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C-K Rotary continues to meet in cyberspace!

Although we can't meet physically we want everyone to know we are still meeting every week remotely. If anyone, Rotarian from across the world or non-Rotarian (or as we like to call you, "soon to be Rotarians") would like to attend, please send an email with your name to info@ckrotary.org and we will send an invite.
Stay safe everyone!

Rotary Clubs in Kingston Step Up Together to Help!

Four Rotary Clubs in Kingston, including C-K Rotary have stepped up big time to help families and especially kids who are experiencing food insecurity through the Covid crisis. Here are some of the details of this project;

There are some 4,000 students who participate in the Food Sharing program in schools. Many of these children receive breakfast, lunch and a snack every school day between September and June. My program, Isthmus, bridges the gap between Friday and Monday for these children giving them a hamper of food for the weekend. With COVID-19, numbers are growing and will continue to do so.
When the schools closed, these programs had to rethink how to get food to these children (and their families). The FSP and Isthmus partnered sharing resources and ideas and, with the help of the Limestone District and Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District school boards, and with other partners like Lionhearts and Stock Transportation, we developed a new model. The education boards sought permission from families to share their addresses, phone numbers and number of children in each family. They have subsequently, through their Principals, identified families in need and received the necessary permissions. As of 3:00 pm today, almost 400 families in 31 schools have asked to participate in our food distribution program. Again, this number is sure to grow as situations become more precarious.

We held our first distribution on Friday handing out 226 hampers to 167 families. This test involved the 5 schools that my program serves. Those schools are Rideau Heights PS, JG Simcoe PS, Molly Brant PS, Centennial PS and St. Francis of Assisi CS. Food was purchased or donated on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hampers were packed on Thursday and Friday. The food was delivered between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm on Friday. Families receiving the food were so thankful!

For this delivery, the hampers included the following items: one block of cheese, one litre of milk, broccoli, a small bag of carrots, 4 apples, 4 bananas, 4 oranges, 2 boxes of mac and cheese, a can of pasta sauce, a package of spaghetti, 2 cups of apple sauce, 2 juice boxes, a loaf of bread and 2 packages of oatmeal. Not enough food to get the family through a whole week but we assume they have other sources of food.

The bread is donated by Cobbs bakery through Lionhearts. The rest of the food is purchased at wholesale prices from Deodatos, Grants No Frills and the Wholesale Club.

Going forward, the plan is to run the Isthmus program (5 schools) one week and the Food Sharing Project the next (26 schools) alternating between the two.
Paul Elsley, Rotary Club of Kingston
P.S. Since I first wrote this note, the number of schools and families has gone up.

For examples of our work locally, see the stories below on our recently awarded local grants.

Regional and National Service projects update (2017 - February 2020)

Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. We provide opportunities for youth development, partner through local grants with other organizations to meet community needs, and collaborate with Rotarians internationally to serve in Kenya, India, and other parts of the world. Become a Rotarian and join our diverse group of business and professional leaders in service and fellowship.

Annual Report 2017-2018

John Gale

Jul 07, 2020 7:00 AM

New Year, New President!

Jorja Majury and Paul Elsley

Jul 14, 2020 7:00 AM

RYLA 2020 - RYLA in the virtual world

View entire list...

John Farrow - The Rotary Foundation

Ana introduced John Farrow, who actually needs no introduction, as our speaker. John did say that he joined the club in 1990.

The Rotary Foundation:

John talked about what it is, why it is important, and how you can help.

The Foundation was created in 1917 following the Atlanta Rotary Convention, with an initial amount of $26.50. (Scribe’s note – The Bank of Canada says the value in 2020 would be $473.16). Every year, 50% of your Annual Fund donation goes back to the Districts (District Dedicated Funds, or DDF), and 50% goes to the World Fund to advance the goals of Rotary. The Global Fund matches District Designated Funds and makes the scope of projects larger. There is never enough money to match all the applications that are received. The Foundation encourages - and requires -partnerships among Rotary Clubs. These will be even more important as starting July 1st R.I. will no longer match club and donor monies for a project. John notes this is a challenge, but with the partnerships our club has made thanks to people like Bill Gray and John Gale (and others) we can overcome this. The ending of R.I. matching dollars is actually a testament to the quality of the projects out there.

The grants in order of the amounts awarded go to the following areas of focus. 1. Preventing Disease, 2. Clean Water, 3. Education, 4. Growing Local Economies, 5. Saving Mothers and Children, and 6. Promoting Peace.

Charity Navigator gives The Rotary Foundation the highest rating possible, as 92% of the money goes to projects.

Why is it important to us? It aligns with our reasons for joining Rotary. Our club has benefited by thousands of dollars over the years. There are always six or seven active projects involving our club, representing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Many of our members donate to The Foundation. It puts the “international” in Rotary International as Bill Gray reminded John recently. The Annual Fund invests money for three years before investing in a project, and the interest accrued helps pay many of the expenses of running the Foundation.

"Rules are a good thing", according to John. There are very rigorous rules to adhere to in order to receive a grant. A project must be sustainable. A Rotary Club partner is required at the other end. It’s important for a club to have champions, and we have this in Bill Gray and John Gale. We also have dedicated people in District 7040. Bonnie Black and Bette Miller lead the effort in our District, and John remarked after attending the Global Grants Workshop, he was even more confident in donating to the Foundation.

John then used our Rotary FAR project to illustrate the way that money can be combined. Our club contributed $15,000, and with money we raised outside of our club funds it became $21,200, but the Rotary Clubs of Kingston, Napanee and the Passport Club all contributed. Five clubs in India contributed, as well as District Designated Funds, and The World Fund. So…all combined to support a project that has a value of almost $109,000. Through working together with other clubs, and with The Foundation, we can do things that we couldn’t do on our own.

How can you donate?

The Annual Fund is the primary source of money for project grants. We have a goal of “Every Rotarian Every Year”. Every year, 50% goes to the World Fund and 50% to the District Designated Fund.

You can donate by writing a cheque, by a monthly withdrawal plan, or monthly on your credit card. You can choose a specific area of focus where your money will go. You can also support Polio Plus, and you can also support a specific project that you know of until it is fully funded.

The Endowment Fund ensures long term viability of Rotary International programs. Money is invested and only the interest is used.

A Benefactor is someone how has added The Foundation as a beneficiary of their will.

John outlined the various qualifications, you can achieve, starting with being a member of the Paul Harris Society ($1000). Increased donations take you to Major Donor, Bequest Society, and Arch Klumph Society. Our club aims to have every member donate every year. There is also a Rotary credit card in which a small amount from every purchase goes to The Foundation. It’s a small amount but has raised over $8.6 million in recent years.

Our club has constantly been at our near the top of giving, with the average per member of $360 - first in the District to date. Over all donations have been $65,750, with $7,214 to Polio Plus, again, first in the District.

You may contact John for any information you need about making a donation to any of the funds.

Questions:

Thinking about directing donations, is the Rotary FAR project now fully funded? Yes but there are always new projects being proposed.

Bill Gray noted that most clubs don’t have enough money to do large projects, and so they find allies. We have a very active International Committee. Cooperation between clubs is increasing and we are finding new partnerships. We have built a network of partner clubs around the world, and it has benefited our FAR project.

Ana offered our thanks to John for his presentation.

Paul Harris Society recognition:

Ana announced that Heather Nogrady is not only a Paul Harris Society member but has achieved recognition for being a Paul Harris + 2.

Speaker thanks was offered by Bill Egnatoff who also noted the many ways that John has contributed to our club and to Rotary. He pointed out an interesting slip that John made that actually formed a new word, “transparity”, which seems to describe balancing the inequities in the world.

Michelle Clarabut, Programming and Communications, Marine Museum of the Great Lakes - What's New at the Museum?

Michelle Clarabut, Ph.D, Programs and Communications Manager, Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston

Your Marine Museum of the Great Lakes

John Farrow introduced our guest speaker. Inspired by a recent TV news segment on the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes and the news that Brett Smith has helped to “repurchase” the building that used to house the Museum, he contacted Michelle Clarabut, Programming and Communications, to talk about its Memory Project, commemorating the Battle of the Atlantic.

Michelle - It’s great to be out in community. I’m the Programs and Communications Manager, in a full-time staff of two. We will have two summer students, one of which has started just last week. Two years ago, we had to leave our 55 Ontario Street location. We leased the building from the Government, which sold it, but we now own the building. The Museum has been temporarilyhoused at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour and hope to get back to our original location some time this year. We are closed to the public right now, but hope to open soon.

A lot is happening behind the scenes. We have recently completed our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, Steering into the Future, which emphasizes our mission to create an inclusive space that inspires the enduring connection with the maritime heritage of Kingston and the Great Lakes, including social, economic, and environmental history of our area. The plan provides an overview of our own history and outlines our thee priorities for the next five years. We are re-imagining what the Marine Museum will look like, and are also working on our business plan, including our 5-year capital and operational budget. We are researching the acquisition of a new historic ship. The Alexander Henry was returned to Thunder Bay a while back, where it was built.

Last summer, we were given by a former museum member, the Red Jacket, a very well-known Canadian racing yacht. It was designed by George Cuthbertson and George Casisan and built by Erich Bruckmann. It was the first Canadian and non-American boat to win the overall title at the Southern Ocean Racing Conference in 1968 in her second year. This vessel will be a great addition to our exhibits.

Typically, we have summer camps and educational programs at local school. Last summer we reached over 578 Kingston youth. We also have Nautical Nights, a winter speaker series, January to March. This year it was cut short because of COVID in March We also do public tours, including in local retirement homes. We’re very active in the community, trying to engage people with maritime history.

After the March break, we started Virtual Challenges to take the place of cancelled live events.. The first was a one-week boat building challenge—build it, name it, see how many marbles are needed to sink it; a lot of fun—open to everyone. We have had others in the past, including environmental challenges (building water filters, talking about pollution in the Great Lakes) and art-related projects (designing a Great Lakes cruise ship). These provide opportunity for youth, families, and groups, to be creative.

This Thursday, June 18th is our first Virtual Talk, “Turtle Talks,” by Mabyn Armstrong. This talk is about local ecosystems and invasive species. Join us on the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes Youtube channel. Information is on our Facebook page.

Forged in Fire: Kingston Goes to Sea was a project I put together, with a personal and community story. To commemorate 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II and the Battle of the Atlantic. Kingston a had huge role in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Second World War through ship-building. Twelve ships built here served as convoy escorts in the North Atlantic. Two didn’t make it home. The huge contribution of Kingston is a story that doesn’t often get told. The project is about the ships, the people who built them, and the men and women who served including Wrens, volunteer reserve, and Merchant Navy. The project is about community engagement. Many veterans are unfortunately deceased, but we would love to have stories by the second and later generation about a loved one who served—people from the Kingston area and involved in either ship-building or having served in another maritime capacity. It could be about how they met their husband or wife during the war, funny anecdotes about their training experience, personal stories and anecdotes that were passed on. The project Web space is a place where people can come and share their stories including pictures or artifacts. mareinemuseum.ca/forgedinfire . Once a story is submitted, it becomes available to the public. A few have been submitted so far. We are especially interested in those who built the ships, often forgotten and also those who served on the ships built in Kingston. We are collaborating with RMC Museum. We intended to create a 2020 pop-up exhibit, but COVID-19 has prevented that (so far). We are discussing making it a virtual exhibit and feeding into a blog series to bring stories together. We are looking for commonalities or links across the stories; e.g., people who were on the same ship at the same time, unknown to their families. We are also hoping to share hidden stories, e.g., community gatherings for launches - we have some amazing pictures of that. We are also developing educational program, for schools and local community groups. Now after three months that we’re going to be opening up, it will be interesting to see how that will work out.

Discussion

Bill Egnatoff mentioned how much he appreciated the opportunity of having Adventures in History work in the Museum and visit its archives. One student said, “This smells like history.”

John Farrow: Have you reached out to the Genealogical Society? He will connect the Museum through his wife, a member. A call could go out through all Ontario branches.

John Gale: Will you be able to give sense of how many women were employed in the shipyards?

Michelle: Unfortunately, a lot of records have disappeared. WWII years are a gap in the records. I would love to find information on that. I would like stories of women serving as “Wrens,” (WRCNS, Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service), and stories from Indigenous communities. I am reaching out to Prince Edward County, and Gananoque (part of the Kingston area). Individual stories are not being told; I want to find them. They deserve to be told.

Murray Cotton: I loved the first photo of the Canada Steamship Lines. My father worked for them for over 50 years. He wanted to serve, but was deemed an essential worker so had to go back to the docks. I refer you to Terry Hicks.

Robert Reid thanked Michelle. He is pro-development downtown, but was very concerned to learn about the sale of the property where the museum was housed. He was very happy to learn of the recent purchase of the property so the Museum could move back in. He visited with his children, and was also there for the funeral held there. He acknowledged the very aggressive plan and budget. Robert thanked Michelle with a virtual loaf of bread.

Amanda Stolk - True North Aid during Covid-19

John Farrow introduced Amanda Stolk. Our first encounter with Amanda and True North Aid was assisting them with their collection of medical devices back in 2015. Amanda was here to tell us about the work of True North Aid as it is today. She is the Project and Communications Director of the organization.

True North Aid has been in existence since 2009, supporting Canada’s northern communities. It is based in Kingston but has volunteers in many other places. There are eight foundation stones to their work. These are self determination, reconciliation, water, food, health, housing, hope and education.

Amanda outlined some of their key projects. Currently there is a Covid 19 emergency fund, and they are sending shipments of things like masks and critical care supplies. The Canadian government is assisting, but sometimes things needed just don’t get there fast enough. One in ten diabetics will die from this disease and diabetes is a common health issue in the north due to diet. In fact, many people have a lot more other underlying health problems that make their outcomes poorer. True North Aid ran a recent campaign to support this need for supplies.

They are currently backing the children’s needs related to learning from home. Backpacks full of school supplies were sent. These bore a cost of about $40 each, and were sent to the Clearwater River, Canoe Lake and La Loche communities, but now no one can go there.

Fly in communities have more protection from the virus whereas those with road access have a bigger problem. Housing is crowded, often with three generations under one roof so this encourages the spread of disease. Amanda showed us photos that illustrated the kind of medical assistance that is being given.

People ask why they can’t just relocate south where they are not so remote, but to them, this is their home. Many of the elders do not speak English. True North Aid wants to be able to support them so that they can stay in what has been their home for so countless generations.

For more information, visit www.truenorthaid.ca. Amanda may be reached at amanda@truenorthaid.ca.

Questions followed.

Is Covid 19 affecting these communities disproportionately? The answer is yes. Health problems make the risk greater, and living conditions cause the spread to be easier.

What happens if someone is so sick, they need to be on a ventilator? They get sent to Thunder Bay. Amanda reminded us that it is really third world conditions for many of these people.

How much communication is there between the various communities? The communities are currently blocking inter-community communication.

Ron Pols thanked Amanda with a virtual loaf of bread, saying that thinking about these people, the words resilience and pride come to mind.

Greg Podmore - Guatemala Literacy project

John Farrow introduced Greg Podmore. Greg is a member of the Rotary Club of Grand Prairie Alberta, and his club has been involved in a large Guatemala literacy project since 2004. https://www.guatemalaliteracy.org/

Greg told us about the high need for their program among indigenous children in Guatemala. Four out of five are illiterate. Parents cannot afford to send them to school. This is a large grass roots project that receives $200,000 annually from the Rotary Foundation. There are also large donations from around the world. Rotary works with an organization in Guatemala called Cooperative for Education. It all started in Cincinnati by two young men who were teachers in Guatemala who thought that text books could be provided to students there. 600 Rotary Clubs around the world are now involved. It started with text books, and then expanded to computers. Children find the books to be exciting. One third of indigenous people cannot read or write. Teachers receive two years of training. First, a story is read to the children. Then when they understand it, they take the story back and put on puppet shows or act out the stories. Later they learn to write their own stories.

At first, the adults didn’t understand why their children needed this. The books include learning about math, social studies, science and Spanish. 60% of mid level jobs require a knowledge of computers. 95% of the individuals who go through the program are able to get employment.

There is a sustainability plan, and the schools also put in money.

RISE is a youth development program that starts in grade 7. Students often leave school after grade 6. Students are chosen in grades 5 or 6 for RISE. They look for tough and determined kids, and not necessarily the brightest ones. They are also children whose parents cannot afford their education. Without this program, 95% will never finish high school. They will go to work farming like their parents did.

The Rise program is much more than books. They gather monthly for training in things like interviewing for jobs. They also tour places where employment may be located. They come together to see different ways to improve their communities. Each student has a counsellor. They learn about good citizenship, and volunteering in their communities to help needy people. It’s all about breaking the cycle of poverty.

How can you get involved? Rotary Clubs can sponsor a class or a student in the Rise program. Canada has also matched the TRF grants.

The next trip to Guatemala is planned for February 2021.

Greta spoke about attending a Friendship Exchange in Guatemala. John Gale spoke about a local group of Rotarians that attends the Uniendo Conference in Central America, and asked whether this project is linked to the Guatemalan stove project. (They are not.)

The question was asked whether they are mostly dealing with just rural populations or also cities. They are involved in both, but mainly in the western highlands.

Heather Nogrady offered our thanks with a virtual loaf of bread. It was interesting to hear about how this project evolved, and to see photos of children who were so obviously happy and proud, and that said a lot.

Laura Tamblyn Watts - Seniors in Isolation

John Farrow introduced our guest speaker, remarking that Queen’s University is a great source of speakers for our club. The recent Alumni magazine had a feature article on Laura. A 1994 grad, she is a recognized expert in elder law an elder issues. Laura has started a program through Queen’s and also started a national seniors’ advocacy organization, CanAge.

Please see the speaker’s slides: Rotary Club May 19 Social Isolation

Laura: (It's still dark here in British Columbia.) Thank you for the invitation. I have been connected to Rotary for many years. Our family has hosted two Rotary Youth Exchange students.

Kingston is about as COVID free as anywhere in the country, so stay there!

CanAge is a national not-for-profit which collaborates with Queen’s, government, and a variety of other agencies. It’s mission “is to advance the rights and well-being of Canadians as we age.” Its vision, “for older Canadians to live vibrant and connected lives,” is for the polar opposite of social isolation.

As a senior, if you’re well connected and don’t smoke, you’re probably doing pretty well. Laura shared some of her personal experience in dealing with COVID-19. Her parents are Queen’s grads and her son has finished first year at Queen’s. Her parents, 83 years old, have great social networks and are active and healthy. It took a while for them to get used to the COVID-19 situation. She had to tell them starkly that if they got sick, they were going to die and nobody would give them medical services. It was the first time in their lives that they had experienced social isolation and the first time that they had to ask for help, including for grocery shopping.

CanAge creates seniors' projects through partnerships. A most recent one links Queen’s students and senior alumni. In planning this, when Laura approached the V-P of Advancement, Laura told her that she hoped Queen’s was not asking elders for money at this time. Thankfully, it was not. Instead, the Office of Advancement collaborated in creating a friendship program. Laura asked the United Way for help, as she did with Canadian Frailty Network and Elder Abuse Prevention (ON). They had the program up and running within 1 1/2 weeks. Organizations are working together in a way she’s never seen in 25 years of work, launching new programs very quickly.

Laura gave us some background on social isolation and how bad it is for our health. One study out of Harvard compared the impact of social isolation to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. People need about 3 to 4 good relationships, including intergenerational relationships. It is very challenging to raise money for programs for seniors. But this one time, since all people have experienced some form of isolation, it has been easier. A phone call two to three times a week to a senior can have a huge impact on physical and mental health. Social isolation and loneliness are not the same thing. Social isolation is the idea that you really don’t have people to reach out to if you wanted. A recent study in Holland measured all the health indicators when a program for 4-year-olds was moved into a long-tern care centre. The functionality of residents increased remarkably.

Laura shared some statistics on social isolation among Canadians before COVID-19. Sixty-two percent or seniors would like more time with friends and family. During COVID-19, 54% of Canadians report feeling lonely.

Laura also shared info about abuse and neglect. No government has given any money to address this during the Covid Crisis. About one in five seniors experienced abuse and neglect before COVID-19, now the figure is possibly one in three. Two-thirds of this is propagated by family and friends. Financial abuse is also very high. Laura and the organizations with which she works are trying to figure out how to address this problem. COVID-19 frauds and scams came out very quickly.

The Queen’s program matches students with older people. Queen’s found about 6,000 Queen’s alumni across Canada who might have been at risk. Training for the students starts with various myths and ensures that they have a good understanding of who they’ll be contacting. Only 8% of seniors will ever be in a nursing home. All are vulnerable to the virus, but many may not be otherwise vulnerable. It’s important not to treat seniors like children. About half of people over 80 have some cognitive impairment. Mild impairment starts showing up about 10 years before diagnosis of serious dementia. Families don’t necessarily take care of their senior parents, as many are physically distant from them. Often the older person is the one supporting the younger. Hearing loss is very common, so students need to take that into account in their conversations. Reading lips of people with masks is impossible, so this is a problem for those who rely on lip-reading. Laura's mother can no longer read (some) people’s lips.

The program started early in the COVID-19 situation, and had 50 volunteers very quickly. Then Alumni Associations started participating. The program has been running for about three weeks and is already being much appreciated. Communities are being built. The United Way guidelines on communication are being followed.

email: laura@CanAge.ca

Twitter: @ltamblynwatts

Questions:

John Gale: How are you able to measure elder abuse?
Laura: It’s too early for absolute numbers. The Elder Mistreatment Survey, the largest of its kind, gives detailed background. Abuse takes many forms. We’re currently looking at agency response numbers, including from the police and seniors’ help lines. Call volumes are up about 10 times what they were in pre-COVID-19 times. Usually elder abuse is significantly under-reported.

John Farrow: Laura, first, I feel for you in dealing with your parents. It took my wife and her two sisters two weeks to convince her parents to return from Florida. What finally convinced them was that they couldn’t be guaranteed their health insurance coverage would hold if they got sick. Second, as an initiative of the Southern Frontenac Community Services, whose Grace Centre is closed, a group of volunteers led by its Executive Director David Townsend, are calling every senior they service once or twice a week.

Laura: I live in B.C. and Toronto. In Toronto, I’m seeing people checking in or their neighbours. Faith communities and others are doing a lot of work. Current restrictions limit support from family care-givers.

Robert Reid: Will your son stay in BC with Queen’s going online?

A: It depends on whether the community wants him back! He loves Kingston and Queen’s. “What would you like to do?” “I’d like to go back to Kingston.” The loss to students is big. They’re learning a lot about resilience.

Laura: It is interesting to hear stories about influenza pandemic and other past events. I really want to hear stories from our community. Please send them to me.

Ana Sutherland thanked Laura, explaining that we would normally give her a loaf of bread.

Laura pointed us two a major reference on elder abuse: Into the Light: National Survey on the Mistreatment of Older Canadians 2015 (NICE National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly. Dr. Lynn McDonald (University of Toronto), Principal Investigator/Author)

Laura's Power Point presentation can be seen at https://ckrotary.org/documents/en-us/224e8005-a4c7-442d-bb6c-cabd2b46006d/1/

Jackie Blakney - Classification Talk

Not to be deterred by Covid-19, we continue to have guest speakers!

Ana introduced our speaker for today, Jackie Blakney. Ana met Jackie through BNI and became friends and business colleagues then introduced her to Rotary.

Jackie is a real estate broker and has loved real estate since she was young. She bought her first house at the age of 18! Jackie served as a law clerk for 20 years in real estate, all the while raising two kids on her own. The last 15 years she has been selling real estate. People ask her why - she simply responds I had two kids and a mortgage to pay! Jackie had nine people working in her office. They sold 165 homes last year but she wanted to bring a more personal touch to her business, so she’s downsized to a team including her sister, her two sons and a full-time assistant located at Remax Finest on Gardiners Road.

Jackie thought everyone wanted to know how real estate was managing during the Covid crisis. Several government bodies regulate real estate - new clauses are present in every offer. There is a chance that the registry office might be closed to process transactions and allowances are made for this. Interactions with people now mean masks, gloves, buyer and seller declarations, and acknowledgement of the risks of open houses. Although a lot is done virtually Jackie cautioned that buying a house totally over the Internet is not a good idea. When showing a home now sellers are asked to turn on the lights, leave the doors open, some of the cupboards open, and the perspective buyers are only allowed to touch the doorknobs which are cleaned often. Buyers even leave their shoes outside. Jackie also belongs to an organization of the top 100 Remax agents across Canada. They chat daily about ways to meet the challenges. She doesn’t listen to the news much but the phones are ringing, probably because Canadians are not good at being cooped up. We have withstood that for 30 to 45 days, but now people need to move and real estate is an essential service. Jackie continues to offer services like grocery delivery to senior clients - she has some clients in care homes and arranged for a delivery of chocolate recently to one of them. One of the great things is how we’re helping each other, and and she is actually enjoying spring for the first time in a long time because it’s usually her busiest season. She thinks there may be a surge coming - she has 20 listings ready to go and some people just can’t wait. There are still bidding wars although instead of ten bidders we now have two or three.

Questions? John Farrow asked what is the status of the military? Jackie functions as a rental agent as well as a sales agent for military. Transactions that were already in process have been completed and the leaders are moving regardless of the Covid crisis. She said that the effect on the Kingston real estate market market is not as big as you think.
John also asked the difference between a broker and an agent. Jackie responded after becoming an agent there is an education process to get to be a broker - you can then become our broker manager and a broker owner when you own real estate brokerage.

Greg Mumford asked about her partner Tim? They are separate now. Jackie figures she has about 10 years left in real estate and it was a business decision to downsize.

Bill Egnatoff asked if Jackie has mentored other agents? Jackie responded she mentors both clients and agents - she gives lots of new agents advice and they share forms and good ideas. She learns from her daily interactions with customers and shares them with her team. Real estate is full of problems and she learns every day how to handle those. Some day she will write a book about mushrooms, bats, and buried logs!

Martin asked how does it affect your family time? Jackie said it’s tough when you’re a single mom - you need to learn to set time aside for yourself. She once had a seller call her on Christmas Eve but politely rebuffed them. She’s never worked on Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Jackie is part of a large family which matters to her a lot - she shares this with her team and she tells her sons "don’t be like me"!

Thanks for a great talk Jackie!

Dr. Karen Lawford, Department of Gender Studies, Queen's University

Karen’s background includes a B.Sc. in Sciences from Trent University and a Bachelor in Health Sciences specializing in midwifery. She went on to earn a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Gender Studies at Queen’s. Her research interests are; maternity care on reserves, medical evacuation, Midwifery, Indigenous feminist theories and methodologies, Indigenous women and Two Spirit Leadership, Indigenous health and wellness, and health care.

Karen loves finding a solution to a problem. She has investigated how health care systems work. Health care in Canada involves many levels of government…Federal, Provincial and Territorial systems, although most people are unaware of the Federal system. The Federal level of health care deals with the military, First Nations, penitentiaries and the RCMP. A lot of these jurisdictional divisions go back to 1867, and also to the Indian Act of 1876. This act allowed the government to have authority over all aspects of the lives of people on the reserves. They were unable to leave a reserve without a pass, and attendance at the residential schools was compulsory. If children were not sent there, the RCMP would come and get them. The reserves are on what is considered Crown land, and this means residents cannot own the land, or make money from it. The Indian Act also specified that they couldn’t sell crops grown on the land. This illustrates the power of the Indian Act. Some groups recently have taken the government to court, for things like the under funding of schools.

Karen’s specific interest is health care. If you live on reserve then health care is federally provided. Each reserve has its own funding agreement. Care used to be provided by nurses, but some nursing stations are being closed, partly because there have been recent 40% cuts in funding.

Karen showed us a map of Canada that showed the large number of tribal councils with different health care systems being managed by the Federal government. It looks like a logistical nightmare. All councils have different agreements with the Federal government. All of Canada is covered by some Aboriginal treaty, but Indigenous people are saying that health care isn’t a treaty right but rather a human right. Many treaties were signed under duress and in English which those signing didn’t understand.

There are also four Inuit regions in Canada. Comprehensive land agreements there include health care. They cannot be negotiated any more even though the treaty was signed years ago, although there have been challenges to this now.

Karen’s research during her M.A. found that in 1892 the government hired two obstetricians to deliver babies on reserves. Now there is an evacuation policy, which means that toward the end of her pregnancy a woman has to travel to a larger city to wait for labor and delivery. Astonishingly, this is still in effect. One of the women in her research in Manitoba had to fly out of her community to Norway House and await delivery. There is no prenatal education provided and no prenatal care. When a woman leaves her community to give birth there is no provision for a family member to accompany her. She is not allowed an escort. Another woman drove herself 1.5 hours to Winnipeg. Because it turned out that she wasn’t actually in labour, she had to make this trip three times. This was her first pregnancy. She did have prenatal care from a nurse on her reserve, and two weeks of post-partum care. If there had been a midwife on reserve she would have received the proper care most Canadian women have access to. There is also the difficulty of having different health care systems involved in their care, and there seems to be a communication problem between these two providers.

Robert Reid thanked Karen with our traditional loaf of bread, and the hope that reconciliation will lead to better understanding.