November 27, 2019. As one of the organizations that received a community grant from the Seniors Secretariat of PEI this year, we were invited to attend the PEI Legislature on November 21 for a House Statement by the Hon. Ernie Hudson, Minister of Social Development and Housing and Minister Responsible for Seniors, announcing the Grant Program and grant recipients in the Legislative Assembly. The invitation explained that “This statement is part of our Department’s activities to increase awareness of the Grant Program, and the important and innovative work of your projects and organizations to improve lives of seniors in our communities across the province.”

Group photo of grant recipients at the J. Angus MacLean building. Minister Hudson is 4th from the left. Next to him in front is Daria Valkenburg and beside her is Annie Lee MacDonald.
As the gallery in the Legislature was full with a school visit, we were invited to gather across the road from the Legislature in the J. Angus MacLean building. A viewing room was set up for us, with a live feed, and it worked well. We were very appreciative that the Hon. Peter Bevan-Baker, Leader of the Official Opposition, specifically welcomed Annie Lee MacDonald and Daria Valkenburg in his opening remarks. (Blog readers may recall that a petition for equal access for all Islanders to hearing aid funding through the AccessAbility program was presented in the PEI Legislature in July by Peter Bevan-Baker. We are still working to get that passed in the Legislature.)
Minister Hudson, in his remarks, noted that 23 groups had been awarded community grants, and afterwards he dropped by for a group photo and to chat with us. Of course, we reminded him about our petition. He told us he had not forgotten it!
Our grant from the Seniors Secretariat of PEI was to produce fully captioned YouTube videos on topics of interest and relevance to those with hearing loss. (See Grant Awarded From Seniors Secretariat of PEI). Thanks to that grant we were able to set up our own YouTube Channel and produce six short videos with the funding received:
- What Is A Car Loop? (See https://youtu.be/Ca5cnPPCW64)
- We Are Your Bridge To Hear (See https://youtu.be/zJSQUaeGqsM)
- “A Pocket Talker Changed My Life” (See https://youtu.be/Jf2xzjwFee4)
- Tinnitus Relaxation Therapy (See https://youtu.be/I6TBoR69isY)
- Holiday Gift Ideas (See https://youtu.be/b8OXWQygHJk)
- “I Love My Looping Chair” (See https://youtu.be/pioIMAt0_Ww)
The YouTube videos have been an integral part of our outreach activities, and have attracted an audience on three continents….that we are aware of: North America, Europe, and Australia.
As always, you can email us at hearpei@gmail.com, comment on our blog, and follow us on Twitter: @HearPEI.
© Daria Valkenburg
UPCOMING EVENTS
Event in Venue Equipped With A Hearing Loop: UPCOMING CONCERT: Sorensen Christmas Concert at South Shore United Church in Tryon, 7:30 pm on Friday, December 6, 2019. “Christmas Dreams” will be held in the sanctuary. Refreshments and a time for socializing will follow the concert. Admission is a freewill offering which will be donated to the Church. This venue is equipped with a hearing loop for the benefit of those with hearing loss. If you have never heard the clarity of sound through a hearing loop, this is an opportunity to try it out.
Event in Venue with Real Time Captioning: Human Rights Day 2019, hosted by the PEI Human Rights Commission. Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, at Jack Blanchard Hall, 7 Pond St. in Charlottetown. This event will have real time captioning available for the benefit of those with hearing loss.