REDACRegional Economic Development Advisory Committee

InvItAtIonThe Municipality of McDougall, the Town of Parry Sound and Seguin Township are accepting applications for volunteers to sit on the Regional Economic Development Advisory Committee. The objective of the Advisory Committee is to assist with the implementation of the “Area Economic Development Strategy”.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWINGCHARACTERISTICS:

- Direct experience, knowledge and connections to various business sectors and services;- Engagement in business activity and entrepreneurship in McDougall, Parry Sound or Seguin- Links to the communities of McDougall, Parry Sound or Seguin through residency, property ownership or work

All applicants should submit a general application (cover letter and resume) outlining their knowledge and experience.

A complete copy of the Regional Economic Development Advisory Committee Terms of Reference may be obtained by contacting Nicole Sullivan by phone at (705) 746-2101, ext 39 or by e-mail at nsullivan@townofparrysound.com

Applications should be submitted to:Nicole SullivanEconomic Development Coordinator52 Seguin StreetParry Sound, ON P2A 1B4E-mail: nsullivan@townofparrysound.com

All applications should be received by Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.316634

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Wednesday April 2, 2008 ◆ PARRY SOUND NORTH STAR - 9

‘It’s a solitary job’BY JACK TYNANNorth Star staff

MCKELLAR – They spend most of their volunteer time quietly sitting at the bedsides of dying men and women.

On Saturday, about 70 hospice workers from Parry Sound, North Bay, south Muskoka Huntsville and Almaguin gathered in t h e M c Ke l l a r Co m m u n i ty Centre, just northeast of Parry Sound, to take a little time for themselves.

“This is your day for personal wellness,” said West Parry Sound Hospice administrator Ruth Lyte as she welcomed vo l u n t e e r s t o t h e a n n u a l regional gathering. “I can think of no one else who really deserves this day … play and laugh for emotional wellbeing. It is our hope that being in this group together, in an intimate situation, we will learn from and share with each other.”

In a room decorated with butterflies and pastel colours, t h e h o s p i c e wo r ke r s d i d re laxat ion exercises with wellness guru Dr. Bill Knight, shared stories over lunch,

and l istened to a musical performance by classical pianist Bev Foster.

Most importantly, hospice workers took solace in the company of others who do the same work – comforting those on their deathbeds as well as grieving friends and family of the dying.

“You don’t often get to meet people doing the same thing you’re doing,” said Parry Sound Hospice board member Carl Hickey. “It’s just a solitary job. You go out, you’re doing visiting one-on-one, you’re part of a team, but very seldom do you work with a team.”

Th e We st Pa r r y S o u n d Hospice, which started in 1997, serves about 40 families each year. In the entire region, Ms Lyte estimates hospice workers serve about 1,500 families a year, with volunteers working in homes, nursing homes and hospitals to give families a break or work alongside them as they cope with the final days of a loved one’s life. The volunteers also spend up to a year helping families with the bereavement process following a death.

For Bracebridge resident Mary Anne Kelly, who works w i t h t h e s o u t h M u s ko ka hospice, Saturday’s meeting was a chance to realize hospice workers need to take a little time out for themselves.

“When she said ‘this day is for you,’ it’s like, oh, that’s kind of nice,” she said. “It’s uplifting for a line of work we do that can be kind of down.”

Most of the hospice volunteers are seniors. Many have lost friends and family of their own, and understand that death shouldn’t be feared, but accepted as part of everyone’s lives, Ms. Kelly said.

“You accept that you were there for them when they needed you most,” she said. “That’s a simple way of looking at it. You matter somehow to people you attend. You may be the last person they see. It’s a real worthwhile feeling that you get.”

Over the holiday season, Ms Kelly sat with a dying woman to give family members a break.

She was there, surrounded by family photos and gifts, sitting

beside the woman when she quietly drew her last breath.

“It’s reality,” she said. “They know it’s going to happen. The bottom line is, no one should die alone. It didn’t make me sad. I didn’t know the lady, but this was part of her life story – with pictures of her family all around her.”

In other cases, Ms Kelly has become very close with terminally ill residents and their families, helping a dying woman with scrapbooks and becoming longtime friends with

relatives of those who died.“Grief and loss is part of our

condition as human beings,” said Lynn Ingham, a hospice worker in the Almaguin and South River area. “Our culture is afraid to acknowledge grief and loss as part of being alive. Personal grief took me to a new place of understanding."

"There aren’t any words – it’s just being with someone," she said.

After the gathering ended, participants went back to their respective communities and

their work comforting others, reinvigorated by the annual chance to share lunch, stories and a few hours to re lax , knowing they’ve made the end of some lives a little bit better.

“So many people don’t want to die in a hospital, and these are the kind of people that enable that to happen,” said West Parry Sound Health Centre intensive care nurse Colleen Morris. “They have to cope with their stress before they can help.”

A day to care for those who comfort the dying

continued from frontThe staff changes were set to take effect April 1, when a contract with unionized staff expired,

but Belvedere CEO Bev Preuss said the home must first implement new policies, procedures and routines and held off on the reductions.

"We're going to be carrying out what we said we will, it's just postponed until a later date," said Ms Preuss.

While staff stayed their salaries last year, the home's top position made the list of public sector employees who earn more than $100,000 for the first time. Ms Preuss, who started Jan. 1, 2007, taking over from interim CEO Sharon Shewen, earned $105,668.

John Cochrane, the provincial representative on the Belvedere board and a councillor in the Township of Archipelago, said Ms Preuss' 2007 salary was the contract amount agreed to when she was hired.

"There has been no raise because she started at this (rate) you are seeing now," said Mr. Cochrane. "We have an excellent, first class CEO. We're very happy with our CEO and very proud to have her and have her at a salary appropriate to the position she holds."

Ms Preuss said she was surprised no other CEO at the home had made past lists, and said she's working hard in her position.

"The job is worth a certain amount of money," she said.

Unionized Belvedere employees will begin negotiating a new contract with the home Thursday, according to CUPE 4824 spokesperson John Cromwell. The union, upset about the planned hourly cutbacks, mailed a flyer out to local residents accusing the home of putting client care in jeopardy.

Union members don ' t p lan to forego wage increases in this year's negotiation, Mr. Cromwell said.

In the Parry Sound region, the number of public sector employees on the $100,000-plus list increased by 20 per cent, from 33 in 2006 to 41 in 2007.

Some of the area public employees who top l ist include: Near North School Board director of education Heli Vail , $142,541.09; Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board director of education Anna Marie Bitonti,$147,306.26; West Parry Sound Health Centre CEO Norman Maciver,$192,967.59; North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Catherine Whiting, $213,756.62; and Seguin Township CAO Tom Stockie,$149,193.82.

THE $100K CLUBNear North District School BoardVail, Heli director of education .................................................$142,541.09Shultz, Thomas business superintendent ...........................................$135,234.70Pavone Lucio, secondary principal ...................................................$104,639.27Inglis, Beverley principal student success ..........................................$107,719.52Gagne Vincent principal, secondary ..................................................$107,719.52Colline Timothy principal, secondary ..................................................$105,657.28Butt, Shahina principal, secondary ..................................................$107,723.20Brown, Kelly C superintendent, schools and program .......................$110,442.52Bocking, Patrick superintendent, schools and program .......................$120,339.94Blair, Terry E principal, elementary .................................................$102,588.43Adamson, Susan superintendent, schools and program .......................$105,945.05

Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board Barnhardt, Grace superintendent of business/treasurer ......................$125,519.76Benard, Joanne superintendent of education ....................................$125,519.76Bitonti, Anna Marie director of education ................................................$147,306.26Bitonti, Joe principal, Pathways for Student Success ...................$106,036.36Fabbro-Cobb, Karen senior education official ...........................................$106,400.37Jolette, Daniel manager, information services .................................$109,507.87Mann, Paula senior education official ...........................................$101,884.47

West Parry Sound Health Centre Blankenfeldt, Tilo director, human resources .......................................$122,569.66Gilchrist, Jeffrey chief financial officer ................................................$124,415.34Gohier, David director, environmental & support services .......................$113,341.98Istvan, Peter director, corporate support services .........................$122,858.18Maciver, Norman chief executive officer ..............................................$192,967.59Reinders, Paula registered nurse ......................................................$120,487.68Tolonen, Kathleen registered nurse ......................................................$100,832.72

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Jekel, Peter director, environmental health .................................$103,680.42Whiting, Dr. Catherine medical officer of health/executive officer .......................$213,756.62Whitney, Leeann director, infectious disease ......................................$100,201.67

MunicipalitiesTownship of Seguin Stockie, Tom chief administrative officer ........................................$149,193.82Town of Parry Sound Mens, Robert chief administrative officer/clerk ..............................$125,088.79Township of The Archipelago Kaegi, Stephen chief administrative officer/clerk ..............................$128,987.21

District of Parry Sound Social Services Fisher, Mark chief administrative officer .......................................$122,502.90

Children's Aid Society of Nipissing & Parry Sound Craig, Catherine manager, services ...................................................$111,210.93Hebert, Gisele executive director ....................................................$127,025.72

Belvedere Heights Preuss, Bev chief executive officer ..............................................$105,668.00

Muskoka-Parry Sound Community Mental Health Service Davies, William P executive director ....................................................$106,737.10

Ontario Court of Justice Klein, Lawrence judge .......................................................................$225,234.46

Attorney General Carlton, Edward crown attorney...........................................................$162,456.75Scharger, Steven assistant crown attorney ..........................................$149,859.48 Beatty, Wesley assistant crown attorney ..........................................$136,273.52

Community Safety & Correctional Services Jollymore, Percy OPP commander .....................................................$121,685.69

YOU’RE INVITED!

aOPEN HOUSEbCome out and meet

BaysideNaturopathic

Clinic

324199

Dr. Jennifer Kaster B.Sc., NDBoard Certifi ed Naturopathic Doctor

Find out how naturopathic medicine can help you on your journey to wellness.

Saturday, April 5th, 200810:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

7 William St. Unit #6 – back entrance(Beside Giant Tiger)

774-0987

Contract talks Thursday

Jack Tynan/ North Star

Dr. Bill Knight shares tips on meditation and relaxation during a regional meeting of hospice volunteers at the McKellar Community Centre Saturday.