their own room and things with them and a private bathroom. They have access to a dining room, a chapel and have planned activities throughout the day should they wish. The halls of the home feature many paintings and crafts done by the residents. On site activities coordinators provide a full day with activities like: painting, knitting, crocheting, exercise, music choir, needlework and various crafts.

In addition to their full-time residents, the home also offers respite care and day care for a fee and by reservation only. Anna Bowen the Director says they have room in that program should clients in the Pontiac need the service. The home can be reached at 648-5905.

English Services Directory Now Available

April ---, Aylmer, Quebec - The 'Community Directory of English Services and Community Institutions in the Outaouais' is now available for distribution to the English speaking community throughout the Outaouais. Sponsored by Outaouais Alliance with funding help from Heritage Canada the directory lists phone numbers, fax numbers and websites (where available) for Health and Social Services, Seniors Services, Childcare and Educational Institutions, Churches, Community Services and Government Services.

Last published in 1992, the 2002 edition of this popular directory has been long awaited. As a service to the community the Western Quebec School Board has agreed to distribute the directory through its Outaouais schools (Region 07) directly to the families of its students. Other copies will be distributed from the Outaoauis Alliance offices at 53 Principale in Aylmer.

"The ongoing research and final preparation of this invaluable directory has been one of our major projects in the last year," says Outaouais Alliance Communications Officer Kathy Teasdale, "We're very pleased to be able to make this Community Directory available to the English speaking community. It's an excellent resource for the Outaouais region."

The Directory at 80 pages is conveniently sized with a distinctive blue cover. It is also available on the internet at www.westquebecers.com under 'Community Directory' on the home page.

Buckingham Member Input

Julie and Kathy had the pleasure in early Spring of visiting by phone with many of our members in Buckingham. We received positive feedback on the overall focus of Outaouais Alliance's activities. Members also stated they were quite satisfied with the services provided to them by Outaouais Alliance. The exchange also gave us a chance to hear of any concerns particular to Buckingham. The two topics most mentioned were the economy and public transportation.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF VOLUNTARY ACTION

Volunteering creates benefits in a number of ways. The act of volunteering can be therapeutic because volunteers have the opportunity to improve their self-confidence and self-discipline, thereby improving mental health and reducing stress. Volunteering also provides the opportunity to meet new people, thereby helping create friendships, giving a sense of community and belonging.

The evidence is out there, that volunteering can help you live longer, stay healthier, and lead a more satisfying life. Volunteering enhances vitality and zest for life.

Adapted from LINCS Spring 2002 Newsletter