Volunteer fire departments need your help

Front row L to R: Heather Sampson, Stewart Smith, Robert Foreman, Shawn Sampson, Mark Logan Back row L to R: Trevor Tomilson, Stephanie Tomilson, Marc Wates, Sarah English, Dave Harder, Jim O’Neill, Anouchka O’Hara

On Wednesday night, 6 July, I climbed into bed to watch a bit of television. Then I heard a really odd sound; it sounded like a faulty water pump. I had an ‘oh my God’ moment, worried that something had gone wrong with the pump in the utility room downstairs -- the joys of country bumpkin living. It was getting louder, though I resisted the urge to get up.  Something, somewhere was pumping water. It seemed to go on forever.  My cerebral palsy brain is challenged by noise and light when I try to sleep and stay asleep, so I wear a room darkening mask. But shutting out that interminable noise was a challenge. Finally, sleep did overtake me.

Morning came and I got the dogs up and out; the puppy to their pen off the dining room and the old diva dog on the tie out line off the garage, to wander around the driveway. That’s when I saw it – the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department’s command vehicle, with light flashing. I then got on my trusty mobility scooter to go down the driveway to inquire as to what was going on. I learned there had been two structure fires, happening within hours of each other and not far away from each other. Curious.

The fire department makes use of the pond in front of my home to fill their tankers. There were numerous fills that night and I’m glad they had such ready access to water, for without it they’d not have been able to do their job.

I had a chance to learn more about the incident from my friend and volunteer fire fighter, Stewart Smith.

According to Stewart, “they spent all night on those two fires. It came in from 459 dispatch around 12:15a.m. as a single structure fire; about two hours into it there was a second structure fire, just up the road. The Departments involved were Stanley, Nashwaak Valley, Upper Miramichi, Keswick Valley and Juniper all contributing apparatus and manpower through mutual aid. It’s a tough job but one that get into your blood.”

Stewart and most of the volunteers are no longer young. The same is true within the ranks of all manner of volunteer agencies and organizations that are part of the fabric of many communities across the province, across the country. Volunteer services such as rural fire departments are vital to sustaining a quality of life that is made safer because of their presence. Complacency creeps in with losing sight of the reality that numbers of volunteers are decreasing while demands for boost in numbers is increasing.

To improve access to training to become a volunteer firefighter, courses are now available online as adjunct to in-personal sessions. More than 150 hours of training is required for certification. 

According to New Brunswick’s Justice and Public Safety Department, NB has approximately 5,000 volunteer firefighters who have taken on the arduous task of protecting the province through a range of hazardous and potentially life-altering events, from house fires and motor vehicle accidents to wildfires and medical assistance. Without them we would be less safe. Many of us are aging out of lots of roles that defined our lives within our community. That is no more evident than in the service industry, the benefits of which are shared by everyone and when their numbers are reduced, that impacts the community as a whole. 

Imagine stopping what you’re doing to rush off into the life of someone in crisis as they watch their house burning; their home, the stories of their lives up in smoke.  The reward for volunteer firefighters is knowing that they made a difference. When one joins the ranks of the volunteer firefighter, s/he’s letting their community know that they have what it takes to make a difference.

It’s important, though that we all do our part. If we heat our home with wood, it’s vital we maintain the flue with cleaning each fall season before first burning. Book your appointment today. Also important is to check appliance cords and electrical connections for other devices for wear and tear; replace as necessary to avoid a preventable tragedy. We’re ‘in it’ together, after all.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Living long (and well) with disability

In the words of the inimitable Bette Davis, “old age ain’t no place for sissies.” I wholeheartedly agree! Growing old while living with challenges to daily living, such as conditions like cerebral palsy pose, requires one be of ‘strong stuff’. Internal fortitude is vital to survival of the less fit.

Those of us ‘of a certain age’ through years of several times daily physiotherapy, who did learn to walk, also learned an array of skills that paved the way to independent living. To say that I was and am fortunate is an understatement. I would not be where I am to day from a health/medical standpoint, were it not for the diligent years long commitment of my Mom. My two eldest siblings put me through my paces a time or two, accompanied by likes of Hank Williams or Connie Francis. Mom preferred the crooners like Bing Crosby, while Dad was into classical. Music, music, music made the legs go round and round til they were strong enough to stand on – putting one floppy foot in front of the other. Off I went. I’m still going!

I then began to think about a burning question. Who was/is the oldest person in Canada living with cerebral palsy, regardless of type, of which there are five – spastic, ataxic, athetoid, hypotonic, and mixed? Each type is classified by a unique set of symptoms.

Patricia Hamilton, called Teedie by everyone who knew her, was born in 1924 with severe spastic cerebral palsy. Third of 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls, Teedie’s father, Dr. William Gordon Hamilton, was the doctor in the village of Westport, Ontario. Her mother, Caroline, was a local schoolteacher. By comparison, I’m considered much higher functioning in terms of mobility given only my legs were involved. Ms. Hamilton and I have a few things in common. Our fathers were doctors and our mothers were teachers. We grew up in in a large family; I am #7 of 5 boys and 3 girls. Today, 3 of us remain; me, an elder sister and an elder brother. Teedie’s father, like my own, accepted barter for medical services, which worked out well for us; lots of farm produce to feed a large family. Other locals provided trades skills; one fellow built a tricycle for me that allowed me to safely pedal around the main floor of our huge home on Church Street, in Bath, NB. For outside use, another built a walking frame, similar to that found in physio departments of hospitals, so I could practice walking while taking fresh air. Today, I have the lung capacity of a marathon runner.

Like Teedie’s parents, mine never considered having me institutionalized. I attended school, driven by my mother; on the occasional ‘snow day’, I still had work to do at home.

Now that I’m on ‘this side of 70’, I’ve given up doing a lot of things that require sound balance as I know my limits and respect the changes aging creates. I’m a work in progress!

Teedie lived to the ripe old age of 97, spending the last years of her life in a nursing home in Ontario. The documentary about her is an important contribution to breaking down attitudinal barriers and enhancing awareness of the needs of those aging with disability, whether in their own home or in government sponsored care.

Bernadette Rivard was born with cerebral palsy in 1931, living at home until age 31 when her care became beyond the ability of her family. Fears that she wouldn’t survive were replaced with the reality that she thrived. What is remarkable is that Bernadette lived in this nursing home for more than 50 years, making her one of the longest residents of a long term care facility in Ontario.

Though dependent on others for care, Rivard managed to leave a lasting impression on family and friends over her 83 years. She died on May 14, 2013, having lived, since 1962, at Pioneer Manor, an Ontario nursing home. She was predeceased by seven siblings.

My goal is to live well, with good eats and exercise so I can stay mentally engaged, never defined by labels. Maybe I’ll see 100 candles on a chocolate cake!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with her geriatric Australian silky terrier and a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Basic income central to pandemic recovery

I liken the COVID-19 afterlife to Baby sitting in the corner; there it sits, not going away. Variations of the virus will be present in our lives for years to come, so we must accept this new reality if we are to overcome and get on with things -- which depends on the co-operation of every single one of us.               

I believe that Universal Basic Income has a place in the equation if the playing field is to be leveled even a little bit to accommodate those most affected by the pandemic and the aftermath; housing/shelter losses, job losses, withdrawal from institutions of higher learning because of lack of funds. The list of losses is long. 

What the COVID aftermath does is shine a light on all manner of inequalities spilling out; front and center are the deficiencies in the lives of our children — they are our future, right? Why are we not doing more to ensure that they get the future they deserve — the kind the ‘haves’ don’t worry about too much because they’re already on track to a life that won’t experience a lot of worry about where the next meal is coming from, can Mom pay the rent this month? or will Dad still have a job in the fall?  Children in financial crisis, because their family lives on the edge day in and day out, worry about things young people should not have worry about.

My brain is boggled. Yes, it is! I just cannot understand how so many are stuck on the notion that a universal basic income is tantamount to paying people to do nothing. How very wrong they are.  Frankly,  it’s an insult to those who, very often through circumstances out of their control, have lived on the financial edge for years; for decades. You’ve heard the statement — most people don’t have $400 to cover an emergency. It’s true!

The single mother working two minimum wage jobs trying to keep a roof over her head and food on the table for herself and 4 kids is the one working for nothing, if we define working primarily in dollars and cents. Think about that. After all the costs of necessities of life are met there is very little left over for even one of the things most of us take for granted. Her 4 children are missing out on lots of experiences and tools that could enhance the quality of, for example, their learning life. How many children in this province do not have access to the internet let alone a computer, laptop or tablet? 

We’re too quick to make the bold statement that women (and men) who don’t work outside the home to earn money are not working, are lay-abouts, are milking the system, are abusing resources that they don’t deserve to access. That self-entitled attitude espoused by those who already ‘have’ is insulting on so many levels. It’s got to change if we have any hope of advancing the opportunities for those who need a hand up. All of us are in this together.

Our current social assistance programs essentially put recipients into a forced/government state of poverty out which there seems no climb. There’s no incentive to rise above when even basic needs are not met on a consistent basis, with the underpinnings of stress and fear driving every move.  No way to live, it’s not surprising that people living in poverty are sick, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

There have been lots of kitchen table discussions about guaranteed basic income also known as universal basic income. More and more people are coming to the conclusion that it may be the most efficient/effective way to assist those who are trapped in poverty. Fortifying their financial base will improve health and wellness which will concurrently reduce stress on the health care system. That is good medicine for all.

A report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated a national guaranteed basic income would cost about $88 billion in 2022-2023. Perhaps sooner rather than later, representatives of the various branches of government will do the math on UBI and say YES to success.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with her geriatric Australian silky terrier and a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca