NEWS
Finding the elusive balance
A
springtime essay in The Atlantic reinvigorated the work-life balance debate that perpetually lays dormant in my mind. In Why women still can’t have it all, Anne-Marie Slaughter, a tenured Princeton professor and former policy advisor to U.S. secretary of state, contemplated the many reasons highlyeducated women are fleeing powerful careers for the sake of their families. Friends posting and reposting this article applauded Slaughter for her support of stay-at-home mothers. But frankly, that wasn’t her point at all. In fact, if one were to ask her, Slaughter would probably suggest women don’t do themselves any favours by opting out of their professional lives entirely. Slaughter doesn’t advocate that women throw all their energies into either careers or families. Rather, she suggests that women have “contributed to the fetish of the one-dimensional life,” where people are expected to work longer hours, be continuously connected to their employers and work 70-hourplus weeks. On the other end
BRYNNA LESLIE Capital Muse of the spectrum are those who have decided no balance between work and family can be found, so they’ve given up their careers altogether. But the true way forward, argues Slaughter, is to advocate for workplaces that allow people to find fulfilment in multiple dimensions of their lives simultaneously. Her suggestions on how to achieve more balance – if one can use the “b” word -- are wide-ranging. Some involve widespread policy changes, such as having school hours match work hours. But at the crux of Slaughter’s argument is that before women – and men, for that matter – can “have it all,” a paradigm shift in workplace culture needs to occur. For one thing, men and women need to work together to rid workplaces of “macho” cultures that increasingly seem
to value face time over work productivity. Slaughter notes that the rise of technology, which promised to allow more employees opportunities to telecommute, thereby giving them more flexibility, has backfired. Instead, employees are expected to be on-call 24/7. And despite the fact the technology exists, there continues to be much emphasis on bum-in-seat time, with promotions and other opportunities based on hours and/or years of service. The reality for most women, says Slaughter, is that it’s not always possible, nor desirable, to continue the traditional upward climb to powerful positions during the childrearing years. “Women should think about the climb to leadership not in terms of a straight upward slope, but as irregular
stair steps, with periodic plateaus (and even dips), when they turn down promotions to remain in a job that works for their family situation; when they leave high-powered jobs and spend a year or two at home on a reduced schedule; or when they step off a conventional professional track to take a consulting position or project-based work for a number of years.” Employers, too, need to value the entrepreneurial experience that can come from these periodic career irregularities. Rather than penalize women for stepping off the traditional career track, employers should look for ways to promote these women when the time is right and work on finding ways to retain women in whom they have invested a lot of time and resources. Failure to change the typical workplace culture, which views employees with families as a burden, will unfortunately mean that our professional workforce will lose talented men and women who are forced to make a choice between their careers and family lives. Who wants that kind of one-dimensional leadership anyway?
Power Out? Here’s What to Do
R0011511566
Your Community Newspaper
At Hydro Ottawa we take pride in keeping Ottawa’s power supply reliable. But an extended power outage, such as the 1998 ice storm, can occur. If your power goes out for an extended period of time, will you be ready? First, prepare ahead. Have a first aid kit with enough supplies (including prescriptions) to keep your family self-sufficient in your home for at least three days. Keep a list of emergency contact numbers, and ensure you have a phone that does not need electricity. You can get updates about power restoration by calling Hydro Ottawa at 613-738-0188; or from your wireless, mobile device at www.hydroottawa.com/outages. Make sure you have enough water, as well as easy-to-store food that does not need refrigeration or cooking. Keep flashlights and batteries ready. A battery-powered or wind-up radio would be helpful.
Michelle Nash
Susan Shaimaiyuk gets fitted for a life jacket before setting sail at the12th annual Flotilla for Friendship on July 18. The event pairs aboriginal youth with members of seven different police forces in an effort to bridge the gap and create camaraderie.
Sailing in friendship along the canal Michelle Nash michelle.nash@metroland.com
EMC news - About 50 young people and 30 police officers from seven different enforcement agencies took to the water on July 18 to help build friendship along the Rideau Canal. The 12th annual Flotilla for Friendship pairs up aboriginal youth of all ages with enforcement officers in an effort to bridge the gap between the police and the First Nations community by building trusting relationships. It was Ottawa police Insp. Pat Flanagan’s second time participating in the event. He said for him, the day is all about bonding with his two team members in the canoe. “It is a privilege to get away from the office, so to speak, and connect with youth without the uniform and on a personal level,” Flanagan said. “We both learn from
each other.” And what’s the best part about canoeing down the canal? According to nine-yearold Theland Kicknosway, everything. Also in his second year participating in the campaign, Kicknosway and his nine-year-old friend Camden Nicholson were both bouncing around the marina docks, waiting as patiently as possible for the paddling to start. For foster mom and Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre employee Heidi Langille the experience for the children is an exciting one. “It is the event in the summer everyone always asks about,” Langille said. “It is the kids’ favourite day of the summer.” Some children were shy to be split up and partnered with various officers, but most, like Flanagan, made it easy. “I brought the kids police
hats and that was it,” Flanagan said. “Today is about building trust and working on that trust. There are no phones, no computers. Just dialogue in the canoe. It is great.” Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Supt. Serge Therriault finds the connection made on the water is the key to success with the youth and the success of the flotilla event. “It is a great opportunity to connect with the kids,” Therriault said. “And we get to do it in a different place, out on the water.” Lynda Kitchikeesic Juden organized the event, working with police services and aboriginal service providers to make the day a success. The goal of the program is to help remove some of the obstacles that hinder co-existence among police and the aboriginals. A day-long event, the chil-
dren from the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, Minwaashin Lodge, Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health and the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre participated in the canoeing event and spent the day on the water with officers from the Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Lac Simon, Akwesasne Mohawk, Eagle Lake and Ottawa Police Services. The canoes enter the water at Dow’s Lake Marina, teams are formed and paddle along the Rideau Canal. The teams then portage down to the Ottawa River and paddle upstream to Victoria Island for a police demo and a cultural feast. The feast at Victoria Island included traditional foods offered at the Aboriginal Experience cultural attraction and a demonstration from Quebec police officers.
In the event of an extended outage, turn off or unplug appliances including air conditioners and electronics to help avoid a power surge when the electricity is restored. Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors shut as much as possible – food will keep for 12 hours in the refrigerator and 24 to 48 hours in a freezer. To ensure your safety, ensure no one goes near downed power lines. Never use barbecues, camp stoves or generators indoors. If you use a fireplace for heat, ensure that your chimney is free of creosote buildup or debris. Use flashlights rather than candles; if you must use candles, place them in a non-combustible container away from drapes and carpets. In an extended winter outage, shut off power to the electric water heater, shut off water at the main valve (usually found in the basement near the water meter), open taps to drain the pipes and leave taps open, flush toilets to empty them, and drain the dishwasher and washing machine. It is rare that we have to deal with extended power outages, but it is best to be prepared. These tips will help to prepare you and your family, and keep you safe.
Ottawa-East EMC - Thursday, July 26, 2012
9