Public shaming
All professions need accountability and if there is a problem, it needs to be investigated and resolved. I would kindly suggest that public shaming by the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) and again in your paper does nothing to resolve an issue or put supports in place for a struggling teacher.
By the time an issue is resolved at the TRB, the teacher has often been dragged through a rigorous process at the local level and then again at the TRB. They have paid the consequences 10 times over by this time. Is it necessary to do the public stoning as well? I don’t think so. No other profession undergoes this shaming in such a public way. Why only teachers?
I am disappointed in the Townsman’s decision to print the article and further shame a local teacher. She has paid a very heavy price already.
Shelley Balfour, Cranbrook
Local Action Team
I am writing to celebrate the excellence some local people.
I want to congratulate the East Kootenay Local Action Team of the Child & Mental Health and Substance Use Collaborative, who made the video tapes of the workshops held here on Eating Disorders. These videos are now being shown around BC and they are helping many families understand and deal with eating disorders that threaten the lives of hundreds of loved ones. We all know of a family that has or is trying to deal with this terrible condition.
This small group of committed local citizens has distinguished themselves to the point that the Doctors of BC, a funding partner with the BC Government, contacted my office to say, “Hey Mr Bennett, did you know you have some local heroes who should be celebrated?” So I am pleased and grateful to say, “well done and thank you!”
A special thank you to Jill Bain, project lead for the East Kootenay teams that spearheaded the Eating Disorders work. If you want to view these exceptional video’s, go to http://sharedcarebc.ca/initiatives/CYMHSU-Resources
Bill Bennett, MLA Kootenay East
Good People
For anyone who knew Deb Blais, I really don’t need to say more. Deb, or Debbie, was ‘good people.’
I should note this is not an anniversary article tied to Deb’s birth, nor death. The timing in fact is not significant at all, except that it is finally about time I put some of my thoughts about Deb in writing. Deb would understand.
For those of you who did not know Deborah Blais, you likely know or knew someone in your life who has had a similar effect on you as Deb Blais had on me. These are the people who spark joy in your life.
There has been a lot of attention paid recently to “tidying up” your life by only keeping things that spark joy in your life. The discussion revolves around a best-selling book called Spark Joy and refers to physical items such as clothing or furniture, but I want to extend the discussion to include people who spark joy in your life. For me, Deb was one of those people.
“There’s only one place I’d rather be. Nowhere.” This became our mantra during the annual Kimberley ‘Snow Fiesta’ curling bonspiel. Deb and I seemed to be on the same wavelength when it came to curling and the Snow Fiesta. We simply loved to be there. It got to the point where I would just look at Deb while we were on the ice and say, “Deb?….” and she would say, “I know. Nowhere!”
Then, about three years ago, I read about a ’55 year old woman’ who drowned tragically in a pond at a local golf course. I was at work when I read the story, and stunned when I read the name. Deborah Marie Blais. What? Impossible. Deb is not 55! Deb is eight, and she is 12 and she is 32 and she could be 102! Deb is ageless. She can’t be dead.
Deb was taken from all of us too soon. Death is a reality of life as we know it, and it happens all the time. Of course Deb was ‘just a person.’ But when it comes down to the individuals who die and influence us every day, there is no such thing as ‘just a person.’ Especially not when it came to Deb. Deb sparked joy.
When I learned Deb had passed away there was first disbelief, then shock, then sadness. But before too long there was joy once again. Joy that I had known her. Joy that in this crazy world I was fortunate enough to be a small part of Deb’s world. Joy that I knew Deb for the amazing person she was. And joy in knowing that I will be a better person for the rest of my life for having known Deb Blais.
The bad news is, Deb is gone from this earth.
The good news is, Deb lives on in those of us who knew her, and there are more Debs out there in the world. Ok, there will never really be another Deb like Deb Blais, but there are other people all over the world in every continent and every country and in every religion and in every tucked away corner of this earth who possess a similar spark of life; the ability to spark joy.
Whether you knew Deb or not, you most likely can think of someone like the Deb I am describing. And my hope is that everyone reading this will take a moment of their day – everyday – to pause for even a brief moment and remember the ‘Debs’ in your life. People who make you smile just by thinking of their name. People who spark joy in your life.
Deb – I love you and I miss you. I am a better person for knowing you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being you. You will always be with me and with all those who knew you.
For anyone who wishes to learn more about my dear friend and a soul mate, MacLean’s magazine did a fine job summarizing Deb’s life. As quoted by her sister, “People were her food. She needed them as much as they needed her.” http://www.macleans.ca/society/deborah-marie-blais/
Jeff Cooper, Kimberley
Benefits for Refugees
Recently I had to go to the dentist with a bad tooth. Without any benefits, I had been putting this off for some time.
When it was mentioned that they hadn’t seen me for quite awhile, I explained that my wife and I were now retired on a limited income without any benefits, the comment to me was “it’s too bad you aren’t a Syrian refugee as you would have it all covered.”
It’s really hard to accept that two people living, working and paying taxes in this country their whole lives do not have the same benefits as those who are just getting here as refugees and have yet to contribute a dime to our society. This would never have happened with a Conservative government.
For those that are still enamored with this new government of ours, I challenge you to justify this. You won’t, because there isn’t any justification for this travesty.
As a side note, I asked our MP Wayne Stetski to look into this about 6 weeks ago and have heard nothing from him. The only thing I heard is a political message from his assistant.
Neil Matheson, Cranbrook
