Medical Assistance in Dying

When the Medically Assistance in Dying law (MAID) was introduced Laurie knew immediately that it was unlikely that she would be able to take advantage. The combination of being near death as well as in sound mind was unlikely once the cancer had metastasized into her brain.

It looks like the changes that the Superior Court of Québec have ordered would help people in Laurie’s position but it is far from clear. The Government is now running an online questionnaire regarding MAID. Please take the time and make your opinions known. I add the link below with the caveat that there is little evidence how the Government will respond to the findings from the consultation.

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/ad-am/index.html

Ottawa Public Schools 1918

Another find from the Internet Archive

Table from The public schools of Ottawa (1918) found at http://www.archive.org/details/publicschoolsofo00markuoft

In 1918 First Avenue School had 645 students occupying 13 classrooms plus a kindergarten. Connaught School, new at the time, had 604 students in 13 classrooms plus  a kindergarten. Mutchmor had 545 students in 11 classrooms plus a kindergarten for an average of almost 50 students per classroom.

Table from The public schools of Ottawa (1918)
found at http://www.archive.org/details/publicschoolsofo00markuoft

My current reading list

I am thrilled to have purchased two excellent looking memoirs in the last few weeks. Both from authors Laurie Kingston supported and encouraged. She would have been overjoyed to see them in print.
Henriette Ivanans-McIntyre has written a memoir “In Pillness and in Health: A memoir. (https://www.amazon.com/Pillness-Health-memoir-Henriette-Ivanans-ebook/dp/B07V49YDC8)

Amanda Jetté Knox has written “Love Lives HereA Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family” (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/566534/love-lives-here-by-amanda-jette-knox/9780735235175)


I am really looking forward to reading both.

Flood 2019

Many hands make light work

The last week or so has brought major flooding to Ottawa and environs. I was able to spend a bit of time helping out around the city. It has been amazing to see so many volunteers doing whatever they can to help. It seemed to me to be at just the right level of order/disorder. Enough organization that people were being kept safe and were doing useful tasks, but not so bureaucratic that people couldn’t just pitch in and help. I signed a bunch of waivers and that was about it. I’m sure there will be a proper evaluation after it passes, but to me, at least on the Ottawa side of the river, it looked good.