John and Linda Cyr ask council how they would like to live with a dump in their backyard. Story by Jesse Thomas/ Special to Baytoday.ca
NAAW
The Municipal Accessibility Advisory committee will be hosting an awareness event at the North Bay City Transit building May 29 at noon to celebrate National Access Awareness Week (NAAW).
Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee member Serge Falardeau, who is hearing impaired and partially blind, struck a positive note at city council last night by thanking the city of North Bay for being so accessible as to receive an award for its efforts.
“Eight accessible buses, seven Para-buses, and one Para-van, high visibility bus stops, 22 available parking spaces (downtown alone)…. All these advancements make it possible for disabled people to participate equally in all aspects of society,” Falardeau said. Falardeau expressed that North Bay has always been considerate to him, but lamented an experience in a different city.
“In a different city I was searching for a job … I was interviewed by a man named Mr. Lang. He was very polite and I was sure I was making a good first impression as we talked in his foyer; when he asked me to step into his office I extended my walking cane and about five minutes later Mr. Lang turned me down cold, on the spot.”
He pointed out that there will always be a continuing effort for rights such as fair wages, job opportunities and education in order to ensure a successful and prosperous future for disabled people in the workplace.
NAAW will be celebrated May 26 to June 1.
ACT (Advanced Coronary Treatment Foundation) - CPR Program
750 grade nine students at five high schools will amalgamate CPR and defibrillation training into their physical education course as of Friday, May 19. An announcement and presentation is expected the same day at Algonquin high school.
North Bay Professional Paramedic Association member Marc Picard said CPR programs are a necessity, “We teach risk factors of heart disease, how to recognize and emergency, how to react to an emergency and of course how to resuscitate an individual. CPR training has resulted in saving at least two people this year.”
Deputy-Mayor, Peter Chirico, applauded Picard on his association’s tremendous job raising funds and acquiring necessary equipment to make the high school course a reality.
“We’re proud of the success we’ve had,” Picard said, “We managed to get 115 mannequins and 17 volunteer teachers to perform the training. Everyone is putting forth a lot of energy and we eventually hope to bring the CPR program to all the high schools in Ontario.”
Upon completion students will receive a completion certificate which can also assist in job development.
Residents of Collins Drive, Hwy.11 North Indignant
Residents of Collins Drive on Hwy.11 North have been indignant for 18 insufferable months due to massive amounts of garbage including paper, plastic and cardboard being dumped illegally around their properties. Linda and John Cyr of Collins Drive presented horrendous pictures of garbage spilling into their water system and piles of rotting garbage and cardboard beside resident mailboxes.
“For well over a year we have been asking why nothing is being done and now we are here to say we’re not going to take it,” Mr. Cyr said.
He continued, “The property in question is not zoned or approved for dumping in any way and no one is being punished, meanwhile our homes are diminishing in value and our well-water stands risk of contamination, not to mention other environmental and wildlife infractions.”
Linda Cyr described the acrid smell and atmosphere while 10 other residents could be heard voicing support of her claims. “We have elderly people in the area that shouldn’t be breathing the stench and children who can’t go to the river anymore to play,” she said.
Mr. Cyr stepped in, “We saw a news report on TV and Mike Anthony said the clean-up was 80% complete, yet these pictures we have here tonight prove that the problem has hardly been dealt with.”
Mr. Cyr then told Community Services Chair, Mike Anthony, that he was going to bring the garbage to his doorstep and see how he likes it, at which point Deputy Mayor; Peter Chirico brought the room back to order. Fortunately, Mr. Anthony brought some good news that resulted in quashing a highly contentious issue in a room beginning to surge with tension.
“As the Community Service Chair I deeply apologize for not putting an end to this issue sooner. Yes we heard about the mess and we did have a commitment from the property owner to clean it,” Mr. Anthony iterated. He said the residents had all the right to be royally ticked-off at this very unsettling situation, “By spring nothing had been cleaned-up so we issued an order and it looked like clean-up was going to move a long quickly, then that stopped.”
Mr. Anthony added he was pleased to announce that as of May 11 the city issued an enforcement, which means: If the mess is not cleaned within 10 days the city will come and clean it and send the property owner the bill along with a $250.00 fine.
Collins Drive residents sighed relief after Mr. Anthony’s announcement. “We’re very pleased with the 10-day enforcement, it definitely eases the stress of the situation,” Mrs. Cyr said.
“I’m glad the residents here tonight acknowledged that I take this deplorable situation seriously. I’m glad we came to an understanding. I sincerely hope to put this issue in the past,” Mr. Anthony concluded.
