TUESDAY
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January 28, 2014 Vol. 29• No. 8 ••• $1.25 inc. G.S.T.
Who was honoured Saturday night when Comox Valley Annual Community Awards were presented? page B1
Courtenay snowboarder Spencer O’Brien tuned up for the Winter Olympics with a bronze medal at the Winter X Games. page A11
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This library will lend toys Idea comes from Australia, where toy libraries are popular
COMOX VALLEY MOM Bonnie Harris holds her twins Hailey and Hannah, who were born premature at 20 weeks. Hailey used Jeneece Place in Victoria, which is celebrating its second anniversary, while Hannah spent a significant amount of time at Victoria General Hospital.
Jeneece aids children
Erin Haluschak Record Staff
While celebrations were taking place in Victoria for the second anniversary of Jeneece Place, Comox Valley mom Bonnie Harris was celebrating another day with her twin daughters. Harris, who frequented the home-away-from-home near Victoria General Hospital, said she now takes every day as it comes with a goal of having
her daughter’s tracheostomy removed. “(Prior to the twins’ birth) I had never been to the Victoria hospital,” said Harris. “It was really nice at Jeneece Place; it’s a big house where you create connections and get to know other families going through similar things as you. They are so warm and welcoming.” Twenty weeks into her pregnancy, Harris learned she was having twin girls, and one was significantly smaller than the
other. “The egg didn’t split in half; the hospital gave me three options — to keep both and continue with ultrasounds, to terminate the smaller baby, or just to go home. I delivered at 29 weeks,” she explained. Both very premature, Hannah was born at 1.7 pounds and Hailey at 2.14 pounds. Hailey spent the first two-and-a-half weeks of her life in hospital, while Hannah “was really, real... see FACILITY ■ A3
Mohrs got the idea from her sister-in-law, who suggested Mohrs start a toy library here when she was visiting from Port Hedland, Australia. Toy libraries are popular in Australia, and Mohrs says they are in other parts of Canada, Renee Andor too, such as Ontario and Quebec. Record Staff When Mohrs started talking Imagine bringing home differ- to other Comox Valley parents ent toys for your children every about the idea, it quickly gained couple of weeks, without the traction. She now has a commitexpense or cluttered home that tee set up and is in the process of comes with buying and collecting incorporating Comox Valley Toy Library as a non-profit society. them. The Lewis Centre has offered Courtenay mom Rebecca Mohrs says the new Comox Val- to donate space for the toy library ley Toy Library will make it easy and parent volunteers are busy for Comox Valley parents to do gathering toy donations. Although just that. Mohrs says “The beauty some donaYour house won’t get of this is you have can just go to as cluttered, you won’t have tions the toy library to buy those toys, unless you already come in, the library and pick up a needs many few toys that want to — you can use it more toys in you want,” as a try-before-you-buy prosays Mohrs. gram, too — or you can also its collection before it can “Your house open. Anyone won’t get as just enjoy the toys until the with clean, cluttered, you children get bored of them, safe and sturwon’t have to and bring them back and dy new or genbuy those toys, tly-used toys is unless you get some different ones, so want to — you you can keep it fresh in your urged to stop by the outdoor can use it as a house. Rebecca Mohrs pool office of try-before-youthe Lewis Cenbuy program, too — or you can also just enjoy tre between 2 and 4 p.m. this Satthe toys until the children get urday or Sunday for a toy drive. Because toys will be cleaned bored of them, and bring them back and get some different ones, by volunteers each time they are so you can keep it fresh in your returned to the library, donations should be easy to wipe clean or house.” The toy library is also designed wash. For example, the toy library to reduce waste by keeping toys is looking for baby toys, exerout of the landfill when children saucers, play kitchens, building ... see GREAT ■ A3 grow bored of them.
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