2006 king clancy award winners - · pdf file2006 king clancy award winners tom jeary steven...

FEBRUARY 2006

GREAT VALENTINE GALA ISSUEMAGAZINE

2006 King Clancy Award Winners

Tom Jeary Steven Fletcher Joanne Smith

A GALA WELCOME

A Gala CelebrationThe 22nd annual Great Valentine Gala

promises a night to remember

Presenting the King Clancy AwardsMeet our 2006 winners

Leading by ExampleIntroducing the winners of the 2006

CFPDP Corporate Award

Gala BluesIconic Canadian bluesman Jeff Healey comes to the Gala

Ride the RampageThe fourth annual Rolling Rampage

joins the World Series

READY FOR TORINOCanada’s Winter Paralympians prepare to descend on Torino

THE LAST WORDGala greetings from Canadian

Paralympic Committee President Patrick Jarvis

WhyNot.I N T H I S I S S U E

FEBRUARY 2006

M A G A Z I N E

WhyNot. MagazineTHE GREAT VALENTINE GALA ISSUEFEBRUARY, 2006

Published by the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons,731 Runnymede Road, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3V7 Telephone (416) 760-7351Fax (416) 760-9405 E-Mail: [email protected]

Publisher: Vim KochharEditors: Lawrence Allen and Bill McOuat Publication Manager: Dorothy PricePublication Coordinator: Joan ChampDesign & Production: The Richmond StudioSales: Envision Inc.Printing: Thompson Printing, Paris, Ontario

For information about advertising rates, pleasecontact our Advertising Sales representatives:Envision Inc., Telephone (416) 259-5677.

The reproduction of articles from WhyNot.Magazine, with the exception of copyright material, is welcome provided the source isacknowledged. Additional copies of WhyNot.Magazine are available from the Publisher at acost of $2.50 each plus shipping and handling.

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19Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled PersonsThe Canadian Foundation for PhysicallyDisabled Persons, a charitable organizationfounded in 1985, assists people with physi-cal disabilities to live fuller lives. Its missionis to create awareness in the public, businesscommunities and government of the abilitiesof persons with disabilities and their needs inthe areas of housing, employment, educa-tion, accessibility, sports and recreation andresearch. In the past twenty-two years, theFoundation has raised substantial funds,which it has distributed to a wide variety oforganizations and events. These include theTerry Fox Hall of Fame, the Eternal Flame ofHope, the Rotary Cheshire Home, theCanadian Helen Keller Centre, the annualGreat Valentine Gala (in cooperation withthe Rotary Club of Toronto-Don Valley), theKing Clancy Awards, the Corporate Awards,the WhyNot Marathon, the first CanadianMarathon for the Paralympics, Jeff Adams’CN Tower climb and Rolling RampageWheelchair 10K Road Race

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4WhyNot. February 2006

Valentine’s Day is a time for love and caring,traits shared by everyone supporting theCanadian Foundation for Physically DisabledPersons and its 22nd annual Great ValentineGala.

The Foundation was set up to bring muchneeded attention to this segment of our popula-tion and the contribution they make, as well asto offer help in whatever way they can, be itthrough housing, education, treatment orresearch. However, above all else, they providehope and fulfilment for persons with physical disabilities. The members and supporters of theFoundation have made a difference in so manylives, and I know, that with your help, they willcontinue to do so.

Along with raising awareness of Canadianswith disabilities, the Foundation has taken on initiatives such as supporting paralympic athletesand funding treatment centres, among others.Those who have benefited from your help joinme in thanking you for your work. I wish everyone an enjoyable gala.

Michaëlle JeanGovernor General of Canada

As The Queen’s representative in Ontario andHonorary Patron of the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons, I am pleased toextend warm greetings to everyone attending the 22nd Great Valentine Gala.

The CFPDP is one of the most importantorganizations actively working for the advance-ment of men and women who have physical disabilities. Physical, and other kinds of barriers,can prevent people dealing with physical disabilities from living their lives to the fullest.The CFPDP works hard to provide accessibility,employment opportunities and other supports.

I extend best wishes to Vim Kochhar and the organizing committee for their outstandingwork in promoting this most important cause.

James K. BartlemanLieutenant Governor of Ontario

Messages

5February 2006 WhyNot.

Greetings and welcome to our 22nd annual GreatValentine Gala.

Through the years, the Canadian Foundationfor Physically Disabled Persons has enlisted thesupport of a great many thoughtful friends andcommunity partners. It is a debt we can neverrepay but it’s the kind of debt you can never forget. It is a great feeling to be a part of such asupportive and committed network of friends. It’s our hope you’ll share that feeling tonight, forthis is what the Great Valentine Gala is all about:working together to ensure this great country ofours never leaves anyone behind.

In keeping with the Gala spirit, tonight wesalute the inspiring achievements of our 2006King Clancy Award winners: Winnipeg M.P. Steven Fletcher, broadcaster Joanne Smith andvolunteer innovator Tom Jeary. We also salute themagnificent contributions of this year’s CFPDPCorporate Award winners: Bloorview MacMillanChildren’s Centre and Microsoft Canada.

Tonight’s Gala will also serve as a send-off for Canada’s Paralympic Team competing in theTorino Winter Games. I would also like to paytribute to the Canadian Paralympic Committeeand to Patrick Jarvis for his leadership over thepast 7 years.

On behalf of the CFPDP, I want to thank our dedicated Gala patrons and volunteers andeveryone who supports the aspirations ofCanada’s disability community. Your generosityand goodwill are the lifeblood of this great causeand I thank you one and all.

VVim Kochhar,President and CEOVimal Group of CompaniesChairmanCanadian Foundation forPhysically Disabled Persons

Welcome to the 22nd Annual Great ValentineGala. I am pleased to join Rick Waugh,President and CEO of Scotiabank as Honorary Co-Chair for this evening’s momentous fundraising event.

The Great Valentine Gala, besides being themost important fundraiser for the CanadianFoundation for Physically Disabled Persons, isone of the only celebrations that pay tribute tothe many achievements and accomplishments ofCanada’s physically disabled. I am honoured tobe a part of an event that draws attention totheir tremendous potential and recognizes theirskills and determination.

Tonight, we are also paying tribute toCanada’s Paralympic team whose skill and forti-tude advance the issues on a global level. Wesalute each and every one of you as you prepareto travel to Italy and show the world what can be accomplished. You are an inspiration to allCanadians for your incredible drive, determina-tion and dedication to your dreams.

On behalf of DaimlerChrysler Canada and allour employees, we applaud the many dedicatedpatrons and volunteers who work tirelessly everyday to advance the issues and interests of thephysically disabled. Thank YOU for supportingthis great cause and this wonderful event.

Steven LandryPresident and CEODaimlerChrysler Canadasages

It gives me great pleasure to join the CanadianFoundation for Physically Disabled Persons inwelcoming you to the 22nd annual GreatValentine Gala.

This is my second year serving as HonoraryGala Co-Chair. Scotiabank is proud to support the CFPDP in its campaign to make a world of greater opportunity for the more than twomillion Canadians afflicted with some form ofphysical disability. Proceeds from the gala form amajor source of funds for supporting importantinitiatives that promote public awareness of this cause. The money raised will also providesubstantial and much-needed funding forCanada’s Paralympians, accessible housing andoutreach programs for the deaf-blind communityand many other essential community services.

What makes the Great Valentine Gala trulyspecial, however, is the very real sense of community the evening promotes. In celebratingthe achievements of people with disabilities andthe dedicated people and organizations whowork on their behalf, the Gala drives home thevalue and importance of diversity in our commu-nities and that’s a message we can all endorse.On behalf of Scotiabank and our employeesacross Canada, I want to thank the CFPDP and allthe Gala patrons and volunteers whose generoussupport and assistance make this wonderfulevening possible. I wish you every success for the year ahead, thank you.

Rick WaughPresident and CEO Scotiabank

20062 0 0 6Great ValentineGalaCelebrating the inspired leadership and achievements of Canadians with disabilities

and their many partners in the ongoing struggle to make a better world

n February 11 more than 800 enthusiasticfriends and supporters of the CanadianFoundation for Physically Disabled Personswill come together for one of this country’smost enduring tributes to the aspirations andachievements of Canadians with disabilities,

the 22nd Annual Great Valentine Gala.An evening of celebration, fun and fellow-

ship in the service of a great cause, the CFPDP’sbeloved fundraiser has carved out a proud tra-dition of spirited support for the disability com-munity and its hopes for a better world. Over


O

Top left: Senator

Joyce Fairbairn and

the Hon. Hal Jackman

Top right: The Hon.

Michael Wilson,

Lynne Waugh and

Rick Waugh

Bottom left: Gala MC

Suhanna Meharchand

Bottom right: Swimmer

Stephanie Dixon accepts

the King Clancy Trophy

for Canada’s 2004

Paralympic Team

the course of more than two decades, the gen-erosity of Gala patrons has contributed to acces-sible housing, outreach and training, sports andother community based programs and servicesthat have helped an ever growing number ofCanadians play a more active and rewardingrole in the life of their communities. Gala pro-ceeds have also been used to promote widerrecognition of the disability community’s mon-umental struggle for acceptance and gainfulopportunities. Under the direction of theCFPDP and its founding chairman VimKochhar, Gala funded awareness projects haveattracted national attention and increased pub-lic focus on the plight of people with disabili-ties, their special needs, and their tremendoustalent and ability.

“Our first order of business has always beenpromoting a deeper understanding of what itmeans to live with disability. You have to getpeople involved. Without a concerted publiccommitment to the issue, it’s hard to makemeaningful headway,” says Kochhar. Peoplewith disabilities confront obstacles on so many

levels of daily life, notes Kochhar. The barrierscan be systemic, financial, personal, architec-tural, but very few are carved in stone.

“Many of the frustrations people with dis-abilities contend with are nothing more thanbyproducts of a lack of consideration on ourpart and that’s something we can change. If peo-ple open their mind to the possibilities, there’s atremendous well of potential out there.”

Of course, changing Canadians’ attitudesabout disability is one thing; convincing themto implement and invest in effective long-termsolutions is another. That’s why the CFPDP andits annual Gala have always put a premium onreaching out to the nation’s corporate and com-munity leaders, says Kochhar. Over the yearsthe Great Valentine Gala has been fortunate tocount on the support of prominent Canadiansfrom the worlds of business and finance, poli-tics, the arts, sports, health and community ser-vice establishments. But the Gala has always putspecial emphasis on the fact that leadershiptakes many forms, notes the CFPDP’s chairman.Leadership is also demonstrated in the person-

KING CLANCYAWARD WINNERS

1987Richard Beecroft

Carl HiebertRon Turcott

1988Robert Wilson Jackson

Beryl PotterMona Winberg

1989Rick Hansen

Jackie RodgerKerry Grant Wadman

1990John Black Aird

Arnold BoldtVicki Keith

1991Barbara Turnbull

Terry Fox André Viger

1992David OnleyDick Loiselle

1993Gary McPherson

Jeff TiessenKarl Hilzinger

1994Reverend Robert Rumball

Joanne Bouw1995

Rob SnoekSpencer Bevan-John

Jack Donohue1996

Kurt BrowningBetty and Rolly Fox

Rhona Winifred MickelsonRobert Steadward

1997Jeff Adams

John and Jesse DavidsonHenry N.R. Jackman

1998Joan Mactavish

Amy DoofenbakerDave Shannon

1999Jim Knox

Kelly Klassen Frank MacIntyre

2000Terry Kelly

Stephanie McClellanWalter Gretzky

2001Stephanie Dixon

Lisa FranksPatrick Jarvis

2002Jim Sanders

Joyce FairbairnChantal Petitclerc

2003Henry WohlerDiane DupuyDaniel Wesley

2004Linda CrabtreeDavid CrombieGord Paynter

200572 medal winning athletes from the

2004 Summer Paralympic Team

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A Rotaract member sells Tombola balloons

CFPDP chairman Vim Kochhar


2006Great

Valentine GalaCommitteeMembersGALA CHAIR

Richard Rotman

FOUNDATION CHAIRVim Kochhar

ADMINISTRATIONDorothy Price

EVENTS COORDINATION

Joan ChampRob Ham

FACILITIESMark Lecker

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Suhana Meharchand

PUBLIC RELATIONSRichard Rotman

FINANCEDavid Ford

SALESRoy Ashforth

Bill Jack

KING CLANCY AWARDSDoug Richardson

Barry CokeDorothy Price

CORPORATE AWARDSStan Lewis

Vim KochharRoy Ashforth

V.I.P. RECEPTIONKhalid Khokhar

Barry CokeRob Snoek

Doug RichardsonAndrew Borbas

TOMBOLAPatty Grant

Deirdre GibsonJennifer Robbins

Cindy Accardi

Top: Entertainer Greg Frewin added magic to the Gala festivities Inset left: HomeDepot’s Annette Verschuren accepts a Corporate Award Inset right: Kenji Tomikawa accepts Toyota Canada’s Corporate Award Middle left: CityTV’s David Onley with wife Ruthann Middle right:Paralypian Jeff Adams and Kristine Bacharach Bottom left: CFPDP Board Member Barry Coke with former Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall and husband Max Beck Bottom right: Toronto Don Valley Rotary Club Past President Major Beverly Ivany and her husband Major David Ivany

al excellence of lifetime volunteers, the unal-loyed athleticism of our Paralympians, or theextraordinary fortitude of those who have towork twice as hard just to make a life.

“The Gala is a truly egalitarian community. Ithas to be. If you want to change the status quoyou’ve got to engage people at every level of theprocess. We need legislation and governmentprograms with teeth and real money behindthem. Housing, access to education, transporta-tion. Ultimately, this undertaking is going torequire the support of the entire country – espe-cially our business leaders. Under-employmentis a huge issue for people with disabilities. Theyneed real jobs and employers with the vision togive them a chance.”

Celebrating the people and organizationswho move and inspire us has been a perennialhighlight of the Gala festivities. Presented inrecognition of outstanding personal achieve-ment, the CFPDP’s annual King Clancy Awardshave introduced Gala revelers over the years toan inspirational catalogue of great Canadians.The 2006 King Clancy Award Winners are noexception:•Steven Fletcher, elected Member of Parliamentfor the Winnipeg riding of Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia in 2004. A quadriplegic sincehe was 23, Fletcher has earned national respectfor his determination and involvement in thecommunity.• Joanne Smith, host of the award winning doc-umentary television program Moving On, airedon CBC-TV and TVO. Smith’s intelligent andsensitive presentation of disability issues has

promoted increased interest and respect for theongoing struggle of people with disabilities toachieve greater independence. • Tom Jeary, a retired engineer who has quietlyvolunteered thousands of hours of his time toinventing and building innovative assistivedevices for people with a disability.

The CFPDP’s annual Corporate Awards hon-our Canadian corporate and institutional orga-nizations dedicated to the advancement of realopportunities for people in the disability com-munity. This year’s CFPDP Corporate Awardhonourees are: • Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre (soonto be renamed Bloorview Kids Rehab), Canada’slargest teaching hospital for children’s rehabili-tation. Long recognized for its exceptional med-ical care, research and educational services,Bloorview has provided generations of childrenwith disabilities the tools they need to achievetheir goals.• Microsoft Canada, for its distinguished recordof supporting young people through its I CanCommunity Programs. In 2004, MicrosoftCanada, in partnership with the CanadianNational Institute for the Blind, won theCanadian Centre for Philanthropy’s “New Spiritof Community Partnerships” Award for devel-oping the CNIB's digital library.

“These are people and organizations whohave really made a difference in this world,”says the CFPDP’s ebullient chairman. “When allis said and done, I think this is what Gala nightis all about. Knowing, if we work together, all ofus can make a difference.”


Canada’s medal winners at the 2004 Athens Summer Paralympics were presented with the 2005 King Clancy Award

Kimberly-Clark

Kino

MAKING THE DIFFERENCEThe surest route to greater independence and opportunity forpeople with disabilities is greater public awareness and accep-tance, says CFPDP chairman Vim Kochhar.

Since 1985 and their inaugural Gala tribute to Canada’sParalympians, Kochhar and the CFPDP have always been on thelookout for new and compelling ways of spreading the disabilitycommunity’s message to the widest possible audience.

CFPDP administered awareness projects include:• The Terry Fox Hall of Fame, perhaps the best known of theCFPDP’s public ventures. Chaired by former Toronto Mayor DavidCrombie and located in Metro Hall, 55 John Street, the Hall ofFame recognizes outstanding achievements in sports, science andmedical research, rehabilitation, advocacy, public policy and com-munity service. Members of the Hall of Fame have been accom-plished elite athletes, launched and administered national ser-vice organizations; been outspoken advocates and communityactivists; raised millions of dollars for research and special pro-grams; and served as tireless, lifelong volunteers. What bindsthem as a group, says Kochhar, is their inspirational example.• The Rolling Rampage, Canada’s first international calibreannual 10K wheelchair road race. Launched in 2003 and stagedon Queen’s Park Crescent in the heart of downtown Toronto, theRolling Rampage has become a showcase for the finest wheel-chair racers in the world. For the last two years the Rampage hasbeen broadcast to a national audience on CBC Television’s SportsSaturday. This year’s Rampage is June 17.• Step Up to Change, legendary Canadian Paralympian JeffAdams’ unforgettable wheelchair ascent of the CN Tower stairs in2002. Adams, in partnership with the CFPDP, attracted interna-tional media coverage for this one-time event, stimulating a newawareness of public accessibility issues.• The Eternal Flame of Hope, a symbol of the dreams and tri-umphs of people with disabilities ignited in 1996 by thenGovernor General Roméo LeBlanc. The flame still burns on thepublic square of Toronto’s Metro Hall and was used to ignite thetorches for the WhyNot Marathon and the 1996 Special Olympics.• The WhyNot Marathon, 1996’s epic 11,000 km torch relayenlisting over 8,000 torch bearers and 150,000 runners in 700communities across the country in a historic tribute to theParalympic movement and the triumphs of Canadians with dis-abilities.• Publishing. From the beginning the CFPDP has maintained anactive schedule of publishing concerns, including: in the earlyyears, Gala magazine; a two year partnership with DisabilityToday Magazine; nearly 40 issues of WhyNot Magazine, current-ly published three times a year and delivered to 20,000 sub-scribers of the Toronto Star; and some 260 pages in special sec-tions published in the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

Presenting the 2006King Clancy Awards


Tom Jeary

For more than 30 years, mechanical engineerTom Jeary has devoted thousands of hours todevising and building innovative and highlyspecialized assistive devices for children andadults in his home workshop.

Jeary’s uniquely inventive brand of work-shopping began in the early 1970s after he vis-ited Montreal’s Mackay Institute (now theMackay Centre School), which serves childrenwith a disability. At the time, children’s wheel-chairs were virtually unheard of and he wasaffected by how difficult it was for the kids tomanage their adult-sized wheelchairs.

Once home, Jeary set to work on a practical,no frills solution, creating and building smallgo-cart styled “wheelchairs” that were easy toget in and out of and allowed the kids to movearound freely and comfortably. It was the first ofhis many successful devices.

Since that initial breakthrough, Jeary hasdeveloped many assistive devices that offer peo-ple with limited strength and mobility greaterfreedom, comfort and confidence in their routineactivities and recreational pursuits. A volunteerwith several Kitchener-Waterloo organizations,Jeary has built imaginative gadgets and equip-ment for The Rotary Children’s Centre, the TrackIII Ski Club, The Independent Living Centre,KW Accessibility and several group homes.

An active skier, photographer and golfer,

several of Jeary’s inventions enable people withvarying degrees of disability to also enjoy theseactivities. Two of his successful skiing devices,The Ashmobile and The Skeasy, allow peoplewho require crutches or a walker to alpine ski.Both of these inventions are used at the Track IIISki Club.

To spread the word and encourage otherlike-minded innovators, Jeary and his son Scottlaunched a volunteer, not-for-profit web site in1998. The site, workshopsolutions.com, isfunded and maintained by the Jearys and pro-vides a forum for engineers, technicians, inven-tors and workshop enthusiasts to share theirknowledge and display the assistive devicesthey have built.

Contact information for each inventor isprovided for anyone seeking advice or assis-tance. There are also extensive links to the websites of other not-for-profit organizations,including several that specialize in assistivetechnology. Workshopsolutions.com has been agreat success and there are currently 137devices listed, complete with photographs anddescriptions.

In addition to being one of this year’s KingClancy Award winners, Tom Jeary is a recipientof the Rotarian of the Year award and the City ofWaterloo’s Citizen of the Year award for his gen-erosity of spirit and commitment to bringinggreater freedom and independence to peoplewith a disability.

One of the annual highlights of the Great Valentine Gala is the presentation of the King Clancy Awards to individuals whose outstanding achievements have enhanced the lives of Canadians with a disability.

Steven Fletcher6

s


Joanne Smith

Journalist, producer and broadcaster JoanneSmith is best known to Canadians for hostingthe television program Moving On, as well asher work on CBC Newsworld and Canada Now,and her on-air coverage of the past threeParalympic Games for CBC-TV. But to manyother people and organizations she is also high-ly regarded as a valued mentor and volunteer.

Paralyzed as a result of a car accident whenshe was 19, Smith developed an active interest inmedia and disability issues during her 18-months in rehabilitation. Once out of rehab, shereturned to school, and after graduating fromToronto’s York University in 1996, she completeda diploma in Radio and Television production atSeneca College of Applied Arts and Technology.

As a student, Smith gained a feel for theworkings of the media and being in the publiceye by appearing in leading magazines anddoing guest spots on several television pro-grams. She also put her personal experience togood use by working part time in the TorontoBoard of Education’s Disability AwarenessProgram, aimed at helping elementary and sec-ondary school students gain a fuller under-standing of the lives and experiences of peoplewith a disability.

After graduating from Seneca, Smith’s broad-casting and production career began in earnestwhen she took a position as Editorial Assistant

at Global Television. Soon after she assumedhosting duties for the CBC program, TheDisability Network.

By 1998, The Disability Network hadevolved to become the Gemini Award winningMoving On, which has forged a unique placeamong North American television programs.The Moving On magazine format focuses onpeople with a disability who are developingtheir own ways to live more independently andenjoy life to the fullest. On the program, Smithbrings to light the vast diversity among peoplewith a disability and never portrays them aseither victims or superheroes.

As busy as her career keeps her, Smith hasdevoted a great deal of her personal time to vol-unteering on behalf of other people with a dis-ability. She has been a Peer Mentor with theLyndhurst Hospital and The Canadian ParaplegicAssociation (CPA) for many years, and has con-ducted Peer Support workshops in developingcountries through a partnership between the CPAand the Canadian International DevelopmentAgency. She is also active with the CanadianSpinal Research Organization and the OntarioMarch of Dimes, and serves as popular co-host ofthe annual Easter Seals Telethon.

Like her Moving On guests, Joanne Smithmay not be a superhero but she sets an excep-tional example and has been an influential andarticulate voice in dispelling misconceptionsabout people with a disability.

Tom Jeary

Joanne Smith

Steven Fletcher

In June of 2004 at the age of 32, Steven Fletcher became thefirst quadriplegic Member of Parliament when he was elect-ed to the House of Commons as the member forCharleswood-St.James-Assiniboia in Winnipeg, Manitoba.Conservative party opposition leader Stephen Harper imme-diately appointed Fletcher to the role of senior health critic.

A University of Manitoba engineering graduate and for-mer mining engineer, Fletcher’s initial interest in health carepolicy began during his 11-month hospital stay and reha-bilitation after a collision with a moose paralyzed him fromthe neck down. He was 23 years old at the time and readi-ly admits on his official web site that prior to his accident hehadn’t given disability and health care issues a lot ofthought.

“Before my accident I did not give the issues of publicpolicy or the severely disabled much thought. After my acci-dent I realized that in society we have a contradiction. Onone hand we ‘save’ or extend the lives of individuals andthen we do not provide the resources to help these individ-uals, young or old, to have a reasonable quality of life.”

Fletcher showed early on that he was a team builderwith a strong sense of community service when he was pres-ident of his high school student council. And when hereturned to the University of Manitoba after extensive reha-bilitation, he was twice elected president of the University ofManitoba Students’ Union while completing his MBA. Helater served as an executive member of the Board ofDirectors of the University of Manitoba.

Not long after graduating from U of M, Fletcher waselected President of the Progressive Conservative Party ofManitoba in 2001 and was re-elected in 2003. In Septemberof that year, he won the nomination in his Winnipeg ridingfor the Canadian Alliance party and actively supported theunion of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conserva-tive parties. After the merger, he won the nomination for thenew Conservative Party and went on to win the riding inboth the 2004 and 2006 elections.

But it’s not all politics all the time for Fletcher, and hehas never let his disability keep him from enjoying his downtime. An avid canoeist, kayaker and sailor, he has traveledthousands of kilometers on Manitoba’s rivers and lakes, andwas a Manitoba Provincial Kayak Champion, competing atthe National level in the Canada Summer Games. He hasalso sailed in an International Regatta using sip-and- puffassistive technology and is founding member of WildernessAccess Manitoba, promoting Trail-Rider equipment for dis-abled outdoor enthusiasts.

Steven Fletcher is widely respected for his leadership,compassion, and integrity. At just 32, his personal accom-plishments and contributions to the community would, formany, constitute a lifetime of achievement.

Terry Fox Hall of Fame Nomination FormTo be returned no later than May 12, 2006

For criteria please refer to “Call for nominations” form

Application submitted by:

Address:

City:

Postal Code: Phone:

I/We wish to submit the name of the following person to the Selection Board for consideration for induction into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame.

Nominee:

Address:

City:

Postal Code: Phone:

Please submit a detailed account of the individual’s background to:

The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons731 Runnymede Road, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3V7

Telephone: 416-760-7351 Fax: 416-760-9405E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cfpdp.com

CALL FOR NOMINATIONSFOR THE TERRY FOX HALL OF FAME

SPONSORED BYTHE CANADIAN FOUNDATION FORPHYSICALLY DISABLED PERSONS

The Terry Fox Hall of Fame recognizes distinguished Canadians who have made a significant contribution

in assisting, or enhancing the lives of persons with physical disabilities.

Both physically disabled and non-disabled persons may be inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame. Individuals are inducted in one of three categories:

Builder, Achiever, Athlete.

Please submit a detailed account of the individual’s background to:

The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons731 Runnymede Road, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3V7


Please include your name, address and phone number.Nominations to be returned no later than May 12, 2006

2006 TERRY FOX HALL OF FAME LUNCHEONNOVEMBER 2006

Please call The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons for further information



Microsoft CanadaFor many years Microsoft Canada has been makingimportant contributions to Canadian communities andhas provided meaningful support to organizations serv-ing adults, youth and children.

In 2002, the Canadian National Institute for theBlind (CNIB) launched its groundbreaking $33 million“That All May Read” campaign to digitize the CNIBlibrary of alternative format material. Frank Clegg, thepresident of Microsoft Canada, stepped forward to co-chair the campaign along with Scotiabank's AlbertWahbe. As part of the company’s lead donation of $2.5million, Microsoft Canada designed the critical plat-form architecture to manage the CNIB Digital Library,combining some of the world's most complex andadvanced digital access and storage systems.

Microsoft Canada also funded and led the develop-ment of the remarkable CNIB Children's DiscoveryPortal - the world's first Internet portal of its kind forchildren who are blind or visually impaired. Both ofthese projects were officially launched last November.

In 2005, Microsoft Canada also partnered with theChildren’s Miracle Network and the Children's Hospitalof Eastern Ontario to launch the Child Life InteractiveComputers for Kids (CLICK) program. The first pro-gram of its kind in Canada, CLICK gives children bed-side connectivity, allowing them to play games and con-nect with their friends, family and the classroomthrough state-of-the-art technology.

Microsoft Canada’s commitment to children andyouth, particularly those who are blind or visuallyimpaired has not gone unrecognized. In 2002, theCNIB and the World Blind Union awarded Bill Gatesthe extremely rare Louis Braille Gold Medal. And in2004, Microsoft Canada and the CNIB togetherreceived Imagine’s New Spirit of CommunityPartnerships Award from the Canadian Centre forPhilanthropy.

Bloorview MacMillan Children’s CentreBloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre – soon to berenamed Bloorview Kids Rehab – is Canada’s largest teach-ing hospital for pediatric rehabilitation, enriching the livesof children and youth with disabilities every day withworld-class medical care, research and education.

The Great Valentine Gala is a momentous occasion forBloorview in two respects. The 2005 Corporate Award is atribute to the many physicians, clinical therapists, scien-tists, engineers, educators, donors, volunteers and othercommunity supporters who work every day to turn dis-ability into possibility for thousands of young people withdisabilities and their families.

The Gala also falls on the eve of Bloorview’s move intoa new 350,000 square-foot state-of-the-art healthcare facil-ity in Leaside. From a vibrant and outward-looking van-tage point on the Sunnybrook Ravine, Bloorview will pro-vide complex care and rehabilitation from acquired injuriesin a hospital wing with outdoor terraces and familylounges. A full-service aquatics program will anchor well-ness and community programs located near an atrium-litOpen Studio and garden for therapeutic arts programs.

The Bloorview School will be a learning centre for spe-cial needs children as well as clinical and education spe-cialists. Canada’s largest program for developmental pae-diatrics will train specialized physicians to meet an urgentnational shortage. The Bloorview Research Institute willdevelop new technologies and innovations to enhancequality of life and quality of care of young people with dis-abilities everywhere. A multidisciplinary team of special-ists will pioneer new thinking and practices as they havedone for more than a century.

The new Bloorview Kids Rehab marks a great mile-stone in a history that began in 1899 under the name TheHome for Incurable Children. But what’s never changed inthat time is a vision of challenging barriers and helping tobuild a more inclusive society, of looking at disability interms of possibility.

Presented to companies and organizations whose commitment and leadership have made a lasting impact on the lives of those who live with disability.

2006 CFPDP Corporate Awards

Bloorview Kids Rehab


Canadianjazz and

blues iconJeff Healeybrings hisprodigious

chops tothis year’s

Gala

JEFF HEALEY first picked up a guitar when he was three years old and has becomeone of Canada’s most critically acclaimed and popular blues and jazz artists.Nominated for Grammy Awards in 1989 and 1996, the Jeff Healey Band hasplayed to packed houses and sold millions of records worldwide since shoot-ing to fame with the release of their first album, See The Light, in 1988.

Blind since the age of one, Healey began performing publicly whenhe was six and by his mid-teens was widely considered a musicalprodigy. He has shared the stage with such blues legends as AlbertCollins, B.B King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, and toured with RingoStarr, Bob Dylan, and Bonnie Raitt. His many television appear-ances include Late Night with David Letterman and The TonightShow with Johnny Carson.

A multi-instrumentalist with broad musical tastes and interests,Healey has also been performing traditional 20s and 30s jazz withhis popular seven-member ensemble, Jeff Healey’s Jazz Wizards,for the past few years. In 2005, after a five-year hiatus fromrecording, the Jeff Healey Band released their seventh album, Get Me Some, a superb collection of electrifying blues originals.

Whichever genre Healey chooses for the Great Valentine Gala, it will undoubtedly be a memorable musical evening.

Some of the finest athletes in the worldplan to be on hand when the fourthannual Rolling Rampage hits Toronto’s Queen’sPark Circle on Saturday, June 17.

The exciting 10k event has come to beregarded as Canada’s premier internationalwheelchair road race, attracting elite competi-tors from 11 nations in 2005 and garneringcoast to coast coverage on CBC Television’sSports Saturday.

With a purse of $35,000, the Rampage hasbecome a popular stop on the prestigiousWorld Series circuit, dubbed the most lucrativeseries in wheelchair sport. Presented by theCanadian Foundation For Physically DisabledPersons (in cooperation with the CanadianParalympic Committee and the Rotary Club ofToronto-Don Valley), the event is also provingto be a tremendous showcase for what peoplewith disabilities are really capable of, saysCFPDP chairman Vim Kochhar.

“It’s an incredible spectator sport. When yousee these athletes in action there’s no question

you’re watching the real thing,” enthuses therace’s founder.

In last year’s Rampage, both the Men’s andWomen’s Open finals were resolved in down-to-the-wire finishes. In the Men’s event, the front-runners burned through a final, full-lap sprintat speeds of up to 39 kilometres per hour.Hometown favourite Jeff Adams appearedpoised to capture his first Rampage win whenhe launched into a fiery finishing kick with 150metres to go. However, South African Ernst vanDyk, a five-time Boston Marathon winner,answered the call and blew by at the wire toclaim his third consecutive Rampage crown –eclipsing Adams by just 5/100th’s of a second(in 21:53.9 minutes).

The depth of the Men’s field was borneout in shot order with a third-place finishgoing to Mexico’s Saul Mendoza, a dominantforce in world competition for over a decade,followed by Australia’s Kurt Fearnley, a dou-ble gold medalist at the Athens Paralympics,and rising star Michel Filteau of Quebec


RIDE THE RAMPAGE

Last year’s Women’sOpen event offered

the most competitivefield yet, including

Canada’s 2005 FemaleAthlete of the Year

Chantal Petitclerc, farright. Petitclerc won the

race, nosing out twotime Rampage champ

Diane Roy.

The fourth annual Rolling Rampage takes on the world June 17


rounding out the pack for animpressive fifth place finish.

The Women’s Open finalalso proved a heart stopper.Making her Rolling Ram-page debut, Chantal Petit-clerc, Canada’s 2005 FemaleAthlete of the Year(25:00.0) edged out fellowQuebecer, and two-timeRampage winner Diane Roy by4/100’s of a second. Third placewent to Francesca Porcellato, of Italy.In the Men’s Quad division, Austria’s ThomasGeierspichler also achieved three-time Rampagetitle status in a time of 24:44.5, closing a nipand tuck seven-lap battle with Spain’s SantiagoSanz. Saskatchewan’s Clayton Gerein turned ina strong third.

The much anticipated appearance ofPetitclerc – winner of no less than five goldmedals at the Athens Paralympics – furtherreinforced the Rampage’s growing reputation

as a drawing card for the world’stop wheelers.

However, notes Kochhar, asan “open event” theRampage also offers an all-too-rare opportunity forwheelchair racing’s week-end warriors and recre-ational competitors to meet

and compete. One such raceris Windsor native Jeff May, a

perennial Rampage favouritewhose unique style of racing elicits a

rousing cheer from the crowd every time herounds the Queen’s Park loop. Born with a con-genital defect called TARR Syndrome, May hasonly one partial arm and powers his chair withhis feet, sustaining incredible foot speed overseven consecutive laps.

“Where else can someone like Jeff May com-pete? Here’s an athlete who has trained for yearsto do something no one else can do and he doesit extraordinarily well. Jeff’s been a real inspira-

E RAMPAGE

An elite lineupLast year’s Men’s Openattracted some of thefastest racers in the world,including, left to right:Canada’s Jeff Adams (withtattoo), Australia’s KurtFearnley, three timeRampage champ Ernst vanDyk of South Africa andMexico’s Saul Mendoza.

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tion to everyone associated with this event,”says Kochhar.

The Rolling Rampage also offers a Juniordivision which organizers hope may serve as alaunching pad for the next generation ofParalympic wheelers.

A new addition to this year’s Rampage isJuneFest, a fun family event dedicated to pro-moting greater awareness of Canada’s deaf-blind community.

Held in conjunction with Deaf-BlindAwareness Month in Ontario, JuneFest incor-porates a family oriented mix of interactivegames, information booths and other entertain-ing opportunities for participants to learn moreabout the unique world of dual sensory loss.

Although they are deprived of almost allconventional means of accessing the informa-tion and services most of us take for granted,deaf-blind people can achieve a significantmeasure of independence with the help ofintervener services and specialized training andcommunication skills.

Visitors to JuneFest can discover how edu-cation and technology are making it possiblefor deaf-blind people to access libraries andschools or communicate with essential emer-gency services. You can also try your hand atdeaf-blind communication systems such as fin-ger spelling, adapted American Sign Languageand Two-Hand Manual communication and

meet some of the remarkable people who haveovercome this especially challenging disability.

JuneFest 2006 will be open to the public allday June 17 in Queen’s Park adjacent to theRolling Rampage starting line. The event ishosted by Rotary Cheshire Homes(www.rotarycheshirehomes.org) and theCanadian Helen Keller Centre (www.chkc.org).

One of the highlights of the Rampage pro-gram is the Festival of Wheels, a fundraisingwheelathon in which the public is invited tocycle, skate board, roller blade or otherwisewheel for pledges and fun. There is also a cor-porate wheelchair relay in which businessesand other organizations can compete and raisefunds for a worthy cause. Proceeds from theseevents will be shared between the CFPDP andother disability service providers participatingin the Rampage. All disability organizations areinvited to come out and roll for a share of theproceeds.

Organizers will be promoting the Festival ofWheels at local running and athletics clubs,schools and charitable organizations through-out the Greater Toronto Area. Aspiring wheel-ers can register for the wheelathon atwww.rollingrampage.com or call 416-760-7351. You can also pick up a pledge form at theBloorview Macmillan Centre (soon to berenamed Bloorview Kids Rehab), Variety Villageor Running Room stores across the province.

JuneFestjoins the

RampageA fun, interactive

family event, JuneFest offers a

fascinating glimpse into the unique

world of Canada’s deaf-blind

community


More than 600 athletes with physical dis-abilities from 40 nations, 500 officials,3,500 volunteers, and 1,000 represen-

tatives of the media are set to descend on thesmall northern Italian city of Torino next monthfor the IX Winter Paralympic Games.

Canada is sending a contingent of 35 athletesto Torino – almost six times the number attend-ing the inaugural Games in Norway in 1976!And if all the stars align, the prospects lookpromising for Canada to improve on its’ 15-medal (six gold, four silver, five bronze) perfor-mance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympics.

“We’re looking pretty good,” says BrianMacPherson, COO of the Canadian ParalympicCommittee (CPC). And while the WinterParalympics operate on a smaller scale than theSummer Games, by virtue of the fewer numberof sports involved, MacPherson says there’s avery special feeling that attends the quadrennialevent.

“It’s more of a family atmosphere, as far as themood and the camaraderie of the team. Thecoaches and mission staff are all part of the teamthat goes over,” he says. “The Winter Games arealways fun, it’s close-knit, and intimate. Butthere’s a lot more medaling opportunities (in thesummer), and people like medals.”

Much of this year’s excitement revolvesaround the Paralympics’ newest event, wheel-chair curling. Canada is ranked fourth among

READY FOR TORINO

Hopes are high as Canada prepares to send its largest contingent yet to the IX Winter Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy

Team Canada curling second Gary Cormack of Surrey B.C. and his teammates will be heading to Torino later this month to compete in the first ever Paralympic bonspiel.


the eight entries heading into Torino, after claim-ing silver at the first world championships in2002. Under head coach Joe Rea, they placedthird at a recent international bonspiel in Prague.

“They’re pretty excited about being the firstTeam Canada going to the Paralympics (in thisevent),” says team leader Wendy Morgan. “Andany time you get to wear the Maple Leaf on yourjacket, it’s a very special thing.

“We do have a lot of international experienceon our team. Clearly, they’re going with a focusto get through the round robin and into themedal round – and of course, anything can hap-pen there.”

“Oh sure,” MacPherson responds, whenasked if the Canadian curlers are pumped, “par-ticularly being a curling crazy country.

“The only thing is, even with the internation-al championships, the sport is only four or fiveyears old. It’s new, and our team has certainlybeen getting a wakeup call. We came in sixth lastyear, and people expect (Canada) to be first allthe time.”

The event is set up the same as conventionalcurling, with one big difference. “They don’thave the benefit of sweeping,” Morgan explains.“They have to really do it all by themselves.”Ranging in age from 35 to 55, the five-memberteam includes Chris Daw, Gerry Austgarden,Gary Cormack, Karen Blatchford, and alternateSonja Gaudet. They planned to attend a training

Shauna Maria Whyte was one of many Canadians tomake a strong showing in Salt Lake City.

Blind Nordic skier Brian McKeever follows his guide - and brother, Robin - at the 2002 Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City.

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camp in January, and will take part in theCanadian national championships February 14to 19, as a buildup to Torino.

“They’re working on coming together as ateam. It was just announced in December,”Morgan adds.

MacPherson stresses that the addition of curl-ing is vital for the continuing growth of theWinter Games. “It’s a great step in the right direc-tion of increasing the number of sports in theParalympic Games. For 2010, there’s talk ofadding adaptive snowboarding.”

Expectations are also running high this yearfor Team Canada’s sledge hockey entry, whichfaded for a fourth-place finish in Salt Lake Cityafter striking gold in 1998 at Nagano. InDecember the team chalked up an encouragingsplit in a two-game exhibition series with thedefending champion U.S. squad. A secondshowdown with the Americans was slated forJanuary.

“The two teams are pretty close,” says headcoach Jeff Snyder. “We feel pretty good about ourteam going in. We’re working to finish with thegold. We will have our work cut out for us.

“We’ve changed the team. We’ve gone quite abit younger, and quicker. I think the overall com-mitment to training is better.”

Sledge hockey was introduced as a Para-lympic event in 1994, in Lillehammer, Norway.The players use skate-bladed sledges and shorthockey sticks equipped with a pick on one endto propel them over the ice. At the elite level, thesport demands speed, skill and agility, saysSnyder, whose coaching experience includes astint with the Kitchener Rangers of the OntarioHockey League.

“It’s a lot quicker game than people realize.It’s fast, and lots of players collide. It gets prettyintense.”

The one significant limitation in sledge hock-ey, says Snyder, is the fact that the players can’tskate backwards. This means a defenceman mustturn and chase opposing forwards facing in thesame direction.

He says the sport received a big shot in thearm in 2004 when sledge hockey was officiallywelcomed under the Hockey Canada umbrellaas part of Sport Canada’s ongoing initiative tointegrate the nation’s elite sports programs.

“It has allowed us to train harder, mostlybecause of funding. We really feel we’re part ofHockey Canada, just like the two (Olympic)teams,” he comments. “And the goal is threegolds in Torino – for the men’s and women’s(hockey teams) and the sledge hockey team.”


Canada’s sledge hockey team celebrates after a goal at the 2002 Paralympic Games.


CPC senior media relations coordinator GuyNapert-Frenette notes that Hockey Canada isproviding the team with a psychologist, nutri-tionist and trainer as well as funding and otherservices which were unheard of in the past.

“For the players, it has been a 180-degreeturnaround – and for the sledge hockey pro-gram,” he says. “Before they were on their own,now they’re receiving leadership and guidance.”

“You have both able-bodied and Paralympicathletes at the same seminars,” MacPhersonadds. “Both groups of athletes love that environ-ment – they feed off each other.”

Napert-Frenette observes that since 1994, thepopularity of sledge hockey has grown by leapsand bounds. “There are so many other countriestrying to get a spot in the tournament,” he says.

Ranked ninth in the world heading intoTorino, Team Canada’s Alpine ski team is aimingto return to the top of the field, following aninjury-plagued 2004-’05 season. These athletestear down the slopes at speeds of up to 100 kilo-metres per hour, using a variety of aids such asoutriggers with short skis or a mono-ski, a spe-cially fitted chair over a single ski. The visuallyimpaired athletes ski with sighted guides usingvoice signals or radio communication.

Following a major shakeup in the classifica-

tion of the Alpine events, the number of medalsup for grabs this year has been reduced from 53to 24. Alpine skiing’s four events – Downhill,Super-G, Slalom, and Giant Slalom – have nowbeen divided into just three classes: Sitting,Standing, and Blind.

“It makes it quite simple for the audience,”MacPherson says. “But it makes it quite chal-lenging for the athletes.” For instance, past dou-ble gold medalist Lauren Woolstencroft, a tripleamputee who uses prostheses, has only recentlymanaged to round back into the top seed follow-ing the restructuring.

“Our athletes have adapted, but we’re notquite the dominant force we were,” MacPhersonsays. “The world is getting a lot better atParalympic Sports -- and the countries tradition-ally at the top are being challenged on the fieldof play like never before. It’s absolutely great, theParalympic world movement, but it is a chal-lenge for us, nevertheless.”

The CPC’s COO attributes the tremendousgrowth in Paralympic sport primarily to onething: television.

“Prior to the 1996 Summer Paralympics,there was no TV coverage. For the 2004 SummerParalypmics in Athens, 1.8 billion people werewatching.”

Looking to score! Team Canada has their eye on Gold at the upcoming Games in Torino.


THE LAST WORD

Patrick JarvisPresident, Canadian Paralympic CommitteeMember, Governing Board, International Paralympic Committee

ONE STEP AT A TIME, one day at a

time, keep moving forward. The

thought drifts across my mind as I

enjoy a morning run in Las Vegas, this

time as a tourist and not as a

Paralympic Games prospect like 17

years ago. There are moments in our

lives when we pause to reflect on

where we have come from and what

our next step will be in the adventure

we call life. I am at one of those

moments. After seven years as the

president of the Canadian Paralympic

Committee (CPC), I am stepping aside

to let others provide their passion and

leadership to further advance our

movement. We at the CPC have

accomplished a great deal yet we still

have much to do.

It’s barely conceivable to think that

in 1999, we considered shutting down

the CPC, closing the doors and walk-

ing away. This fact is rather poignant

considering our athletes’ success inter-

nationally, especially over the last six

years. There are so many people that

have played a role in this success -- the

athletes and coaches, corporate spon-

sors and government, staff and volun-

teers, friends and family -- that to try

and specify the one thing that made

the greatest difference would be a dis-

service to the efforts of so many. Yet, it

is the power of one that has made all

the difference.

One person. One idea. One step. It

is the simple act of acting rather than

avoiding that ultimately leads to suc-

cess. One person taking that first step

creates the initial energy to move

things forward. As others with the

same values and desires align them-

selves with the effort, the idea gains

momentum resulting in an irresistible

force that changes things forever. A

single person can initiate change, a

group of committed people produces

miracles.

The Great Valentine Gala recog-

nizes individuals who have taken steps

to change things and helped make the

world a better place. The King Clancy

award recipients would likely be the

first to say that it’s taken a collective

effort but these are individuals who

have provided inspiration, energy and

leadership to bring people together in

a unified purpose. The Gala is a cele-

bration of their efforts and a public

way of showing how much they are

appreciated.

They are examples that each one of

us has the capacity to make a dramat-

ic impact on the lives of others and,

indeed, on our own life. Too often we

seek the dramatic, life affirming

moments as proof of that impact.

What we need to appreciate are the

small, everyday actions that help make

lives extraordinary. A waterfall does

start with a single drop and every jour-

ney does start with a single step. Be

the one. Take the step.

2006 king clancy award winners - · pdf file2006 king clancy award winners tom jeary steven...

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