CATHOLIC CONNECTION

QUARANTINE QUESTIONS

By Shannon Hogan

“We thought we had such problems. How were we to know we were happy?”

Margaret Atwood, A Handmaid’s Tale

In the midst of the global pandemic and the seismic shift in how we go about our daily lives, I have found myself returning to memories of life as it was when I was growing up.

I am not sure why my mind is timetravelling in that direction, but whenever my inner self guides me to places that I have not chosen, I assume it is for a reason. In this case, I have found one.

In the beginning of the physical distancing, when people were fighting over toilet paper and bottled water, I was waiting to enter a store, and I began to think about what we had, and did not have.

Noticing the emptiness of the flour shelves and the Kraft Dinner aisle, scenes from my childhood emerged – long forgotten, but still accessible.

I was remembering my grandparents.

They came from the small Irish towns of Lucan and Clandeboye. They married and moved to Windsor. They never left the city for the rest of their lives. They never owned a car. They lived and died in the house where they raised five boys, and there was one bathroom. nice house close to the church. Of course, close to the church also meant that there was a Catholic school next door. Two birds, one stone. If we were needy, we did not know it. In my current understanding of cuisine, I realize how my mother could take the simplest of ingredients and turn them into something “special,” and it was always enough.

As kids, we lived at the Detroit River. It was our ocean. We swam, played, fished, and sat gazing at that seemingly endless deep blue for hours.

In the winter we played hockey on the rinks that dads made by freezing their backyards. Eaton’s catalogues served as knee pads, and everybody played. The only criteria used for being “allowed” on the ice was that you showed up. Regardless of capacity, ability, or size, we all played. We were all the next Gordie Howe – honest!

I am not saying this in order to paint some ridiculous idyllic picture of growing up next door to the major struggles of the union movement, the riots in Detroit, and the sheer invisibility of being a girl child.

What I am saying is this little recollection that I have been led to is shining a huge light on my current life, forcing me to ask some probing questions.

When did I begin to want more than I need? When did I require three bathrooms? I grew up with only one. When did hockey become this huge financial sacrifice that meant only a few can play? When did I decide that I need to go away to a beach in winter? I live in the Beaches area of Toronto. From May to October I walk the beach every day – waves crashing in – it is my current ocean.

I believe the little girl playing on the Detroit River, her ocean, is the one leading me on my recent time travels. While the images are fresh in my mind, she has led me to my soul.

In this journey of remembrance, I have been reminded of who I am. I have been reminded that I have enough – more than enough. I have been reminded that fried eggs with red peppers and a crisp Chardonnay is actually quite special. (Ok, I have found a few creature comforts that I was not acquainted with as a child – no wine-shaming, please!)

And I have remembered the sweet illusion – and perhaps a current belief – that we all carry within us the capacity for heroism, in the smallest acts of kindness, and the greatest of courageous actions.

Gordie Howe would be proud.

Shannon Hogan is a member of the Counselling and Member Services department at the OECTA Provincial Office.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR LONG-TERM DISABILITY COVERAGE

Long-term disability (LTD) insurance, which protects your earning ability if you are unable to work because of injury or illness, is one of the most valuable group benefits you have. Your OECTA group benefits plan is customized to provide the disability coverage you need, as cost-effectively as possible. As a member, you are automatically enrolled in the OECTA provincial LTD plan.

Like most insurance, your LTD coverage is likely not something you think about until it is needed. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of:

You have the option to discontinue your coverage while on a leave of absence While on leave of absence, you have two options: • Maintain your LTD coverage by continuing to pay your premiums . • Discontinue your LTD coverage by ceasing your premium payments. When you return to work your coverage will be reinstalled and you will be subject to a pre-existing condition clause.

When your LTD coverage terminates There are three scenarios in which your LTD coverage can or should be terminated.

i. If you are eligible for a 60 per cent unreduced service pension – or will be within the later of either: the next 110 working days, or the expiration of your sick leave credits – you are NO LONGER eligible for LTD coverage and you should terminate your premium payments. Note: to qualify for a 60 per cent unreduced pension, you must meet the above criteria with 30 years of credited service and have your “85 factor” (age + qualifying service = 85). ii. If you have reached the end of the month in which you turned 65, or you will reach the end of the month in which you will turn 65 within the latter of either: the next 110 working days, or the expiration of your sick leave credits, you are NO LONGER eligible for LTD coverage and should terminate your premium payments.

iii. If your retirement date is within the next 110 working days, and you have notified both the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and your school board, you MAY terminate your LTD coverage at this time (and cancel your premium payments). You can also choose to continue your LTD coverage until the date of your retirement, in which case you will be eligible to make a claim if you become disabled prior to this date. If you find yourself in scenario (i) or (ii), there is no reason to continue to pay into the LTD plan, as you are no longer eligible to receive LTD benefits. The onus is on YOU to communicate

the termination of your payments to OTIP through your

local unit office. If you did not realize your payments have continued after your eligibility has ceased, contact your local unit office immediately.

MAINTAINING YOUR COVERAGE If you choose to maintain your LTD coverage and you become disabled while on leave, you are eligible to apply for LTD benefits. There will be no break in your coverage and you will not be subject to a pre-existing condition clause upon your return to work.

DISCONTINUING YOUR COVERAGE If you become disabled while on leave, you will not be eligible for LTD benefits. Upon your return to work, your coverage will be reinstated and you will be subject to a pre-existing condition clause if you become disabled within 12 months from the date of reinstatement. What is a pre-existing condition? This is a disability arising from illness or injury for which you obtained medical care during the 90-day period before you become re-insured.

Highlights of your LTD Plan Coverage/ Changes effective March 1, 2018

• Participation is mandatory for all members hired after September 1, 2013 • The waiting period to receive LTD benefits is the later of 110 working days or expiration of sick leave • Your benefit level is 50 per cent of gross monthly earnings • Your benefit is not taxable • Your benefit will receive a cost of living increase based on the Consumer Price Index to a maximum of 2 per cent starting in January after two years on LTD • Your LTD includes access to OTIP’s CAREpath and Feeling

Better Now programs • If your date of disability is prior to March 1, 2018 these changes do not apply to you

For more information on your LTD benefits and forms, visit the Benefits and Leave Provisions section in the Members’ Area at

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