York Dec final pub - York Regional Police Association

T h e A sso cia tion Pr e ss
Winter 2013
York Regional Police
Association Executive
Larry Wood, Vice President
Cell: 905-726-0048
Phil Shrewsbury-Gee, Secretary/Treasurer
Cell: 905-715-6561
Dave Thompson, 1 District Director
Cell: 905-8685108
Mike Klimm 2 District Director
Cell: 905-758-2731
Mike Corsi, 3 District Director
Cell: 905-868-2764
Brent Stitt, 4 District Director
Cell: 905-751-8885
Alwyn Vanden Berg, 5 District Director
Cell: 905-751-8884
Ian Mason, Headquarters Director
Cell: 905-8687819
Tracy MacKay-Stewart, Civilian Director
Cell: 905-868-5124
Steven DeSousa, Court Security Director
Cell: 905-751-4415
The York Regional Police Association Magazine
is published by
The York Regional Police Association,
600 Stonehaven Drive,
Newmarket, Ontario L3X 2M4
Toll Free: 1-866-644-4623
Tel: (905) 830-4947
Fax: (905) 898-7282
Printed in Canada
“Copyright 2013 York Regional Police Association”
Inside
Vice President ...................................................... 4
Secretary/Treasurer ......................................... 6
One District ....................................................... 10
Two District ...................................................... 12
Three District ......................................................... 13
Four District ......................................................... 14
Civilian Tracy MacKay-Stewart ........................... 16
Legal Counsel ................................................... 18
Court Security .................................................... 20
From The Office ........................................ 22
The Shed .......................................................... 24
Events & Vacation Properties Mgr .................. 25
Tuck Shop .......................................................... 29
YRP Retirees Association ................................. 30
YRPA Discounted Tickets ...................................... 32
Promotions ....................................................... 31
Christmas Hours ...............................................31
2013 Exemplary Awards ............................................ 32
Frank Laskoski Scholarship Awards ................. 33
Frank Laskoski Scholarship Thank you’s ........... 35
York Dragons - 2013 Police & Fire Games ...... 38
York Dragons ................................................. 39
Meredith Woodland ...................................... 39
Back Tips ..................................................... 40
Mike Moran Legacy Fund ................................. 41
“We Can’t Be In Their Shoes Families Feel Stress Too” ............................42
Congratulations ....................................................... 44
The 7th Annual Support The Troops Rally ............... 45
Classifieds ........................................................ 46
Life In The YRP ............................................... 47
Publisher: Donna Holling
Editor: Sarah Jane Card
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for their accuracy.
3
Vice President
Larry Wood
Vice President
Hello Everyone, I would like to start
off by wishing everyone a Merry
Christmas and joyful holiday season.
I hope you all have an opportunity to
engage in some meaningful time with
your family and friends.
When I spoke this year at the YRPA
AGM I discussed that this is a time of
change, a time for transition and as I
type this article we have an election
process going on for several positions
with in the YRPA. These elections and
the elected personal will help shape
the future of our organization going
forward. This will be a time for the
YRPA to evolve and adapt to the
changing membership we represent.
These are easy words to say but not
always easy to do but I am confidant
we are up to the challenge. In saying
this we need your input we need the
memberships involvement on a greater
scale. I would like to challenge each
and every member to attend at least
one YRPA meeting in 2014. I would
like to also challenge each member to
speak directly with his or her respective
member reps and provide input and
ask questions, the
time is now to get
involved.
I have had an
opportunity to
meet with Brad
McKay, Jennifer
Thompson and
Beth Milliard of
the OSI Wellness
unit about a new
and very
interesting
program about to
be put in place to
assist our
members. The
program is called
the Peer Support
Program
[P.E.E.R.S.],
which stands for
Professional.
Encourage.
Empathetic.
Relational.
4
Service. The purpose of the program
is to provide all the employees of our
service with personal, one-on-one
support and referral during times of
personal and professional difficulty.
This is a peer driven initiative, by the
peer for the peers.
Officers have been trained extremely
well on the tactical side of policing;
however focus on the psychological
effects of policing has not been a
priority in the past. The organization
is now realizing this and they are in
the process of the development and
improvement of services to prevent,
reduce and treat stress-related
problems among our members, retired
members and their families. If there is
no focus on the psychological aspects
of policing, unmanaged stress could
lead to: police suicide, depression,
alcohol addiction, gambling addiction,
drug abuse, sex addiction, domestic
violence, increased marital and family
discord, heart attacks, cancer, physical
and mental disability. We need to
attack the stigma associated with
mental illness, mental injury and the
many other stress induced illnesses,
by creating a unit where peers will be
“taking care of our own”.
A dedicated peer support team can
assist by helping to reduce the daily
stress of police work and the
emotional impact of a traumatic
event. Peers will be trained to
recognize (not treat), various
symptoms and problems, and to make
appropriate referrals, which can negate
the long-term effects of our members
being off for long periods of time.
The OSI Wellness Project leaders will
be speaking with the membership
during parades and in the various units
around the service late this year and
the beginning of 2014. They will be
providing more detail and information
about the project and I encourage you
all to get engaged. This type of
initiative run by our members for our
members is something we all need to
get behind. In the short two years I
have been in this role I have had
numerous occasions to deal with
members dealing with extremely
difficult situations. Having something
we can direct our members to that
they can trust will be confidential and
assist them in their time of need is
paramount. It is in my humble opinion
this is the type of program given the
time and support from our members
can grow to be something that in the
long run will greatly benefit our
membership both active and retired
along with their families.
I want to briefly address some news
regarding the PAO bringing everyone
up to date. They have recently
undertaken a strategic operational
review, bringing in a consultant to look
at the current business practices along
with the assistance it provides to its
membership. The idea is take the PAO
in a new direction to meet the changing
needs of its membership. This has
resulted in a great deal of healthy
debate. YRPA held a workshop this
October which was well attended by
many of the Police Associations from
across the province. Some very
constructive dialogue took place
during these meetings and though it
was difficult at times I believe some
very hard topics were addressed and
a different understanding was gained
by all. I am optimistic the PAO will
come out of this review stronger,
though there are some difficult
decisions that will need to be made to
ensure its strength is maintained and
grown to best represent the
membership. As the strategic
organizational review of the PAO
continues we will continue to keep you
apprised of what is transpiring.
I will end my article with my
customary quote but before I do I
want to thank Sarah Jane, Shelley,
Laura, Jessie, Pam and Jaclyn as well
as all the part time staff at the YRPA
for their hard work and support during
the year. I was reading with my son a
few weeks back and I read something
in one of his books and I just had to
write it down to use it. “In the book
of life, the answers aren’t in the
back.” Charlie Brown
5
Secretary/Treasurer Report
Phil Shrewsbury-Gee
Secretary/Treasurer
The 2012-2013 fiscal year has come
to a close. This year was no different
than previous years being both very
busy and very productive. However,
the demands for service have risen
dramatically over the years and with
the loss of John Miskiw to retirement
it has been busier than ever here at
the office. Love him or hate him, there
is one thing for certain, John did more
than his fair share of work around the
office.
For those who are not aware, John
was the longest continually serving
Association president in Canada. He
was first elected as president in 2001
at a time when the Association Board
undertook a very significant
reorganization. His management style
was unique and although it didn’t
please everyone, including myself at
times, it did serve many and served
them very well.
Working with John for over a year
there is one thing for sure I came to
understand and appreciate; like him
or not, agree with him or disagree with
him, he pulled more than his own
weight and did a lot for the
membership. This year he negotiated
his last contract for the members and
I have to say, he did a bang-up job of
bringing the team together and ensuring
that we had all the resources and
direction needed to accomplish what
we did. Probably the most significant
6
part of the negotiations was the
insistence that the contract to go past
2014. 2014, is significant because there
has been a push by various political
groups to have all contracts align by
2015 and to force associations into coordinated bargaining (loss of
autonomy by individual associations).
By pushing into 2015, York has put s
serious dent in the political agenda of
limiting or removing our ability to
collectively bargain our own contracts.
SICK BANK CASH-OUT
The next most significant achievement
was the grandfathering of our sick
bank and the ability of members to
opt for a cash-out during this contract.
While not beneficial to all members,
there were and are many who are in a
position to benefit greatly from a cashout.
To help members with their decision
to take a cash-out or to leave the
money in the bank till retirement I
sponsored presentations from a
number of financial institutions and
HR so that members could proceed
with proper direction. Both meetings
were very well attended and the
feedback has been very positive.
A large number of members chose the
cash-out and many of those chose to
take advantage of a direct payment to
their RSPs. At first, there was a lot
of confusion with the ability or desire
fo the Region (not YRP) to facilitate
direct deposits into RSPs. The
Region’s payroll department was of
the opinion that this could not be done
and that taxes must be withheld at
source. I had information to the
contrary.
It was my position that members are
entitled to the best benefit possible and
unless I had specific direction form
CRA otherwise, members were entitled
to tax deferral. I took a trip down to
our regional tax office in Mississauga,
only to find out that CRA had now
closed all publicly accessible offices
down to the public. Also, you cannot
email a representative and get a written
response. As you can guess, since the
only way to contact CRA is by phone,
their phone lines were constantly busy.
It took a while but, I eventually got
through and got the position in writing
that was needed to get Payroll to defer
tax withholdings.
FINANCIALS
This year marked my second year end
and audit. Unlike last year, all of the
necessary changes to our accounting
protocols had been in-place for the
entire year. Our bookkeeper, Jessie
Lu, did a phenomenal job at ensuring
we are 100% complaint with the new
NFP (not for profit) account
requirements. Her hard work along
with a more structured way of
approving and tracking financial
transactions and ensuring that we
constrain our business more to the
limits of what CRA permits resulted
in a far quicker and smoother audit.
In fact, a comment from the auditor
was that this was by far the easiest
audit done at YRPA by them.
I can tell you though, that this success
doesn’t come without a bit of pain.
Where most of you realize our
limitations and the need for us to
demonstrate
fairness
and
accountability, there are a few very
vocal members that have no problem
voicing their displeasure about controls
and limits now set in place.
The overall finances of YRPA remain
good and in fact we have realized a
small increase in returns on some of
our investments. Once again thanks
to our accountant Jessie, who was
instrumental in assisting me in
bargaining some pretty good returns
on our investments
to increase the rental fees. Despite
the nominal increase, these properties
remain not only an outstanding value
money wise, they remain an
outstanding value for respite, physical
and mental well-being too.
The one area that generated a lot of
negative feedback was the increase in
rental fees for the YRPA vacation
properties. The decision was based
roughly on the following;
During my campaign and over the past
year, there have been many concerns
raised about ensuring that member’s
money (dues and ROI) are used
primarily for member’s benefits. I
have been very diligent in ensuring
that this is the case and also, I have
been lobbying for a pullback of some
external benefits to ensure that you are
our primary focus.
• The vacation property project is
required to be self sufficient
• Revenue from investments do not
cover the costs of the properties
• Running costs are far higher for us
than was realized by the original
tenants/owners
• The difference between out fees
and the fair market value was too
great for an NFP
With this in mind, the Board chose to
put the project expansion on hold and
LIFE INSURANCE
One area that had to be readdressed
was the death benefit provided by
YRPA for members and immediate
family. Until 2011, death benefits were
provided by an independent insurance
company. In 2011, our premiums were
almost triple what we have ever paid
out so we went with a self-funded
benefit. Benefits are not paid out of
revenue earned by YRPA.
What was not known was that there
was an understanding that this benefit
was extended to all YRP retirees
regardless of age. This meant that
YRPA had an ever growing liability
which, unlike a traditional life
insurance company that has a
maximum age for coverage, this
benefit continues until death. As of
last month, the absolute liability to
YRPA exceeded $4,060,000.00 for
retired members alone. This benefit
was not only expensive but was not
compliant with CRA NFP
requirements. I brought this to the
attention of the Board and we have
now discontinued coverage for retired
members. However, we are not
leaving our retirees in the lurch. Larry
and I are currently working with
insurance carriers to see if we can
Continued on Page 8
YOUR HYUNDAI
TEAM
SPECIAL PRICING
FOR
YRPA MEMBERS
AND THEIR FAMILIES
Lorrie Goldman and Dino Tsinonis (retired YRP)
7
Continued from Page 7
sponsor, not pay for, group coverage
for retirees.
Another issue that came to light was
that only $10,000 of a death benefit
not issued by an insurance company
is tax free. Any amount over the
$10,000 limit is taxable and a T4a must
be issued. Sorry!
COMPUTER
PLAN
PURCHASE
This year’s computer purchase plan
has also come under the limits posed
by CRA (Canada Revenue Agency)
policy and a need not to exceed the
$1000,000.00 set aside for loans.
Interest free loans are, like the death
benefit, scrutinized by CRA. Interestfree loans cannot be for just anything.
Also, the cost to you is about $27,500
in lost interest. Following the direction
given by members and with support
of the Board, loans will no longer be
made available to SOA or retired
members.
PLATOON
CHRISTMAS
PARTY SUPPORT
Last year, I received a lot of feedback
about YRPA’s support for platoon xmas parties. It was very clear that this
is a very important issue for members.
It is also a primary function of YRPA
and defined in our Letters Patent, that
is, the promotion of social interaction
between members. In keeping with
your requests and direction, I allocated
twice as much money for platoon XMas parties than was allocated in past
budgets. I brought this to the members
at the AGM in October and received
unanimous support. This year more
of you will be able to enjoy more
together than ever before.
MEMBER SUPPORT
One of our most important areas of
support is member health and
wellness. As YRP grows in size and
as our members age (me excluded) and
our ability to deal with stress and
physical strain is reduced, more and
8
more of us are needing assistance.
Sometimes we get sick or injured at
work, other times we get sick or
injured at home.
If you are sick or injured from work,
WSIB is in place to assist. Although
not perfect, WSIB does help many of
you out without any difficulties.
However, there are times when WSIB
becomes intolerable in the way they
adjudicate eligibility and or treatment.
This is particularly true in PTSD
injuries. All too often, WSIB will
acknowledge injury, but then deny
work as a causation or not consider
the impact and need for, “meaningful,”
accommodation. Both Larry and I
have been working hard to come up
with solutions to this but these solutions
are coming very slowly.
Often, we enlist the expertise of a
paralegal firm who specialize in WSIB
appeals. The number of members
they are assisting is growing every year
and the complexity of the cases are
also increasing. There are associations
that have full-time staff that deal with
WSIB claims alone. This will be
something that YRPA may need to
consider in the future too. Having inhouse representation will allow for
advocating and developing change
which is something that cannot happen
by relying on external help with WSIB.
The one thing that I can say that will
help you if the need ever arises is to
complete a volunteer exposure report
for any incident where there is the
possibility you have been exposed to
a biological or chemical contaminant
or if you are involved in a call that is
particularly violent, gruesome or highly
emotional. Unlike an IOD, these
reports can only be submitted by an
affected worker and cannot be
submitted on your behalf by a
supervisor. These reports have been
instrumental in getting WSIB to
associate certain illnesses or injuries
such as OSI (occupational stress injury
the new name for work related PTD).
HEALTH AND SAFETY
On the 22nd of October, 2013, the
federal government tabled Bill C4, an
act to amend the Budget
Implementation Act. What is
confusing and unusual it that this bill
includes an amendment to the Canada
Labour Code to restrict the right of a
worker to refuse unsafe work.
(2) The definition “danger” in
subsection 122(1) of the Act is
replaced by the following:
“danger” means any hazard,
condition or activity that could
reasonably be expected to be an
imminent or serious threat to the
life or health of a person exposed
to it before the hazard or
condition can be corrected or the
activity altered;
On its face this might appear
innocuous, however, what it actually
says is that a worker may not refuse
work if the work is not creating that
hazard at that time or if the illness does
not occur immediately. Health and
Safety advocates are also concerned
that this clause no longer offers
protection to the reproductive organs
of workers. This proposed amendment
pushes workplace safety back 30
years. Under normal circumstances,
this does not affect us as we are
covered under the provincial
Occupational Health and Safety Act.
However, there may be times when
one of us is working on a federal
project in which case this would apply.
I will be bringing this up at our next
JHSC and also with my counterparts
in other H&S committees and see what
we can do to prevent or modify this
clause. I will keep you all posted.
Well, I think this has got most things
that my colleagues won’t be covering
in their articles. So until next article,
lets stay safe and healthy.
9
One District Director
David Thompson
One District Director
the results may already be in. In case
they are not in, here are several factors
you should consider before marking
your “X” beside a candidate’s name.
Winter and Christmas are coming up
fast. That can only mean one thing.
The Leafs are near the top of the NHL
standings (at least at the time of this
writing they are). Let’s hope they stay
there. Those of us that are true blue
Leaf fans need a good season. Also
coming up fast is the election for a
new YRPA President. In fact
depending on when this is published
10
Voting for a candidate just because they
are a good public speaker is not always
the best move. Car salesmen are good
talkers too. Listen to what the
candidate’s message is. Find out what
the candidate believes are the main
concerns/issues facing the YRPA
currently and going forward. Does or
can the candidate get the support of
the Board to make whatever changes
they think are important. The
president cannot do anything without
a majority of the Boards support.
They can promise you the world but
at the end of the day they are just one
vote on the Board. Vote for the
candidate who knows the importance
of “Team”. If a candidate is telling
you, “I will do this and I will do that”,
then perhaps that candidate is not in
the best position to be a team leader.
You may ask yourself, “I don’t really
know the candidates so how can I
make an informed choice”. My
answer is simple. All of the candidates
have been around for quite a while
and have worked in many different
units. Ask people who have worked
with and for them what kind of person
they really are. Do you think they
have your best interest at heart or are
they running merely for personal
reasons? Again don’t be fooled by a
smooth talker, make an educated vote.
Whoever is elected will oversee our
next round of contract negotiations.
They will represent you at all functions
on a Regional, Provincial and National
level. They will be the face of the
YRPA for the next three years. May
the right and the best person win.
1 District parking and the C.O.R.
Unit
As most of you are aware,
management has heard our concerns
in regards to the parking situation at 1
District and consequently the C.O.R.
Unit is no longer moving back to One
District. Instead they are moving to
Bales Rd. I realize in an ideal world it
would be best to have them here with
us under one roof but until we get a
new building this is not logistically
possible. I know that a new building
is in the future plans of York Regional
Police and hopefully it is not that far
down the road. I see only positive
things by having the C.O.R. unit in
the same building as uniform and CIB.
The lines of communication would be
greatly improved.
Memorial Run/Ride to Ottawa
I would like to congratulate the fifteen
runners and twenty eight cyclists from
York Regional Police who made the
560 km trek to Ottawa for the National
Police Memorial.
The training
commitment these officers made in
order to be able to complete this
journey was extensive. You made us
all proud.
Provincial Lobby Days
I will be attending the Provincial
Lobby Days from November 19-21st,
2013. I have spoken about this in a
previous article. This is where we get
together with members from other
Associations and then meet with
Members of Provincial Parliament.
We then have a list of issues we lobby
them about in order to gain their
support. The topics this year will be
given to us the day before we meet
with them. I will discuss this event in
my next article.
Finally I would like to welcome all the
new officers to One District. Over
the past several months we have seen
an inflow of new officers into both
CIB and Uniform. I know you will
enjoy your time here. To the officers
leaving to go onto other Units and
Divisions I wish you the best of luck.
11
Two District Director
Mike Klimm
Two District Director
By the time you get this article winter
will be upon us. Let’s hope it treats
us gently this year. John Miskiw has
now been gone for a couple of months
and our new president is in place, (at
the time I am writing this the ballots
have not been counted) and I
congratulate the winner. Larry and
Phil have had to work really hard and
long hours to pick up the slack. They
have done an excellent job and should
be recognized for their efforts to make
sure that all of our members are
looked after.
I am going to sound like a broken
record. At Annual General Members
meeting on October 24th we only had
66 people show up out of 2000
members. I find this troubling. We
are a large organization that spends a
lot of money, your money. I would
hope that people would have more of
an interest in how their money is spent
and in what direction the YRPA is
heading.
There has been change at 2 District
regarding missed lunches and several
members have approached me about
the changes. The command team now
requires that you to ask for your lunch
and have dispatch deny it. As per the
contract you are entitled to two 45minute lunch breaks during your shift.
It states you are entitled to 45 minutes
during the first 6 hours and 45 minutes
during the second six hours.
Therefore you must ask dispatch for
12
both lunches and have them denied.
Having dispatch tell you that you are
on the list is insufficient, you are either
approved a lunch or not. For those
who want to take a double lunch they
are still available with permission of
your supervisor. Having said that, if
you end up not getting your lunches
you may only be able to claim for one
of them. In short, you are entitled to
your breaks and if you cannot get them
put in for them. If you have any
difficulty in getting compensated
please call me, or the YRPA executive
and we will deal with it for you.
The Occupational Health and Safety
Act has a requirement that employers
and employees adhere to certain rules
and regulations. One of those rules is
to have a health and safety committee
with
representatives
from
management and the workers. This
committee meets on a monthly basis
to discuss concerns and issues that
affect the safety of our members. On
occasion management minimizes the
concerns of our members. One recent
issue is that the cages in the new cars
allow access to the driver by prisoners
who have managed to get out of the
handcuffs or are not cuffed as per our
procedures. This is a clear safety
issue but some of the management
committee members have decided it
is not. In fact they have said prisoners
should be handcuffed and the Plexiglas
shield is more of a spit guard then a
restraint. Phil Shrewsbury-Gee has
been dealing with management to get
this issue resolved.
You have a legislated right to work in
a safe place. If you have concerns do
not be afraid to bring it up to your
supervisor and get it addressed by your
command team. If you feel they are
taking it lightly do not hesitate to
contact the association. We will look
into it for you and get the issue
rectified. If you have any concerns
about retribution contact the
association directly and we will bring
it up on your behalf.
The Police Association of Ontario is
the voice of Police Officers across the
Province. It is the organization that
lobbies the government to improve our
benefits and working conditions.
Recently there has been a review done
by an independent company hired by
the PAO to review how the
organization is structured and
managed. The review had several
recommendations and has garnered
much discussion. Unfortunately as a
result of some of these conversations
the Toronto Police Association has
pulled out of the PAO.
Our executive has taken a leadership
role in the discussions about the
reorganization of the PAO. We hosted
a special PAO meeting at the shed on
October 28th and 29th so that the many
issues could be discussed and get us
moving forward to a new and more
effective PAO. Several Police
Associations from across the Province
were in attendance. It is apparent
that the reorganization will not be an
easy one and the many interests of all
associations need to be addressed.
The most difficult obstacle is the
various sizes of the many associations
and the dues that each association
pays. The smaller ones need legal
support from the PAO while the larger
ones like ours don’t need as much
support. Our executive is hopeful that
we can all work together to solve the
many issues before us.
I would like to end my article by
wishing everyone a Merry Christmas
and prosperous New Year.
Three District Director
Mike Corsi
Three District Director
Hello again. The busiest time of year
is soon upon us once again. I hope
some of you can find the time to
volunteer a day or two with any of
the Holiday Heroes toy and food
drives. It is time quite well spent and
a service well provided for those who
will need it. While you are making
the best of these last weeks of the year
and trying to squeeze every last drop
of revelry out of them remember that
the holidays are also a time of extreme
despair for a lot of people. Our
professional role allows us to be the
vanguard of assistance to some of
these persons, and that is a place of
high esteem. Very high esteem
indeed.
During my attendance at a recent
Remembrance Day memorial event I
was fortunate to glean the following
bit of wisdom from speaking with a
group of military veterans: “Our job
was not only to ensure the defeat of
the men who would bring misery to
others in the name of egomania. We
had to root out their invisible
collaborators too, and there were just
as many of those devils.” As soon as
I had heard those words spoken that
crazy light bulb of metaphorical
awareness flashed to life in my
head…….as I am sure it is glowing
now for most of you who actually read
these articles. We have to admit it to
ourselves. Today and every day we
are besieged by politicians, the media,
criminal organizations and the plain,
uninformed and ignorant masses.
Every one of them trying to collapse
all that we try to build. Additionally,
look around your own camp. Notice
any evidence of the ‘fifth columnists’
at work? Yes. Daily. Before I get too
carried away decrying those that stand
against us I’ll make the simple points
I set out to re-iterate. Never forget
that we are all that stand between
comfort and grief, security and fear,
order and anarchy……and the only
crutches that we have to lean on when
we become hobbled are each other.
Very high esteem indeed.
Three District News
These recent months have seen some
personnel changes up here at ‘Three’.
We welcome those who have joined
our team. We also wish those that
have gone on to other assignments
good fortune.
In response to inquiries about the YRP
Mounted Unit I am sorry to say that I
have no more information on it to
share. However, I do have something
to share about another kind of horse.
An old war horse.
country’s armed forces, which
included a peace-keeping post in
Cyprus. Colin continued with his
distinguished career of service as a
uniformed patrol officer for the next
26 years! Anyone who knows Colin
will agree that the halls of Three
District are much quieter now that
Colin is no longer freely roaming them,
launching salvoes of anti-oppressive
rhetoric at whomever was within
earshot. The weekly 5 a.m. diatribes,
while often shrill, seemed to go well
with the large Tim’s at the start of a
block however. Making the drive to
Sutton from Barrie, regardless of the
intensity of the snowstorm, Colin was
there. Signing in with an opinion that
while not always the popular one was
certainly a valid one, Colin was there.
Cracking the world’s most juvenile
joke at the most inopportune time,
Colin was there. Being an avid world
traveler I know that Colin will fill his
retirement days seeing all of the places
of the Earth that most of us never will.
Although the halls of Three District
are quieter now it isn’t in a good way
without Colin here. An icon indeed!
We wish him the absolute best.
And I wish everyone the best holiday
season.
Colin P. Campbell
#580 has been
turned out to the
pastures. Colin has
been a Three
District member;
some might say an
icon, since 1990.
He came to policing
back in 1987 at age
34 after having
served with our
13
Four District Director
Brent Stitt
Four District Director
Hey Folks, let me start by
congratulating those who have battled
and come out on top of the
promotional process. There was some
well-deserved promotions, enjoy the
new challenges you have before you.
Not that I’m one to be qualified to
offer any advice, but you’re going get
some any ways, I’ll sum it up in a
quote, “Before you are a leader,
success is all about growing yourself.
When you become a leader, success
is all about growing others.” —Jack
Welch.
By the time this article comes out, we
should have a new YRPA president,
all three candidates have great qualities
and I look forward to working with
whomever is successful, with new
faces brings new ideas and that is
always a positive thing.
The other day I was going through
the Chief’s orders and I noticed the
14
disproportion between the amount of
discipline incidents and recognition
incidents. Often in our profession we
are quick to be critical, quick to judge
and yet not so quick to praise.
Without sounding cynical let me ask
you one question. If we are a business
that responds to customer service,
then why isn’t our business evaluated
on the success of our employees? Yes
the cream always rises to the top,
(O.M.G. the ghost of A.P.L.). Yet
the amount of hours received in
recognition is not close to the amount
taken in discipline. If we are truly a
success in an organization as a
business responding to the needs of
the community then our rewards
should out way our disciplines. Food
for thought, if you are Gen Y or
Millennial (born between 1981 and
2000) you expect the rewards sooner,
you expect results faster. There is a
lot of talk in regards to the way we
police today, the way we think today
and yet the differences between the
old boys and the new or next
generations of police seem vast. I’m
sure one could spend an entire
semester of university discussing the
psychology of it all. This is a difficult
profession, though we do get paid
well, it is our job to save lives, catch
bad guys, keep the streets safe.
Should we be rewarded for merely
doing our job? I think despite the
differences in thoughts on gen y and
gen x, when you move into positions
of supervision and or mentoring the
generation gap closes, the priorities
seem to match more closely to one
another, a shared vision if you will.
Let’s take leadership as an example, I
heard a rumour the other day about
losing the acting ranks; do we really
want to be like metro? I think not! If
there is any merit to this I would for
one be extremely disappointed. We
grow stronger; close that generation
gap as an organization through
mentorship, through recognition,
through the sheer quest and
acknowledgment that we did a good
job. Evolving within a job is the key
to every successful employee. One
of the significant steps in leadership is
in the role of supervisor, the view from
a different perspective often will
change the way you do things yourself.
The instance someone steps into a
new role for a day, a week, a month
changes his or hers perspective,
attitude, and increase drive for
success, rewards, and affords an
appreciation of why we do what we
do as an organization, or and I’ve
heard this before, ‘did his job, no
thank you I never want to do that!’
Ahhhhhh to see the light of day,
remember a day without sunshine is
like, well you know night!!!
What’s the point pilgrim, the old days
of policing are dead and gone like the
chuck wagon. Well, our employees
are well educated and want more, they
want recognition now, they want
advancement and here is the biggie
folks, ‘they want to be heard.’ Our
organization be as it may has the
unique opportunity to rise above all
the normal military spoils of ancient
ways to police and lead the troops.
Our new leaders need to take the time
and sit amongst the troops with
a shared vision. Not a vision
thrust upon them. Not to get
all biblical on you folks but,
“Where there is no vision, the
people perish.” —Proverbs
29:18. Would you look at me
quoting scripture, I am an
ordained minister after all, I
registered online. Back to
business let’s start with this,
how about a new evaluation
tailored and different to every
unit, a new promotional
process tailored towards hard
work, leadership skills and
people skills. An open dialogue
with commanders, often I find
when the message is sent from
above, and when I say above I
mean Headquarters, not
quoting scripture again, the
meaning behind the message
gets missed by the time it gets
to us. Reminds me of that
commercial, I told two friends
who told two friends, and so
on and so on. The theme here
folks is we need to get beyond
merely communicating a
message, we need to connect
to truly be heard. The leader
must sit amongst us, spend a
night in a car with someone to
get the real goods.
Finally I would like to encourage
everyone to share your stories and
successes with myself and other board
members so that we can share. We
tend to shy away from self-praise, so
if you have a story, good deed, or just
darn good police work, please do
share.
As this is the last article before the
holiday season I wish nothing but the
best to you and yours. Remember
folks, life’s too short, keep smiling!
Remember to err is human to blame
someone else shows management
potential.
Be who you are and say what you
feel, because those who mind don’t
matter, and those who matter don’t
mind. - Dr. Seuss
15
Civilian Director
Tracy MacKay-Stewart
Civilian Director
Evaluation and of course the job
competition
process.
More
specifically, at the conclusion of an
unsuccessful job competition, what
information can you reasonably expect
to access during a follow up interview
with Human Resources (HR).
As Civilian Director, members come
to me with a wide variety of questions.
Some questions relate to clarification
of items within our collective
agreement, how the Central Sick Bank
works and when can a member apply,
the grievance procedure, Joint Job
16
This last item, accessing information
following an unsuccessful job
competition, has created frustration for
members looking for feedback.
Feedback that could assist you to
sharpen your interview skills and be
successful in future job competitions
as well as show transparency in the
process itself.
I wanted to share my own experience
with you.
Earlier this year, I entered a job
competition and was not successful. I
did follow up with HR, looking for
information that would clarify where
I needed to improve. I was looking
for my marks, the marking criteria etc.
I didn’t get the information.
A second meeting was set up with HR,
this time with an Assistant Manager.
Out of this meeting, I did receive the
information I needed about my own
situation and the following
clarification, which I think will help
members on a go-forward basis.
First and foremost, when you meet
with HR you can expect to obtain
information related to you. Information
related to other people involved in the
competition is not provided. You can
obtain information on the marking
criteria, your individual marks, given
to you by the interview panel and
broken down by question, how many
members were interviewed and your
standing within the group.
More targeted information, related to
individual questions and how your
response could have been tailored to
improve your score is also something
you can reasonably expect to talk over
at this time.
To get the most out of your meeting
with HR, my suggestion would be this.
Prepare your questions before you
meet with HR. Send an email to the
HR representative in advance of the
meeting, outlining the information you
are requesting. This will prompt more
open, two-way communication and
ensure the information you want to
talk about is available.
I also want to talk about Joint Job
Evaluation (JJEC). I’ve had a number
of people ask me about backlogs,
evaluations sitting for extended periods
of time before being rated. We no
longer have evaluations sitting in the
queue for six, 12, 18 months. That
scenario is a thing of the past.
The JJEC committee meets several
times each month and is consistently
evaluating two and at times three
positions during each meeting.
We are responding proactively, have
identified positions where incumbents
and their supervisors have not
requested an evaluation in as many as
eight to 10 years and are now
evaluating these jobs.
I have been a committed member of
this committee since 2001 and am
proud of our work, both past and
present. If you have questions about
how to fill out evaluations, how the
process works, call me. I would be
more than happy to provide answers.
supporting and pushing member issues
forward. Personally, I have benefitted
by her extensive experience and I will
miss her insight during monthly Board
meetings and discussions we shared.
Lisa was never one to mince her
words; she called a spade a spade. A
quality I admire.
As a final note, I’m interested in
knowing what information you would
like to see in my articles. Is there
something specific you would like me
to look into and report on in our
magazine? As always, I look forward
to hearing from you.
My cell phone number is 905-8685124.
Another hot button topic is the York
Regional Police Association elections,
which at the time of my preparing this
article, are in full swing. The results
will be announced on November 25.
I will be happy to welcome our new
Board members and sad to say goodbye to those who don’t return.
One of the members not returning is
Lisa Connolly. Lisa stepped down
from her position following 12 years
as Civilian Director.
I want to take a moment to thank Lisa
for her work on behalf of our
members, both civilian and sworn. She
has been an excellent ambassador,
William R. MacKenzie, LL.B.
Barrister & Solicitor
A12-1250 Eglinton Ave. W. • Suite 252
Mississauga, Ontario L5V 1N3
Tel: 905-607-9323 • Fax: 905-607-7946
Cell: 416-807-4095
E-mail: [email protected]
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Andy Emmink, C.Med, Paralegal
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Fax: 905-426-4569
Toll Free: 866-8227772
Email: [email protected]
Serving those who serve and protect
17
Legal Counsel
Pamela Machado
Legal Counsel
needs are being met through his
member support and financial
accountability. When the membership
needed more from their elected
representatives, they accepted the
challenge without hesitation. Their
successes re-emphasize the
importance of our democratic process,
and the results are evident in the
achievements of this organization.
A Time of Transition
Over the last few months, our
organization has undergone a change
in leadership in a climate of increased
oversight creating an intensified role
for your Association. During this time,
your Vice-President/Acting President,
Larry Wood, has committed himself
to advocating for our members.
Through countless consultations with
members at all hours of the day and
night, and endless hours of meetings
with our Executive Command Team,
he has dedicated himself to addressing
the pertinent issues facing our
membership. He has worked to secure
accommodations for members in
need, and is working efficiently to
ensure the deficiencies in the
promotional process are examined and
rectified.
In addition, our Secretary Treasurer,
Phil Shrewsbury-Gee, has worked
diligently to ensure our members’
We now have a new leader guiding us
through a time when the conduct of
our members is being scrutinized in
every direction. Therefore, our
commitment to one another, working
together in a unified fashion is of the
utmost importance during this time of
transition. The new President, your
Board of Directors and the Staff will
all require your continued support
moving forward.
The OIPRD
The Office of the Independent Police
Review Director (OIPRD) functions
as an oversight body staffed entirely
by civilians. The OIPRD is
accountable to the Attorney General,
but the Independent Police Review
Director is responsible for the day-today decisions. The OIPRD’s goal is
to provide an objective, impartial
office to receive, manage and oversee
the investigation of public complaints
against Ontario’s police.
We have experienced an increase in
cases dealing with the OIPRD, as a
result of both increased public scrutiny
as well as general oversight in policing.
It is my confident opinion this is not
reflective of our officer’s conduct, as
most often, our officers can utilize
these incidents as opportunities to
provide clarity regarding unfounded
allegations of improper police behavior.
In addition, I can advise that I will
ensure I am available to provide
continued assistance in these matters
to all of our members.
On November 6, 2013 the OIPRD
launched a pilot mediation program that
will allow less serious complaints about
police to be resolved through
mediation. I am hopeful this program
will prevent our members from being
subjected to lengthy interviews and
investigations over a period of months,
in ensuring less serious complaints,
which are the majority of those made,
are dealt with more efficiently.
The Human Rights Code and the
Grievance Procedure
With the increasing requests for
accommodation in multiple
circumstances, I take this opportunity
to provide some insight on the
procedure associated with grievances
in our Working Agreements as well as
pursuant to the Human Rights Code
of Ontario.
Thinking of Moving to Collingwood or
The Blue Mountains?
Leah Jacobs
Operations Assistant/Front Desk & Sales
As a Family member of 3 Police Services, you
can count on me for all your Real Estate Needs
Serving Collingwood and
the Blue Mountains
Joan Malbeuf
Office: 519-599-7034
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705-888-0663 cell
[email protected]
18
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www.newmarkethotel.com
Article 5, Schedule “A” (Uniform) and
Schedule “B” (Civilian) of our contract
outlines the process for which
grievances are dealt with in our
organization. The Association shall in
all instances, investigate the
information, which is to be provided
by the member in writing, and
determine whether that information
should be presented to the employer
in the form of a grievance. This
decision is made at the sole discretion
of the Association, following the
member’s direction to proceed with
the issue.
The Human Rights Tribunal has
determined that it is not discrimination
for a union or association to decide
not to file or pursue a grievance, unless
the reason for doing so is based on
one of the enumerated grounds of
discrimination set out in the Code. I
invite you to examine the case of
Traversy v. Mississauga Firefighters
Association, 2009 HRTO 996, for
further direction on this. In this case,
the Tribunal found:
“The failure or refusal to take
forward a human rights issue,
such as accommodation of a
disability in the workplace, is
not, in and of itself, a breach
of the Code. There may be
many reasons that have no
discriminatory overtones why
a union might choose not to
pursue a human rights claim
on behalf of an employee.
There must be a claim, and a
factual foundation for the
claim, that the failure to act
was based on discriminatory
factors.”
For further information on this, please
see Baylet v. Universal Workers
Union, 2009 HRTO 700 (CanLII) and
Arias v. Centre for Spanish Speaking
Peoples, 2009 HRTO 1025.
Your Association continues to be
dedicated to ensuring that all members
are dealt with fairly, in a manner that
respects their dignity and individual
needs. During this time of transition,
it is important to examine our goals as
an organization. Understanding our
future is about appreciating our past.
In moving forward under the guidance
of a new leader, and in the face of
continuous development, let us
embrace this change and support one
another to achieve a common
understanding of the direction we want
to take.
Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe
Holiday Season, and a Happy New
Year.
T w i n H i l l s F o r d L i n c o l n V.I. P. P r o g r a m
Specially For
Y O R K R E G I O N A L P O LI C E A S S O C I AT I O N
The Twin Hills V.I.P. Program offers
YORK REGIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
new in-stock or factory-ordered vehicle for a
H A S S L E-F R E E P R I C E O F $ 1 5 0 O V E R F A C T O R Y I N V O I C E
Also included in your special purchase price is our V.I.P. Service Program, which provides you
with priority service scheduling and a no charge courtesy car when you bring in your vehicle for
any servicing or repairs. We have a full line-up of Ford, and Lincoln vehicles. They’re all here
for you – from sporty to practical.
***** By Appointment Only *****
In order to serve you better, you must make an appointment and identify yourself as an
association member. Ask for me or Ron Macri (905-884-4441).
Don’t forget to bring your police ID with you. We look forward to serving you.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Cassar
Fleet/Leasing & Sales Manager
10801 YONGE STREET, RICHMOND HILL, ON L4C 3E3
PHONE: 905-884-4441
19
Court Security Director
Steven De Sousa #6054
Court Security Director
Another article means yet another
season is upon us. Let’s hope this
winter requires less shovels and snow
blowers?
Transition
I would like to welcome back Sheri
Bingham #6017 to the courts as a
Special Constable for a second time. I
am sure you will see that the job has
changed greatly but I am equally sure
that you will notice that some things
never change.
Now more than any other time in
recent history, the YRPA will also
experience great change. By the time
you read this, we will have a new
President, HQ Director, Civilian
Director and possibly a 3D Director.
Not to mention a Vice Chair for our
Sports Committee. This will be a time
of learning and hopefully progression
as new board members settle in and
begin to contribute. Congratulations to
you all, I am very interested in helping
you in any way I can.
20
Construction at 50 Eagle St Courts
Unfortunately, if you have been to The
Newmarket Court recently, you would
have noticed that the construction and
remodeling of the front door/main
entrance of the building is not yet
completed. As I anticipated, delays
have been encountered with some
asbestos removal and adherences to
some Town Bylaws. Nonetheless
slow progress is underway and
hopefully by February, you can all use
the main entrance once again. At least
that is what we are being told by those
involved in this process.
Jury Selection
Back on the 25 of September, 2013
around 800 potential jurors gathered
at the Ray Twinney Complex to be
sorted into smaller, manageable groups
to then be selected as jurors for a 5
co-accused murder trial. This was a
collaboration of police officers and
special constables which made this a
safe and smooth endeavor. Thanks to
all those who helped in this regard as
well as those that remained behind at
the Courts and worked diligently
despite our lower staffing levels.
Police Association of Ontario
On the 7th-8th of October, 2013 I had
the pleasure of attending the Police
Association of Ontario’s (PAO),
Civilian Conference in Sarnia, ON.
One of the main focuses was protective
language in our collective agreements
against contracting “out” as well as
contracting “in” work. I must admit I
was a little disappointed when guest
speaker, Labor Lawyer, Nini Jones,
used YRP as an example of contracting
“in” work. She cited how YRP
contracted private security to help
secure a police building namely CSB,
and says this takes jobs away from
our members. She emphasizes that
police forces across Ontario need to
reduce this notion and maintain and
protect work for our people. I
understand that police budgets are
being scrutinized by their respective
Police Service Boards and cost cutting
measures are being asked to be
implemented. Hopefully we can find
that balance that is fiscally responsible
yet protects “Our People”.
Movember
Movember will surely be underway if
not nearly over as you read this. YRPA
is a big supporter of this charitable
event. Our own Special Constable
Kevin Swain #6037 is spear heading
this year’s campaign on behalf of the
YRPA. I hope you all support this
event by participating, buying a T-shirt,
and/or donating some time or money
to this cause. I also hope to see you
all at the closing Gala event at the Shed
on 30th of November, 2013.
I will end my article by inviting you
all to the YRPA kid’s Christmas Party
at the Sheraton Parkway hotel in
Richmond Hill on the 1st of December
2013. To those that can’t come, I
extend to you and your families the
happiest of holidays. On behalf of
myself, the YRPA and Court Services,
Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year. In keeping with a Christmas
theme I will end with a quote from
Benjamin Franklin who said;
“A good conscience
is a good Christmas”.
Let us all keep our consciences good
as we partake in all the festivities both
in our professional and personal lives.
As always I look forward to working
with you all.
21
From The Office
Sarah Jane Card
Office Manager
Christmas is once again knocking
and as we rake leaves and clean up
our yards in preparation for the
snow to come, we can look forward
to that feel good glow that
Christmas and a new year brings.
New Year at the office comes on
September 1st, with a new financial
year, and yet again at the AGM when
the budget is passed for the coming
year. This year it also comes when
the ballots are counted on November
25th and a new President is voted in.
As I write this we are in the first
week of the computer purchase and
from the first indications it seems
that the lower amount and
limitations to the plan this year has
not made much of a difference to the
number of members taking
advantage of it. We will have to wait
and see what the figures are at the
end of the month. As you can
imagine since we are now fully
utilizing our security system the
doorbell has not stopped ringing.
For those of you who have not ever
picked up your swipe cards, we will
still have them here on file, so just
ask for them. For those who have
lost or misplaced their card there is
a $10 replacement fee.
The next two months as with every
year at the YRPA we are busy
preparing for the new configuration
of the Board and planning for
Christmas. Many of you have
already responded to us with your
“Christmas Party Funding” forms
and I am sure there will be many
more. We would like you to consider
hosting your Christmas parties
here at the Shed. When we first
moved into this beautiful building,
thirteen years ago, we made it a
condition of funding to have the
Christmas parties here. Over the
years more and more of you have
chosen to go elsewhere but we
would like to see that reversed and
I know all of the staff here would try
to facilitate in any way we can. So
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Saturday, November 30th @ 7pmYRPA Movember Gala
@ The Shed
Sunday, December 1st @ 10amYRPA Kids Christmas Party
@ Sheraton Hotel
22
please consider it when planning
your parties.
On the Christmas theme do not
forget the Kid’s Christmas Party on
Sunday, December 1st. If you are
new to the YRPA and have children
aged 10 and under please email
Jaclyn [email protected]
to register them. Also if you have
any new additions do contact Jaclyn
so that she can add them to the
party list. It is always a great day for
the children and a visit with Santa,
with a picture to capture the
moment, is most precious!
Over the Christmas period both the
Shed and the Association office will
have restricted opening times.
There will be a notice in this issue
of the magazine and it will also be
posted on the website and at the
districts, so do check before you
decide to come out. Also keep an eye
out for the dates of the Annual Snow
Day and the Ice Fishing Derby.
With all this talk of Christmas it
almost makes me forget my
wonderful vacation last month with
my daughter. We had planned it for
a year as our “Thirty/Sixty” trip, a
sailing trip on a tall ship from Rome
to Barcelona. Much to my daughter’s
amusement I had to take a picture
of the Police Station in Monte Carlo
and the courthouse in St. Tropez.
Once
she
overcame
her
embarrassment she expressed
great interest in the fact that all the
officers were young, fit and good
looking. I had to burst her bubble
by telling her that it was only that
she was getting older!
Merry Christmas!
Monte Carlo
St. Tropez
23
Shelley at The Shed
With Christmas around the corner there is always something going on at the Shed. Here are some of the specials
offered at the moment. If you buy either a jug or tanker
draft of Moosehead you will receive a free t-shirt, you also
get a chance to win a Moosehead standing cooler, great for
the patio, basement or cottage.
For those NHL fans we have the games on the big TV and
we also have a Bobby Orr (#4 Boston) jersey to win. On
Sundays until after the Superbowl come out and watch
your favourite team play football. We are open from 1:00pm
until 11:00pm.
Remember if you are having a special function and want
to have it at the Shed, please book well in advance so you
are not disappointed as we are booking up very quickly.
Also I would like to thank all the platoons that have had a
24
function at the shed for phoning me in advance for their
wing order.
Another reminder when visiting the Shed or Association
office please remember your swipe card as the doors are
always locked now for safety reasons and for those of you
who do not visit the Shed on a regular basis, we now
except Visa, Mastercard and debit for all your purchases
even movie tickets.
Finally I want everyone to know we have lots of clothing
in the Tuck Shop including nice coffee mugs and some
small items to fill all your Christmas shopping needs. Please
check out the holiday hours for the Shed and office if you
are planning a trip to visit us!
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
Events & Vacation Properties
Laura Johnston
Events & Vacation Properties Manager
V a c a t i o n
Properties
Update
The calendar is now
closed
for
submitting booking
requests for all of
2014. If you were
interested
in
receiving a week at
one of the vacation properties I hope that you were able to
submit all your requested weeks on time, and hopefully
you were approved a week. If you weren’t so lucky to
receive an approved email for one of your requested weeks,
please remember that some weeks will get reposted to the
membership. Keep an eye out for the flyers, or check the
website for when the calendar will open and close for the
specific weeks available.
When a member cancels their week at one of the vacation
properties the process is that the week then goes to the
next in line. This would be a member that submitted for
that week when the calendar was open. What happens
usually, is majority of those members next in line, have
already been approved for a week shortly around that time.
So the list gets narrowed down to a few members quickly
and if they all decline and are no longer interested in that
particular week, it gets reposted to the entire membership.
I get asked a lot if a member can be on some sort of
waiting or cancellation list. Unfortunately at this time, we
do not have a waiting or cancellation list that is open all
the time for members to put in their request.
To get the most up to date information on the properties,
you can check the home page at
www.yrpaholidayhomes.ca
Forgot Password
This is a popular issue with the website, and I know these
days it’s hard to keep track of all your passwords for all
the sites that you have joined. So we have tried to make it
as easy as possible for the member to reset their password.
If you forgot your password or are having issues signing
on to the site, please make sure you have already created
an account on the Vacation Properties website, as some
people are getting mixed up with the Association website.
On the home sign in page you will see “Forgot your
password? Click here to reset your password”. Once you
click on that and enter your email address, you will receive
an email with your new password. It is usually really long
and includes various numbers and letters. This makes it
hard for you to remember, so you can change it once you
are signed in by going to ‘My Profile’. Then you will enter
in a new password and click on ‘Update my Details’ to
confirm your new password.
Remodeling
In my last article, I touched on how this fall we were
planning on remodeling the Orlando properties in order to
keep them at the high standard we hold them at. We
managed to get all this done on time and on budget for all
three properties.
Paradise Palms we replaced all the living room couches, by
adding a chaise
couch with a
loveseat and a
recliner. The
couch is a sleeper,
so inside it is a
queen mattress
allowing for extra
sleeping space.
Bahama Bay the
couches were replaced in the living room, and again the
couch is a sleeper so a queen mattress pulls out. The
bedding was replaced in all three of the bedrooms updating
the look and comfort of the beds. A new dryer has also
been purchased,
as we did a few
repairs on the old
dryer and in the
end it just wasn’t
cost effective to
keep having it
repaired.
Bella Piazza we
had received
Continued on Page 26
25
Continued from Page 25
several complaints on the mattresses, so we replaced both
m a s t e r
bedrooms with
new box spring
and mattress. A
new
chaise
couch was also
purchased,
although this
couch is NOT a
sleeper. This
now makes the
unit an 8 sleeper,
as it was originally a 10 sleeper. We made this change, as
it was just too much wear and tear on the small unit and it
did not have enough space for eating and lounging to
comfortably fit 10 people in the unit. Also, the table originally
had four chairs,
so we purchased
two end chairs for
the table so it now
seats six people.
In all three units
we replaced small
items that need to
be changed every
year or so, such
as bath towels, bath mats, sheets, pillows, kitchen mats,
dish towels, hallway rugs, etc. If you feel we are missing
or need something re-stocked please feel free to let us know,
as we appreciate all of your feedback.
Increase in Price
Due to the loss of income from the buyout of the mortgage
on the Stonehaven north property, a trend towards lower
returns on investment income, and substantial increase in
running costs, there are insufficient revenues to sustain the
Vacation property project as first planned.
In order to ensure that there are sufficient revenues the
Board decided to minimally increase the cost of a weekly
rental. The price increases for each property, were based
on taking into account the running costs for each unit, and
the fair market costs for weekly rentals at each of the
properties.
Despite the increase in costs, these properties still remain
an outstanding value to the members both in terms of cost
saving, and their ability to provide members with a wellearned relief from the stresses of their jobs.
26
The following is a list of the weekly rate for each property:
Property #1- Paradise Palms $300
Property #2- Bahama Bay $250
Property #3- Bella Piazza $250
Property #4- Rivergrass $200
This will be effective for January 2014.
Payment Update
A reminder to our members, we now accept debit and
credit payment at the office. We still have our paypal
account in order for you to pay online, along with the
option to send in or drop off cheques. Hopefully this will
make it easier on the membership by providing more
options to pay for the properties.
Rob Plunkett Memorial Golf Classic
This year, the Rob Plunkett Memorial Golf Classic was
held on Thursday, August 1st, and was a special year in
remembering Rob, as it marked the 5th Anniversary. We
had another successful year, with approximately 260 golfers
on the North and South course at The Club at Bond Head.
The weather cooperated and everyone seemed to have a
good time.
The committee would like to thank everyone that came
out for the day and especially those that generously donated
a prize and/or sponsored a hole. We appreciate your
continued support, as this Tournament would not be
successful if it was not for all of our participants and
sponsors. A total of $20,000 was donated to Special
Olympics Ontario in Rob Plunkett’s name. Over the past
five years now, we have donated just over $85,000 to
Special Oympics Ontario.
The Tournament will be held next year on Thursday, July
31st, 2014 at the Club at Bond Head, so please save the
date. If you have any comments or feedback from last
year, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
27
Car Show
The Annual Car Show was held back in early August at
the shed parking lot. We had a great turn out from old to
new cars, and everyone seemed to enjoy admiring and
discussing each other’s vehicles. It was a nice, sunny day
for our members to enjoy a BBQ lunch and a pint on the
back deck. There were a lot of prizes to give away and
almost everyone went home with something.
Movember
The Association will be participating in Movember again
this year, so please make sure you register at
www.movember.com and join the team YRPA. We will
be challenging EMS this year in total funds, and have a
trophy for the winner to put on display. We will also be
selling t-shirts again this year, and the price will be $15
with proceeds going to Movember Canada. Hope you
can make it out to the Gala Party at the Shed on November
30th as we always have a great time.
28
The tuck shop is now located in the old small boardroom, next to Shelley’s office. We now have more
space to work with and storage for the YRP clothing
and accessories.
Tuck Shop
Ceramic Mug
$15
Black Jacket
$80
Insulated Jacket
$95
Tech Hoody
$55
Charcoal or Black
Knit Toque - $10
Duty Bag - $100
Grey Sweatpants
$20
Toddler T-shirt
$10
Ladies Gravity Fleece
$55
YRPA Navy Tshirt - $15
Fleece Full Zip
$50
Old York Replica Patches (total
of 15, frame not included) - $40
29
29
York Regional Police Retirees Association
Phone: 905.715.3445
President
George Heppell
Submitted by Paul Bailey, Member
Over the past few years, especially
since the 2008 market collapse many
Defined Benefit Pension Plans (DB)
in Ontario have faced sizable deficits.
The good news is most are returning
to normal funding status based on
good investment strategies and
tweaking asset investment options.
In the case of OMERS we are still
dealing with a approximate deficit of
$9 billion. The good news OMERS
has a plan to reduce this deficit while
still maintaining effective risk
management in the investment of your
funds.
Having said that, much still has to be
done!
The only way to reduce a large deficit
during difficult times is to either take
more risk in investments in an attempt
to have higher yearly returns or reduce
benefits. In fact you could have a
combination of both. The good news
for current retirees is that any potential
reduction of benefits only affects
future retirees, not those currently
collecting an OMERS pension.
Email: [email protected]
Vice President
Donald Clark
OMERS UPDATE: Mortality Rate Changes
And A New Board Chair
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries
released a draft report in July 2013
indicating that Canadian (OMERS
members also) are living longer. This
increase in mortality suggests the cost
of paying future pensions could impact
OMERS. The impact could result in
increased contribution rates and/or a
reduction of benefits, such as Indexing.
The key would is “could”.
OMERS has very good mortality
information and will continue to
monitor and assess factors affecting
future pension costs. Further, OMERS
is aware that this recently released
study could impact future changes to
the mortality assumptions.
OMERS is carefully studying the
report to determine if adjustments to
its mortality assumptions are required.
By doing this study, OMERS will be
able to determine when the resulting
changes would affect the funded status
of the OMERS Plan.
The final report is due out later this
fall or early 2014. Once the report is
completed and reviewed more
information will be made available.
Now something else enters the mix!
More good news!
Mr. George L. Cooke has been
appointed as the Chair of the Board
of
Directors
of
OMERS
Administration Corporation. The
Independent Board Chair position was
one of the key recommendations made
in the 2012 Tony Dean Report on
OMERS governance.
30
Secretary/Treasurer
Brian McDonald
Mr. Cooke becomes the first-ever
Independent Chair at OMERS. His
appointment commenced on October
1, 2013. His appointment was the
culmination of a process that started
soon after the release of the Tony Dean
Report in January 2013. The search
and selection process for the
Independent Board Chair was
carefully structured, and involved
consideration of several highly
qualified individuals by a Joint
Working Group representing both the
Sponsors Corporation and the
Administration Corporation.
By way of background, Mr. Cooke
recently retired after more than 20
years as President and CEO of the
Dominion of Canada General
Insurance Company, one of Canada’s
oldest and largest general insurance
companies. During that time, he served
as both an Executive Vice President
and Director of E-L Financial
Corporation (The Dominion’s parent).
Mr. Cooke has a MBA and Honours
Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens
University, as well as a LLD from
Assumption University. He also was
awarded a HCIP designation by the
Insurance Institute of Canada.
OMERS has over $60 billion in net
assets at December 31, 2012, OMERS
is one of Canada’s leading pension
funds representing approximately 970
employers and 430.000 members,
retirees and survivors.
PROMOTIONS
Congratulations to the following members on their recent promotions:
·
·
·
·
Detective Paul Lasalle #520, to the rank of Sergeant.Detective
Detective Jim Killby #641, to the rank Detective Sergeant
Detective Stephan Kempster #643, to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Sergeant Robert Martin #789, to the rank of Staff Sergeant
To the following members on their promotions to Senior Officers and
to the Senior Officers Association:
· Detective Sergeant Louis Malbeuf #405, to the rank of Inspector
· Staff Sergeant James MacSween #775, to the rank of Inspector
To the following Senior Officers on their recent promotions:
· Inspector William Sadler #289, to the rank of Superintendent
· Inspector Carolyn Bishop #744, to the rank of Superintendent
31
2013 Exemplary Awards
This year’s Exemplary Service Awards was held at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North in Richmond Hill on October
17, 2013, of the 56 recipients 34 attended with their guests. The awards were presented by Chief Joliffe and from the
Association by Acting President Wood. They were assisted in the presentations by Police Service Board Vice Chairman
Bartlett and the Hon Reza Moridi, MPP (Richmond Hill), Minister of Research and Innovation.
40-Year Bar
Retirees
Deputy Chief Bruce Herridge #257
Inspector Richard McCabe (Retiree) #274
Constable William Janes #189
Superintendent Paul Pedersen #286
Inspector Richard McCabe (40 Year) #274
Inspector Norn Miles #113
Staff Sergeant Francis Auld (30 Year) #86
Staff Sergeant Alan Bonner #23
Detective Sergeant Michael Burns (30 Year) #287
Detective Sergeant Robert Wassink #43
Sergeant Bernardus Hengeveld #445
Sergeant Mark Lawrence #231
Sergeant Charles McDonald #244
Sergeant James Slykhuis #41
Detective Brian Morrison #107
Constable Stephen Baird #468
Constable Casey Brouwer (30 Year) #292
Constable Stephen Fone #175
Constable Charlotte Gray (30 Year) #98
Constable Susan Harold #776
Constable Ronald Keizerwaard (30 Year) #383
Constable Mark Langman #371
Constable Randall Martin #417
Constable John Miskiw (30 Year) #416
Constable Michael Riemer (30 Year) #282
Constable Morris Shaw #239
Constable Barry Smith #460
Helen Beintema #5173
Kelly Pearce #5322
Kerry Rorke #5195
30-Year Bar
Staff Sergeant Francis Auld (Retiree) #86
Detective Sergeant Michael Burns (Retiree) #287
Sergeant Jerry Robertson #408
Detective Michael Godber #293
Detective Todd Mathews #372
Constable Casey Brouwer (Retiree) #292
Constable Charlotte Gray (Retiree) #98
Constable Ronald Keizerwaard (Retiree) #383
Constable John Miskiw (Retiree) #416
Constable Michael Riemer (Retiree) #282
Civilian 30-Year Pin
Kathleen Becker #5033
Christine Lawrence #5042
Dawn Young #5036
20-Year Bar
Staff Sergeant Andrew Graham #870
Sergeant Julie Adamson #868
Sergeant Kelly Bachoo #876
Sergeant Christina Baker #873
Sergeant Paul Chiang #1041
Detective Ian Hill #867
Detective Tyrone Shaw #875
Constable Cindy Broad #872
Constable Mark Burnett #877
Constable Elizabeth Van Luyk #871
Civilian 20-Year Pin
Cherian John #5205
Cindra Massicotte #5202
Shelayne Sturgeon #5206
32
FRANK LASKOSKI SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS 2013
TOP RECIPIENTS
Senior Officer’s Mark Grant Memorial
Heather Pedersen
Yu Feng
Taylor McKay
Vanessa Hanlon
Brooke Langman
Senior Officer’s Arne Frederiksen Award
Leigha Rowbottom
Senior Officer’s Civilian Award
Amanda Crisp
Courtney Crisp
David Trojan
Greg Trojan
Kylie Needler
Brooke Langman
Taylor McKay
Yu Feng
Erin Adams
Lenie Alberts
Chad Anderson
Ryan Anderson
William Arnaud
Sarah Arnaud
Michael Astin
Kimberley Aubrey
Anthony Badowich
Michael Bastin
Emily Bellman
Jeffrey Bellman
Chelsea Benedetti
Meghan Bennett
Peter Bentham
Katrina Beverly
Alex Bicket
Elysia Bond
Lindsay Boogaard
Kevin Brown
Mackenzie Brown
Jessica Bryan
Tiffany Buckingham
Danielle Campanile
Haley Campbell
Anna Campbell
Kyle Cantlon
Jesse Cantlon
Jonathan Cardozo
Devan Carlsen
Ashley Chiang
Austen Chiu
Hilary Cole
Ryan Cole
Michael Coleman
Michael Colley
Matthew Colley
Leandra Cusimano
Geoffrey Cusimano
Cory D’Intino
Rebecca D’Intino
Patrick Diceman
Kaitlynn Downey
Stephanie Duncan
Samantha Duncan
Danika Duvall
Carly Elder
Marina Filtsos
Amanda Fone
Rebecca Fraser
Jessica Gauci
Josephine Gauphlom
Continued on Page 34
33
continued from Page 33
Sinnead Gauphlom
Charles Giangrande
Victoria Giangrande
Jamison Giangrande
Claire Gillies
Georgia Godber
Ashton Golding
Lindsay Goode
Jordan Grossi
Alicia Hanko
Christopher Harper
Jessica Harris
Isobel Hartley
Glenn Hazlett
Shannon Hazlett
Charlotte Hengeveld
Kelly Hodder
Jason Hunt
Aleksander Jogi
Melanie Jordan
Emily Juck
Joshua Kiely
Kathryn Kingston
Lindsay Kingston
Marie Korte
Alyssa Lampert
Andrew Langman
Jaclyn Langman
Lauren LaSalle
William Leather
34
Brandon Lee
Morgan Lee
Jordan Leonard
Theresa Lubianetzky
Bernice Ma
Denise Ma
Tyler MacIntyre
Alicia MacPherson
Robert MacPherson
Padma Maharaj
Nicole Malbeouf
Shannon Marston
Sarah Mathews
Jennifer Matos
Karissa McNabb
Hunter Meech
Ben Meyer
Alex Miles
Chelsea Morash
Leia Musielak
Jenna Neill
Aaron O’Quinn
Connor O’Rourke
Heather Pedersen
Matthew Peever
Jennifer Perentesis
Kyle Pilling
Ryan Price
Kevin Pye-Finch
Carlee Ramsay
Stephanie Rathmann
Sarah Reynolds
Andrea Richards
William Richards
Matthew Rowlandson
Kirsten Ruby
Laura Rudback
Lauren Sadler
Emily Saunders
Jordan Shropshire
Kaitlyn Slack
Emily Slade
Kayla Slade
Haleigh Sokil
Lisa Somersett
Amanda Sproule
Victoria Stevens
Natasha Stribbell
Ryan Taylor
Sarah Tengler
Natasha Thomson
Andrea Turl
Steven Waite
Riley Ward
Ashley Waterfield
Kaitlin West
Deanna Wilson
Laura Witherow
Andrew Woods
Anna Zhu
To: York Region Police Association
I greatly appreciate the $2000 scholarship award bestowed to me this evening. I thank Frank Laskoski for his honorable
service to York Region and his generosity towards the community. I am currently enrolled in the University of Western Ontario, entering the
second year of my study in the biomedical sciences. I wish to finish my undergraduate degree and progress to a career as a dentist. His
actions encourage students like myself and many others to further pursue a successful academic career by easing their financial burdens.
Because of him, I am one step closer to my ultimate goal.
Also, I am thankful to the York Region Police association for their time to organize this excellent ceremony; it was truly a
memorable night for all the promising students. Everyone had an amazing time and this could not be possible without their efforts.
Once again, thank the Laskoski family for their devotion to this scholarship fund, their dedication to encourage the students
within the police association is an inspiration, and I wish to use this opportunity to finish my school program to give back to society and
possibly future generation of students.
Sincerely,
Dear York Region Police Association:
Yu Feng
Dear Larry Wood and the York Regional Police
Association,
Thank you very much for awarding me the Frank
Laskoski Scholarship. The scholarship is greatly
appreciated and will help me a lot in the coming year
financially.
Thank you very much for the Frank Laskoski
Scholarship Award of $500.00. This is a great
help towards the cost of my tuition for my third
year of Information Technology at York University.
Patrick Diceman
To the YRPA,
Sincerely,
I would like to thank you for the Frank Laskoski
Scholarship. It is greatly appreciated and will go
towards financing my university studies.
My name is Padma Maharaj and I am a 3rd year
chemistry major at the University of Guelph. I would
like to thank you for awarding me the Frank
Laskoski Scholarship. The award will greatly
contribute to my education costs. I appreciate the
generosity of the Association and am honoured to
have received this award.
Thanks,
Sincerely,
Mike Coleman
Padma Maharaj
Lenie Alberts
Mr. Wood,
Hi,
Dear Mr. John Miskiw,
I would just like to thank the police association for
this scholarship as it will greatly help with this
year at school.
Thank you,
My name is Shannon Hazlett, I am writing to you to thank you; Mr. Miskiw
and the York Regional Police Association for awarding me the $500.00
Frank Laskoski Scholarship Award. My father Craig Hazlett briefly worked
alongside Sargent Frank Laskoski. I have applied the scholarship money
towards my University tuition. Thank you very much.
Glenn Hazlett
Sincerely,
Shannon Hazlett
35
To whom it may concern,
Dear Larry Wood,
I would like to thank the Frank Laskoski Scholarship Awards, The Laskoski
Family and the York Regional police Association for bestowing on me a
Scholarship Award of $500. It was with regret that I could not attend the
scholarship dinner in August but I’m sure everyone in attendance had a
great time and an amazing meal.
In August I received a scholarship from the York
Regional Police Association, which helped me a
great deal when attending school this fall. I
wanted to say thank you to you and the
association. The scholarship was extremely
helpful and I appreciate it very much. The dinner
was also very nice and I enjoyed talking with
other students my age and what they are doing
in their studies and their plans for the future.
Every bit helps and I am very grateful for the
generosity.
This money will be put towards my tuition for my third an final year at
Georgian College in Barrie for Hotel & Resort Administration. As this is
my final year, I am looking forward to the future in the Hotel & Resort
industry and thank the Frank Laskoski Scholarship Award for helping
me fulfill my educational journey.
Again thank you very much.
Yours truly,
Jennifer Perentesis
36
Thank you again,
Sincerely,
Kirsten Ruby
37
York Dragons - 2013 Police and Fire Games
Submitted by Suzanne Byrnes #1091
On July 29th 2013, York Dragons embarked on a beautiful
experience and challenge, the 2013 World Police and Fire
Games in Belfast, Northern
Ireland.
The team
experienced the cuisine and
outstanding hospitality the
people of Belfast had to offer.
On August 1, following a
morning of practice in the
Lagan River, Belfast in a
much expected weather, rain,
rain and more rain, athletes,
family, friends and the
community gathered at King’s
Hall for the most spectacular
opening ceremonies. The organizers outdid themselves.
Following opening night the team was shown more of
Belfast‘s hospitality. I would like to thank members of the
Police Service of Northern Ireland (serving and retired)
for guiding us and showing us some of the pubs and history
of Belfast.
York Dragons under the tutelage of Coach Matthew Ma
really came out in force. An underdog not to be messed
with managed to bring home three medals. Finishing third
against Germany and Singapore Police, the 10 men‘s team
showed their strengths. Likewise, York Dragons 10 mixed
team finished a close third against Singapore Police and
Germany, giving them a run for their money. Finally, York
Dragons 20 mixed team aka the U.N team gave Germany
the shock of their life by finishing first and grabbing the
Gold medal. I would like to thank the following participants
who assisted York Dragons in accomplishing the success
they did in Belfast.
Detective Constable Gregory Barnes York Dragons
Superintendent Mark Brown York Dragons
Detective Constable Aldo Cervini York Dragons
Constable
Rohan
Dinwall York Dragons
Detective Constable Ian
Hsiung York Dragons
Detective Constable
Matthew Ma York
Dragons
Jackie Moro York
Dragons
Constable Ashley Smith
York Dragons
38
Constable Scott Vincent York Dragons
Constable Jayme Cook York Dragons
Constable Eon Lam York Dragons
Mike Morrow Toronto Fire
Department
Constable Yekaterina (Kate)
Gatamiyeva Toronto Police Service
Brian Connoly Retired Det/Sgt
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Chief Inspector Operations Kenneth
Pennington Police Service of
Northern Ireland
Sam Sittlington Police retired Det/
Inspector Police Service of Northern
Ireland
Sergeant Phil Neill Police Service Northern Ireland
Dianne Crockland Retired Police Service Northern Ireland
Julie Padelford Miami Fire
Lea Browning Lake Havasu City Fire Department
Superintendent Alan Wong Singapore Police
Staff Sergeant Ong Ban Aik Singapore Police
Corporal Krishna Singapore Police
Inspector Ram Gurung Singapore Police
Drummer : Corporal Donna Koh Sin Singapore Police
Coxswain :Inspector Zack Toh Singapore Police
I would also like to mention Constable Garry Vosburg York
Regional who was successful in bringing back a bronze
medal in Judo. Garry is a veteran at these games and was
a welcome addition at the opening ceremonies. Detective
Constable Meredith Woodland York Regional Police
competed in the Toughest Competitor Alive, an event in
which she placed third overall also bringing home a bronze
medal. Events included in this competition are a 5km run,
shotput, 100m sprint, 100m swim, 20 ft legless rope climb,
maximum bench press, maximum pullups and an obstacle
course all in one day. Looking forward to the 2015 WPFG
in Fairfax Virginia, see you there. http://fairfax2015.com
Congratulations to all, you really made your services proud.
York Dragons
Submitted by Gary Miner
On August 17, 2013 the York Dragons competed at the Seneca Challenge in support of United Way York
Region. We finished with a silver in
the “A” division final. Also we raised
$1760.00 for UWYR. The event
raised $120K overall. On behalf of
the 2013 team, we would like to
thank the YRPA, the YRPA Sports
Committee and the SOA for their
on-going support to the sport of
dragon-boating. Bragging rights this
season goes to the ‘sworn’ members of the team who attended the World Police Fire Games in Belfast Ireland and
brought back a ‘gold’ and two ‘bronze’ medals for Canada. YRP represented Canada very nicely at WPFG in other
sports as well. Visit us at: www.yorkdragons.ca for membership information or contact one of our volunteers.
Meredith Woodland
Meredith Woodland #1606 recently competed in the World
Police and Fire Games in Belfast, Northern Ireland, bringing
home a bronze medal in the 30-34 age category for the
‘Toughest Competitor Alive’ competition.
The Toughest Competitor Alive event consists of eight
individual phases, all completed in one day: a five-kilometre
run, shot put, 100-metre sprint, 100-metre swim, 20-foot
rope climb, bench press, pull ups and an obstacle course.
Woodland’s third place finish prevented a medal sweep by
Spanish competitors, who finished first, second and fourth.
Further down the road, as she keeps her eye on the biennial
World Police and Fire Games, the next in 2015 in Fairfax,
Virginia, Woodland also intends on participating in the 2014
Can-Am Police-Fire Games in York County, Pennsylvania.
39
Back Tips
Dr. Richard Collis Chiropractor
The leaves are beginning to fall. Here’s how you can
Rake Without the Ache!
Leaf Raking Tip #1
Before going out to rake leaves, be sure to prepare your
body. Jogging in place for a few minutes, and performing
some simple stretching exercises, can help warm your body
and prevent cold back muscles from being strained.
LeafRaking Tip #2
Once you begin raking leaves, pay attention to allowing
your body to twist at the waist while your legs are planted.
Instead, be sure to move your feet while working. Also,
make sure you put one leg in front of the other, switching
as often as possible.
Leaf Raking Tip #3
Try to stand with your knees slightly bent, instead of
standing stiff legged. Bending the knees slightly takes some
40
pressure of the lower back and allows you to move more
freely.
Leaf Raking Tip #4
Try to keep the rake as close to your body as possible.
Stretching with your rake for extended periods can be
stressful to your back.
Leaf Raking Tip #5
Do not overfill bags so that they are too heavy. When
possible, try pulling the bags instead of lifting. If you must
lift, bend at your knees and not at your back, keeping the
load close to your body.
Leaf Raking Tip #6
Remember to take frequent breaks. Never perform
activities for long periods that your body is not accustomed
to.www.drrichardcollis.com
Mike Moran Legacy Fund
Submitted by Gary Miner #221
In 2009 Mike retired from YRP, Mike was involved through
his Church, with supporting an Orphanage in Nicaragua,
in particular supporting the ‘nutrition plan’.
On November 17, 2011, Mike passed away suddenly and
unexpectedly.
This summer Mike’s wife ‘Mary-Anne’ and his daughter
Angela travelled to the orphanage, with their church. Angela
has started a legacy project in honour of Mike’s memory.
Funds from the project go directly towards supporting the
nutrition plan at the Orphanage. The current goal is to
raise $6000.00.
Mike was a member of our dragon boat team for many
years. This season: Yorkdragons.ca - donated $100.92 as
part of our motto of raising money for worthy causes.
Why the .92 cents, this was Mike’s badge number #92.
I encourage any member making a donation to end with
the .92 cents. Mike was a mentor and a good friend to me
and so far I have raised just over $600.00 for this fund.
Tax receipts will be issued by “LAMb International Canada”
upon request.
The Orphanage Minister in Nicaragua holding a picture
of Mike with his 30-year service medal. This picture is
posted at the orphanage.
Any member of YRP who wishes to know more or make
a contribution to the “Mike Moran Legacy Fund” is asked
to contact: Gary Miner ([email protected]) or Mike’s daughter
directly, Ms. Angela Heppleton @ 705-717-2188.
Mike when he worked in Community Services
41
“We Can’t Be In Their Shoes – Families Feel Stress, Too”
Submitted by Jennifer Thompson #5340
As many of you know, I am married to a police officer
within York Regional Police and we have had our share of
stressful situations during our careers. I do strongly feel
thankful that I work within this organization and am aware
of how to access services and benefits that have been
necessary, in a timely manner. Having said this, what
about those spouses that do not work within this
organization and do not know what services are available
in order to help their loved ones, themselves or their
children?
Because stress affects family members, they are often the
first to recognize the member’s need for help, and they
play a crucial role by encouraging him or her to seek
assistance before the problem gets worse. This
encouragement at times may also be seen as “nagging”,
therefore it is imperative to know where to turn if the
member just does not appear to be interested in getting
assistance.
Police members need to understand that not only is their
job stressful, the effects on the family can be just as severe.
While speaking with many spouses, a common theme has
become evident, that high levels of stress can be experienced
due to their spouse’s job within our policing organization.
Stress felt by spouses is a concern in and of itself and also
because a stressful home environment can affect every
facet on one’s life. Sources of stress commonly cited by
members’ spouses include:
• Shift work and overtime;
• Unknown if they will be home on time for scheduled
events;
• Concern over the spouses’ cynicism;
• Need to feel in control;
• Inability to express feelings;
• Fear that the spouse will be hurt or killed in the line of
duty;
• The officers 24 hour role as a law enforcer;
• Too much or too little sharing of the role of their job;
• Fear of the members’ short fuse and “snapping” ability;
and/or
• Problems in helping the member cope with workrelated issues, trauma or cumulative events.
In order for a family member to help the member cope
with trauma it is important for these supporters to
understand their loved ones’ reactions as well as their own,
so they can help them through the difficult times that
accompany and follow traumatic or cumulative events.
42
Natural Responses to Traumatic Events:
Most people who experience traumatic events will have
normal stress responses and experience some difficulties
for a period of time. There is a normal range of emotions
that follow immediately after a traumatic event, which may
include:
• being upset (may even cry, yell or shake);
• being calm (composed or even numb cold or
detached);
• they may wish to talk about the incident or remain
silent;
• some may want physical contact, while others may
not want to be touched;
• they may have any number of emotions including
feelings of fear, anger, guilt, sadness, and confusion;
• nightmares, insomnia or excessive sleeping;
• changes in eating habits;
• physical aches;
• difficulty concentrating, and/or
• loss of interest in activities and others.
All of these emotions are considered normal and it is
important to encourage the member to process their feelings.
However, when these emotions continue over an extended
period of time (longer than a month) it is important to
encourage the member to seek assistance. The earlier
assistance is obtained, the earlier our loved one will get
back to ‘normal.’
Some of our members who have endured traumatic or
cumulative events, despite how they are feeling may believe
it is necessary to assure their families that they are fine.
This lack of acknowledgement can be contributed to
negative stigma or the old school police mentality of “suck
it up; you were hired to do this job.” They may also not
want to “bother” others with their continuing problems or
may just want to “get back to normal.” Some will use
alcohol (which is the most acceptable within any policing
organization), drugs and sexual promiscuity, overeating,
or overworking to numb their feelings.
Reactions of Family and Friends:
When a family member learns that a loved one is under
emotional distress, he or she may experience a range of
emotions that are similar to the emotions of the loved one.
Some of these include: feelings of helplessness and
confusion, anger, guilt, fear and depression. Family
members often want to help, but may get conflicting
messages and not know where to turn.
What Should a Family Member do if Someone They
Care for is suffering?
Support: Be there for your loved one. Often, we feel a
need to “problem solve” or offer advice. However, physical
presence and support are usually more valuable. Do not
comment on what should have been done or tell them
what to do now.
Education: Educate yourself about trauma and the healing
process. Learn about common reactions to traumatic
experiences and about resources by reading books,
searching the Internet, talking to a mental health professional
or contacting a member of the Critical Incident Stress
Management Spousal Support Team or OSI Wellness
Project. It is important to note that these interactions
are completely confidential and will not in any way
negatively affect your family member’s career.
Communicate: Listen and allow the member to talk about
the traumatic experience at his or her own pace. Let them
know you are there to listen and give support when they
are ready. Believe the member and validate his or her
feelings and reactions. Do not minimize what the member
has been through by saying things like, “it could have been
worse.”
doing and we slowly integrated back into our equal
partnership.
We can’t be in their shoes. We can only do a few things.
We can TRY to understand them and we can LOVE them.
Please share this article with your loved one or family
member in an attempt to circumvent any harm that could
occur to your family relationships due to lack of knowledge,
education or resources. Our family members need to know
where the resources are, where to turn to and who they
can contact.
If you see your loved one is suffering and you do not
know where to turn, please contact myself or any member
of the OSI Wellness Project. We can be contacted at the
below phone numbers and email addresses.
Jennifer Thompson [email protected] - 905-830-0303 ext.
2497
PC Beth Milliard [email protected] - 905-830-0303 ext. 2498
S/Sgt Brad McKay [email protected] 905-830-0303 ext. 2818
Speaking from experience, communication is the key to
getting through awful times. There was a time that my
husband shared his feelings with me and my reaction was
to freak out and yell that he was being un-realistic and
unappreciative. This horrible reaction of mine was
completely detrimental in his attempt to open up to me
and share his feelings. I now always try to appreciate the
fact that communication is occurring and process any
reactions before sharing them.
Broaden the Social Support Network: Friends may also
encourage your loved ones to get help. This support may
come from friends, family members, religious institutions,
support groups, self-help, or trained mental health
professionals.
Return Control: Family members must respect the time
and space it takes to heal. This requires patience and an
understanding of the members’ capabilities.
After my husband’s accident I became a force to be
reckoned with and fought hard to take care of him and his
needs. It was not until he said to me “I would like you to
stop treating me like a patient, and more like a partner,”
I realized I had taken his control away from him. This
communication from him helped me realize what I was
43
Co n g r a t u l a t io ns
t o t h e f o l l o w i n g m e m b e r s a n d t h e i r f a m i l i es:
A l l iso n D i a s # 5631 o n t h e b i r t h o f h e r so n
C a le m
A b h i S h a r a n # 5638 o n t h e b i r t h o f A a r a v
B r i a n H o d g i n s #1522 O n t h e b i r t h o f so n
Oli ver
K a r i n L a r k a n # 5 4 81 & I a n H i l l # 8 6 7 o n
t he bi r t h of d a u gh te r E m il y H ope
B i l l L o u c k s #1275 o n t h e b i r t h o f H e n r y
C h r ist o p h e r
A n d r e w B o x #1783 o n t h e b i r t h o f
Sal v a tore A n d rea
N i g e l P a t r i k C o l e #1272 & N i c o l e C o r n e c t
#1785 o n t h e b i r t h o f t h e i r so n D e n v e r
D a m ien
D a r r y l ( #1 4 0 9) a n d
M eli n d a B e a u r eg a r d
a n d p rou d big brother
K a l e b a r e p l e a se d t o
a n n o u n ce t he bi r t h of
thei r d a ughter a n d
sist e r – K h loe
B e a u r eg a r d w ho w as
b o r n o n J u n e 25 t h 2 0 13
C h a d I n n ess #128 9 o n t h e b i r t h o f A d d iso n
E li z a bet h
R i c h i e H o #159 0 o n t h e b i r t h o f T y so n
M a r c us
N i c k J o h n so n #12 91 o n t h e b i r t h o f C l a r k
N ichol as
R y a n S m i t h #1571 o n t h e b i r t h o f J a m i eso n
Ryan
P e t e r G e r u l a t h #1719 o n t h e b i r t h o f so n
H e n r y A u g ust us
Baby: Brycen Eli MARCOUX
Born Sept 04 2013
weighing 9 lbs 13 oz.
Father Eli MARCOUX # 1889
Mother Lesley MARCOUX.
44
The 7th Annual Support the Troops Rally
Submitted by Gary Miner #221
The 7-th Annual Support the troops rally was hosted by
Mt Albert Legion branch 382 and organized by Ms. Cathy
Morton, Legion President and Counsel member of the Town
East Gwillimbury.
The photos were shared by AnnaLena Seeman and were
taken inside Mt. Albert United Church at the event on
Saturday Oct 19, 2013.
They show the 40 Soldiers who
attended, in the group shot, the
YRP Chorus is shown in the
background and YRP Officers YRP
Auxiliary on the right near
‘provincial standard flag’
45
CLASSIFIEDS
Members wishing to submit small classified ads, 25 words or less, may do so at no charge.
E-mail submissions to [email protected]
DISCOUNTED MARYKAY
RENOVATION
Savy Braye, RMT/CLT
COSMETIC PRODUCTS
RESERVATIONS?
Registered Massage Therapist
FOR SALE
Licensed tradesman with 20 years
(R.M.T.), Certified Laser
(makeup, anti-aging lotion and
experience. Specializing in
Therapist (C.L.T.) and also a
men and women fragrances)
plumbing, heating, gas, electrical,
Certified Reiki Practitioner
Contact: Olive Corpuz
framing, tile work and complete
705-717-9329 or
Olived [email protected]
washroom renovations.
[email protected]
647-296-8664
JAY 647-680-1847
or [email protected]
THINKING
ABOUT
GLAMOUR SHOTS for that
special someone or occasion?
We provide professional photo
and make-up session. For more
information contact Tihana at
X6030
“AMPS DIRECT” Video
Transfer Service
Film, Slide & Video Tape Transfer to DVD. Best Price, High
Quality
Frank Ruggiero
H: 705-437-4573
[email protected]
BOAT OPERATOR’S CARD
courses and exams
Powerboat handling lessons
YRPA Members 15% discount
on Boating Card Courses (3 people or more) Contact Steve
McCullough (Retired #232
Marine Unit)
[email protected]
C:905-252-2125
H:905-476-2611
FOR CAKE’S SAKE
Cakes and other treats for all
occasions! Discounts for emergency service workers.
Contact Amy McLeod at
[email protected]
46
SALMON FISHING - LAKE
ONTARIO Discount for YRP
members. Free entry into the
Great Ontario Salmon Derby.
Contact Steve Patrick
905-841-6517
[email protected]
www.ReelactionCharters.ca
LUXURY FLORIDA HOME
FOR RENT
4 bedroom home with private
pool. Sleeps 8 - 10 people. In
the sought after Disney area, mins
to the Magic Kingdom. Only to
police officers. $800 per week.
Info and availability on our
website
www.canadianfloridavacationhome.com
or email
[email protected]
SMOOTH OPERATORS DJ
SERVICES
Weddings, Corporate functions
and all types of parties.
Very reasonable rates.
Contact Frank Ruggiero at
[email protected]
Tasho Koidis at [email protected]
FOR RENT- FORT MYERS,
FLA
2 bedroom condo for rent to
YRP members and family.
$500. per week.
Contact: Paul Chiang #1041
BADGE NUMBER
PENDANT
Stainless steel. Makes a great
gift for a spouse! Just $30 –
made by YRP member. Also
available in sterling silver.
www.go.to/policependants
[email protected]
KERR EVENTS & DESIGN
High quality and affordable event
decor & rentals. Full service design management and planning for
weddings and special events.
Leave it in our hands and enjoy
your day!
Theresa Kerr - Dan Kerr
[email protected]
kerrevents.ca
705-817-8733
CLASSIFIEDS
Members wishing to submit small classified ads, 25 words or less, may do so at no charge.
E-mail submissions to [email protected]
HAIR STYLING
COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA
FOR RENT -WATERFRONT
9 yr experienced hair stylist lookCONDO FOR RENT
COTTAGE ON GEORGIAN
ing for new clients. Keswick and
Two bed/bath condo directly on
BAY Town of Blue Mountain
Uxbridge locations. Contact
beach with view of the ocean. 45
7
minutes
to
village,
beautifully
Melissa Hoult (YRP wife) 647mins to Orlando, 5 mins to Port
appointed
with
all
the
amenities.
Canaveral. $850-1195/week.
293-5077. Colour/Cuts/Exten3 Bedroom sleeps 8. Available
Contact Chris Armstrong #1095
sions/Kertain hair treatments
April - November. Contact:
or visit:https://sites.google.com/
Kelly Morgan #854
site/vacationcocoabeach/
47