CHEERS & JEERS: Excellence in palliative care

CHEERS: To Joey Matheson, awarded the province’s highest honour for excellence in palliative care - two decades after joining the unit from the former Prince Edward Home in Charlottetown. Matheson was presented with the Winnifred MacArthur Award on May 24 and says P.E.I. palliative care is exemplary - from pain management to the new $5.6 million stand-alone centre on Murchison Lane in Charlottetown. Opened in 2015, the palliative care centre is now planning to open an outpatient clinic.

Matheson is a maintenance worker at the centre who also takes time to be there to support patients and their families. He is quick to praise MacArthur, the first recipient of the award which now bears her name. She retired three years ago after close to 40 years of nursing and is considered a trailblazer in the field of palliative care

CHEERS: TO Mike Waugh and Peter Richard, owners of the Dominos locations in Charlottetown who are supporting two young children in P.E.I. battling cancer (Kara MacRae and Emmalee Gosby). On Tuesday, June 12, 2018, all proceeds from pizza sales from both Charlottetown Domino’s locations will be going to help these two families in need. Kara is the active and creative 12-year-old daughter of Donnie MacRae and Violet Eldershaw from Vernon River. She was diagnosed with cancer in March and is currently undergoing a plan of action to beat cancer. She is receiving weekly chemotherapy in Charlottetown and at the IWK in Halifax over the next 6 months. Her spirits and positive attitude will be her best defence during this battle but Kara and her family will need further help. Emmalee Gosby is as weet, funny, and caring 5-year-old girl from Cherry Hill who is going through the fight of her life. In May she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a serious cancer that has spread to several areas in her body. Emmalee began her chemotherapy on May 18, and has approximately 12 to 14 months of treatment ahead of her. Her and her parents, April and Andrew Gosby, are faced with living off Island at the IWK in Halifax and SickKids hospital in Toronto. April and Andrew are expecting their second child in June. Families, individuals and workplaces are all encouraged to order pizza from Dominos at 386 University Avenue or 201 Buchanan Drive in Charlottetown on Tuesday, June 12^th. All of the proceeds from salesthat day will be split between the MacRae&Gosby families.

JEERS: To suggestions which keep being pitched for development on the site of the former P.E.I. hospital and later the Prince Edward home and palliative care centre. Demolition of the building is about to start and the property should return to green space within Victoria Park, as stated in legislation more than 80 years ago. Government has budgeted about $3 million to demolish the building which has been vacant since 2015 and has been declared surplus so the government can dispose of it. One idea which might make sense is for an indoor botanical gardens which would offer learning opportunities for adults and schoolchildren alike, and anyone seeking a refuge during winter months. It could also be a major year-round addition for tourism.

CHEERS: To local businesses and the City of Charlottetown which planted approximately 360 trees May 31, thanks to an environmental initiative that offsets the annual paper usage of the participating businesses. McInnes Cooper’s Charlottetown office initiated the Business Tree Planting Challenge in 2014 and the city has been working in partnership with them to organize this initiative ever since. This year, nine Charlottetown businesses joined McInnes Cooper in the tree planting challenge, including Fitzpatrick and Co., Invesco, Kent Street Market, Delta Hotels by Marriott Prince Edward, Upstreet Craft Brewing, Rodd Hotels and Resorts, SableArc Studios, MRSB Group and P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture. More than 50 volunteers from the nine businesses, along with city staff, planted the trees at Upton Farmlands, adding to the existing Confederation Forest initiated in 2014 by the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project at Upton Farmlands.

CHEERS: To the federal and P.E.I. governments for majority funding of $12 million towards the expansion of the Charlottetown Marine Terminal. Work includes the expansion of the terminal’s south berth by approximately 270 metres to accommodate two, 330-metre cruise ships simultaneously, while also leaving space for oil tankers and cargo ships. The larger berth will provide more room for large cruise ships and the growing number of passengers visiting the region each year, improving the experience for tourists as well as those conducting business in the area. Each government is contributing up to $4 million while Charlottetown Harbour Authority Inc. is responsible for all other project costs.

CHEERS: To the Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival, Canada’s largest such festival, which will celebrate its 23rd anniversary this year as the event returns to downtown Charlottetown, Sept. 13-16. The festival showcases the Island’s renowned shellfish of mussels, oysters, and lobster. The always sold-out evening of the Feast & Frolic signature event, and the Garland Canada Chef Challenge are event highlights; and this year Chef Michael Smith will host an all-new Junior Chef Challenge. The festival’s reputation for throwing memorable kitchen parties is sure to remain intact, with fan favourites Signal Hill performing on Friday, Sept.14, and Big Bad Party Band performing on Sept. 15.