Wallaceburg Retirement Residence – Morning Coffee

Weather forecast for Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Today – Mainly sunny. High 22 except 14 near Lake Erie. Humidex 26. UV index 7 or high.

Tonight – A few clouds. Low 11.

‘Big Bike’ strolls through Wallaceburg

The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s ‘Big Bike’ made a stop in Wallaceburg on Tuesday.

The event ran from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The fundraiser started at the Black Goose on James Street and looped around onto Margaret Ave., Main Street, Queen Street, Gillard Street, McNaughton Avenue and Dufferin Avenue, before returning to the Black Goose.

Events will be held throughout the rest of the month in Blenheim, Chatham and Tilbury.

What is Big Bike?

“It’s a heart-pumping, cheer-thumping, crazy big, fun ride!

“For 20 minutes, 29 riders power one Big Bike. On event day, one of our drivers will accompany you as you pedal through your community and celebrate your accomplishments. While you pedal, you literally stop traffic to support critical heart disease and stroke research, so you’ll feel good, while doing good. But be warned: The minute you stop, you’ll want to climb right back on. It’s that much fun!”

We had a great time participating in the Big Bike ride for Heart & Stroke! We worked together as a team to pedal across three bridges around downtown Wallaceburg!
.#inclusion #particpatingproudly #wallaceburg #ckont #chathamkent #bigbike #heartandstroke #heartandstrokefoundation pic.twitter.com/qsGMraNb0y

— CL Wallaceburg (@CLWallaceburg) 15 May 2018

You can now renew your Ontario health card online

People across Ontario can now renew their photo health card online at ServiceOntario.ca/RenewCards.

To renew a health card online, people in Ontario need:

– A valid driver’s licence to verify identity as a security measure

– To have lived at the same address at least 90 days prior to renewing

– To keep all other personal details the same

– Individuals can still choose to renew their health card in-person at nearly 300 ServiceOntario centres located across Ontario. Many are open on weekends and evenings and some allow you to skip the line by making an appointment. There is no fee to renew a health card either online or in-person.

“This is another step in our government’s commitment to bring more and more services online,” stated Tracy MacCharles, Minister of Government and Consumer Services, in a media release.

“It builds on the other options our government provides, such as the online driver’s license renewal and the integrated online address change system; this is an important addition to ServiceOntario’s online options.”

More details:

– There is no fee to renew a health card. Regular fees apply to renew your driver’s licence, and are the same both online and in-person.

– If your identity cannot be verified online, you will need to renew your health card in-person.

– If you need a photo for your health card or driver’s licence, renewing both at the same time in-person will improve your chances of being able to renew both online the next time around.

Canada and OECD reaffirm that everyone should contribute and benefit from growth

Globalization, advances in technology and shifting demographics are creating opportunities and challenges for our countries.

That’s why over the last two days, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos chaired alongside Secretary General Angel Gurría, the OECD Social Policy Forum and Ministerial meeting that gathered ministers and officials from 35 countries to work together to ensure social policies are forward-looking and benefit everyone.

Minister Duclos shared with ministers, Canadian and international representatives from the business sector, trade unions, academia and civil society some of the important initiatives Canada is putting in place to help the middle class, and those working hard to join it.

“Canada is proud to support, with the collaboration of many other countries, OECD’s agenda that favours growth that benefits everyone,” Duclos said in a press release.

“Our government believes and has taken concrete actions for a society‎ and policies that give all Canadians a real and fair chance to succeed‎ and ‎to contribute to the development of our communities.”

Minister Duclos noted how the Canada Child Benefit, the National Housing Strategy, and the Canada Workers Benefit are important tools to support Canadians and build confidence so that growth can benefit all Canadians. Countries stressed how important it is to listen to citizens’ concerns and develop policies that will respond to their needs.

Canada’s recent experience in engaging with citizens, particularly those who are underrepresented and marginalized groups such as immigrants, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, youth, women, seniors and the LGBTQ2 community, demonstrates how governments can achieve better decision-making and create policies and programs that better support citizens to fully participate in society.

The discussions of the OECD Social Policy Forum and Ministerial Meeting demonstrated a strong consensus in favour of inclusion, where all people can benefit from growth, but also have the opportunity to contribute to growth.

“The social policies of yesterday will not work for the economic realities of tomorrow,” Gurría said in a media release.

“We can, and must, work together to design, develop and deliver better policies for better lives in the changing world of work. The 2018 OECD Social Policy Forum and Ministerial Meeting in Montreal have been an important step in building the social policies of the future. The leadership shown by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian government on social policies that benefit everyone is an inspiration to other OECD members.”

There was broad recognition that the challenges arising from the accelerated pace of change can no longer be addressed by unilateral or “one size fits all” approaches. Success will also depend on partnerships across governments and sectors to develop innovative solutions that achieve positive outcomes for everyone.

The Ministerial meeting concluded with ministers endorsing a statement that sets a vision and a way forward for OECD countries to put people at the centre of social policies. This vision aligns with the 2030 UN Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and leave no one behind.

More details:

– For the first time ever, the OECD Social Policy Forum and Ministerial Meeting took place outside of Paris. This meeting is held every 5 to 7 years.

– On May 14, the Social Policy Forum brought together more than 350 participants, including ministers responsible for social policy, and Canadian and international representatives from the business sector, trade unions, academia and civil society.

– On May 15, ministers from the 35 OECD countries met to discuss how they can work together to ensure everyone, including people from vulnerable groups, like youth, people with disabilities, seniors, Indigenous people, people from the LGBTQ2 community and women have a real and fair chance to succeed.

– In the spirit of promoting social innovation in our communities, the Government of Canada and the OECD collaborated with a number of Canadian social enterprise organizations. Governments can make a difference by supporting these organizations that make a difference in their communities every day.

– During the 2018 OECD Social Policy Forum and Ministerial Meeting, the OECD released the results of their Risks That Matter Survey. The OECD conducted a cross-national survey of people’s perceptions of social and economic risks, opportunities and public policy preferences. The survey provides insight as to how well governments are responding to citizens’ needs and expectations in social policy design and implementation. People were asked to rank different social and economic risks in the short term (the next year or two) and in the long term (beyond the next 10 years).