Interesting article on Canadian health care

This article was written by Erik Johnson.  Erik's dad Don was my boss at PWA for many years.  Don, his wife and three children were relocated to Calgary.  His mom and I are still friends.  Sadly Don passed away a few years ago.  He would be very proud of his three children!

While the Canadian system isn't without it's problems, my friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and went from the mammogram clinic to the hospital and was seen immediately!  If you are really sick, you are seen immediately in BC.  And Erik, you are right.  We need to stop comparing our healthcare to the US healthcare system!

Canada’s ‘Not’ World-Class Healthcare System

What Can Canada Learn from the UK to Fix Canada’s ‘Not’ World Class Healthcare System

After spending 26 years in Canada I moved to the UK in 2004, where I have lived ever since. Being an ex-ballet dancer who had to stop due to injury means that I have been an extensive user of the healthcare systems in both countries. Through this experience I have gained some insights into both systems that I think could help Canada’s system improve.

Canada’s ‘universal’ healthcare system became a national program with the passing of the Hospital Insurance & Diagnostic Services Act by the Canadian government in 1957. With this Act, the federal government agreed to fund 50% of the costs covered by provincially run universal healthcare plans, covering services delivered by doctors and hospitals. With the passing of the Canada Health Act in 1984, extra-billing and user fees were banned by the federal government, meaning any provincial Medicare plan with ‘user-fees’ ran the risk of losing funding from the federal government.

While the universal nature and ‘free at point of access’ nature of Canada’s system has its advantages, I believe Canadians need to look outside Canada and away from our neighbour to the south at other models.

Why does Canada’s system need to change? Well, because based on a selection of measures, Canada’s system fails on several counts. In an assessment by the Commonwealth Fund in 2014 of the healthcare systems of 11 large developed countries, Canada ranked 10 out of 11, just ahead of the USA. In the areas reviewed by the study Canada scored poorly in each:

Source: “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, 2014 Update: How the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally”

An interesting feature of healthcare policy debate in Canada is that the media, politicians, and healthcare unions generally focus on comparing the Canadian system against the US, with the conclusion being, Canada’s is better. What gets missed in the debate and analysis is that by looking at only the US, the debate is limited to comparing Canada’s system to a US system that is deemed the worst system when compared against 11 major developed economies.

Canadians need to stop being smug about our system being better than that of the US and look to Europe to see how poorly our system performs and to find ways to make Canada’s system better.

My experience with both the Canadian and UK systems has shown me some areas where Canada’s system could be improved by adopting some features of the UK system.

GP / Family Doctor Access

When I moved to London I expected to struggle to find a GP, given that I lived in a busy central London district. I was surprised to find that GP clinics generally have to accept patients who live in the local ‘catchment area’, as outlined on a map. Thinking back to my time in Alberta, when our family Doctor passed away, my mother and siblings struggled to find a GP who would take them on. Some of them waited several years to find a permanent GP, instated, heaving to rely on ‘walk-in’ clinics, with long waits and a lack of continuity of care.

Imagine if my family had been able to quickly register with a local GP, or even better, another doctor or group of doctors, were required by the government to take them on following the closing of my family Doctor. Being able to easily register with a local GP practice based on home address (or even better based on where you live or work) is a feature of the UK system that Canada should seriously consider.

Prescription Drugs

I came to London to study at university. Before I moved away from Canada I made sure to get a large refill of my regular prescription drugs from my doctor so that I could ‘run them through’ my employer provided drug coverage. Little did I know that prescriptions in the UK cost only £8.40 per prescription (with schemes to provide free or reduced price prescriptions for low income, seniors, chronic conditions etc.).

The UK’s National Health Service is able to make ‘bulk’ purchases of drugs for the UK’s 64 million residents, resulting in significant cost savings. Canada should seriously consider creating a national drug plan, eliminating the need for private drug plans and a mish-mash of provincial plans. Not only could this save money, it could make drugs currently too expensive to cover on private plans available to Canadians through bulk buying.

Specialist Clinics

When I started university in London back in 2004, I didn’t think that I would need to visit a hospital during my one-year Masters degree. However, I found myself needing to see a specialist as well as have minor overnight surgery.

When my GP said I needed to see a specialist for a non-pressing condition my first though was, ‘God, how long will that wait list be?’ My experience in Canada being one where people waited months and even years to see a specialist. To my amazement, my GP said I could see a specialist that same day by taking my referral to the ‘walk-in’ specialist clinic at University College London Hospital, staffed by a team of specialists.

While not all areas will have the population and demand to support ‘walk-in’ specialist clinics, the speed of access and subsequent surgery that I experienced amazed me. I would have waited well over a year back in Calgary to go from GP to specialist to operating room. I think Canada should identify specialties with high demand / high volume and develop walk-in clinics to provide patients with quicker access to care.

Private Provision

An interesting feature of the UK’s public health system is the provision of many publicly insured services by private companies. This means that a patient on the NHS may have surgery or treatment provided by a private company, paid by the NHS. The aim being to provide NHS patients with timely, quality, and cost effective care. While in the UK some view this provision as controversial, I can see the merit of it, if properly managed.

Looking back at the career of my mother, a Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) in Canada, I can think of a few ways where the Canadian system could benefit from the private delivery of publicly funded services. For instance, at one point my mom worked in a department in a hospital that provided short-term outpatient mental health therapy, primarily one-to-one talk therapy sessions. Her program was housed in a hospital and staffed by RPNs, psychologist, psychiatrists, and social workers. They worked 8-hour shifts between 9am-5pm and oddly were only mandated to see 4 patients a day (for hour long sessions).

Imagine if she and her colleagues had been able to set-up a company that rented out cheap space in an office park or shopping complex (close to where patients work / live), was open from 7am-8pm (hours convenient to working patients), and where staff saw 6 patients in an 8 hour shift. This company could contract with the local health authority to provide free publicly funded mental health care. This model would free up expensive and in demand hospital space, while offering patients more choice of appointment times closer to their community. I suspect that this model would be cheaper for the government to fund, while providing a decent profit to my mom and her colleagues.

In Canada we all believe that people have a right to good quality food and clothing, but would generally not trust the government to have a monopoly on the making and selling of food and clothes, so why do we think the government is the best entity to fund and deliver most healthcare services? It is time that Canada had a sensible conversation on how private for-profit and non-for-profit companies can help deliver innovative healthcare solutions that can be cheaper and better than those delivered by the government.

Private Insurance

As a Canadian, I had never had full private medical insurance or access to hospitals and doctors where I could pay to quickly get care. Before moving to London, my only experience with private medical insurance was my employer provided plan that covered me for dental care, physical therapy, and prescription drugs, all generally excluded from the publicly funded healthcare system.

I have always struggled with the concept that in Canada I could pay to get my cat quick cancer treatment but my dad could not do the same, unless he went to the US. Nor could I buy private medical insurance to get quick access to diagnostic tests and treatment, though I could for my pet. While I believe that the public system should provide timely and quality care to everyone, I also believe that people should be free to access care in Canada on a private basis.

The private system is not perfect in the UK (e.g. many treatments are delivered in a way to that cost much more than necessary), though it does provide people who can afford it with a way to access quick care, while taking people like me out of the queue for the public system. I guess truly wealthy Canadian’s have always had access to private care, by travelling to the US. I believe that all Canadian’s should have access to private care in a more affordable way, through a system of private medical insurance and care.

Conclusion

While there are strengths and weaknesses to Canada’s and the UK’s health systems, my experience of the two has identified some clear areas where Canada can learn from the UK. For Canada to take advantage and benefit from some of the ideas I put forward here, the Canada Health Act needs to be amended. I hope that Canadians will start to have a more global debate about our healthcare system, look away from the US as the only alternative system, so that we can have a system that encourages innovation in the delivery and financing of timely, quality, and affordable care, which is not the system that Canadians have at the moment.

Hurricane Irma!

In eight weeks we are leaving for Fort Lauderdale to board the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas!  It's our 50th wedding anniversary and we've planned our family holiday for two years.  Our ports of call are St. Maarten, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Labadee a small island in the Bahamas.  It's reported St. Maarten has been devastated and the hurricane is en route to San Juan!  I worry about these islands as their livelihood depends on tourism.  Hurricane David devastated St. Croix back in 1979 and in 2005 Hurricane Wilma devastated Cancun.  The port was severely damaged and had to be rebuilt.  We sailed into Cancun shortly after the pier was replaced.  It took months.  I hope the piers in the path of Irma are saved so they can continue to accept cruises.  

It's been interesting to see what the cruise lines are doing with the ships whose home port is Florida.  NCL was the first to cancel cruises then Disney did the same thing.  Royal Caribbean have cancelled two cruises but they are moving their three mega ships into safe waters and letting the people who are sailing this week stay on until the hurricane has moved away from Florida.  People scheduled to board this weekend are being offered a shortened cruise when it's safe to return to Fort Lauderdale.  NCL and Oceania are closing their Florida offices. Royal Caribbean/Celebrity hasn't made an announcement but they are very close to the Port of Miami.

I follow James Van Fleet, Meteorologist for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines on Twitter.  He is doing an incredible job answering tweets from passengers on various ships.  He just posted the eye of Hurricane Irma passed directly over St. Maarten!  He was hired after one of the ships sailed into 30 ft waves. People were hurt and the ship sustained damage off the US east coast.  They are the first cruise line to hire a professional weather person!  He is sure doing a great PR job for RCCL on Twitter.  @JamesVanFleet

Let's hope the center turns away from Florida and the people in the South are spared from this storm!

Canada Plus email from Janice Charette

I subscribe to this monthly letter from the High Commission of Canada in London.  I thought you may be interested in reading it:

Your monthly email newsletter from the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom Votre bulletin de nouvelles du Haut-commissariat du Canada au Royaume-Uni Subscribe now to Canada Plus – Abonnez-vous maintenant à Canada Plus A Message from the High Commissioner September’s ‘back to school’ feeling tends to herald a change or two and we here at the High Commission are no exception. To wit, I am delighted to introduce Sarah Fountain Smith, our new Deputy High Commissioner, who had just joined us. Sarah was most recently Assistant Deputy Minister for Global Issues and Development in Ottawa, and has served as Canada’s Ambassador to Chile in addition to time spent at Canada’s mission to the UN in New York and postings in Argentina and Brazil.  She is very eager to get to know our many friends here in the UK and I know the Canada Plus community will extend a warm welcome. Sarah’s arrival came as we bade farewell to Alan Kessel, who served four years as Deputy High Commissioner and who is a true friend to the UK. Alan wrote a few parting thoughts on his time in London, summing up just a taster of the work that we have undertaken in recent times: “During my time here in the UK, we have been witness to two general elections and two referenda (Scotland and Brexit) within a very short period of time. The ever-changing texture of UK politics has kept us on our toes as the Canadian community has worked to prepare for the UK’s future relationship with the European Union and with Canada. Along the way, we have turned to you, our partners and friends, to hear what you have been doing as you have started to undertake your analyses of the trends and potential outcomes that could affect you and your work here in the UK. I would like to thank you all for sharing both your time and your insights. “I leave the UK reminded of our mutual strengths: a common system of government, shared values – two World Wars and much sacrifice by generations that have fostered resilient societies working to build prosperous and innovative countries for their people. Together, we are promoting global efforts to ensure strong, sustainable and balanced growth and to improve global economic conditions so that international trade and investment can thrive for the benefit of all.” Well said Alan, we couldn’t agree more.   Janice Charette News Rugby win High Commissioner Charette was on hand to help cheer Canada to victory over Australia in their final game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Belfast last month. The team ended the tournament with just one loss to top-ranked New Zealand to take fifth place overall. Studying in Canada  Canada has recently been declared an “education superpower” by the BBC after glowing reports by the OECD, making now the perfect time to consider post-secondary education in Canada. The education team at Canada House is hosting a day-long EduCanada Fair to connect curious prospective students with a wide variety of Canadian post-secondary institutions from across the country. Space is limited, so register in advance to take advantage of this opportunity to find the right Canadian college or university. A full listing of colleges and universities taking part can be found in the listings below. Consular Corner Are you travelling this season? Does your travel insurance include document coverage? Sadly, many travellers’ passports are lost or stolen and replacing these documents can cause delays and expenses in onward travel and missed flights back home. Please ensure your travel insurance covers the loss or theft of your passport. For more information on travel insurance, go to the travel.gc.ca website. If you have a question for us, please email ldn.publicaffairs@international.gc.ca with the subject line “Consular Corner”. Visa Info Question: Can I sponsor my boyfriend to come and live with me in Canada permanently? Answer: If you have been cohabitating with your boyfriend in a conjugal relationship for a minimum of 12 months, you may meet the requirements to sponsor them in the Common-Law Partners category.  Save for exceptional circumstances, you cannot sponsor your fiancé(e), girlfriend or boyfriend if you do not meet the definition of common-law partners.  You will be requested to demonstrate that you have been cohabitating and that you are in a committed conjugal relationship.  For further details on the definition of common-law partners and how to sponsor, visit the IRCC website. Did You Know? You can now link your Family Class application to an online account. This will make checking the status of your application easier for you. It makes corresponding with us more convenient, and may help to speed up the processing of your application. To link your Family Class application to your application, visit our help centre for more information. September Events Until 10 Sept ¦ Canada Through The Lens British Library, London ¦ Highlights from the British Library’s Canadian photographic collection are on display to celebrate Canada 150. The photos, acquired between 1895 and 1924, show Canada as a young and growing nation. 10 and 11 Sept ¦ Sarah MacDougall Green Note, London ¦ The Yukon-based Swedish-Canadian singer songwriter performs in London before continuing her European tour in Ireland and Germany. Until 12 Sept ¦ Canada Now HOME, Manchester ¦ A selection of great Canadian films will be featured at Home Manchester, featuring new and established voices in Canadian cinema. 12 Sept – 14 Oct ¦ Susan Platts in The Magic Flute Royal Opera House, London ¦ Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts makes her Royal Opera debut as Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, under the baton of Julia Jones. 15 Sept – 18 Nov ¦ Self-Abstraction Canada Gallery, Canada House, London ¦ The Canada Gallery’s new exhibition brings together artists Jannick Deslauriers, Cal Lane, Marie-Eve Levasseur, Nadia Myre and Jinny Yu. Through a variety of innovative techniques, these five female artists look outward to situate themselves in the world. In an era characterised by an excessive proliferation of self-portraits, the artists deploy counter-strategies to represent themselves in their work. Mon-Sat, 11am – 5:45pm.  Image - Thread (2016), Cal Lane (synthetic hair, tire, steel stand) Until 16 Sept ¦ Late Company at Trafalgar Studios Trafalgar Studios, London ¦ Celebrated Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill’s contemporary and compelling drama that explores cyber-bullying and parenthood in the 21st century gets a well-deserved transfer to the West End. 17 Sept ¦ Little Canada Market Surrey Street Market, Croydon ¦ A Canadian-themed street market with a pop-up restaurant and bar featuring poutine, perogies and smoked meat, food stalls, wholesale food, ball hockey and face painting.  Little Canada is also running a raffle with two flights to Canada as the top prize. 20 Sept ¦ Community collective: the Fogo Island Story Sackler Centre, London ¦ As part of the London Design Festival the co-founder of the Fogo Island Inn, Zita Cobb, speaks to Ineke Hans about revitalising the economy of her Newfoundland community through cutting-edge architecture and design. 22 Sept ¦ London Vandoos The Lord Raglan, St Pauls ¦ Regular drinks night held on the 22nd of each month with members of the Canadian Expat Meetup Group. 24 Sept ¦ Café Canada Second Cup, London ¦ A monthly cafe social with members of the Canadian Expat Meetup Group gathering at the Second Cup on Portobello Road. 25 Sept ¦ Mo Kenney The Slaughtered Lamb, London ¦ The Juno-nominated performer plays in London after the release of her third album, The Details. 27 and 28 Sept ¦ Diana Krall Royal Albert Hall, London ¦ The Canadian jazz singer and pianist performs the only UK date on her world tour for the album Turn Up The Quiet at the Royal Albert Hall. Further Ahead Until 1 Oct ¦ Zoe Kreye SPACE Gallery, London ¦ For her commissioned first solo exhibition in the UK, Kreye is collaborating with St Joseph’s Hospice to explore the complexities of loss. In addition to the solo exhibition and performative interventions occurring at the hospice, her project is presented with contextual critical writing, workshops, performances and discussions all open to the public. 6 – 8 Oct ¦ Flipside festival Snape Maltings ¦ This unique festival centres around Latin American literature and arts but this year welcomes keynote speaker Margaret Atwood and award-winning novelist and poet Ann Michaels to a weekend of collaboration and inspiration. 7 Oct ¦ EduCanada Fair Canada House, London ¦ Join us for this annual event giving students and parents in the UK a chance to learn more about options for post-secondary education in Canada.  This year’s event will feature a Postgraduate Studies Fair in the morning from 10am-12pm, followed by the Undergraduate Studies Fair from 12:30pm-5pm.  Admission is free, but registration is required. Canadian institutions attending include:  Bishop’s, Brock, Carleton, Centennial College, Concordia, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, HEC Montréal, Humber College, Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec, McGill, Memorial University Newfoundland, Mohawk College, Mount Allison, OCAD, Queen’s, Royal Roads University, Ryerson, Sheridan College, UBC, Université de Montréal, Universities of Calgary, Guelph, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor, Vancouver Island University, and York. 7 Oct ¦ Monthly Expat Meetup: Wings Night The Maple Leaf, London ¦ A monthly social event with members of the Canadian Expat Meetup Group. 7, 8, 9 and 15 Oct ¦ Meetup Canada 150 Thanksgiving Roasts The Larrik Inn, London ¦ The Canadian Expat Meetup Group is hosting FOUR Thanksgiving dinners in Marylebone with the addition of poutine, pumpkin pie, as well as a traditional roast dinner. 9 Oct ¦ Canadians in London Thanksgiving Dinner White Mustache, Camden, London ¦ Turkey, pumpkin pie, smores, Canadian beer and Caesars are on the menu at this two course Thanksgiving feast. Tickets required. 11 Oct – 17 Nov ¦ Trouble in Tahiti Opera North, Leeds ¦ Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta stars in Leonard Bernstein’s first opera, rich with jazz rhythms that evoke the bygone days of Hollywood and Broadway. 19 – 21 Oct ¦ Comfort From Kindness Bath & West Showgrounds, Shepton Mallet, Somerset ¦ An historic collection of WWII Canadian Red Cross Quilts from the collection of the late Anna Mansi will be on display at the Craft4Crafters show in Somerset. Thousands of quilts were made by Canadians for those in the UK who had lost their homes or been displaced or evacuated during the war. Until 7 Jan ¦ Death in the Ice: The shocking story of Franklin’s final expedition National Maritime Museum, Greenwich ¦ A major exhibition exploring the mysterious fate of Sir John Franklin and his crew on their fatal last journey into the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage. This will be the first time the artifacts found by Parks Canada will be on display in the UK. Job Opportunities Canada House, London ¦ Senior Commercial Officer - Ontario For information about working at the High Commission, visit the Job Opportunity page on our website. You can also follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates on new openings at Canada House. Veuillez noter que la majorité des sites Web sont disponibles en anglais seulement.   Message de la Haute-commissaire  L’atmosphère de « retour en classe » du mois de septembre incite à quelques changements, et au Haut-commissariat, nous ne faisons pas d’exception. À preuve, j’ai le grand plaisir de vous présenter Sarah Fountain Smith, notre nouvelle Haute-commissaire adjointe, qui vient de se joindre à nous. Jusqu’à récemment, Sarah était sous-ministre adjointe à la Direction générale des Enjeux mondiaux et du développement à Ottawa. Elle a aussi été ambassadrice du Canada au Chili en plus de travailler à la mission canadienne aux Nations Unies et d’occuper des postes en Argentine et au Brésil. Elle a très hâte de faire la connaissance de nos nombreux amis du Royaume-Uni et je suis persuadée que les lecteurs de Canada Plus lui réserveront un accueil chaleureux. L’arrivée de Sarah coïncide avec le départ d’Alan Kessel, que nous saluons. Alan a occupé durant quatre ans le poste de Haut-commissaire adjoint et c’est un grand ami du Royaume-Uni. Alan a consigné par écrit quelques réflexions sur son séjour à Londres, donnant une idée du travail que nous avons entrepris récemment : « Durant mon passage au Royaume-Uni, nous avons assisté en très peu de temps à deux élections générales et deux référendums (en Écosse et le Brexit). La texture sans cesse changeante de la politique au Royaume-Uni nous a forcé à demeurer aux aguets pendant que la communauté canadienne se préparait en vue de la nouvelle relation du Royaume-Uni avec l’Union européenne et le Canada. En cours de route, nous nous sommes tournés vers vous, partenaires et amis, pour savoir comment vous aviez agi à la suite de votre analyse des tendances et des conséquences possibles pouvant avoir des conséquences sur vous et sur votre travail au Royaume-Uni. Je vous remercie d’avoir bien voulu partager votre temps et vos impressions. Je quitte le Royaume-Uni en pensant à nos forces mutuelles : un système de gouvernement commun, des valeurs communes, deux conflits mondiaux et d’immenses sacrifices consentis par des générations qui ont forgé des sociétés résilientes, oeuvrant à l’édification de nations prospères et innovatrices pour le bien de leurs peuples. Ensemble, nous faisons la promotion des efforts mondiaux pour garantir une croissance vigoureuse, durable et équilibrée et pour améliorer les conditions économiques mondiales, afin que le commerce et les investissements internationaux puissent se multiplier au profit de tous.» Cher Alan, on ne saurait mieux dire.   Janice Charette

Global Warming?

It's 9:36 AM and it's already 25.2C!  We lived in Steveston, BC three blocks from the river for 37 years.  We never owned a fan.  It would be hot in the day but the wind always blew and our house always remained cool.  We moved out to Surrey and everything changed.  We purchased portable air conditioners but they were noisy and in the way.  After 3 years of sweltering heat and no wind we put in central air. Best purchase ever!

I believe in Global warming.  I know others don't but David Suzuki and Stephen Hawking have both given scientific proof it is happening.  I look at my pictures of Glacier Bay in Alaska over the past 15 years and it's frightening the change of that glacier.  I know everyone doesn't agree but I say listen to the scientists and do your own research.

Happy Labour Day and remember our forefathers who fought for our 40 hour work week, livable wages and proper breaks through the work day!

North West Passage

The Crystal Serenity is sailing the North West Passage for the second time.  The ship left Anchorage/Seward Alaska on August 15th.  It's being escorted by the ice breaker R.R.S. Ernest Shackelton.  This cruise is well above my budget, it starts at $21,855 US per person!   It sells out every year.  Last year, 32 days in the Arctic were packed with icy tundra treks, polar bear sightings, zodiac "wet" landings in harbors virtually untouched by travelers and enriching visits to northern communities eager to share their distinct traditions with the passengers.   I followed a blogger last year who posted daily.  I haven't followed it as closely this year but saw these incredible pictures today from one of the entertainers.  What a great experience!  I just checked the ship webcam and today she's in Nunavut.

This picture was taken from the bridge by the Captain Vorland

I've been to the Nome airport. We stopped to drop off passengers on our way to Kotzebu

A message from the Officer in Charge - September 2017

I follow the RCMP on twitter and subscribe to their press releases.  I just received this and thought I would share it.  They are working very hard to resolve this problem! A Message from the Officer in Charge – September 2017 I hope you have had a great summer. It has been a busy season for your Surrey RCMP with a number of our members contributing to the BC wildfire efforts and our continuing focus on the regional drug trade. I recently visited some of the areas of our province that have been affected by this year’s unprecedented fires. It is certainly something to see in person – the widespread damage to homes, towns, and nature is astounding. However, I was heartened to see the areas that had been saved by the hardworking firefighters and support crews. It is a massive effort and one that has seen the whole province come together to help those who have been displaced and those who have lost so much. Here at home, our second quarter stats showed a year-to-date decrease in both violent crime (-15%) and property crime (-10%). Our primary areas of enforcement have been on prolific offenders and on those involved in the drug trade. This enforcement is intelligence-led with our crime analysts providing important data on the individuals, habits, and locations related to crime. Much of this intelligence is generated from the calls we receive from the public – thank you for your efforts in reporting crime and suspicious activity. I know many of you keep a close eye on crime in your neighbourhoods and, as a result, we recently expanded our Crime Stats E-Newsletter to include monthly crime maps which show auto theft, break and enters, and robberies for each district. You can subscribe at https://surrey.ca/city-government/23586.aspx. We continue to be very concerned about the shots fired incidents, which included a homicide earlier this week. We are often asked why we can’t do anything if we know who is involved in this drug-related violence. I can assure you, we are. As the investigations into these files continue, we are using all legal authorities we have to arrest them, breach them when they defy court ordered conditions, seize offence related property, execute search warrants, and more. On a broader scale, we are attacking the drug trade itself as we know it is the root of this violence. Just last week we announced the conclusion of a six month drug trafficking investigation that resulted in five people being charged with 48 charges and the seizure of thousands of doses of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. This issue is playing out across the Lower Mainland, however, as a city with a large youth population, Surrey is a target for those looking to lure young people into the drug trade. The Surrey RCMP’s long-term strategy in addressing the issue of youth criminality is to promote positive choices for kids at a young age and provide accessible support and guidance to parents. Police play an integral role here, but not the only role. Parents, relatives, schools, government, and community groups and organizations all have a role to play in supporting our youth and providing positive role models. We continue to expand our youth programs, initiatives, and engagement efforts. Over the last year, we have started focusing on younger age groups, realizing that kids need to positively engage with police before they reach secondary school. We launched the Mini-Blue Program this year, which is an elementary school version of our Code Blue after school fitness program, and we offer a “Hi-5” program where our School Resource Officers visit elementary schools and simply give out high fives and engage with the kids on the playground. We are also expanding our participation with Big Brothers’ In School Mentoring Program and getting involved in a number of other youth-focussed programs this coming school year. In addition to our prevention and education initiatives, we have a number of intervention strategies that include our Parent Helpline (604-599-7800), Wrap gang prevention program, Youth Intervention Program, and Restorative Justice Program. You can learn more about our youth programs on our website. As we move into 2018, we will be developing our new five year strategic plan. In the spring, over 1,500 people completed an online survey to provide their input on what our policing priorities should be moving forward. In the coming months we will have more opportunities for residents and business owners to share their ideas so we can build a policing strategy that addresses the safety concerns of our community. The Surrey RCMP continues to play a key role in supporting the City of Surrey’s Public Safety Strategy through the development and enhancement of a number of initiatives and programs relating to law enforcement. I am pleased to see the progress that is being made by all partners. Enjoy the fall and thank you for your continuing commitment to public safety. Sincerely, Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald Officer in Charge, Surrey RCMP

Gang war continues.......

Picture taken this morning in Langley the site of a double homicide

Yesterday Sehajdeep Sidu, 18 was shot and killed in Abbotsford.  He was known to police and they believe it was targeted.   This morning two more people were shot and killed in Langley.  It continues.  After my last post I received a call from the RCMP Zone Commander.  We had a nice conversation and he answered some of my questions.  My concern was the parents and grandparents of these thugs who harbour their children and put everyone in their house in danger.  East Indian families live together.  It's great the way they look after their elders.  The elders look after the little ones.  Why they don't worry about what the older children are doing is beyond me.  They must know their children are involved in illegal activities.  They will not talk to the police.  I find it very sad as the entire family is in danger.  A lot of the shootings happen around the family home.  He explained how difficult the crown has making a case against a family member.  I also said how impressed I was with the Mayor and City Council as they have been on top of this situation asking the RCMP for more officers and creating a gang unit.  He said the cooperation with the Surrey Council has helped and not all municipal councils have the same cooperation. Something that was nice to hear.  I really appreciated his call.  Apparently my letter to the Mayor of Surrey was passed on to the RCMP. I still haven't heard from my MP, John Aldag.

BC has many police forces.  Some people say we should have one police force as we had when this province was in it's infancy.  The BC Police force was formed in 1858 and ceased operations in 1950.  My grandfather, George Jeffery, was a constable in Burnaby for the BC Police Force.  When they ceased to exist he transferred to Oakalla as a prison guard.  His BC Police uniforms were donated to Burnaby Village Museum.

The City of Vancouver, New Westminster and Delta have their own police forces.  The RCMP are in many other communities such as Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby.  Initigrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was formed to investigate homicides, suspicious deaths, and high-risk missing persons where foul play is suspected.  IHIT is comprised of 80 police officers from the RCMP, New Westminster, Port Moody, Abbotsford and West Vancouver Police departments.  They cover an area from Boston Bar to Pemberton including the entire lower mainland and sunshine coast.  They have taken a national approach to Gang and Organized Crime related homicides. They are involved in all the "events" we are experiencing.  Let's hope this "gang war" is over soon and no innocent bystanders are hurt!