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Dear colleagues and media, I wish to move the following at council on Wednesday, May 9th. Councillor Merulla has assisted and will second...
Motion: Request for hospital space to address the current opioid (and other drug) overdose crisis in Hamilton
Whereas; The Federal Government has granted permission for supervised consumption sites in order to address the current crisis respecting opioid (and other) drug addictions
Whereas; The Province of Ontario is accepting applications for overdose prevention sites from across the Province and the City of Hamilton
Whereas; Council, on the 8th of December, 2017 approved the recommendations respecting Supervised Injection Sites in report BOH17004(b)
Whereas; Since Council's approval, the Province has approved the process of granting SIS (and now OPS) sites in this and other Ontario cities
Whereas; Not withstanding the 75 deaths due to opioid overdoses in Hamilton from January to October 2017 and that this tragic statistic exceeds the Provincial average by 78 percent, local landlords appear to be reluctant in granting permission to outside organizations to house supervised consumption sites
Whereas; Provincially managed hospitals may be seen as the safest sites to operate supervised consumption sites
Therefore be it Resolved; That the appropriate staff from Public Health be requested as a priority to engage with both Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph's Hospital on the feasibility of housing a supervised consumption site in their hospital(s), as a means of addressing the opioid (and other drug) overdose crisis in Hamilton.
Friday, May 4, 2018
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Food for Thought with Alex Bielak - Sips and Bites: Ten Top-of-Mind Things from #Terroir2018
These days locally-sourced product, or food and drink from a given terroir, are paramount for many people. I was privileged to participate in the 2018 version of the Terroir Symposium where some 800 foodies, students, hospitality professionals, chefs, members of the media and others networked around a theme of how terroir can support environmental sustainability at the same time as economic profitability.
Here are a few top-of-mind impressions, trends and lessons that bubbled up as I drove home after a whirlwind few days of food and fellowship.
1. Chefs are among the most giving of people but often find it difficult to ask for help themselves. U.S.-based author, Kat Kinsman spoke eloquently about her own journey and founding her Facebook page Chefs With Issues dedicated to the care and feeing of the people who feed us.
2. The burbs really are a portal to some delicious immigrant cuisine. Kudos to Food writer Suresh Doss for being our guide and curating a great “World Food Court.” (In late 2017 on CBC he featured Burlington’s D Hot Shoppe a long time favourite of mine that has been featured in Food for Thought previously.)
3. Carolina Avaria Chef Concierge of the 4 Seasons in Toronto and President of Les Clefs D’Or Canada underscored the importance of service, telling us that seven of 10 people won’t return to a restaurant or hotel in the face of a culture of indifference. 94% of individuals whose problem is solved WILL come back.
4. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, a Prof in Food Distribution and Policy at Dalhousie University noted as a nation we are #farmilliterate. Most Canadians have never been on a farm. That is something we should seek to rectify, especially given how close most of us in the region are to a real farm.
5. In a fast-paced talk, New York-based Jason Clampet, co-founder of Skift Table, gave us a series of takes on the state of the restaurant business, and in particular, the future of dining, in and out. For instance, he told us “delivery companies have done well to incorporate as much efficiency-supporting technology as possible, but the real barrier to total optimization will continue to be the complicated logistics of real life. Logistics complicate delivery algorithms.” Simply put, if the guy delivering your food is stuck in traffic, or the doorman won’t let him in, your food is going to be late or cold.
6. Chocolate now comes in a fourth flavour! We are all familiar with white, milk and dark chocolate. Add Ruby to the mix. Made from ruby cacao beans by Callebaut chocolate, it is smooth and fruity and coming to Canada in 2019.
7. The genuinely nice and funny Elena Arzak, a 4th-generation chef at the Michelin 3-star Arzak Restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain spoke of the matrilineal Basque culture noting 70% of the staff in the kitchen at her world-top-50 restaurant are women. A lesson for us all…
8. Norfolk County was a sponsor of a relaxed cookout for select symposium participants after the symposium proper. It is home to some wonderful producers of both wine and beer. Burning Kiln Winery hosted the event and I was smitten by the “Cab Frank” named after the previous owner of the property. 45% kiln dried and with soft tannins, it was a terrific match to some of the fire-roasted foods on offer.
9. Likewise, a nod to two great Norfolk County brewers: I loved the Hometown Brewing Company’s offerings, some of which are made with seasonal fruit like apricots and blueberries. Likewise, the New Limburg Brewing Company makes a fantastic complex high-alcohol Belgian-style Quad ale. Seek them out.
10. Finally, at I was shocked, shocked to have been given the (shrimp) finger by two very distinguished leaders, Food Laureate Anita Stewart and the seemingly innocent CBC and Globe and Mail contributor Julie Van Rosendaal, both abetted by the, I’m-coming-to-realise, mischievous Chef Jason Bangerter of Langdon Hall fame. See the photo to see what I mean!
There is much more to process after as intense an event as this, and I’m sure my future writing will be informed by the experience. Thanks to the speakers all of whom volunteered their time, and the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance who were kind enough to invite me, with no expectation that I would do anything but learn from the event. The date of the next one is set for May 6th, 2019 at the Carlu in Toronto, so reserve the date!
To see all past columns please see (and “like”) the Food for Thought Archives
Alex (Alex can be reached on twitter @AlexBielak)
Hamilton’s Healthcare and Aging Baby- BOOM Crisis!
On the evening of April 24th, I attended a session held by CARDUS, a self described “think Tank” on the topic of End of Life Care - Natural Death.
On the CARDUS website, they are more specifically characterized as follows: "a think tank dedicated to the renewal of North American social architecture. Drawing on more than 2000 years of Christian social thought, we work to enrich and challenge public debate through research, events, and publications, for the common good.”
The session began with a general overview of CARDUS and its research within the City of Hamilton. This was followed by two panel discussions. The first panel was chaired by Doug Sikkema, Lead Researcher, CARDUS. Panelists included Dr. Joshua Shadd, McMaster University Director (Division of Palliative Care), Clare Freeman, Director (The Bob Kemp Hospice), and Rev. Bill DeJong, Pastor (Blessings Church) in Hamilton.
The second panel was chaired by Ray Pennings, Executive Vice President CARDUS, and included three MPPs: Sam Oosterhoff (PC) - MPP Niagara West-West Glanbrook, John Fraser (LIB)- MPP Ottawa South, and France Gelinas (NDP) - MPP Nickle Belt.
Doug Sikkema referenced Ontario’s Palliative Care Bill 184, a private members bill, which was spearheaded by MPP Sam Oosterhoff. Both MPP John Fraser, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health, and MPP France Gelinas, the NDP Health Critic, are strong supporters of Bill 184 and palliative care.
The evening’s focus was on an April 2018 Case Study by Doug Sikkema of CARDUS Health entitled “HAMILTON A Look at the End-of-Life-Care Landscape”. The Case Study revealed that for the first time in history, Hamilton has more seniors than it does children, and thus the City of Hamilton is facing an end-of-life healthcare crisis.
Wait lists in hospitals and for placements into Long-Term-Care Nursing Homes, and Pallative Care Homes, have been an issue for some time in the Hamilton area. Left unchecked, the situation will worsen with the expected tripling of the population requiring these services over the next twenty years, with the aging of baby boomers.
Cadus reports that In Canada, between 2005 and 2036, those 65 and over will increase from 4.2 million to 9.8 million which will mean a doubling of the annual expected deaths. CARDUS’s is looking at ways to address and support a Natural Death, and dying in dignity.
The panel discussions centered on end of life care and how a natural death can be better accommodated through providing a continuum of care that incorporates options that are more appropriate than dying in hospital, for those whose conditions can no longer be treated.
CARDUS studied two major cities in Ontario, Hamilton and Ottawa. The results of the study determined that 75% of Canadians want to die at home, however 70% end up dying in hospitals. The research looked at three areas 1) Social Dynamic, 2) Social Architecture, and 3) Continuum of Care.
Discussions also centered around the need for more hospice care, and better responding to the needs of the person who is dying, as well as the needs of their loved ones. Beyond cost considerations and the fact that remaining in hospital when treatment options have been exhausted, is much more expensive than hospice care, the quality of care that can be offered in a hospice setting was seen to be much more appropriate and dignified. The role that communities must continue to play, was recognized as a key component, in addition to government support and funding.
The current provincial funding model only works for wealthier communities, as hospices rely on hefty community donations and ongoing fundraising to be build and operate. The panels and audience struggled with the challenges behind providing such care to all parts of the province, particularly where communities are not large and are not wealthy communities. Such disparities were particularly difficult to accept.
Throughout the evening several reports were referenced, including the 2016 Palliative and End-of-Life Care Provincial Roundtable Report that MPP John Fraser released under his portfolio as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Other reports and hand-outs were made available by CARDUS, and included: Death is Natural (Reframing the End-of-Life Conversation in Canada) 2015, and the CARDUS magazine Comment - Public Theology for the Common Good, which looked at “Health Beyond the Hospital”.
Cardus Healthalso issued a Press Release on April 25, 2018, “Hamilton Unready For Rising End-Of-Life Care Needs, Case Study Finds
Overall it was a very well-run session with thoughtful discussion and respectful discourse. It is a topic that ought to be of concern to all of us who, as we continue as an aging society, will face end of life decisions. It should be of particular interest to Hamilton who positions itself as the best place to raise a child and to age.
For more information, visit the CARDUS website at www.cardus.ca:
Teresa DiFalco,
On the CARDUS website, they are more specifically characterized as follows: "a think tank dedicated to the renewal of North American social architecture. Drawing on more than 2000 years of Christian social thought, we work to enrich and challenge public debate through research, events, and publications, for the common good.”
The session began with a general overview of CARDUS and its research within the City of Hamilton. This was followed by two panel discussions. The first panel was chaired by Doug Sikkema, Lead Researcher, CARDUS. Panelists included Dr. Joshua Shadd, McMaster University Director (Division of Palliative Care), Clare Freeman, Director (The Bob Kemp Hospice), and Rev. Bill DeJong, Pastor (Blessings Church) in Hamilton.
The second panel was chaired by Ray Pennings, Executive Vice President CARDUS, and included three MPPs: Sam Oosterhoff (PC) - MPP Niagara West-West Glanbrook, John Fraser (LIB)- MPP Ottawa South, and France Gelinas (NDP) - MPP Nickle Belt.
Doug Sikkema referenced Ontario’s Palliative Care Bill 184, a private members bill, which was spearheaded by MPP Sam Oosterhoff. Both MPP John Fraser, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health, and MPP France Gelinas, the NDP Health Critic, are strong supporters of Bill 184 and palliative care.
The evening’s focus was on an April 2018 Case Study by Doug Sikkema of CARDUS Health entitled “HAMILTON A Look at the End-of-Life-Care Landscape”. The Case Study revealed that for the first time in history, Hamilton has more seniors than it does children, and thus the City of Hamilton is facing an end-of-life healthcare crisis.
Wait lists in hospitals and for placements into Long-Term-Care Nursing Homes, and Pallative Care Homes, have been an issue for some time in the Hamilton area. Left unchecked, the situation will worsen with the expected tripling of the population requiring these services over the next twenty years, with the aging of baby boomers.
Cadus reports that In Canada, between 2005 and 2036, those 65 and over will increase from 4.2 million to 9.8 million which will mean a doubling of the annual expected deaths. CARDUS’s is looking at ways to address and support a Natural Death, and dying in dignity.
The panel discussions centered on end of life care and how a natural death can be better accommodated through providing a continuum of care that incorporates options that are more appropriate than dying in hospital, for those whose conditions can no longer be treated.
CARDUS studied two major cities in Ontario, Hamilton and Ottawa. The results of the study determined that 75% of Canadians want to die at home, however 70% end up dying in hospitals. The research looked at three areas 1) Social Dynamic, 2) Social Architecture, and 3) Continuum of Care.
Discussions also centered around the need for more hospice care, and better responding to the needs of the person who is dying, as well as the needs of their loved ones. Beyond cost considerations and the fact that remaining in hospital when treatment options have been exhausted, is much more expensive than hospice care, the quality of care that can be offered in a hospice setting was seen to be much more appropriate and dignified. The role that communities must continue to play, was recognized as a key component, in addition to government support and funding.
The current provincial funding model only works for wealthier communities, as hospices rely on hefty community donations and ongoing fundraising to be build and operate. The panels and audience struggled with the challenges behind providing such care to all parts of the province, particularly where communities are not large and are not wealthy communities. Such disparities were particularly difficult to accept.
Throughout the evening several reports were referenced, including the 2016 Palliative and End-of-Life Care Provincial Roundtable Report that MPP John Fraser released under his portfolio as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Other reports and hand-outs were made available by CARDUS, and included: Death is Natural (Reframing the End-of-Life Conversation in Canada) 2015, and the CARDUS magazine Comment - Public Theology for the Common Good, which looked at “Health Beyond the Hospital”.
Cardus Healthalso issued a Press Release on April 25, 2018, “Hamilton Unready For Rising End-Of-Life Care Needs, Case Study Finds
Overall it was a very well-run session with thoughtful discussion and respectful discourse. It is a topic that ought to be of concern to all of us who, as we continue as an aging society, will face end of life decisions. It should be of particular interest to Hamilton who positions itself as the best place to raise a child and to age.
For more information, visit the CARDUS website at www.cardus.ca:
Teresa DiFalco,
Publisher, The Hamiltonian
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