Local health care issues earn national exposure, new solutions presented

The Olympic Torch shed light on more than just a community’s spirit last week.

Thanks to a visit from Globe and Mail reporter Susan Krashinsky, the challenges facing Dryden Regional Health Centre’s physician recruitment and retention strategy and the frustrations of local residents seeking timely health care found its way to page three of a national newspaper.

Titled ‘Hippocratic oath meets Herculean challenge’ Krashinsky’s article delves into the creative means local hospital officials use to compete with larger centres to attract doctors, and speaks to both local physicians and patients.

“I think, politically, it puts the whole issue on the map,” said Dryden Regional Health Service Foundation physician recruiter Chuck Schmitt. “You can’t buy that kind of exposure. Certainly we’re making headway, but it illustrates the plight we’re all facing – Kenora, Fort (Frances), Sioux Lookout – we’re all in the same boat. It’s tough to get people up here.”

Schmitt says the story was equally valuable exposure for the hospital’s $160,000 three-year incentive program and the community’s lifestyle based approach to attracting doctors.

“Getting that message out about what we offer in Dryden is gravy,” he said.

With momentum in their favour, Schmitt and Dryden Regional Health Services Foundation Peter Burns appeared at council to pitch a creative long-term solution to the continuing challenges of attracting physicians to the community.

Schmitt asked the city to consider a loan to help establish a Northern Ontario School of Medicine bursary that will grow and address recruitment needs for Dryden in perpetuity.

Schmitt says the Health Service Foundation has secured an interest free loan of $350,000 from a private citizen who wishes to remain anonymous. Using matching funds from the Ontario Trust for Student Support (OTSS), he says a pool of $700,000 could realistically generate a return of $28,000 of bursary funds per year.

Schmitt asked the city to consider a number of options in regards to paying back the anonymous lender over a period of 10 years, such as: using interest from city reserves; considering a health care levy of $1 per month on the city’s 3,200 residential dwellings; or a combination of the two means.

“We’re just looking at some creative longer-term solutions so that we’re not constantly in a crisis-mode,” said Schmitt. “We’re working at building stability and capacity over time, so that we don’t have to worry so much whether ‘emerg’ is going to close, or it takes too long to get in to see your physician.”

While Schmitt says fundraising was considered for the potential NOSM bursary, the Health Services Foundation was wary, given the current economic situation in the area, that the public has little appetite for a large-scale fundraising initiative at this time.

“We’ve just been through the very successful campaign for the CT Scan. We think people are maxed out,” said Peter Burns. “But thanks to this anonymous person who is forfeiting a great deal of money because he’s lent it to us interest free – that’s a wonderful incentive. It’s a new doctor every four years. We also recognize that the city is strapped for funds, but this plan that Chuck has come up with is a great opportunity that I hope we can take advantage of.”

For a link to the Globe and Mail/CTV story on Dryden’s health care and doctor recruitment challenges , check out our website at ‘www.thedrydenobserver.ca’.

Would you support local ratepayer involvement in a doctor recruitment bursary?

• I would support a $1 monthly municipal levy per household (78%, 7 Votes)
• I would not support municipal involvement in forming a local physician recruitment bursary (22%, 2 Votes)
• I would support the use of funds from municipal reserves combined with a $0.50 monthly levy per household (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 9

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Michigan marina owner Nick Finazzo has spent the last seven years restoring this 1947 Russell Brothers tug to pristine condition. The Dryden 4 was previously in the service of the Dryden Paper Company during the 1950s and 60s.

Boats have served an important role in the history of the Dryden area as tools for both industry and recreation. But like many tools, those that have endured beyond their ‘useful lifespan’ risk becoming an inoperable museum piece at best, or the cruel fate of enduring future generations as a rusting hulk or scrap metal.

The Dryden 4, a 1947 Russell Brothers tugboat, is one lucky vessel.

After decades of service to the Dryden Paper Company during the 1950s and ’60s, the Dryden 4 has been lucky enough to find a kindred spirit who has meticulously restored the tug to a pristine condition and extended its lifespan for generations to come.

Wyandotte, Michigan marina owner Nick Finazzo purchased the Dryden 4 from local resident Barry Shepherd and has spent the past seven years fussing over every last detail of restoring the craft to its former glory in the Detroit area suburb.

Before he ever had intentions of restoring the tug, Finazzo says the Dryden 4 had paid for itself within a year in its workhorse role at the marina.

Coming from a family of automobile restoration enthusiasts, Finazzo says the restoration project began when he set about replacing the tug’s 12 window frames. Unsatisfied with the efforts of a local metal shop, Finazzo says he learned to weld in order to produce exact replicas.

“I like looking at things as though they were untouched by history,” he said. “You know that some guy welded that, so I always try to preserve those details. It’s just a thing with me. Those windows are fanatically perfect. The guy who built the boat would not know that those frames had been replaced.”

On top of general repairs, Finazzo sandblasted nearly every surface of the tug inside and out and applied a new coat of epoxy paint, he made repairs to the decking and spent considerable time on the boat’s interior restoring, preserving the well-worn original surfaces.

“They used to wear spiked boots,” said Finazzo. “I left all the holes in the wood and I varnished it. It looks really cool, it’s got that worn look. It has its scars and you can see how hard it was used.”

Finazzo and friends also removed the tug’s 2000 lbs winch gearbox, in order to re-machine a bearing. The boat still has most of its original features including the anchor and propeller cage.

One of the few deviations from historical accuracy was the replacement of the tug’s original 160 horsepower diesel motor with a new 250 hp motor – a move he says is common among other tug owners of the same vintage and effectively doubles the craft’s power.

“When I did some research on the Russell Brothers website, it looks like around 1975 everyone was replacing the engines with a 250 hp Cummins. Looks wise, it’s almost identical.”

In the spring, Finazzo will showcase the newly restored Dryden 4 at the Detroit Boat Show at Cobo Centre.

“It’s been seven years of work,” he said. “I can’t even remember half of the things I’ve done to that boat. It was all done very meticulously and it’s definitely a showpiece. It’ll make Dryden proud.”

Tug owner seeks information

For the Dryden 4’s upcoming exhibition at the Detroit Boat Show, Nick Finazzo is hoping to piece together the history of the tugboat’s working life on the Wabigoon from Dryden residents who may have stories or anecdotes about the working life of the Dryden 4 or the vessels employed by the Dryden Paper Company. He’s also keen to see any photographs or documentation that could be produced in regards to the vessel.

Nick Finazzo can be reached at 734-231-6444, or by email at ‘nick100@wyan.org’

- Chris Marchand

While VANOC torch relay officials quashed the idea of using this lakefront site due to extreme cold, the site will soon host a local winter festival on Feb. 15.

Roll with the punches.

That was the order of the day for many of the organizers and volunteers involved in last week’s Olympic Torch Relay Celebration.

And it all seemed to work out just fine, despite an onslaught of last minute logistical upheavals. Residents still found their way to the proper places lining the relay route and turning the gymnasium of Dryden High School into something like  a rock concert.

After a monumental volunteer effort to prepare a stunning outdoor site for the day’s festivities, Torch Relay task force chair David Durance said a major change of plans posed it’s share of challenges.

“It was a challenging day for us, certainly at the beginning, because it wasn’t what we were anticipating,” said Durance. “As it worked out, there were a lot of people from a lot of different groups who were able to pull together very quickly to make it happen – the top of that list is the staff of the high school, Caryl Hron from the school board as well as Mary Helie. Andi (Kidd) and Carl (Bleich) had a lot to do with the way the performers were able to adapt to the situation. My general reflection on the day is that it all worked out.”

VANOC’s 9 a.m. decision to move the celebration indoors was based on fears over how stage and sound equipment would function in temperatures below -20 degrees celcius.

“Kenora was able to go ahead with their outdoor celebration for two reasons,” added Durance. “They were able to set up during the warmest time of the day, whereas we were doing it in the coldest time. Secondly, the crew in Kenora came up with a couple of different ideas to make their system work – which holds out hope for other communities who are staging their celebrations in cold weather.”

Behind the scenes, the day involved upwards of 75 local volunteers and 70 local performers, joined by an additional 50 performers from Sioux Lookout.

Andi Kidd says those on stage weren’t too broken up over the move to an indoor stage.

“We had a lot of positive comments about the new venue,” said Kidd. We were concerned if we had the whole population of Dryden down at Van Horne Landing that there would be no one on the route. As it turned out the streets were packed.”

Local torch runner Tommy Johnson was lucky enough to carry the Olympic flame up King St. through Dryden’s downtown.

“They tell you that this day will change your life, and it’s kind of true,” said local torch runner Tommy Johnson. “I think the moment for me was seeing this kid, just looking at me in total awe. Just seeing the kids go crazy was the coolest thing. It’s just a flame, but it’s something that brings people together in a way few things can.”

Winter festival to make use of celebration site

Why let a good site go to waste, says Andi Kidd.

The city of Dryden recreation programmer says the upcoming winterfest celebration plans to make full use of the lakefront outdoor site at Van Horne Landing which was prepared for the Olympic Torch Relay, but went unused due to cold temperatures.

Held on the statutory family day holiday, Monday, Feb. 15, the festival will feature over a dozen events including: an opening ceremonies, a snow sculpting competition, a family fishing derby, human checkers, snowmobile poker derby, a shinny tournament, official judging for ‘Pimp My Ice Shack’ and much more family fun.

- Chris Marchand