TIMES COLONIST | timescolonist.com
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020
DENNY WARNER, Executive Director Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
JOHN JURICIC Labour Market Consultant
Reflections on burgeoning relationships
We are amazing but please don’t tell anyone n 2019, Macleans Magazine ranked Canada’s best communities, and perhaps not surprisingly for those of us who live here (or those who choose to holiday here), the three municipalities of the Saanich Peninsula rank in the top 50 of the 415 communities they compared. In fact, two of the three ranked in the top 30. The criteria they use is: wealth and economy, affordability, demographics, taxes, commute, crime, weather, health, amenities and culture and community. The ranking found the “... best spots to live are communities with rural charm and access to urban jobs.” Many of the truly rural communities are struggling with a lack of job growth and access to health care and other amenities. While we definitely have issues around affordability and transportation, we are not prone to experience periods of volatility. We are blessed to live in a region with an
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incredibly diversified economy. A small list of the thriving sectors includes agri-business, the marine industry, air transportation suppliers and support services for the airport, advanced manufacturing, a charming retail zone in Sidney, a plethora of service businesses, and the tourism power-house, Butchart Gardens, which attracts more than a million visitors a year to this area. Two other critical areas that impact diversity in an economy are the level of education attained by the population (yes, that’s high here, too) and the level of affluence (also high). The more people are paid, the greater their demand for services. Add to the above, the scenic beauty, and it seems likely we will remain at the top of the list of best places to live in the foreseeable future. But we don’t toot our horn too loudly because we are modest Canadians who are somewhat averse to change.
ince late 2018, there has been consistent effort with our Lower Vancouver Island First Nations Communities towards developing better labour market relationships with regional Industry human resources (HR) representatives. Strong leadership and vision from the Tsawout and Songhees Nations have enabled these efforts to triumph and succeed. Some reflections on these burgeoning relationships: During our conversations, we chat about a lot of different topics. We’ve really wanted to capture the spirit of these conversations so that others can hear and learn from these stories. To do this, a podcast called “Northern Conversations” (northernconversations.com) and Facebook Page (facebook.com/northernconversationscom) has been created. Here is a typical response from Industry: “Thank you for sharing this John. This was helpful information and I have learned something from this. I appreciate Lyle’s openness
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and willingness to share. I look forward to the next one.” This kind of digital story-telling helps our communities better understand and learn from each other. There are so many intersection points in this developing relationship, some of which I will review in upcoming articles. Of particular interest and inter-community relevance is the pre-meeting greeting that acknowledges historical local First Nations land rights and ownership. But this greeting is changing and evolving. There is now an expectation that we speak from the heart and reflect on the developing relationship from a personal perspective, with consideration towards the past, present and especially the future. A huge thank you to Adam Olsen, Saanich and the Islands MLA, Mavis Underwood from the Tsawout Nation and Lyle Henry from the Songhees Nation for helping Industry to better understand what we are saying and feeling.
Thinking about hearing aids? BY DONNA M. STEWART, M.A., AUD(C), AUD/RHIP Audiologist/Owner Hear Central Saanich
earing loss can be a sneaky thing, often coming on so slowly that you don’t even realize it’s happening. Over the years, the birds fade away, song by song; the television gets turned up, notch by notch, and you start avoiding situations where you know you won’t be able too hear well, gathering by gathering. Eventually, your quality of life becomes affected to the extent that
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Grieving
you realize you can’t ignore your hearing loss anymore. The good news is that hearing loss is well-understood and there is an abundance of help available. The sooner you take action, the better your long-term results. Start with a hearing test. The audiologist will complete a thorough medical history and take you through a series of tests to evaluate specific functions of your auditory system. If your hearing loss is medically or surgically treatable, you will be referred to your physician or otolaryngologist (ENT specialist). If you are a good candidate for amplification, hearing
aids will be recommended. A proper fit is vital. The most expensive hearing aids in the world won’t benefit you if they aren’t properly adjusted for your hearing. Verifying the hearing aids are meeting your prescribed requirements is one of the most important steps in the process. Once you’ve been trained on hearing aid ‘care and feeding’, you’ll be sent out into the world of sound. Take full advantage of the trial period. During your 90 day trial, your job is to wear the hearing aids in your everyday life and report back to your audiologist every couple weeks.
Do some damage in the 60’s?
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,ĞĂƌŝŶŐ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶ ǁĂƐŶ͛ƚ Ă ƚŽƉ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƚLJ ǁŚĞŶ
n today’s hectic world of juggling family, career, school, social LJŽƵ ǁĞŶƚ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĐĞƌƚƐ ďĂĐŬ ƚŚĞŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ŶŽǁ LJŽƵ͛ƌĞ ƉĂLJŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŝĐĞ͘ commitments and everything else we have on our plates, I can /Ĩ LJŽƵ͛ǀĞ ŶŽƟĐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵƵƐŝĐ ŚĂƐŶ͛ƚ ďĞĞŶ ƐŽƵŶĚŝŶŐ promise you, death does not usually come at a convenient time. ĂƐ ŐŽŽĚ ĂƐ ŝƚ ƵƐĞĚ ƚŽ͕ ŝƚ ŵŝŐŚƚ ďĞ ƟŵĞ ĨŽƌ Ă It happens when it happens, whether or not you are prepared. You will ŽŶŶĂ ^ƚĞǁĂƌƚ ŚĞĂƌŝŶŐ ƚĞƐƚ͘ ƵĚŝŽůŽŐŝƐƚͬKǁŶĞƌ now need to take the time, and often make the time, to deal with 7159A West Saanich Road everything there is to do. And on top of that, you are also grieving. It is important to note that when a death occurs, to Call: 778-426-4876 hearcentralsaanich.com take your time, surround yourself in support and let your community funeral provider assist with the necessary steps that need to be taken. Even for those who have done pre- planning, which assists greatly when faced with a loss, you are now bereaved. This emotion requires support and guidance from those you love and trust. It is worth mentioning that the faster you take care of your loved one’s Watery Eyes, Sneezing, disposition — this will not make the pain of the loss Allergies, Sore Throat, etc. go away any faster. When you and your family are faced with a loss, (could be related to Dirty you are not alone. Your community will be there to Heating System)! support you. Sometimes overlooked are the members To get your ducts clean of your community who are also in need of support. They want to extend their condolences, share their we use a State-0f-The-Art stories of what your loved one meant to them, and also system with take the unscheduled time to attend a funeral, Truck Mounted Vacuums! celebration or gathering to show their support in FURNACE & AIR DUCT person, when words can sometimes not seem enough. CLEANING Community support and participation is as important in death as it is in all other major life events WHOLE HOUSE FOR ONLY where we celebrate and come together. This gives permission for friends, colleagues and acquaintances to participate in the tributes and share stories of who that person was to them. (gas, electric, and oil There is strength in numbers. When you lose up to 2500 sq.ft.) someone you love, accepting support may just be the strength that you need. You are not alone. Sands Funeral Chapel of Victoria has proudly been Before We Specialize in serving and supporting this community since 1912. They are here to guide and support you through your Dryer Vent Cleaning loss. arbormemorial.ca/en/sands-victoria
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Most clinics include service and adjustment for the life of the hearing aids — about five years. Your audiologist is as invested in your success as you are. Let her know if you have any problems and give her the opportunity to rectify them. Recent studies show that a hearing aid wearer's satisfaction levels continue to increase as hearing aids become more user friendly and technologically advanced. It is possible to take the effort out of hearing so you can get back to enjoying life. The first step is a hearing test. hearcentralsaanich.com
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