Canadians Fight to Stop Diminished Services

I belong to an international china painting "list" where all topics are allowed, not just painting. This month there have been many letters regarding the health care debate. We received this one from a Canadian reader:

I have been reading about the issues with proposed change to your health care and all the comments pro and con.

Just thought I would show you what we are doing here in Fort Erie Ontario, because the Niagara Health System has systematically reduced our services and beds, and have been slowly been changing our hospital into a nursing home. They are going to close our emergency department and turn it into an Urgent Care Centre (glorified walk in clinic) on Sept. 27,2009. This will leave close to 40,000 people without immediate emergency care. Frightening thought as we are on the U.S. Border and the busiest crossing.

We formed a group, (mostly seniors, but now getting the younger generation) we wear bright yellow shirts with NO emblazoned on the front, and have been fighting with all we have. We have had rallys, written letters to all parliamentarians, picket lines, letters to newspapers, and the list goes on.

Two weeks ago there was a little TV news item showing the final segment of, what has to be, a very expensive video fund raising campaign by the Niagara Health System, depicting a race to the finish line to make the last 14 million dollars for their new hospital that is over an hour away from here. It showed a bit about a man running to win and has trouble making it, a small child steps out to them him that he can do it as it is our time.

This is to be aired in early fall. Well guess what !!!!

Have a look at this youtube video that I put on line two days ago. We are certainly not actors, and we didn't care what we looked like, we did our own version, using their catch words and story line. We pre-empted their Big Show. Now maybe they will know that the seniors are willing to step up to the plate to fight for all of the citizens, not just for the Fort Erie Douglas Memorial Hospital that was built by the community for the community.

My sister June was the runner and she taught drama to grade 4 students, so was in her element, and although I am certainly not a public speaker managed to do the commentary. Our young boy goes to our church and has done a few commercials.

Look at the first link and laugh if you like. We certainly did. One comment that came in to me was "Sports Bra" You will know why when you see it.

I suddenly couldn't think of what I wanted to say and said a "S" word, so if you will be offended by it don't look at the outakes, in the second link. Pass these two links to everyone you can think of, as the more it is viewed the better our change is to make the government listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwmKcXLBDFI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAatGn8F_Ow

Fight On! Canadian Friends and God Bless You.