FEBRUARY 2006

MAGAZINE GREAT VALENTINE GALA ISSUE

2006 King Clancy Award Winners

Tom Jeary Steven Fletcher Joanne Smith WhyNot. Magazine FEBRUARY 2006 THE GREAT VALENTINE GALA ISSUE FEBRUARY, 2006

Published by the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons, 731 Runnymede Road, , , M6N 3V7 Telephone (416) 760-7351 MAGAZINE Fax (416) 760-9405 E-Mail: [email protected] WhyNot. www.cfpdp.com IN THIS ISSUE

Publisher: Vim Kochhar Editors: Lawrence Allen and Bill McOuat A GALA WELCOME Publication Manager: Dorothy Price 4 Publication Coordinator: Joan Champ Design & Production: The Richmond Studio A Gala Celebration Sales: Envision Inc. 8 The 22nd annual Great Valentine Gala Printing: Thompson Printing, Paris, Ontario promises a night to remember For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Presenting the King Clancy Awards Envision Inc., Telephone (416) 259-5677. Meet our 2006 winners 14 The reproduction of articles from WhyNot. Magazine, with the exception of copyright Leading by Example material, is welcome provided the source is 17 Introducing the winners of the 2006 acknowledged. Additional copies of WhyNot. Magazine are available from the Publisher at a CFPDP Corporate Award cost of $2.50 each plus shipping and handling. Gala Blues Iconic Canadian bluesman 19 Jeff Healey comes to the Gala Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons Ride the Rampage The Canadian Foundation for Physically 22 The fourth annual Rolling Rampage Disabled Persons, a charitable organization founded in 1985, assists people with physi- joins the World Series cal disabilities to live fuller lives. Its mission is to create awareness in the public, business communities and government of the abilities READY FOR TORINO of persons with disabilities and their needs in Canada’s Winter Paralympians 26 the areas of housing, employment, educa- prepare to descend on Torino tion, accessibility, sports and recreation and research. In the past twenty-two years, the Foundation has raised substantial funds, THE LAST WORD which it has distributed to a wide variety of 32 Gala greetings from Canadian organizations and events. These include the Paralympic Committee President Patrick Jarvis Terry Fox Hall of Fame, the Eternal Flame of Hope, the Rotary Cheshire Home, the Canadian Helen Keller Centre, the annual Great Valentine Gala (in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Toronto-Don Valley), the King Clancy Awards, the Corporate Awards, the WhyNot Marathon, the first Canadian Marathon for the Paralympics, Jeff Adams’ CN Tower climb and Rolling Rampage Wheelchair 10K Road Race 2222 Valentine’s Day is a time for love and caring, As The Queen’s representative in Ontario and traits shared by everyone supporting the Honorary Patron of the Canadian Foundation Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled for Physically Disabled Persons, I am pleased to Persons and its 22nd annual Great Valentine extend warm greetings to everyone attending Gala. the 22nd Great Valentine Gala. The Foundation was set up to bring much The CFPDP is one of the most important needed attention to this segment of our popula- organizations actively working for the advance- tion and the contribution they make, as well as ment of men and women who have physical to offer help in whatever way they can, be it disabilities. Physical, and other kinds of barriers, through housing, education, treatment or can prevent people dealing with physical research. However, above all else, they provide disabilities from living their lives to the fullest. hope and fulfilment for persons with physical The CFPDP works hard to provide accessibility, disabilities. The members and supporters of the employment opportunities and other supports. Foundation have made a difference in so many I extend best wishes to Vim Kochhar and lives, and I know, that with your help, they will the organizing committee for their outstanding continue to do so. work in promoting this most important cause. Along with raising awareness of Canadians with disabilities, the Foundation has taken on James K. Bartleman initiatives such as supporting paralympic athletes Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and funding treatment centres, among others. Those who have benefited from your help join me in thanking you for your work. I wish everyone an enjoyable gala.

Michaëlle Jean Governor General of Canada

M4WhyNot. February 2006 essages Welcome to the 22nd Annual Great Valentine It gives me great pleasure to join the Canadian Greetings and welcome to our 22nd annual Great Gala. I am pleased to join Rick Waugh, Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons in Valentine Gala. President and CEO of Scotiabank as Honorary welcoming you to the 22nd annual Great Through the years, the Canadian Foundation Co-Chair for this evening’s momentous Valentine Gala. for Physically Disabled Persons has enlisted the fundraising event. This is my second year serving as Honorary support of a great many thoughtful friends and The Great Valentine Gala, besides being the Gala Co-Chair. Scotiabank is proud to support community partners. It is a debt we can never most important fundraiser for the Canadian the CFPDP in its campaign to make a world repay but it’s the kind of debt you can never Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons, is of greater opportunity for the more than two forget. It is a great feeling to be a part of such a one of the only celebrations that pay tribute to million Canadians afflicted with some form of supportive and committed network of friends. the many achievements and accomplishments of physical disability. Proceeds from the gala form a It’s our hope you’ll share that feeling tonight, for Canada’s physically disabled. I am honoured to major source of funds for supporting important this is what the Great Valentine Gala is all about: be a part of an event that draws attention to initiatives that promote public awareness of working together to ensure this great country of their tremendous potential and recognizes their this cause. The money raised will also provide ours never leaves anyone behind. skills and determination. substantial and much-needed funding for In keeping with the Gala spirit, tonight we Tonight, we are also paying tribute to Canada’s Paralympians, accessible housing and salute the inspiring achievements of our 2006 Canada’s Paralympic team whose skill and forti- outreach programs for the deaf-blind community King Clancy Award winners: Winnipeg M.P. tude advance the issues on a global level. We and many other essential community services. Steven Fletcher, broadcaster Joanne Smith and salute each and every one of you as you prepare What makes the Great Valentine Gala truly volunteer innovator Tom Jeary. We also salute the to travel to and show the world what can special, however, is the very real sense of magnificent contributions of this year’s CFPDP be accomplished. You are an inspiration to all community the evening promotes. In celebrating Corporate Award winners: Bloorview MacMillan Canadians for your incredible drive, determina- the achievements of people with disabilities and Children’s Centre and Microsoft Canada. tion and dedication to your dreams. the dedicated people and organizations who Tonight’s Gala will also serve as a send-off On behalf of DaimlerChrysler Canada and all work on their behalf, the Gala drives home the for Canada’s Paralympic Team competing in the our employees, we applaud the many dedicated value and importance of diversity in our commu- Torino Winter Games. I would also like to pay patrons and volunteers who work tirelessly every nities and that’s a message we can all endorse. tribute to the Canadian Paralympic Committee day to advance the issues and interests of the On behalf of Scotiabank and our employees and to Patrick Jarvis for his leadership over the physically disabled. Thank YOU for supporting across Canada, I want to thank the CFPDP and all past 7 years. this great cause and this wonderful event. the Gala patrons and volunteers whose generous On behalf of the CFPDP, I want to thank support and assistance make this wonderful our dedicated Gala patrons and volunteers and Steven Landry evening possible. I wish you every success for everyone who supports the aspirations of President and CEO the year ahead, thank you. Canada’s disability community. Your generosity DaimlerChrysler Canada and goodwill are the lifeblood of this great cause Rick Waugh and I thank you one and all. President and CEO Scotiabank VVim Kochhar, President and CEO Vimal Group of Companies Chairman Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons sages February 2006 WhyNot.5 G2006reat Celebrating the inspired leadership and achievements of Canadians with disabilities alentineand2006 their many partners in the ongoingG struggle to make a betterala world

n February 11 more than 800 enthusiastic the 22nd Annual Great Valentine Gala. friends and supporters of the Canadian An evening of celebration, fun and fellow- VOFoundation for Physically Disabled Persons ship in the service of a great cause, the CFPDP’s will come together for one of this country’s beloved fundraiser has carved out a proud tra- most enduring tributes to the aspirations and dition of spirited support for the disability com- achievements of Canadians with disabilities, munity and its hopes for a better world. Over

Top left: Senator Joyce Fairbairn and the Hon. Top right: The Hon. Michael Wilson, Lynne Waugh and Rick Waugh Bottom left: Gala MC Suhanna Meharchand Bottom right: Swimmer Stephanie Dixon accepts the King Clancy Trophy for Canada’s 2004 Paralympic Team

8WhyNot. February 2006 KING CLANCY the course of more than two decades, the gen- levels of daily life, notes Kochhar. The barriers AWARD WINNERS erosity of Gala patrons has contributed to acces- can be systemic, financial, personal, architec- 1987 Richard Beecroft sible housing, outreach and training, sports and tural, but very few are carved in stone. Carl Hiebert other community based programs and services “Many of the frustrations people with dis- Ron Turcott 1988 that have helped an ever growing number of abilities contend with are nothing more than Robert Wilson Jackson Beryl Potter Canadians play a more active and rewarding byproducts of a lack of consideration on our Mona Winberg role in the life of their communities. Gala pro- part and that’s something we can change. If peo- 1989 Rick Hansen ceeds have also been used to promote wider ple open their mind to the possibilities, there’s a Jackie Rodger recognition of the disability community’s mon- tremendous well of potential out there.” Kerry Grant Wadman 1990 umental struggle for acceptance and gainful Of course, changing Canadians’ attitudes John Black Aird opportunities. Under the direction of the about disability is one thing; convincing them Arnold Boldt Vicki Keith CFPDP and its founding chairman Vim to implement and invest in effective long-term 1991 Barbara Turnbull Kochhar, Gala funded awareness projects have solutions is another. That’s why the CFPDP and Terry Fox attracted national attention and increased pub- its annual Gala have always put a premium on André Viger 1992 lic focus on the plight of people with disabili- reaching out to the nation’s corporate and com- a ties, their special needs, and their tremendous munity leaders, says Kochhar. Over the years Dick Loiselle 1993 talent and ability. the Great Valentine Gala has been fortunate to Gary McPherson “Our first order of business has always been count on the support of prominent Canadians Jeff Tiessen Karl Hilzinger promoting a deeper understanding of what it from the worlds of business and finance, poli- 1994 Reverend Robert Rumball means to live with disability. You have to get tics, the arts, sports, health and community ser- Joanne Bouw people involved. Without a concerted public vice establishments. But the Gala has always put 1995 Rob Snoek commitment to the issue, it’s hard to make special emphasis on the fact that leadership Spencer Bevan-John meaningful headway,” says Kochhar. People takes many forms, notes the CFPDP’s chairman. Jack Donohue 1996 with disabilities confront obstacles on so many Leadership is also demonstrated in the person- Kurt Browning Betty and Rolly Fox Rhona Winifred Mickelson Robert Steadward 1997 Jeff Adams John and Jesse Davidson Henry N.R. Jackman A Rotaract CFPDP 1998 Joan Mactavish member sells chairman Amy Doofenbaker Dave Shannon Tombola balloons Vim Kochhar 1999 Jim Knox Kelly Klassen Frank MacIntyre 2000 Terry Kelly Stephanie McClellan Walter Gretzky 2001 Stephanie Dixon Lisa Franks Patrick Jarvis 2002 Jim Sanders Joyce Fairbairn Chantal Petitclerc r a b

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February 2006 WhyNot.9 2006 Great Valentine Gala Committee Members GALA CHAIR Richard Rotman FOUNDATION CHAIR Vim Kochhar ADMINISTRATION Dorothy Price EVENTS COORDINATION Joan Champ Rob Ham FACILITIES Mark Lecker MASTER OF CEREMONIES Suhana Meharchand PUBLIC RELATIONS Richard Rotman FINANCE David Ford SALES Roy Ashforth Bill Jack KING CLANCY AWARDS Doug Richardson Barry Coke Dorothy Price CORPORATE AWARDS Stan Lewis Vim Kochhar Roy Ashforth V.I.P. RECEPTION Khalid Khokhar Barry Coke Rob Snoek Doug Richardson Andrew Borbas

TOMBOLA Top: Entertainer Greg Frewin added magic to the Gala festivities Inset left: HomeDepot’s Annette Verschuren accepts a Corporate Award Patty Grant Inset right: Kenji Tomikawa accepts Toyota Canada’s Corporate Award Middle left: CityTV’s David Onley with wife Ruthann Middle right: Deirdre Gibson Paralypian Jeff Adams and Kristine Bacharach Bottom left: CFPDP Board Member Barry Coke with former Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall and Jennifer Robbins husband Max Beck Bottom right: Toronto Don Valley Rotary Club Past President Major Beverly Ivany and her husband Major David Ivany Cindy Accardi 10WhyNot. February 2006 Canada’s medal winners at the 2004 Athens Summer Paralympics were presented with the 2005 King Clancy Award

al excellence of lifetime volunteers, the unal- promoted increased interest and respect for the loyed athleticism of our Paralympians, or the ongoing struggle of people with disabilities to extraordinary fortitude of those who have to achieve greater independence. work twice as hard just to make a life. • Tom Jeary, a retired engineer who has quietly “The Gala is a truly egalitarian community. It volunteered thousands of hours of his time to has to be. If you want to change the status quo inventing and building innovative assistive you’ve got to engage people at every level of the devices for people with a disability. process. We need legislation and government The CFPDP’s annual Corporate Awards hon- programs with teeth and real money behind our Canadian corporate and institutional orga- them. Housing, access to education, transporta- nizations dedicated to the advancement of real tion. Ultimately, this undertaking is going to opportunities for people in the disability com- require the support of the entire country – espe- munity. This year’s CFPDP Corporate Award cially our business leaders. Under-employment honourees are: is a huge issue for people with disabilities. They • Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre (soon need real jobs and employers with the vision to to be renamed Bloorview Kids Rehab), Canada’s give them a chance.” largest teaching hospital for children’s rehabili- Celebrating the people and organizations tation. Long recognized for its exceptional med- who move and inspire us has been a perennial ical care, research and educational services, highlight of the Gala festivities. Presented in Bloorview has provided generations of children recognition of outstanding personal achieve- with disabilities the tools they need to achieve ment, the CFPDP’s annual King Clancy Awards their goals. have introduced Gala revelers over the years to • Microsoft Canada, for its distinguished record an inspirational catalogue of great Canadians. of supporting young people through its I Can The 2006 King Clancy Award Winners are no Community Programs. In 2004, Microsoft exception: Canada, in partnership with the Canadian •Steven Fletcher, elected Member of Parliament National Institute for the Blind, won the for the Winnipeg riding of Charleswood-St. Canadian Centre for Philanthropy’s “New Spirit James-Assiniboia in 2004. A quadriplegic since of Community Partnerships” Award for devel- he was 23, Fletcher has earned national respect oping the CNIB's digital library. for his determination and involvement in the “These are people and organizations who community. have really made a difference in this world,” • Joanne Smith, host of the award winning doc- says the CFPDP’s ebullient chairman. “When all umentary television program Moving On, aired is said and done, I think this is what Gala night on CBC-TV and TVO. Smith’s intelligent and is all about. Knowing, if we work together, all of sensitive presentation of disability issues has us can make a difference.”

February 2006 Wh11yNot. MAKING THE DIFFERENCE The surest route to greater independence and opportunity for people with disabilities is greater public awareness and accep- tance, says CFPDP chairman Vim Kochhar. Since 1985 and their inaugural Gala tribute to Canada’s Kimberly Paralympians, Kochhar and the CFPDP have always been on the lookout for new and compelling ways of spreading the disability community’s message to the widest possible audience. -Clark CFPDP administered awareness projects include: • The Terry Fox Hall of Fame, perhaps the best known of the CFPDP’s public ventures. Chaired by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie and located in Metro Hall, 55 John Street, the Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding achievements in sports, science and medical research, rehabilitation, advocacy, public policy and com- munity service. Members of the Hall of Fame have been accom- plished elite athletes, launched and administered national ser- vice organizations; been outspoken advocates and community activists; raised millions of dollars for research and special pro- grams; and served as tireless, lifelong volunteers. What binds them as a group, says Kochhar, is their inspirational example. • The Rolling Rampage, Canada’s first international calibre annual 10K wheelchair road race. Launched in 2003 and staged on Queen’s Park Crescent in the heart of downtown Toronto, the Rolling Rampage has become a showcase for the finest wheel- chair racers in the world. For the last two years the Rampage has been broadcast to a national audience on CBC Television’s Sports Saturday. This year’s Rampage is June 17. • Step Up to Change, legendary Canadian Paralympian Jeff Adams’ unforgettable wheelchair ascent of the CN Tower stairs in 2002. Adams, in partnership with the CFPDP, attracted interna- tional media coverage for this one-time event, stimulating a new awareness of public accessibility issues. • The Eternal Flame of Hope, a symbol of the dreams and tri- Kino umphs of people with disabilities ignited in 1996 by then Governor General Roméo LeBlanc. The flame still burns on the public square of Toronto’s Metro Hall and was used to ignite the torches for the WhyNot Marathon and the 1996 Special Olympics. • The WhyNot Marathon, 1996’s epic 11,000 km torch relay enlisting over 8,000 torch bearers and 150,000 runners in 700 communities across the country in a historic tribute to the Paralympic movement and the triumphs of Canadians with dis- abilities. • Publishing. From the beginning the CFPDP has maintained an active schedule of publishing concerns, including: in the early years, Gala magazine; a two year partnership with Disability Today Magazine; nearly 40 issues of WhyNot Magazine, current- ly published three times a year and delivered to 20,000 sub- scribers of the ; and some 260 pages in special sec- tions published in the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. Presenting the 2006 King Clancy Awards One of the annual highlights of the Great Valentine Gala is the presentation of the King Clancy Awards to individuals whose outstanding achievements have enhanced the lives of Canadians with a disability.

Tom Jeary several of Jeary’s inventions enable people with varying degrees of disability to also enjoy these For more than 30 years, mechanical engineer activities. Two of his successful skiing devices, Tom Jeary has devoted thousands of hours to The Ashmobile and The Skeasy, allow people devising and building innovative and highly who require crutches or a walker to alpine ski. specialized assistive devices for children and Both of these inventions are used at the Track III adults in his home workshop. Ski Club. Jeary’s uniquely inventive brand of work- To spread the word and encourage other shopping began in the early 1970s after he vis- like-minded innovators, Jeary and his son Scott ited Montreal’s Mackay Institute (now the launched a volunteer, not-for-profit web site in Mackay Centre School), which serves children 1998. The site, workshopsolutions.com, is with a disability. At the time, children’s wheel- funded and maintained by the Jearys and pro- chairs were virtually unheard of and he was vides a forum for engineers, technicians, inven- affected by how difficult it was for the kids to tors and workshop enthusiasts to share their manage their adult-sized wheelchairs. knowledge and display the assistive devices Once home, Jeary set to work on a practical, they have built. no frills solution, creating and building small Contact information for each inventor is go-cart styled “wheelchairs” that were easy to provided for anyone seeking advice or assis- get in and out of and allowed the kids to move tance. There are also extensive links to the web around freely and comfortably. It was the first of sites of other not-for-profit organizations, his many successful devices. including several that specialize in assistive Since that initial breakthrough, Jeary has technology. Workshopsolutions.com has been a developed many assistive devices that offer peo- great success and there are currently 137 ple with limited strength and mobility greater devices listed, complete with photographs and freedom, comfort and confidence in their routine descriptions. activities and recreational pursuits. A volunteer In addition to being one of this year’s King with several Kitchener-Waterloo organizations, Clancy Award winners, Tom Jeary is a recipient Jeary has built imaginative gadgets and equip- of the Rotarian of the Year award and the City of ment for The Rotary Children’s Centre, the Track Waterloo’s Citizen of the Year award for his gen- III Ski Club, The Independent Living Centre, erosity of spirit and commitment to bringing KW Accessibility and several group homes. greater freedom and independence to people An active skier, photographer and golfer, with a disability.

14WhyNot. February 2006 Steven Joanne 6 Fletcher Smith s

Tom Jeary

Joanne Smith at Global Television. Soon after she assumed hosting duties for the CBC program, The Journalist, producer and broadcaster Joanne Disability Network. Smith is best known to Canadians for hosting By 1998, The Disability Network had the television program Moving On, as well as evolved to become the Gemini Award winning her work on CBC Newsworld and Canada Now, Moving On, which has forged a unique place and her on-air coverage of the past three among North American television programs. for CBC-TV. But to many The Moving On magazine format focuses on other people and organizations she is also high- people with a disability who are developing ly regarded as a valued mentor and volunteer. their own ways to live more independently and Paralyzed as a result of a car accident when enjoy life to the fullest. On the program, Smith she was 19, Smith developed an active interest in brings to light the vast diversity among people media and disability issues during her 18- with a disability and never portrays them as months in rehabilitation. Once out of rehab, she either victims or superheroes. returned to school, and after graduating from As busy as her career keeps her, Smith has Toronto’s York University in 1996, she completed devoted a great deal of her personal time to vol- a diploma in Radio and Television production at unteering on behalf of other people with a dis- Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology. ability. She has been a Peer Mentor with the As a student, Smith gained a feel for the Lyndhurst Hospital and The Canadian Paraplegic workings of the media and being in the public Association (CPA) for many years, and has con- eye by appearing in leading magazines and ducted Peer Support workshops in developing doing guest spots on several television pro- countries through a partnership between the CPA grams. She also put her personal experience to and the Canadian International Development good use by working part time in the Toronto Agency. She is also active with the Canadian Board of Education’s Disability Awareness Spinal Research Organization and the Ontario Program, aimed at helping elementary and sec- March of Dimes, and serves as popular co-host of ondary school students gain a fuller under- the annual Easter Seals Telethon. standing of the lives and experiences of people Like her Moving On guests, Joanne Smith with a disability. may not be a superhero but she sets an excep- After graduating from Seneca, Smith’s broad- tional example and has been an influential and casting and production career began in earnest articulate voice in dispelling misconceptions when she took a position as Editorial Assistant about people with a disability.

February 2006 Wh15yNot. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Steven Fletcher FOR THE TERRY FOX HALL OF FAME In June of 2004 at the age of 32, Steven Fletcher became the SPONSORED BY first quadriplegic Member of Parliament when he was elect- THE CANADIAN FOUNDATION FOR ed to the House of Commons as the member for PHYSICALLY DISABLED PERSONS Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Conservative party opposition leader Stephen Harper imme- The Terry Fox Hall of Fame recognizes distinguished diately appointed Fletcher to the role of senior health critic. Canadians who have made a significant contribution A University of Manitoba engineering graduate and for- in assisting, or enhancing the lives of persons mer mining engineer, Fletcher’s initial interest in health care with physical disabilities. policy began during his 11-month hospital stay and reha- Both physically disabled and non-disabled persons bilitation after a collision with a moose paralyzed him from may be inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame. the neck down. He was 23 years old at the time and readi- Individuals are inducted in one of three categories: ly admits on his web site that prior to his accident he Builder, Achiever, Athlete. hadn’t given disability and health care issues a lot of Please submit a detailed account of the individual’s background to: thought. The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons “Before my accident I did not give the issues of public 731 Runnymede Road, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3V7 policy or the severely disabled much thought. After my acci- Telephone: 416-760-7351 Fax: 416-760-9405 dent I realized that in society we have a contradiction. On E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cfpdp.com one hand we ‘save’ or extend the lives of individuals and Please include your name, address and phone number. then we do not provide the resources to help these individ- Nominations to be returned no later than May 12, 2006 uals, young or old, to have a reasonable quality of life.” Fletcher showed early on that he was a team builder with a strong sense of community service when he was pres- ident of his high school student council. And when he 2006 TERRY FOX HALL OF FAME LUNCHEON returned to the University of Manitoba after extensive reha- NOVEMBER 2006 bilitation, he was twice elected president of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union while completing his MBA. He Please call The Canadian Foundation later served as an executive member of the Board of for Physically Disabled Persons for further information Directors of the University of Manitoba. Telephone: 416-760-7351 Fax: 416-760-9405 Not long after graduating from U of M, Fletcher was E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cfpdp.com elected President of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba in 2001 and was re-elected in 2003. In September of that year, he won the nomination in his Winnipeg riding Terry Fox Hall of Fame Nomination Form for the Canadian Alliance party and actively supported the To be returned no later than May 12, 2006 union of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conserva- For criteria please refer to “Call for nominations” form tive parties. After the merger, he won the nomination for the new Conservative Party and went on to win the riding in Application submitted by: both the 2004 and 2006 elections. Address: But it’s not all politics all the time for Fletcher, and he has never let his disability keep him from enjoying his down City: time. An avid canoeist, kayaker and sailor, he has traveled Postal Code: Phone: thousands of kilometers on Manitoba’s rivers and lakes, and was a Manitoba Provincial Kayak Champion, competing at I/We wish to submit the name of the following person to the Selection the National level in the Canada Summer Games. He has Board for consideration for induction into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame. also sailed in an International Regatta using sip-and- puff assistive technology and is founding member of Wilderness Nominee: Access Manitoba, promoting Trail-Rider equipment for dis- Address: abled outdoor enthusiasts. Steven Fletcher is widely respected for his leadership, City: compassion, and integrity. At just 32, his personal accom- Postal Code: Phone: plishments and contributions to the community would, for many, constitute a lifetime of achievement. Please submit a detailed account of the individual’s background to: The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons 731 Runnymede Road, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3V7 Telephone: 416-760-7351 Fax: 416-760-9405 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cfpdp.com 2006 CFPDP Corporate Awards Presented to companies and organizations whose commitment and leadership have made a lasting impact on the lives of those who live with disability.

Microsoft Canada Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre For many years Microsoft Canada has been making Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre – soon to be important contributions to Canadian communities and renamed Bloorview Kids Rehab – is Canada’s largest teach- has provided meaningful support to organizations serv- ing hospital for pediatric rehabilitation, enriching the lives ing adults, youth and children. of children and youth with disabilities every day with In 2002, the Canadian National Institute for the world-class medical care, research and education. Blind (CNIB) launched its groundbreaking $33 million The Great Valentine Gala is a momentous occasion for “That All May Read” campaign to digitize the CNIB Bloorview in two respects. The 2005 Corporate Award is a library of alternative format material. Frank Clegg, the tribute to the many physicians, clinical therapists, scien- president of Microsoft Canada, stepped forward to co- tists, engineers, educators, donors, volunteers and other chair the campaign along with Scotiabank's Albert community supporters who work every day to turn dis- Wahbe. As part of the company’s lead donation of $2.5 ability into possibility for thousands of young people with million, Microsoft Canada designed the critical plat- disabilities and their families. form architecture to manage the CNIB Digital Library, The Gala also falls on the eve of Bloorview’s move into combining some of the world's most complex and a new 350,000 square-foot state-of-the-art healthcare facil- advanced digital access and storage systems. ity in Leaside. From a vibrant and outward-looking van- Microsoft Canada also funded and led the develop- tage point on the Sunnybrook Ravine, Bloorview will pro- ment of the remarkable CNIB Children's Discovery vide complex care and rehabilitation from acquired injuries Portal - the world's first Internet portal of its kind for in a hospital wing with outdoor terraces and family children who are blind or visually impaired. Both of lounges. A full-service aquatics program will anchor well- these projects were officially launched last November. ness and community programs located near an atrium-lit In 2005, Microsoft Canada also partnered with the Open Studio and garden for therapeutic arts programs. Children’s Miracle Network and the Children's Hospital The Bloorview School will be a learning centre for spe- of Eastern Ontario to launch the Child Life Interactive cial needs children as well as clinical and education spe- Computers for Kids (CLICK) program. The first pro- cialists. Canada’s largest program for developmental pae- gram of its kind in Canada, CLICK gives children bed- diatrics will train specialized physicians to meet an urgent side connectivity, allowing them to play games and con- national shortage. The Bloorview Research Institute will nect with their friends, family and the classroom develop new technologies and innovations to enhance through state-of-the-art technology. quality of life and quality of care of young people with dis- Microsoft Canada’s commitment to children and abilities everywhere. A multidisciplinary team of special- youth, particularly those who are blind or visually ists will pioneer new thinking and practices as they have impaired has not gone unrecognized. In 2002, the done for more than a century. CNIB and the World Blind Union awarded Bill Gates The new Bloorview Kids Rehab marks a great mile- the extremely rare Louis Braille Gold Medal. And in stone in a history that began in 1899 under the name The 2004, Microsoft Canada and the CNIB together Home for Incurable Children. But what’s never changed in received Imagine’s New Spirit of Community that time is a vision of challenging barriers and helping to Partnerships Award from the Canadian Centre for build a more inclusive society, of looking at disability in Philanthropy. terms of possibility.

Bloorview Kids Rehab

February 2006 WhyNot.17 JEFF HEALEY first picked up a guitar when he was three years old and has become one of Canada’s most critically acclaimed and popular blues and jazz artists. Canadian Nominated for Grammy Awards in 1989 and 1996, the Jeff Healey Band has played to packed houses and sold millions of records worldwide since shoot- jazz and ing to fame with the release of their first album, See The Light, in 1988. Blind since the age of one, Healey began performing publicly when blues icon he was six and by his mid-teens was widely considered a musical prodigy. He has shared the stage with such blues legends as Albert Collins, B.B King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, and toured with Ringo Jeff Healey Starr, Bob Dylan, and Bonnie Raitt. His many television appear- ances include Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight brings his Show with Johnny Carson. A multi-instrumentalist with broad musical tastes and interests, prodigious Healey has also been performing traditional 20s and 30s jazz with his popular seven-member ensemble, Jeff Healey’s Jazz Wizards, for the past few years. In 2005, after a five-year hiatus from chops to recording, the Jeff Healey Band released their seventh album, Get Me Some, a superb collection of electrifying blues originals. this year’s Whichever genre Healey chooses for the Great Valentine Gala, it will undoubtedly be a memorable musical evening. Gala

February 2006 Wh19yNot. RIDE THE RAMPAGE

Some of the finest athletes in the world you’re watching the real thing,” enthuses the plan to be on hand when the fourth race’s founder. annual Rolling Rampage hits Toronto’s Queen’s In last year’s Rampage, both the Men’s and Park Circle on Saturday, June 17. Women’s Open finals were resolved in down-to- The exciting 10k event has come to be the-wire finishes. In the Men’s event, the front- regarded as Canada’s premier international runners burned through a final, full-lap sprint wheelchair road race, attracting elite competi- at speeds of up to 39 kilometres per hour. tors from 11 nations in 2005 and garnering Hometown favourite Jeff Adams appeared coast to coast coverage on CBC Television’s poised to capture his first Rampage win when Sports Saturday. he launched into a fiery finishing kick with 150 With a purse of $35,000, the Rampage has metres to go. However, South African Ernst van become a popular stop on the prestigious Dyk, a five-time Boston Marathon winner, World Series circuit, dubbed the most lucrative answered the call and blew by at the wire to series in wheelchair sport. Presented by the claim his third consecutive Rampage crown – Canadian Foundation For Physically Disabled eclipsing Adams by just 5/100th’s of a second Persons (in cooperation with the Canadian (in 21:53.9 minutes). Paralympic Committee and the Rotary Club of The depth of the Men’s field was borne Toronto-Don Valley), the event is also proving out in shot order with a third-place finish to be a tremendous showcase for what people going to Mexico’s Saul Mendoza, a dominant with disabilities are really capable of, says force in world competition for over a decade, CFPDP chairman Vim Kochhar. followed by Australia’s Kurt Fearnley, a dou- “It’s an incredible spectator sport. When you ble gold medalist at the Athens Paralympics, see these athletes in action there’s no question and rising star Michel Filteau of Quebec

Last year’s Women’s Open event offered the most competitive field yet, including Canada’s 2005 Female Athlete of the Year Chantal Petitclerc, far right. Petitclerc won the race, nosing out two time Rampage champ Diane Roy.

22WhyNot. February 2006 E RAMPAGE The fourth annual Rolling Rampage takes on the world June 17

rounding out the pack for an as a drawing card for the world’s impressive fifth place finish. top wheelers. The Women’s Open final However, notes Kochhar, as also proved a heart stopper. an “open event” the Making her Rolling Ram- Rampage also offers an all- page debut, Chantal Petit- too-rare opportunity for clerc, Canada’s 2005 Female wheelchair racing’s week- Athlete of the Year end warriors and recre- (25:00.0) edged out fellow ational competitors to meet Quebecer, and two-time and compete. One such racer Rampage winner Diane Roy by is Windsor native Jeff May, a 4/100’s of a second. Third place perennial Rampage favourite went to Francesca Porcellato, of Italy. whose unique style of racing elicits a In the Men’s Quad division, Austria’s Thomas rousing cheer from the crowd every time he Geierspichler also achieved three-time Rampage rounds the Queen’s Park loop. Born with a con- title status in a time of 24:44.5, closing a nip genital defect called TARR Syndrome, May has and tuck seven-lap battle with Spain’s Santiago only one partial arm and powers his chair with Sanz. Saskatchewan’s Clayton Gerein turned in his feet, sustaining incredible foot speed over a strong third. seven consecutive laps. The much anticipated appearance of “Where else can someone like Jeff May com- Petitclerc – winner of no less than five gold pete? Here’s an athlete who has trained for years medals at the Athens Paralympics – further to do something no one else can do and he does reinforced the Rampage’s growing reputation it extraordinarily well. Jeff’s been a real inspira-

An elite lineup Last year’s Men’s Open attracted some of the fastest racers in the world, including, left to right: Canada’s Jeff Adams (with tattoo), Australia’s Kurt Fearnley, three time Rampage champ Ernst van r a

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February 2006 WhyNot.23 tion to everyone associated with this event,” meet some of the remarkable people who have says Kochhar. overcome this especially challenging disability. The Rolling Rampage also offers a Junior JuneFest 2006 will be open to the public all division which organizers hope may serve as a day June 17 in Queen’s Park adjacent to the launching pad for the next generation of Rolling Rampage starting line. The event is Paralympic wheelers. hosted by Rotary Cheshire Homes A new addition to this year’s Rampage is (www.rotarycheshirehomes.org) and the JuneFest, a fun family event dedicated to pro- Canadian Helen Keller Centre (www.chkc.org). moting greater awareness of Canada’s deaf- One of the highlights of the Rampage pro- blind community. gram is the Festival of Wheels, a fundraising Held in conjunction with Deaf-Blind wheelathon in which the public is invited to Awareness Month in Ontario, JuneFest incor- cycle, skate board, roller blade or otherwise porates a family oriented mix of interactive wheel for pledges and fun. There is also a cor- games, information booths and other entertain- porate wheelchair relay in which businesses ing opportunities for participants to learn more and other organizations can compete and raise about the unique world of dual sensory loss. funds for a worthy cause. Proceeds from these Although they are deprived of almost all events will be shared between the CFPDP and conventional means of accessing the informa- other disability service providers participating tion and services most of us take for granted, in the Rampage. All disability organizations are deaf-blind people can achieve a significant invited to come out and roll for a share of the measure of independence with the help of proceeds. intervener services and specialized training and Organizers will be promoting the Festival of communication skills. Wheels at local running and athletics clubs, Visitors to JuneFest can discover how edu- schools and charitable organizations through- cation and technology are making it possible out the Greater Toronto Area. Aspiring wheel- for deaf-blind people to access libraries and ers can register for the wheelathon at schools or communicate with essential emer- www.rollingrampage.com or call 416-760- gency services. You can also try your hand at 7351. You can also pick up a pledge form at the deaf-blind communication systems such as fin- Bloorview Macmillan Centre (soon to be ger spelling, adapted American Sign Language renamed Bloorview Kids Rehab), Variety Village and Two-Hand Manual communication and or Running Room stores across the province.

JuneFest joins the Rampage A fun, interactive family event, JuneFest offers a fascinating glimpse into the unique world of Canada’s deaf-blind community

24WhyNot. February 2006 READY FOR TORINO Hopes are high as Canada prepares to send its largest contingent yet to the IX Winter Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy

ore than 600 athletes with physical dis- abilities from 40 nations, 500 officials, M3,500 volunteers, and 1,000 represen- tatives of the media are set to descend on the small northern Italian city of Torino next month for the IX Winter Paralympic Games. Canada is sending a contingent of 35 athletes to Torino – almost six times the number attend- ing the inaugural Games in Norway in 1976! And if all the stars align, the prospects look promising for Canada to improve on its’ 15- medal (six gold, four silver, five bronze) perfor- mance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympics. “We’re looking pretty good,” says Brian MacPherson, COO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). And while the Winter Paralympics operate on a smaller scale than the Summer Games, by virtue of the fewer number of sports involved, MacPherson says there’s a very special feeling that attends the quadrennial event. “It’s more of a family atmosphere, as far as the mood and the camaraderie of the team. The coaches and mission staff are all part of the team that goes over,” he says. “The Winter Games are always fun, it’s close-knit, and intimate. But there’s a lot more medaling opportunities (in the summer), and people like medals.” Team Canada curling second of Surrey B.C. Much of this year’s excitement revolves and his teammates will be heading to Torino later this around the Paralympics’ newest event, wheel- month to compete in the first ever Paralympic bonspiel. chair curling. Canada is ranked fourth among

26WhyNot. February 2006 Blind Nordic skier Brian McKeever follows his guide - and brother, Robin - at the 2002 Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City.

the eight entries heading into Torino, after claim- ing silver at the first world championships in Shauna Maria Whyte was one of many Canadians to 2002. Under head coach Joe Rea, they placed make a strong showing in Salt Lake City. third at a recent international bonspiel in . “They’re pretty excited about being the first Team Canada going to the Paralympics (in this event),” says team leader Wendy Morgan. “And any time you get to wear the Maple Leaf on your jacket, it’s a very special thing. “We do have a lot of international experience on our team. Clearly, they’re going with a focus to get through the round robin and into the medal round – and of course, anything can hap- pen there.” “Oh sure,” MacPherson responds, when asked if the Canadian curlers are pumped, “par- . y

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February 2006 WhyNot.27 Canada’s sledge hockey team celebrates after a at the 2002 Paralympic Games.

camp in January, and will take part in the Sledge hockey was introduced as a Para- Canadian national championships February 14 lympic event in 1994, in Lillehammer, Norway. to 19, as a buildup to Torino. The players use skate-bladed sledges and short “They’re working on coming together as a hockey sticks equipped with a pick on one end team. It was just announced in December,” to propel them over the ice. At the elite level, the Morgan adds. sport demands speed, skill and agility, says MacPherson stresses that the addition of curl- Snyder, whose coaching experience includes a ing is vital for the continuing growth of the stint with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Winter Games. “It’s a great step in the right direc- Hockey League. tion of increasing the number of sports in the “It’s a lot quicker game than people realize. Paralympic Games. For 2010, there’s talk of It’s fast, and lots of players collide. It gets pretty adding adaptive snowboarding.” intense.” Expectations are also running high this year The one significant limitation in sledge hock- for Team Canada’s sledge hockey entry, which ey, says Snyder, is the fact that the players can’t faded for a fourth-place finish in Salt Lake City skate backwards. This means a must after striking gold in 1998 at Nagano. In turn and chase opposing forwards facing in the December the team chalked up an encouraging same direction. split in a two-game exhibition series with the He says the sport received a big shot in the defending champion U.S. squad. A second arm in 2004 when sledge hockey was officially showdown with the Americans was slated for welcomed under the Hockey Canada umbrella January. as part of Sport Canada’s ongoing initiative to “The two teams are pretty close,” says head integrate the nation’s elite sports programs. coach Jeff Snyder. “We feel pretty good about our “It has allowed us to train harder, mostly team going in. We’re working to finish with the because of funding. We really feel we’re part of gold. We will have our work cut out for us. Hockey Canada, just like the two (Olympic) “We’ve changed the team. We’ve gone quite a teams,” he comments. “And the goal is three bit younger, and quicker. I think the overall com- golds in Torino – for the men’s and women’s mitment to training is better.” (hockey teams) and the sledge hockey team.”

28WhyNot. February 2006 Looking to score! Team Canada has their eye on Gold at the upcoming Games in Torino.

CPC senior media relations coordinator Guy tion of the Alpine events, the number of medals Napert-Frenette notes that Hockey Canada is up for grabs this year has been reduced from 53 providing the team with a psychologist, nutri- to 24. Alpine skiing’s four events – Downhill, tionist and trainer as well as funding and other Super-G, Slalom, and Giant Slalom – have now services which were unheard of in the past. been divided into just three classes: Sitting, “For the players, it has been a 180-degree Standing, and Blind. turnaround – and for the sledge hockey pro- “It makes it quite simple for the audience,” gram,” he says. “Before they were on their own, MacPherson says. “But it makes it quite chal- now they’re receiving leadership and guidance.” lenging for the athletes.” For instance, past dou- “You have both able-bodied and Paralympic ble gold medalist Lauren Woolstencroft, a triple athletes at the same seminars,” MacPherson amputee who uses prostheses, has only recently adds. “Both groups of athletes love that environ- managed to round back into the top seed follow- ment – they feed off each other.” ing the restructuring. Napert-Frenette observes that since 1994, the “Our athletes have adapted, but we’re not popularity of sledge hockey has grown by leaps quite the dominant force we were,” MacPherson and bounds. “There are so many other countries says. “The world is getting a lot better at trying to get a spot in the tournament,” he says. Paralympic Sports -- and the countries tradition- Ranked ninth in the world heading into ally at the top are being challenged on the field Torino, Team Canada’s Alpine ski team is aiming of play like never before. It’s absolutely great, the to return to the top of the field, following an Paralympic world movement, but it is a chal- injury-plagued 2004-’05 season. These athletes lenge for us, nevertheless.” tear down the slopes at speeds of up to 100 kilo- The CPC’s COO attributes the tremendous metres per hour, using a variety of aids such as growth in Paralympic sport primarily to one outriggers with short skis or a mono-ski, a spe- thing: television. cially fitted chair over a single ski. The visually “Prior to the 1996 Summer Paralympics, impaired athletes ski with sighted guides using there was no TV coverage. For the 2004 Summer voice signals or radio communication. Paralypmics in Athens, 1.8 billion people were Following a major shakeup in the classifica- watching.”

February 2006 Wh31yNot. THE LAST WORD

Patrick Jarvis President, Canadian Paralympic Committee Member, Governing Board, International Paralympic Committee

ONE STEP AT A TIME, one day at a force that changes things forever. A time, keep moving forward. The single person can initiate change, a thought drifts across my mind as I group of committed people produces enjoy a morning run in Las Vegas, this miracles. time as a tourist and not as a The Great Valentine Gala recog- Paralympic Games prospect like 17 nizes individuals who have taken steps years ago. There are moments in our to change things and helped make the lives when we pause to reflect on world a better place. The King Clancy where we have come from and what award recipients would likely be the our next step will be in the adventure first to say that it’s taken a collective we call life. I am at one of those effort but these are individuals who moments. After seven years as the have provided inspiration, energy and president of the Canadian Paralympic leadership to bring people together in Committee (CPC), I am stepping aside a unified purpose. The Gala is a cele- to let others provide their passion and teers, friends and family -- that to try bration of their efforts and a public leadership to further advance our and specify the one thing that made way of showing how much they are movement. We at the CPC have the greatest difference would be a dis- appreciated. accomplished a great deal yet we still service to the efforts of so many. Yet, it They are examples that each one of have much to do. is the power of one that has made all us has the capacity to make a dramat- It’s barely conceivable to think that the difference. ic impact on the lives of others and, in 1999, we considered shutting down One person. One idea. One step. It indeed, on our own life. Too often we the CPC, closing the doors and walk- is the simple act of acting rather than seek the dramatic, life affirming ing away. This fact is rather poignant avoiding that ultimately leads to suc- moments as proof of that impact. considering our athletes’ success inter- cess. One person taking that first step What we need to appreciate are the nationally, especially over the last six creates the initial energy to move small, everyday actions that help make years. There are so many people that things forward. As others with the lives extraordinary. A waterfall does have played a role in this success -- the same values and desires align them- start with a single drop and every jour- athletes and coaches, corporate spon- selves with the effort, the idea gains ney does start with a single step. Be sors and government, staff and volun- momentum resulting in an irresistible the one. Take the step.

32WhyNot. February 2006