Cheers & Jeers
JEERS: To the latest survey numbers, which indicate that the number of Islanders without a family doctor has increased by 11 per cent over the past six years. The number of Atlantic Canadians who currently have a family doctor remains high, despite a slight decline over the past four years, according to the most recent survey conducted by Corporate Research Associates Inc.
The number Prince Edward Islanders who currently have a family doctor has been trending downward since 2011. Just over eight in ten P.E.I. residents (83 per cent, down 94 per cent in May 2011) have a family doctor.
CHEERS: To the 2017 recipients of the Order of Prince Edward Island who will be honoured at a special investiture ceremony at Government House on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m.
The Chancellor of the Order, Lt.-Gov. H. Frank Lewis, will confer the honour on Catherine Callbeck of Central Bedeque, Catherine Hennessey of Charlottetown and James MacAulay of St. Peter’s Bay. It will be one of the last official duties for Lt.-Gov. Lewis who is about to complete his term, and be replaced by Antoinette Perry of Tignish.
CHEERS: To Malpeque MP Wayne Easter who introduced Bill S-236 in the Commons Sept. 18, with Bobby Morrissey, the Member for Egmont serving as seconder. The Senate bill moves to officially recognize Charlottetown as the Official Birthplace of Confederation, following the Charlottetown Conference of 1864.
“I would like to thank Senator (Diane) Griffin for introducing and getting this Bill through the Senate with unanimous support,” said Easter. “This legislation is an important part in celebrating our Confederation 150 years ago.”
CHEERS: To all Islanders who supported the Raise-a-Reader project, sponsored by The Guardian and the Journal Pioneer, last Wednesday, in support of family and children’s literacy projects.
The event raised more than $19,440, an increase of more than $2,500 over last year. In a little more than two hours, 31 teams and more than 150 volunteers from Tignish, O’Leary, Summerside, Charlottetown, Montague and Souris made a huge difference in lives of Prince Edward Island children.
CHEERS: To the province and the P.E.I. Potato Board who are partnering with Island farmers and a transport company to provide fresh produce to those affected by devastating Hurricane Irma in Florida. A tractor-trailer with more than 40,000 pounds of fresh produce — including potatoes, carrots and turnips — left Sept. 20 to assist victims of Hurricane Irma.
The trailer will include 17 pallets of potato donations from growers and packers throughout Prince Edward Island, to carrots and rutabagas from P.E.I. Vegetable Growers Co-Op.