3 4 4 ELGIN Issue #70 Fall 2017

Congratulations to ….

Cst. Jeremy Morton

The Brantford Police Service Exemplary Service Award is granted “when a member performs a duty or takes some action that is clearly well beyond the normal expectation of members.” On January 1, 2017, Constable Jeremy Morton did not hesitate to enter a burning house numerous times in an effort to save a

resident he had been told was inside. He entered the house twice before OPP officers arrived, emptying a fire extinguisher during his second attempt, returned a third time with the OPP officers, and then a fourth time, before the heat of the flames drove him back. He found out later that the person thought to be in the house was actually in a trailer outside. The Brantford Police Services Board presented Jeremy with the Exemplary Service Award during their meeting on September 14.

Retired Aux. S/Sgt. Norm Barrieau

On September 14, the Brantford Police Services Board recognized Norm Barrieau’s selfless dedication to our Service and community. A devoted member of our Auxiliary Unit for over 40 years, Norm could be counted on to assist at parades, ground searches, charity runs – wherever he was needed. He mentored many auxiliary recruits who went on to become sworn officers, and his favourite assignments included accompanying sworn members on patrol and working at community events. Since retiring from the Auxiliary on January 17, Norm has been working part-time at the Children’s Safety Village as their tour guide, handyman,

photographer – whatever they need help with. Luckily, he still enjoys putting his roving reporter’s cap on to share photos and stories about police activities and community events for the Elgin!

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Say Hello to Some of Our

Newest Members . . .

Tejbir Badh

(Fourth Class Constable)

Born and raised in Brantford, Tejbir grew up wanting to be a police officer. A North Park Collegiate graduate, he completed the Police Foundations Program at Conestoga College, then transferred his credits to Wilfrid Laurier to work towards an Honours degree in Criminology. Prior to getting hired as a Constable, Tejbir worked in Loss Prevention, and spent last summer with us as a Park Patroller. A big fan of the NBA, he also enjoys watching the Toronto Blue Jays and tries to attend at least one Raptors game and Jays game every season. In his spare time, Tejbir enjoys going to the gym or just hanging out with his friends.

Gabriel Bain

(Fourth Class Constable)

Gabriel’s hometown and place of residence is Aberfoyle, which is a small community just outside of Guelph. Following high school (at Centennial CVI), he continued his education at Conestoga College, completing Police Foundations and the Advanced Police Studies Graduate Program. In 2013, Gabriel travelled to Okinawa Japan, where he received his black belt in Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate. He received his second degree black belt in June 2016 in Canada. Gabriel worked as a security guard at Stone Road Mall in Guelph prior to joining us at the BPS. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family and looks forward to being a part of the BPS family.

Anthony Fimiani

(Fourth Class Constable)

A Burlington boy for most of his years growing up, Anthony and his fiancée, Samantha, just recently moved to Stoney Creek. Anthony graduated from Laurier University Brantford with an Honours BA in Criminology, and prior to joining us at the BPS, he was a Special Constable for the Hamilton Police Service. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys watching sports, but admits that soccer tends to capture most of his attention. Anthony and Samantha plan to wed in May of 2018.

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Kathryn Gratton

(Front Desk Receptionist)

Kathryn grew up in Burford and now resides in Paris with her two children, Emma (21) and Ryan (18). Prior to joining us at the BPS, she worked as an Educational Assistant with the Grand Erie District School Board for 17 years. In her early 20’s, Kathryn lived in England for two years on a working visa and stayed in Northern Italy for four months. Five years ago, she went back to visit old friends – and is hoping that once her children are finished their post-secondary education, she can begin to travel again!

Sam McCormick

(Fourth Class Constable)

Sam was born and raised in Brantford and during his high school years, played football at North Park Collegiate. He studied Police Foundations and PSI (Protection, Security and

Investigation) at Fanshawe College in London, and then worked security at the Brantford Casino before being hired at the BPS. Sam grew up playing hockey and the guitar (electric and acoustic). He is a self-proclaimed, diehard Edmonton Oilers fan. The majority of his free time, he says, is spent on the golf course or watching sports.

Amar Sandher

(Fourth Class Constable)

Born in the UK, Amar currently lives in Waterdown with his wife and two sons (newborn Keean and two-year old Arjun). He completed his education with a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences, a diploma in Police Studies and certificate in Business Administration – all from McMaster University – and prior to policing, he worked several years as a career counsellor for YMCA Employment Services. In his spare time, Amar enjoys working out, playing basketball, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

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HATS OFF TO …….

The Zabolotney Family

Many of you may not know, but Justin’s son, Nathan Zabolotney, has had a tough go since the start of his young life – but happily, thanks to an organ transplant from his mom, he’s been given a fresh start. On November 3, Nathan will be a special guest at the Canadian Liver Foundation’s annual gala. The following is his story (taken from the Canadian Liver Foundation Website):

Nathan Zabolotney was born November 15, 2015 in Hamilton, Ontario. Like most babies, Nathan was quite jaundiced. He went for photo-therapy treatments for a few weeks but the yellow was not going away. At 5 weeks old, Nathan had a Kasai procedure at McMaster Children's Hospital. Over the next few months the Kasai partially worked allowing Nathan to get bigger for transplant assessment. In May of 2016, Nathan's health dramatically declined and his liver began to fail. On June 15, 2016, Nathan had a liver transplant at Sick Kid's Hospital in Toronto; his mom Alicia was his living donor. Now, Nathan is a happy, healthy 19 month old who easily keeps up with other kids his age.

BIG BIKE RIDE

The annual Big Bike event, in support of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, took place on June 19 this year. Laura Collier reported that the BPS team raised $425.

POLICE VS. FIRE SLO-PITCH GAME

The second annual battle for the Speakers Cup may have ended with the BFD beating the BPS 11-6, but Kevin Cabral reports that the event was successful nonetheless, thanks to all the volunteer help and support received from BPS members. Donations are still being

counted, but all money raised will go to Ethan Golden’s Juvenile Arthritis Campaign.

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CHARLIE WARD PARK UPDATE

Remember the photo of Chad Crawford power-washing the wall at Charlie Ward Park? (Issue #69, Summer 2017) The Charlie Ward Action Group has been busy since then! On July 8, over 600 people attended the Charlie Ward block party, where 14 artists collaborated to paint a mural on the wall, 40 bike helmets were given out during a bike rodeo (graciously donated by the BEST Committee), and over 450 hotdogs were served.

As the result of community fundraising, (including the block party and the Action Team’s continued efforts to solicit community involvement), $28,000 has been raised for the installation of an ice rink in the park this year.

BEST Committee members - Retired Sgt. Frank

Balazs, Cst. Andrea Cooper, Anna and Melanie

from the Brant County Health Unit – submitted by

Retired Aux. S/Sgt. Norm Barrieau

Members of our COPs team – submitted by

Retired Aux. S/Sgt. Norm Barrieau

Kudos also to Chad Crawford and Blake Vokey, who helped organize an instructional street hockey program at Charlie Ward Park this summer. Each Tuesday, over a five-week period, teams of kids (ages 4-9 and 9-12), had the opportunity to learn some hockey and teambuilding skills, while having a fun time. Coming soon to the park – Halloween in the Park and the annual Winter Carnival!

BPA GOLF TOURNAMENT A great time was enjoyed by all who attended the 2017 BPA Charity Golf Tournament at the Paris Grand Golf and Country Club, on June 15. Jason Nagy reports there were 152 participants, including members of the BPA, SOA, and several other police associations from around the province, plus numerous retirees and various community sponsors and donors. Aside from a sprinkle of rain, the event had great weather and raised $3,000 for

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two charities – the Stedman Community Hospice and the Paediatric Floor of the BGH.

WHAT’S UP WITH WELLNESS?

Have you checked out the gym lately? Once again, in response to suggestions/requests submitted during last year’s survey, your Wellness Committee made a concentrated effort to help de-clutter and upgrade the equipment in the BPS gym. The result is a roomier, more user-friendly place for you to work out and feel good about excercising!

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LET’S TALK . . . SUGAR While we’re on the topic of wellness, guest columnist Chad Crawford has a few words to share about a silent drug we all consume: sugar.

According to studies, sugar is said to be as addictive, if not more addictive, than cocaine. Sugar is in almost every food at an enormously high level and most of us have an addiction without even knowing it. The simple reason companies put this drug in our food – it sells product. The government turns its back because it collects the tax money made, and doctors don’t put an emphasis on prevention, as they’re paid by pharmaceutical companies to promote products that help deal with disease.

Law enforcement officers are a perfect storm for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With an extremely high stress level, shiftwork, and personal struggles due to our profession, we sometimes turn to alcohol, junk food and couch-surfing to mask our problems. Unfortunately, all of these solutions are detrimental to our bodies.

I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 35 years old. I don’t blame the job entirely, but I know it contributed significantly to my disease. Since my diagnosis, I’ve been placed on medication to regulate my blood sugar. I was informed that while diabetes is not reversible, I can prevent it from getting worse by following a diet and exercise routine, along with medication. My doctor advised me to stop drinking alcohol, eating sugar and consuming simple carbohydrates. He also told me to

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regulate my sleeping and get on a routine with at least eight hours of sleep per night. I’m sure every police officer and civilian on shifts reading this can see the challenge that diabetics in policing face.

The good news is, you can learn from my mistakes. Here’s how:

Try cutting out all fruit drinks and pop from your diet (we consume extreme amounts of sugar in these types of drinks).

Bring your lunch to work with you (try eating foods and drinks with only one ingredient).

Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day (the sugar in your body will be used for energy).

Try and sleep on your lunch during night shift – and try to get ample rest if possible.

See a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes (no doctor’s note required, up to $1200/year.). A local pre-diabetes dietitian I recommend is: aprilsaundersnutrition.com.

If I knew back then what I know now, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I urge you, wherever you are in your career, to learn more about the health risks associated with a career in law enforcement and work to build your personal resilience against them.

- Chad Crawford

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT …

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

- Nelson Mandela

Calendar of Upcoming

Events . . .

Aux. Mud Run – October 14

NHL Alumni Hockey Game – October 27

Christmas Levee – December 7