Gamblers need treatment program
Steve Fanning
Revenue created from video lottery terminals on P.E.I. has increased by $1 million said opposition leader, Ron MacKinley.
Other provinces put millions into the treatment of gambling addiction
but not P.E.I., MacKinley says. He has been trying to get a treatment
program for the province since he came to office last April.
Islanders were promised a program by the PC party in their election
campaign. But when asked about it in the legislature, Health
Minister Jamie Ballem said there just wasn't enough money.
Now it seems, there will be a program, but not until April. For
the 3.1 per cent of Islanders who have a serious problem, it's
been a long time coming.
In the meantime someone looking for help can contact the Island
addictions facility or Father Brady Smith.
The addiction facility offers counselling from clinical nurses
and Smith runs a support group for gamblers.
Gamblers Anonymous also holds meetings but it is very hard to
contact someone involved with the organization because it's not
listed in the phone book.
Smith's group consists of 10 or 12 people and has been going
for five years. He wants to see more support being offered.
"We need a treatment program,"says Smith, "If
we get one then my group and GA will fill it up."
Smith has been lobbying for better support for some time now.
He has been a guest on CBC Radio and is eager to raise awareness
about this problem.
Smith's support group for problem gamblers is held on Mondays
at 12:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.
In 1999 a survey found, 83 per cent of Islanders had gambled
in the last 12 months. The most popular forms of gambling for
Islanders are lotteries, pull/scratch tickets and charitable
gambling.
Problem gamblers spend an average of 6-12 hours per session and
over $350 a month on gambling. VLTs have the highest rate of
usage by problem gamblers, card games are a close second.
The October 1999 survey found the group most likely to gamble
was males, under 30, who make over $30,000 per year. The rates
of gamblers didn't differ much among the three Island counties.
Schools mum on president's salaries
Ryan Foster
Students at universities in Nova Scotia may know how much their
presidents make, but so far, no one is talking at Holland College
or UPEI.
Several attempts were made last week by The Surveyor to obtain
information regarding the salaries of Holland College president
Alex MacAulay and UPEI's president Wade MacLauchlan.
Three days of phone calls went unanswered by the presidents.
However, a spokesperson for MacAulay said he would release his
salary if MacLauchlan did. He declined.
MacLauchlan's secretary said she was told to pass along the message,
"He still shovels his snow."
Another call to MacAulay confirmed he would not release his salary.
A spokesperson said he declined any comment on the subject.
The attempt to get the figures follows the release of salary
numbers in Nova Scotia.
University presidents' salaries in Nova Scotia were published
in a Jan. 24 story in The Daily News in Halifax. The only reluctant
participant was Acadia University in Wolfville. It made the student
newspaper, The Athenaeum, pay an undisclosed amount for the booklet
of salaries. The list price for the book was $400.
The paper's editor, Matt Ferguson, said he got the information
because the students had a right to know and all other universities
had released their numbers. The reaction they got from students
and staff was "amazing." he said. " We went through
all 2,200 copies, there were none left." The papers were
in such high demand professors were borrowing them from each
other just to see the figures.
The highest salary among Nova Scotia University presidents belongs
to Dal president Tom Traves. He makes $223,672 plus benefits.
Acadia's Kelvin Ogilvie's ranks second at $173,628 a year, before
benefits. Saint Francis Xavier president Sean Riley receives
$156,000, a $20,000 bonus, taxable benefits worth $6,622 and
a car.
The lowest paid president is Harley d'Entremont at l'Universite
Saint-Anne. He makes $92,163 a year.