The Link Online this week features stories from Lynn Desjardins, Terry Haig and Carmel Kilkenny. Marc Montgomery and Wojtek Gwiazda were on vacation.
World Humanitarian Day
An estimated 6.8 million Syrians have left their homes as have half a million people in Gaza, along with another half million in Iraq. Most of these people need help and this week, the United Nations honoured those who deliver it. Tuesday was World Humanitarian Day. Lynn Desjardins looked into the challenges and rewards of doing this work and she spoke with Ann Witteveen, manager of the humanitarian unit of Oxfam Canada.
Boomer Healthcare
In 1971, seniors represented eight per cent of the population. Today, they represent 15 per cent. In 15 years, when the last of the baby boomers reach 65, seniors will represent 25 per cent of the population. A new poll, commissioned by the Canadian Medical Association, suggests that a strong majority, nearly 80 per cent of Canadians aged 45 and over, are worried they will be unable to find or afford decent homecare or long-term care should they need it. The outgoing president of the CMA, Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti, says the survey results point to a desperate need for a pan-Canadian seniors’ strategy. Terry Haig spoke to him in on the line from Ottawa, where he was attending the CMA convention.
Alex Colville Exhibit
The AGO, that’s the Art Gallery of Ontario, in Toronto, is opening a retrospective of the work of Alex Colville. The great Canadian artist died on July 16th, 2013. This is an opportunity to see his life’s work, in over 100 paintings. Many pieces in this exhibit are now in private collections and haven’t been seen publicly for years. And several are works that many of us have grown up with and known very well, but have never seen the original. Alex Colville designed the images that graced our coins during Canada’s big centennial celebration in 1967. Shiralee Hudson Hill is the Interpretive Planner for the exhibit. An interpretive planner is the person who does everything from writing text, to making sure there is enough seating in the show so that people can enjoy and appreciate it best. Carmel Kilkenny spoke with her about what visitors can expect.
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