Roses and Thorns: Honesty, GM and the parks commission

ROSE: To Niagara Falls firefighter Chris Howe, for sharing the story of his fight against alcohol and drug addiction with matter-of-fact honesty so that others can find comfort and ask for help. Howe, whose story was featured by reporter Cheryl Clock last week, says his problems started before he joined the fire department in 2003 but the contradiction between his inner self and his job, which is dedicated to saving others, became difficult to bear. This contradiction led him to the brink of suicide, but a sudden realization that he wanted to live helped turn his life around. Howe’s recovery date is Jan. 2, 2011. These days he talks to others about what he went through and most of the Niagara Falls fire department staff have heard his presentation. His words can be a guide to anyone seeking a way forward. “I don’t have to be who I think you want me to be,” he says. “I’m comfortable in my own skin.”

THORN: To General Motors for its decision to stop production at its Oshawa Assembly Plant, where more than 2,500 people are employed. The automaker is also closing four plants in the United States in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland as part of a broad restructuring program, which is being implemented to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles, according to a company news release. About 6,000 factory workers could lose jobs in the U.S. and Canada. The North American reduction also includes 8,100 whitecollar workers, some of whom will take buyouts and others who will be laid off. The move is expected to save the company US$6 billion per year. The move does not appear to affect the St. Catharines plant, where 1,300 are employed. But as St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik’s statement Monday night that “not even after 100-plus years in business can you protect a community from the forces of globalization” makes clear, we cannot predict the future.

ROSE: To the Saint Paul Patriots for their 36-23 victory over Hamilton Westmount Wildcats in last week’s SOSSA football championships. The win advances the Patriots to the Golden Horseshoe Bowl, which was played Tuesday in Ottawa against Mississauga Lorne Park. The last time the Patriots advanced to the final was in 2011, losing to Burlington Nelson in the title game. The Patriots have been on a roll of late, winning seven in a row including three playoff victories. “They were very good,” said Wildcats’ head coach Tom Pain of the Niagara Falls team. “They were crisp, they executed, they did what they wanted to do.”

THORN: To the provincial government for its apparent dithering and silence on who will head up Niagara Parks Commission. The job as parks commission chair has been open since Nov. 15, when Janice Thomson’s term expired. Earlier in November, she told Niagara Falls Review reporter Gord Howard that she had applied for reappointment for a third term but hadn’t heard anything from the Progressive Conservative government. Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, the government’s only Niagara MPP, has not responded to repeated calls from The Review for comment. Queen’s Park is responsible for filling eight of the 12 seats on the parks board, including the chair and vice-chair. Current vice-chair Joan Andrews’ term is also due to expire on Dec. 31. While the parks commission is not on the verge of collapse due to the lack of action on the part of the province, it could at least have let the former chair who has served the commission well know what’s happening or if she’s even in the running for reappointment.

“I don’t have to be who I think you want me to be. I’m comfortable in my own skin.”