Letters to the editor

Truro a wonderful experience
for youth exchange member
Editor's note: Participants in the Canada World Youth exchange program have recently left for the Indonesian segment of their experience.
I live in a magical house on a hilltop in Princeport, N.S. This is the first time I've ever lived with 14 other people, seven of whom are children. This is the first time I've ever tasted fresh cow's milk, the first time I've ever lived anywhere where I could look out my bedroom window and not see another house.
I was born and raised in downtown Toronto so having people say hello to me in the cafÉ on a daily basis, stopping for me to jaywalk and commenting on my funny fur trader's hat are things that would usually strike me as odd, but here they are all part of one's daily routine.
I've been living here for the past eight weeks as a participant of the international volunteer program, Canada World Youth. I'm not the only participant who lives here. In fact, there are four of us living in the same house: Graham from Victoria, B.C., and Azwan and Indra, who hail from Indonesia.
In total, there are 16 participants all scattered around living with different host families in the Truro area. Each Canadian is paired with an Indonesian counterpart.
During the average week, we spent our time volunteering in Truro. Some of us were stationed at the food bank, the library, Maggie's Place, the Nova Scotia Agriculture College, the Cobequid Parent and Youth Resource Centre, the Colchester Community Workshops, the Jane Norman Centre for Child Studies, the Friendship Club, the Wynn Park Villa and the Colchester Adult Learning Association.
In these capacities we made friends that we never would have imagined. People opened their hearts, lent us their space, gave us their time and invited us into their homes for dinner. In turn, we laughed, we cried, we debated. We learned. We made mistakes and, for some, experienced snow and ice skating for the first time.
In a few days we will be leaving for a tiny island off of the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. We've been told the water is black; that we'll have to travel by boat for five hours through a swamp and that by 7 a.m. we'll have sweat stains down the sides of our shirts.
No doubt there will be new challenges and adjustments that will have to be made, but just as I made my own transition from big city life to rural life, from a family of five to a family of 15, I know that the roots will grow just as they have here.
It is thanks to this town and its people that I've been capable of doing that and know that I'll be able to do it again in Indonesia.
Otiena Ellwand
Toronto

Grocer cares
about the little guy
I have two trash cans I keep blue recyclable bags in, one for paper products, the other for cans, cartons, etc.
I had been getting these bags at Sobeys until a month ago when the 77L bags that fit my cans stopped appearing at the checkout.
Since then I have been making do with the 67L bags but they are too small and every time I put something in the trash can, I have to pull the bag up.
I know it isn't really a big deal but I thought I would go to the corporate website and make an inquiry about it. I really didn't expect to hear anything back.
I have received an email from Sobeys. The message said:
Hi Steve:
Thank you for taking the time to write. Please allow me to apologize for the delay in my response. I have provided both of the Truro locations with a number to order this product. It should be available in the next few days. Please feel free to ask staff for assistance should you have any difficulties finding this product.
Sincerely,
Ann
What a pleasant surprise that they would take the time to address my issue as I am just one, out of thousands of customers.
Steve MacLellan
Truro

Organization governed
by strict code of ethics
Re: Medical schools body urges action to limit pharma industry influence on students. Truro Daily News, Wednesday, Dec. 10, Page 9.
In response to this article, I would like to clarify the role of the research-based pharmaceutical community in Canada's health-care system.
All our member companies and their 20,000 Canadian employees are governed by a strict and mandatory Code of Ethical Practices to ensure that their interactions with physicians meet the highest standards. Our code explicitly forbids offering gifts or other inducements to gain influence with health care professionals including medical students. All information provided to health-care professionals by our members must be accurate, fair, and balanced.
Our community shares a common goal with the medical profession and that is to offer patients a range of treatment options based on scientific evidence. We must work together as partners to advance these goals. The Continuing Health Education Programs are vital tools that physicians can use to broaden their scientific knowledge.
We take great pride in our work discovering and developing the medicines and vaccines that improve and save lives and when appropriately prescribed also make our health care system more effective by reducing hospitalization, surgery and wait times.
We are also proud of the support some of our member companies provide toward the education and development of young Canadian health-care professionals through scholarships and other programs. These young students represent the best in our health-care system now and in the future.
Our industry fully understands our responsibility to ensure all relationships with partners and stakeholders meet not only the letter but the spirit of our Code of Ethical Practices.
Russell Williams
President
Canada's Research-Based
Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D)