Just like the Manitoba Government, The Canadian Federal Government is leaving those who are low income and who have severe physical disabilities, to fight for basic human needs.

The fairly new implemented Canadian Dental Care Plan, needs more communication and less confusion.

Here’s my situation:

Sometime back, I had applied and got notice that I was enrolled in the in the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
The time had arrived, where I needed a wisdom tooth pulled. After the procedure was complete, I left the dentist office, to go home rest and recover.  A couple weeks later I received a bill in the mail saying I owe $400.00

I was then informed by my dentist that she thought that EIA (Employment & Income Assistance) was still paying for my dental procedures which they did cover a portion. The dentist then submitted the remaining amount to CDCP (CDCP did say I had a 100% coverage).  

Sunlife said they were not going to cover the anesthesia portion. Even though, I’m low income and have a lifelong physical disability, SunLife still said no. 
I had to pay the $400.00, out of my own pocket. This forced me, to tighten my already extremely tight monthly budget. I am currently appealing SunLife’s decision not reimburse me the money.

Side note- When EIA looked after my dental benefits, 100% of whatever I needed done was covered and the process ran very smoothly.

Then the other day, I had a check and clean scheduled. The dentist told me, that I was to be on the hook for the entire cost of the check and clean ($375.00.) Reason being was because SunLife declined to cover, because my coverage had run out (I had renewed my coverage when I got the letter in the mail saying it needed to be renewed) and I needed to re-apply. I was given no notice, that my plan was going to be expiring. I never heard anything from Sunlife, so I thought my coverage was renewed. It was not. So, I re-applied again for the CDCP. Also, I had to start the renewal process from the very beginning, which is long and very tedious.

In the meantime, I had to cancel my check and clean because I cannot afford it.

Canada, we must do better! 

I write the following fictional situation, not as a hard drug user but as someone who aims to open eyes and advocate for those who are pushed into the shadows by the people in “power.”

I was your average Canadian guy, wanting to achieve my life’s dreams.  A great job, with loving kids, and awesome wife and I was overall very happy.

In an instant, I threw my life in the garbage.

While out one night with some friends, I was offered a hit of meth.  I took it and from the moment forward, life as I knew it was essentially over. I tried to hide my addiction; this only worked for awhile.  

Eventually I lost my job, along with all my money and most importantly the love of my family.  Left with no choice but to live on the streets.

As the sun starts to set, my mind starts to race. “Where am I going to sleep tonight,” The loose change that I have worked so hard for is gone. I am starving, my body is shaking because I want and need a hit.  Looking around, nothing looks familiar. My body feels horrible, sore from head to toe.  Its obvious, that I have gotten beaten up and have some broken bones.  I spit, all that comes out is blood.  Why couldn’t the person, who I had the altercation with just finish the job and put me out of my misery? I am very vulnerable right now and cannot protect or take care of myself.

The only thing to do is to start walking.  As people walk by me, I feel their judgement. As I wonder aimlessly down the street, the smell of food from the restaurants, is almost laughing in my face.

Then in an instant, my mood is lifted to new heights of happiness. I one of my old drug dealers. God, I could use some meth right now I have no money on me and nothing that he would want to trade with. What am I going to do?  Well, maybe he can find it in his heart to give me a hit on “the house.”  Sure enough, after some sweet talking, I get what I need from my pal and am just moments away from bliss, YES.

Looking at my newest “score”, suddenly this awful feeling comes over me.  How am I going to light my pipe?  I look up to the Heavens begging for a miracle. Wouldn’t you know it, looking down the street, my prayers are answered.

A newly built, provincially funded Supervised Consumption Site- their all the supplies will be provided, so I can do my meth “safely” and I will not be vulnerable person anymore. Staff will be there to supervise me 24/7 and to make sure everything is clean of course.

What about the rest of the Manitobans who need help? In 2026 it should not matter what affliction a person has, the government should be there to assist and not ignore. The practice of only helping those who are on drugs, in my opinion is wrong on so many levels.

I am not saying that these safe injection sites are a good or bad investment.  However, I do find it particular odd that the government will help people do hard drugs safely, Yet, when some who needs a helping hand, who does not need a safe injection site asks for assistance, these people are shunned, told to be quiet and looked down upon, and made to feel like they are a problem. A common saying is “We understand your situation but there’s nothing we can do for you.”

Why is there such a double standard, when it comes to helping people?  Isn’t the province supposed to be here for “everybody?”

Just once, it would be nice if the government put an arm around its citizens, instead of helping them put a needle in it.

I recently turned 40 years old. There’s a lot to look back on. There’s so much that I have accomplished:

Two college certificates- Business Admin & Applied counselling

Becoming a freelance journalist

Becoming an advocate

Becoming a hockey coach

Becoming a business partner

Becoming a writer & author

Becoming a fundraising expert

Volunteering on many boards

All of this sounds wonderful. You might feel inspired and think, how can a person with a physical disability achieve all of this?

When I first started to feel awesome was back in my fundraising days. Society was impressed with what I was doing, which overall was a good feeling. Better yet, was knowing that I was improving myself, at the same time I was giving back to wonderful organizations. Also, I was getting in shape. This was helping slowly shape my being.

During my elementary and high school years, I just did my best to hide in the shadows and exist.

College was an okay part of my life. Looking back, it is also, one of the biggest wastes and missed opportunities. I was so shy and unsure of myself, that even the smallest task was the biggest hurdle, I was just try to survive. Going to college then straight back home, made up my days. For excitement on the weekends, I would go up and down the hallways of my apartment building. There were plenty of times, when I would be asked to go out- go out for drinks or movies. I would come up with an excuse to stay home. This was the first time that I had the chance to be truly on my own. Instead of embracing it and finding out more about who I was, I wasted it.

I was guilty of thinking that just because I had CP, that everything was going to work out. A fast-food restaurant owner, a town councilor, a big-time author, a hockey scout, run for government office. Being Mr. popular and being well off finically were just some of my big ideas that I thought were for sure going to happen. 

The hard truth is it did not work out. Main reason was, I did not want to put in the effort and wanted everything to be handed to me. Everything I wanted to do, was just supposed to appear and be a success instantly. The complete opposite happened. Every door I tried to go through, people slammed it shut. I was turned down for bank loans, when running in municipal elections, I was not taken seriously as a legitimate candidate. My speech and look held me back.

Thinking that everyone was going to want to do home care with me, was misplayed on my part. Being very popular in my small town I thought for sure, that there was going to be people lined up around the block to work with me. Finding staff is only going to continue to be a big issue for the rest of my life. Did I and try to work harder? No. instead, I got really upset, not only with myself but with my disability as well.

This is where life started to spin out of control. I changed who I really was. Before this, I was a very quiet person, that did not like drawing attention to myself. I totally lost my passion for life and became a heavy drinker, who did drugs, adopted a very unhealthy diet. Turning into a real jerk who partied, gave me a large group of friends, I thought life was awesome. I was “cool.” Along the way, my physical and health took a beating. Drugs and booze took over. I thought waking up most mornings feeling awful, was normal. It took me a long while, but I got out of it. Cleaning myself up, all of my so called “friends” disappeared. Some of them I have not seen or even talked to for 10 years. I was just used for my booze and a place to party. 

Once I changed my lifestyle, all the partying and hanging out stopped. As I sat alone in my apartment feeling unhealthy and wondering where it all went wrong, it came to me that I was the only one capable of a more fulfilling life.

Why am I saying this?

Today, life is nowhere where I need or want it to be. However, I am proud of who I am and what I have become. If you want something in life, you might need to go through the dark, to reach the light.

Life is yours. Always shape your future best you can.

When you have Cerebral Palsy, I continually get asked the question “What have you been keeping busy at, lately?  Being in a powerchair and having a speech impairment, those who do not know me well, except me to say “oh not much.”  Over time, I have learned to transform my frustrations into teachings.  Assuming, is a life hack which we are all guilty of at some point-me included, because it is easy.

The following is not written in anger.  The goal is to point out some aspects of my life, that the audience may have not thought of in the past.

Waking up early is not easy but has to be done, I have to attend a meeting a two-hour long meeting, I rush home because my helper is leaving soon.  After having a quick bite to eat. I have to go grocery shopping. Coming home, thoughts of “my newest article needs to be done” fill my mind.  As the article is starting to take shape, the phone rings. It’s the board co-chair, asking if I have time for a quick meeting this evening, because something has come up with one of the volunteer organizations that I help out. The clock is now pointed towards late afternoon. Stress has started to overtake. Due to the fact that, my helper is only here for certain amount of time, now I must juggle. Now I have to prioritize what is most needed.  Eating supper and exercising are going to be put on the back burner.  Quickly, I wash up and use the washroom and off to the meeting. Instead of having an hour to get my routine done, I have twenty minutes.  

Arriving back home, there’s nobody here to help me. To take my mind off my filling bladder, exercising is on tap.  I get my daily workout in which is a great feeling. Then I have to complete notes and emails from the evening meeting. With Willpower Media, there are always edits, emails, marketing & promotion to do. The fact that I am an expanding disability advocate, life gets down right hectic. Being a business owner and rural disability advocate, I send a lot of emails and texts. Sending emails a texts, might not sound like something that would take lot of time, but because I type with one finger and email and social media is my main source of communication, it does. Lining up meetings, answering emails and direct messages, lining up events, managing my website, are a few of the aspects that keep me and my advocating growing.  Not to mention the, duties that come with running a business obligation and speaking engagements on-stop. At present, I cannot have a regular “9-5 job.”  This does not mean that my life is not full.

After a late-night supper, it’s back to the computer to complete my article. The clock is screaming 11:45PM, “GO TO BED!” Morning is going to come quick. I have new staff ordination tomorrow has my mind racing. Ordinations for new staff can be intriguing yet nerve racking.   This person does not know me or my routine. It can be difficult to be compassionate and at the same time finding the easiest way to connect with them. 

Checking the email one last time, the helper that supposed to come get me out of bed in the morning has emailed saying they’re sick and won’t be able to make it. This has been an average day that went well.  Even sitting for ¾ of the day and laying down for the other ¼, I’ve been busy.

It does not matter how, just as long as abled or disabled, as long as people can all go to bed knowing that we pushed our lives to their fullest amount of greatness possible.

Busyness should not be measured in steps, rather in personal productivity!

Alex Lytwyn