May 1st is Doctors’ Day here in Ontario!

Did you know that today, May 1st, is Doctors’ Day here in Ontario.

The Ontario Medical Association is asking Ontarians to help celebrate this day by sending a personalized thank you card to their doctors. The cards can be created on this website, http://thanksdoc.oma.org/. Once submitted, the OMA will deliver your thank you card directly to your doctor.

When was the last time you thanked your doctor?

As an added incentive, everyone who submits a thank you card is eligible to win an iPhone5 and Fitbit One™ Wireless Activity & Sleep Tracker.

You can even thank you Doctor on Facebook, or send a kind note to the OMA through Twitter for taking care of their members.  I have spent numerous hours on their Facebook page reading articles which as a parent are important to me, such as the OMA asking to have antibiotics removed from livestock feed in Canada and the alarming amount of sodium in restaurant food.

As a special thank you for posting about a wonderful cause, the OMA is offering you, the reader, and opportunity to win a $25 Sport Chek gift card.  All you have to do to have an opportunity to win is post a comment on my blog or Facebook page of the direct link to their thank you on the website (example: http://thanksdoc.oma.org/#367)  just to be sure that you have actually participated in this day of recognition.

On May 15th, I will take down the names of all of you who took the time to comment, put them in a hat and have one of my children draw a winner.  The winner will be notified via email.

I’m off now to send a thank you to our family doctor of 13 years who adapted her style to meet our needs when she realized that we prefer to try natural remedies first before getting to the antibiotics for us and our children.  As a result, she offers us all solutions and we greatly appreciate that!

Thanks Doc!

Related articles

• OMA calls for crackdown on antibiotic use in farming (cp24.com)
• Ontario’s doctors say province needs to address its ‘drinking problem’ (globalnews.ca)

OMG. A dead Raccoon… Or was it a Duck… Or maybe a…

During this long Passover break, we sent our boys to an outdoor camp north of the city for 3 days, and of course it was the three coldest days of the spring.  Being my typical children, Stewie brought his hat and mittens, while Linus brought neither and boy, was Linus cold!  He was so cold that he could not take more than 2 turns at the archery course.  Poor kid.

But after 2 days there, I finally found out something of interest when hanging out with Stewie last night in bed for a few minutes after the three of us watched a couple of innings of the Toronto Blue Jays home opener. (They wanted to see Grampa who was at the game.  lol).

The conversation went like this;

Stewie: “Oh! Next summer I want to go back to this camp!”

Me: “Great, why?  You really liking it?”

Stewie: “Yeah!  Today we saw

Raccoon – with skin and still alive

a dead raccoon, and if we go back next year, then I’ll get to see the raccoons skeleton!”

Me: “Errr, okay.  We can see skeletons at the Museum, if you would like.”

Stewie: “I know.  But I want to see this raccoon… or maybe it was a duck…”

Me: “You couldn’t tell what it was???”

Stewie: “Not really… We thought it was a raccoon.  Our teacher told us that, but some people thought it was a duck.  The other teacher said that too.  But then someone said it was a moose.  And can you believe that someone actually thought it was an elephant… They’re so silly.”

Me: “Was that your brother who said it was an elephant?”

Stewie – smiling.  “No, but your right.  If anyone was going to be silly about that, it probably would have been Linus.  But it was a small child who said that.  Linus thought it was a raccoon.”

Of course…

Conceivable Dreams: Times Have Changed. #OHIP4IVF

Related articles

• IVF Funding in Ontario~ because it’s time! #ohip4ivf #onpoli (momvstheboys.com)
• OMG, We’re infertile? How did that Happen? (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• IVF: Fair and square. (karmasdogma.wordpress.com)
• IVF: All it takes is one … (karmasdogma.wordpress.com)

OMG, We’re infertile? How did that Happen?

Trillium used as the official symbol for the Province of Ontario. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a member of the Conceivable Dreams blogging team here in Ontario, I pretended for a minute to put myself in an infertile couple’s shoes this family day long-weekend, so I Googled “infertility education in Ontario” and we quite shocked and disappointed by the resources which came up in Infertility education, below.

Notice that while there are many helpful resources on infertility in Ontario, there are none from the Ontario government’s own Ministry of Health.  If the intent of Family Day is to allow families to have a day to spend together then am I wrong to expect the government to also look for ways to help couples become families – through funding of IVF and educating Ontarians about causes of infertility…

Look at what came up in my search before anything from the Ontario government;

The first link belongs to a doctor, Thomas Hannam, and his views on infertility, here.  Do you know how to treat your eggs?  ”If you are fortunate, you may already know that you have good quality eggs.  However, if you have reason to doubt the situation, then you may wish to try to “maximize” egg quality. Lifestyle matters: sleep well, quit smoking, and minimize caffeine to one cup of coffee a day.”

As a male, maximizing the quality of a female’s eggs never even occurred to me, however those items Dr. Hannam mentions are common lifestyle choices I think we should all be choosing anyways.  I was just surprised to know they had such an impact and egg quality… Should this not be taught to children in school?

My next hit was an OHIP4IVF post from one of our team members, following that was a link to the expert panel on infertility and adoption.

Then came a link to a London Health Sciences Fertility Ontario site (which is not a government education site, but rather a clinic here in Ontario run by a Doctor who cares about infertility.

After that came a site – not in Ontario – suggesting that infertility be taught in school, and that article can be read here;

I agree with that viewpoint.

Then came another article through the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada and while this site is not currently being updated there are significant resources there.

Still missing is the education platform of the Ontario Government.  Everyone knows that educating people is a less expensive and proactive way to address an issue, rather than waiting 20 or 30 years down the road and having to deal with an epidemic on mass.  Not that this Liberal government is the absolute cause of this problem but they are certainly not helping with the solution by constantly disregarding OHIP funding of IVF treatments for infertile couples who are trying to have children at all ages and in all socio-economic groups.  This government constantly refers to their own education program, however, it must be hidden or by invitation only because I could not find it.

Furthermore, the only Ontario government department with any published opinions on infertility is the Ministry of Child and Youth Services.  At least here they say they are going to on their website; ”Infertility is a medical condition that often requires medical treatment. Infertility has wide-reaching consequences for individuals, families and society.”

Simple and too the point.  It continues;

“We believe that all Ontarians should have the opportunity to build a family. Infertility is a medical condition that prevents some Ontarians from doing so. These medical problems often require medical treatment(s) to overcome infertility. Right now in Ontario, one in eight couples is struggling with infertility. One in  six couples has experienced infertility at some point in their lives. Both male and female infertility are on the rise. And many other Ontarians – same-sex and single people and people with illnesses like cancer or HIV – need help to start a family.”

Then the government confirms what many of use feel is a major issue with IVF treatment costs – equal access to everyone;

“Access to assisted reproduction services should be free from any discrimination.  Every year, tens of thousands of Ontarians turn to assisted reproduction and other services like acupuncture and naturopathic medicine to help them conceive. Thousands more never seek help.  People who have experienced fertility problems or who have sought help told us about the barriers they face;

• It’s difficult to get information: many people didn’t know about the factors that affected their fertility.
• They are not sure where to go for help. Some facilities and practitioners offering assisted reproduction services are not accredited. Are the treatments safe? Where should they go to get the best care?
• The procedures are too expensive. Many treatments are beyond the reach of most Ontarians.
• There isn’t enough emotional support to help them deal with the grief over fertility problems, the stress fertility issues place on relationships or the challenges of treatments.
• Many people have trouble accessing services because of where they live.
• For same-sex and single people, and people with HIV, social and legal barriers can keep them from getting the services they need.
• The fertility needs of young cancer patients are often forgotten by treating cancer specialists.
• There is still a sense of failure or stigma about infertility that keeps many people silent and in pain.”

While I never would have come to this Ministry for information on infertility, and equality in IVF, I suspect many others would not looking here either.  If this next piece quoted from their website is not a cry to be heard, I don’t know what is;

“Ontario can do better. Ontario must do better. The status quo is not acceptable.  We see a province where all Ontarians have the information they need to protect their fertility, where they are confident that they are receiving safe, high quality care, and where other barriers – such as cost, geography and stigma –  do not keep them from getting the services they need.

To be the best place to create a family, Ontario must act now.

1. All Ontarians should know how to protect their fertility.
2. Assisted reproduction services should be safe and meet the highest, evidence-based    standards.
3. Ontario cannot afford to NOT fund assisted reproduction services.
4. All Ontarians who could benefit should have access to assisted reproduction services.”

Way to go, Ministry of Youth and Child Services!  Now walk down the hall to the Ministry of Health and give them the link to your website and ask them to get their asses in gear, please.

We already know that knowledge IS power so the more people know about their health, the better they will be able to make informed decisions, not only to improve their health but also to manage their fertility – early enough when there is still time to make changes and see the results of those changes.  We also know that age is one of the most important factors affecting the ability to conceive as couples are waiting until later in life to have children than ever before.

Lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and the use of some recreational drugs also affect fertility as does being at an unhealthy weight and certain medical treatments.

The Ministry discusses the benefits of “Fertility monitoring” which can assist couples to make informed choices about their fertility, including when to start a family and when to seek help with fertility. It can also facilitate timely referrals to fertility specialists.

“To give people the information they need to protect their fertility and make informed decisions, we recommend:

• All primary care practitioners, including doctors of naturopathy and traditional Chinese medicine, should be encouraged to make fertility education/counselling a routine part of care for all patients beginning in their 20′s – male and female, in a relationship or single (including those who are not trying to start a family), regardless of sexual orientation.
• All primary care providers, gynecologists and other specialists should give special consideration to age when diagnosing fertility problems in women beginning at age 28 up to age 30, who have been unable to conceive naturally after one year, and include their male partners in assessments.
• All primary care providers, gynecologists and other specialists should offer fertility testing/ monitoring to women who are age 30 and older who want to start a family, and their male partners, so as to facilitate timely referrals to fertility specialists.
• All primary care providers, gynecologists and other specialists should consider a referral to an infertility specialist to women age 30 and older who have been unable to conceive naturally after six months.
• The government should fund and support the development of clinical practice guidelines for fertility education and monitoring, including an algorithm to assist practitioners in assessing their patients for fertility problems.
• The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) should continue to fund existing tests for ovarian reserve and semen analysis tests, standardize these tests province-wide, and introduce newer tests that are more accurate and easier to use as they become available and are approved.”

Why should Ontario invest in fertility education and monitoring?  Because many Ontarians are unaware how to protect their fertility. The Ontario government estimates that 1 in 8 Ontarians are struggling with infertility, however many suspect the number is closer to 3 in 8.

For most women, fertility begins declining around age 30 – even for women with healthy lifestyles, because:

• Every woman is born with all of the eggs she is ever going to have. Each month, for every egg that is released and available for fertilization, many eggs mature and most are absorbed into the body. Most women will ovulate about 400 times in their lifetime.
• Eggs get older as women age, making conception more difficult and increasing the chance for chromosomal abnormalities, which often causes miscarriage.
• Many women are not aware of how they can be proactive in protecting their reproductive health.

A man’s fertility are affected by many factors most men usually do not even think twice about, including:

• Age.
• Cigarette smoking.
• Heavy use of alcohol.
• Use of prescription medications
• Recreational drug use.
• Anabolic steroid use.
• Occupational hazards that expose men to toxins or high temperatures.
• Treatment for cancer.
• Any injuries to the testicles or health conditions that affect the male reproductive organs, such as varicocele, vasectomy, impotence, birth defects and autoimmune disorders.

The Ministry of Youth and Child Services realizes how important it is for primary care practitioners to discuss the relevant factors for  infertility with their patients, both men and women.  Ontarians should know how to best protect their  fertility, but also be aware that no amount of prevention can reverse age-related fertility decline.

Back to the one Ministry in the Ontario government that gets it;

“More and early fertility education can help Ontarians to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and childbearing decisions.  Also, the sooner that Ontarians are aware they may have a problem with fertility, the sooner they can be referred for treatment.  The goals of a provincial fertility education and monitoring program should be to ensure that;

• All Ontarians can receive fertility education.
• When fertility monitoring indicates a possible problem, Ontarians are referred quickly to a specialist.
• Health care resources are used wisely.”

All this talk about a fertility / infertility education program, complete with education sounds like there has been nothing put in place as of yet, and this is all still at the planning stage, but just how long does it take to put these measures in place?

Typically, the Ontario government, this one at least, likes to push the onus back to the individual / couple even though we just read about how couples are not aware of their fertility, nor are doctors bringing it up.  So does it make sense then for the government to recommend that;

“One of the best ways for Ontarians to learn about any risks that might affect their fertility is to talk to their family doctor, nurse practitioner, naturopathic doctor  or other primary health care provider. Primary care providers can and should play a key role in fertility education and monitoring. Primary care providers see patients  at all ages.   Women in their teens, 20′s and early 30′s are more likely than men to go for regular check-ups. In 2006, 33% of 28 year-old women saw a family doctor for a general assessment  compared to 13% of 28 year-old and 17% of 35 year-old males.  Family doctors should  be supported in incorporating fertility counselling into routine preventive healthcare.”

Right now in Ontario, (in)fertility is discussed and assessed way too late, far often after several years of failed conceiving.  In addition, couples also need to be given enough time to try to conceive naturally instead of overtaxing the system, because after a year of trying to conceive naturally, about 90% of couples will conceive.

Some takeaways for the Ontario government might be;

• A fertility monitoring program to provide a measurable timetable for younger Ontarians so they can conceive naturally before being referred to a fertility specialist.
• As the current OHIP fee schedule allows for physicians to bill for fertility counselling under a common counselling code there should be a distinct billing code number in order to track how many Ontarians are receiving fertility counselling.
• Address the fact that single heterosexual people, lesbian women and gay men are  less likely than heterosexual couples to receive fertility education and monitoring because like the rest of the population – a proportion of these people will have fertility issues.
• Research, research, research, because the last Ontario government report was dated October 19th, 2006 and called In Vitro Fertilization and Multiple Pregnancies.  A lot can and has happened in 7-years which needs to be addressed.

So now I’ve gone off and performed a targeted search of the Ontario Government website in search of information from the Ministry of Health regarding their education programs on fertility.  Boy, was I disappointed.

Here is what came up;

“Pulications - In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Generally, In vitro fertilization (IVF) services consist of:

1. blood work, ultrasounds and physician procedures (egg retrieval and embryo transfer)
2. embryology laboratory services.

IVF is not an OHIP insured physician service except in the limited circumstances listed in Regulation 552 under the Health Insurance Act.  It is only insured for the first three treatment cycles where the infertility is due to complete bilateral anatomical fallopian tube blockage that has not resulted from a sterilization procedure. A treatment cycle includes preparation, oocyte retrieval and embryo transfer.

Where IVF is insured (that is, for blocked fallopian tubes), the blood work, ultrasounds and physician procedures are insured in all hospital and non-hospital community based fertility clinics in Ontario.

When insured IVF is provided in hospital (that is, in the Mount Sinai Hospital Reproductive Biology Unit, London Health Sciences Fertility Clinic) or in the Ottawa Fertility Centre, associated embryology services are funded (in addition to the blood work, ultrasounds and physician procedures noted above).  Patients cannot be charged for such services provided in those three facilities.

The ministry does not fund fertility drug costs, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or costs associated with the freezing and storage of sperm, eggs and embryos, regardless of where insured IVF services are provided.

March 2012″

Yeah.

Thanks Ministry of Health.  Maybe they missed the announcement that “The Government of Ontario has made a commitment to make fertility monitoring available to women earlier in life.”  That announcement came from the Ministry of Youth and Child Services.

So instead of being proactive and helping today’s generation understand fertility, fund IVF where needed and make sure going forward all Ontarians are educated on factors impacting fertility – the government remains silent. Instead of speaking to the medical community to ensure they have the knowledge and availability to counsel people on infertility, this government is going to ignore the warning signs and the unhappy infertile couples in Ontario then end up having to pay for it at the end of the day when it is the least use and the most expensive.  It’s just our tax dollars after all.  The government can simply tax us more or just cut or de-list more services, right?

So to conclude, if you are infertile in Ontario, or want to make sure that you remain fertile, do not bother searching through the Ministry of Health’s website, but instead, head over to the Ministry of Youth and Child Services and follow their guidelines and information aimed at all Ontarians and what they should know to protect their fertility;

1. Education - The Government of Ontario should ensure that all primary care practitioners are educated about fertility and related issues including: the impact of age on fertility, male and female infertility, and the important risk factors that affect fertility; the reproductive needs of non-traditional families; and the complementary services available to enhance fertility or treat infertility.

2. All primary care practitioners – including naturopathic doctors and doctors of traditional Chinese medicine – should make fertility education/counselling a routine part of care for all patients, beginning in their 20′s. This includes males and females, those in a relationship or single (including those who are not trying to start a family), regardless of sexual orientation.

3.  The government should ensure that printed and web-based educational materials are developed and made available to primary care practitioners to share with their patients.

4.  Counselling - The government should adjust OHIP fee schedule to allow physicians to identify counselling services that are provided specifically for infertility so that practitioners can make the time for this in their busy practices and the government can understand how many Ontarians are receiving this information.

5.  Fertility Testing/Monitoring - All primary care providers, obstetrician/gynaecologists or fertility specialists should offer fertility testing/monitoring to:

• Women age 28 and over who have been unable to conceive naturally after one year without using contraception.
• Women age 30 and older when they want to start a family (to estimate their ovarian reserve and the need for referral).
• Women age 30 and older who have been unable to conceive naturally after six months.
• The male partners of women who are undergoing testing.

and anyone who appears to have a fertility problem should receive a timely referral to a fertility specialist (e.g., women under 30 should be referred after 12 months of trying to conceive naturally without success; women aged 30 and older should be referred after six months).

6.  Clinical practice guidelines - Developed for fertility education and monitoring and include:

• Guidelines for fertility education.
• The important risk factors for female and male fertility.
• An algorithm that could help primary care practitioners assess patients’ risk factors for infertility and the appropriate diagnostic tests to use.
• Criteria for diagnosing infertility in women and men.
• Single validated methods for measuring each of: the follicle stimulating hormone, antral follicle count and semen analysis tests to be used across the province.
• The specific test ranges or thresholds to use to make timely appropriate referrals to specialists.”

If Ontario was doing an effective and proper job of educating all Ontario residents about infertility as they say they are doing, then why do we still have couples struggling with infertility? And where is the evidence they are doing what they claim to be doing?   Would there not be statistics showing a decline in infertility rates?  Then no one would need IVF at all, but we can now clearly see that the Ministry that is in the know is not the Ministry making the decisions.

When can we expect to see that education that the Ministry of Youth and Children Services calls for?  Funding it is the first step to make this right, and here on Family Day in the province of Ontario would have been the appropriate time to announce the long-awaited plan on tackling this issue.

It’s not going to happen.

What are they waiting for?

NHLPA and OSSTF: Taking Public Relations Down a Slippery Slope

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So the NHL and the NHLPA have come to an agreement that the 2012-2013 NHL season has to be saved and they have agreed to end the lockout.  Excuse me if I do not jump for joy.  This, the third work stoppage in the past, what, 10 years has done even more damage to my love for the game and more specifically for the love of the NHL.  I may (will) be back, I don’t know when, but it won’t be the same.

A couple of days prior to the ending of the NHL lockout, another labour disruption seemingly came close to an end when the Ontario Liberal government used the powers of Bill 115 to put in place a contact, for the next year-and-a-half, for the public school teachers whose union was the only union that did not reach an agreement with the government.  Somehow the union seemed blindsided by the government who told them very publically that they had until December 31st to negotiate a contact otherwise one would be imposed on them.

Hardly labour peace in both cases, eh?

Both both these labour disruptions have a common thread that is worth looking at.  In both cases, it was the unions which steered the ship for it’s members and it both situations there were members who felt that a deal should be reached but were strong-armed into line by the union they pay dues to.

Is this something new?  Of course not.  When I spent almost 11 years as a unionized member of the Canadian government I witnessed much of the same from the union representatives, the same representatives who side with you against big, bad, evil management who want to have maximum productivity at the most cost-effective price.  Apparently this could be seen as management taking advantage of it’s workforce.

Heaven forbid if you get on the bad side of the union, however… That you can never live down.  A former colleague of mine had recently divorced and with a young child, needed to be paid during one of the many labour disruptions we lived through, so he crossed the picket line and went to do his job.

As a result, he was bullied the rest of his time at the office.  The union made it known to everyone that he had done this, and yes, they called him names.  They called him “scab”.  They also threatened to sue him for the wages he earned while working and they kicked him out of the union but made him still pay his $500/year wages.

Think that is weird?

In the Ontario teachers dispute, the union, not the government, nor the teachers halted extracurricular activities, that ban came from the top brass at Ontario Secondary school Teachers Federation, even though the union currently runs ads saying the government is in the way of the extracurricular activities.

So it should come to no one’s surprise then, that an Ottawa-area teacher did just this and continued to lead extracurricular activities in class.  She stated that she was phoned and threatened by a union official with a fine.  The OSSTF also posts the information of those who violate its orders in its publicly accessible newsletter which is amount to a public shaming.  With the union putting such severe restrictions on its members, it is no surprise that very few teachers attempt to hold activities for students.

With many teacher-friends and being married to a teacher, I have come to understand a couple of things;

1) Teachers work very hard outside of the classroom marking and preparing lessons and no teacher should ever have to justify their hours they work, their well-earned vacation or how hard it is to be the educator standing in front of the students day in and day out, keeping their attention, getting the message across and helping these students learn.

2) Teachers should be marked essential services along with emergency services operations and public transit, in Toronto its the TTC.

Public school teachers work for the government.  The government pays their salaries presumably from tax dollars they collect from every citizen – except this government who are paying it through a massive line of credit.

In my life I have also learned that bullying is wrong and the more we stand up to bullying the better we will all be, but how can you stand up to your union – let them know how your really feel – when they force you to not take work home at night needed to prepare for your next day by checking your bags as you leave and threatening to fine you if something is found.

The unions have all the power and to justify their agenda they have put Ontario’s students in the middle of this labour mess.  And for what?  Because they disagree with the language in Bill 115 (Oddly called “Putting Student’s First”) which takes away the unions right to strike.  Somehow they call this bill “undemocratic” and a “violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms“.  They feel this way because they are used to a “negotiation” pattern with the government through which they ask for the most, threaten a work stoppage and then meet somewhere in the middle.  It’s not their fault, it’s the way unions work – getting the most for their members at the least amount of stress and output.

Surely those in unions can look at those of us in the private sector who do not get to negotiate annual raises with our employer, who can be terminated with or without cause and who work for organizations who are profit oriented and understand our frustration with their bullying of the teachers, of the government and the absolute dicking around with our children.  They know that we read the papers too and that in a prolonged recession, like the one we have been in since 2008 there is job loss, wage restrictions and bonuses or raises… lol… almost non-existent.  We understand when times are tough people need to tighten their belts and cut costs, which is why a guaranteed 2.5% annual raise makes many of us shake our heads and side with the employer.

As with every labour negotiation, especially in recessionary times, it’s best to take away the focus on the wage increase and have that attention turned elsewhere.

To even suggest that a “Day of Protest” was needed, the first week back to school for many children was a public relations disaster for the union and it made many parents who had already been subject to rotating strikes livid with the unions tactics.  Then, upon finding out that no matter what they called their forced day off, it was illegal, they cancelled it, without apology for the parents who again had to scramble to find alternate arrangements for their children, at a cost to the families.

The union’s short-sighted attempts to win public favour and shame the government is back-firing on them and like the NHLPA who claimed these labour negotiations were NOT about money but about the next generation of players who might never get a chance to negotiate their own collective agreement, the public saw right through that when the NHL players took off overseas to take jobs from players over there.

It is about the money.

It is about the power.

Getting there by whatever means necessary is no longer the way to go.  Frustrated parents are going to do what many of us already have and send their children to private schools which is going to lead to a reduction in the number of students enrolled in public schools and ultimately require a reduction in the public workforce.  Surely that cannot be the ultimate goal of the higher-ups at the OSSTF?  Or parents who would blindly trust their teachers are now going to second guess what the teacher is doing or saying because if they REALLY cared about the students, then why would they be withholding extracurricular activities from the students – especially those in lower – middle class neighbourhoods where there is no where near as much disposable income to take the children to daycamps or the Science Centre on the strike days.

So next time you look at these two labour situations and proudly proclaim that you are with the teachers / players, have a look at the organization you work at and see what they do when there is not enough money to cover expenses.  Do they ask people to cut back or do they spend themselves into bankruptcy?  Would you do that at home with your finances?

I didn’t think so.

While I disagree with the way the Ontario government handled this situation and many other situations during Dalton’s time as Premier I found a couple things very disturbing.  First, that he stepped down while this issue was festering and secondly that they used Bill 115 and then stated they were going to repeal it at the end of the month.  That does not sound like a government who were clean to it’s employees or to the public.

Should the Liberal government force it’s employees to tow the party line and take a page from the book of former US President Ronald Regan with his much publicized “negotiation” with the air traffic controllers when he fired them all, hired new ones, and then hired back select employees who would agree to accept the job outside of a union?  Probably not.  I don’t think we’re there yet.

What I would have liked to have seen is a listing of wages, costs, revenues and expenses in order to justify the actions taken to force doctors to take a pay cut and teachers into this situation, but I would also like to see the union fight this in court where they promised they would be fighting it and to stop putting the teachers, the students and the parents in the middle of their issue with their employer.

At the end of the day these games offend hard-working citizens.  When unions force teachers to cease extracurricular activities, provide the least amount of information on report cards, and not fully prepare for their classes – do the least possible work – it makes parents question the teachers loyalty.  Seeing these teachers on the picket lines dancing and hamming it up for unnecessary and embarrassing for their profession, in the same way calling an employee a scab for needing to put food on the table and paying for rent is unnecessary.

If the unions think the public are quickly going to forget this or blindly side with them they why are they running ads telling the public that the government is withholding activities or why are teachers permitted to “educate” students on this labour disruption only from a left-wing view?  Why can’t they explain both sides and let the children decide who they feel is in the right?

There are over 23,000 likes on the Facebook page called “Just Drop It” where frustrated hockey fans pledge to boycott the NHL in protest of the NHL’s treatment of them.  People are not forgetting so quickly any more…

These two unions made choices for themselves which negatively impacted everyone but them.

They want your support.

They want you to believe they are doing this for their members and that they have full support of their members.

They do have considerable support of their members but through what means have they got it and how do they keep it?

I think it’s time to take the bullying out of the schools once and for all.  It’s the only way we are going to see true labour peace.

Related Articles: 

• NHL lockout timeline: Let’s remember the whole nightmare (sbnation.com)
• Teachers’ fight belongs in court, not the classroom, says McGuinty (thestar.com)
• What the NHL Lockout Reveals About Capital and Labor (blogs.hbr.org)

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally did something right! GM Brian Burke Fired!!!

English: Brian Burke, the FORMERGeneral Manager and President of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I made a pledge to not support the NHL or NHLPA this year in protest of another stupid, waste of time, work stoppage.  I even toyed with the idea of burning a hockey jersey a week until the league and it’s players came to their senses but apparently my wife told me I could get fined for burning a jersey in the middle of my street.

So when the lockout ended, I settled in for another mediocre season from the Toronto Maple Leafs who had no NHL calibre goaltender, no centre for Phil Kessel and still a lot of average players on a very sucky roster which looked more like Team USA than a team in Ontario.  I thought the dream of every Ontario boy was to wear the maple leaf on his chest?  I guess when you put out an inferior product for so many years the team becomes a winning team, and from the number of American players on the team, how many dreamed of playing for the blue and white?  My thoughts too.  Probably none.

So today, the Toronto Maple Leafs took a HUGE step in the right direction by firing GM Brian Burke.  Possibly with the pending trade for goalie Roberto Luongo, or after Burkie signed Ontarian Jay McClement (who?) to play centre, the teams board of directors had enough.

Under Burke’s watch, the Leaf’s accomplished this;

No playoffs since 2004.

No clean plan on how to get there – when the chance came to tank it for a high pick, they went on a winning streak.

Lots of promises – nothing to show for it.

Burke did land Dion Phaneuf in a seven-player deal with Calgary in 2010, who was the team’s captain but many speculate it was Burke who selected him as captain and not the players.

Leaf’s fans will shake their heads at Burke’s 2009 deal with Boston, when he acquired sniper Phil Kessel for two first-round draft picks and a second-round selection who turned out to be star forward Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton and Jared Knight.

Burke let players go for nothing and his loyalty cost the team when he added an extra year to coach Ron Wilson’s contract just before he fired him and his love of dipping into his previous employer, the Ducks, for their players.

The biggest problem I had with Burke’s philosophy was his pledge to have a truculent team who were tough to play against and then he proceeded to stock the team full of skilled (on unskilled and not tough) players.  Once that team was shaped, he fired peace-loving coach Wilson and hired – you guessed it – former Ducks coach Randy Carlyle – who wants a team that is tough and will fight and hit.  Well Randy, that is not the team you have here, which leads me to believe he’s the wrong coach for this team.  Or, Burke was the wrong GM.

Here is the team Burke leaves for fans.  I have highlighted the number of American players because former GM Burke was also the GM of team USA and I think by bringing all the US players here was a poor choice.

Dave Nonis takes over as GM.  Like he did in Vancouver and in Anaheim after Burke was fired.

I might have to break my pledge now and watch some games because business just picked up!

 

Team USA, errr, Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

CENTERS
NO.	NAME	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE	BIRTHDATE
–	Keith Aucoin	34	5-8	169	R	Waltham, Massachusetts	11/6/78
42	Tyler Bozak	26	6-1	195	R	Regina, Saskatchewan	3/19/86
32	Joe Colborne	22	6-5	216	L	Calgary, Alberta	1/30/90
12	Tim Connolly	31	6-1	190	R	Syracuse, New York	5/7/81
84	Mikhail Grabovski	28	5-11	183	L		1/31/84
43	Nazem Kadri	22	6-0	188	L	London, Ontario	10/6/90
15	Matthew Lombardi	30	5-11	195	L	Montreal, Quebec	3/18/82
11	Jay McClement	29	6-1	205	L	Kingston, Ontario	3/2/83
20	David Steckel	30	6-5	218	L	Westbend, Wisconsin	3/15/82
LEFT WINGS
NO.	NAME	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE	BIRTHDATE
48	Ryan Hamilton	27	6-2	219	L	Oshawa, Ontario	4/15/85
41	Nikolai Kulemin	26	6-1	225	L	Magnitogorsk, USSR	7/14/86
16	Clarke MacArthur	27	6-0	191	L	Lloydminster, Alberta	4/6/85
–	James van Riemsdyk	23	6-3	200	L	Middletown, New Jersey	5/4/89
RIGHT WINGS
NO.	NAME	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE	BIRTHDATE
37	Carter Ashton	21	6-3	215	L	Winnipeg, Manitoba	4/1/91
18	Mike Brown	27	5-11	205	R	Northbrook, Illinois	6/24/85
39	Matt Frattin	24	5-11	187	R	Edmonton, Alberta	1/3/88
81	Phil Kessel	25	6-0	202	R	Madison, Wisconsin	10/2/87
19	Joffrey Lupul	29	6-1	206	R	Edmonton, Alberta	9/23/83
28	Colton Orr	30	6-3	222	R	Winnipeg, Manitoba	3/3/82
DEFENSE
NO.	NAME	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE	BIRTHDATE
4	Cody Franson	25	6-5	213	R	Salmon Arm, British Columbia	8/8/87
–	Mark Fraser	26	6-3	220	L	Ottawa, Ontario	9/29/86
51	Jake Gardiner	22	6-0	200	L	Deephaven, Minnesota	7/4/90
36	Carl Gunnarsson	26	6-2	196	L	Orebro, Sweden	11/9/86
55	Korbinian Holzer	24	6-3	205	R	Munich, Germany	2/16/88
8	Mike Komisarek	30	6-4	243	R	West Islip, New York	1/19/82
24	John-Michael Liles	32	5-10	185	L	Zionsville, Indiana	11/25/80
3	Dion Phaneuf	27	6-3	214	L	Edmonton, Alberta	4/10/85
–	Morgan Rielly	18	6-0	200	L	Vancouver, British Columbia	3/9/94
GOALIES
NO.	NAME	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE	BIRTHDATE
34	James Reimer	24	6-2	208	L	Winnipeg, Manitoba	3/15/88
40	Jussi Rynnas	25	6-5	212	L	Pori, Finland	5/22/87
30	Ben Scrivens	26	6-2	192	L	Spruce Grove, Alberta	9/11/86

Related articles

• Dave Nonis replaces Brian Burke as Maple Leafs GM (metronews.ca)
• Toronto Maple Leafs Reportedly Fire GM Brian Burke (bleacherreport.com)
• Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly fire Brian Burke (cbc.ca)

Hope for the New Year, 2013. Fiscal and Social Responsibility: #OHIP4IVF

In my opinion, 2012 was a year of awakening for many.  We came to realize that government meets half our needs, people treat each other with indifference and financially “we” are on the verge of bankruptcy.  In 2012 opportunities were lost when we occupied, worked to rule, or went on strike, while corporations accepted massive loans from government and still gave out multi-million dollar bonuses to the executives who cried poor in the first place.

The Ontario Auditor General’s 2012 annual report flagged a number of wasteful programs, including $25 million on a scrapped electronic Diabetes Registry, and $700 million on a little-known Toronto commuter card, known as PRESTO.  There was also the cancellation of the 2 power plants – the actual cost to cancel both plants is at least $640 million and there was an Ornge scandal, just to name a few.

In Ontario, the politicking is getting worse as is our healthcare.  In order to compensate for this waste, the Ontario Liberals have been slowly using our healthcare system to sweep their mismanagement under the rug.  They put in a user fee, the delisted physiotherapy and chiropractic care, they forced doctors to take less money and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.

We are not working.

It’s you… Not me.

So in 2013, we need to take a stand.  We need to elect officials who care about people and who can keep finances in check.  We need to micro-manage our elected officials and make sure they do as we require and if not, we must boot them out.  We cannot stand by any longer and allow government to waste our tax dollars on over-priced union wages or buying votes to the detriment of Ontario’s hard-working citizens.   We cannot allow our elected officials to cut healthcare in order to balance a budget that they failed to take care of.  We cannot allow our elected officials to treat people the way they have been treating us any longer.

One very important way for elected officials to accomplish both fiscal responsibility and social responsibility (caring for people) is through the immediate funding of In-Vitro Fertilization.   Funding IVF saves us, the taxpayers, considerable amounts of money and funding IVF sends the message that the government cares about couples who are struggling with infertility.

Did you know that the average cost of an IVF treatment is around $10,000.00.  And did you know that many doctors implant more than one fertilized egg in hopes that one of the batch will result in a pregnancy.  And did you know that if there are multiple babies born, usually prematurely, that not only does this pose a health risk for the mother but also for all of the babies and at the end of the day after hospital care and treatments, the bill to the taxpayer can be as high as $1,000,000.00.  That is $1,000,000.00 per pregnancy, folks.  That cost is covered by OHIP which means by you and I.

In Quebec, however, the government funds IVF treatments, which means infertile couples don’t have to mortgage their financial futures to have children AND with one egg implanted, there is no risk for multiple births and a much lower probability of hospitalization by the mother and the baby which can lead to additional illness and a huge toll on OHIP.

Net result of IVF funding… Considerable reductions in the cost burden on us, the taxpayer.

Infertile couples (hopefully) get the opportunity to be parents and there is no elitism as only the rich can afford the massive IVF bill.

It’s fiscally responsible, which I like.

It’s morally responsible, which I like.

It’s socially responsible, which I also like.

It provides a better, safer, opportunity for couples who really want to be parents to be parents.

So why doesn’t the government do it?

No idea.

So let’s send all the parties this holiday card below with a note to get moving on this issue or start clearing out their desks.  Elections are coming and it’s time to take a stand against government stupidity.  If I hear another politician dismiss this issue by saying that they “studied it and at this point it doesn’t make sense”, I’m going to take names and post them at election time so we’ll know who can safeguard our tax dollars and who shouldn’t ever be in that position again.

Here’s hoping for a better 2013 for all infertile couples.

Feel free to tweet your thoughts using the #OHIP4IVF for those of you in Ontario or who wish to show your support.  If you add the tag #onpoli then that hits the Ontario politics feed as well.

You can also follow Conceivable Dreams @OHIP4IVF on Twitter and on Facebook here.

We can make this happen!

Related articles

• Four Ways Men Can Support Their Spouses During In Vitro Fertilization (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• Win a Baby: A controversial IVF contest (karmasdogma.wordpress.com)
• Having a child may be priceless, but infertility is not… (karmasdogma.wordpress.com)
• The Emotional Side of IVF (themwordmag.wordpress.com)

Urban Daddy Recommends: WineWire.ca

This blog does not regularly endorse products or services.  That’s not why I started writing all the way back in 2004, however, I will mention, endorse or support products or services which I believe in, or feel that might be of interest to my readership. 

As a result, I am supporting this new Canadian business venture because I like the business model, it’s a Canadian business and, I know a wide variety of my readership, who have kids, could benefit from knowing this service exists, especially when planning a nice dinner a home with their spouses or when they want to enjoy a nice bottle of wine with friends or family.  I can’t tell you how many times over the years we have been invited over to friend’s houses or on playdates knowing that the hosts enjoy a very nice bottle of wine and not knowing what to bring with or if it’s any good. 

WineWire.ca, which launched in Ontario in September 2012, offers wine lovers an option beyond the catalogue of imported wines available at the LCBO by offering the first-ever one-stop location to learn about, discuss and purchase imported wines from a large selection of independent wine agencies, whose consignment wines are typically available only in licensed restaurants and bars.

At the time of its launch, WineWire.ca featured more than 250 individual wines for sale from a roster of 18 wine agents.  With approximately 130 active wine agents in Ontario, representing close to 10,000 unique wine listings (almost three times the number of wines on the LCBO’s general retail list), the number of wines and agents represented on WineWire.ca will grow significantly.

WineWire.ca acts as an independent marketing representative for the wine agencies that choose to promote their products on the site and has developed a convenient online ordering mechanism to enable customers to purchase the wines directly from the agent. WineWire.ca does not directly handle any part of the actual buyer-seller transaction. 

Consignment wines are wines that are not available for sale in LCBO retail outlets because they have not been selected by the liquor board’s merchandising group responsible for filling the LCBO’s shelves.  Consignment wines are typically bought and sold by restaurants and other licensed establishments. Individual wine enthusiasts can purchase consignment wines through WineWire.ca which come directly from wine agents in case lots.

The power of choice rests with the customer.

Care to learn more?  You can head over to www.winewire.ca, or you can continue reading the FAQ’s below which should provide some answers to questions you may have before you try this service.

FAQ’s

1. Q: Does WineWire.ca actually sell the wines promoted on its site?

A: No. WineWire.ca acts as an independent marketing channel for wine agencies that choose to promote their products on WineWire.ca who have developed a convenient online ordering mechanism to enable customers to purchase wines directly from the agent.  WineWire.ca is a wine marketing business who does not directly handle any part of any actual transaction that occurs between the wine agent and customer.  WineWire.ca passes the order and payment information in a secure manner directly to the agent for payment and delivery. 

2. Q: Isn’t the sale and purchase of alcohol over the Internet in contravention of a number of legal statutes and regulations?

A: No. The sale, distribution and purchase of alcohol is strictly regulated in every provincial jurisdiction across Canada and WineWire.ca adheres to both the spirit and letter of these laws.  Similarly, any wine agent who promotes their products on WineWire.ca is contractually bound to abide by all applicable laws and regulations regarding the sale and distribution of alcohol.

3. Q: How big is the potential market for online wine sales in Canada?

A: Huge. Consumer spending on wine in Canada has been steadily increasing for the past decade, with some estimates pegging the total sales volume at almost $6.5 billion for 2012. Currently, online wine sales in Canada account for less than 2% of the total volume but it’s growing.

4. Q: Do people really buy wine online? 

A: There have traditionally been very strict restrictions on the sale and distribution of wine, spirits and beer between provinces. These restrictions have inherently worked against the emergence of the kind of online wine sales and delivery services you might find in the U.S. or Britain, but there is still a great deal of room for growth in this country, even working within the confines of these restrictions.  Over time, we’re hopeful that the rules and regulations will be amended to allow WineWire.ca to offer our services across provincial borders.

5. Q: Is it possible for minors to illegally acquire alcohol by ordering from WineWire.ca?

A: No, there are very strict regulations governing the delivery of wine and other alcoholic beverages to persons under the legal drinking age.  Agents must adhere to all applicable laws and regulations regarding the sale and distribution of alcohol. Anyone making a wine purchase through WineWire.ca must be at least 19 years of age and must present valid government-issued age of majority identification when the order is delivered.

6. Q: The concept of online wine sales in Canada is not entirely new, so what makes WineWire.ca so different?

A: WineWire.ca does not hold an exclusive relationship with any one wine importer or producer and visitors to WineWire.ca have the opportunity to learn about, discuss and purchase wines from any of the many competing wine agencies that choose to list their products on our site.   The power of choice rests with the customer. That’s the way it should be.

7. Q: What are consignment wines?

A: Consignment wines are privately imported wines distributed by agents through the Speciality Services department of the LCBO. For the most part, consignment wines are bought and sold by restaurants and other licensed establishments. However, individual
wine consumers can also purchase consignment wines from wine agents who import the wine, as long as they agree to purchase the product in case lots.  Case lots usually contain 6 or 12 bottles per case.

8. Q: What if I have a complaint about a purchase I made through WineWire.ca?

A: Customers should direct any customer service enquiries directly to the agent in question, however, if you have a serious complaint about the business conduct of any wine agency promoting its products on WineWire.ca, we want to hear about it.  Contact us
directly at 1-855-517-7555, or by e-mail at info@winewire.ca.

9. Q: Can I purchase wines from WineWire.ca if I live outside of Ontario.

A: Not currently. However, WineWire.ca plans to roll out its online marketplace for imported consignment wines to other provinces in the relatively near future. Follow our ”News” section on our website or follow us on Twitter @WineWireCA for updates.

10. Q: Can I mix and match bottles within the same case order?

A: No. Wine agents are only permitted (and licensed) to sell wine by the case lot.  Unfortunately, this prevents the agent from mixing wines within the same case order.

11. Q: Does WineWire.ca only represent imported wines?  What about Canadian wines?

A: In addition to consignment wines exclusively imported from outside of Canada, WineWire.ca will also feature Ontario VQA wines not available at the LCBO.  These wines will be available on WineWire.ca as they are made available to us, so please check back regularly for details. 

12. Q: Does WineWire.ca only promote new release wines, or are vintages also available?

A: The selection of wines available through the agencies listing their products on WineWire.ca is extremely wide, from new releases in every price category to premium vintages and rare finds.

13. Is there a standard delivery schedule / fee for wines purchased on WineWire.ca?

A: Although delivery times will vary among the wine agencies selling their products through WineWire.ca, most wines can be delivered within 3 – 10 business days.  The delivery fee to have the wine delivered to your door is set by the agency.  Alternatively, if it is more convenient, you can have your wine delivered to a LCBO store anywhere in Ontario at no cost.  Customers choosing this option can expect delivery of their wine in about 2 to 3 weeks.

14. Q: How do I order a wine I’ve read about on WineWire.ca?

A: You simply browse the wines available on WineWire.ca, click “Add to Cart”, fill out your personal and delivery information and the agent representing the wine will call you to arrange for payment and delivery.  You can also call 1-855-517-7555 to place an order by phone.

15. Q: Is there a minimum order size I must place?

A: Yes. Due to strict provincial restrictions surrounding the sale of consignment wines, you must order at least one case lot at a time, which is usually 6 or 12 bottles.

16. Q: Is there any way I can try a wine before ordering it?

A: WineWire.ca promotes wine tasting events across Ontario, where many of the wines featured on our site can be sampled in a fun and lively atmosphere. Many individual wine agents also participate in wine tasting events in their local markets. Details are available on our website or on Twitter @WineWireCA.

17. Q: Are HST and bottle recycling deposits included in the price of the wines on WineWire.ca?

A: Yes. All prices presented on WineWire.ca are inclusive of HST and bottle recycling deposits.

18. Q: I am ready to place an order!  Is there any way I can track it once it has been placed?

A: Yes. All registered customers who order wine using WineWire.ca will be able to track the status of their order at our website under the “My Account” link. Also, WineWire.ca will automatically email the customer when their order is being processed and when it has shipped.

19. Q: What if I need to cancel my order? How do I do that?

A: If a customer needs to cancel or adjust an order for any reason, they simply need to contact the agent over the phone.  WineWire.ca provides the customer with the representing wine agent’s full contact information to ensure total satisfaction.

20. Q: Am I able to pick up my order in person?

A: Most wine agents are happy to allow you to pick up your wine in person at their offices.  We encourage you to discuss this option with the wine agent when they contact you to arrange for payment and delivery.

So if you are a wine-lover, or are curious about wine and want to learn more, then you must visit www.winewire.ca and make sure to check out all the episodes of Wine Wire TV where WineWire’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Adam Bekhor – a candidate with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust diploma program and Nelson Abreu – Wine Wire’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (who has earned his diploma with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and was elected a member of the Wine Judges Commission of Canada) educate and enlighten you about the wines they have featured. 

In addition, if you are in Toronto, the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo (GFWE) runs this weekend, November 15th to 18th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and WineWire.ca will be there.

If you’ve never been to the GFWE you have no idea what you are missing, especially if you love wine, as they have over 1,500 wines, beers and spirits at this year’s Expo, meaning you won’t be hard pressed to find a bunch of new offerings, including dynamic options from around the world. 

The GFWE provides everyone with the opportunity to sample a tremendous variety of wine that they may never have had a chance to try before.   

“There are so many great wines out there and the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo is the ideal place to learn about the differences between selections from around the world,” said Christopher Waters of the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo. “You can sample the wines from Chile, jump over to France, go to Germany, then over to California and then finish in Ontario and discover what makes each region’s offerings so unique.”

One of the highlighted Ontario wineries at the Expo this year is Southbrook Vineyards, located in Niagara-On-The-Lake. Southbrook Vineyards is Canada’s first certified biodynamic winery and is also certified organic. The winery produces a wide variety of options such as the traditional Chardonnays, Syrahs, Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots but also branches out into fruit wines and the Canadian classic – Icewine.

 “If you consider yourself a bit of a wine expert or just want to check out some of the 2012 InterVin International Wine Award winners we invite you to the Fine Wine Tasting Lounge. Guests can sample rare premium consignment, vintages and private order wines in this casual, yet truly distinctive setting,” said Waters.

For more information on how to buy your admission or sample tickets, visit www.foodandwineexpo.ca.

Here is the link to a printable coupon for $4.00 off the entrance fee to the show from their website; http://foodandwineexpo.ca/sites/foodandwineexpo_ca/upload/pdfs/2012/GFWE_web_Coupon.pdf

General Admission tickets are $20.00 (before coupon) and keep in mind, parents, that there are no infants or children permitted at the Expo.

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What are McGuinty’s Liberals doing to Teachers in Ontario? A View from Within…

Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation vs. Ontario Liberals.

Last week I posted an offer on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheUrbanDaddy) for a guest blogger or 2 and had some positive responses.  One such response came not to that group, but instead, to my email (realurbandaddy@gmail.com).

Those of you in Ontario would be perfectly aware that the governing Liberal government has been putting pressure on the public school teachers, passing an anti-strike bill that cut their benefits and limits the wages for Ontario teachers.  On the Ontario Liberal website, their take on this legislation and it’s impact is outlined here; ”Ontario Liberals passed the Putting Students First Act so that parents will have the peace of mind in knowing that the school year will stay on track and education funding will stay where it belongs — in the classroom.”  This is not working at all, with teachers protesting the cuts by not making themselves available for any “extracurricular” activities – sports, art, music, after-school activities and in some cases… curriculum night.

While I do not agree with holding kids hostage for political decisions, there are some arguments which still have to be played out in Queen’s Park, in the media and possibly in court, including; How much have the teachers salaries increased over the past 10 years when private sector salaries have been frozen, or jobs lost, why did the public school teacher’s union not settle with the government when the offer was acceptable for the catholic school teachers, if it’s true that the salaries of public sector employees are 100% paid for by taxpayers (and I am a former public sector employee) then should we not step back for a minute and remember that these employees pay taxes on their salaries and contribute as much as every other tax paying citizen in Ontario.  And one last matter, is curriculum night really extra curricular???

It’s going to get ugly before it gets better, that’s for sure.

So I have an opinion from an actual teacher in Toronto who emailed me his / her thoughts on this matter which I will post below without edit.

Have a read and tell me what you think?

“Teaching, or being a teacher in Ontario.  Right now, as part of a union.  It’s so hard to write these words  because as a human being with thoughts of my own, I am torn in two.   People who know me know that I  hold some fairly conservative fiscal views.  The other part of me is a teacher, who belongs to a union, who is at war with the government.   The part of me that believe in free market enterprise believes that I should have the right to individually negotiate my salary and benefits with my employer based on how much experience and education  as well as success that I bring to the table.  The other part of me I guess is relieved that I don’t have to personally do this every year or 4 years.   I am so scattered on the current subject, but I want to clear up misconceptions:

1.    Teachers want more money.  Untrue. ETFO and OSSTF agreed in principle to a two-year wage freeze last March.  If it were just about the money, this would be over by now.  To understand more deeply though, teachers are on a grid for salary, starting at year 0 and ending in year 11.  You get a raise each year until your 11^th year and then you are done.  The only increases you get will come from cost of living increases negotiated by the union (in the neighborhood of 1-2% usually).  Unions were more than happy to freeze those at the top, but were asking that younger and brand new teachers still be allowed to move on the grid with each year of experience.  The government disagreed.  How would you feel?  Now, in fact, this piece doesn’t affect me.  I am past year 11.  I am just frozen, which I don’t actually care about.  But imagine a first year teacher, frozen at first year salary (39,000) working for 2 years, and when they‘unfreeze’ are not given the 2 years of experience they have racked up during the contract.  So despite 2 years of service, when the teacher starts at year 0, when they unfreeze they will go to year 1.  Most teachers will lose a huge amount of money this way and it is unfair. It is overly generous to me who has nothing to lose, and penalizes those coming up behind me.

2.    Why are teachers bitching about sick days when they already get 2 plus months off a year? Let me clear this one up too. Summer for teachers is in fact unpaid. We are prorated during the year and a percentage of our salaries is held back off of each pay.  In our last pay in June, we are given the heldout money that the board reserved from our pay during the year so we can survive the summer months.   Let’s be clear, we are not on paid vacation.  Why do we need 20 sick days?  Easy, because the vast majority of working people (and we get this, we honestly do) will send their sick child to school.  And children by nature are the worst at spreading germs.  I have literally been vomited upon.  I’ve had a child with bronchitis cough in my face. I have caught more flus and strep throats and colds than I can remember.  I don’t use sick days for fun.  I, like many other teachers understand how hard it is for you to arrange child care or take a day off work yourself.  So the choice is either YOU get more sick days or I do.  Quite frankly I’d be thrilled if all parents kept their sick children at home because they had their own bank of sick days, but they don’t, so teachers do.

3.    So I addressed having our sick days cut in half, and not being allowed to carry them over year to year.  The not carrying over part bothers me, and the cut in sick days bother me.  Here’s the part that doesn’t – gratuity pay when you retire.  Essentially, in the past if you didn’t use your sick days, you’d get a big cheque at the end (nowadays the top payout was about 46,000, not bad right?).  Many unions have already given up this benefit, and I don’t think we teachers have a leg to stand on for this.  I won’t fight for it.  People in the private sector don’t get this, and as more public contracts come up you will see the retirement gratuity go the way of the dinosaur. All I am asking for is my sick days, to bank them, and if I don’t use them, when I retire, they vanish.  Fair enough?

Here’s where we get into tricky territory for me.  We have lost the right to strike, or to collectively bargain, essentially rendering our unions useless, and the dues we must pay to them every month a complete waste of our money.   Anyone who knows me from the past knows that I’ve always lived this double life of hating unions while being a member of one.  I am now in the spot of having to seriously reevaluate all my thoughts and feelings on this issue.  I don’t want to be a hypocrite and say that MY union should be able to collectively bargain and the rest should fold.  It would go against my most inner beliefs.  I can’t help that I chose a profession that is unionized.  I have had times in the last few years where my union(s) came to my aid: when I was unjustly reprimanded by an administrator, the union was there, and helped me navigate a diplomatic and well thought out counter offence that saw the accusation and reprimand go away.  I was grateful at that moment to know there were people who “had my back”.  I got angry four years ago when the union I was in at the time went for major increases in salary in a crappy economy, and more shocked still to see the McGuinty government GIVE it to us.   It was unnecessary and probably put us where we are today.

Now that we are legislated with “Putting Kids First” which we always did anyway, let’s talk about actual outcomes for the government.   They will save (they say) 468 milllion dollars over the course of the 2 years. They are fighting a 15 billion dollar deficit.  For those good at math, he just solved 1/30^thof the problem while alienating most of his base (of which I am not one).  If he had wanted to create a larger impact, he should have gone after the entire public sector, with one huge piece of legislation, freezing everyone, everywhere, making us work unpaid days, and cancelling gratuities and collective bargaining everywhere.  But he didn’t.  He attacked teachers.  And that’s where I feel stung the most.  Teachers don’t want to put students in the middle of this, but it’s all they have left. I have watched the news and seen how many individual schools have announced no extra-curriculars for the forseeable future.  Ladies and gents, I hate to say it, but I believe within the next two weeks this will be province wide, and there is even talk that the Catholic teachers will follow suit, as most of them have yet to ratify the deal their leaders took which they felt betrayed them.   Is Putting Kids First ensuring that they have demeaned, hostile teachers?  Is having students essentially living through 2 years of work to rule worth it?   Like I said, I am still sorting this out for myself and asking myself what I think I can live with.   I don’t have answers, but I am tired of that panicky feeling at the bottom of my stomach for what comes next.

As a teacher I am tired of being called every name in the book – lazy, greedy, short hours, blah blah. All of it untrue.  Tired of having to defend myself and I won’t anymore.  No one in the private sector would be shamed for hoping for a raise based on their performance, why do we vilify those in the public sector who hope for the same?  I hate to say it, but us public sector people, we ARE the middle class, and we are the stable jobs that pay into the tax base and keep things alive while private interests go bust.   So please, stop telling me you pay my salary, I pay my salary too.

I am tired of the government PR campaign that seems to say all teachers want is more money, and I’m sick and tired of seeing that my union who has a well defined position (we just don’t want to lose our right to collective bargaining) be completely unable to get the message out.  In the PR wars, we have lost, and lost big, and in doing so have alientated the public.  It’s hard to be a teacher today in Ontario, but I will carry on as I always have, teaching to the best of my ability, and I didn’t need Dalton to condescend to me to “Put Kids First”.  I always have.  But I’m not a volunteer or a nun.  He needs to remember that.”

Related articles

• Dalton McGuinty pleads with teachers to return to extracurricular activities (metronews.ca)
• It’s McGuinty versus Ontario teachers (lfpress.com)
• Teachers vow to curb extracurricular activities as wage freeze bill passes (thestar.com)

IVF Part 2. Provincial Funding of IVF and Infertility are needed. Addressing Reader Emails.

English: Causes of infertility, data compiled in the United Kingdom 2009. Reference: Regulated fertility services: a commissioning aid – June 2009, from the Department of Health UK (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a follow-up to my earlier piece on IVF, and the need for provincial governments in Canada to fund it for humanistic and financial reasons, I wanted to address some of the comments I received via email.  I found it odd that no one had posted comments on my blog, but when I logged into my email, I saw that people felt more comfortable emailing me from a fake email address and under the name “anonymous”.

The tone of the emails centred around a belief – by many – that the reasons for infertility and the recent focus around IVF treatment – and request to have taxpayers fund it, comes from a belief infertility issues are created by woman who are choosingtheir careers over their responsibility to bear children.  This waiting is causing less fertile eggs and hence problems conceiving and thus, it has been pointed out to me, the obvious solution is to not play G-d, but for woman to start having babies earlier in life.  Problem solved.

WOW.

Wrong.

So to be clear and to address that belief, I scoured the Internet for hours, days, weeks and months in order to find some supporting data on which to make this assertion.

First off, this is not just a “Western” issue with woman wanting careers first, then babies, and when they cannot conceive they know they have this expensive not-guaranteed treatment in their back pocket.  In fact, the rate of infertile couples is on the rise both in developed and developing countries.  Infertility is a cause of great suffering for those involved and their legitimate desire to have a child / children, requires the attention of society.  With that, it must be stated that modern lifestyle patterns do play an important role in the problem of infertility.

But infertility needs to be addressed – IVF aside as it is one possible treatment for the greater problem.  Infertility is caused by multiple factors and, consequently, necessitates a broader response from prospective parents, doctors, scientists and government than just looking to find a possible solution after infertility has been diagnosed, by turning to research in artificial reproductive treatment.

I think those people who sent me the anonymous messages are familiar with the work of a scholar named Hans Rudolf Tinneberg, who teaches at the Justus-Liebig University in Germany because he feels that ”the true challenge is that of changing the mental attitude of people so that they procreate when it is biologically the optimal age to do that, between 21 and 23 years old”.

Hmmmm.

This changes everything, right?  To suggest that woman place procreation at the top of their list at such a young age, when they are still in University / College, just getting started in the work force and find their way would appear to be a backward statement on a forward thinking society.  Yes, it makes sense to bring attention to being healthy from that age forward, but to do anything else would be met with great resistance and so it should.

This is, after all an “expert” speaking from a scientific perspective on what the most effective solution to infertility would be!  Surely, this statement should not be taken completely out of context, right?  When referring to lifestyle playing an important part in infertility, it’s not just couples waiting to have children, but also it depends on social and economic structures that lead people to marry and decide to have children at an older age.  Not everyone wants to wait until they are in their late 30′s to have children and not every family can afford to have children in their early 20′s.

So now we find that there is a role which must be filled by government in order to combat infertility and that is through education.  Eating disorders like anorexia, obesity, excessive body exercise and stress, need to be mentioned at an early age and the acknowledgement that there is a negative impact of environmental pollution on fertility and the harmful consequences of active and passive smoking to female and male infertility.  Not that a 15-year-old is going to understand that when trying to fit into a size zero prom dress like her friends can and like they do on TV.

There also needs to be some discussion around infertility beyond just the science of it, to include spirituality, psychology and environmental impacts because the problem of infertility is not just a medical issue.

Until the government comes up with a plan to combat rising infertility for all people, then it should provide assistance for those wanting to have children by funding IVF.  The savings on the healthcare system have already been clearly documented – the aftercare for multiple births is very expensive and paid for by taxpayers and multiple births are caused by the fact that IVF is expensive and couples (and doctors) are attempting to fertilize multiple eggs at once hoping one birth will stick.  This process is clearly broken.

What we can find comfort in, is that all experts concurred on the fact that IVF is not the only solution to infertility and should not be presented as such when infertile couples call upon family doctors, gynaecologists and fertility specialists for help.  Moreover, it is evident from empirical research that IVF does not address the causes of infertility and it is statistically proven that, since its outcome, it didn’t solve the problem of infertility. The problem is still there.

I could not find Canadian-specific numbers but studies conducted in the US, showed that  99.5% of couple with infertility issues were not able to conceive through IVF, in the US, and in addition often IVF is presented as the sole solution.  Without diagnostic investigation patients are left  unaware about the true cause of their infertility and with a lot less money as a result of the cost of this procedure.  I’m not even sure the year from which this data came, but you get the point.  This process is broken and available to those who have money or who wish to risk everything for the chance to bear their own children.

Everyone who emailed me agrees that it would be questionable to fully fund IVF without spending the time and money to research the problems of infertility and make progress to tackle its roots at the same time.  This would also be a perfect time to study whether infertile couples were being correctly diagnosed, keeping in mind the multi factors of infertility, and eventually have access, if it is the case, to easier and cheaper treatments other than IVF, but this is still very much down the road.

Until provincial governments like Ontario and Alberta are able to address infertility growth, then they should do the right things and help these families, help all families, get equal access to IVF treatment, save taxpayers dollars, then research infertility on a bigger scale and let’s get this broken process fixed.

Infertility is a serious problem and needs to be tackled accordingly.  NOW.

UK’s IVF funding effort ‘feeble’ (bbc.co.uk)

• Schools failing to teach pupils about infertility (guardian.co.uk)