Happy Jar
Howard Pell was happy to have attended a very interesting Writers' Course in Algonquin park recently and is also pleased that he and Rose are organizing a Flamenco Fest at the KW Little Theatre on July 31 and August 1. The event will feature Ronaldo Monge and have workshops as well as presentations, contact Howard if you would like more information or are interested in attending.
Martin Jones is pleased that he and Diane were recently visiting Israel and Jordan but is also happy to be back in Canada.
John Webster is delighted that plans for his daughter to be married are coming together. His daughter is currently working in Korea and her fiance is from the US so there has been a fair bit of paper work involved.
President-elect Paul is happy to be back from the RI Convention in Hamburg Germany and is most pleased to have had the opportunity to attend. It was his first RI Convention and he found it to be most interesting and worthwhile. In particular, he found a session on Peace building very informative and inline with our own club's initiatives. While travelling on the subway they found a 10 Euro note and placed it in the Polio Donation box in the House of Friendship for which they received a local Club Banner which Paul presented to President Richard.
Bell Ringer(s)
All of the members who helped out with the KidsAbility Fun Day on Saturday were named the Bell Ringers for this week.
President's Wine Quiz
Question: How many people attended the RI Convention in Germany?
Answer: Just over 24,000
Club Announcements
Members were reminded of the upcoming Cruisin' on King Street event with which we will be assisting on Friday, July 12. More information will be forth coming.
50/50 Draw
None of Paul Rostrup, Cheryl Ewing nor Carl Zehr (all sitting at the same table) were able to expose the Jack of Hearts so our pot of $350 will grow again next week.
Program Highlights
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Our guest speaker today was Bryan Larkin, Chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Services, past club president Carl Zehr introduced Chief Larkin.
Bryan was appointed as the 7th Chief of Police of the Waterloo Regional Police Service on August 31, 2014 by the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board.
Bryan began his policing career in 1991 as a member of the Waterloo Regional Police Service, working as a front-line Constable assigned to Division #1 in Kitchener. Over the course of his career, Bryan has held a number of progressively responsible positions including; Community and Media Relations, Special Assignments, Traffic Services, Human Resources, Recruiting, Media Officer, Executive Officer to the Chief of Police, and Superintendent of Central Division.
Chief Larkin is an active member of the Canadian and Ontario Associations of Chiefs of Police. He serves the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police as Past President as well as represents the OACP on the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation and is the Co-Chair of the Provincial Police Joint Health and Safety Committee. Bryan also serves as the co-chair on the CACP Drug Advisory Committee. Bryan is a member of the Board for Nutrition for Learning and is a member of the United Way Campaign Cabinet for Waterloo Region Communities.
Bryan is a strong believer of community volunteerism and is proud to support many causes including the United Way and Ontario Special Olympics. In 2013, Bryan was recognized for his longstanding commitment to community volunteerism and for his leadership within the OACP and awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In September 2016, Bryan was invested as a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces by his Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston.
Chief Larkin is committed to enhancing the effectiveness of operational policing services while developing long-term strategies to build a strong, vibrant and healthy Waterloo Region.
Chief Larking focused is talk on the current opioid crisis and the significant impact it is having in our community as well as across the country. Bryan began is policing career in the downtown Kitchener core which formed is formative years as a police officer. In those days they dealt mainly with crack cocaine users and alcoholics, primarily in Victoria Park and the prevailing attitude was to lock them up and let the courts deal with them. But he was quick to point out that this approach is no longer correct and that his and the attitude of many law enforcement leaders across the country is changing.
Bryan provided some disturbing statistics. On average 4,000 people die each year across Canada due to opioid overdoses or about 10 per day. There are also about 10 suicides per day. About 1,500 opioid related deaths occur in Ontario each year; 55 occurred in the Region of Waterloo in 2018, 83 in 2017 and for this year we are already at 50. In 2018 there were 750 opioid related calls to which Regional Police responded and in about 50% of these naloxone was administered to save a life.
Chief Larkin acknowledged that this is a very complex and polarizing issue but emphasized that it is not just a law enforcement issue. It is at the heart a mental health issue resulting in 20 people per day dying across the country and to address it, it must involve Health Care, Social Services, Housing, Education, and Police.
Closing Remarks & Reminders
President Richard reminded members of our Turnover Meeting on Tuesday, June 25 and to please register online through the club's website.
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