Category Archives: Canada

PEI’s hysterical pain-killer epidemic

The past two weeks has seen the PEI Health Minister clutching at the pain-killer abuse story with the local media parroting his words

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Substance abuse on PEI – alcohol tops the list with marijuana 2nd and all other illicit drugs a distant 3rd

According to PEI’s Minister of Health and the local media, Prince Edward Island has a “painkiller epidemic“ but it just ain’t so.

We do know is that if the Province makes it harder to get prescription pain killers PEI’s 25,000 persons living with disabilities will suffer. Pain is the one of the most significant problems for the disabled.  Continue reading →

Health Minister and Deputy disagree on PEI’s new war on pain killers

Health PEI is starting a smoke screen war on narcotics to divert public attention from closing rural hospitals – the Minister and his Deputy tell two different stories

Currie Mayne1 Health Minister and Deputy disagree on PEIs new war on pain killers photo

Health Minister Doug Currie and Deputy Dr. Michael Mayne – two versions of “War on Pain Killers” – a smokescreen?

The announced get-tough stance on prescription of pain killers appears to be a smoke screen to divert attention from hospital closings. It is a phony shadow war at best.

Health Canada reports pain-killer use is dropping across Canada. PEI is on par with the national average.

Where is this “dramatic increase” reported by the Minister, CBC and the Charlottetown Guardian?  Continue reading →

PEI Narcotics Regulations Attack Disabled and Dying

Prince Edward Island’s plans to further restrict legal prescriptions of pain killers will harm the long-term disabled and terminally ill.

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PEI Health Minister Doug Currie promoting new regulations that will harm people with disabilities

The new legislation will limit legal prescriptions for those suffering chronic pain in the terminal stages of life.

Using data from PEI’s maligned health information system, PEI’s Minister of Health plans to limit pain medication for PEI’s 25,000 disabled.

Narcotic pain killers are already highly regulated in Canada and access for people with chronic pain and disabilities can be difficult. New regulations are a likely a smokescreen of other changes in the PEI healthcare system.  Continue reading →

Leonard Cohen the last romantic poet singer thrills Halifax Photo Gallery

Photo gallery – 12,000 fans packed the Halifax Metro Centre to hear Leonard Cohen sing about love, sex, death and God for 4 hours

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Leonard Cohen, 78, entertaining capacity audiences on Old Ideas World Tour 2013 (photo Brian Sørensen Creative Commons license some rights reserved)

A rapt capacity audience of 12,000 fans packed the Halifax Metro Centre on Saturday April 13th, 2013 for Canadian singer/poet Leonard Cohen’s “Old Ideas World Tour”.

The audience thrilled to hear old Leonard Cohen favorites about love, sex, depression, death and God for 4 hours.

To show his vigor, Cohen danced and pranced on and off the stage for a concert that had 3 encores.

Cohen, 78 years old, said he hoped it was not his last visit to Halifax.

A gallery of concert photographs follows on the next page.

Continue reading →

Remembering Canada’s Stompin’ Tom Connors 1936 – 2013

Stompin’ Tom Connors the Canadian, working-man’s rebel dies at 77

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Stompin’ Tom Connors – 1936 to 2013

Stompin’ Tom Connors, one of Canada’s great folk heroes, passed away on March 6, 2013 of natural causes at his home in Peterborough Ontario.

His songs were about Canada, the places from coast to coast, with a focus on the working people from working towns in Ontario.

Stompin’ Tom was a fiercely patriotic Canadian in his songs and career.
Continue reading →

How the mentally disabled are lost in the legal system

Without legal aid, people with cognitive and learning disabilities cannot cope with the demands of the law

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Maria was busking to earn bus fare back to Vancouver. She told a long and convoluted tale, a tortured story of mental illness, homelessness and rejection. (Photo Eric Parker Flickr Creative Commons)

Canadians with cognitive and learning disabilities are falling through the cracks of Canada’s legal system.

They often lack the skills to deal with details like court dates, the demands for clear thinking and the pace of the courts.

Unless they get legal aid, those living with mental disabilities are not being treated fairly by the Courts or the Human Rights system that are supposed to protect them.

“Individuals who live with cognitive and perceptual impairments need more time to understand what they are facing, what their options are and how to respond,” said Toronto lawyer Sarah Shartal. (Toronto Star)

“Informed consent or informed participation takes talk…it takes time to explain things to people who have difficulty thinking clearly.”

Continue reading →

PEI Bus Crash Survivor Tells Her Story

Natalie MacDonald survived PEI’s holiday bus crash and tells her story on video

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Natalie MacDonald survived the bus crash on PEI (photo from CBC video)

Natalie MacDonald was one of two people injured in the crash of a Maritimes Bus coach during the storm on December 30, 2012.

She was with her boyfriend on the way to visit his parents in Halifax, Nova Scotia when the bus driver lost control in the snow storm.

She tells CBC News her story in this video.

Continue reading →