Family reunited on Thanksgiving weekend after more than 20 years with help from facebook

This is truly a wonderful story about a family being reunited after more than 20 years with some help from the social networking site facebook and a decision by the province of Ontario to open adoption records.

I received a message today from a dear friend who said, "I thought that I would share this with you since we have spoken in the past about how amazing facebook is for reconnecting."

Here is her story although names have not been used and location is not given to protect everyone's privacy. Otherwise it is my friend's story.

She wrote: "June 2009 the adoption registry in Ontario opened, this basically means that anyone who was adopted, or who gave someone up for adoption, or siblings could apply for 'Post Adoptive Information'.

"This is what I did as (my child's) birth mother in June 2009. On October 1, 2009 I received two Statements of Live Birth, the original one that I submitted and the revised one which was submitted after ... adoption was finalized. On this paperwork was... adoptive name.

"My oldest daughter ... was here when I opened the letter, after our initial crying spree, she put ... name into facebook and found that there was only one (person with that name and where the person lived)

"After looking at ... pictures we were both positive that it was the right young (person) and the birthdays matched, so she sent ... a friend request and an email asking ... if ... was adopted.

"When my other daughter ... came through the door she proceeded to do the same thing. We waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity for a reply, and on October 7th ... went on her facebook and screamed 'Mom, ... added me!!!' She checked her email and sure enough ... had answered it that yes ... had been adopted.

"... checked and he was online so she said hi .... wrote back, 'so what is this all about'....she said 'my mom is your mom', needless to say there was a
lot of excitement and chatter, and we got... phone number... and called.... I was on the phone... for about 2 1/2 hours that night and have spoken... every evening since. Our trip to meet (where the person lives on Thanksgiving Weekend) was a huge success.

"It is funny, 4 children, 3 raised together and 1 not and still you would swear that they had all been raised under the same roof. They finish each others sentences and they have the same sense of humor, it is crazy.

"Well, that is my "WHY I LOVE FACEBOOK" story.

"I hope that you have a truly tremendous day, I know I will!!!"

Thank you my friend for sharing this story with me and for granting permission to share it with the visitors to my blog. What a wonderful Thanksgiving story. God bless all of you.

Please send any comments to me at mj.morris@live.ca and indicate if I may share them.

Did you attend the "new" Chapleau High School?

The "new" Chapleau High School was opened in 1966 but one of the first discoveries was that an addition was needed.

CHAPLEAU HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES ITS 90th ANNIVERSARY IN 2012 HERE IS LINK http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2010/11/chapleau-high-school-reunion-dates-set.html

Writing about the new school in a souvenir newspaper marking the 60th anniversary of Chapleau High School in 1982, George Evans, the longtime vice principal and history teacher at CHS, noted that a "new era" was beginning.

"The new era began in September 1966 when the high school moved to its new home on top of the hill. For a couple of trying months we shared the building with the contractors who were still working to finish it. Then we had it all to ourselves, the bright classrooms, the spacious gym, and the library," George wrote.

The original new school consisted of a gymnasium, library, two shops, two science laboratories, five classrooms, one typing room, an office and staff lounge.

The school replaced the original CHS located on Pine Street where the Chapleau Civic Centre is now. On June 22, 1922, the municipal council passed a by-law making Chapleau a high school district. Max Brunette was the reeve at the time. In 1925 a wooden building on the site was renovated and the larger building was encased in brick, which became home to high school students for 41 years. (Information taken from Pioneering in Northern Ontario by Vince Crichton Sr .)

At the official opening of the new school on November 5, 1966, D.J. "Jim" Broomhead, the master of ceremonies for the occasion said, "Today we feel we have done something for Chapleau." Jim, a former CHS student, now a member of the school board also served as reeve of Chapleau.

L.T. "Len" Harris, the school board chair, accepted the key to the building from architect John Shaw. Mr. Harris, also a former student, expresed his gratitude to everyone who had made the day possible. He observed with satisfaction that Chapleau students would now have the same educational opportunities as other students in Ontario.

Other board members were George Collins, Paul Belair, Frank Braumberger and R.A. "Ricky" Selin. Board secretary was Mrs. R. Deluce.

At the official opening, Rev. Murray Arnill of Trinity United Church gave the invocation and benediction while representatives of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 5, Chapleau, presented the colours to the school.

William Mair was the principal, and for the benefit of those of you who were students in 1966-67, here are the teachers. How many do you remember? They were George Evans, Annalee Barg, Gertrude Caffet, Rheo Courchesne, Ora Devine, Ruth Doig, Georgette Harris, Lloyd Hulton, Robert J. Lemieux, Casey Roznik, Terrence Spratt, John Symons, Marie Tremblay and Bruce Watt.

Within three years an addition was added to the original school as the baby boomers were arriving in full force. As an aside I got there just as construction was to get underway on the addition.

Shortly after the new school opened, Elmer Freeborn arrived as the business administrator for the newly created Chapleau Board of Education, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. Elmer died recently and I extend my most sincere sympathy to Margaret, his daughter and all the Freeborn family on the loss of a father, brother and uncle who in his lifetime contributed immensely to the betterment of Chapleau and its people. On a very personal basis I so much appreciated all Elmer did for me over the years that I taught at CHS.

Not only did Elmer make an immense contribution to education in Chapleau but he also served on the municipal council, the hospital board and with other groups in the community. Elmer is from a family where duty and service have been part of their daily lives for many years. His father served as reeve of Chapleau; his mother was president of the Ladies Auxiliary to Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion and founding president of the Chapleau Senior Citizens Club and the drop-in centre at Cedar Grove Lodge was named after her, and his brother Earle is currently the mayor of Chapleau. Thank you Elmer. Rest in peace.

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

This post appeared originally in my Chapleau Moments column in the Chapleau Express.

Cranbrook growth management plan essential to citizen decision making

Let's assume for a moment that you are a shareholder in a publicly traded company that has been experiencing significant growth over the past few years. The former CEO went to the board of directors in early 2008 and recommended that it approve a growth management plan study to assist the company in making wise decisions for its long term future.

The board thought this was a good idea, and approved a $500,000 study in early 2008. The previous CEO told them that by starting the study early in 2008, the plan should be completed by the end of the year, or early 2009. His successor told the board it should be available by the summer of 2009.

Meanwhile, the company was presented with a huge opportunity to expand, and before it received the $500,000 plan it proceeded with plans to expand the company's operations under the new CEO.

Shareholders were irate when they heard the news that the company was planning a huge expansion before it received a plan for which they, in effect, had paid $500,000. They launched a campaign, and succeeded in obtaining enough proxy votes to call a special shareholders' meeting.

At the meeting the new CEO said the company planned to proceed with the expansion, and the growth management plan was not available.

The shareholders called for a vote, and the story ends with the ouster of the CEO and the board of directors.

Sound familiar?

Well, here in Cranbrook, British Columbia, first term Mayor Scott Manjak and a majority of the city council have approved a referendum set for November 14, 2009, which if approved will more than double the size of this small city in the southeast corner of the province. And it is proceeding with the referendum before a growth management plan has been made available to the citizens to assist them with their decision.

Doesn't make sense to me! Why would anyone approve a $500,000 expenditure to create a plan, which was done by the last council, and then proceed with a referendum without taking the plan's recommendations into consideration. An incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.

Manjak, who took office less than a year ago, and promised an open and transparent administration, told the Cranbrook Daily Townsman on January 22, 2009: "A growth management plan focusing on the East Hill boundary expansion should be ready by summer (of 2009)." Most recently he has said it will not be available before the referendum. Apparently it is undergoing some kind of "technical review" by city staff.

Nonsense! If it is undergoing some kind of review, that's a lame excuse not to make it available to the citizens of Cranbrook now. Tell the staff to make it a priority and get it done and make it available before the referendum. To do so would be in keeping with Manjak's promise to the people who elected him that he would run an open and transparent administration.

The minutes of the mayor's brown bag lunch session of August 18, 2009 quote him as saying the plan was being "vetted" by city staff. As I write it is September 25. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for October 5, 2009.

Manjak admits that the plan is focusing on the East Hill, the very area that voters are being asked to bring into the city limits.

Former mayor Ross Priest, commenting on the study while he was still in office, told the Townsman on January 23, 2008, that by starting in early February last year "the growth management study should be completed by the end of 2008, or very early in 2009."

The referendum is being held because a grassroots group here gave the mayor and majority of council a huge setback when it tried to use an alternative approval process to get the boundaries expanded. The group got over 3000 signatures on elector response forms to stop that move, getting more than double the 1475 signatures required.

Notwithstanding the referendum, and the campaign currently being waged pro and con, the whereabouts of the $500,000 growth management plan, and the real reasons for the stalling in releasing it to the citizens who paid for it, should be of great concern to all. I hope all of you will contact the mayor and councillors and insist it be released now.