Glebe Report

LETTERS
Saddened and embittered by Health Act
Editor, GZebe Report:
This is a difficult letter
to write for I must suppress
my sorrow and anger in order
to explain clearly, without
lashing out, why I am about
to "opt-out" of my community.
My husband and I are a
team. He is a medical specialist
in private practice
who elected not to become a
member of OHIP at its inception.
I am a registered
nurse and have always had an
active part in running my
husband's office; as the unpaid
office nurse during the
early years when we could
not afford to hire help (and
when the government would
not allow doctors to pay
their working spouses), and
now as office manager and
comptroller.
Over the years, singly or
together, my husband and I
have contributed voluntarily
and winingiy, of our time
and money to community needs
and projects. Our involvement
and/or financial support
have included: the Administration-Medical
Committee,
the Medical Records
Committee, the Coffee Shop
and Cancer Clinic of the
Ottawa Civic Hospital, the
Admission and Discharge
Committee and the Departmental
Steering Committee of
the Riverside Hospital, 9
years of ex-officio membership
on all departmental
committees as Chief of Department,
the Ambulatory
Care Committee, the Administration-Medical
Committee,
the Medical Records Committee,
the Quality Control
Committee, the Abortion
Committee, the Infection
Control Committee, the Laser
Committee, the Admission and
Discharge Committee and the
Library Committee of the
Salvation Army Grace Hospital
; the Queen's Alumni; the
founding and development of
the original Wellington
Club; the Royal Canadian
Naval Reserve; the Gyro
Club; the Glebe Community
Association; the Lansdowne
Park Advisory-Committee; the
Glebe Neighbourhood Study's
Social Needs Committee; the
Glebe Report; the Glebe
Traffic Plan; the Glebe Development
Plan; the Dow's
Lake Residents' Association;
the Mutchmor Home and School
Association; the Canterbury
High School Parents' Advisory
Committee; the Ottawa
Board of Education; Dominion-Chalmers
United Church;
Maycourt Club committees;
the Ottawa-Carleton Regional
June 6, 1986, GLEBE REPORT -6
Health Unit (Board of
Health); the Task Force on
the Regionalization of the
Health Unit; the Winterlude
Joint Planning Committee;
the Canadian Red Cross Society;
the Canadian Cancer
Society; the Heart Fund; the
Kidney Foundation; the Boys'
and Girls' Club of Ottawa;
the Christie Lake Boys'
Camp; the United Way; disabled
athletes; municipal,
provincial and federal election
campaigns; loyal support
for the political party
of our choice.
In spite of the incredible
shambles which the practice
of obstetrics made to our
household routine, we have
each continued our professional
education, with my
husband developing recognized
expertise in three subspecialties...
on our own
time and at our own expense.
My husband has provided
countless hours of professional
education through seminars,
classes and clinics
for students of Ottawa University
and Algonquin College
and for the medical community...on
his own time and at
his own expense. We have
combined our medical skills
with a love of wilderness
canoeing to become medical
overseers of a wilderness
learning centre; travelling
long distances to set up a
hospital cabin, teach and
manage first aid and serve a
scheduled term of residence
each summer at a youth camp
...on our own unpaid precious
holiday time and at our
own expense. I don't mean
to imply that these activities
are in any way unique;
most medical families have a
similar record of service.
My husband and I are saddened,
insulted and embittered
by the Canada Health Act
and Bill 94: two demeaning
and vindictive pieces of
legislation. Through all
the years of working for the
community we had no thought
of reward...it was the natural
extension of a caring
profession...but it is terribly
disappointing to realize
that our years of helping
others have no weight on
the scales of public opinion
So disappointing that I no
longer feel the need to respond
to the needs of the
community. When Bill 94 is
passed I will discontinue
all volunteer work and will
resign from the Winterlude
Joint Planning Committee,
the newly-developing Public
Events Traffic Committee,
the Council of Women of Ottawa
and Area, the Ottawa-
Carleton Regional Health
Unit (Board of Health), the
Glebe Report contributing
team, the Glebe Residents'
Association and the Presidency
of the Dow's Lake Residents'
Association.
Diana M. Paterson
Lawn parking still an issue
Editor, Glebe Report:
My husband was reading
through the May issue of the
Giebe Report when he came
across the letter on page 5
concerning enforcing lawn
parking. I read it and I
promptly got very angry.
The gentleman (?) who
wrote this letter should
check on his information a
little better.
I, for one, feel that
parking on lawns should be
left alone if the people do
it in an organized and wellsupervised
fashion.
For the last 18 years my
husband and myself have
parked cars for the Ex. We
get the cars back on our
lawns off the road as fast
and as organized as possible,
never blocking sidewalks
and not holding up
traffic.
This is the first year we
have been bothered by the
city and when I asked if
there were any complaints I
was told there were none. I
have also asked my neighbours
if there are any complaints
to tell us. So far
there have been none. In
fact one neighbour said she
enjoys watching us park
cars. No cars are blocked
and we stay with the cars
until they have all left.
I also got a petition going
this year which said the
following: "We, the following
people, have parked at
residential homes in the
Glebe and have found area
residential parking service
the best. We are for parking
the way it has gone on
for the past years. The
residents in the Glebe are
providing a service for the
people and should continue
to do so."
From the list I got 182
names of people from cars we
parked that were of age to
vote. Some of their comments
were: "Supplied needed
useful parking for the community";
"Should allow freedom
of choice".
This was given to the alderman
(September 9, 1985)
but as far as I can see nothing
was done. There was
also a meeting on August 27,
1985, where there was a vote
taken. 57 people attended,
41 for parking and 16 against.
Does this mean nothing?
As a resident of the Glebe
who has parked cars and put
up with the Ex, I feel we
should be allowed to park
cars. There are a lot of
other events that hold up
traffic. Why can't we be
left alone? When is a vote
effective? How can you
fight a picture for proof in
court?
J.A. Mason
Objections to garage sale
Editor, Glebe Report:
I object to the one-day
all-Glebe Garage Sale, not
only because I object to
garage sales but because I
fear it's becoming an annual
event.
The one-day sale does not
preclude the possibility of
garage sales on other days
of the year.
It assures increased traffic
all day along all the
streets while shoppers look
from cars to see if a sale
warrants stopping.
It gives the impression
that our neighbourhood honours
the Carnival Syndrome
inherent in garage sales.
It is a peculiar or perverse
contrast to the protest
that has built up in the
last 15 years by many Glebe
residents to Lansdowne Park,
which is set off from our
streets, that now welcomes a
kind of second-hand recycled
type of commerce in our
front yards.
As for the charitable aspect
of the event, it says
that our fun and profit come
before a consideration to
giving useful clothing and
household goods to the needy
of the city. Established
charitable organizations are
begging for clothing and
furnishings.
Ruth Grace