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A family working hard to make sense of mental illness

February 28th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on A family working hard to make sense of mental illness)

Calen Pick, his mother Jessie Close, and his aunt, Glenn Close, are working to alter public perception of mental illness through their stigma-fighting campaign Bring Change 2 Mind

picture 457Calen Pick’s famous aunt, Glenn Close, was a keynote speaker last spring at the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s conference about stigma and the way we see mental illness. Together with her sister, Jessie Close, and her nephew, Calen Pick, the three family members helped to put a family face on the experience of living with–and dealing with–mental illness among family members. (more…)

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Canada gets a “B” on its Society report card for 2012

February 28th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Canada gets a “B” on its Society report card for 2012)

Despite solid performance, high rates of poverty and a large gap in income between the rich and everyone else put stress on a society and on the economy

picture 458The Conference Board of Canda is an independent, not-for-profit applied research organization that specializes in economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues. The group’s 2012 “report card” on Canada’s performance has revealed that, despite a general “B” grade in the country’s “society” performance, Canada places 12th (out of 17 peer countries) on income equality. Canada has been unable to reverse the rise in income inequality – and poverty rates – that occurred in the 1990s. (more…)

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“No justification” for tobacco

February 21st, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on “No justification” for tobacco)

Errol Povah’s long struggle for a tobacco-free world

picture 454Several years ago, Errol Povah crossed Canada on a “journey for a tobacco-free world“–which he also described as a “cross-Canada shore-to-shore ‘run, walk or crawl’ awareness and fund-raising event.” It wasn’t the beginning of his anti-tobacco activism, but represented an escalation of his almost life-long advocacy and activism to end the damages associated with tobacco. (more…)

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“Those Who Take Us Away”

February 21st, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on “Those Who Take Us Away”)

Human Rights Watch alleges in an explosive report that members of the R.C.M.P. in northern British Columbia failed to protect indigenous women and girls from violence–and physically and sexually abused some of them

picture 455The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in northern British Columbia has failed to protect indigenous women and girls from violence, adding to longstanding tensions between the RCMP and indigenous communities in the region, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. (more…)

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High profile visit shines a spotlight on youth issues

February 21st, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on High profile visit shines a spotlight on youth issues)

Laureen Harper, wife of Canada’s prime minister, and Ottawa city councillor Allan Hubley praise the programs of Ottawa’s Youth Services Bureau downtown drop-in centre

picture 456METRO NEWS OTTAWA, February 11, 2013

After years of neglect, youth mental illness is getting the attention it desperately needs, said Laureen Harper as she toured Ottawa’s Youth Services Bureau downtown drop-in centre on February 11, 2013. (more…)

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‘Frequent flyers’ get specific help

February 14th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on ‘Frequent flyers’ get specific help)

The Edmonton Homelessness Commission reports that a chronically homeless person costs taxpayers $100,000 annually — but one night’s accommodation in an emergency shelter costs only $42

picture 451Some of Canada’s homeless people are being described as “frequent flyers”–people frequently picked up by emergency services and taken to hospitals or police stations, often multiple times–and the costs associated can be staggering.

The Edmonton Homeless Commission reports that a chronically homeless person costs taxpayers $100,000 annually. 1 in 5 visits by EMS/Fire was to a homeless person–and a homeless person is forty times more likely to use an emergency room in severe weather than the general population. The average length of stay in hospital if homeless is 66 days (compared to the general population average of 9.4 days). The top ten ‘frequent flyers’ to emergency rooms averaged 66 times per year. (more…)

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