Posts Tagged ‘Barrie Green Party’
-
In Support of Peter V. Tretter
Today I’ll write something specific to the Green Party of Canada. Disclosure: I have never been on the party’s federal council.
I have been a party member since 2004 and active as a volunteer since 2006. I was President & CEO of the Barrie Federal Green Party Association for 6 years and three times a Campaign Manager for local green candidates.
I am neutral on the question of Annamie Paul. I don’t know if we should have a confidence vote on her leadership or if we should revoke her membership. My notebook says IDGARA – I don’t give a rat’s ass. Right now there is the threat of a general federal election. This is not the time to replace our leader. This is the time to unite behind our leader.
I do manage two unofficial Green Party Facebook groups – Canadians in Support of the Green Party of Canada & Ontarians in Support of the Green Party of Ontario and in my Canadians group I have seen so much division over this question.
I personally wish Annamie Paul would simply apologize for not supporting our Green MP’s in Parliament so we can all get over it and move on. However, she has not apologized and I can understand the pain felt by our MP’s and party members this has affected.
As a member of a grassroots party, we all have the right to have our voice heard. That needs to be done in a constructive manner and the federal council needs to understand that our pain is their pain. That the mistakes of our leader are the mistakes of all of us, as she is our spokesperson.
Statement supported by:
Redins, John
Yelle, Marie-Josee (Joric Simard) -
The secret of why I’m going back to school
English: Royal Roads University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It’s official.
I’ve quit my job. My last day is May 29th. I’m almost done a pre-requisite course on Academic Writing.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am going back to school.
Mid-June, I will be starting in the Master of Arts in Leadership program at Royal Roads University.
Now you may be wondering why someone who doesn’t even hold a bachelor’s degree would want to do a Master’s degree for? After years at my current job, I knew it was time for a change. And for years I have been applying for various jobs internally, and externally. But what finally made me consider going back to school was the fact that I felt I needed education to back up my experience, and it was a great reason to renew my sanity.
I was also inspired by Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May who has a law degree, but no post-secondary education other than that.
What will I do with this degree? I don’t honestly know. I applied at the end of 2014, and got my offer in February. I really like how the staff at Royal Roads University worked with me to ensure I had all the documents required for my application. They even extended the deadline for an errant transcript. (I have done some undergraduate course work.)
I’ve always believe if you don’t like your current situation, you should change it. Thankfully there is usually more than one way to change a situation. Since everyone and their dog is going the second career route these days, why can’t I?
I do have some challenges facing me. I have a learning disability, I’m on dialysis – which alone makes it hard to travel to Victoria, BC for the twice I have to go – two weeks each. As well I’m busy with volunteer commitments, some of which I am giving up, or already have. I am prioritizing. Because volunteering doesn’t pay the bills.
Still at the end of the day, I know I will be better for having gone back to school.
Related articles
-
Are the @CanadianGreens as inclusive as they could be?
For reader’s of my blog, you’ll know I am on dialysis. I have treatments three evenings a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This is both a blessing, and a curse. A blessing because I am still alive, and a curse because it makes it really hard to travel.
I am the immediate Past President of the Barrie Green Party. I was President for almost 6 years. I have been actively involved with the party since 2005, and this is my 10th year as a member.
Coming up 18 July – 20 July is the Green Party of Canada’s Biennial General Meeting in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I am sure it’s a beautiful city, but it has a huge barrier for me as an attendee. Horizon Health Network operates the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital. They have a dialysis unit….
but it’s a satellite of the hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick. And they’re full.
If an attendee was in a wheelchair, we’d ensure there was ramp. If they were deaf, we’d ensure there are American Sign Language interpreters.
Saint John is approximately 1.5 hours away from Fredericton. I’d have to make two trips. One to see the kidney doctor, and another for the actual dialysis treatment. Upon visiting a new dialysis unit for the first time, it’s standard practice to see the kidney doctor. So the party is asking me to make a 6 hour round trip… at my expense. And I’m already a low income member.
Why couldn’t we simply have the convention in Saint John?
I had a similar problem in 2009 when the convention was in Nova Scotia, which unfortunately I couldn’t attend due to getting the flu. But 2010 in Toronto was fine, as was 2012 in Victoria, BC.
This past Sunday at its Annual General Meeting, the Barrie Green Party heard from Sandra Holdsworth from the Trillium Gift of Life Network. She pointed out that those on the waiting list for a heart transplant go around with a backpack that has an artificial heart in it to keep them alive until they get a transplant. I imagine they can’t just travel anywhere. How are we accommodating them?
So I am asking my fellow members to help me find a solution, as I could be on dialysis for a very long time.
If you live in Ontario, I encourage you to ensure you’ve signed your organ donor card, by visiting the Barrie Green Party’s campaign page. (If the link doesn’t work, visit beadonor.ca)
Thank you for reading.
Related articles
-
Let’s dance again… by volunteering.
I like to keep active by volunteering. I find it gets me moving, the blood flowing, and I get to meet all sorts of amazing new people. This is especially true when I am the volunteer head of the organization. Two of which could really use your help.
In 2008, the Green Party of Canada, here in Barrie, had it’s best result ever, having a statistical tie with the NDP for third. Everyone was shocked. We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers. Three years later, we didn’t do so well. Why? We didn’t have as many volunteers. The Globe and Mail has actually come out and said that if we want to change how politics is done in Canada, citizens should join a political party and change it from the inside. I agree.
Coming up this July, the Green Party of Canada will hold it’s biennial general meeting in Fredricton, New Brunswick. In the Green Party, the only policies the leader is allowed to promote are the ones voted on by the members. It really is grassroots democracy. And you can be the change!
I’m also the volunteer head of another, non-political, non-profit, non-charity organization Journey to Diversity Workplaces.
J2DW was created because of a real desire for change — in our pocket books. To change the way we work, the way we treat each other, employees, managers, and co-workers, and to make life a little more stress-free. We want workplaces that are ethical, moral, and legal. No loophole searching.
J2DW as born this past December, but we still need a few good people to join the Board of Directors during the infancy of the organization to help us find out balance as we start to stand on our own two legs.
If you would like to volunteer for either of these two amazing organizations, please don’t hesitate to email me.
Neither of these two groups peak your interest? Email me anyway, and perhaps I can put you in touch with an organization that does.
Related articles
-
Living Green for today.
Picture of a residential block in South Barrie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have been involved with, and on the Board of a local charity for over four years. When I started, I felt I had a full plate, but they needed board members so I joined. Since then we’ve gone from an organization that did things on a project by project basis, to an organization that now has long term projects such as Off the Rack, and FruitShare. Of course this organization is Living Green Barrie (AKA Environmental Action Barrie).
Environmental Action Barrie has existed for over 25 years to bring the people of Barrie and surrounding communities together to learn about environmental issues, and to change habits in favour of environmentally – friendlier practices. We currently have ongoing eco-projects and we are always looking for volunteers. – Living Green Barrie
This past week, I was elected Chair of Barrie’s environmental charity. This is very different from anything I have done before. As President of the Barrie Green Party, the Executive is more collaborative, and flexible. With the Board of Living Green, everyone works well together, but there are certainly more strong personalities there. Both have their pros and cons. The beauty of this new challenge, as Chair of the Board for Living Green, is to 1) impartially chair board meetings, and 2) ensure the organization stays on track, and stays according to its mandate.
As President of the Barrie Green Party, I am an involved participant, despite the fact I chair the meetings of the Executive Board. I direct policy, and direction. But as Chair of Living Green, I don’t have control of anything. It’s a big contrast.
But at the end of the day, it’s all worth it. I know I am up for the challenge. With the Green Party I got us working with Robert’s Rules of Order to help streamline Executive meetings, and getting us to where we aren’t there all day, instead now we actually have a few small committees.
Hopefully with Living Green, we may get a few committees going, and be the charity Barrie deserves. We’re there, we just need to go the extra mile.
If you would like to join either the Board of Living Green, or the Green Party, email me!
Related articles
Cloud
Blogroll
Recent Posts
- My Latest Recommendations
- My Hospital Go Bag
- Review of My Health Care
- In Support of Peter V. Tretter
- My Experience with Reliance Home Comfort