Janine Foster (and sometimes) Elmslie was introduced as Rotary's guest speaker today by Rotarian Dianne Spencer.  Dianne and Janine's paths crossed in various organizations and programs over the past several years and Dianne noted Janine's background in terms of fundraising and building programs and organizations, an early adapter of technology when it came to donor data and research, always looking to improve processes to get things done efficiently.  Janine was Senior Advisor of Philanthropy for the Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief organization and has worked in post-secondary education at St. Lawrence College in Alumni Relations and Annual Giving and also as Manager of Appeals at Queen's University.  Janine is the Director of Advancement at Loyalist College, sharing her talents and expertise there and in the community.  As a former member of Rotary in Kingston, we are pleased to welcome Janine to the Rotary Club of Belleville.

 

Janine was born in Toronto with many moves between that time and her current position as Loyalist College, in fact she had attended eight (8) schools by Grade 9.  But two places were a constant in Janine's life, her grandparents' place at Davenport and Avenue Road in Toronto and her aunt's place in Ivanhoe.  Having attempted to drive a stick shift in an urban setting down Front Street in Belleville in the middle of the night, unsuccessfully, Janine now lives in Godfrey in Central Frontenac and drives 1000 km a week to get to work and she never goes the same way twice in one day.  

 

Janine zeroed in on her journey to Rotary...in 3 acts.  In Act One Janine admitted that she was professionally nosey.  As a graduate from journalism school and working in weeklies and dailies as a business journalist, editor and publisher as well as hosting a weekly business radio show, Janine discovered very quickly in her career that everyone has a story.  Janine developed a heart for people overlooked and became interested in volunteering and being part of an organization of professional do-gooders.  That led her to Rotary who was renowned for its national reach with regional impact.  Before Rotary though, Janine worked for the Salvation Army's national office, a territory from Pickering to the Quebec border and along the Ottawa river up to Petawawa.  It was there that Janine learned that difficult conversations with people in need are an opportunity and necessity, developing the skills of story telling.  Janine needed a head for business and heart for caring in supporting a number of missions and found joy in helping as the manager of mass appeals at Queen's University.  Helping a student who worked hard to get there became a goal of Janine's.  She describes herself as an alleged workaholic, but happy to report that she had the luxury of living her values through her work and found that increased her drive to accomplish and share her expertise.  With an eye to winding down her professional life in a few years, Janine sees Rotary as a path where she can continue what she wants to do by building a focus on fundraising within the community.  

 

Rotarian Jo-Anne Wheeler thanked Janine for her classification talk and sharing her life story with the Club and acknowledged Janine's already important work for Rotary behind the scenes with Clubrunner and developing a bursary for  the Indigenous Peoples Partnership Committee. More to follow on that important step.

Janeen Halliwell was pleased to introduce a new member to the Rotary Club of Belleville, Graham Whitehead.  Janine met Graham two years ago at a social event and formed a friendship that became an invite to Rotary.  A retired police officer, working in the field of service within the community, Graham was a great fit for Rotary.  Very glad to introduce and welcome him to the Club.  More about Graham to follow when he presents his classification talk.

 

Jared Bellemare introduced Danielle Pears as a new member, having met Danielle at a United Way appreciation dinner.  Recently relocating to the Quinte area from Toronto, Danielle was looking for a connection to the community and the Rotary Club of Belleville was an easy step in that direction.  Welcome to Danielle.  We are looking forward to hearing more from her in the coming months when she presents her classification talk.

Rotarian and Literacy Chair Sharon McConnell introduced Jenn Barrett and Kellie Brace as the speakers at today's lunch meeting.  Originally Kellie joined the Learning Foundation as Co-Ordinator and now provides leadership at Executive Director.  Jenn Barrett is an experienced fundraiser and the two are a great team in enhancing bright futures for students, every step of the way.  Sharon mentioned that the Learning Foundation made a donation to one of Rotary's literacy projects, Rescue Readers, to cover the cost of bussing students to the program as needed.  Very much appreciated.

 

The Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation provides programs and resources that enhance student learning, well-being and achievement.  Through Food for Learning, students are provided with the meals and snacks they need, ensuring they are nourished, supported and ready to achieve their very best.  No stigma, no barriers, just a supportive environment for all.  Over 1.4 million meals and snacks served every school year!  The Student Emergency Fund provides immediate support to students in need such as essentials like food, glasses, clothing and medical supplies helping students stay focused and safe, overcoming life's challenges.  Over 450 Student Emergency Fund requests are supported each year.  Sharing Cupboards is housed in a designated space in schools filled with nutritious food and household items.  Students take what they need or contribute items to share if they can.  It allows students to choose what suits their needs, promoting dignity and inclusion.  Students access the cupboards over 4,000 times each year.  A great example of students helping students.  Other projects include Minds in Motion and Prom Project.  Minds in Motion is supported through the HPELF's Science and Technology Fund and provides authentic hands-on learning experiences that challenge students to further their learning in the areas of Science, Math, Engineering and Technology.  Prom Project is a community initiative that provides free formal wear to graduating students, ensuring every student can attend their prom or graduation with confidence, making special milestones accessible to all.

 

A recent initiative and goal is to install a Soundfield in every classroom from JK to Grade 3.  When a child can finally hear every word, they don't just learn better, they feel seen, included and valued.  Five thousand plus students will benefit every school day for years to come!  Research shows that students in classrooms with Soundfields score higher on reading and comprehension tests.  Soundfields use wireless microphones and speakers to create a consistent, evenly distributed sound environment.    Clear sound creates bright futures.  Students hear only 55 - 83% of a teacher's voice depending on where they sit.  Over 40% of primary students would fail a hearing test on any given day.  Clear, amplified sound is essential.  So when you are asked Have You Heard?  You can say yes, you know about the Learning Foundation's goal and initiative and the need to help raise $555,000 through a personal donation, hosting a fundraising event to share in the campaign, share with your friends and family, share the media you see on this project.  Every little bit helps.

Matt Somerville is Wolf Clan and grew up in Kenhte:ke (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory).  His journey took him to Kingston, Ontario and Washington, D.C., before returning home in 2023.  Since 2025, he has served as the Director of Operations at Tsi Tyonnheht Onkwawen:na (TTO) Language and Cultural Centre.  His focus is on serving his community and strengthening the Mohawk language, Kanyen'keha for the benefit of future generations.  TTO is a not-for-profit organization providing a Mohawk immersion elementary school, a learning program for adults, a nursery program and more.  Tyendinaga is part of the Mohawk Nation with communities in Ontario, Quebec and New York State.  

 

The Language and Cultural Centre is a much needed resource for all members of the community, present and future.  The centre will be located at 39 Salmon River Road within Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.  The centre is coming to fruition after decades of dreams, planning and preparation, a transformative journey, creating a dynamic space that cultivates knowledge, celebrates culture and builds community for generations to come.  The Centre will provide educational and cultural programs for community members, non-indigenous organizations and individuals who are interested in learning about the Mohawk language, cultural values and traditions to support reconciliation.  Through funders, partners, allies and much collaboration, the Centre will be opened in January 2026.  In 1920 the government took over schools and the Indian Act was amended.  No longer was the Mohawk language taught in schools and it, along with traditions and culture was lost to generations of children and not passed on.  In 1970, small groups of people started the road to reclamation and created language circles and started a five year plan to lay a foundation of living language and cultural learning for generations to come.  Parents are learning as well as the children and there will be both primary students and adult learners at the new Centre.  Artifacts will be displayed in the new building.  As Matt said, education is always helpful.  It took 100 years to get here and it will take that to achieve what they want to accomplish to lessen the impact of oppression of language and other cultural history.

 

Rotarian Jamie Trudeau thanked Matt for sharing, noting it is so important to us as neighbours to know the history and the goals that are being set.  Moving ahead with culture for us all to learn, appreciate and support.

September is Education Month for Rotary and Sharon McConnell, chair of Literacy Committee for the Rotary Club of Belleville was pleased to share current initiatives, two of which are local and one is international.  The Committee is small and mighty -- Sharon as Chair, Ruth Mathieson and Amanda Smith.  The Spelling Bee involves 34 schools, 8 Rotary Clubs and after more than a decade, continues to be a popular offering.  Rescue Readers is a three way partnership with the Humane Society, the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Education and the Rotary Club of Belleville.  This is a program where classes of elementary school children come to the Humane Society, learn about what is involved in having and maintaining a pet, develop empathy for other living creatures.  The second half of the visit is spent reading to the animals.  Studies show that reading aloud, particularly to a non-judgemental audience, improves fluency and confidence.  Rescue Readers started as a pilot.  Last year was the first full year of roll-out.  It has gone very well with just under 1,000 students participating.  All teachers were very pleased and want to bring their new class again this year.  Both these programs support the work of teachers in their classrooms and enhance the educational experience of the students.

 

The Rotary Club supports The Amarok Society, an international program primarily in Bangladesh, now expanding into India.  This is a part of the world where education is a privilege, not a right and where millions of people remain unable to read and millions of children lack access to basic education.  Illiterate mothers are taught basic education skills in rented premises in slum neighbourhoods.  In turn, each mother commits to teaching a minimum of 5 children in her own home.  This program results in mothers being able to obtain better paying jobs and children's learning is accelerated enough to enter and succeed in the government run schools.  It enables the mothers to use their education in very practical ways to help improve their quality of life.  They have learned to work as a team and to advocate for things that are of benefit to the whole community.

 

The Rotary Club of Belleville has been working with the Amarok Society for almost 15 years.  Support has come from the Club's annual literacy budget and working with other Rotary Clubs on a Global Grant in 2016 and more recently (2025) receiving a District Grant!  As we celebrate Rotary's Education Month, the call to action from Rotary's new International President is to "strengthen the foundation of learning in every community we serve".  Sharon thanked all Rotarians who work so hard to raise the funds that enable our Club to make this possible.

Rotarian Melanie Cressman introduced today's guest speaker, Chief Carl Bowker of Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services.  Chief Bowker started by providing a little history on ambulance services in the province of Ontario.  Prior to 2000, ambulance services were the responsibility of the province.  In 2000, that responsibility was downloaded to municipal government on a 50-50 cost sharing agreement.  Hastings-Quinte Emergency Medical Services was formed in 2003 and serves the 14 member municipalities of Hastings County and the cities of Belleville and Quinte West.  The name was changed to Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services in 2013, to more accurately reflect how the profession has evolved.  A department with the County of Hastings that operates within the second largest County in Ontario with a distance of 160 km from the Bay of Quinte to Algonquin Park.  There are approximately 220 full and part-time staff, a fleet of 38 vehicles which includes 22 ambulances.  There are stations in Picton, Belleville, Quinte West, Stirling, Madoc, Tweed, Tyendinaga and Bancoft.  They respond to over 30,000 911 calls per year and are the second largest ambulance service in eastern Ontario, next to Ottawa.

 

There are two levels of care in land ambulance services -- Primary Care Paramedics and Advanced Care Paramedics.  All paramedics in Ontario are certified to perform delegated medical acts under the license of a physician.  All paramedics in eastern Ontario are certified under the Regional Paramedic Program of Eastern Ontario (RPPEO).  During the pandemic in 2000, Hastings and Prince Edward emerged relatively unscathed from the first wave compared to urban centres.  Staffing levels were sustained and ambulance call volume decreased as people feared going to the hospital.  The service has grown from 84 full-time paramedics to over 140 full-time post pandemic as paramedic services evolved to meet pre-hospital care needs of communities during and after the pandemic.  40% of all frontline staff have been hired in the last 3 years.

 

Chief Bowker touched on some of the paramedic programs in effect in addition to 911 calls.  These challenges or opportunities came about during and after the pandemic due to limited access to family doctors, homecare services, elective surgeries.  Public Health became overwhelmed with the demand for vaccines and needs support.  Seniors at home are in need of more care.  Community Paramedicine is an emerging model of healthcare in which paramedics apply their skillset in a non-traditinal community-based environment.  In Hastings County, Community Paramedic home visit programs were established in 2015 and have evolved into a multi-disciplinary approach.

Thanked by Rotarian, Dr. Ruth Mathieson for a very comprehensive presentation.  Reassuring for the services provided.