The annual general meeting of the Ontario Division of Canadian Pensioners Concerned was held on April 28, 2008 at Metro Hall, Toronto. During the morning session annual reports were presented, Gail Beatty brought greetings from the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario and Winnie Fraser-Mackay, National President, spoke about her visits to organizations across the country and stressed the need to work toward unity so that seniors speak strongly with one voice.

Gerda Kaegi introduced the guest speaker, Paul Williams. He has taught and published nationally and internationally on health systems and health policy with emphasis on the role of community-based services in maintaining the health and well-being of seniors. He was Co-Director of Medicare to Home and Community (M-THAC) and is the Co-Chair with Janet Lum, from Ryerson University, of the Canadian Research Network for Care in the Community (CRNCC). With Raisa Deber he is Co-Director of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) team in Home and Community Care and Health Human Resources, where he leads research examining the balance of institutional and community-based care for seniors, children and ethno-racial communities.

Dr. Williams is looking for alternatives to institutionalization. He pointed out that Medicare only cov-ers a person in the doctor's office or the hospital and the question is how to sustain medical care beyond this point. The population is aging, the advances in medical technology give new choices, and there is increasing public expectation. There is a need to allocate resources. LHINs and the Aging at Home Strategy plan give positive outlooks.

CRNCC is studying what should be supported beyond Medicare. It was started in 2005 and is a knowledge network which links people to knowledge, raises the profile of home and community care, distinguishes evidence best practices from marketing best practices, and sponsors a series of symposia. It supports integrated managed care through home and community care and a shift away from institutionalizing people.

Dr. Williams' presentation can be viewed on CPC's website www.canpension.ca

The afternoon session began with the presentation of the Jean Woodsworth Award to Mark Nowaczynski. This was followed by a viewing of House Calls, a documentary about Dr. Nowaczynski's work.

BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

• Motion to renew Ontario Division's membership in the following organizations: Advocacy Cen-tre for the Elderly (ACE), Community Social Planning Council, Toronto (CSPC-T), Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), Ontario Coalition of Seniors Citizens Organizations (OCSCO)
• Report on the Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Elder Abuse Working Forum held in Van-couver November 8 is on file in the office.
• Members of Toronto Chapter attended an Aging at Home Public Consultation on December 18, 2007. This was part of the Toronto Central LHIN Aging at Home Strategy. Home care and transportation were major concerns expressed by attendees.

• Margaret Watson attended a meeting of the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) on February 22, 2008 about its pilot projects. The Low Income Single Family Homes Pilot Program, which is designed to reduce summer electricity peak loads in the low income and social housing sector was the main topic. All material pertaining to the meeting is available in the CPC office.
• Motion that CPC Ontario Division support the campaign for a minimum of 3.5 hours of care per day per resident in Long Term Care homes with the proviso that the hours are monitored on a yearly basis and the homes made accountable for the hours provided to each resident.

• Christine Mounsteven reported that, as requested by the Board, she had taken the issue of poverty in the province to the Seniors Secretariat Liaison Committee and it has asked for a meeting with Deb Matthews, the minister who chairs the cabinet committee on poverty reduc-tion.
• Margaret Watson will represent CPC at meetings of Campaign 2000. Sylvia Hall will be the al-ternate.
• Christine Mounsteven will represent CPC at the Senior Pride Network Conference on Home-care for Seniors.
• Sylvia Hall, Margaret Watson and Howard Watson attended a roundtable discussion at Metro Toronto about the Housing Opportunities Toronto plan. They will continue contact with the To-ronto community groups to keep apprised of the activities re housing issues in Toronto.

• Motion to appoint Jean Gordon to the Board of Directors.