HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-04-28, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011.Local letter carrier has been on the job for 40 years
For 40 years Marilyn Sproul has
been delivering the mail to residents
around Ethel, and, with other homes
that have added to her route, her
two-hour daily tour has become a
full-time job.
Sproul started with the RR #1
Ethel route in 1971 with 90
customers. At the time, she had just
turned 21, and Canada Post required
that employees be that age tobecome a Rural and Suburban MailCarrier (RSMC).“I heard about the project, and I
put a tender in,” she said.
When she began, Sproul operated
out of the post office in Ethel that
was housed in the General Store and
run by the Webers.
The experience was different then
than it is now as Sproul often found
herself working as a delivery service
and mail carrier.
“I remember, back then, people
would call in to the General Store
and ask to be sent milk and
cigarettes,” she said.
Sproul stated that she can no
longer do things like that since rules
stipulate she can’t leave her vehicle.
The Ethel post office was
eventually closed in 1990 and
mailboxes were put into the village,
which then became a part of
Sproul’s route.
Sproul doesn’t recall any
particularly exciting events over her
years of experience, but she has seen
some memorable things.
“I’ve never seen any fire or
anything like that,” she said. “I
found a couple of minor accidents
that I wasn’t involved in.”
She said that the only real problem
that sticks out in her mind was
Roland Road, which runs alongside
a river.
“After the first thaw of the year,
that road would become impassable
for a week or more,” she said,
adding that it has since been repaired
and doesn’t cause so many
problems.The biggest change over 40 yearsis the snow.“We don’t get snow like we used
to,” she said. “I remember eight foot
drifts that we used to have to dig
mailboxes out of.”
She then added that, even with the
snow, she could count on both hands
how many times she has been stuck
due to the weather in 40 years.
“I’ve been pulled out by graders,
or nearby farmers, but it’s happened
less than 10 times in 40 years,” she
said.
Through the closing of the Ethel
post office, and the recent death of
RSMC Ross Alcock, Sproul’s job
has become increasingly larger over
the past 15 years, but she still enjoys
it.
This could have something to do
with the fact that the job has become
a family affair. Sproul’s husband,
who used to be a roofer, joined her in
her profession 15 years ago.
“My husband fell and hurt himself
some years ago,” she said. “After he
began healing up, he started coming
with me on the deliveries, and
eventually got into the business on
his own.”
The Sprouls now both work out of
the Brussels office.
“It wasn’t a big route when I
started,” she said. “I could work a
second job in the afternoon. [I
worked] at Braemar Retirement
Centre for several years. But with
the new route, I had to give up my
shifts there and only go in
occasionally.”
Since she began the route, Sproulhas found that she can make a claimthat, according to her, few otherprofessions can make.
“Most people can’t say this, but I
can,” she said. “I’ve watched
families grow. I remember seeing
and talking to children waiting for
the bus and now I see their children
waiting for the bus.”
She then said that she can
remember some customers who
were seven years old when she
started, but now have teenaged
children of their own.
Sproul’s original 90 customers, or
their families, however, are
dwindling.
“There’s probably 20 of the
original 90 left,” she said. “Some
have passed away, others’ farms
have been sold, and some have gone
to other family members.”
While she has been running the
route for 40 years, she’s received
little recognition from Canada Post
due to the nature of her employment
agreement.
“All I have to show for these years
is a five-year pin,” she explained. “I
wasn’t officially an employee of the
company until 2003 because I was a
contract worker before then.”
While the company may not have
recognized the 40 years, her
customers have recognized her every
year since she started.
“The customers are really good to
you,” she said. “They remember the
things you do for them, and around
Christmas, [my] house is full of
‘thank-yous’ from them.”
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The mail has gone through
Marilyn Sproul, a Rural and Suburban Mail Carrier
(RSMC) for Canada Post has been delivering mail to RR1
Ethel for 40 years and has recently started to deliver to
customers in Ethel and Brussels. (Denny Scott photo)
Desserts to donate for
Blyth Public School’s Grade 8 students, like Chantal
VanSchaik, shown here, with the help of some thoughtful
assistants, put on a roast beef dinner on Thursday, April 21
at the Blyth Memorial Hall to raise money for their year-
end trip to Camp Celtic. The dinner was held in conjuction
with a silent auction to help send the soon-to-be graduates
on their trip. (Denny Scott photo)
Wroxeter man wins by quitting
Kevin Wormington may be buying
a new patio set soon. And you can be
sure the Huron County winner of the
Driven to Quit Challenge won’t be
having a morning coffee and
cigarette while sitting there.
Wormington picked up his $350 gift
certificate from the Huron County
Health Unit after successfully
quitting smoking.
The Wroxeter resident tried to quit
smoking several times before he
registered for the provincial Driven
to Quit Challenge in February. Now
smoke-free and one of the local
Driven to Quit prize winners,
Wormington was finally able to kick
the habit. He credits the support of
his smoke-free buddy, Christine
Fischer, nicotine replacement
therapy and being mentally ready to
quit (and a bag or two of sunflower
seeds).
Wormington was randomly
selected as the winner of a $350
Mastercard gift certificate. His
buddy, who supported Wormington
in his quitting, received a $100
Mastercard gift certificate.
Huron County had almost 200
participants in this year’s Driven to
Quit challenge.
The provincial grand prize
winner, Brian Perkins of Brantford,
drove away in a brand new Honda
hybrid.
Wormington says he has smoked
for over 15 years, so he’s very happy
about being successful. But, he says,
it’s far from over. “It’s still a long
haul. But my kids, Rylin, Jackson
and Quin are big motivators for me.
I want to be healthy for them.”
The Driven to Quit Challenge is a
health promotion campaign that
encourages Ontario adults who are
daily smokers or tobacco users to
make a quit attempt with the support
of a “buddy” for the chance to win
great prizes. Since 2006, the Driven
to Quit Challenge has inspired more
than 100,000 Ontarians to make a
quit attempt.
(Not) Smooooking
Kevin Wormington of Wroxeter won big by quitting
smoking. Wormington, who received $350 in gift
certificates from the Huron County Health Unit,
participated in the Driven to Quit competition, which has a
grand prize of a new car for one lucky Ontario winner.
(photo submitted)
FARM SAFETY FACT
Did you know?
((NC) – Hospitalization due to animal-related injuries indicate that horses
(46.5%) and cows (33.0%) are the most significant causes, followed by
incidents involving bulls, calves, steers and others.
Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program.
– News Canada