A Huge Tecumseh "Fire"

The noise so early in the morning today.  

Before 9 AM, my wife and I heard the sound of many sirens on vehicles that were coming so close to our condo home. Looking out the window in the front of our premises, we saw a number of local Fire trucks and other Department vehicles, a police car and an ambulance in front of the school just down the street in front of us. Also, there were many students and teachers standing outside watching what was going on. They obviously must have heard the internal danger alarms and had to immediately go outside to avoid any events taking place that might negatively harm them in the building.  I just could not believe what was happening.

Immediately, I dressed up in my outdoor clothing because I didn't know how cold it was outside at this time and went immediately to the school premises to see exactly what was going on. Naturally, I also brought my camera with me in case I could take some photographs to display later on if required in an article I was going to do.  I had no idea what was happening and if there really was a fire, how severe it was.   

Here are some photographs that I took of all of the various emergency parties' vehicles and equipment right in front of the school premises across street from my residence.  Given where I was initially, it certainly appeared as if there was something serious going on. 

I crossed the street and saw this vehicle that was so damaged that Fire department staff was there trying to tear it apart because I also saw a person inside of it.  I was thinking that this person was badly injured because the vehicle was in such bad condition. I could not see anything all that well but it did appear as if the person was already covered under some bandages and also had breathing equipment. It appeared to me that a tremendous amount of work was being undertaken to try to save this person's life!  

But then again, something strange seemed to be happening that initially made no sense to me. I did not see any flames coming from the vehicle because of the crash.  I could not smell the scent of any fire either.  The location of the vehicle also seemed rather strange because it was not on the road. I did not hear anyone talking significantly about the crash that happened or what happened in the fire for the person inside. Moreover, even when I was there for a while, I did not see any reporters from any of the newspapers or the TV or radio stations. In addition, I saw that a lot of the work was being undertaken by fire "students" and not just Fire Department employees.  I could not figure it out! 

I asked a Fire Department person there who might be in charge in what was going on and he pointed to a lady from the Police Department who was in attendance. Accordingly, I went up to talk to Ontario Provincial Police Constable Winand-Bacon to find out what was happening. It was unbelievable what she said to me. 

The reality of this matter was that it was not a real "fire" as it appeared but rather was an event designed to help out high school students who might be considering getting employment jobs in various professions to handle matters such as this one. It was an excellent example for these students as well as anyone who might one day be involved in an automobile accident. I learned also that it was the second time recently that such an event had taken place at a school in the County. I am not sure if this type of event had ever taken place or was even scheduled to take place in City of Windsor as it probably should be done. 

I was quite impressed by what she said was taking place. After the person was removed from the vehicle, the person would be brought into the School and the students would see how the person was treated and what was done after the severe injuries that the  person had. They would be given effectively a very detailed observation about what these tasks were like and how people would be treated in the event of a vehicle accident. It would help make them decide not only what a future job might be but also and make sure that their life was being run properly. 

I was very impressed that our Towns in the County were undertaking such a very difficult activity in order to help out students plan their future.  It certainly would make their decision making much easier and more practical!

Here are detailed  photos of the work being undertaken:

My Article In Sunny Weather

It was Sunday and I just finished lunch.  I decided to start then another one of my articles notwithstanding all the sunshine outside even though I was going to head for a walk very soon. I just wanted to let people know what interested me.

There were a number of stories that I wanted to write about and would complete later on but I definitely had to go out and experience the blue sky and sunshine as soon as possible, something that has not been all that familiar over the past winter months. It has not been as horrific as I originally thought with having snowstorms all the time but there certainly was lots of very cold weather to have to experience.

As I am sure that you appreciate, dear reader, my life experiences have changed. I am much more "physical" in the way that I carry on compared with my pre-hospital days. I have to do so in order to stay as well as I can. Oh, I am hardly all of that muscular and energetic these days no matter how much exercising I do every day but I certainly feel much better than I ever did before. I am so happy that I was given techniques by so many people who look after me to help improve my health issues.

I am looking forward to the "May" weather with all of what I expect that we will have this year. After all, I am looking forward to see lots of "May" flowers after the March "winds" and April "showers" that we have experienced this year.

Here then are the stories which I trust will interest you when you have the chance to read what I have just written.

THE LITTLE WELL-KNOWN TUNNEL

For some reason, I don't think that I knew that this Tunnel really existed in this area at all. It seems to have been hidden quite well although it is well used. Moreover, at one time, its owners had some significant usage that they wanted to make of it. I have to say that I am sure that I did not know very much about it until now.  It proposed something extremely significant for this area which would have changed just about everything in the border crossing:

"The Other Detroit River Tunnel No One’s Told You About

By Ardelia Lee, Daily Detroit, July 9, 2016 

How many Detroit River tunnels connect Detroit and Canada? If you said one, you’re wrong.

In addition to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, there’s the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel, the lesser-known of the two. However, the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel is the older tunnel, and it handles freight train traffic.

Construction on the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel began in October 1906, and the tunnel opened for trains in July 1910, 20 years before the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel opened.

Both tunnels were built using the immersed tube method, meaning that sections of steel tube were floated into place in the river and then sunk into a trench in the river bottom to form the tunnel."

Believe it or not, it is still operating today. However, here is the interesting part about this Tunnel:

"The plan for a new tunnel originally called for the current tubes to be converted into a commercial truck link, but that was scrapped after Canada and Michigan opted to build a new bridge about a mile from the Ambassador Bridge — a span scheduled to open by 2020 and be called the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

Before taking on its current name, the tunnel effort was called the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership, and the tube itself was nicknamed the “Jobs Tunnel” because of the thousands of jobs backers predicted it would create or preserve." (Bill Shea, Crains Detroit, June 29, 2015) 

Can you imagine the litigation that would have been started years ago if they proposed to build their new unit! For whatever reason, it seems that the Governments did not want this new competition that they must have felt would challenge them if they were going to build a new border bridge. 

Here's an interesting comment about whether that project would even have been started at all:

"John Taylor, chairman of the supply chain management department at Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration, has been on record for years as skeptical about the tunnel project.

“It’s very difficult financially because there’s so little traffic that doesn’t fit now,” he told Crain’s this month. “It’s just hard to justify the financing. Until we get to the point most of the container traffic does not fit, it’s just hard to justify a new railroad tunnel. I think it’s up in the air. The business case is very difficult.”

I just wonder what was really going on in the background amongst a number of the parties who opposed the Ambassador Bridge Company. Imagine what the Ambassador Bridge Company would have had to do as well if this project was going to move forward.

HOCKEY INJURIES

Oh sure, professional hockey players have lots of teeth gone and many cuts on their face as they play the game. That just seems to be a natural for those in the NHL and in other leagues as one sees a photo of them. However, what is the real extent of their injuries? How much damage does it do to them physically and mentally as they play the game?

Here is an interesting issue that you may not know about:

"More than 100 former NHL players are currently suing the league, alleging it put profits before safety and failed to protect them from head injuries. The league has maintained that it did what it could and science did not demand more measures." (Kerry Gillespie, Toronto Star, April 23, 2017) 

However, that is not the interesting part about the story. And perhaps, it may not be valid. This is what fascinated me more and could mean the minimum of the claim by the players:

"The first scientific study to delve into the long-term impacts of concussions specifically among National Hockey League players has yielded some surprising initial results.

The Rotman Research Institute at Toronto’s Baycrest Health Sciences is collecting brain images and genetic data and conducting a battery of tests on retired NHL players.

On objective tests of cognitive functions such as memory, attention and processing information, the NHL alumni do about as well as the study’s comparison group, and it doesn’t matter how many concussions they had during their careers or whether they have the APOE4 allele, a type of gene that has been associated with increased dementia.

“If there was impairment, it was subtle and nobody was significantly cognitively impaired,” said Dr. Brian Levine, the study’s lead.

Given how much attention there has been lately on the long-term dangers of repeated hits to the head, particularly among football players in the NFL, that’s not necessarily what they might have expected to find."

You need to take a look at this story to see how players feel and what they have experienced especially after they retired from playing. Someone will have to explain what happened to them especially after what this test showed.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE VETERANS

They deserve what they just won in the fight that they had with the Canadian Government to reopen the Veterans Affairs office that was closed here a number of years ago for almost 3000 veterans:

"We fought like hell to get this back,” said Kelly, who served as an artillery gunner from 1960 to 1963. “It’s been very difficult for veterans.

“The (Harper) government didn’t know how much chaos they’d cause shutting down the office. A lot of veterans who needed services didn’t get it.

“It was sad with all the things they did for us.” (Dave Waddell, Windsor Star, April 21, 2017) 

They deserve the result they have just been able to receive!

OUR NEW SENIOR MEMBER OF FEDERAL OR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

Will this man leave local politics, even though he is a very senior politician in the area, and become a very well known member of the Federal or Provincial Government in the future? I don't know the answer to that question but he is becoming very newsworthy in a number of local news stories that  have a greater reach. Here's the latest one that gets him a lot of publicity:

"Tecumseh mayor seeks clarification of boater Nexus card 'cash grab'

Canadian boaters and paddlers who don't report their return to Canada face $1,000 fine

The mayor of Tecumseh is calling for clarification about a suggestion from border officials that Canadian boaters and paddlers get Nexus cards and report if they cross international borders while out on the water…

McNamara said it can be difficult to know when you've crossed the "invisible border" between the two countries — admitting he may have even done so himself while trawling for walleye.

"Now I have to get a Nexus card on top of my fishing license?" he asked. "It's becoming very restrictive and prescriptive and to me it's a money grab more than anything." (CBC News, April 17, 2017) 

This is just another recent story of his that has received a good amount of publicity for him before the Senior Level Governments election even if he attacks the Government of the Party which he would represent down the road. He just builds up his own publicity now doesn't he.

PS: MY NEIGHBOURHOOD WALK

I just thought I would let you know that I went out for a nice long walk Sunday afternoon for just about an hour and a half starting at 12:30 PM today. First, I went to the nearby Local Library to return my borrowings and get out some new ones. Then, after returning home, I went out for another hour or so just walking around the neighbourhood enjoying the sunshine. It was just so magnificent!

It just felt so warm outside with temperatures in the mid-60° degrees, sunshine and very little wind. It was just such a pleasure being able to go outside today for one of the first times in so many months and being able to hope that we will see more of this as time goes on.

My Daughter's Magnificent Article

A truly magnificent article that my daughter just wrote and posted on her website that I wanted to post here as well!  She has allowed me to do so.

It is a blog that my daughter wrote about her experience going through a colonoscopy. Please read and feel free to share!

http://blissfulmuse07.blogspot.ca/2017/04/i-wanna-be-sedated-colonoscopy.html

A Muse's Life

~A medley of musings for your inquisitive minds...~

Saturday, April 22, 2017

I Wanna Be Sedated: The Colonoscopy Experience

Well another month is almost done and I do apologize for not blogging, but I have had other things to deal with that took priority, including my first colonoscopy.  With March passing by (it was also Colon Cancer month), I am not going to go into all the gory details, but I will write about my personal experience because I know there are so many people who are terrified of this procedure and of course, when you go online, somehow the Google Gods direct you to websites that literally scare the sh!t out of you.

So let’s start with my nagging feeling that I needed to get a second opinion after seeing my first GI doctor.  I thought for a fleeting second that maybe my anxiety was fueling doubt, but with the allotted 5 minutes of time I was granted after results came back from my sigmoid, since my symptoms were not going away and I was just in so much agonizing pain, I decided to go back to my family doctor and ask for a second referral to another GI doctor here in the city.  I am really glad that I did because although this one was not taking any new referrals because he treated me many years ago (gallbladder fun) I was accepted and so it was just about waiting for the doctor to review my file and decide what to do next.

Everyone knows that our health-care system is complicated. Most specialists are booked solid and it can take months to see anyone. Back many years ago when I was first dealing with pelvic pain, the waiting list to see a specialist in London, Ontario was almost a year and a half or longer. Thus, my trip to the States.

Here in Windsor, I was informed that the length could be a few weeks to a few months because of how backed up he was with patients (no pun intended). I was fortunate to get in for a consult within a few weeks time. Now mind you I was proactive with calling up the office and letting the receptionist know that I was available at ANY possible time that I could be fitted in and to please put me on their cancellation list.  Let me say that having a good staff is so important, as they are pretty much your first contact before seeing the doctor.  This GI’s staff is remarkable and with the volume of patients they deal with on a regular basis, man oh man, they are angels.

So during my consult, the GI doctor decided that a colonoscopy was definitely warranted.  He spent close to half an hour with myself and my fiance going through my whole history and pointing to the poster that showed the whole GI tract and explaining the functionality of different parts and some of the illnesses associated. Scary stuff, I won’t lie.  Towards the end of the appointment, he gave a good analogy that I try to hold onto when I get incredibly health-stressed:  “You don’t get divorced before you get married.”  So I was advised not to self-diagnose, nor jump to conclusions on what could be happening until after we go through the procedure and get the results. Easier said than done, but i'm trying.

I was booked for my colonoscopy in the second week of May, which seemed like an eternity, but it was the earliest he could do.  Then it happened.... I got a call on “Good Friday” asking if I was available to come in on April 18th because there was a sudden cancellation.  Obviously, many people want to celebrate Easter and since it’s personally not important to me to celebrate anything anymore on the given day (that’s what dating a performer teaches you as well when they have to perform on all those special holidays that are usually reserved for family time and just dealing with so many unexpected interruptions in life) so I jumped at the opportunity.

So let’s talk about the prep. I will say that every doctor is different on what they want done, so I am just stating what my instructions were prior to the procedure.

Pharmacy Shopping List:

• Laxatives  (I opted for Life brand, it’s cheaper than Dulcolax)
• Pico-Salax (2 sachets)

The day before you need to fast. No solid foods are allowed.  Then you drink...drink and drink. Only clear liquids are allowed, so strained juices without pulp, clear broth, water, coffee/tea (without milk or cream), Gatorade, soft drinks, plain Jello and popsicles. Stay clear of anything that you cannot see through, red or purple juices (these colours could signal inflammation and ulcers during the procedure where this is none), milk and milk products, and yep booze is a definite no-no!!

The morning before the colonoscopy, you’ll take 10 mg of whatever laxative you bought. Then in the late afternoon, you’ll mix one sachet of something called Pico-Salax with cold water. Keep on drinking throughout the day.

Pico-Salax comes in two powdered flavours; cranberry and orange. I opted for orange since I thought okay it may be just like drinking a glass of orange juice.  I had to buy 2 packages since they only came in single formats, but you may be able to find some packages that have 2 sachets, depending on what store you go to. My go-to is always Shoppers Drug Mart and really, who wants to be shopping around for laxatives?!  Just get in and get out. So what’s Pico-Salax. It’s basically a very powerful laxative that will clean you out so the doctor can get a clear view of your entire colon.  If  you are not cleaned out, you may have to redo the procedure (hello anxiety!), so you want to really follow all the instructions well from your GI.  This is a true colon “detox.”  You can read all about it here:  www.pico-salax.ca

Pico-Salax options

Pico-Salax purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart

The next morning which would be the day of the colonoscopy, you’ll take the second dose of Pico-Salax.  You can drink 3 hours prior to your appointment time. (Ex. 6 am for your dose if your appointment is in the morning, 8 am if your appointment is in the afternoon).

Okay so if you’re with me so far and I haven’t totally grossed you out, this next bit might make you feel a bit squeamish, but this is the joy of being an adult and having to go through health issues.

All you do is pour the entire sachet packet into about 150 ml of water.  It will fizzle up and then you chug chug chug. Follow up with 1.5 – 2 litres of water and wait.  Every person is different so you may start to feel the gurgling in your stomach sooner than others. Make sure you are close to a bathroom because that sudden urge to go will come quickly.  Side note, for me it took about 4 1/2 hours after taking the liquid to start. I actually called the pharmacist because I was concerned that since nothing was happening, I would have to reschedule. Shortly after his advice to drink a lot more water, I was making a bee line for the washroom. Once, twice, three times...and on and on for pretty much on/off for most of the night. An exhausting process considering there is no food in your system, and the Pico-Salax, although is tolerable, still tastes very medicinal. Unfortunately, until they can come up with a more innovative way, this is what one must do. Again, your experience may be totally different, but just warning you to be close to a bathroom, have ample toilet paper, some good sprays like Vipoo, Glade, or Febreeze (these are my top scents).  I also got some Gatorade to replenish any electrolytes lost and to get a bit of energy back, so I wouldn’t be a total zombie. I am happy that I consulted with a couple people beforehand so I knew sort of what to expect.

Febreeze, Vipoo and Glade sprays

A great brand of toilet paper that is really gentle!

Gatorade Frost

After basically a night of broken sleep, the morning arrived with the birdies chirping by my window and yes, it was time to take my second dose!  Thankfully it wasn’t as exhausting as the evening prep, but still unpleasant nonetheless.

Leaving our place, Bill spotted 2 bunnies! I was pretty nervous, so seeing my cute little friends made me smile and was a positive sign.

I went to MET Hospital this time, which was a great experience. Everyone was friendly and it was like a well-oiled machine in the Endoscopy Unit.  The actual procedure...well I have no idea because I was fully sedated. However, being rolled into the operating room, it reminded me of the tv show, Nip Tuck because they had music going for every procedure they did. I recall having my IV put in and getting some tubes stuck up my nose to breathe. My GI came up to me and asked how I was feeling. Of course I said I was scared to death. and he comforted me. Next, he asked me to roll over on my side and that was it. My eyes closed and I woke up about an hour and a half later, given some fluids to drink and when I was ready I could get on my clothes and see my honey to take me home. Since biopsies were taken and that takes time to get back,  I would have a follow-up in a few weeks, which will be the middle of May to find out what's going on.

So there you have it.  If you have to go for a colonoscopy, I hope that some of this information will be helpful for you.  Never ignore uncomfortable symptoms that you may have because you are afraid. It’s always a good idea to get checked out and get that clean bill of health, or at least know what you’re dealing with.  Go with someone who you trust because if you're like me, I tend to blank out at medical appointments.  Huge thank you to everyone who has given me so much love and support!

Although colon cancer and other illnesses can be preventable and even very treatable once found, delaying going to see your doctor or foregoing important procedures may just cost you your life.

Feel free to drop me any comments on this blog post or you can always e-mail me privately. Just ask  my Dad for my email address. 

Bottoms up! :)

Just Some Thoughts

I just keep hoping that we might get an earlier "summer" this year. After all, even though we did not receive that much snow in the winter time this year, it has been a very cold winter. Unlike a year before, I hardly went outside this winter to do walks in the area as I did many times last year. I just found it too chilly so I did my exercising by doing it in-house.

Mind you, I really don't want a very "hot" summer as we had last year because I found it difficult to go swimming as an example because it meant being exposed to the sun a lot more than I needed to be. It was after all a fair stroll to get to the condo swimming pool from my place and even worse coming back home. All I want is a very pleasant temperature to which we are exposed every day.

A big advantage given our new location is that most of the landscaping work that has to be done outside is done by a private firm that is retained by our Condominium Corporation. Thankfully, I and my family members don't have to do it. The firm does a very good job on the landscape from what I have seen them do since I moved here and I believe that what they charge us does not seem to be that bad. I have made friends with a number of their people since I have moved here and I hope that most of them come back again this year to do the work. They have helped us out a lot. Every so often I have asked them to do a bit of gardening work because of a problem that has arisen on our property. In each case, the employees here have done immediately the work to fix it up. Now that makes me feel good and makes our property look attractive.

It will be interesting for me to see what happens this summer. It will still be made up of "new" experiences for me I expect. In 2015, when we moved here, I was just recovering from the horrific illness I had suffered. In fact, just at the time that we moved, I was first starting to do any walking whatsoever. It was quite something walking around here at a time when it was difficult to do well. However, all the people who lived in this area in our condo complex were amazing to me because they greeted me so quickly as I passed their homes. It was just so terrific meeting them so easily and being able to speak with them. It made me feel fantastic.

Last year it was a lot better compared with the year before as I was able to do a lot more walking in the summertime. On some occasions, when the weather was perfect, I would go out 3 times a day and walk up to an hour or so each time just to build up my physical condition. It will be interesting to see what I can do this year.

I still have a very important task that I must continue to carry on, dear reader, regardless of what the situation may be like at this time of the year. One matter that I love to continue is to comment on issues that I feel are important for me and perhaps for you too as well, dear reader. I just want to let you know what my views are on different matters that are happening which might help you also make a decision as to what should be done. Of course, I would like it if you support what I believe but, naturally, I let you decide what you think is the appropriate way to go. Here are some interesting stories these days.

THE BIG BOMB ATTACK

Well, that was something quite unbelievable! The US Government did the following: the "first-ever use of a massive 11-ton bomb, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs,” to "kill Islamic State militants in Afghanistan." (Greg Jaffe, Jenna Johnson, Washington Post, April 14, 2017) 

There was quite a difference between the Presidencies of Obama and Trump:

"Trump’s full-on embrace of military force offers a sharp contrast to Barack Obama, who promised to end America’s wars and who worried publicly about escalation and overreach, often to the point of paralysis. Trump has taken the polar opposite approach, and for the moment he seems to be benefiting."

I have to admit while watching the explosion on a television video it almost looked like a small Atomic bomb exploding. It was that big an area of land that was under the cloud of the bomb explosion. It just seemed to be like one of the earlier explosions of an A-bomb that were tried out when they were first developed. 

Of course, as time passed, the opponents of the US President started attacking him for what happened. After all, that is what was expected wasn't it. One can hardly give him continued praise for undertaking the first time explosion of the huge bomb. Oh, there are all kinds of suggestions about the negatives explaining what this tactic really was designed to do. I must admit my own perspective was that this was nothing more than practising such an explosion to make sure that it works. It did this time at least with a minimum of injury to many civilians which was  part  of the  planning. Here is how it was described in one of the earlier stories:

"Dozens of militants were killed, Afghan officials said. American commanders said that the bomb was chosen because it fit the target, a series of tunnels with dug-in positions nearby used by militants in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan, and that it posed little or no risk to civilians." (Eric Schmitt, Elene Cooper and C. J. Chivers, New York Times, April 15, 2017)  

What is really significant about this bombing is not that it happened. What is even more important is the way that it was done, a method that differed significantly from what was carried out a short time ago under the former President Obama:

"At the Pentagon, military officials said that they did not need to request authorization for the strike from Mr. Trump, although three officials also acknowledged that if Mr. Obama had still been in charge, the Defense Department would probably have sent the proposal to the White House before proceeding.

But instead of the deliberative processes in place during the Obama administration that made for lengthy National Security Council staff meetings, Mr. Trump has approved allowing his commanders more authority, giving the Pentagon a rare freedom to assert its control over national security policy from a commander in chief who eschews quibbling over the details."

This way of operating may turn out to be a huge risk that may very well cause significant change to how various countries view each other. As an example, will potential "enemies" of the US be concerned now about how they treat Americans? Will they be very concerned about any action they may take against the Americans that has a negative side or will they have to become more aggressive in how they do so to protect themselves?

WHY ARE WE IMPROVING THE SEWER SYSTEM IN TECUMSEH

Obviously, our Government in Tecumseh is acting very well as far as I am concerned. They are taking action immediately to minimize any future damage that could take place after a big rainstorm takes place as happened last summer:

"The Town of Tecumseh will use a $806,000 provincial grant it received this week to help prevent a repeat of last fall’s widespread flooding.

The grant money from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund will be directed toward improving the town’s water infiltration system by separating storm water from sanitary sewers…

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said the town has set aside additional funds, which will also be used to repair sanitary pipes." (Dave Waddell, Windsor Star, April 12, 2017) 

Clearly, I am quite pleased with what is being done because our home was damaged because of the flooding that came inside our basement area. I don't want this happening again!

Interesting though, at the same time that this was announced, I saw this announcement being made:

"County administrator Brian Gregg, who has held one of the most powerful jobs in Essex County for the last 19 years, has announced his retirement.

Gregg, 60, will leave his position as chief administrative officer in September.

While maintaining an unassuming presence, the long-serving county employee manoeuvred the minefields of restructuring, which saw the amalgamation of 21 municipalities into seven, and boundary adjustments with Windsor." (Julie Kotsis, Windsor Star,  April 12, 2017) 

I just wondered if he wanted to leave earlier than age 65. It could well be that after the next municipal election some very significant political action will be discussed see if it is carried out at all in this area. By that, I mean the amalgamation of the City of Windsor with all of the other towns in the area to form the equivalent of Metropolitan Toronto here. It could require a huge amount of work that needed to be done that he was not prepared to do at this point in his life. 

I was very interested in this comment that he made: 

"I love my job,” Gregg said. “Doing things on behalf of the residents of Essex County was what made me get up and go to work every day,” 

Gregg said he always looked at the county as a whole and not as a series of separate municipalities and he always made decisions based on that view." 

Hmmm. Perhaps if he was much younger, then he would have made an excellent person who would be prepared to be involved in setting up the new Municipality given the way he looked at this County. It seems almost as if he has unified the Counties unofficially already. However, given that he is now 60 years old, it almost seems as if he is smart enough to leave now rather than being forced to work through a very difficult time to set up this new Municipality.

More Stories For My Readers

There are just so many stories that I have read recently that I want to let you know about. Unfortunately, there are probably too many to publicize given the number of articles that I write so that I probably do not have the opportunity to let you know about all of them.

Here though are those that I find extremely interesting and thought that I should point out to you.

WFCU FINANCIAL POSITION

I happened to go to the website of the Windsor Financial Credit Union recently and I saw what their financial position was over a number of years. Take a look at this Report to its Members on its website.  I was rather surprised by it considering the loss provisions made.  I wonder which loans they lost ie individuals' loans or business ones or both:

"Net income from operations before final allocation to the total loan loss provision, unrealized gains and income tax for 2015/2016 totaled $5.034 million compared to the previous year total of $5.05 million.  However, your Board of Directors on a recommendation of Executive Management adjusted the provision for losses on loans by an additional $4.35 million, which resulted in a net income before unrealized gains and income taxes of $684,000."

Here are some loan provision links to its comparisons over previous years:

"In thousands of dollars:

                                                       2016         2015

Provision for losses on loans       $6,329      $1,087

Net income for the year               $617         $4,345

May 31 Year End Balances (000’s)

Income Before Distribution To Members

   2016         2015          2014          2013            2012

$2,006      $5,765        $5,092       $5,431         $4,788

I wonder what the results will be like this year.

WHAT IS A PROPER SALARY HERE

This is clearly a difficult question to answer.  Should the salary for someone who works in our area be the same as that of a person who does a similar job but lives in a City where costs are much higher?

I must admit that, when I was first hired by my new employer in Windsor, the salary I received was lower than the one that I had when I lived in the City of Toronto and worked for a different company. Nevertheless, I moved down here. I did so frankly because it was so much cheaper to live here than in Toronto that I wound up in a pretty good financial position even with a lower pay amount received that year.

Here is what was written in a Star article recently that may help explain some of the financial difficulties that our region is now experiencing:

"Local health agencies see skyrocketing administration salary costs

(Dave Battagello, Windsor Star, April 6, 2017) 

Windsor’s community health and social service agencies — which often run cash-strapped operations — have seen their management ranks and salaries balloon over the last decade, leading some to question whether the amounts are sustainable.

The Windsor-Essex Health Unit, Children’s Aid Society, Canadian Mental Health Association and Erie St. Clair Community Care Access Centre are agencies where leadership ranks have notably jumped and those at the top end are now earning more than $200,000 annually.

“This is not sustainable and not affordable,” said Alfie Morgan, University of Windsor business professor emeritus. “These people are all on our tax bills, and how much can we afford?”

However, this is not unique. There are other salaries some Government people receive as well that might raise some questions. Take a look at this story to see how well some of them now do and you can wonder if it will continue:

"Windsor councillors, mayor earn nearly $200K for sitting on boards 

Councillors divvied up a combined $112,265.89 in board payments — a total of $11,226.60 each (CBC News April 4, 2017)

Windsor councillors and Mayor Drew Dilkens earned nearly $200,000 for sitting on various boards in 2016, with the bulk of that money coming from their work with EnWin and the Windsor Utilities Commission.

Councillors divvied up a combined $112,265.89 in board payments — a total of $11,226.60 each, while Dilkens received $82,230.93. Councillors shared in nearly $90,000 from sitting on the boards of EnWin and WUC while Dilkens took home nearly $60,000."

What do you think about this story as well:

"Councillors, mayor spent more than $57K on travel in 2016

Mayor billed $28,125.27 in travel and business expenses  (CBC News, April 6, 2017) 

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens and city councillors spent more than $57,000 on travel in 2016 with the mayor accounting for nearly half of the spending.

City councillors spent a total of $29,197.93 attending conferences across Canada and the world, traveling to destinations including Rome and Germany.

Dilkens embarked on 15 trips for a cost of $28,125.27. Those expenses do not include about $3,000 in registration costs that were picked up by Your Quick Gateway, the city-owned entity in charge of Windsor Airport."

Somehow, I just don't see a reduction coming forward very soon.

WHY DID THEY MOVE FROM WINDSOR

Hmmm.  I did find these moves something to think about:

"Retirement didn’t last long for Bruce Montone — just weeks after bidding farewell as chief of Windsor Fire & Rescue, he’s taking over the boss’s office at Amherstburg’s fire department.

“We heard his contract there was expiring, and we talked him into coming to Amherstburg,” said Mayor Aldo DiCarlo…

It’s become a bit of a trend.

Amherstburg’s current fire chief, Al Reaume, took on that role after retiring as Windsor’s deputy chief in 2015. Lee Tome became Amherstburg’s assistant deputy fire chief after retiring as Windsor’s chief fire prevention officer." (Doug Schmidt, Windsor Star, April 7, 2017) 

It seems to be happening in that town more times than one would expect:

"It’s becoming obvious what we’re doing — we keep taking all the best from Windsor,” DiCarlo joked."

I just wonder how often it will happen now in other towns and for other jobs. Will working for the City of Windsor be becoming less popular these days and will we see more of these kinds of job transfers?

A 5 YEAR ARTICLE OF MINE

I happened to be looking at articles that I wrote around this time over the last few years and found one that I posted on April 9, 2012 ie 5 years ago.

Really, has anything every changed in this fight between the Government of Canada and the Ambassador Bridge Company? All that we have really seen is a decade-long attempt by the various Governments on both sides of the river to take over the Ambassador Bridge from the Moroun Family. So far, they have been completely unsuccessful and probably always will be. I do believe that they assumed that they could scare the Morouns into selling out, and at a cheap price, but have found out that this will not happen.

"THE MISSING LINK

What is missing from all of this? Canada is investing in the West, investing in the East, building up our trade routes in the South. We are interested in the Trans-pacific Partnership, trying to forge an alliance with the European Union and increasing our visibility in Latin America.

The missing link obviously is the North, from Canada. The place where most of the trade between Canada and the United States takes place. I’m talking obviously about the Windsor/Detroit corridor and in particular the Ambassador Bridge.

The Central crossing in Canada is the prime responsibility of our Prime Minister. Is it any wonder that Prime Minister Harper said this:

“He described efforts by Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun to maintain private control over North America’s busiest trade corridor as “ludicrous.

“My understanding of the private owner’s position is that he not only owns the bridge, but somehow owns the broader crossing,” he said. “Of course, we don’t accept that. It’s obviously public space.” (Dave Battagello Windsor Star April 4, 2012)

But the Central crossing in Canada is more than Windsor/Detroit and includes the Blue Water Bridge and the Peace Bridge. Who is the big problem for Canada at those other crossings as well: the Moroun Family. As I wrote once before:

“The story is not just about Windsor/Detroit. It includes the Blue Water Bridge that Canada is also trying to sell off—except they cannot do it because Moroun’s bridge is their biggest competitor and he takes a huge amount of business from them. PLUS he wants to build a new bridge in Buffalo to compete with the Peace Bridge which Canada also opposes. PLUS Canada opposed his management of the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel.

This is all part of Canada’s “Corridors and Gateways” policy. Believe it or not , Canada has tried for 50 years to take over the Ambassador Bridge—it started under Diefenbaker and was most aggressive while Herb Gray was in Government until the recent turn of events under both the Federal Liberals and then the Conservatives.”

If you now look at the Windsor/Detroit crossing in this context – – Canada trying to control trade into and out of the United States to gain jobs and to mitigate against any further American protectionism – – then you will have a completely different perspective on what the border file is all about. Now you know why Matty and anyone who supports him must be crushed."

To be direct, I just don't understand why the Governments will not do a deal with the Morouns today, no matter what it is, so that tomorrow they will be able to buy the entire bridge from the Moroun family at the appropriate time and for the appropriate reasons.  Everything that has been going on by the Governments for so long is so laughable and so foolish considering the harm for the border crossing in this area. 

When will this silliness ever stop!"