At Heart & Stroke, we want to increase our knowledge and understanding of stroke and heart disease recovery and be better informed of our future direction in the creation of recovery-based resources, programs and services for our heart disease and stroke survivors. In order for us to be survivor-centric – we will soon begin first phase of engagement with South Asian survivors and their care givers/partners.
While survivors face many barriers and challenges in coping with the disease and better managing their lives after a heart attack or stroke – we are interested in hearing their stories and wanting to confirm what the literature is telling us: that the psychosocial support an individual receives is co-related to their ability to recover and self-manage their condition.
For this we need your help! We need you to connect us to South Asian survivors and their care-givers/partners in your communities and have them join our South Asian Survivor Network and have them participate in one of our survivor focus groups to be held in the GTA this summer. Results from these focus groups will be shared with all of you and also help inform Heart & Stroke’s Promote Recovery Strategy.
Please help us recruit South Asian heart disease and stroke survivors and their care givers/partners to start engaging them on this important dialogue.
YOU connecting us to them would take us a step forward in understanding and listening to what OUR SURVIVORS truly need and help them RECOVER and self-manage their health!
Info: FIRDAUS ALI, South Asian Cultural Specialist, Ontario, Heart & Stroke C: 416-629-1689 firdaus.ali@heartandstroke.ca

By Adit Kumar
The Toronto Kaiteur Lions Club once again brought Christmas cheer to the children of the HR Lawson Respite Home when they hosted their annual Christmas party on Sunday, December 2, 2018.
The home has been in existence for over 25 years and Toronto Kaiteur Lions Club has been proudly hosting the annual Christmas party there for the past 20 years. The kids were presented with a sumptuous lunch and gifts compliments of the club. Lion Teddy Boyce, who has been donning the Santa Claus suit for most of these years, brought a lot of excitement to the children as he arrived with his bag of gifts. Club members also sang Christmas songs adding to the fun.
The HR Lawson home caters for kids with intellectual disabilities and hosts about 150 kids ranging in ages from 2 to 17 years old. Among the services it offers is drop-off for kids so that parents can go to work, take vacations or weekends off. They also have a number of kids who reside there.
Toronto Kaiteur Lions Club has been supporting a variety of charitable causes over the years. It is one of the largest Lions Clubs in the region and boasts over 25 active members. The club supports the Meals on Wheels project and its members volunteer their services to deliver hot meals to seniors in Scarborough on a regular basis.

On January 7, the Etobicoke-based Shakti Association donated 90 bags of personal care items (gloves, blankets, socks and hygiene products) to the Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre (CONC) – a multi-service agency in West Downtown Toronto.
CONC is a United Way member agency which provides free programs, services and support for underprivileged children, youth, adults, seniors, new comers and the community as a whole.
According to Indira Sattan, President of the Shakti Association, the “the Shakti Association is a grass roots, community led organization which is committed to Sharing Hope and Kindness Through Involvement. We grew out of a small Hindu temple in Rexdale and have developed several community outreach programs to make peoples’ lives a little better. We are delighted to be working with charities such as the CONC.”
The Shakti Assocuation's outreach programs include:
• Jingle Jamboree – the third annual Jingle Jamboree was recently held due in part to generous donations and support from volunteers within the community. This holiday party was for all families, regardless of background and economic status, to provide a fun, family event. All children under 13 received a photo opportunity with Santa Claus and a gift to take home.
• Giving Back Program – focuses on providing elderly people within the community with social opportunities, rides to the doctor or other appointments and companionship. Elderly people in the society are often isolated and lack a connection with their communities. The Association hopes to end that cycle by providing companionship, trips for errands, etc., light house-keeping and cooking, in an effort to give back to that generation. It hopes to expand this program in 2019 to include exercise and wellness activities in addition to other social community support for seniors.
While delivering the bags, Pujari Tamesh Sattan said he felt a sense of giving back to the community and welcomed donations to the association. He also invited all members to the Annual Maha Kali Puja of the Shakti Association to be held on January 18th to January 20th at 42 Haas Road in Etobicoke.
The care package initiative was made possible by a Foresters Financial Community Grant.

Stiffer fines and long-term consequences for distracted drivers have come into force in Ontario from January 1, 2019.
Most drivers caught talking, texting, dialling or emailing on a handheld device will be fined up to $1,000 – more than double the previous fine.
Additional penalties include a three-day licence suspension and three demerit points. And that's just the beginning.
"It's really going to cost you, but there's a reason for that," said Constable Sean Ralph of the Ottawa police.
"It's a major infraction right up there with impaired driving."
These new penalties coming with the advent of the new year makes it a good time for drivers to make a resolution to keep their hands off their devices while behind the wheel.
For a second conviction within five years, the maximum fine rises to $2,000, plus six demerit points and a seven-day driver's licence suspension.
More convictions within that five-year period would be an even bigger hit to the wallet at a fine up to $3,000, six demerit points and a 30-day suspension.
On top of that, convicted motorists can expect their insurance rates to go up.
Distracted drivers are the leading cause of fatal collisions in Ontario, according to police.
But in spite of safety campaigns, police crackdowns, and increased fines, texting and driving is still rampant.
"It's really education through enforcement," said Ralph, who hopes higher fines will change behaviour on the road.
"The last thing I want to do, especially this time of year, is do a death notification."
Drivers with a graduated (G1, G2, M1 or M2) licence face even harsher penalties.
Texting a friend? Answering a phone call? Looking up an address? If you're doing any of those things behind the wheel, you're breaking the law.
Those drivers face the same fines as more experienced drivers, plus:
• 30-day licence suspensions for a first conviction,
• 90-day licence suspensions for a second conviction,
• licence cancellations for a third conviction.
The penalties are the same whether the motorist is using a cellphone while driving or sitting at a red light.
Ontario's Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek said last month these will be Canada's toughest penalties for repeat distracted driving convictions.
The only exceptions are to call 911 in an emergency situation or when the driver is either lawfully parked or safely pulled off the road – which is only allowed on a 400-series highway for an emergency.

Shriman Jawahirlal Jaglal (Jeet) and Pandita Lutchmin Savitree Jaglal (Sabie), passed on peacefully in Markham, Canada, on January 12, 2015, and December 24, 2017 respectively.
They both propagated the teachings of Rishi Dayananda and the Arya Samaj; were staunch members of the Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham, and the Maharshi Dayananda Gurukula in New York headed by Dr. Satish Prakashji.
Their lives and beliefs were strongly influenced by Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati who defined Vedic worship in his Light of Truth, in the following terms:
“The first object of worship is the Mother. It is the duty of her sons and daughters to serve this goddess with all their hearts and all their soul, and keep her happy. Let her never be treated harshly. The second object of worship is the Father. This god should also be served like the Mother. The third object of worship is the Teacher who bestows knowledge…This god should also be served with utmost devotion. The fourth object of worship is the altruistic teacher of humanity who is learned, deeply religious, upright, well-wisher of all and goes from place to place preaching the truth and making the people happy. The fifth object of worship is the husband for the wife and the wife for the husband.”
At a memorial service on December 24, the family honored the memory of their parents who epitomized the teachings quoted above.
According to their children, “Pitaaji and Maataji both served their parents until old age and death. Tireless altruistic community service, honoring Guru, avid seekers of knowledge – they fulfilled their Vedic duties, staying close to God. Pitaaji and Maataji made their simple and humble home feel heavenly with their love and worship for the well-being of each other and their children. They lived and passed on peacefully, noble and humble, reflecting the motto of Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam.”
Shriman Jawahirlal Jaglal and Pandita Lutchmin Jaglal were the most dedicated and wonderful parents, giving their children the best life they possibly could, sacrificing themselves for their children’s happiness, and laboring to give them all the worldly joys possible.
“We miss your loving smiles, warm hugs and daily blessings. Ma and Pa, we, your children, will forever miss you and worship you,” was the combined sentiment of the children at the December 24 memorial service.

Ottawa – The new year has brought with it tax changes at the federal level that will affect just about every Canadian, as well as small businesses.
One of the first changes workers will see is an increase in Canada Pension Plan premiums coming off their paycheques – the first of five years of hikes to pay for enhancements to the pension plan.
Employment Insurance premiums, on the other hand, will drop by four cents for every $100 of insurable earnings.
Meanwhile, the small business tax rate is going down from 10 to nine per cent. But changes to how much so-called passive income a small business can hold are also coming into effect, which is expected to push some businesses into paying a much higher corporate tax rate.
Also in 2019, low income workers can qualify for an increase in the Canada Workers Benefit. But they will have to wait until 2020 to receive the extra money.
The federal government's new carbon pricing system will also come into effect in provinces that don't have carbon pricing mechanisms of their own, resulting in higher costs for fossil fuels by April, and direct rebates to partly offset the increased costs.
Conservative Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer is already gearing up to make it an issue leading to the October federal election, calling 2019 the year of the carbon tax.

Former inmates, current chaplains, award-winning leaders and entertainers will be coming together for the 7th year in a row.
This year's keynote address will discuss: The indispensable nature of Diversity Chaplains in the Canadian Prisons! The Keynote will be delivered by the Associate Chaplain and Director of Interfaith Engagement at Northwestern University, Tahera Ahmed.
The Gala was founded seven years ago when Chaplaincy in Canada was under serious threat. The Chaplaincy community collaborated together in order go beyond simply advocating for the continuation of the crucial services in Canadian Prisons, to one that celebrates Chaplaincy and it's ability to rehabilitate incarcerated individuals.
In Canada, the criminally convicted and jailed individuals may get a second chance. This is reflectives of the teachings of all Faiths. Chaplains do not sit in the jury box nor are they in the business of judging even the convicted. They have witnessed that many inmates who were once behind bars have successfully reintegrated into society. Their stories inspire us all. For many, these transformative years have renewed their faith and given them a chance to forgive. We will celebrate their success on their journey of redemption.
One Love Gala 2019 Rehab will be held on Saturday, February 2nd 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at Elite Banquet Hall, 1850 Albion Road, Etobicoke, ON. The name of the gala was inspired by Bob Marley’s song, One Love!
A number of inmates and chaplains as well as entertainers are in the line up.
Charity of choice this year is Looking at the Stars Foundation that take classical music into prisons for free.
For more information or for interview requests please contact: Habeeb Alli or Julianne Martin, Co-Chair Chaplains and Event Organizers at 416-823-1738.

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