RTO-ERO’s annual trip to the Blue Jays
Lieutenant-Governor attends RTO/ERO’s pre-game ceremony

The Honourable David Onley, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario watches RTO/ERO President Brian Kenny present a cheque for $10,000 to Club Amick to Daryl Novak, Director of Operations of the Southern Ontario Library Service. Also looking on are RTO/ERO First Vice-President Margaret Couture and Executive Director Harold Brathwaite.

Club Amick, a children’s book club for First Nation communities in remote areas of Ontario was chosen this year as RTO/ERO’s annual charitable donation. Established by The Honourable James Bartleman, former Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, Club Amick aims to foster literacy in children by sending each a book and a newsletter four times a year and encouraging them to build their own home libraries.

This Thanksgiving weekend, Shen Yun Performing Arts is offering RTO/ERO members the opportunity to watch a world class performance of Chinese classical dance and music, while also helping “at risk” students involved in art education attend the show with their families.

Acclaimed for its high-level performances that seek to revive the true authentic artistic traditions of Chinese culture, Shen Yun Performing Arts features masterful choreography, colourful costumes, spectacular backdrops and a live orchestra that combines Eastern and Western instruments. Shen Yun has performed in 100 cities and five continents, and has received congratulatory letters from dignitaries, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General Michaëlle Jean.

With performances that seek to revive cultural artistry rooted in traditional values of beauty and goodness, the Toronto performance of Shen Yun has teamed with DAREarts, a Canadian organization that fosters arts education for thousands of youth in difficult socioeconomic conditions. The founder Marilyn Field is a Meritorious Service Medal winner and a TDSB teacher.

For every RTO/ERO member, as well as family and friends who buy a Shen Yun ticket, 20% will allow DAREarts kids and their families to see the performance in Toronto at the Canon Theatre on Oct 9, 10, and 11, 2009.

Local organizer New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), a New York based independent Chinese TV station, and the international newspaper The Epoch Times, one of the media sponsors have offered RTO/ERO coverage of the initiative if a fair number of members participate. In Canada, The Epoch Times is published in several cities including Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver in English, French and Chinese.

Districts are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to experience the richness of Chinese culture, help kids and promote RTO/ERO.  Bus discounts and dinner packages may also be available upon request. Call Ticket King at 1.800.461.3333, code: RTO.  For more details, contact Madalina Hubert at the Provincial Office.  The deadline is September 30.

For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts www.ShenYunPerformingArts.com and DAREarts
www.darearts.com

Dear Mr. Kenny,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very sincerely for the compassion shown by you and the members of your association when soldiers lose their lives in combat.

I have made sure that your letter of condolence reaches each family concerned. There is no question that the family and friends of Private Péloquin and Corporal Dubé will be touched by your gesture. Attentions such as yours will help them overcome their affliction.

I would also like to thank you for the support shown by your organization to Canadian Forces soldiers. Our motivation, for the missions entrusted to us, can only be strengthened when we feel the support of the Canadian people behind us.

In closing, I would ask you to please relay my sincere thanks and best wishes to the members of the "Retired Teachers of Ontario" organization.

Sincerely,
Colonel J.M. Lanthier, MSC, CD
PO Box 1000 Station Forces
Courcelette QC G0A 4Z0

Merit Travel is pleased to bring you wonderful learning opportunities - that you can participate in from the comfort of your own home! Webinars are live, real-time, on-line seminars. To participate you simply need a computer and a phone. Webinars have been used as a training tool for travel professionals to learn about new products and destinations, and now we are delighted to bring this opportunity to you.

For more information and to register for our upcoming Fall Webinar Series, please go to www.rtotravel.ca. Our exciting topics include: Experience Costa Rica; The Small Ship Cruise Difference; Discover the Value of Luxury Cruising; and Peru, Ancient Land of Mystery.

In the first week of September, District/Unit Presidents, First Vice-Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers will receive an email from Fran Wren, Chair of the Project – STO Committee with copies of:

• 2010 Application
• Sample Application
• Feedback Form

A cover memo will provide information regarding the application process and available sources to obtain applications. This information and the form will also be available on the provincial website, www.rto-ero.org by the end of September.

The story of Chinese Canadian railway workers is one with which few Canadians are familiar. When District 16, Toronto Past President Valerie Mah came to Toronto to do her post-secondary studies, there was little written about the Chinese in Canada, so as part of a university course she decided to do a history of the Chinese Canadian communities in Toronto.

Due to this as well as her involvement with the Chinese community, producer Anne Tait invited Mah as a consultant on her new film Iron Road. Featuring Academy award winning writer Peter O’Toole, and an international cast that includes American, Canadian and Chinese actors, the feature film was directed by Hong Kong born director David Wu. Through the means of a love story, Iron Road tells the story of the thousands of Chinese workers who worked on building the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 19th century.

“Anne was very pleased when I told her that I was ‘riveted’ to the screen. I had no idea of the magnitude of the film and its production,” said Mah whose Chinese Canadian family played an important part in the community. Her father owned a laundry and then a first class restaurant in Brockville, Ontario, while her father-in-law was the first Chinese Presbyterian minister in Toronto.

“I think it is important for all people to appreciate the efforts of their forefathers and pioneers,” said Mah who mentioned that Italian workers were an important part of building the Toronto subways and Chinese workers dug trenches in World War II. “If we are to have a brighter and successful future, we need to be more mindful of our fellow Canadians and our sense of pride for who we are and where we are going,” she added.

The film made its debut in June of this year at York University and aired on CBC in August.

On August 17, the Provincial Office welcomed Igor Radovanovic as the new Manager, Information Technology

Igor comes to RTO/ERO from the national office of the Beef Information Centre, where he spent the past year as Information Systems Manager. Prior to that, he was at the national office of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, first as Help Desk Specialist and then promoted to IT Manager.

His education includes a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Belgrade Technical University, the Computerization of Services in Municipal Government Bodies from Bologna University, and Project Management from the University of Toronto, as well as several professional technical certifications.

Igor has worked with many different operating systems, hardware and software, security programs and systems, and programming languages.

His experience will bode well for RTO/ERO as we implement recommendations presented to us from a review of our technological services, and develop a bona fide technological plan.

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Sign up for the French version of Liaison and the English version. Please forward either version to your District members.

Thank you to the over 310 people who have already subscribed to Liaison online.

Please send comments and suggestions to liaison@rto-ero.org

Provincial Office Hours

The Provincial Office at 18 Spadina Road will resume regular hours starting the week of September 8.

Monday to Friday
8:30 am-4:30 pm

Collector’s item

A limited quantity of old STO pins are now available from the Provincial Office. To obtain one, contact Madalina Hubert at:
mhubert@rto-ero.org

• Moved that RTO/ERO write ACER-CART outlining the distinction between RTO/ERO and RTIP health insurance plans, and asking that the information be shared with provincial Directors. As well, information regarding RTO/ERO’s political advocacy will be provided.

• Encouraged RTO/ERO metropolitan Districts to participate in the CanDrive Study organized by the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

• Moved to retain the services of Len Domino on a per project cost basis.

• Approved the “Pre-Death Planning” Fact Sheet.

• Approved the changes to the Policies and Procedures Manual.

• Approved the “Community Care Access Centres” Fact Sheet.

• Supported the decision of the Political Action Committee to change its name to Political Advocacy Committee.

• Granted the 2009 RTO/ERO Founding Member Award to Ron Edwards, District 43, Nipissing.

• Granted the 2009 RTO/ERO Distinguished Member Awards to June Farmer, District 47, Vancouver Island, Ray Johnson, District 36, Peterborough and Viateur Sincennes, District 45, EstaRiO.

• The deadline for Retirement Planning Workshop (RPW) applications for 2010 is September 30.

• The Pension and Retirement Concerns District Representatives Workshop is being held September 20 and 21 at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel and Conference Centre 801, Dixon Road, Toronto, Ontario. For more information, contact Gail Knox at gknox@rto-ero.org.

• District Resolutions to the Annual 2009 Senate must be submitted to Diane Simpson at dsimpson@rto-ero.org by Wednesday, September 17, in order to be included in the Senate Agenda materials.

• Please email your 2009 District Executive Members list to Dianne Vezeau at dvezeau@rto-ero.org.