Overdose Prevention Sites Save Lives
In 2018 we find ourselves battling an opioid crisis that has been years in the making. Opioids are drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain and were originally derived from opium but now also include synthetic preparations. In the mid-1990s, their use by physicians was heavily promoted by the pharmaceutical industry,…
50 Million Trees Project Helps Landowners Implement Large-Scale Tree Planting Projects
The Ontario government’s 50 Million Tree Program was inspired by global efforts to plant billions of trees worldwide each year, but has been designed with Ontario landowners in mind. The objective is to plant 50 million trees by 2025, and so far more than 4,000 landowners have become involved in the effort. Increased forest…
It’s Time to Erase the Difference in Funding for Mental Health Care
It seems that the message that mental health is a serious and pervasive issue across the country is beginning to be heard, and that is good news. It’s hard to address a problem you don’t recognize. We’ve heard the statistics that one in five in Ontario will experience a mental health issue in any…
Driving has become Electric!
I recently bought a new car. Not just to be environmentally conscientious, but also to lower my expenses, I decided to be an early adopter of new technology – I bought a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Because of the size of my family, as well as my budget, there were only two options available…
Local Filmmaker Entertains at Bailieboro Women’s Institute’s Spring Luncheon
More than 70 people attended the annual spring luncheon at Centreville Presbyterian Church hosted by the Bailieboro Women’s Institute. After a hearty lunch prepared by members of the group, local radio host and filmmaker Megan Murphy took centre stage and regaled the crowd with a light-hearted and touching story about her life-changing trip when…
For Colonic Cleansing, it’s Buyer Beware
In Thunder Bay, my public health colleagues have warned customers of two colonic cleansing locations to get tested for hepatitis B and C – infections that can be transmitted when instruments are not disinfected properly. But this warning, and the media investigations into this practice of instilling large quantities of fluids into the bowel…