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November 19, 2004
Ms. Myra Wiener, Director
Developmental Services Branch
Ministry of Community and Social Services
6th Floor, Hepburn Building
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1E9
Re: Preliminary Discussion Paper, October 2004 – “Transforming Services in Ontario for People who have a
Developmental Disability”
Ms. Wiener:
On behalf of my mother and father, Marion P. & William B. Luke and my brother Robert B. Luke, I speak
collectively on behalf of our son and brother, William (Billy) George Luke, born March 15, 1960 and resident of
Huronia Regional Centre (H.R.C.) for the past 41 years.
In our cursory review of this document it is abundantly clear just how inept your government really is in this
entire matter and further how this government has the brazen faced audacity to systematically exclude the most
important persons affected by your government’s ill advised decisions to close H.R.C.
One cannot help but be very angered by the very first sentence in this document that purports to the
government working with the families. We have yet to hear or see one shred of communication directly to the
families from any member of your government. Reading further into page 1 of this document and it quickly
becomes very clear how “out of touch” this government is with the specific circumstances of our sons,
daughters, brothers and sisters of H.R.C.
For those who have never stepped foot in H.R.C., and we’re quite sure many of you have not, let me bluntly
describe for you the level of “developmental disability” of Billy. Billy suffered uncontrolled and undiagnosed
epileptic seizures prior to his 1st birthday, virtually scrambling the internal circuitry of his brain. Over the years,
the grand mal seizures have taken a further worsening toll accompanied with other serious physical ailments.
Billy is essentially a 1-year-old boy inside the body of a 44-year-old man. Billy cannot speak, does not make any
appreciable sounds whatsoever, cannot walk, cannot tell you when he is sick or hurt, displays virtually no
emotions, is totally unaware of his surroundings, does not recognize family or people and is 100% reliant on
social workers, nurses and doctors to provide every facet of 24 hour care. Three years ago Billy broke his hip
falling out of bed without uttering a sound. We don’t speak for all of the residents and families of H.R.C.,
however those still remaining at H.R.C. for the most part are, to put it very insensitively, the “crème de la crème”
of severely developmentally disabled persons in this Province. Billy will never be suited for or be able to adapt
to your buzzword “Community Living”. He will never participate in your ill-advised “Vision”. Is Community Living
equipped to deal with Billy? - the answer is a resounding NO.
It sickens us to see how far down the road this government is prepared to go before they realize that they
should have started with the families of so very few. Our children, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters are
all older adults now. Many of them have been here 30, 40 plus years in this facility. My parents are nearly 70
years old, many parents are even older and it extremely heart breaking to expose them to the total bungling of
this government.
As to specifically addressing comments and questions in this document, we find that this document is so far
removed from what H.R.C. residents and families want and need it is pointless to provide constructive comment
or in this case criticism, except to address your Question # 7. The very principles that supposedly guide this
document i.e. “recognition of the dignity that come from people planning and making important decisions…” fail
from the get go as this government cannot even see fit to include families of H.R.C. in any discussions or
participating groups. Billy will never transition in and out of a school system, he has no capability of learning.
Billy will never be able to participate in home programs, our parents are not equipped nor do they want to
handle such circumstances. Billy doesn’t care whether you speak to him or make services available in French,
preach a different faith, etc. etc., he has no comprehension of his surrounding.
We respectfully ask this government to postpone any discussion papers, postpone further steps to close H.R.C.,
postpone work on any “plan” and provide the families of H.R.C. the opportunity, forum and proper government
audience to hear and listen to our concerns. It is high time that this government had started to represent and
listen to the families instead of following your ill-conceived plan of what is best for my family.
Yours truly,
D. W. Luke
Cc: Premier Dalton McGuinty
Minister of Community and Social Services – Sandra Pupatello
John O’Toole, MPP – Durham Riding