Stratford Times August 9, 2024 24 Comprehensive canine first aid and CPR course comes to Stratford EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent Stratford residents will have a chance to become certified in first aid and CPR for dogs with an in-person training course. The comprehensive canine first aid and CPR Course, run by Laurie Jamieson of Laurie’s K9 Consulting, will be held at Zion Lutheran Church Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the course, Jamie- son will outline preventative measures and steps to responding to emergencies such as poisoning, drowning, digestive issues, broken bones, heat stroke and parasites. "There's a lot of comprehensive knowl- edge covered in the course,” said Chris- tine Foster, owner of Pawsitive Difference Professional Pet Care. Jamieson will also have her own dog with her as well as practice dolls that look like dogs so participants understand what it is like to perform procedures on a real dog. Participants will also learn how to create an Elizabethan collar and emergen- cy muzzle, and will leave the course with a manual and both wall- and wallet-sized versions of the certificate, which is valid for three years. Foster took the course online during the COVID-19 pandemic, but finds the course is more beneficial with hands-on, in-per- son training. She found the curriculum, certification and resources provided after the course were all comprehensive. Foster said there was a lot of interest leading up to the registration deadline. Pet businesses, residents of Stratford and cli- ents of Pawsitive Difference Professional Pet Care have all signed up to become first aid and CPR certified for dogs. “People are really excited that this is coming and that we're offering this,” she said. “The more people in the community that know these skills, the better they can help.” Foster, who had plenty of experience as a lifeguard and in first aid and CPR, car- ries a first-aid kit with her at all times. “I'm prepared to respond. I have had to bandage a paw and I've had to assist with a dog that was choking, and I did have to jump in a pool and save a dog from drown- ing,” she said. “I'm confident in that and I want to be more confident and‘bring that confidence to other pet professionals." In a follow-up, Foster said there are five more spots available for the September course. She will also talk to Jamieson about bringing in more courses to Strat- ford. The course costs $210 and includes lunch and refreshments. Updates can be found on Pawsitive Dif- ference Professional Pet Care’s Facebook and Instagram pages. More information about canine CPR and first aid can be found by visiting lauriescanineconsulting. ca or caninehealthcanada.com. BRUCE WHITAKER Times Freelance Columnist “The double whammy of population growth and richer diets will require us to rough- ly double the amount of crops we grow by 2050,” according to National “Gederaphis Not an easy task considering that our planet is 71 per-cent water and 29 per-cent land — and much of the land is uninhabitable. The Food and Agriculture Organiza- tion (FAO) reports that only 50 million square kilometres (out of 149 million) of the planet re- main productive farmland. Historically, more food has Save our farmland been created by clearing old for- ests for farming, which has been catastrophic. Today’s added chal- lenge is climate change, shrink- ing the spaces where crops can be grown. The UN warns that farmable land could be halved by 2050. Every time the tempera- ture rises one-degree Celsius, wheat yields could fall by six per cent, rice by three per cent and maize by seven per cent. Census data from 2020 re- veals that Ontario” loses 319 acres of farmland every single day to urban sprawl, which is 58 city blocks. One need simply drive on the outskirts of Strat- ford to see the evidence of urban sprawl. The Ontario govern- ment is doing little to prevent further sprawl, rather it is about to exploit the green belt. What can we do in Stratford to counter the further destruction of our farmland? Densification is a start — building taller resi- dences in our downtown_core. The benefits of densification go beyond conserving farmland in- cluding: + Lower cost to maintain in- frastructure. Public roads, ser- vices and utilities are much more expensive to maintain when homes and business are spread apart * Higher density attracts new employers and employees, espe- cially younger ones. Communi- ties that are convenient for work and lifestyle are more attractive for both employers and their workforce. + Residents of dense cities drive shorter distances, use public transit more, have fewet cars and tend to have smaller housing units that are located in ‘gy efficient attached g more ener; or multifamily buildings. + Urban density is associated with facilitating the exchange of information and innovation, particularly in industries requir- ing a high degree of skill and education. A move to densification will likely cause dissension between baby boomers who want quieter, perhaps quainter places, and the younger set, the future lifeblood of successful cities, who want the excitement of a dense neigh- bourhood. Tourist towns such as Stratford rely heavily on the ser- vice industry, from hotel work- ers to cooks and cleaning staff. These folks, typically younger, require affordable housing (e.g. apartments). To remain a desir- able and a truly sustainable city, we need to expand by offering dense, diverse and sustainable accommodatio: The Cooper iaite provides an ideal location to introduce den- sification. It has few neighbours reducing any negative impact from shadows cast by larger buildings of four to eight sto- perfect access to city infrastruc- ture, transportation (in-city and VIA train service) and is within walking proximity to the city’s Q is} re. Densification has been suc- cessful in Europe through the formation of efficient, low-im- pact cities. While there has been significant population growth in Europe over the last decade, most people have moved into inner cities rather than subur- ban homes with garden plots and double garages. To support densification, the European Commission introduced a “no net land take by 2050” initiative whereby any urban expansion has to be balanced by converting developed land into green areas. The City of Stratford could provide a Canadian model for densification in smaller ed through planning and zoning that accommodates larger ae idential builds. Such develop- ts should offer different siz- es and prices for housing, a mix between ownership and rentals, and variances in styles that ap- peal to a large cross-section of people (singles, young families, retirees). To encourage develop- ers, a tax incentive is likely re- quired. Any such developments should offer shared amenities and public spaces for common e. Such amenities include recreational facilities, car-shar- ing services, commercial ser- e a ‘vices (e.g. grocery stores), pub- lic-transit access and seamless connection to technology and cultural attractions. 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