Report from the senate: Rail service for Churchill


Change the way you age I


have always considered myself a healthy person. I believed I ate properly. I exercised enough. I felt I would never age because I was doing the right


things for my body. Well, I learned the hard way that I was totally wrong. I was living in my own little world and I was beginning to age without truly noticing the effects. I’m very fortunate that I’ve been on


The train station in Churchill has fallen silent since the rail line was damaged in the spring floods.


zens are facing a cold, hungry and expensive winter if something doesn’t happen soon.


C Our advice to the federal government would be to


repair the rail line first and try to collect the money later. Indeed, Polar Industries of Ice Road Truck- ers, is looking to create a winter road from Gillam to Churchill to bring in supplies during the frozen months. This would be a good opportunity to use that road to haul in the materials needed to repair the line. Using the overland route to bring in supplies could save transportation costs and reduce the repair bill that Omnitrax estimates at $43 million (although locals say the cost would be much less). Furthermore, there is an offer on the table from the


Keewatin Tribal Council, which operates a northern railway of its own and has faced similar repair situa- tions, to take on the needed repairs. Senator Pat Bovey recently had the opportunity to question Minister Jim Carr about his plans to deal with the crisis at Churchill. The following, offered to Lifestyles 55 by Senator Bovey, is the official record of that exchange.


• • •


Hon. Patricia Bovey: Welcome, Mr. Minister. My question also concerns the situation in Churchill, Manitoba, the gateway to the North. I appreciate the fact that the government of Canada has sent a motion, a notice of default, demanding OmniTRAX repair and restore the railway service to Churchill.


I also appreciate the fact that chief negotiator,


Wayne Wouters, continues to facilitate an agreement among all parties involved. I think it’s unlikely that the railway will be repaired


before winter. So what contingency plans does the government have in place to deal with the health and safety of the people of Churchill over the harsh months ahead? Long term, could you briefly discuss your vision of a stable, sustainable community in Churchill, Canada’s northern port, for the years to come, as the Arctic itself is opening up? Hon. Jim Carr: I appreciate not only the question but the passion and commitment behind the ques- tion. I know that you have recently been in Churchill personally, and anyone who visits that place comes away with a profound appreciation and understand- ing for the quality of life and the tenacity of the peo- ple of Churchill.


In the short term, we’ll have to see what Omni-


TRAX decides to do. Meanwhile, we are certainly preparing for the possibility that there will be no rail service this winter. As a result, we are co-operating with the government of Manitoba to ensure that there is a sufficient fuel supply and to ensure that there is a subsidy through Nutrition North to make it more af- fordable to buy basic needs and groceries, but just as important is our commitment in the long term. You know that times are changing. Climate change itself is having an impact on the Port of Churchill. The shipping season is considerably longer today for Churchill — which is good news — than it was five or 10 or 15 or 20 years ago. It’s also true that climate change has an impact on the roadbed, on the trail, on the train track, and that you have to factor in the consequences on both sides of that reality. We also have to talk about the longterm role of the


Port of Churchill and the town of Churchill. As I said earlier, the government of Canada believes that that role and that future is integral as Canada develops an Arctic strategy, for all the important reasons that are part of the geopolitical reality that we face — Cana- dian sovereignty, the role of the Department of Na- tional Defence, supplying remote communities. All these interests are important to our govern- ment, and all of them can be served by having an ac- tive role [for] Churchill and northern Manitoba as we move forward.


November 2017


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www.lifestyles55.net 5


BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT


ommon sense and compassion seem to have deserted the main players in the debate over fixing the rail line to Churchill, where the citi-


a journey the last few years that has al- lowed me to meet some of the most in- credible health professionals in North America. These people include profes- sors from Ivy League schools, such as Yale and Harvard. Medical researchers who have already made significant dis- coveries regarding aging smartly. The sad truth is that during this entire


time I have not put into practice what I have learned. This was truly a waste of the great gift I was given. I am now proud to say that this changed in June of this year. I’m on a mission to “change the way I age”. This is not about “living forever”, it’s about maintaining quality of life and enjoying the later years. The only path to success is to truly believe you have to change, and change now. How did that happen for me? I took a long look in the mirror – a real hon- est look at myself – and was not pleased with what I saw. Then, I had a doctor do a complete review of my health, including full blood work, only to be told, “Everything is OK. You are just getting old.” WHAT? That’s comforting! Then I found the power to finally go through my closet and I realized I couldn’t wear my favourite clothes anymore. I was depressed at what happened to me. I thought I was doing all the right things. I wasn’t. Luckily, I have a wonderful partner in life, Heather, who had all the same procedures done and was also not pleased with her results. Together we decided to prac-


Kevin Klein Real Life Aging


tice what we’ve learned and change the way we age. We committed to taking action together. This is when we decided to create Real Life Anti- aging. We have dedicated ourselves to healthy aging and helping others who are like-minded. Heather will share her successes and


failures in a monthly column here, as will I, so you may see two different outcomes, which I have learned is normal. Not all people, or body types, react the same to exercise, foods, diets, and so on. You have to find the one that is yours. If you are motivated by an exercise routine or diet, it has a higher success rate. I’ll


share video interviews with the


many professionals I’ve met so you can learn it directly. We will provide you with some ideas and products that are on the market and commit to complete honesty in our reviews of their effectiveness. We will be 100 per cent transparent. The most important lesson I learned


was from my friend who is a Yale professor of neu- rological surgery. He said, “Having a healthy body is entirely your decision, and to start you just have to choose to do it and remember it’s never too late to start living healthy.” Sadly, it took me years to make the de- cision. Please don’t wait that long. Make the decision and commit to being healthy. It’s not going to be easy, I’m six weeks in and I can tell you it’s a struggle more days than not. But I can also tell you I have days when I feel better than I have in years! I have more energy, more clarity, and that’s when I know I’m on the right path. In my next column, I’m going to talk about juicing,


which I did for ten days. Does it work? Is it worth it? Is there another way? Visit us online at RealLifeAging.com and follow us on twitter at @reallifeaging or @kevinkleinwpg


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