First, I think everyone involved in the election – as candidates, volunteers, etc – should be thanked and congratulated. Despite a general discontentment with politics, we as a society owe a great deal to those that dedicate their time and energy to the process. It’s important and I hope mare people can remember that it is.

Second, I’d like to send a special congratulations to three candidates who have, in one way or another, been connected to SCI BC (BCPA at the time):

• former SCI BC staffer (and co-founder of our formal Peer Program), Stephanie Cadieux (Surrey-Cloverdale, Liberal)
• the incomparable Sam Sullivan (Vancouver-False Creek, Liberal)
• Paralympic champion, Michelle Stilwell (Parksville-Qualicum, Liberal)

I also pass along congrats to Ken Kramer, who narrowly missed being elected in Burnaby-Lougheed. Ken, who lost by just over 500 votes, would have been the fourth MLA with a physical disability. I’m sure Ken will continue to be a positive contributor to the political process and I hope he runs again in the next election.

I know all four of these candidates consider themselves politicians and not people with disabilities first. I think of them the same way. But I do think the fact that people with disabilities can run for office and be elected to it is rather significant and a positive indicator of the opportunities for all British Columbians to participate in all aspects of our society.

Third, I’m truly disappointed in the 48% of eligible voters in BC who did not bother to cast a vote. Voting is both a privilege and a right and more needs to be done to increase voter interest and participation. Personally, I think all of that negative campaigning and conduct throughout the political process only serves to increase voter discontentment and disengagement. Still, for all those that didn’t vote, don’t complain about anything government does or sets in motion. I figure not voting negates ones rights to complain. 

Finally, with the election over, it will be time to start getting to work on pushing for things that will help people with SCI, their families (and those with related disabilities) adjust, adapt and thrive, and that will make for more inclusive communities throughout BC. True, we don’t have the resources to fully engage in “formal advocacy” with government, but we are doing what we can with what we have. Hopefully the next four years will see us, in partnership with many others, help affect positive changes for all British Columbians.

More to follow. In the meantime, do let us know what you think of the election and what issues you would like to see the “new” government  address.

Although there are just over 24 hours left before the polls close, there is still time to get engaged in this election. Here are a some ways:

1. Vote! If you haven’t already done so, make sure you get out to a local polling station and cast your vote. For more on where and how to vote, visit Elections BC’s website. If you are a voter with a disability, Elections BC has some specific information just for you – click here to learn more.

2. Volunteer for your local candidate of choice. Every candidate needs volunteers before and on election day. You can be an important contributor to getting the vote out on election day. Contact your local candidates election office for information on how you can help.

3. Encourage your friends, family members, colleagues and anyone else to vote!

Still not sure who to vote for?

If you still aren’t sure who to vote for, give Vote Compass a try. Vote Compass helps you see where you fit within BC’s political landscape using the Vote Compass tool. Vote Compass is an online educational tool developed by political scientists that helps you figure out how you fit in with BC politics. The site is presented in partnership with the CBC.

As you prepare to cast your ballot, remember that in Canada (and BC), we elect representatives from our ridings. Sure, those candidates represent a party (or they can serve as an Independent), but our electoral system allows us a choice – to vote for the local candidate from party we prefer or for the candidate who will be the best representative from our riding. Hopefully, your candidate of choice is both the best to represent your riding and is a member of the party to which you are most closely aligned, but sometimes the most qualified candidate may be from your second or third party choice. Either way, I still think it’s better to vote for someone or something you believe in, as opposed to voting for anything but the current representation.

As for me? I’ll keep my political leanings to myself, but I have reconciled a difficult choice about who I will vote for. In my case, I’m voting for the candidate who I think is the most qualified for the job, rather than making a decision solely on which party I wish to see elected (partly because I’m not entirely sure which one that should be). That’s not to say that I’m not taking the candidate’s party membership into consideration, because party ideology is important. In my case, the candidate I’m choosing is a member of one of the parties I think can govern the province acceptably.

Whatever your voting strategy, vote. Voting is a democratic right that we are privileged to own. Exercise that right.

With all the information available it can be hard to make a final decision about who to vote for. In many cases you might like one party best, but prefer a local candidate from another party. You might like some ideas from each candidate or party. You might like a party or candidate you feel has no chance of being elected. You might not like any of them very much. I can’t tell you who to vote for. It’s an individual decision, and one that has been particularly difficult for me this election. I have thought long and hard about my choice. One thing I know for certain is that I will be visiting my local polling station tomorrow and marking my ballot. People in many parts of this world still do not have the right to vote and I take my voting responsibility seriously.

At this point in the election, the most important thing is for everyone to get out and vote. Each vote counts. By marking your ballot you are making a statement. You are showing that the next government matters to you. You are ensuring that your voice, no matter how small it might seem, is heard. Check out Elections BC for information on how and where to vote tomorrow.

No matter which party forms a government after tomorrow’s election, we know that there is still much work to do on issues related to disability. Watch this blog space for my upcoming article on advocacy skills.

Heather Lamb

At Spinal Cord Injury BC, we believe that when someone comes out of the hospital after a life-changing spinal cord injury, they need two things: moral support from family, friends and peers, and information, to help them navigate the world they’ve always known—from a new perspective.

And that’s why our InfoLine staff play such an important role in our organization, and in the lives of so many people with spinal cord injuries, family members and medical professionals across the province. They’re available Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, to connect people to the information and answers they need to live happy, healthy lives.

Last week, SCI BC was pleased to welcome, for the second time, Heather Lamb to our InfoLine team.

From 2009 to 2011, when SCI BC was still known as the BC Paraplegic Association, Heather worked as an Information Services Agent, with Bert Abbott, who is based in Nanaimo. Together, they built the foundation of the Spinal Cord Injury Information Database (SCIID).  Thanks to their work, the Database grew from having 350 resources to 700 within the first year.

Today, the Database has more than 750 resources related to everything one might need to live well with a spinal cord injury: from information about accessible housing, to accessible travel and recreation spots, to health resources and information about employment. You name it and chances are, the Database has it—unless it doesn’t exist.

While working on this great project with us, Heather decided to go back to university to get her master’s degree in Social Work. Fortunately, through fortuitous timing, a position with us opened up shortly after she finished school.

“Heather has a real, genuine and sincere interest in helping people with disabilities, and that comes through when she speaks to people over the phone,” says Pat Harris, Manager of our Information Services, who is based in Prince George along with Heather.

Heather Lamb loves the great outdoors.

As our new Information Resource Specialist, Heather will handle calls with clients who may need assistance over the long term, or who are dealing with multiple issues related to things like employment, housing or health, for example.

“It’s like the old country song, your dog died, your pick-up truck won’t start and you gotta’ visit your mama in the hospital: call Heather,” says Pat.

“She will provide case coordination, adjustment counseling, advocacy, and she will assist people to self advocate,” he says.

General inquiries and more frequently asked questions that can be handled with a single call will continue to go through the InfoLine.

Heather has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Carleton University and worked as a journalist before she decided to try something new.  “Professional journalists tend to be a little cynical, so after a while I realized I wanted to be in a helping profession,” she says.

The experience also gave Heather, who has been visually impaired since birth, some perspective on discrimination in the work place. “I know what it’s like to be told ‘no’ for reasons that don’t seem acceptable,” she says. “I look forward to helping people deal with those kinds of issues.”

“SCI BC is a really welcoming organization, it’s a good working environment with great co-workers, and I really like the Prince George office,” she says.

Heather grew up in Prince George and when she’s not in the office, you’ll find her enjoying the great outdoors. “I love skiing, hiking and playing in the snow. Stuff like that. I’m always the one cheering when the snow is falling.”

“I basically have no limitations” — Kyle Jacques

On the surface, Kyle Jacques is just like any other 19-year-old grease monkey studying Automotive Refinishing at Vancouver Community College: he’s been working on cars since he was five years old and he loves rocking out to music. The only difference is Kyle uses a wheelchair, and he’s already overcome more ups and downs than most people may ever face.

When he was just 11-years-old, Kyle spent months living alone in the hospital and at GF Strong, learning to adapt to life with paraplegia. Then a few years later, his father and eventually his mother both passed away from different health complications.

Three months before he graduated high school, Kyle was already living on his own.

Although he found support with Brad Jacobsen, Spinal Cord Injury BC’s Lower Mainland Peer Coordinator, social workers, and a youth group, Kyle’s biggest source of strength has always been his own determination.

“I didn’t give up at all,” says Kyle.  “I just try my hardest to get everything done.  I don’t even feel different from anybody else. The only thing I can’t do is stand on my own. That’s it. I basically have no limitations,” he says.

Last year, Kyle took his no-limit approach to the test and started learning to walk—something doctors said he would only have a 10 per cent chance of doing again. He can now walk about two blocks with forearm crutches.

And when times get tough, Kyle just cranks some tunes. “Music usually helps a lot,” he says.

When he’s not listening to music, working on cars or hanging out with his friends or his girlfriend of two-and-a-half years, he’s planning his first business venture: an auto shop, which he hopes to open this summer with his older brother. “My dad was a mechanic and my brother is a mechanic, so we’re going to start our own shop. He does a lot of engine work and I can do the body work, so we’ll be a good team.”

In the mean time, Kyle is getting geared up for the Scotiabank 5K Charity Challenge, and Spinal Cord Injury BC is stoked to have him on team Walk ‘n Rollers once more. Last year, he finished the race in his manual chair in less than 20 minutes! At that rate he probably nipped some runner’s heals.

How has he been training for this year’s Charity Challenge? His regular commute basically takes care of that: “I avoid public transportation whenever I can. Last week I went to Commercial and Broadway and I live on 10^th and Arbutus.  It took me about 45 minutes,” he says with a laugh.

Kyle is looking forward to welcoming new members of team Walk ’n Rollers this year: “It’s totally worth joining to go out and support people with spinal cord injuries. I thought it was awesome last year, when I saw everybody doing it.”

Join Kyle and support our team, The Walk ‘n Rollers!

Register to run and fundraise: http://www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/index.htm

Donate to our team, The Walk ‘n Rollers:http://bit.ly/YKTSOK

Sponsor Kyle Jacques on his 5K: http://bit.ly/131iU82

Click here to learn more about this event: http://sci-bc.ca/event/scotiabank-charity-challenge/

Thanks for your support!

“Wheelchair Love” by Chris Steele

The need for intimacy and sexual expression does not disappear after an injury or fade with old age, but for the thousands of British Columbians who live in care facilities across the province, it certainly gets more complicated.

There are many ethical, moral and legal quandaries for health care workers when their clients want to express their sexuality. What are a client’s rights, a health care worker’s responsibilities, and what if these go beyond someone’s comfort zone?

These are complicated questions that nurses and health clinicians deal with each day, and for a long time, they were navigating them alone.

Fortunately, there is now a short Reference Guide clinicians can turn to for guidance. Written by clinical, ethical and legal experts, it’s called, “Supporting Sexual Health and Intimacy in Care Facilities: A Pocket Reference Guide”.It was published today by Spinal Cord Injury BC on May 1st, 2013.

You can download the entire 13-page booklet here (217kb PDF)

[Scroll down to keep reading]

Based on a much longer document published in 2009, this new Sexual Health Reference Guide is the first of its kind in the country.

“There has long been a gap in guidance for health care providers and facilities in how to best support residents in their sexual lives, but we have a moral, legal and ethical obligation to support them with this part of their life,” says Kate McBride, the sexual health clinician who coordinated the project. “These guidelines were developed to try and close this gap and to create a dialogue in this complex area of health,” she says.

At CONNECT Communities, where people with brain injuries live with other residents and care givers in a group home setting, executive director Patti Flaherty says these guidelines will help guide and inform conversations about residents’ sexual needs.

“This new reference guide won’t shape policy— we’re not a policy-driven organization, particularly in this area —but it will help inform our approach and reinforce how important it is for people living in a supported group environment to have access to living healthy sexual lives. If we’re struggling with something we know we can refer to the reference guide and it might help shape how we approach the issue and help guide our conversation,” says Flaherty.

The document includes sections to help care givers asses risk of harm to their patients, determine if consent has been acquired, and outlines when and how to intervene if necessary, with a “Decision-Making Flow Chart”.

The reference guide also includes a series of case studies based on real-life situations, ranging from residents wanting help to get washed and dressed to go out on a date; to unmarried residents wanting to share the same room; to residents with cognitive difficulties engaging in sexual activity together.

“We hope this pocket guide will help caregivers gain more knowledge, comfort and expertise in supporting the sexuality of their clients and their partners,” says Chris McBride, the executive director of SCI BC, which will publish the document online on May 1, 2013.

“We want to alleviate the stress care givers face when navigating these difficult questions on their own, and help them acknowledge and respect the sexual rights and freedoms of individuals in care facilities and group homes.”

Spinal Cord Injury BC received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada for the creation of this new Pocket Reference Guide.

We scoured each provincial party website to create this quick summary of what their platforms have to say about accessible transportation, housing, employment, health, income and any other campaign promises related to disability issues.

Spinal Cord Injury BC does not endorse any particular party or candidate, but we do believe that it’s every citizen’s role to be informed and to vote!

A quick note on how this information was compiled: Where you see “no information provided” it simply means that the parties have not addressed disability-specific issues in that topic area. Quotations are taken directly from the party platforms. For general party positions on all topics, please review the party materials on the website links given in this document. Parties are listed in alphabetical order.

Please keep in mind that this blog post won’t be continuously updated, so anything announced after April 29, 2013, will not be included here!

Party Platforms at a Glance (as of April 29, 2013)

Party Positions (as of April 29, 2013)

Accessible Transportation: No information provided

Affordable Housing: No information provided

Employment: “B.C. needs more high-wage jobs. We need more skilled workers who are capable of earning large paycheques.”

Health: No information provided.

Income: “We believe in a strong social-safety net for those who truly need assistance, and at the same time we encourage individuals to be productive and self-sufficient.”

Other: “The BC Conservatives do not support discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, family circumstance, political opinion, religion, disability or other distinctions.”

http://www.bcconservative.ca/

Accessible Transportation: “Greens want walkable neighbourhoods, an increase in cycling paths, and affordable transit systems.” The Green Party supports improvements in accessible transportation and is aware that transportation barriers affect employment opportunities.

Affordable Housing: “Construct healthy, energy efficient green housing for people with disabilities and mental health problems and for low-income people.”

Employment:“Modernize services for people with disabilities based on a social model of ability rather than a medical model.”

“Promote the use of social co-operatives and social enterprises to serve high priority groups, especially the elderly and those living with disabilities.”

Health: “Create local support systems that promote health, child welfare, and accessibility for people with disabilities and the aging.”

“Our changes to the health care system include a drug plan; reformed primary care; better governance; reducing waste and inefficiency; better home care, long term care, and mental health services; and better end-of-life care.”

Income: “Remove income and social assistance restrictions to individuals being trained by social co-operatives and other social enterprises.”

“The Guaranteed Liveable Income (GLI) will replace all existing income assistance programs. Cost of living and other factors determine the eligibility and the amount of the income supplement. The GLI provides a basic income and removes systemic barriers that keep people poor, untrained, unemployed, or underemployed. At the same time, it encourages employment and job creation.”

Other: Greens would appoint an “Advocate for Persons with Disabilities as an independent officer of the Legislature.”

“Request that the Auditor General review services to persons with disabilities with particular attention to structural barriers.”

http://www.greenparty.bc.ca/

Accessible Transportation: “Commit to ongoing funding of $500,000 to partner with communities to make their communities more age-friendly for senior residents, through the successful age-friendly community grant program.”

Affordable Housing: “Maintain the grant of up to $1,000 per year (10 per cent of renovation costs) for seniors who wish to renovate their homes to make them more accessible and allow them to stay in their residence instead of being forced to move.”

Also, the Liberals are “providing additional homeowner grants for people with disabilities or who have a relative or spouse living with a disability in their home.”

”Over the last decade, our government has invested $3.2 billion to provide affordable housing for low-income individuals, seniors, and families in communities across the province — and as a result close to 21,000 new housing units have been completed, are under development or have had funding committed.”

Employment: “Earnings exemptions for people with disabilities raised to $800 per month (September 2012) in order to allow people with disabilities to work a significant amount of hours per month before seeing their benefits clawed back.”

Health: “Through Balanced Budget 2013 invest a further $2.4 billion in health care over next three years.”

“Continue the $132.4 million GP for Me program – every British Columbian who wants a family doctor is able to access one by 2015.”

Income: “Through changes to monthly earnings exemptions, enhanced earnings exemptions for individuals receiving disability assistance, asset increases and the elimination of separate limits on cash assets, we are increasing supports to individuals, couples and families to help individuals with disabilities lead more independent lives and give their families more opportunities.”

Other: “Upon re-election, Today’s BC Liberals will mandate a white paper on the issues facing people with disabilities in British Columbia. Upon completion of the white paper, it will be circulated for public comment and followed up with a provincial summit in order to ensure we as a government and society are national leaders in reducing barriers and increasing freedoms for people living with disabilities.”

http://www.bcliberals.com/

Income: “Immediately tie all income assistance rates to inflation, double earning exemptions for employable recipients, and allow a child maintenance exemption.”

“Increase income assistance rates for all singles and couples by $20 per month within two years.”

http://www.bcndp.ca/

Have you been following BC’s election campaign?

We’re almost a couple of weeks into it now and the May 14 voting day is closing in quickly.

I wouldn’t say that I’ve been scouring the news or online media sources to keep up with every aspect of the campaign. I’ve been following the parties on twitter, listening to pundits’ views on the campaigns and policy ideas put forward to date, and watched a bit of news online. 

I’m pretty sure I haven’t heard anything directly related to disability issues raised once. This is too bad. Maybe we’ll hear more in the final two weeks of the campaign, but it doesn’t seem likely given the focus of the debates so far. I’m pretty certain it will be up to the disability community to try and get some level of discussion  going on any disability-related issue (even simple acknowledgement would be a start!).

How? In my last blog, I listed a number of ways you can engage in the electoral process. Give them a go.

In the meantime, I encourage everyone to set aside an hour and half to watch (or listen) to the only televised debate between the 4 major party leaders. The debate will be televised on Monday, April 29 from 6:30-8 pm on local television channels. You can also follow the debate on twitter via #bcdebate2013.

In addition to broadcasting the debate on TV, many local media outlets will be live streaming the debate online. Here are some links (click on the names below:

• CBC BC 
• CTV BC
• Global BC

It’s not too late to get disability issues into the election dialogue.

When Patty Clarke first heard about the Scotiabank Charity Challenge last year, she was nervous about signing up. “I thought the whole idea is to challenge yourself and to raise funds, so I had a hard time psychologically, asking for money and using a power chair,” she says.

Fortunately, Patty overcame her initial unease, signed up anyways, and became one of team Walk ‘n Roller’s best ambassadors. “Once we got out there, I didn’t feel that I was seen any differently or any less worthy. I felt as valid as any walker, runner, roller or stroller,” says Patty.

“I realized that it’s not just about physical exertion. Last year was the first time that the Scotiabank Charity Challenge allowed people in chairs to participate, so it was about getting out there, representing our team, and supporting this extremely worthwhile cause.”

As for Patty’s second biggest fear, fundraising, she figured that out too. “That was a hurdle for me to get over. I’d never done anything like that before.”

However, Patty says once she explained what the Scotiabank Charity Challenge was all about, and where the money would go, people were really forthcoming.

“I sent a big blanket email to all my contacts and told them it was a fundraiser for this great organization—and I added a line in there about all the ‘thumb training’ I was doing to be kind of funny—and it’s amazing the amount of people who contributed!” says Patty.

In the end, Patty raised $601 dollars, and her only regret was not having more people join her on the team.  “This year what I’m trying to do is to get more of my friends who don’t have disabilities to get involved with the team and see what it’s all about. I just want all kinds of people to come on board and do the 5K.”

“This organization is really about keeping people thriving in their communities and in their lives, and we can’t do that without community support from our friends and families,” says Patty.

Her advice to other people in power chairs thinking about joining team Walk ‘n Rollers? “Just do it! But make sure you do your thumb warm-ups before the course.”

Join us and support our team, The Walk ‘n Rollers!

Register to run and fundraise: http://www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/index.htm

Donate to our team, The Walk ‘n Rollers: http://bit.ly/13AaUwY

Sponsor Patty Clarke on her 5K: http://bit.ly/10GKhcV

Click here to learn more: http://sci-bc.ca/event/scotiabank-charity-challenge/

Thanks for your support!

Jim Schuman, the PIC Chair and Curl BC liason, gives SCI BC’s Shelley Milstein a check for $100,000 (www.yadranka.com)

From April 17 to 21, 32 teams of curlers from as far as Australia, the United States and the Yukon gathered at the Richmond Curling Club for the 14^th annual Pacific International Cup (PIC).

For Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI BC), the organizers of the PIC, the curlers and all our lovely volunteers, this certainly was a historic event.

It was SCI BC’s fifth year as the PIC’s official charity, and this year the PIC organizing committee met one of their ultimate goals: they raised a grand total of $100,000 for Spinal Cord Injury BC, over the course of five years!

Chris McBride, SCI BC’s executive director, and the whole staff were elated when they heard the news:

“Spinal Cord Injury BC is eternally grateful to the members of the PIC organizing committee, who, year after year, demonstrate their generosity and support for our programs. It is rare to have such a dedicated and welcoming group of individuals support us at such a consistently high level over such a long period of time. Their support and enthusiasm also spills over to the volunteers and curlers who help make the PIC such a success. We are so pleased to have this unique relationship with the PIC Organizing Committee,” says Chris.

The work of great leaders

The 2013 PIC Organizing Committee, www.yadranka.com

Jim Mann, who spoke on behalf of the PIC Organizing Committee, was quick to point out that it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of The Dominion Curling Club Championship, and all the hard work of the event volunteers, and the curlers themselves.

“Each year, all the individual curling teams contribute items to the silent auction that each individual curler participates in as well, so we have to recognize all their great work,” says Jim.

However, the biggest contributor to this great sum was definitely The Dominion:

“None of this would have happened without the leadership and incredible generous corporate attitude of The Dominion. They have done this thing all across Canada and the role that company plays in the support of curling and spinal cord injury organizations is just absolutely awesome,” says Jim.

Sonja Gaudet with Jim Schuman, Chris McBride and Jim Mann. www.yadranka.com

Sonja Gaudet makes an impression

While The Dominion has a huge influence on a national level, on a personal level, it’s always the individual leaders and volunteers who make the biggest impact.

SCI BC’s Vernon Peer Coordinator Sonja Gaudet—who is Canada’s most decorated wheelchair curler, a Paralympic Champion and a recent inductee to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame—made quite an impact with her speech during the opening banquet.

“When Sonja speaks, you can hear a pin drop,” says Jim. “She always gives an exceptional presentation and her ability to link her personal experience into the role of curling and the role of SCI BC was incredibly compelling. It brought up a few tears in the place. She really is awesome.”

More than 35 volunteers keep the event alive

All together, including all the SCI BC volunteers and the PIC volunteers, there were more than 35 volunteers involved in planning and running this amazing event—many of them returning volunteers from years past.

The most dedicated volunteers are without a doubt all the members of the PIC Organizing Committee, who began planning the event behind the scenes months ahead of time under the leadership of Jim Schuman, Jim Mann and Wayne Braun.

If you were on the ground though, there were at least two people who might have caught your eye: Katherine Johnson and Vicki Lockwood.

Every year Katherine spends her days at the PIC sewing badges on team jerseys, and every year she donates all her proceeds back to SCI BC. She feels passionately about the work that we do at SCI BC and we feel just as passionate about her support!

Meanwhile, Vicki sold 50/50 tickets for us at the PIC all day, every day from the 17^th to the 20^th. She’s been on the PIC Committee for 14 years and was amongst the few SCI BC volunteers who spent more than 28 hours volunteering for us over course of the event.

Katherine Johnson, one of our many dedicated volunteers.

She told us later what keeps her motivated to dedicate her time to our cause:

“About a year ago, our son was in a near fatal accident. He broke his neck, he broke his back, he had broken ribs, he had so many internal injuries it was ridiculous. It was a long haul. He was in the hospital for almost three months at a spinal cord injury rehab station in Australia,” says Vicki. “He can walk now, but we saw some of the things that they did at the rehab centre for people and the things we saw really impressed us. How much research and how much effort was put into people to bring them back so they don’t feel that their life is over.”

“So because of our son, and how lucky we are that he’s okay, we all feel—myself and my husband and my son and I—that it’s just so important to make sure that people who didn’t recover like he did still feel that their lives aren’t over. To let them know they’re worth it. It’s just such an important cause and it’s just so worth it that we want to do whatever we can to help out.”

Here’s a huge shout out to Katherine, Vicki and all our other volunteers. This event wouldn’t have been possible without you, and it certainly wouldn’t have gone down with such flair.

On behalf of everyone here at Spinal Cord Injury BC, thank you for your continued dedication and hard work!

And the winners are…

Congratulations to both winning teams who will be representing BC at The Dominion Curling Club Championship in Thunder Bay from November 18 to 23.

PIC Women’s Champs:

Vancouver
Amy Gibson
Rebecca Turley
Carman Cheng
Michelle Dunn

PIC Men’s Champs:

Penticton
Blaine Black
Shaun Everest
Doug McCrae
Kim Dixon