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site updated August 5, 2013 7:35 PM

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Your opinion

First aid required

August 2, 2013 2:52 PM

Editor, Sir;
On Wednesday, July 24 I attended the seniors' annual picnic at the Tlell fair grounds. A great time was had by all.
At the end of the picnic, as we were leaving the grounds there was an unfortunate incident. One of the vehicles leaving was involved in a minor accident. Not knowing if anyone was hurt, a call went out for a first aid person. Luckily no one was injured because there was no one there with any medical experience.
It seems to me that with that many seniors' in one place there should be at least a first aid person in attendance. Any type of emergency could arise.
Marj Burris
Queen Charlotte

A clarification

August 2, 2013 2:52 PM

Editor, Sir;
I was surprised to get home and hear that I was mentioned in the last two issues of the Observer, but I soon realized that a lot of the information was incorrect.
I'd like to take this opportunity to clarify.
I am currently an undergraduate student at UBC, working towards a Bachelors of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health. I am a Dietetics major, and this will be my fourth year of the five year program. When I graduate I will be a Registered Dietitian, and I also intend to become a Certified Diabetes Educator.
In July I was interning with the First Nations Health Program at Whitehorse General Hospital. That was not part of my UBC program however; just an interesting opportunity that I sought out after hearing of their amazing policies. WGH has the best First Nations Health Program in all of Canada. It has been in place since the Yukon First Nations became self-governing nearly 20 years ago. I was working with the Traditional Foods Program on a diabetes initiative for the 14 communities.
I am the only indigenous person in the province studying Dietetics, and I will be the second to graduate from UBC's program. There are currently 18 First Nations Registered Dietitians in all of Canada.
It is true that First Nations health is of the utmost importance to me; specifically diabetes prevention and management. And how convenient that the new hospital is going to be complete just as I graduate :)
Jessie Newman
Skidegate

Our editor's opinion

The ground is broken

August 2, 2013 2:53 PM

It's happening. Finally. Construction of the new south-end hospital is, as of Tuesday, actually underway.
The building was officially announced 15 months ago, preparatory work has been ongoing since, but then on Tuesday, the ground was broken. The $50-million hospital, long awaited, is expected to be finished in two years. What an opening day that will be!
We said 'finally' as our second sentence, not because this iteration of the project has taken a long time, but because the project is long, long overdue.
The building it replaces dates from the 1950s. It has been added onto, modified and changed almost past recognition. It has served us well. But it's been time for a change for years.
Many islanders will remember the discussions in the 1990s, now twenty years ago, when we came close, even very close, to getting a new hospital. But selecting a site, always fraught, held the process up for so long that the province, in a move of general austerity, finally said it no longer had the money. That stopped things for the better part of two decades.
In the interim, the north end cleverly put together a package for a hospital funded by the three communities. The new hospital there, which opened its doors in October 2008, is a huge benefit for the north end.
And now, finally, it's the south end's turn.
At the ceremony Tuesday, we heard Health Minister Terry Lake call the groundbreaking "an important milestone for Queen Charlotte/Haida Gwaii," noting that his government, recently re-elected, is committed providing enhanced facilities while providing value for taxpayers.
QC mayor Carol Kulesha, smiling broadly, thanked all for coming to witness the event, while CHN president Peter Lantin talked of how important collaboration is to Haida Gwaii.
The new south-end hospital. It's off and running. Congratulations to all who have steered the project this far!

Summer busy

Event after event after event. That seems to be the way the summer is playing out, with several of our great islands' festivals behind us, and several still ahead.
This past weekend, it was Logger Sports Day in Sandspit (see photo spread, this newspaper).
Upcoming, we have the Tlell Fall Fair on Sunday, the music festival the weekend after, and the Legacy Pole raising on August 15. And then comes August 24.
That day is shaping up to be the busiest festival day in years. Your choice will be attend one or all of the following;
. Kaay Centre anniversary (Skidegate)
. Spirit Square Day (Queen Charlotte)
. Harbour Day (Masset).
As well, there are lots of other, more minor activities to take part in, including a full program of activities in Naikoon Provincial Park (see coming events, this newspaper), as well as an evening of Haida culture (tomorrow, Skidegate) and the HG's Got Talent evening (Masset, tonight).
Check out our Community Calendar and Coming Events sections on page 19 for complete details of what's happening day to day and week to week.
And enjoy! It's August already and summer is going to be on the wane soon enough.