April 27, 2005 Marion Uhler , Barb Fritz The Honourable Sandra Pupatello Minister of Community and Social Services 6th Floor Hepburn Block 80 Grosvenor Street Toronto, ON M7A 1E9 Huronia Regional Center {HRC} –  Shirley Turnbull {our sister} Dear Ms. Pupatello, Thank you for writing us back. We are sending you a copy of a report in the Seaforth Huron Expositor dated April 27/05. We hope you will take time to read it. You don’t seem to be listening to our concerns. This article pretty much says what we are trying to tell you. The group home mentioned in this article is one of many in Ontario that are having the same problem: the residents get inferior care. How can you go ahead with this closing of HRC???? Why don’t you step out of government policy and take a stand; re-assess and make your own decisions as Minister of Community and Social Services. Ask the other members of Parliament to re-assess with you in this action. You continue to refuse to visit HRC. WHY?????  Why can’t you see and understand what you are about to do??? Our sister, Shirley, will not survive in a group home. She will be sad, lonely, scared and lost. She will scratch herself until she bleeds; her wounds will become infected and she will deteriorate quickly. There will be no medical staff on site to help her. Who is going to look after the residents when the staff go on strike in Egmondville, Ont or another group home in Ontario? Why does this government think group homes are better than a home like HRC?>>>>> Government money has already upgraded HRC and it’s a wonderful place. Why do you want to spend all this money on group homes after spending money on HRC? This does not make fiscal sense. Will you take the responsibility when Shirley is “placed” and she dies? Are you willing to take that chance?. We anticipate a quick response to this letter. Yours truly Marion Uhler & Barb Fritz c.Mr. Dalton McGuinty Premier of Ontario cc.Mr. John Tory Leader of the PC Party cc.Mr. Howard Hampton Leader of NDP cc.Kevin Costante Deputy Minister Of COMSOC cc.Ms. Donna Cansfield MPP cc.Ms. Carol Mitchell MPP cc Mr George Smitherman Minister of Health & Long Term Care cc.Mr. Cam Jackson MPP cc.Mr Garfield Dunlop MPP cc.Ms Laurel BrotenMPP cc.Ms.Lynn MacDonald Assistant Dep. Min.of Social Policy Dev. cc.Ms. Deb Matthews Assistant to the Min. of COMSOC cc.Mr. Ernie Parsons Assistant to Min. of  COMSOC cc.Mr. Kevin Flynn MPP cc.Dr. Lyz Sayer President of Huronia Helpers cc. Pat Cooke Past President of Huronia Helpers                           Egmondville group homes involved in labour dispute By Susan Hundertmark Wednesday April 27, 2005 Seaforth Huron Expositor — Two Egmondville group homes for people with developmental disabilities are involved in a labour dispute between the Canadian Union of Public Employees and South Huron Community Living. The two local group homes have 16 Community Living clients and are staffed by 15-20 workers. South Huron Community Living workers, represented by CUPE Local 2597, voted to strike on April 12 and go into mediation talks on May 9. If an agreement isn’t reached during mediation, workers will go on strike, says CUPE 2597 bargaining committee chair Barb Dunlop. Dunlop says the main issue of the dispute is wages. She says workers are asking for “a modest increase” of two per cent to bring their wages on par with Community Living Associations across the province.>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>           But, South Huron Community Living executive director Bruce Shaw says the Association’s offer is only 10 cents below the wage the workers are asking for. “We have neighbouring Assocations that are paid less than we are. And, we’re paying all of our people the top rate. If we grant any more money at all to wages, we will have to cut services and lay people off and we can’t do that,” he says. A press release from CUPE says chronic provincial underfunding, including a .5 per cent funding increase to developmental services last year, has led to long waiting lists, understaffing, heavy workloads and low wages for counsellors with Community Living. “We believe that if the agency paid higher wages, more staff would stay and the quality of programs and supports for clients would improve,” says Dunlop in the press release. The union is planning an information meeting for parents, friends and relatives of clients on May 2 at 7 p.m. at Exeter Public School.