Volume 48, Number 30 February 10, 2005

Rotary Club of Toronto West

Rotary Grace – O Lord, we stand for every race, for every creed from every place, to give our thanks and say our grace for food, for health. May peace embrace the world through Rotary?

Last Week – February 3, 2005

A very interesting talk from one of our own members Mike Walker. Mike is a consultant on Critical Infrastructure Protection, having worked for over 29 airlines, writing contingency and security plans, for Bombardier Aerospace as in-house emergency planning consultant, and for the Provincial Government on contract.

We heard that Critical infrastructure can be defined as: Interdependent, interactive, interconnect-ed networks of institutions, services, systems and processes that meet vital human needs, sustain the economy, protect public safety and security, and maintain continuity and confidence in government.

In the case of Canada, an emergency or disaster in Ontario, or a major incident in the City of Toronto, can have a serious impact on the entire nation. Many of the critical items in Canada and Toronto are in bad shape, crumbling roads, leaky water systems, old power transmission lines etc.

We were told that protecting critical infrastructure and responding to emergencies is a shared responsibility in Canada, requiring the full cooperation and effort of the Government of Canada departments and agencies, provinces and territories, municipalities and the private sector.

In the Province of Ontario, the responsibility for emergency plans falls to Emergency Management Ontario (EMO), which reports to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

The cornerstone of developing Comprehensive Emergency Management Programs is Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA)

Mike described a hazard, as an event or physical condition that has the potential to cause fatalities, injuries, property damage, infrastructure damage, agriculture loss, damage to the environment, interruption of business, or other types of harm or loss.

We were given a long list of what can be considered Natural Hazards, and Mike told us of a few of the many Case Studies that have occurred.

President Jagjit thanked Mike on behalf of us all for a very informative and important talk on a subject that is now a mandatory requirement rather than a just nice to have piece of legislation.

Wine Draw:.

No draw last week. We’ve been promised two draws this week

Visitors:

Joshua Kochath, a guest of the club.

This Week:

We are pleased to have Fred Ho as our guest speaker. Fred will be talking to us about “Canadian Blood Services”.

Youth Impact Awards 2006

Chris Ostrovski spoke briefly on some ideas that are being considered for he 2006 YIA. He told us that certain items were already in the planning stage, and that volunteers were needed for the various committees.

Classifications:

1. Bank Manager.

2. Religious Leader.

Birthdays & Anniversaries:

None this week.

Outstanding Money

For those who still have money outstanding for any reason, Christmas Cakes, Shortbread etc. Presidents Rotary Foundation Walk, Dues, Tsunami Relief Fund or any other. Please get them to the treasurer immediately.

Members News:

It was a pleasure to have Terry Donahue return to the fold. Let’s hope that he can find his way to make his visits more frequent.

Mike Walker is now in St. Maartan for a two week vacation.

Don Foster and his singing group “The Inclination” will be pleased to enhance your Valentines Day. Contact Don for details

Generous Donation

Ron Manfield generously donated the money he received from the sale of his CD’s at the Youth Impact Awards Dinner ($260.00) to our Rotary Trust Fund. Thanks from all of us Ron.

Next Week- February 17, 2005

Our guest speaker will be Dr. Larry Beach. Dr. Larry will be talking to us about “Adapting to a disability and retirement.

Spoke Joke:

. A couple were driving in the country, and they got into a bit of an argument.

They were quiet for a while, until they passed a field with some cows, some pigs and a few goats browsing around.

With a big smirk on his face, he turns to look at her and says, ”Relatives of yours?”

“Yes.” she says, “My in-laws.”

World Understanding Month

February is World Understanding Month, giving Rotarians everywhere a time to reflect on the fourth point of the Object of Rotary, which calls for the advancement of international under-standing, goodwill and peace. Since the R.I. Board created the month long observance in 1982, clubs have developed scores of initiatives aimed at addressing the problems that fuel human strife.

The Rotary club of Muttenz-Wartenberg, Switzerland, took an extraordinary step to promote inter-national understanding when it organized Peace Camp 04, bringing together 11 Israelis and Palestinians, most in their 20’s for 10 days in the neutral setting of Basel, Switzerland. Their goals were to talk, try to understand, learn to respect, and in doing so, take “little steps towards peace.”

All participants agreed that at first it was very difficult to talk about politics, “For many of us, it was the first time that we were so explicitly con-fronted with the other political side, says Israeli participant Zohar Itzhak. Even among friends, such discussions often end up in bitter fights. Palestinian student Wafa El Sheikh says, ”Such discussions would be impossible at home in Jerusalem.”

While all recognized that a single community service project cannot change the world. Peace Camp 04 did make progress, says Werner Lüthi, former Muttenz-Wartenberg club president. “Behind every conflict there are also people who want peace.