President s Message April 26th, 2018, four members of the DTC Committee will be meeting with Caitlin Szymberski, Policy Advisor and Parliamentary Secretary Assistant, Office of the

Ostomy Canada Connects is a publication of Ostomy Canada Society Inc. This bulletin is published 10 times a year in both English and French (future) to provide greater communication to the chapters. Limited funds only permit circulation to chapter leadership who are encouraged to share the information with their members by including items of interest in their newsletters.

NATIONAL OFFICE:

Ostomy Canada Society Inc. 5800 Ambler Drive, Suite 210

Mississauga, ON L4W 4J4

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 905-212-7111

FAX: 905-212-9002

TOLL FREE: 1-888-969-9698

WEBSITE: www.ostomycanada.ca

PRESIDENT: Ann Ivol

VICE-PRESIDENT: Wendy Hebert RN., ET.

TREASURER:

Stephen Maybee

CHAIR OF THE BOARD:

Sharon Deaves

VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD:

Peter Folk

DIRECTORS: Andrea Leard

Andreanna Gousse

Sharon Deaves

Karen Bruton

Jeffrey O’Leary

Regional Directors:

Pacific Region: Debra Rooney

Prairie Region: Deb Carpentier Ontario Region: John Molnar Quebec Region: Jude Ruest Atlantic Region: Ann Durkee

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OSTOMY CANADA

CONNECTS

April 2018 Volume 26 Issue 8

President’s Message

I hope you had a joyful Easter with your family or friends. There are signs of spring with the weep-ing willow beginning to leaf, crocuses and tulips growing and birds singing.

Stoma Stroll Awareness Walk

Save the date, Saturday October 6, 2018! Get Involved

Website is Live! www.stomastroll.ca

The Stoma Stroll Committee has been very busy preparing for this year’s Awareness Walk. We would like as many chapters and ostomy support groups as possible to get involved. Ostomy Cana-da works for the benefit of everyone who is living with an ostomy. Your “walk” is not only for eve-ryone with an ostomy. It is also for you and your team.

We ask that teams or individuals or donors, whenever possible, to register and/or donate online us-ing Canada Helps. To access Canada Helps, go to the Stoma Stroll website at www.stomastroll.ca A donation made online is issued a tax receipt, immediately. However, a cash or cheque donation needs to be a minimum of $25.00 to receive a tax receipt.

Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy & Continence Canada

Elsewhere in the Connects, you will find a notice from the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy that CAET is changing its name to Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy & Continence Canada (NSWOCC). This will be officially announced on May 4, 2018 at the CAET National Conference, in Victoria, BC. We will no longer be using the term ET Nurse, but Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy & Continence (NSWOC). We especially want to thank and recognize NSWOCs during the week of April 15th to 20th. Disability Tax Credit Committee

On April 26th, 2018, four members of the DTC Committee will be meeting with Caitlin Szymberski, Policy Advisor and Parliamentary Secretary Assistant, Office of the Ministry of National Revenue and her team. Representing Ostomy Canada Society will be Ann Ivol, President and Ann Durkee, Regional Administrator and Leader of the DTC Committee. Representing Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy & Continence Canada will be Cathy Harley, Executive Director and Rosemary Hill, President. We will be presenting a request to the Minister of National Revenue, Diane Lebouthillier, to consider adding NSWOCs to the list of medical practitioners who are eligible to sign the DTC application form. A NSWOC is eminently qualified to assess a request from someone living with an ostomy, for the federal disability tax credit. We hope this meeting will have a posi-tive outcome.

Ann Ivol, President

Donate Monthly to Ostomy Canada Society

Would you prefer to donate monthly to Ostomy Canada Society rather than once or twice a year? It is very easy to set up monthly donations through our partner CanadaHelps.

First go to our donations webpage: http://www.ostomycanada.ca/donations/ Next, click on the image: Next, click on the tab that says “Donate Monthly”. Chose one of the pre-determined amounts or pick your own amount. Pick your starting and end dates. Complete the rest of the information required.

Did you know that donations to Ostomy Canada Society can be made online using your credit card, PayPal, CanadaHelps gift card, or your Debit card? CanadaHelps automatically issues and emails tax receipts which are accessible to donors at any time in their CanadaHelps accounts. Unless otherwise directed, your donation will be part of Ostomy Canada Society general funding. Thank you for supporting the Ostomy Canada Socie-ty.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Are you or anyone in your chapter or ostomy peer support group interested in volunteering as a leader or member of a national committee? Ostomy Canada needs your help to fulfill its mission in support of those who live with an ostomy. Committees are organized under the following five pillars: Governance; Finance and Fundraising; Advocacy; Marketing and Communication and Outreach. Each pillar is the responsibility of a director. These directors are called Pillar Administrators. If someone in your chapter or ostomy support group is interested in assuming the role as leader or member of a committee please ask the volunteer to send his/her name and contact information to the specific pillar admin-istrator at

[email protected]

OSTOMY CANADA SOCIETY NEEDS YOUR HELP.

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Editor’s Message

Here it is April already and what a fool I’ve been, thinking it would never arrive with its promise of spring

flowers, a few showers, and the eager anticipation of warmth and eventually, summer. It’s also nearing the end of another ostomy year, which for most of us, runs from September to June. The June meetings of our chapters (and now support groups, too) are celebrations of our accomplishments in

the previous 10 months, how we’ve met regularly to hear speakers, see new products from suppliers, do our chapter business, discuss visiting programs, raise a few dollars to send children to summer camp, and, probably

most importantly, support one another with sage advice, a shoulder on which to lean, and just a kind word. What some chapters do at their June meeting is honour special people who have made outstanding contributions to ostomy life in their communities. From what I understand, through correspondence to our current national president (Ann Ivol, you know who you are!) and past national president (Peter Folk, for those with too short a memory), few Ostomy Canada affiliates present annual awards to deserving folk. Why not? What better way to say THANK YOU for what you have done for us by presenting an award or two. I know! I know! I’ve been asking for years, decades almost, for names of unsung heroes in local chapters who

are the tick makers (those who make things tick?) in local chapters. I receive about ZERO or maybe ONE every

year or so. In every chapter, there are men and women who go beyond the traditional call of duty to ensure monthly meetings take place, are organized, that things happen regularly to make the chapter active, enjoyable, educational for all the other people who attend meetings and are part of the group. I’m proud that in Halifax, we present an annual award, named after a gone-but-never-forgotten member, Burleigh Wile, to a person, like Burleigh, who has done outstanding work in the chapter. We’ve been doing this for 15 years

and the list of recipients is a who’s who of members, many of whom have served at the national level and whose

names would be easily recognizable to many across Canada – Mike and Betty Woolridge (Maple Leaf Award winners), Ruth Kenney (ET of the Year), Ed Tummers (President’s Award), and yours truly (Maple Leaf Award). We also honor members, selected by the president each year, for special recognition for the important work they do on an ongoing basis, a way of saying “Thank you. You are appreciated.” These people are the door greeters, sandwich and sweets providers, phone committee members, chapter historian, and many others who work in the background but without whom, we’d be a little less efficient and a lot less own-home friendly. June is coming. Closing meeting of the year is approaching. Maybe it’s time for your chapter or support group

to recognize those who ensure that things happen from September to June for ALL the members with whom you are associated. We’ll even publish names in Ostomy Canada Connects if you wish.

Joel Jacobson

Editor

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Ostomy Canada Connects

Website and Social Media Report Here is a count of website visitors in the last few years.

Some of the new things added and updated to the website and social media this month:

Registration forms for the upcoming educational seminar in Regina, SK, May 4, 5, 2018 are now available on their website: http://www.reginaostomy.ca/the-power-of-you-registration/. Early bird registration has now closed, but you can still register up until May 4.

Your chapter or support group contact information is included on our website. Make sure the information is correct. If you find errors, please contact the office and the webmaster.

Our survey is still open. There are two ways that you can complete your survey: Online or Hardcopy. Visit our web-site: https://www.ostomycanada.ca/new-survey-from-ostomy-canada-society/ to complete either method.

To advertise on our website, please call 1-888-969-9698 or email [email protected] for information and rates. Advertising in the Ostomy Canada magazine and for the website can be combined for a discounted rate.

The Stoma Stroll website for 2018 is now live. It is now easier for your chapter or support group or participants to register. Once registered you can create your own fund-raising page and share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or email. The web address is www.stomastroll.ca – register now! Once you have all the details for your walk, please email [email protected] to get your event listed on the stoma stroll website.

Thanks to our two national sponsors for the stoma stroll this year – ConvaTec and Hollister. Dates for Ostomy Canada Youth Camp for 2018 are: Sunday July 8 to Friday, July 13. See our website for more

information! Our Events Calendar continues to be updated. If you don’t see your event listed, please send details and/or poster to

the webmaster at [email protected] April 15-20 is ET/NSWOC Week. See more information on our website: https://www.ostomycanada.ca/april-15-

20-is-et-nswoc-week

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Year Sessions Users Page Views

2013 8,947 6,501 11,739

2014 19,858 14,415 41,269

2015 27,786 20,322 57,785

2016 22,485 16,746 45,152

2017 30,709 21,818 60,138

Item To end of March, 2018

Facebook page likes 905

Facebook page followers 885

Facebook group members 1,019

Facebook Parents group members 81

Facebook Gutsy Gang Social Club members 71

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Twitter Followers 777

YouTube Channel Views 1682

YouTube Channel Subscribers 10

Google+ followers 80

Google+ Community members 105

LinkedIn Company followers 91

LinkedIn group members 71

Pinterest Followers 40

Google Analytics Users (Year to Date) 5648

Google Analytics New Users (Year to Date) 5321

Google Analytics Sessions (Year to Date) 7627

Google Analytics Page Views (Year to Date) 14178

LOOK FOR UNSUNG HEROES IN YOUR CHAPTERS. LET'S HONOUR THEM BY TELLING US WHAT THEY DO. Surely there have to be men and women in your chapters who are doing all the little things that make the chapter tick. Email Joel Jacobson, Ostomy Canada Connects editor, through the national office email at .

[email protected] with their story

Peg Board

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OFFICE COORDINATOR

Carole Pew

Office Assistant

Diana Laye

Monica Desouza

Recording Secretary

Louise Clark

GOVERNANCE:

Administrator: Karen Bruton

BYLAWS:

Ed Tummers (Leader) Carol Wells , Andrew Borrill (Members)

MEMBERSHIP:

To be appointed (Leader) To be appointed (Members)

NATIONAL OFFICE:

Steve Maybee (Leader) Ann Ivol, Carole Pew (Members)

POLICIES & PROCEDURRES:

To be appointed (Leader) To be appointed (Members)

STRATEGIC PLANNING (ANNUAL OPERATIONAL PLAN)

Executive Committee (Leader) Board of Directors, Office staff (Members)

PRIVACY:

Ian MacNeil (Leader) To be appointed (Members)

FINANCE & FUNDRAISING

Administrator: Sharon Deaves

Finance:

Steve Maybee (Leader) Executive Committee (Member)

Stoma Stroll:

Andrea Manson, Meghan Hole (Co-Leaders) Deb Carpentier, Sharon Deaves, Andrea Leard, Ann Durkee, Peter Folk, Ann Ivol, Steve Maybee (Members)

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The Power of You – Spring 2018 Educational Seminar

The Power of You is all about living with an ostomy and learning about what you can do, where you can go for support and just how you can manage change and not have change manage you.

Two evenings and one full day of facts, fellowship and fun, May 4 and 5, 2018 at the Executive Hotel in Regina, Saskatchewan.

SAVE THE DATE and check back for more information

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INSURANCE: Steve Maybee (Leader)

ADVOCACY:

Administrator: Steve Fabian

ADVOCACY

Ian MacNeil (Leader)

Ken Hayward, Peter Folk, Ann Ivol, Ann Durkee, Cathy Harley, Rosemary Hill, Kim LeBlanc, Denise Nicholson, Joan Peddle, Kathy Esligar, Kathy Mutch and Rosemary Hill (Members)

NAVIGATION COMMITTEE:

Ian MacNeil:

Ann Ivol, Christopher Hughan, Denise Nicholson, Ed Tummers, Judith Wouk, Lorrie Pismenny, Rosemary Hill. (Members)

INTERNATION RELATIONS:

Pat Cimmeck (Leader) Janet Paquet ( Vice President of NCACOA) Pat Cimmeck: (Past President of NCACOA)

PUBLIC AWARENESS (COD & WOD):

To be appointed (Leader) Carol Wells (Member)

MARKKETING & COMMUNICATION

Administrator: Andrea Leard

OSTOMY CANADA CONNECTS:

Carol Wells: (Leader) Joel Jacobson, Peter Folk, Ann Ivol, National Office (Members)

OSTOMY CANADA MAGAZINE:

Lisa Gausman (Leader) Elizabeth Lindner, Lorne Aronson (Advertising), Tammy Hunter (graphics editor), National Office (Members)

PUBLICATIONS:

To be appointed (Leader) Joel Jacobson, Andrea Manson (Members)

SOCIAL MEDIA / WEBSITE:

Peter Folk, (Leader and webmaster) Maureen Ghadban (webmaster) Lisa Gausman (Member

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Upcoming Events:

Note: If your chapter has an upcoming event that you would like added here or on the national website, please email the details to Carol Wells through the national office email. Want to promote your chapter meetings? Your ostomy days? Send your in-formation to [email protected] and we will put it on our website under the events tab.

April 14, 2018 & May 14, 2018 Ostomy Education Day, Ke-lowna, BC

May 1st, 2018, Deadline for Camp Volunteer Registration. May 3 - 6, 2018, CAET Conference, Victoria, BC. May 4 - 5, 2018: The Power of You – Spring 2018 Educational

Seminar - Regina Ostomy Chapter. See page 10 for details. May 11, 2018 - Hamilton & District Ostomy Association’s 50th

Anniversary Gala. See page 13 for details. May 15, 2018 - Deadline date for camp applications. July 8 - 13, 2018 - Ostomy Youth Camp, Camp Horizon, Bragg

Creek, Alberta. August 18, 2018 10:00 am - 1:00 pm - Annual General Meeting,

Mississauga, Ontario

To see all the event details, visit https://www.ostomycanada.ca/events-

calendar

Our founder, the late Allan Porter, started the chapter in May 1968, then named “The Ileostomy and Colostomy Association of Hamilton”. The chap-ter soon became affiliated with the American United Ostomy Association, Inc. In 1982, Al set up a UOA ‘Canadian’ Office in the chapter’s meeting location. In October 1987, when the new United Ostomy Association of Canada was officially born, the Hamilton Office was designated as the loca-tion of the UOAC office, and Al was appointed the Canadian Office Coordi-nator. The office was relocated to Toronto in 1994. Twelve Hamilton chapter members have been involved at the National level as founding members or Directors. Four H&DOA members, Maria Siegl, Di Bracken, Janet Paquet and Ann Ivol, have served as National Presidents. That’s something to celebrate.

We welcome your best wishes that will be read to the attendees at our Gala on May 11.

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OUTREACH

Administrator: Andreanne Gousse

Awards: Andrea Manson (Leader) Steve Maybee (Member)

OSTOMY CANADA YOUTH CAMP

Pat Cimmeck ( Youth Camp Administrator) Lisa Gausman (Youth Camp Co-Administrator), David Greenier, Erin Feicht (Members)

PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AN OSTOMY

Corry Stewart Dorosh (Leader) To be appointed (Members)

SASO

To be appointed (Leader) Andrea Manson, Susan Hunter, RNET, Carol Meise (Members)

VISITING PROGRAM:

Roger Ivol (Administrator) Rosemary Hill, Susan Hunter, John Molnar, Lina Martins, Alphonsine Saulnier (Members)

Gutsy Gang Social Club:

Tiffany Shorson (Leader) To be appointed (Members)

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY PARTNERS (INDUSTRY, MEDICAL, OTHERS)

To be appointed (Leader)

Bryce Weber, MD, Jo-Ann Tremblay, Rory Horstein RD, Julie Singer, Shabita Teja, Karen Bruton RN BScN MCISc-WH CETN(C), Contacts from Hollister, Conva-Tec, Salts, Current CAET President, Contacts from Crohn’s and Colitis, Colorectal Cancer Assoc., Bladder Cancer Canada (Members)

Special Committees, Task Forces and Advisory Groups

Disability Tax Credit Committee

Ann Durkee Leader)

Peter Folk, Ann Ivol, Ian MacNeil, Joan Peddle, Kathy Esligar, Rosemary Hill, Elaine Jeffery, Murray Wolfe (Members)

Joke of the Day

The Forgetful Couple

There was an elderly couple who in their old age noticed that they were getting a lot more forgetful, so they decided to go to the doc-tor. The doctor told them that they should start writing things down so they don't forget. They went home and the old lady told her hus-band to get her a bowl of ice cream. "You might want to write it down," she said. The husband said, "No, I can remember that you want a bowl of ice cream." She then told her husband she wanted a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream. "Write it down," she told him, and again he said, "No, no, I can remember: you want a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream." Then the old lady said she wants a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top. "Write it down," she told her husband and again he said, "No, I got it. You want a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top." So he goes to get the ice cream and spends an unusually long time in the kitchen, over 30 minutes. He comes out to his wife and hands her a plate of eggs and bacon. The old wife stares at the plate for a moment, then looks at her husband and asks, "Where's the toast?"

Happy Birthday Darling

During lunch at work, I ate 3 plates of beans (which I know I shouldn't). When I got home, my husband seemed excited to see me and exclaimed delightedly, "Darling I have a surprise for dinner tonight." He then blindfolded me and led me to my chair at the din-ner table. I took a seat and just as he was about to remove my blind-fold, the telephone rang. He made me promise not to touch the blindfold until he returned and went to answer the call. The beans I had consumed were still affecting me and the pressure was becom-ing unbearable, so while my husband was out of the room I seized the opportunity, shifted my weight to one leg and let one go. It was not only loud, but it smelled like a fertilizer truck running over a skunk in front of a garbage dump! I took my napkin from my lap and fanned the air around me vigorously. Then, shifting to the other leg, I ripped off three more. The stink was worse than cooked cab-bage. Keeping my ears carefully tuned to the conversation in the other room, I went on releasing atomic bombs like this for another few minutes. The pleasure was indescribable! Eventually the tele-phone farewells signaled the end of my freedom, so I quickly fanned the air a few more times with my napkin, placed it on my lap and folded my hands back on it feeling very relieved and pleased with myself. My face must have been the picture of innocence when my husband returned, apologizing for taking so long. He asked me if I had peaked through the blindfold, and I assured him I had not. At this point, he removed the blindfold, and twelve dinner guests seated around the table, with their hands to their noses, chorused, "Happy Birthday!"

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11th Ostomy Education Day

Date: April 14, 2018Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Venue: Coast Capri HotelAddress: 1171 Harvey Ave. Kelowna BC

(Event room rates available)

Coast Capri Hotel, Main Ball room.

Admission is by donation - proceeds going toward Ostomy Kids Camp.

Please call to register for event to reserve your seat: 250.860.3100, 1.888.222.9002, or email [email protected]

http://www.lakesidepharmacy.ca/events/event/0/11th_Ostomy_Education_Day/

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Introduction

There will be a special meeting of members of National Council held on Saturday June 23, 2018 at 10:00 am EDT solely by electronic means to discuss the Special Resolution to update and amend the terms of affiliation for members of Ostomy Canada.

Background

In 2012, the Statutory members of Ostomy Canada agreed unanimously that the structure of governance was ineffective and too much of our energy and time was spent on decision-making rather than program delivery. At the time, with the deadline to apply for a certificate of continuance to comply with new federal legislation (Canada Not for Profit Corporations Act), all of our attention was focused on maintaining our legal status. Simply getting to agree on the Bylaws took two years.

Having successfully met the deadline, the statutory members turned their attention to governance. The President invited all to appoint a representative to participate in the Governance Advisory Working Group (GAWG). At AGM 2015, the statutory members unanimously accepted the recommendations of the GAWG to change the governing body. Statutory members were unwilling to nominate people to fill vacant position on the Board and statutory members were unwilling to play a leadership role in the federation. The Statutory members continued to work together in the GAWG and prepared a Special Resolution to approve the change of the governing body. The Statutory members would no longer be voting members; instead the Directors would be voting members. This would greatly simplify decision-making and would remove all responsibilities for governance from the statutory members.

At AGM 2016, this Special Resolution was on the agenda to be debated. At the information session, it became clear that a number of statutory members were not ready to disenfranchise themselves. As one Chapter President said at the information session: “You have given us a wakeup call.” Without a guarantee of sufficient votes to pass the Special Resolution, discussion was postponed. The Special Resolutions to change the governing body are still pending.

Earlier this month, two members of Ostomy Canada submitted a Special Resolution with an alternative plan to improve the effectiveness of governance. They have recommended that the terms of affiliation be updated and simplified to reflect the ways in which the statutory members actually govern themselves together, and to amend the formula for weighted voting to be more equitable. According to federal legislation, this SR must be on the agenda for the next meeting of statutory members. Rather than discuss at the AGM, Chapter Presidents will be invited to appoint a delegate to attend the special meeting to discuss updating the terms of affiliation.

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