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By: Vanessa Moss | Posted: on August 09, 2008

MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING Brian Mitchell has been driving for the Waterloo Canadian Cancer Society for the past seven years. He finds that in supporting those undergoing cancer, he is able to reflect on his own battle and experience further healing.

When Elmira’s Brian Mitchell was battling prostate cancer in 1997, he valued the support he received from the volunteers who drove him to and from Toronto for radiation treatment.
Now, the cancer survivor is giving back to the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) by taking the wheel himself, transporting area residents to their appointments about twice a week.
“I really appreciated it and I thought when I retire, ‘hey, this is something I can do.’ There are lots of people that need this service, and I’ve always felt we’re supposed to help each other. I think that’s all part of God’s plan that we do these things,” Mitchell said.
Currently, the Waterloo Region CCS urgently needs more drivers, especially those willing to travel out of the area to appointments in Hamilton, London and Toronto. In the summer, many volunteers go on vacation, so drivers are needed to fill the spots, said Karen Griffiths, unit manager in Waterloo.
She said that drivers decide when and how often they volunteer and are given free training and a gas allowance. All they need is a smoke-free vehicle, a good driving record and a desire to help people in need.
“It’s very satisfying. Most of our drivers have probably either a family [member] or friend that’s gone through cancer, so I think that’s a lot of times their motivation to do the driving. … [It’s] something that they feel satisfying that they’re making a difference with patients who otherwise would not be able to get to their cancer-related appointments. … That kind of service is something that is pretty special,” she said.
For Mitchell, driving has allowed him to share his cancer experiences with others facing similar challenges, leading to mutual healing.
“I think it’s great,” said Mitchell’s wife Marilyn. “I think it’s really helped him a lot in his cancer journey because he was never a huge conversationalist, but I think it’s really brought him out.”
Anything discussed during the drives is confidential, she added, which encourages people to speak out.
“Some people just like to unload and get it off [their chest] and it’s sort of an outlet for them maybe, I think,” Brian said.
“They ask you your experiences. It’s sort of a bit of a support: you can give them a little support. [And if they] want to shout at somebody or get mad at somebody, ‘hey, I’m here.’”
Often people who use the service are not feeling well when they get in the car and Brian can empathize. He also has the patience to wait if appointments last longer than expected.
“It’s all part of the game.”
While he was undergoing radiation, Brian spent weekdays at the Princess Margaret Hospital Lodge and took the free CCS rides home on weekends. Now, he spends time at the Lodge while he waits for riders. There is even a drivers’ lounge set up where he can chat with other volunteers and play cribbage.
“It’s been really rewarding. You meet so many really great people,” he said of his experience as a volunteer for the past seven years.
In that time, he has undergone a roller coaster of emotions as he learned of riders who succumbed to or survived the disease.
One of his favourite memories is of a man he drove about six years ago, who was told he had six months to live when he was first diagnosed. Brian was thrilled when he picked the man up again last year.
“The positive outweigh the negative I think in most cases, which is really great. You hear these sad stories, but there are a lot of good stories too and that makes it worthwhile too when you’ve driven someone five years ago and you take ‘em back a year later and then again a year later or something and it gives you a good feeling too.”
It is hard picking up the paper and learning that a rider has passed though, he said.
“It hits ya, ‘cause we all have that common bond. We’ve all been touched by cancer.”
Mitchell said he is glad he hasn’t driven many children over the years because often that can be a painful process. But, if driving them makes the cancer treatment easier for the family, he feels blessed to do it.
“It really makes me feel good.”
Marilyn also did some driving for a while as somewhat of a “thank you” for the rides Brian received while he was undergoing treatment. At that time, Marilyn was very grateful for the service.
“For me, it was also a really big relief ‘cause he had to go to Toronto and the thoughts of driving to Toronto every day is just too overwhelming. And I think it probably goes for people today too.”
When she was making mostly local trips for patients, Marilyn felt the same satisfaction Brian does.
“I met a lot of nice people. … I mean, it’s when you’re in that sort of mode, it’s unique because it’s an experience that not everybody has experienced, so there is a certain feeling about it I really can’t even describe. There’s a need.”
“Anybody who does it, I think they have to get a real fulfillment from it,” Brian added.
Even some days you start out and you [say] ‘what am I doing this for?’ but then after you get going, [it’s worth it]. … There’s so many different people that I’ve driven. You think about them now and again and you consider them friends.”

By: Steve Kannon | Posted: on August 09, 2008

It was a weekend blitz long on warnings and easy on the charges, as Woolwich moved to crack down on off-road vehicles trespassing on land around Breslau.
A few paid-duty Waterloo regional police officers and bylaw enforcement officials spent the holiday weekend stopping numerous recreational vehicle users on a stretch of land bounded by the village to the west and Greenhouse Road to the east.
The goal was education, to inform the riders of dirt bikes, ATVs and 4X4s that the area was off limits to them, even though it’s been a longtime destination for off-roading enthusiasts.
“We have to let people know that’s private property, and you can’t be bombing around out there,” said township clerk Christine Broughton. “Lots of people said ‘we just didn’t know – we’ve been coming here for years.”
While such uses have always been illegal, the practice has come under more scrutiny as the Hopewell Heights subdivision – the eventual site of 475 homes – fills in. Residents have complained about noise and dust, as well as safety concerns due to the motorized vehicles whipping through the fields.
Off-roaders have been riding through a stretch of natural property adjacent to the new subdivision, stretching from Fountain Street to Greenhouse Road. Signs have been torn down and barriers removed as the township and landowners tried to prevent access to the site, to no avail.
The land in the area east of the village belongs to a variety of owners: the township, Waterloo Region, developer Thomasfield Homes, private homeowners and the Goderich-Exeter Railway. All have banded together to put an end to the practice.
Director of recreation and facilities Larry Devitt said he expects it will take time to get the message out, especially to those intent on ignoring the rules.
“It’s going to be a long, drawn-out process, because the people who obey the signs aren’t the problem,” he said.
While most of the riders approached over the weekend appeared cooperative, some had their backs up even when they were told they were trespassing, said Broughton.
“We had some run-ins with people who were pretty belligerent.”
Even so, few charges were laid, as the township preferred to emphasize education rather than fines. That may change as the enforcement blitz continues, including stops set for this weekend and next.
The township is also looking at measures to restrict parking in the area, particularly on Greenhouse Road, with the idea of preventing people from parking and offloading their recreational vehicles as they seek access to the site. That tactic will be on the agenda when councillors reconvene Aug. 12 following the summer break.

By: Steve Kannon | Posted: on August 09, 2008

Having dutifully followed Wellesley’s procedures while installing a new pool this summer, Kim Ruthig figures he’s entitled to a refund after witnessing so many others flouting the rules.
He appeared before council Tuesday night requesting the return of the $125 building permit fee he paid last spring, noting others in the township have simply gone ahead with projects, not bothering to conform to the requirements that pools deeper than 30 inches be surrounded by a secure, five-foot fence.
There are plenty of examples of non-compliance, he said, arguing a refund is in order if the municipality is prepared to let violations stand.
“Conscientious citizens are penalized for complying with the rules,” he said, pointing to the “non-uniform application of the bylaw requirements.”
Ruthig added he’d be happy to pay back the fee if Wellesley begins enforcing the rules in every case.
Adding insult to injury, following the rules caused delays in the installation of the pool, he argued.
Ruthig took delivery of his on-ground pool May 26. Because it took two weeks to get a building permit, the installation was pushed back until the following month. Subsequent problems meant the installation wasn’t completed until Aug. 1, with finish work such as decking still to come.
A simple drawing of a backyard pool could be handled very quickly, he told councillors.
In response, chief administrative officer Susan Duke noted his request came at a “time of transition” in the building department, as a new official was being hired to replace someone who had departed.
“I can assure you that it is not staff’s intention to treat people unfairly.”
In discussing Ruthig’s request later in the meeting, councillors asked staff to look into the resident’s assertions before making a decision.
The issue also led councillors to discuss the township’s pool fence bylaw, especially about enforcement in situations where a homeowner has an inflatable pool. Coun. Jim Olender said he shared Ruthig’s concerns about safety, as some inflatable pools are large enough to meet the depth requirements outlined in the bylaw.
For Coun. Herb Heher, however, the issue “opens a can of worms.”
Inflatable pools are essentially temporary, and it would be difficult to enforce fencing requirements.
“It’s still a wading pool,” he said, noting safety is a concern, but a child could drown in a few inches of water in a kiddie pool or a bathtub, for instance.
In reviewing Ruthig’s request, the township will also look at cases of non-compliance.

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