Canadian Pensioners Concerned: NewsLetter

Articles Archives

DEPRESSION IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING
Most older adults are healthy, leading independent and fulfilling lives. They are socially active and engaged in leisure pastimes, volunteering in their communities or busy with family and friends. For those older adults who do suffer from depression, the ability to participate decreases as the depression takes over.......
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IMPORTANT DATES
IN BLACK CANADIAN HISTORY
1605. First Black person immigrated to Canada (hired as a translator for Samuel de Champlain)
1628. First enslaved African in Canada - a six year old boy.
1685. Slavery became legal in Canada.
1760. Provisions for preserving slave ownership put in place.
1776. Freed slaves fought in the [American] Revolutionary War.
1777. Sir Henry Clinton promised Blacks that if they desert their rebel masters they will get freedom; 100,000 slave escaped and gained independence.
1793. (The Cooley Case). A slave was beaten and bound by her owner and sold to an American. English law made persecution impossible. The outrage over this case was the catalyst for the abolition of slavery.
1793. Bill passed to abolish slavery in Upper Canada.
1806. Last slave sold [in Canada].
1812. (War of 1812). Slaves fought alongside the Canadian Army against U.S. forces in exchange for freedom.
1830 to 1865. 30,000 slaves immigrated to Canada via the Underground Railroad.
1833. British parliament abolishes slavery.
1850. Fugitive Slave Act [U.S.] signed (no longer safe for slaves to go to northern states because they would be deported; immigration to Canada increased exponentially)
1851. Formation of the Canadian Anti-Slavery Society.
1865. Lincoln assassinated, promoting great outpouring of anti-slavery sentiment throughout Canada and the United States.
1866. First Black politician in Canada, Mifflin Gibbs, Victoria Town Council.
1939 to 1945. Blacks enlisted and fought in World War II.
1944. Ontario passed Racial Discrimination Act.
1971. Trudeau introduced multicultural policy.
1991. Race riot at Nova Scotia school prompted Ministry of Education to improve education and support anti-racist initiatives.
2005. Michaelle Jean became first Black Governor General.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS:
MARCH TO MAY
March
8. International Women's Day
21. International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
April
4. International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
May
15. International Day of Families.
22. International Day for Biological Diversity

ONTARIO COALITION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
End poverty in Ontario! The Ontario Coalition for Social Justice (OCSJ) decided to seek this goal in 2003 after it had taken the lead to organize Days of Action in Ontario, in cooperation with labour unions across the province, against cutbacks to social, health, and education programs by the Mike Harris government in the 1990s ......
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THE COST OF POVERTY
Poverty in Ontario has a big price tag. Poverty costs the residents of Ontario a staggering $32 billion to $38 billion a year - the equivalent of 5.5 per cent to 6.6 per cent of provincial GDP. As one would expect, most of this cost is borne by the 1.9 million households with the lowest incomes........
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FILM REVIEW
Journey to Justice
National Film Board, 2000
This Black History Month heralds the dawn of a new administration in the U.S.A . It promises hope to all citizens of the U.S.A. as well as to people of colour all over the world. Witness the busloads of the hopeful who travelled from Ontario to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the U.S.A. and the celebrations in other countries as well. Why? ......... Read more here....

DID YOU KNOW… That generic drugs approved by Health Canada have the same ingredients as brand-name drugs -- but are much cheaper?

A VERY GOOD BALANCE
Canadian Pensioners Concerned, Inc., Ontario Division commends the work done by the Expert Commission on Pensions under the Chairmanship of Dr. Harry Arthurs. The research commissioned by the Commission is long overdue and the recommendations will go a significant way in addressing many of the outstanding issues facing workers, companies and the managers of pension plans in Ontario........
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THE MYTH OF AFRICAN IGNORANCE

Africa the Savage, the Untamable. Africa, the Heart of Darkness. Africa, swarming with pygmies and cannibals. Western attitudes reflected this comic book view of the continent until recently. Europeans strenuously denied all of Africa's achievements and its great civilizations. They needed to believe Africans were children, requiring the firm rule and superior intellect of white people to progress......
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PRE-BUDGET PRESENTATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY NOVEMBER 2008

Last January we had the chance to send you our Brief dealing with the budget announced earlier this year. In that Brief we talked about the difficulty of planning in the midst of growing concerns about the economy. Now the concerns have deepened and the challenges faced by the government are far greater than what we had envisioned at that time. However many of the issues we discussed then are still relevant today...........
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CANADIAN PENSIONERS CONCERNED NATIONAL
2008 Annual General Meeting
On October 30th and 31st I represented CPC Ontario Division at the Annual General Meeting of CPC National In Moncton, New Brunswick. Winnie Fraser-Mackay, President of CPC National, and co-host Ralph Smith, President of New Brunswick Senior Citizens Federation, welcomed the delegates and Andre Lapine, CEO of the New Brunswick Seniors Secretariat, brought greetings from the Government.......
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All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

BOARD HIGHLIGHTS
Meetings October 20, 2008 November 17, 2008 December 15, 2008 ........
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HOME...

Battery-operated or crank radio
Flashlights and extra light bulbs
Extra batteries
Cash (small denominations)
Utility knife
Rope
Shovel
Fire extinguisher
Blankets/sleeping bags
Plastic sheeting
Candles and matches/lighter
Extra car keys

PREPAREDNESS...

*Medications, prescription glasses
*Food and bottled water
*Clothing and footwear
Toilet paper and other personal supplies
First aid kit
Backpack/duffel bag
Plastic garbage bags, ties
Disinfectant, chlorine bleach
Extra fuel for car
(stored in a safe place and in an approved container)
Map of area and compass
Adjustable wrench (to shut off household gas and water)
Whistle (in case you need to attract attention)
Playing cards, games, paper, pencils.
...CHECKLIST

* Important Documents
Insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
Passports, immigration papers
Social Insurance numbers, Health card
Immunization records
List of prescriptions
Bank account numbers, safety deposit box keys
Credit card account numbers and companies
Inventory of valuable household goods
Important telephone numbers
Family records (birth, marriage, heath certificates)
Photos of family members in case you are separated
Excerpted from a sheet produced by the City of Toronto.

SPEAKING OUT WITH PRIDE
The Older LGBTT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Transsexual) Program is seeking speakers from the LGBTT community for its new project, Speaking Out with Pride. The volunteers will be trained and supported to tell their stories of what it is like to be an older LGBTT person within the context of training provided to mainstream service providers to seniors i.e. community care services, retirement homes and long term care services.
For more information contact Dick Moore, Coordinator, Older LGBTT Program, The 519 Church Street Community Centre, 519 Church Street, Toronto, M4Y 2C9. Telephone: 416-355-6787