logo
Lifelong Sudbury gay advocate honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medal

Lifelong Sudbury gay advocate honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medal

CBC03-03-2025

A gay Sudbury man who endured a homophobic upbringing, survived the AIDS crisis, and went on to become a champion of the Sudbury 2SLGBTQ+ community has been honoured for his service with the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Paul Pasanen is the founder and chair of SQUAD (Sudbury Queers United Around Diversity), which creates safe spaces for the local community. He is also a program coordinator with Réseau ACCESS Network and the previous coordinator of the New Horizons for 2S-LGBTQ+ Older Adults program. Pasanen has been working to bring a queer community centre to Sudbury, modelled on the 519 in Toronto.
The King Charles III Coronation Medal honours Canadians who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their community and service to their country, said Sudbury Member of Parliament Viviane Lapointe, who presented it to Pasanen.
"Paul Pasanen embodies these exact qualities," she said in a statement emailed to CBC.
"Paul's advocacy for and commitment to inclusion and diversity is unprecedented. As one of the organizers of Sudbury's first pride marches, Paul has a longstanding history of being a true champion for inclusion and ensuring everyone feels safe and valued in our community."
Pasanen's advocacy work grew out of his experiences growing up in rural northern Ontario, he told CBC.
Surviving the AIDS crisis
Born in the era when homosexuality was still classified as a mental illness, he grew up surrounded by homophobia.
He moved to Ottawa as a young adult and immersed himself in the city's gay community, only to begin losing friends en masse to the mysterious illness that would later be identified as AIDS.
"I expected to die," he said. "I really did. …. So I came back to Sudbury in my 20s to prepare for the end."
He was flabbergasted to learn that it may not arrive as quickly as anticipated.
"I went and got the test just to confirm my belief, and it was negative," he said. "That was a shock. I did not have a Plan B. I did not know what I was going to do with my life."
His response was to get sober and throw himself into community work.
Despite the ignorance and homophobia Pasanen witnessed growing up, he had never seen an anti-gay or anti-trans protest in Sudbury until recently, he said.
He called the rising transphobic hatred across the country "horrifying."
"When we were advocating for same-sex marriage, people would say, 'Oh yeah, what's next? [Are] you going to marry your pets?'" he said.
Nowadays,he added, opponents of rights for gender diverse people make up stories about young people and schools providing bathroom litter boxes for people who identify as cats.
When people move the conversation away from actual human experience, it makes it easier to shut it down and prevent people from learning about people's actual lives, he said.
Towards a 2SLGBTQ+ centre in Sudbury?
He added, the rise in hate has brought a renewed sense of urgency to his work to establish a community centre.
"Urgency, desperation, fear," he said.
"It's re-traumatizing to see that kind of backlash that's been building for decades…. And now it's getting permission to come forward and be more visible. …And what's been really great is that the queer community, all the individuals and small groups, have come out to counter protest, which is heartening."
But Sudbury's 2SLGBTQ+ community is also divided internally, particularly along generational lines, Pasanen said, and education is needed to help bring people together.
Older people were raised with rigid ideas about gender roles and sexual orientation categories, he said. Younger people have a more fluid understanding of those concepts.
There is also conflict over the community's relationship with law enforcement.
In an email to CBC, the chair of Fierté Sudbury Pride, Aspen Groom, expressed the organization's support for a community centre.
It's a concept that has support from city hall in Greater Sudbury.
In an e-mail to CBC, Ken Bonder from the office of Greater Sudbury Mayor, Paul Lefebvre, said: "the Mayor has had preliminary discussions with Paul Pasanen, chair of SQUAD, along with other members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community regarding their desire to have a joint office space in Greater Sudbury. The Mayor continues to be an ally and supports initiatives that promote inclusivity and belonging."
But Groom said Fierté Sudbury Pride is no longer formally involved in a coalition with SQUAD.
"In the spring of last year, the previous board of directors organized multiple Pride events in collaboration with police, which led to significant community backlash," they explained.
"As a result, eight of the nine board members resigned. Many of those former board members remain actively involved with Hauz Noir and SQUAD. … Given this history, we have been cautious in our engagement with the coalition following their departure."
The group continues to attend coalition meetings anticipating that members will establish clear terms of reference and behavioral guidelines, Groom said.
It recognizes that the work of creating accountable spaces is complex and remains committed to approaching it with care.
For Pasanen's part, he said, he tries to navigate the differences between community members with kindness and understanding.
"I'm a senior now, and I think there's things that we can learn from, for example, Anishinaabe Indigenous teachings and and traditions," he said.
"You know, that revered two-spirited people and revered elders. … Having a balanced community where there are elders and young people and parents and children – I think that's a natural way to be. And that's … what I envision … being able to invite people and bring people together."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dentists praise Canadian Dental Care program, but also express concern over influx of new patients

time10 hours ago

Dentists praise Canadian Dental Care program, but also express concern over influx of new patients

A northern Ontario dentist says the Canadian Dental Care Plan has generally been positive, but he worries it could cause issues meeting higher demand for dental care over the long term. In June, eligible Canadians between the ages of 18 and 64 can start receiving dental coverage under the plan. Dr. Thomas Detert, a dental surgeon based in Blind River, said the dental plan is bringing in patients who haven't been to a dentist's office in years. Some of them are like over 10 or 15 years because when they retired, they lost their benefits, he said. In some cases, Detert said those patients had good oral hygiene habits and didn't need significant dental care. But in other cases, they put off going to the dentist until they were in serious pain, and needed significant work. While the program has benefited those people, Detert said there's a risk demand for dental care could outstrip the ability of dentists and other oral health professionals to meet it. Much like our socialized medicine in Canada, without proper prevention and education, the demand [has] outstripped any amount of supply that can be thrown at it. And that's what I'm afraid of for socialized dentistry, he said. Around 3.6 million Canadians have been approved by the Canadian Dental Care Plan and around 1.9 million people received care through the plan, as of April. Dr. Jerry Smith, a dentist from Thunder Bay, Ont., and the past president of the Ontario Dental Association, said another 4.5 million Canadians could qualify for the plan with the cohort of people between the ages of 18 and 64. Smith agreed the plan has been positive for people who might not be able to afford dental care otherwise. But he worries a shortage of dental hygienists and assistants will make it challenging for dentists to properly serve an influx of new patients. In Ontario alone, there is a shortage of about 3,400 dental assistants and about 5,500 dental hygienists, he said, quoting figures from a 2022 analysis conducted by the Ontario Dental Association. The Canadian Dental Association estimates that with the increase in patients from the Canadian Dental Care Plan, Canada will need an additional 2,300 dental assistants and over 1,500 dental hygienists in 2025. The numbers from the Ontario Dental Association reference its estimates for the total shortage in the province. In a statement to CBC News Marg Harrington, the CEO of the Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association, said that while some dental practices might struggle attracting dental hygienists, the narrative of a provincewide shortage is inaccurate. The fact is there are more dental hygienists in Ontario than ever before, Harrington said. Registration data from the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario show a steady increase over the past few years in the number of dental hygienists registered in Ontario. Harrington said that research published last month in the BMC Oral Health journal showed that Ontario had 97 registered dental hygienists per 100,000 population in 2023, which is substantially higher than other provinces. Jonathan Migneault (new window) · CBC News

Q&A: How Deep Energy Retrofits Can Unlock Health Care Savings in Alberta
Q&A: How Deep Energy Retrofits Can Unlock Health Care Savings in Alberta

Canada Standard

time11 hours ago

  • Canada Standard

Q&A: How Deep Energy Retrofits Can Unlock Health Care Savings in Alberta

Across Canada, provinces like British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Ontario are investing in energy retrofits to cut emissions, lower energy bills, and improve health. But Alberta stands apart-not for what it's doing, but for what it isn't. There, 42% of 598,000 homes built before 1980 need repairs and upgrades. But Alberta is the only province or territory that doesn't allow utilities to engage in demand-side management (DSM) programs-initiatives that help people use less energy by funding things like insulation, heat pumps, and efficient appliances. Amid increasing wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and rising energy prices, retrofit advocates are working to build institutional support for programs to make homes safer for Albertans. Though retrofits can be costly and complex, a new Pembina Institute report shows their full value emerges when health care savings are factored into the equation. For example, researchers in England found that poor housing conditions cost their country's health care system $3 billion each year. Simply fixing homes that were too cold would save the National Health Service $1.8 billion per year in avoided costs, the study found. In New Zealand, researchers uncovered remarkable health and energy savings from retrofits made during a multi-year insulation and clean heating program, writes Pembina. After tracking hospitalization rates, prescription costs, and mortality across retrofitted and non-retrofitted homes, they found that insulation had the most benefit, while the biggest health savings came from reduced mortality. The program had a net return of $1.03 billion in health and energy savings-for every dollar spent, four dollars were returned. The Energy Mix talked with report author Raidin Blue, an analyst with the Pembina Institute's buildings program, about Alberta's retrofit gap, its health and equity impacts, and what's needed to drive policy change. The Mix : Why is it important to highlight both health and energy savings when making the case for deep retrofits? View our latest digests Retrofits aren't just about energy-they have a broader value proposition that we aren't capturing. We believe deep retrofits can be key to making life more affordable for Canadians, which is a huge priority right now. The business case for deep retrofits needs to be expanded to include non-energy benefits: improved health and safety, enhanced resilience, and better insurance coverage. When all of that is factored in, deep retrofits make strong financial sense. The Mix : Who do you hope will act on this report-and what message do you want them to walk away with? Building owners. I want them to understand that health is tied to housing-we spend 90% of our lives indoors. Poor ventilation? Air quality issues can damage your lungs. Struggling to keep your home warm in winter? Chronic cold is linked to cardiovascular issues. Both owners and tenants can face serious health impacts from their buildings, and retrofits are a powerful solution. The Mix: You highlight vulnerable households-like low-income families and seniors-living in poor-quality housing, yet Alberta has no province-wide retrofit strategy. However, we are seeing targeted programs like the Metis Government's federally funded $9.24-million retrofit initiative. What would it take to build broader political or institutional support for retrofits in Alberta? And should the feds step up with funding? People in Alberta want to retrofit. The demand is there. It is great to see this initiative from the Metis Government. The City of Calgary also expanded its Home Upgrades Program, and 20-some communities are involved in Alberta Municipalities' Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP). Unfortunately, CEIP programs are often out of reach for vulnerable populations, since the funding is tied to property taxes-and many low-income families and seniors don't own their homes. In provinces and territories where there are utility-led Demand-Side Management (DSM) programs, retrofit initiatives are common, and many focus specifically on low-income housing. These programs offer stable, year-over-year funding that building owners can rely on. So a key first step would be for Alberta-a DSM outlier in Canada-to enable utilities to administer and invest in them. At the federal level, the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program has allocated C$800 to $900 million across the country to support retrofits in low- to median-income homes. So far, Alberta is the only province not actively working to access those funds. In most other jurisdictions, they're managed through a combination of designated agencies and utilities. To advance deep retrofits in Alberta and across Canada, all levels of government need to work more closely with important players like Natural Resources Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, insurance companies, and health authorities. We need to better understand the impacts of retrofits on everything from health to resilience to affordability-and then create stable supports and incentives. That's when building owners will begin to see real returns on deep retrofit investments-beyond just utility bill savings and emissions reductions. The Mix : You've drawn on international examples from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Are conditions in Alberta different enough that more local research is still needed? Where should that work start? It is great to see that Australia saved senior households $840 a winter-I think a health-focused retrofit study in Alberta would see significant health savings. We had hesitations with extrapolations because our examples vary from Alberta in both climate and by types of buildings-so we tried not to make direct comparisons. Alberta-specific pilots would showcase the health benefits of retrofits to building owners, local and provincial governments, and the retrofit industry as a whole. Fortunately, these benefits are likely to emerge even without extensive data collection or formal studies. A good starting point could be post-retrofit surveys, where program managers ask tenants about increased comfort or improvements in their overall health and well-being. From there, deeper research could explore reductions in sick days or asthma symptoms. This means working with health care providers to make stronger links between retrofits, health outcomes, and avoided health care costs. The Mix: Are there any promising examples in Canada-provincial or local-where health research is already influencing retrofit policy or program design? Canadians are really starting to make this connection between our built environment and health. For years people have discussed active transportation, walkable cities, and their health benefits. The University of Alberta has a Climate Change + Health Hub and the Housing for Health initiative because these are important issues to Albertans. Look to the 2021 heat dome, when 619 people died in British Columbia, 66 in Alberta. The B.C. government responded with a formal coroner's investigation and the province worked with utility BC Hydro to provide free air conditioners to vulnerable people. Similar programs were also launched in Oregon and Washington State. These are promising, but still just responses to acute events-they don't take a whole-building approach to deep retrofits. I want policy-makers and researchers to understand that-beyond heat waves-there are chronic health impacts associated with our housing. The Mix : What makes you optimistic that this framing will gain traction? Are decision-makers starting to think differently about the value of deep retrofits? Retrofits do make a difference and that gives me optimism. They are the one form of climate policy that does both climate mitigation and adaptation. They can make our homes healthier, safer, and more affordable. Part of our work over the next year will be to bring together all of these pieces for a complete deep retrofit business case. We just need coordinated efforts from all orders of government, utilities, insurance and investment sectors, and building owners, to keep Canadians healthy and safe. Source: The Energy Mix

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store