‘Polar Plunge’, ‘Helping Hands’ donation to CKHA, transit funding

Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Thursday, December 28, 2017

Today – Mainly sunny. Increasing cloudiness this afternoon. High minus 12.

Tonight – Mainly cloudy. Flurries beginning this evening. Local amount 2 to 4 cm. Low minus 15.

Chatham-Kent Police Service ‘Polar Plunge’ for Special Olympics Ontario

(Submitted photo)

The Chatham-Kent Police Service are taking part in a ‘Polar Plunge’ in support of Special Olympics Ontario.

“As the name implies, a Polar Plunge is a winter fundraising event whereby individuals have the ‘honour’ of jumping into the icy waters of a portable outdoor swimming pool,” police officials said in a press release.

“You are able to participate by securing donations from friends, family members, co-workers, local business or your community in general. This is a signature provincial event of the Law Enforcement Torch Run initiative benefiting Special Olympics Ontario.”

The event will take place on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 10 a.m., directly in front of the St. Clair College HealthPlex – Thames (Chatham) Campus.

100% of the funds will directly benefit the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

For more information, click here.

To register for, or donate, click here.

Helping Hands Auxiliary donates over $10,000 towards new mammography system

Representatives from the Helping Hands Auxiliary (Left) present Mary Lou Crowley, Foundation of CKHA (Right) with a cheque for $10,500 for the Christmas Wish Tree event, in support of the Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Renewal Campaign (Submitted photo)

Representatives from the CKHA Helping Hands Auxiliary presented a cheque for $10,500 to the Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) in support of their 28th Annual Christmas Wish Tree.

This year’s event is raising funds in support of a new mammography system for CKHA through the $6.9 million CKHA Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Renewal Campaign.

To date, more than $5.5 million has been raised for this important campaign.

This generous donation from the CKHA Helping Hands Auxiliary was made possible through various fundraising initiatives coordinated by the Auxiliary throughout the year, including proceeds from the Boutique Grand Gift Shop located within the Chatham hospital campus.

“As women, we understand the importance of this year’s Christmas Wish Tree in support of the purchase of a new mammography system,” stated JoAn Dale, Chair, CKHA Helping Hands Auxiliary.

“We are thrilled to make this contribution that will enhance the quality of health care for the women of our community.”

To date, the CKHA Helping Hands Auxiliary has contributed more than $100,000 towards the $6.9 million CKHA Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Renewal Campaign.

Home James will get you home safe

The Home James program will be available across the community this weekend.

The program is driven by community partners and dedicated volunteers to make the roads safer for Chatham-Kent residents.

Home James is a not-for-profit organization that:

– Encourages safe driver practices and safe roads.

– Provides a safe alternative to getting home after the consumption of alcohol.

– Donates all donations received during night of operation in the holiday season to local youth organizations.

– In its five years of operation Home James has donated over $50,000 to local youth groups in Chatham-Kent

Call 519-351-3353, and Home James will send their volunteers, who will drive your vehicle home for you… anywhere in Chatham-Kent.

They are operating Friday, Saturday and Sunday (New Year’s Eve) nights.

Visit homejames-ck.ca for more details.

Ontario boosting transit funding, including in Chatham-Kent

Ontario is providing more support to 105 municipalities across the province, to help them enhance and expand their transit systems, reduce congestion, and shorten commute times.

Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, was joined by Harinder Malhi, MPP for Brampton-Sprindale and Linda Jeffrey, Mayor of Brampton, recently to announce this year’s gas tax funding for municipalities.

Chatham-Kent is receiving $952,316.

“This year’s increase in funding of $22.7 million is great news for Ontario municipalities — a clear indication of our government’s commitment to deliver the transformational and integrated transit system that the people of this province both expect and deserve,” Del Duca stated in a press release.

“This increase in sustainable funding for local transit across the province means that more than 90 per cent of Ontario’s population will benefit from improvements to their daily transit service so that more people can get where they’re going faster.”

Provincial government officials say more public transit makes it easier for people to travel to and from work, school and appointments, reduces congestion and lowers air pollution. One bus takes up to 40 vehicles off the road, and keeps 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere each year.

More details:

– Ontario’s gas tax program provides municipalities with two cents per litre of provincial gas tax revenues. The province made funding for the program permanent in 2013 to provide a stable source of funding for municipalities.

– In 2017, the province committed to increase funding to 2.5 cents per litre in 2019–20, 3 cents in 2020–21 and 4 cents in 2021–22. This is not an increase in the price paid at the pump by drivers.

– This year the province committed $357.2 million in gas tax funding to 105 municipalities, providing service to 142 communities, the most since the program began in 2004. The funding is expected to increase to about $401.3 million in 2019–20, $481.5 million in 2020–21 and $642 million in 2021–22.

– Six new municipalities were added to the program this year including: the Township of Atikokan, the County of Brant, the Township of Clearview, the Town of Innisfil, the Town of Pelham, and the Town of Tillsonburg.
Research shows that every $100 million of public infrastructure investment in Ontario boosts GDP by $114 million, particularly in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

Support for the Canadian Coast Guard

The Government of Canada is taking steps to ensure the safety of mariners and to support economic growth by increasing its capability to deliver critical services on Canada’s waterways.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the Canadian Coast Guard have concluded two supply arrangements (SAs) for additional marine services such as icebreaking and aids to navigation.

Government officials say starting this winter, the Coast Guard will be able to provide taskings under the SAs to available private sector partners on an as/when needed basis.

“The women and men of the Canadian Coast Guard work hard every day across the country, to ensure the safety of mariners and the marine environment, and to keep our waterways safe for trade,” stated the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, in a press release.

“This is a proactive solution to help the Coast Guard to maintain critical services where demand or challenging ice conditions warrant. We are ensuring that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence, two important economic corridors that are crucial to the Canadian economy, have full icebreaking capacity this winter.”

The following company has been retained for the SA in the St. Lawrence region: Le Groupe Océan inc. For the Great Lakes SA, the following companies have been retained: Le Groupe Océan inc. and McKeil Marine Limited.

Government officials say these agreements are intended to facilitate commercial navigation, and also to ensure the protection of marine environments by making more resources available to the Coast Guard in the event of an environmental response.

“Our Government is committed to equipping the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard with the ships they need to serve Canadians,” stated The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, in a press release. ‎

“Pending the arrival of new vessels being built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, we are taking necessary steps to respond to new and evolving requirements, and examining all options through fair, open and transparent processes.”

In addition to these SAs, the Coast Guard continues to assess its options in the short and long term to increase its icebreaking capability. These measures offer users of Canadian marine waterways a reliable, efficient and flexible service until the arrival of new vessels built as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

For information on the St. Lawrence Supply Arrangement, visit buyandsell.gc.ca

For information on the Great Lakes Supply Arrangement, please visit buyandsell.gc.ca

More details:

– In recent years, the Coast Guard has faced increasing demand for icebreaking services due to changing weather conditions, longer ice seasons and a global rise in demand for icebreaking services.

– Marine traffic contributes more than $200 billion to Canada’s economy.

– The services targeted by these arrangements include: ice clearance and ice navigation, removing ice from buoys, icebreaking and vessel assistance, stabilizing vessels in distress, towing and assistance in the event of fire aboard a vessel.

World news

If you have a suggestion, story idea, column idea, or if you want to say hello… drop me an e-mail at aaron@sydenhamcurrent.ca.

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