Vigil in Portage la Prairie

It was cold and dark – but there were many who came to the vigil in Portage la Prairie at the Manitoba Developmental Centre.

For me it was tough. I know people who work at the Manitoba Developmental Centre and I know that they work hard and they do the very best they can. I represented Portage la Prairie as a Member of Parliament from 1993-1997, and I have a very strong attachment to the community and to helping the community.

But last night, I was there advocating for change – for an alternate plan than the NDP’s planned expenditure on the Manitoba Developmental Centre. Ever since concerns were raised with me by many Manitobans about this expenditure, I have spent a lot of time looking into the situation.

The alternative is to move more and more people from the Manitoba Developmental Centre out so that they can live in a community setting.

At first I wondered whether this was even feasible for many at the Manitoba Developmental Centre. Then I met Catherine Shaefer and read the book her mother Nicola has written about her. It is entitled Does she know she’s there? Catherine has an extraordinarily complex mix of physical and intellectual disabilities. I went to Catherine’s home. I had tea with Catherine and her mother. I saw what it was like for Catherine and I came away convinced I had to re-examine my own beliefs.

My friend, Bonnie, has also helped me see how important it is for people to be able to have more of a role in managing their own care.

But I still asked: “Was what was good for Catherine, good for others who are now at the Manitoba Developmental Centre?” Then I met James Conroy. He has done research on more than 7,000 people were have moved out of institutions. The results are surprising and they are also clear. It is better to have people in the community.

It would have been easy not to go to Portage la Prairie last night. In a sense it might have been easy to advocate for change from Winnipeg without going to Portage la Prairie. But this did not feel right. I came to Portage la Prairie to the vigil.

If you would like more information, you can visit my blog at

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2005/10/yellow-and-black-ribbons.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2005/09/right-to-live-in-community.html

For those in Portage la Prairie I say this:
1) Moving people into the community still means many jobs in the community
2) I care very much about Portage la Prairie and I want to continue to work with you to build a very strong City of Portage la Prairie and surrounding area. Portage la Prairie is a wonderful city and has lots of great potential.
3) What is needed is a plan for change over a period of years (5, 10 or 15 years) which will allow those at the Manitoba Developmental Centre to be moved into the community over time, a plan that can be developed with the help of those in both the Community of Portage la Prairie and in the community of those who are disabled and who work with those with disabilities. [I probably should say those with special abilities instead of disabilities – but the term disabilities is still clearer at this time – though increasingly I will be using special abiliites in the future.