Opinion: Winter woes inspire call for kindness
By Sarah Trick For most people this season marks the start of some fun adventures, like skiing, sledding, or snowball fights. But for people in wheelchairs like me, the first snowfall is a cause for pure dread. My motorized wheelchair, which gives me so much freedom most of the time, is completely useless in the snow. I wasn’t too worried this past Sunday night as I made my way to an Advent carol service. In fact, I was looking forward to getting into the spirit of the season. While on the bus, I thought about what I wanted to say in my op-ed column for this week’s Times. I wanted to get across to readers how much harder winter was for some of us, how it rendered us either housebound or in peril. I’ll give lots of advice to clueless able-bodied people, I thought. It will be great. But when the bus stopped calling out the stops and let me off far from my destination, I knew I was in trouble. As regular OC Transpo riders know, a few years ago the transit company started an automated system for calling the stops, which has been a godsend for those of us with disabilities. Obviously it helps people with visual impairments to know where they’re going, but since wheelchairs must face the rear of the bus, it tells us too. But last Sunday night, the automated voice went silent, leaving me adrift in an unfamiliar area of downtown. I missed my stop without even knowing it had gone by. The bus driver was sympathetic but was no help, saying he “had to focus on driving.” After pointing me in a direction (which I later found out was the wrong one), he was off to his next stop. The sidewalk wasn’t plowed and the snow was too much for my chair. I hadn’t gone very far before my wheels were spinning. Undaunted, I did what any resourceful young person would do: I got out my phone and started whining on social media. This accomplished nothing except to worry my mother. After about half an hour of cursing, I noticed a young woman walking by and called for help. She quickly called her roommates, and the four of them began an epic quest to get me back to the main road. This took up much of the rest of their evening, since they had to fish me out of several more snow banks as I kept going, and I am very grateful. So instead of ranting about how the able-bodied just don’t get it, I will thank Samantha, Laura, Jenna, Kelly and...
Ontario testing needle-free flu vaccine for children
By Thomas Hall and Shannon Lough Ottawa Public Health wrapped up its biggest flu shot campaign ever this weekend but researchers are still looking for a more effective way to prevent the flu in children. Some say the answer is FluMist, a vaccination that is sprayed into your nose and not shot through a needle. The FluMist vaccination has been publicly funded for children by B.C., Alberta, Quebec, PEI, and the three territories. Currently, Public Health Ontario is studying the nasal spray vaccination in schools to determine whether this vaccine is the best option for children between the ages of two and eight. Good news for those scared of needles. “The goal of the flu vaccination campaign is to vaccinate everyone, especially those most at risk for complications from the flu, including children from six months to five years of age, seniors and the chronically ill,” said Dr. Jennifer Pereira of Public Health Ontario. Making vaccines more efficient is critical for success, said Earl Brown, a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa who specializes in vaccination. Unlike other viruses, the flu changes every year, so people need to get vaccinated annually. But technology is allowing for more effective flu shots, said Brown. And scientists are better able than ever to pinpoint strains of the virus, and predict which strains will hit hardest come flu season. Unfortunately, those who need the flu shot most, seniors and the very young, can be the hardest to vaccinate, said Brown. A few years ago Canada introduced Adjuvant to its vaccines, which acts like a booster making the vaccines more effective for seniors. Public Health Ontario is hoping FluMist can do the same for children. The new vaccine consists of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV), a weakened influenza virus that has been found to be more effective than the traditional flu shot for children aged two to 17 years, said Pereira. The trick, explained Brown, is that the virus has been weakened so it can’t survive in the lungs. The virus lasts long enough to create antibodies, and then dies. “No one ever died from a runny nose,” joked Brown, but the risk is serious when the flu gets into the lungs. The flu is the most likely respiratory infection to send someone to the hospital, Brown said. And its symptoms, sore muscles, nausea, and fever are not to be taken lightly. Studies on FluMist, the brand name for the LAIV nasal spray vaccine produced by AstraZeneca, have shown positive results, but it has only been approved for Canadians between the ages of two to 59. A pilot study is being conducted at 10...
Warm temperatures threaten Rideau skateway’s future
By Thomas Hall and Clayton Andres Winter in Ottawa is the time of year when the world’s largest, naturally frozen ice rink opens, but there could be a time when skating on the Rideau Canal will be impossible, according to a study on global warming. The 2011 study out of McGill University found “warming of winter temperatures in Canada is having a deleterious effect on the outdoor skating season.” The Rideau Canal skateway happens to be the Guinness Book of World Records’ largest outdoor rink in the world. You don’t need tropical weather to shut down outdoor rinks, said Chris Burn, a Carleton University professor who specializes in geography and environmental studies. A small rise in average temperatures could do it, Burn said, and the average temperature in Ottawa has gone up by about one degree since the early 1980s. “I don’t think I’ll see it in my lifetime,” Burn said. “But in the next 30 years we will start to think about whether a skating season is sustainable.” ‘The weather is everything.’ – Jean Wolff Burn said you need about five cold weeks to make the skateway viable. Conditions that don’t get cold enough could make opening for the season a risky investment for the National Capital Commission, which owns the skateway. Andrew Kaleta, manager of environmental stewardship at the Commission, said climate change is a concern, and that the commission has looked at what to do should the ice not form properly. “We are always looking to find contingency plans for events, like possibly moving them off the ice surface,” said Kaleta. The skateway not only needs cold weather to be a success, but nice weather too. The nearly eight-kilometre-long rink has become a “Canadian icon,” said Jean Wolff, a spokesperson with the National Capital Commission. “The weather is everything,” Wolff said. “If it’s nice like last year we get more people out.” In 2012, about 17,000 visitors used the skateway each day, but that number went up to 22,000 last season due to sunny days and relatively tepid temperatures. One company concerned with the trend towards shorter seasons on the skateway is Beavertail, which makes the flat fried dough that has been sold along the canal for 30 years. Adam Hendren is a local store manager and one of four licensees who sells Beavertails on the canal. Although Hendren said they are a long way from the time when selling Beavertails on the canal is not worthwhile, the trend toward shorter seasons is a concern. While the National Capital Commission is concerned about the long-term impact of climate change on the skateway, it’s also concerned about more...
Ottawa shelters already at capacity as cold sets in
By Clayton Andres and Thomas Hall As the winter weather worsens, Ottawa’s homeless try to find a place to escape from the cold. But many local shelters are facing difficulties of their own. “We’re at capacity and there’s not a whole lot more room,” said Shirley Roy, manager of community relations at Ottawa Mission. The shelter has more than 230 beds available during the year, but already filled them six weeks ago. Every night, the staff put out mats on the floor to accommodate the overflow of people seeking a place to stay. According to Roy, one of the contributing factors to this overflow is “chronic homelessness,” where people cycle in and out of shelters and many of them end up staying at the same place for several years. ‘I really want to drive home how vulnerable these kids are. If we’re not here to provide these spaces, other people will jump in.’ –Jason Pino Greg Morley has been staying at different shelters around town since July. He is currently spending his nights at the Shepherds of Good Hope in the Byward Market but was previously at the Ottawa Mission on Waller Street. Morley said at both places he saw “pretty much the same” group of people staying over every night. “Generally speaking, once they got a bunk, they’re pretty much there.” Roy said the Ottawa Mission rarely turns away people seeking shelter, but the number of people staying long term has become more of a concern for the staff. Between 40 to 50 of the Mission’s current residents have been staying there for more than two years, Roy said. “It’s an emergency shelter, it’s supposed to be for people in crisis,” he said. “But we don’t want to turn anyone away, especially during the winter.” Homeless adults aren’t the only ones worried about the number of full shelters. Jason Pino is the director of Restoring Hope Youth Shelter, which is aimed towards teens and young adults who can’t find any other place to stay. “There’s two other youth shelters running at 100 per cent capacity all the time,” Pino said. Most of the young adults Pino encounters, he said, were turned away from other youth shelters because there’s no room or because they were too old. Young adults over 19 years old are usually sent to shelters like the Ottawa Mission, despite the lack of beds. The youth shelter is only able to run once a week providing six beds for anyone who comes by looking for a place to stay. Pino said since the shelter set aside a room for girls, he hasn’t had to turn anyone...
Winter bite prompts seasonal depression
By Sarah Trick and Allison McNeely Photo by Shannon Lough The snow, cold temperatures and dark skies of winter cause many people to feel a little down, but for some it can trigger a serious mood disorder. It’s more than the winter blues. Professionals call it seasonal affective disorder. Delaney Dunlop, 23, has had winter depression every year since she was a child, “It’s hard because I lead a very busy lifestyle. I’m constantly going places and doing things, but as soon as the fall hits, I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything.” The main symptom of any kind of depression is a loss of energy, according to Marie Clemont, a counsellor with Catholic Family Service Ottawa. In the case of winter depression, Clemont said medication can be useful, but should be used as a last resort. ‘I definitely think the medical establishment needs to take it more seriously.’ –Delaney Dunlop A treatment that helps many is light therapy, which consists of sitting in front of a special kind of lamp for 20-30 minutes per day. But not everyone has this option. Dunlop said she is unable to use light therapy because of a sensitivity to light. But she noticed this fall that spending a little more time outside has helped. She is currently studying criminology in the MA program at the University of Ottawa after doing her undergraduate degree at Carleton, where underground tunnels connect the buildings. Dunlop said she notices her grades usually drop in the fall, but at the University of Ottawa she is now forced to spend some time outside going to classes, unlike at Carleton. Dunlop said she feels doctors brushed off her condition at first. “I definitely think the medical establishment needs to take it more seriously,” Dunlop said. “Doctors don’t seem to want to deal with it.” Krista Shackleford, 31, has also suffered from the disease for several years. She says the most effective coping strategy is to deal with the symptoms before they become too severe. “I think being aware of your body is important,” Shackleford said. “I find if I ignore the symptoms too long, I get stuck in this vicious circle where I don’t want to exercise or do anything at all to make it better.” She said the best way to be supportive of someone with the disorder is to be encouraging but not forceful. “Try to get them to get out and do things, but don’t drag them out of their comfort zone too much,” she said. “For example, instead of having them go out of their way you could go watch a movie at their...