My column in today’s The StarPhoenix A well-known drug addict went to four doctors last summer and got four prescriptions for morphine on the same day. He had the prescriptions filled at different pharmacies, which gave him more than enough morphine to abuse, sell or trade. That’s exactly the kind of abuse that the province [...]
January, 2012:
City of Saskatoon to seek exemption for international trade deal
This still boggles my mind. Saskatoon should request an exemption to a large-scale free-trade agreement being negotiated between Canada and Europe, a city committee agreed. City councillors, sitting as an executive committee, voted 5-4 Monday to seek a permanent exemption to the proposed Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, a free trade [...]
Here we go again
The City of Saskatoon came out with their strategic plan and it reads and looks good. As I was looking through it (finally after saskatoon.ca was down all last night), I couldn’t help but notice three of the photos were taken from my Flickr account without my permission. Again. It’s happened before and I was [...]
The State of the Debate on Housing Right Now in Saskatchewan
This comes from a December 14, 2011 Question Period in the Legislature. Direct from Hansard Ms. Chartier Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Social Services has been housing many people in hotels like the Coachman, the Sunrise and the Quality Inn in Regina. There’s been one man who’s had to call the Coachman home for [...]
This and that
The ongoing water problems at The Lighthouse continue. Today as they were working on the sprinkler system, a line broke under pressure and flooded out the dining room. In case you are counting, that’s three floods now. Later in the day as Marcel and I were talking the fire alarms went off again and we [...]
Column: Managed Alcohol Problems Help
In today’s The StarPhoenix Over the years I have received a lot of phone calls about a couple of people who are well-known on the streets of Saskatoon. Others see them on the streets during the winter months and want "someone" to help them – that someone always being emergency shelter providers. The problem is [...]
“Bunks for Drunks”
The Atlantic Cities on why there needs to be more wet shelters. Neil Donovan, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, agrees with the Daily News and says one death shouldn’t turn people off the idea of a wet shelter. "This isn’t a party house,” he told me earlier this week. "Wet in [...]
Column: Don’t abandon addicted seniors
My column in today’s The StarPhoenix Most of us know someone who conquered an addiction. Many of us know someone who has lost the battle with drugs and alcohol, and the addiction rules that person’s life. Employment becomes a struggle, and many end up needing help from Social Services to stay alive. For those who [...]
