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NIAGARA FLYOVER RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT ELDER ABUSE

3 HARVARD AIRCRAFT ON A NORTH AMERICA TOUR MAKE A STOP IN THE REGION

LUKE EDWARDS

Niagarans may have heard the buzz of history flying over their heads last Wednesday. It was a sound and a sight that came with an important message.

In an effort to raise awareness about elder abuse, three Harvard aircraft are being flown across North America. The trio of planes whose origins date back to the Second World War started this journey in Daytona, Florida, before flying over Washington, D.C., and now Niagara, with plans to wrap up in California this week.

"When you see airplanes flying over it grabs people's awareness. There are millions of voices out there that are not being heard and we are doing this so that those voices will be heard," said Mike Bremner, the lead organizer for the event.

Bremner has a passion for aviation and is a commercial pilot. However, his reason for organizing what he hopes becomes an annual awareness event runs much deeper. According to Bremner, his mother, now 84 and living in Grimsby, was the victim of financial abuse at the hands of a lawyer who was acting as power of attorney.

When they first discovered the abuse, they learned that about $500,000 had been taken from his mom. They've been able to recover much of it, though Bremner said they're still fighting through civil court for another $100,000 she's owed.

"We need to bring the voices forward so that the legal system understands this needs to be handled in a much more effective way," he said.

Part of the problem, Bremner argues, is that prosecutors are hesitant to move ahead with criminal cases because much of elder abuse relies on the victim's testimony.

"Senior citizens don't make good witnesses," he said. That's especially the case for those with dementia, like his mother.

For their part, politicians in Ottawa back more support for older adults and finding ways to end elder abuse. In a recorded message, federal Minister of Seniors Kamal Khera called the awareness efforts of Bremner and the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association an innovative idea.

"We need to do all we can to put an end to this serious problem," she said, adding elder abuse can take the form of financial, physical, and neglect.

Niagara West MP Dean Allison has also been a vocal supporter, Bremner said. Allison was at a news conference held during the Niagara stop at the Niagara District Airport in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

"We have to figure out how to do more as a society," he said.

Bremner said he partnered with the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association because those planes were "flown by what is known today as the greatest generation. Our grandparents, our parents. And those (planes), just like the elderly, need to be protected and they need to be helped."

Harvard aircraft were used as training planes for future fighter pilots. The planes were used by Canadian, American and British pilots to get ready to fight in the Second World War. They would continue to be used for decades after the war as well.

In addition to increasing awareness and calling for stronger laws to protect older adults, the event is also raising money for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Donations can be made at Alzheimer.ca, or you can follow along with the flight on Twitter at the handle @awarenessflight.

Elder Abuse Awareness Day was Wednesday, June 15.

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2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281530819700057

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