Living
A group of junior high school students is making sure their voice is heard and they’ve done it through the arts.
The group of approximately 20 youth, all members of the Truro Boys and Girls Club and students at Truro Junior High, recently participated in a program through the club called Creation Nation. Funded by the federal government, clubs from across Canada were eligible to apply to the program that endeavours to connect youth to their communities through arts and service
Truro Boys and Girls Club Youth Co-ordinator Sonya Chisholm says only 16 clubs across the country received a grant for $6,000 to host the program.
“Creation Nation was our big thing this year,” she said. “We’re the only club that received this grant in Nova Scotia. As part of the program, each club does a different artistic piece or series that reflects their perspective on a Canadian culture or social issue.”
For the Truro group, they decided to perform a play consisting of several skits at the Truro Fire Hall on March 30. The production featured the theme ‘Junior High.’
Chisholm says it was a way for the young participants to share with the community that they have a bigger voice.
“They believe junior high students can be over looked here in Truro because we have a limited number of resources for youth,” said Chisholm. “The skits basically took people through the day-to-day lives of a typical junior high student. That includes someone dealing with anxiety, someone who is gay and scared to come out, someone with a poor home life, or selling drugs. During the each scene, other group members would share statistics on things like cyber bullying, gangs, smoking and drinking.”
Lauren McQuaid and Nigel Williams, both Grade 9 students, were two of the participants. They were both pleased to learn the local club had received the Creation Nation grant.
McQuaid was also selected along with Jayden Menhennett to travel to Toronto with Chisholm for a workshop on Creation Nation and its goals. It also provided them with the tools needed to come back and lead the program in Truro. While in Toronto, they had the opportunity to meet with the other clubs that received the funding as well.
Menhennett was one of the students who suggested the idea of a play.
“We hear lots about the elementary schools and the programs they have like CYBER, then you have CEC and they’re always doing some pretty big things so they need support from the community for those,” said McQuaid. “We’re kind of in the middle right now. We have all the same issues and maybe a few more and it can be difficult. It can be a rough time in life as it is, then you add bullying, depression and other things on top of that it can be overwhelming.”
Williams has dealt issues himself. He was proud the group decided to tackle the issues and share them with the community.
“I think it showed people in our community we have a voice,” he said. “Some people automatically write us off and think that just because we’re teenagers, we’re going to do bad things. Not all of us do bad things and if we do, we try and make up for our mistakes. Without a place to go, we could just as easily be on the streets or doing drugs.”
The group of teens met every Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. Creation officially started in November and concluded with the gala event at the fire hall. They would enjoy supper while working on the skits, speeches and slide show presentation aimed at showing the community what goes on from day to day at the club.
Chisholm couldn’t be prouder of how the group came together and shared their message through art.
“They were so happy to be a part of something like this,” she said. “They were definitely going in, but for many of them, it was the first time they had done anything like this. There were at least 60 or 70 people in attendance so it was a big deal. You could clearly see the pride they had. They wanted to get their message out. It is different growing up today, especially in junior high. This was a way for them to show they have the power to change things. They are standing up to bullying, they’re leaders and they’re developing the skills now that will allow them to have a healthy life.”
McQuaid adds it also helped to open the lines of communication with parents as well.
“When you’re this age, it’s hard to go up to your mom and dad and tell them what’s happening, how you feel and that you want to talk about it,” she said. “A lot of the time, you don’t want your parents to know things and the last thing you want to do is talk about it with them. Putting it out there in this form shows them what we go through and that sometimes it’s difficult. After the gala, I went home and talked to my mom about it and I think it already gave her a different outlook on these types of issues. It was a chance for her to share with me how she feels about things and what she worries about.”
Not every student took an acting role. Those who didn’t want to be part of the skits, worked on the other projects, helped find props, did backstage work and helped others with their cues.
Williams said it’s like that every day at the club and more people need to know just how important it is.
“Every day, coming here and being here is a great experience. We’re with other people and I’m not talking about family. It’s other people our age and it’s a chance to interact with different people. We all hang out and have our own social groups but when you come to the club, you’re just one group. No one is better than anyone else,” he said. “We’re all equals here. If someone is having a problem, everyone chips in to help that person out. We’re there for each other and to go home after being at the club and think, ‘man, I had a great day.’ That’s me every day.”
Grants like Creation Nation are made available each year and Chisholm has already made an application for a new program, which she hopes she can announce very soon.
April 15 will be a day Mike Hennessey and his family remembers for the rest of their lives.
It was the day two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. But Hennessey, who had crossed the finish line moments prior to the explosions, refuses to let that be the reason he remembers his first Boston Marathon.
“This one instance was very tragic but I’m learning to look past that and realize I just participated in the Boston Marathon and completed it. A lot of people didn’t get the opportunity to do that this year,” said Hennessey. “The reality is, yes I finished the marathon which is a huge accomplishment and what happened did take something away from the experience, but that is even more so for the people who were unable to finish. As cliché as it sounds, I want to go back just to show that this is an event people are still going to support regardless of what happened.”
Hennessey first started competing in marathons in 2000. He jumped in with both feet and through a random draw found himself running the New York City Marathon. Without a real plan heading into the event, he says he half-trained, ran it and was left humbled.
After telling himself he had run his first and last marathon, two days later he was already planning to run another one. It was at that point thoughts of the Boston Marathon started creeping into his head.
“For me, it stands out as the pinnacle of marathons. It’s the oldest marathon and one of the fastest,” he said. “Over the next decade, I ran close to a dozen races but it wasn’t until 2011 I was finally able to qualify for Boston.”
Although he qualified, it wouldn’t be until 2013 when Hennessey would finally head down to Boston. He made the trip with training partners Jody Mattie and Ian Johnstone who were also running in the marathon.
Hennessey’s wife Allison, their children and other family members went to Boston to cheer him on. They arrived in Boston the Saturday before the race to take part in some of the festivities while trying to enjoy some down time before the big race on Sunday.
“There was such a fantastic buzz in the air,” he said. “The Boston Marathon has very unique colours and you can see all the jackets around town. It’s almost like you’re a celebrity. People acknowledge you when they see you wearing the jacket and they recognize you’re going to be running in the Boston Marathon. It’s a huge event in Boston.”
When arriving near the start line, he was surprised to see how everything was set up.
“It was like an athlete’s village of sorts,” he said. “They had coffee, cereal and energy bars for all the runners. It was a good thing because it was a long morning.”
Despite failing to get a good night’s sleep the night before, the adrenaline running through Hennessey’s body was more than enough to keep him pumped up.
After the race started, he found himself reflecting while trying to find his pace with so many runners around him. He’s still amazed at how everything went off without a hitch.
“With the starting positions based on times, everyone around me was pretty well running very much the same,” he said. “I just remember rounding the first corner and as I did, I looked up and all you could see was a sea of runners and fans ahead. At one point, I shared my awe out loud and a guy running beside me said, ‘man, it’s like this the whole way, enjoy the ride.’ At another point in the race, you hit a long straight stretch with a few hills and I was in a place where I could look back and when I did, the street was just covered in runners as far as you can see. I tried to take in some of that while maintaining focus on my running.”
Hennessey had a goal of three hours in mind for the marathon and around the 17-mile mark, was still on pace for that. However, feeling himself fading quickly and after running downhill for so long, he could feel the cramps starting in his quads.
“I quickly switched my expectations and started to enjoy it. A few times where I knew I was struggling, I just kept telling myself I was going to finish this,” he said.
After 20-miles in, Hennessey began his ascent up Heartbreak Hill. The stretch is well-known to runners and is often described as the most difficult stretch of the marathon. He said it absolutely lived up to its name but he had no intentions of stopping or walking up it.
Finally, the finish line was in sight and after several more strides he coasted over it with a number of thoughts running through his mind.
“The first was, ‘thank goodness this is over,’” he said with a laugh. “My brother actually saw me on television crossing the line and he sent Allison a text message shortly after. It was cool just to stop and soak in the thousands of people at the finish line and the whole production of it all. I made my way from the finish line to the family meeting area where I could meet up with Allison, the kids and everyone else. It took me a good 30 minutes to get there because I had to get my water, medal and other goodies before moving on.”
After several minutes and the arrival of Johnstone to the family area, that’s when the first explosion was heard and felt. Seven seconds later, a second explosion.
“There were thousands of people on the street and everyone just went silent,” said Hennessey. “You could hear a pin drop at that point.”
Following the second explosion, most people on the street carried on as normal, not realizing the tragedy that was unfolding at the finish line. After finding out Mattie was in the medical tent getting re-hydrated, Hennessey and Johnson started to head in the direction of their friend.
As they were walking toward the finish line, they met people running the other way telling them not to head in that direction because of two explosions. Hennessey says it immediately changed the tone of the event.
“At that point, there was very little communication,” he said. “We found out that Jody was still in the tent, which was impressive given the fact, everything else that was going on. We stuck around for a few minutes then Allison, the kids and a few other people we were with decided to go back to the hotel. My stepfather and I stayed behind to wait for Jody.”
Moments after the explosion, communication became even more difficult. Texting was very intermittent and cell phones were constantly losing their signal. After parting ways, Hennessey finally received a text from his wife letting him know that the subway had been brought to a standstill but they managed to make it to a nearby hotel.
After re-connecting with Jody, everyone met up at the hotel and planned to return to their accommodations. It ended up costing them $150 for a 20-minute cab ride.
“We would have paid $500,” said Allison. “When we made it back, we pretty well shut everything off. We didn’t want to get swept up in everything that was taking place. We have young kids and we wanted to protect them from that.”
The explosions also altered family vacation plans for the Hennesseys. They had planned to spend a week, celebrating as a family and travelling back into Boston to attractions like the New England Aquarium.
To avoid the chaos, they avoided Boston the following two days, but on Thursday while heading out of town, they did manage to pay a visit to the aquarium. That evening, after they were on their way home, Boston and the surrounding communities were shut down as a massive manhunt was carried out.
“For Mike and me, we saw a real change in how people were,” continued Allison. “Usually when you told someone you were running or had run the Boston Marathon, they’re excited to hear now, they would say, ‘Oh, sorry.’ It took away from the fact he had qualified to run this marathon and it was almost as though those people now had a sense of pity that replaced all the excitement.”
Knowing there is more to the Boston Marathon than the explosions, Hennessey plans to go back. In order to do so, however, he’ll have to qualify again.
He also wants the opportunity to partake in a number of celebrations he missed out afterward.
“I’d definitely like to go back,” he said. “It is my goal and more so after the events that followed the marathon makes me want to go back even more. I got my medal but a lot of people didn’t finish or get their medal. They also have an awards ceremony and post-run celebration that night which was cancelled.”
Hennessey believes the 2014 installment of the marathon will be the largest yet as people rise up against what took place.
“If you’re a marathon runner, in my opinion it’s something you have to do,” he said. “Just the camaraderie that’s in Boston at the time, it’s tough to describe. I’ll train a little better too and incorporate some downhill into my training because that probably hit me the hardest. Also know what to expect of the course firsthand is also something I’m hoping I can take advantage of.”
Business is about to pick up in Truro this month.
On May 24, approximately 1,200 people will converge on the Hub town from around the province for a weekend event at the Rath-Eastlink Community Centre.
The conference participants are all members of Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS). An event is held annually in a different part of the province and recognizes members for their weight loss in 2012.
Rilla MacDougall is area captain for TOPS. She says the event is something members look forward to every year.
“We’re very excited to be hosting so many people in Truro,” said MacDougall, who adds the conference will also see TOPS co-odinators from Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces. “It’s going to be a busy but exciting weekend.”
TOPS is a weight loss support organization. MacDougall has been a member since 2004 and can’t say enough good things about it. Unlike other programs, it doesn’t tell its members what they should weigh and it doesn’t offer up a diet plan either.
“We support people in their weight loss journey,” she said. “What they weigh or should weigh is not up to us. That’s something the member and their doctor should come up with. In terms of food, we follow the Canada Food Guide and promote portion size and accountability. Those are the two big things for us.”
The organization has been around nationally for 64 years and in 2014, will celebrate 50 years in Nova Scotia. In Colchester County, there are a handful of chapters including five in Truro alone.
MacDougall expects many of the local chapters to be represented at the big event. It’s an exciting time where people are recognized for losing weight, achieving their goal and keeping the pounds off.
“Whether they’ve lost 10 pounds or 110 pounds, it’s about support and recognition,” she continued. “It can be very emotional and motivating to see these people celebrated for their achievements, especially when you see how it’s positively impacted their life. You can see the pride. They’re glowing.”
The function kicks off on May 24. MacDougall describes it as the fun night where members from different chapters do skits and participate in the baggy dress fashion show. This is where those who have lost 40 pounds or more come on stage hiding behind clothes they used to wear only to drop them to reveal their weight loss success.
The excitement doesn’t stop on May 25. Dubbed a very special day, this is where TOPS members who have reached their goal weight graduate to become KOPS (Keep Pounds Off Sensibly). Following the graduation, which honours those who reached their goal in 2012, a parade of alumni KOPS takes place. All alumni members have maintained their weight – some for as little as one year while others are celebrating 15 years.
“The king and queen for the province will also be announced on the Saturday,” said MacDougall. “They will represent Nova Scotia at the international event happening later. The king and queen will be the man and woman who experienced the most weight loss in the past year and reached their goal weight.”
The event concludes Sunday morning with a question and answer session. This features the regional director and field staff for TOPS.
Although this event is for current members, MacDougall hopes having it in town will generate more interest in the current Colchester County chapter or encourage others to start their own. A chapter requires as little as four people and can be a family, group of friends or co-workers.
There is no age restriction and many young people enjoy their involvement with the program. It’s also only $32 a year to belong.
In terms of the upcoming big weekend, MacDougall is hoping businesses and organizations within the town will throw out the welcome mat. If everything goes as well as she hopes, this could be a conference that returns to Truro every third year.
That’s something Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alan Johnson hopes to see happen as well. He believes an event like this every three years will bring an added boost to Colchester County.
“This is a great opportunity for Truro-Colchester-area businesses to respond to a group who might like some extras. Such things as menu flexibility and ensuring your very best customer service will go a long way toward making sure these things continue to be held in Truro, and that participants return in the future with their friends and family in tow,” he said.
Anyone looking for additional details can contact MacDougall at 647-2721.
Cancer not only corrupts people’s bodies, it can also creep into their self-esteem.
The Colchester East Hants Health Centre has launched a program called Look Good Feel Better to help patients conquer that obstacle. It’s an international public-service program dedicated to helping women and teens living with cancer deal with the appearance-related side effects of their illness.
Darlene Holmes, Cancer Patient Navigator with CEHHC, fought hard to bring the program to Truro.
“Before we started offering it here, the only place the program was available was Halifax and Antigonish, so patients would have to travel to partake in the program. After a period of time, we confirmed it would be coming here, and it would be offered four times a year. The first one has already happened and it was a smashing success,” said Holmes.
Participants don’t need to be taking chemotherapy or radiation treatment in order to qualify. The only requirement is that patients take advantage of the workshop within a year of their diagnosis.
Raj Makkar, manager of ambulatory care services, says bringing the program to Colchester County is a huge benefit.
“It takes a lot of hard work and as a result of that, these patients don’t have to travel and that’s huge in itself,” he said. “We’re also able to partner with local organizations and businesses in the community like Shoppers Drug Mart. Brenda Whittle is a wig care specialist with Shoppers who provides her time to the program and we’re also going to have some cosmetologists come in as well which adds to the local support.”
The Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia is the driving force behind the program.
“A session usually lasts approximately three hours,” explained Holmes. “We have a snack provided and they go through different things like caring for their skin, makeup application, removal of makeup, putting a wig on, how to care for it and things you can do if it becomes uncomfortable. If you don’t want to wear a wig, there are other options as well.
When we talk about make-up application, it’s not always what we think either. It includes drawing on eye brows, what to do if you’ve lost your eye lashes and other things that happen as a result of cancer treatment.”
As a chemo nurse, Holmes sees the positive effects of this program first-hand.
“This brings women together and allows them to meet other people who are or have gone through something similar. Sometimes they make really good friends and it extends beyond the program. It’s a time where perhaps they can forget all the negative things and for a few hours enjoy themselves without the constant worry,” she said.
In Canada, LGFB started in Toronto in 1992 and has grown to 120 workshop sites across the country. In Atlantic Canada, the first program began in 1993 and has since grown to 19 sites in the region.
“These are cancer patients and when you look at what they’re struggling with physically and emotionally, it’s a boost to be able to offer something like this that makes them feel better,” said Makkar. “If we continue to see larger numbers, we will be offering it more frequently. I would like to see that we do have the demand. That means we can offer it to more people who can benefit from this.”
Women and teens can register for workshops at the CEHHC by calling 893-8818 ext. 42549. They can attend only one time, and all participants are given the tool kit they worked with at the session to take home. Remaining workshops this year are June 10, September 9 and December 9.
BIBLE HILL: It’s a unique idea and one that could be quite successful.
That’s what Arnold Hagen, owner of Harris Home Hardware thought after agreeing to oversee a renovation registry that’s been set up in support of Maggie’s Place Family Resource Centre and its upcoming move from Arthur Street to 1027 Prince Street.
Hagen, after being approached by representatives with the not-for-profit organization, agreed to help facilitate the registry, which operates similar to a bridal registry.
“I think it’s a really creative idea,” said Hagen. “It’s the first time we’ve done anything like this. It’s got some definite appeal and a lot of people will show interest in it. We’ve had a relationship with Maggie’s Place for a number of years no so we saw this as a really good fit for us.”
So how does it work? Easy, says Hagen.
“The customer basically comes in and identifies how much they’re looking to donate in terms of dollars,” Hagen continued. “We basically take that money and pre-pay an account set up for Maggie’s Place. Then, those funds will be used to purchase items like two-by-fours and drywall for the renovations.”
Once the donation has been made, an invoice is sent to Maggie’s Place that includes the customer’s name. That enables them to do up a receipt for income tax purposes.
The idea for the registry came from the husband of Maggie’s Place volunteer Cindie Smith. She’s excited about the idea because even a $10 donation can go a long way in helping with the move.
“As little as $10 can purchase three two-by-fours and $20 can purchase six,” said Smith. “I think it really helps people when they see just how far their donation goes. It allows them to share in the pride that we all have when it comes to Maggie’s Place and this new beginning.”
The renovation registry has already caught on. Local landlord Jon Keddy has stepped up with a $500 donation and is now challenging others to do the same. Keddy believes resource centres like Maggie’s Place play an important role in the community, especially with all the work they do with children.
“I sit on the board for Maggie’s Place, so it’s definitely something that’s close to me,” said Keddy. “But as a landlord, I wanted to look at ways I could help get the ball rolling. There are lots of landlords in town and many people who have an account with Harris Home Hardware. If we could all do something and it doesn’t have to be big, but if we could all do something, it would go a long way in helping them with this move.”
As a parent, Keddy knows the challenges that go along with it. He feels Truro is very lucky to have a resource centre like Maggie’s Place.
“Knowing we have a resource centre that can help any parent who is facing the challenges that go along with raising a child is a big asset,” he continued. “There doesn’t even have to be a challenge. Maggie’s Place and its programs are for anyone, whether you’re having challenges, are new to the community or you just want to participate in some of the programs they offer. And it’s important a resource centre of this nature has the right space to host all of its programs and that’s why I think there is a real chance for the community to get involved and help make this happen.”
To learn more about the upcoming move as well as the renovation registry, visit www.maggiesplace.ca/move, visit Harris Home Hardware or call 895-0200.
It takes a village to raise a child. It’s a phrase most of us are familiar with.
Now a family resource centre in Truro is putting its own spin on the popular term.
“It takes a village to move Maggie’s Place, that’s what we’re hoping,” said Linda Legere, Executive Director of Maggie’s Place Family Resource Centre. “After years of searching, we’ve finally found a building in town capable of meeting our growing needs. We’re asking the community to play a role in our move and I think that’s already starting to happen.”
Maggie’s Place officially opened its doors in 1994 as part of a federal initiative launched by the federal government and the former Health Canada. It involved setting aside funding to open up family resource centres in communities right across the country and was in response to a United Nations conference that focused on the rights of a child.
Feeling it would be a good fit for the Hub of Nova Scotia, a group of parents, government officials and community members came together to develop a proposal. Sometime later, they learned their efforts were successful but because of changes to the program, Colchester County was combined with Cumberland County to create one association.
With approval from the government, the search for the original building kicked into high gear.
“There were three of us looking for a place and I can remember it was quite frustrating,” said Cindie Smith, who sat on the original committee. “Finally, we went to see Peter Nelson, who was director of planning for the town at the time. He basically said hop in the van and we will drive around looking. Anytime we found a place that could work, he would look through the assessment role to see if the zoning was right for our centre.”
The resource centre is named after Smith’s daughter, Maggie, who died almost two decades ago.
The search ended when they found 129 Arthur Street – the centre’s current home. It required a fair amount of work to get it ready, but thanks to numerous community groups who lent a helping hand, it took shape quickly.
Those same community groups who took on the responsibility of painting and decorating a room have been honoured with a plaque on the door.
As more learned about Maggie’s Place and the free programs it offered the community, numbers began to rise and although they were thrilled with their home, it became evident space was becoming an issue. Smith once again started a search.
“I started this search quite a few years ago,” she said. “This is something we’ve been looking at for some time. We knew we had outgrown our space on Arthur Street, but like our first search, any place we would have considered had to be the right fit.”
Even though space was an issue, Legere says it never impacted Maggie’s Place in terms of the programs they offer. The centre currently sees on average 150 kids each week. When you add parents to that number, it jumps to 250 people.
Even after they move, she says the Arthur Street location will always have a special place in their heart.
“We’ve always made do with the space we have and we love our current place,” she said. “That’s home. There are definitely some bittersweet feelings in making this move. But since I was hired in 2001, there has been talk about a new location.”
Oddly enough, it’s not the first time they’ve looked at their new location – 1027 Prince Street. They inquired about the building approximately two years ago, but Legere says it wasn’t the right time to make a move.
This time around, Smith says the place came to them.
“The landlords approached Linda, knew we were looking to move and also understood we had some very significant budget restraints,” said Smith. “The message we got from them was, ‘we want you here, we want to make this happen.’ It really gave us a pretty strong footing to move forward on. I believe over the years, we’ve developed a reputation of being a credible, responsible organization.”
With keys in hand, planning for the new location is already well underway. Like their first location, a substantial amount of renovations will be needed. It’s expected they’ll cost close to $100,000.
While they know it’s going to take a lot of work, that’s not stopping them from picturing what their new home is going to look like when it’s finished. They’ve already got big plans for the additional opportunities this building offers.
“We have a lot better space for signage. We’re all envisioning what it’s going to look like when we get all our signs up. Parking is also something some may not consider, but we have so much more room for parking as well,” said Legere.
The possibilities are endless with the new building. Wide open on the main floor, it’s basically given planners a blank canvass to work with. A large main space will also allow Maggie’s Place the opportunity to offer all of its programs on one floor. Inconveniently, they’re currently being offered on as many as three floors. That can be challenging given the amount of people who use the centre on a weekly basis.
“A lot of walls have to go up,” said Smith.
The new location will also be completely accessible and all of the offices will be on the main floor as well; it will allow Maggie’s Place to stick to its mandate or offering programs, information and support for families with children right from prenatal to age six.
“We will be accessible to all members of our community,” continued Legere. “We’re going to have a ramp on the front of the building and so much more space to work with. Our kitchen will be larger which will benefit our cooking programs. We’re currently restricted on those because of space. Any time we’ve had a large number of people for those programs, we’ve had to go off site.”
The upstairs is also large and open. At this point, the plan is to sublease some of the space while using the rest for storage.
To help with the upcoming renovations, Maggie’s Place has teamed up once again with Harris Home Hardware, who will play a major role in carrying out the renovations. But this time, they’ve come up with a unique idea that’s aimed at getting everyone in the community involved.
“There is quite a bit of work to be done as well as quite a bit of fundraising,” said Smith. “My husband Michael came up with the idea of a renovation registry and everyone really seems to be taken with that idea. It’s definitely convenient and really opens up the doors for everyone in our community to contribute. If an elementary school class wants to get together and bring in their left over pennies to buy some two-by-fours for Maggie’s Place, they can now do that through this registry.”
The registry will operate very similar to a bridal registry. In working with Harris Home Hardware, Legere says they’ve come up with an idea of what specific monetary donations will help purchase. For example, a $10 donation to the registry will purchase three two-by-fours while a $20 donation will purchase six. A $50 donation is the equivalent of three sheets of drywall while $100 buys six. And for a $500 donation, you can build the whole wall.
Arnold Hagen, owner of Harris Home Hardware says the unique approach is already bringing people in to make donations.
“We’ve seen people coming through the doors wanting to help and even some of our staff members have stepped up and contributed,” he said. “It will no doubt take some time to build up, but it will come.”
Once some of the walls are up and rooms are nearing completion, both Legere and Smith are hoping community groups will once again step up and grab the opportunity to decorate and paint a room in the new Maggie’s Place.
Legere says she’s already spoken to a few people about it and expects more will inquire as the renovations move forward.
At this point, August 1 has been slated as the target move in date. With just a few months to go, plenty of work is already taking place behind the scenes. Once the move is complete, the capital campaign is still expected to continue.
“We may be in the building but the campaign will definitely keep going unless something changes in a really wonderful way,” said Legere. “There’s a real buzz in the air. The energy level has already started to go up. Families are excited and they’re checking out our new location. I’m really having a lot of pinch me moments.”
In the coming weeks, regular fundraising activities like the annual Stoller-a-thon and Touch-a-Truck will be held. Legere hopes participation for both of these events increases with the big move on the horizon.
Anyone looking for more information on Maggie’s Place or its upcoming move can be found at www.maggiesplace.ca.
Several organizations in Colchester County are enjoying some new reading material.
Third Place Transition House, Maggie’s Place Family Resource Centre, Truro Head Start Preschool and the Colchester-East Hants Public Library all received book donations courtesy the Truro and District Lions Club.
The donation falls under Lions International’s Reading Action program. The local group decided to climb on board after being challenged by International President Wayne Madden to adopt a literacy project of some kind. After looking at initially hosting an event, it was determined organizations in the community would benefit from a book donation.
“After choosing the four organizations, we reached out to them to find out what types of books they would benefit from the most,” said Lion Joyce Gero.
While books donated to Maggie’s Place, Third Place Transition House and Truro Head Start Preschool will lend a helping hand, it was the donation to the Colchester-East Hants Public Library that could have even more impact in the community.
That’s because the bag of books donated to the library are geared to the visually impaired.
Lion Tanya Smith, who is visually impaired, led the charge when it came to donating the braille books.
“Any time you have students, even toddlers, coming to a public library, braille books are rarely available,” said Smith, who at the age of five started learning braille. “The only place you can get them is out of the CNIB (Canadian Institute of the Blind) office in Toronto or APSEA (Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority) which does its own. I figured it was time to start having a few on hand in the area, even if they are for toddlers, Grade 1 or Grade 2 students.”
The books donated to the library, like the other organizations, are geared for younger children. While she would have liked to have included books for older readers, Smith says it’s a little more difficult because they take up a lot of space.
With the library already battling space issues, she knew there wasn’t much point in pushing for that, at least right now.
“Grade 1 braille, which is similar to how most people read, is done letter by letter,” continued Smith. “Braille takes up a lot of room and as you get older, you can learn Grade 2 braille, which is time consuming and still takes up a lot of space. But it doesn’t take up as much space as Grade 1 braille books.”
Smith believes that once word spreads about the books, more and more people will be looking to use them.
Lynda Marsh is the Administrator of Youth Services with the library. She agrees with Smith that awareness is the priority right now. Children who have not seen or felt braille will now have the chance and it will come at the library.
That’s a plus, adds Marsh.
“If these books are bringing children who are visually impaired in, that means their parents will be here as well and that basically means the library can now be more functional for those families,” she continued. “Unfortunately on our own, braille is quite expensive and when you go three straight years without a funding increase and you look at the demand we have already, it makes it difficult to bring in resources like this.”
This marks the first children’s books the library has had in braille. They do have CNIB talking books but once again, economics has left the selection limited.
“These braille books are a wonderful addition to our collection,” continued Marsh.
As more people learn about the books, Smith sees it having multiple positive spinoffs in the community. Atop the list of beneficiaries will be young children who are visually impaired.
“Learning braille is something they’re probably going to do so books like this are great in helping them improve,” she said. “This also enables a mother, father or even grandparents who might be visually impaired to read to a child or grandchildren who aren’t visually impaired. They can still have that reading relationship now because they have books they can read, in braille, to them.”
At this point, the library doesn’t have any plans to bring in additional braille books for older readers. However, Marsh wouldn’t rule anything out, especially if the demand for the books starts to increase.
But without hearing from people, she says it’s unlikely braille books will become a priority for the library.
“I knew the library didn’t have braille books so I never bothered coming in to say anything before,” said Smith. “I deal with CNIB in Toronto and that can take up to a year in some instances to get a book I want. I know the audio books are available but I’m not an audio book person. I want to read myself.”
Through Truro, which is the central location for the Colchester-East Hants Library, other branches will be able to access the books. Marsh says residents simply have to go into the catalogue and place a hold on them. In fact, just a short time after the donation, she says a request had already come from the Elmsdale library.
Smith has also informed the itinerant teacher – a teacher who works with children from birth through high school including preschoolers in the home, day care or school setting – about the books in case any request comes through that avenue.
As for the Lions Club, Gero admits with the success of this year’s efforts, it’s highly likely they will look at doing something again next year.
“It might be a little different, but we want a literacy project of some sort for next year,” she said.
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