A Quiet Night Please!

It has been a very busy day, even though Monday's are typically my day off! I am also on call for the next two nights with Victim Services so I hope things are quiet, for myself and for the potential victims. A quiet night is good for everyone. If every night were quiet then services such as this would need not exist. Perhaps some day!

I am always excited when I learn something new and this happened to me last week. On Wednesday I attended a "Community Connections" meeting in the place of my supervisor. At this meeting there was a representative from the School District presenting the idea of snoezelen rooms. Don't worry, if you have never heard of this because I had not either. Basically these rooms provide a multi-sensory environment for individuals with special needs. I think they are a great resource especially as our Provincial Government explores the idea of inclusion in schools.

On Friday I attended an information session where the future of the Saint John Domestic Violence Community Action Group was discussed. Basically, they are trying to strengthen this group in order to have the capacity to apply for provincial government funding under the "Better World for Women" 5-year action plan. I think this is great and I encourage anyone, who is reading this and has an interest, to join the committee. If you want to get involved then contact me and I will put you in contact with the committee.

The weekend was relaxing and I spent most of the time updating my portfolio and resume as some job prospects have begun to emerge. I spent time learning more about Immigration in Saint John. It is a very interesting field and there will be much movement in the field in the next few years. Saint John could use an influx of immigrants to fill skill gaps and to create a more vibrant city that will help to retain our own youth. There is a lot of public education that has to be done but in the end immigration is a win-win situation for everyone.

I usually try to make it to City Council meetings on Monday nights but tonight I had FUSION steering committee. Oh well, I am sure I will read about anything important in tomorrow's Telegraph Journal.

I am excited about a new book that just came out. I ordered it today. It is called "Visiting Grandchildren: Economic Development in the Maritimes". Here is a synopsis from the publisher:

Visiting Grandchildren looks to history, accidents of geography, and to the workings of national political and administrative institutions to explain the relative underdevelopment of the Maritime provinces. Savoie argues that the region must strive to redefine its relationship with the national government and with other regions, that it must ask fundamental questions of itself about its own responsibility for its present underdevelopment, develop a cooperative mindset, and embrace the market, if it is to prosper in the twenty-first century. SavoieÂ’s work serves as the blueprint for a new way of envisioning the Maritime region.

Finally, I would like to plug an upcoming event. This Friday is AIDS Saint John's annual Harm Reduction Day. It is being held at the Church of St. Andrew and St. David on Germain Street. Here is a description:

9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Church of St. Andrew and St. David, 168 Germain Street. Guest speakers for the day include a young man who will be coming to share his story, and, Marj Mullin, Coordinator of the Ridgewood Methadone Program. Marj will provide us with an overview of addictions in our area, what our response has been and what we need to continue to work on. As well, the youth from our 2-year Planning for the Future Project, the 'Do no Harmers' will share what they learned in our Region over the past 2 years. A lunch will be provided so we need to know how many people will be in attendance. The event is limited to 75 people. Please let us know as soon as you can if you plan to attend. (506) 652-2437.

That is it for now! Have a great week!