Stonehenge News
Memorial Celebration
Posted Sept. 10, 2009 - Stonehenge Therapeutic Community is hosting a Memorial Celebration of the life and achievements of our founder, Dr. John Dougan (Jan. 01, 1917 - July 02, 2009) on Thurs. Oct. 1, 2009.
We are inviting current and past residents, staff, alumni and Board members to join us for this celebration. You can view the invitation here.
The Passing of John Dougan, Founder of Stonehenge
Posted July 3, 2009 - We are deeply saddened by the passing of our founder, Dr. John Dougan. A Stonehenge memorial celebration is planned for the fall. To learn more about this dedicated and giving individual, you can read about his life in his obituary, which his family has kindly let us post.
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On Thursday, July 2, 2009, Dr. John McDonald Dougan died peacefully at his home in Acton, Ontario surrounded by his family, and with Joy, his wife of 68 years, holding his hand.
John's passing marks the end of 130 years of a proud family tradition of being called to service through medical practice, dating back to his grandfather and continuing with his father, uncle and both his brothers (Hampton and George). John (Donald) was born in 1917 in Portadown, County Armagh in Northern Ireland and educated at Campbell College, Belfast and Trinity College, University of Dublin (M.A., M.B., B.Ch.), graduating in 1938. He was a keen member of the Dublin University Boat Club, winning championships in 1937 and 1938 and twice rowing in the Lady's Plate at the Henley Royal Regatta.
A veteran of World War II with the Royal Army Medical Corps, John went overseas with the Ninth Queens Royal Lancers and served extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. He was awarded the Military Cross for rescuing several wounded soldiers in the Saunnu Battle (Libya) on Jan. 23, 1942 and was seriously wounded at the Battle of Knightsbridge.
Dr. Dougan emigrated to Canada with his wife Joy in 1948 and settled in Winnipeg where he set up general practice in Charleswood. He returned to England to study psychiatry, and took up psychiatric residency at St. John's Hospital, Aylesbury. In 1964 he came back to Winnipeg where was a consultant psychiatrist at the Manitoba Clinic and lecturer at the University of Manitoba until 1970. Dr. Dougan moved to Guelph to become Director of the Community Mental Health Clinic in Guelph and organized expansion to mental health clinics in Orangeville and Dufferin County.
In 1971 he founded Stonehenge Therapeutic Community in Guelph, a long-term residential addiction treatment facility for men and women. In 1972 he was elected to the Foundation Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and was a member of the Psychiatric Review Board of Ontario. Dr. Dougan was a Life Member of the Big Sisters Association of Guelph, a recipient of the Sertoma Club of Guelph Service to Mankind Award and of the Paul Harris Fellowship, Rotary Club of Guelph. In 1986, realizing that there was shortage of psychiatric help in Acton, John postponed his retirement to become a consultant psychiatrist with the North Halton Mental Health Clinic. His greatest wish was to continue to serving his patients as long as he could, and this he did, up until the week before he died. For all his accomplishments, Dr. Dougan was essentially a very humble man; despite his courage, he was above all gentle. He will be remembered by his family and friends for his integrity, generosity and kindness. He regarded his medical training as a calling and an honour, and was known (for example) to quietly pay for prescriptions that his patients might not be able to afford.
He had a classical education, kept a Greek dictionary by his bed for impromptu translations, played saxophone in a band in Dublin in the 1930’s, cut his medical teeth at VD clinics in the Dublin slums, dated one of the Flying Wallendas before marrying his beloved Joy, roller-bladed with his granddaughter in his 80's, and throughout his lifetime, quietly crossed paths with such luminaries as Louis Armstrong and Noel Coward.
Donations, if desired, may be made payable to Summit Housing & Outreach Program, PO Box 5, Acton, Ontario L7J 2M2 to the attention of the Acton Patients' Christmas Party.
Online condolences and donations may also be made through the Mackinnon Family Funeral Home.
Drug Strategy Update Posted July 12, 2009 - An article on the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy (formerly the Wellington Guelph Substance Abuse Strategy) can be found in the July 11th edition of the Guelph Mercury. Health reporter Vik Kirsch speaks with the new coordinator Reachelle Devereaux as well as our own Heather Kerr, Chair of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy committee.
Click here to read the article.
MP Frank Valeriote visits Stonehenge
Posted June 29, 2009 – We were honoured to welcome Member of Parliament for Guelph Frank Valeriote to Stonehenge today. Frank came for a tour of both our men’s and women’s facilities. He also met with Executive Director Heather Kerr and Bill Lord, Chair of the Stonehenge Board of Directors where they discussed the Stonehenge program as well as issues related to substance use in the city of Guelph. With guidance from Frank, a trip to Ottawa may be in the works in order to lobby government for additional funding for substance abuse treatment.
Picture above, from left: Bill Lord (Chair, STC Board of Directors),
Heather Kerr (Executive Director), Frank Valeriote, MP City of Guelph.
2009 Golf Tournament
Posted June 16, 2009 - Thanks to the Golf Committee and all those who helped out during our 10th Annual Stonehenge Charity Golf Tournament yesterday. This year's event was exceptional in it's planning and execution, not to mention the great weather. We hope to post a few photos here in the near future. Thanks as well to all of you who made donations or sponsorships. We couldn't have done it without you!
Program Recognition
Posted Dec. 12, 2008 - Stonehenge has received recognition for our pilot Equine Therapy Program. This inaugural, 12-week program was recently completed by our women residents and their feedback was extremely positive. Running as a pilot program first, we now know an equine-assisted psychotherapy model can work for our agency and we can begin to build on it for possible inclusion into our regular programming.
Stonehenge would like to thank our partners in this unique program, Sharon Purcell - Stable Relations, Wendy Golding - Horse Spirit Connections and Dr. Shoshanna Pollock - Wilfrid Laurier University.
Developing Local Substance Abuse Strategies
Posted Dec. 1, 2008 - Over the past year, the Guelph-Wellington Substance Abuse Strategy Committee has worked hard to develop region-specific strategies to tackle the issue of substance abuse in the city of Guelph and throughout Wellington County. Heather Kerr, Executive Director at Stonehenge, sits on the Management Subcommittee and is excited to present recommendations that have come out of a year of intense work on the committee.
These recommendations will be presented at two community forums where the public's feedback is invited and encouraged. Please see the Mayor Karen Farbridge's blog to find out all the information about these Community Forums. You can also read about it in Health reporter Vik Kirsch's article in the Guelph Mercury.
2009 Stonehenge Golf Tournament - Date Announced
Posted October 14, 2008 – The 10th Annual Stonehenge Charity Golf Tournament date has been set for Monday June 15th, 2009. As in the past, it will take place at the Cutten Club in Guelph, ON. The public is welcome to join this tournament and we are always looking for new sponsors.
If you want to enter your foursome into the tournament or set up your company's sponsorship (we have a range of options), please call our main number, (519) 837-1470 for information.
Walk of Hope Walkathon.jpg)
Posted October 1, 2008 - This year's "WALK OF HOPE" Walkathon was one of our best ever thanks to a fantastic turnout of Stonehenge alumni, residents, family and staff. Over $2,400 in pledges was raised by Stonehenge residents.
A big thanks goes out to Cheri Bilitz, Clinical Director, along with the Stonehenge Alumni Association who worked very hard together to make this year's event so successful.
Check back here in August for details of the 2009 Walk Of Hope walkathon.
STC Launches Equine Therapy Pilot Program
Posted Sept. 1, 2008 - STC is pleased to annouce an exciting women's pilot program in partnership with Horse Spirit Connections and Stable Relations. The Equine Therapy Program is an innovative 12-week program that utilizes the incredible therapeutic benefits that arise when interacting with horses.
This program will also act as a reserach project for Dr. Shoshana Pollack, professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, so she can document and evaluate the effects of this equine-assisted approach for women dealing with long-standing substance addictions.
The collaboration between the four partners in this program means we can offer this unique pilot program with minimal cost to the agency.
2008 Stonehenge Charity Golf Tournament
July 7, 2008 - The 9th Annual Stonehenge Charity Golf Tournament took place on Monday July 7th, 2008 and was a huge success. The 10th Annual Tournament date will be announced soon. If you want to enter your foursome or sponsor a hole, please call our main number, (519) 837-1470.
This is a great way to contribute to our agency and get in a round of golf at the same time, at one of Guelph's best golf courses, The Cutten Club. There will prizes available in the Putting Contest, Raffle, Closest To The Pin Contest as well as our Silent Auction.
Transforming Lives Award
Posted May 8, 2008 - Stonehenge is lucky to have such a dedicated team of employees, some who have been with the agency for up to 20 years. Tonight however, one of our Addiction Counsellors will receive the 2008 Transforming Lives Award. This award, presented by the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH), is given to men and women who have overcome the challenges of an addiciton or mental health issue.
Graeme Bonar's inspirational story can be read in today's issue of The Globe & Mail; the story of a Montreal Canadien's draftee whose career-ending injury led to a 10-year addiction to drugs and alcohol. Stonehenge is honoured to have Graeme as one of its staff; someone who is willing to tell their story of overcoming addiction and use their personal experience to lead our clients by example. Besides counselling clients at Stonehenge, Graeme also travels throughout Ontario and New York State promoting addiciton awareness to minor-league athletes.
Congratulations on your Transforming Lives Award Graeme!
Doors Open Guelph
Posted April 2, 2008 - Stonehenge has been invited to particpate in this year's Doors Open walking tour of heritage buildings in Guelph. Our women's residence was built in the 1860's (the same time as the US Civil War!) as a family residence known as Ellenburn.
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You can register to join this tour through the Guelph Arts website or call (519) 836-3280. The tour takes place from 9am to 4pm on Sat. April 26, 2008. This is a great way to see many of Guelph's historic sites as some, like ours, are not normally open to the public.
STC Program Recognition
Posted March 25, 2008 – Stonehenge’s Harm Reduction Program has been selected to participate in the 2008 “Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo” in Toronto this April. The integration of our Early Childhood Development (ECD) program and our Methadone Case Management program under a single infrastructure of Harm Reduction has been recognized as an innovative solution to the problem of maintaining quality programs without additional funding.
By combining the programs, we were able to share expertise, resources and administrative services resulting in a thriving program with the ability to handle increasing referrals while at the same time offering a broader continuum of harm reduction services.
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We congratulate Shirley Kell and Megen Galbraith. This selection recognizes all their hard work and effort as well as their dedication to this program.
Stonehenge Unveils a New Memorial Garden
Posted Nov. 2, 2007 - We are proud to annouce a new feature at Century Home (our women's residential facility), the Lucy Hume Memorial Garden. We now have a peaceful and symbolic place where family, friends, current residents or staff can honour the memories of female residents who have passed away.
Lucy Hume is a former Executive Director of Stonehenge. It was her vision to separate the men's and women's programs in order to better serve the specific recovery needs of women with addictions. Lucy spent countless hours championing this cause and was even responsible for finding the property and home where the women's program resides to this day. She kindly donated a stone bench which we have used as the centrepiece of the garden.
(Picture above: Stonehenge staff with Lucy Hume, 3rd from right)
The Lucy Hume garden ties in with Susy's Garden at our men's facility. Susy's Garden is where we honour our male residents' memories and is named after a former Director of Administration at Stonehenge.
Friends and family members of residents who have passed away are welcome to bring markers or plants to our memorial gardens to remember their loved ones by. They may also choose to plant a memorial tree in the garden, as a donation from Capella Tree Service. Phil Whetstone, owner/operator of Capella Tree Service here in Guelph, will donate a tree as well as offer his expertise to assist family/friends in choosing the type of tree and where to best plant it.
In keeping with therapeutic community principals, the creation of the new Lucy Hume Memorial Garden was a partnership between the residents of the Women's Centre and the staff at Stonehenge. It is maintained by the residents from spring to fall.
All arrangements regarding the men's or women's memorial gardens can be made through Marc De Vos, Logistics Manager, by emailing mdevos@stonehengetc.com or calling (519) 837-1470 x240.
Online Donations
Posted Oct. 7, 2007 - We are excited to annouce that you can now make electronic donations to Stonehenge through our website. Look for the donation box located in the right-hand column on every page of our website. Simply type in the amount of your donation, then select the allocation type that appies to your donation (non-specific one-time donations, the STC Golf Tournament, the STC Walkathon or In Memoriam), then click the DONATE button. You will be directed to our Paypal sub-site where you can choose to pay directly via your credit card or through your existing PayPal account. It's that easy. Not sure how Paypal works? Click here.
NOTE: Even though our donations are handled via Paypal, you do not need a PayPal account to make an online donation.
Charitable receipts are available for donations over $25.00. In order to get a charitable receipt you must email your contact information to Kathy Ollmann, Accountant.