Orangeville Citizen/Free Press and Economist
Thought Of The Week By Ted Ecclestone
And now I have finished a work that neither the wrath of love, nor fire, nor the sword, nor devouring age shall be able to destroy. Ovid Metamorphoses, XV, 871 When you think of Ted Ecclestone please don’t think of Life Insurance, but when you think of Life Insurance, and Investment be sure to think of Ted Ecclestone. Ont. Toll Free 1-877-941-1903
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February 17, 2011
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Orangeville architect helps design a world of hope by LINDSEY PAPP Mark Hicks, partner in Dickinson and Hicks Architecture Inc. in Orangeville, recently returned from a trip to Galmi, Niger, where he was part of a team of architects and engineers from across North America who volunteered their time with Engineering Ministries International Canada (eMiC). The team spent a week in Niger preparing the design for phase II of the SIM Galmi Hospital renovations. “It was great, it was a very interesting experience, quite a cultural change from what we have here,” said Mr. Hicks. “They were very appreciative, so it really made the work easy and extremely rewarding.” During his time there the team focused on developing concepts for the hospital compound which was facing the challenge of not interrupting the busy medical services still
going on. “It’s a six-phase project because we have to build it in various phases and move the people from the ward before we can demolish the original building built 60 years ago,” he said. “The original building was all mud, so it’s been reinforced but over time it’s just been deteriorating beyond the point of repair.” This is the third time Mr. Hicks has volunteered with eMiC, and his fourth trip to Africa in the past seven years. “There is a great need in some of these developing countries, we have some skills and expertise that can be helpful to them so when we’re invited to go it’s a way that we can make a positive contribution in a developing country that would have quite an impact on the lives of many people there,” he said. The original building has deteriorated significantly, while the demand for increases in quality health-care in the hospital
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grow. In 2007 eMi sent a team to Galmi to take steps to begin phase I. The fact the proposed renovations are nearing completion was the reason for the second trip at the beginning of this year. “We’re hoping that as we improve the conditions that the quality of life will also improve there, and restore a kind of dignity that they don’t really enjoy now because of how poor the conditions are,” said Mr. Hicks. “So you can see how it’s going to have a life-changing impact on the patients.” According to the Galmi Hospital website, more than 100,000 people seek medical care at this hospital every year. Mr. Hicks stated that the focus on the obstetrical ward during this trip is to meet the demands of the 2000 deliveries the hospital sees per year. According to Mr. Hicks, the most difficult part of this trip was making sure that their designs would be possible to build for the people in Niger.
“One of the things we have to do is research what’s available; we can’t just impose our construction methods and materials from here,” he said. “We have to do some research in the countries to make sure that materials are available and economical for them and they do have trades that can actually do the work.” They will be renovating with modern materials, making their own concrete
blocks on site. They will also be using more contemporary materials that are available there. “We get kind of spoiled with all the different materials and different ways we can implement materials into our buildings here, but there you have to keep it really simple not only in terms of materials that are available but in their ability to build it,” said Mr. Hicks. He says one of the
biggest changes from the last time he was in Africa was being able to interact with the people who will be benefiting from the improved conditions a renovation will provide. “This time we got to interact with real people, real patients, as we walked through the hospital, and could see the existing wards and the people in the active environment,” he said. “It really provided additional motivation for
LIFE-SAVING WORKERS: Orangeville architect Mark Hicks, pictured on the far right, is shown with the rest of the team in Galmi, Niger that is currently reconstructing a 60-year-old mud hospital.
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us to do the job well and try to fast-track the various phases of the hospital so we could improve the conditions.” He says one reason he was so keen to join this particular team was its proximity to a site that he had previously volunteered on. In Danja, Niger, Mr. Hicks was part of a team who were building an addition to a leprosy centre for women who suffer from obstetric fistula. “In the Sahel region, because of the culture the young girls get married very young, some of them as early as 11, 12, 13 years old. They have babies very young and as a result they are not fully developed so the delivery is often very long and painful for them. In that process the baby gets wedged or stuck creating a fistula,” said Mr. Hicks. He said that because of the stigma attached to this type of injury, women are ostracized from their communities because they do not know how to deal with
the issue. They estimate that currently over 2 million women are currently suffering from this in Africa. “This fistula centre when it’s operational will perform the surgeries on these women – a very simple surgery – and enable them to get back into society,” he said. “Seeing that in place as realizing the impact it’s going to have on these women was very significant for me.” The centre is set to be completed in April. Mr. Hicks has been working in architecture since 1985, and has been with Dickinson and Hicks Architecture since 1994. “It’s amazing that all these people from different backgrounds and different experiences come together so quickly and so well in order to tackle the problems and the issues,” he said. “It’s extremely rewarding to be able to use your experience and education to accomplish something good like that.”
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Teen Ranch welcomes new head hockey coordinator By BRIAN LOCKHART Sports Editor
The hockey programs at Teen Ranch in Caledon will get a new face and new ideas with the recent addition of head hockey coordinator Jay Pagett. Pagett comes to the Ranch after completing a three year stint as head coach of the Florida Gators hockey team at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Although he is new to the position, he’s no stranger to the Ranch having worked on summer programs and trained there since 2002. A native of California, Pagett went to Virginia and played right wing for Liberty University for four years while majoring in sports management with a minor in coaching for the scholastic side of his education. After graduating he was offered the spot in Florida.
“I coached there for three years,” Pagett said. “Our first year we were .500, The second year we went on a 19 game winning streak. We lost our first three games then didn’t lose till the playoffs then got beat out in the South Eastern Conference. I left on good terms. I’m still recruiting for them.” The opportunity to take a full time position at Teen Ranch gives Pagett a challenge to which he is looking forward. “It’s the opportunity to run the hockey program and work here again. I look at it as a ministry as well. I get to hang out with the kids and really develop the ages from eight to 16,” he explained. At 26, Pagett is old enough to have the maturity to coach the kids but young enough to know how to relate to a group of teenage players. The Ranch’s Olympic size ice surface complete
with 900 seating capacity is well known in hockey circles. Pagett’s job is to take advantage of the facilities
and fill current programs while building new ones. “The short term goals are to fill the programs to capacity. We’re going to
Photo/BRIAN LOCKHART
TEEN RANCH head hockey coordinator Jay Pagett in the 900 seat Olympic sized arena. Pagett recently joined Teen Ranch on a full time basis and is going to put some new ideas and programs into place beginning with spring training camp.
run some ladies clinics, and we’d like to have girls here as well - from the age of 13 and up. We’re bringing in some new faces (to help out with camps) just to draw a different crowd.” Having friends in the higher levels of the sport, Pagett says, is a big help in bringing talent to the Ranch to help out with the summer programs. “We’ve got Dan Ellis, the goalie from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brett Robinson from the Cincinnati Cyclones, and Dave Semenyna from Liberty University. Basically it’s friendship and relationships I’ve built over the years,” He said of bringing talent to the camp for the summer. With spring training Pagett is working toward building a AAA or higher level team to compete in local loops - a process that •Please turn to pag B5
Redwings feel Rattlers bite
Photo/BRIAN LOCKHART
SHELBURNE REDWINGS FORWARD Pavel Egorov guards the net while goalie Georgy Kiselev watches for the shot during Friday’s home game against the Bradford Rattlers. The Rattlers went on to win the game 8-1.
The Shelburne Redwings took a double hit over the weekend losing their home game 8-1to the visiting Bradford Rattlers, then dropping their away game to the Vaughan Wild with a 6-3 loss on the road. The first period of Friday’s home game did the most damage with the Rattlers notching four by the 16 minute mark to lead 4-1 by the time the buzzer sounded to end the frame. The only Redwings goal game from Alexander Nikulnikov. A Bradford single in the second period was the only scoring in the middle frame and the pressure was on the Shelburne squad to respond in the third.
Despite a few good opportunities the Redwings couldn’t find the back of the net, and the Rattlers came out hard scoring three more to end the game. The lopsided loss was unexpected as Shelburne and Bradford came to the arena with almost similar records they were tied at 50 points in the standings after Friday. The Redwings second game of the weekend ended with a 6-3 loss to Vaughan when the Wild scored in the first then backed it up with a pair in the second to lead going into the final twenty minutes. The Wild scored two more early in third peri•Please turn to page B5
Photo/BRIAN LOCKHART
CURLING WITH HEART: The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s 14th annual Curling for Heart and Stroke bon spiel took place at the Orangeville Curling Club on Sat., Feb. 12. There was a full complement of 64 curlers taking part in the event which also included a silent auction. The goal is to raise $20,000 for Heart and Stroke. Participants, Jeff Kary, Jean Rogerson, Martine Size, and Ann Robinson, are suited up in red for their first match of the day.
ACTS Elites bring home bronze ACTS Elites U17 Girls Volleyball team travelled to Hamilton on Feb. 5, to compete in the Trillium A division of the 17U Girls Challenge Cup. The day started off against MVC out of Hamilton with a loss in three tight sets. The second round robin game against the Halton VC brought the girls a victory in two sets which got them a bye into the quarter finals. The first quarter final game was against
a strong U16 Forest City volleyball team. ACTS Elites came out strong as well but not enough to win which put them into the bronze medal game. In the last game of the day ACTS Elites were playing Oakville Thunder. In first set the girls beat the thunder 25-13. In the second set they came out on their heels and lack of communication cost them the set 22-25. In a nail biter of a third set the ACTS
Elites were point for point through the whole set. At the turn, the girls were down 6-8. They sided out to get the serve and ACTS Elites tied it up at eight with a couple strong hits. A few critical errors put the girls down 1012, but communication picked up, and some strong blocks and hits from the ACTS Elites middle and outside had the set tied at 12-12. •Please turn to page B5
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