The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-08-28, Page 4Baffin Around , In Saskatchewan
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Courage is a tree
A BIG ONE — These five would-be fishermen were naturally pleased to get hold of this 11-pound whopper
on their recent trip to Northern Saskafchewan. Of course they wouldn't tell the photographer where they
landed it, but it may have been more than coincidence that one of similar size and appearance had been
spotted by the astute camera man on the table of a neighboring cottager. photo by Batten
RUGGED TERRAIN — The northern bush of Saskatchewan is not unlike that of Ontario as can be seen as
Steve Batten huddles in the front of the boat heading for some fishing. Sitting in the middle is his guide,
former NHL star Dave Balon. Results of the fishing trip led Steve to comment that as a guide, Dave makes a
good hockey player. photo by Batten
Times Established 1873
Advocate Established 1881
Amalgamated 1924
late 4eferZimes-Abuoeafe
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O,W.N.A. and ABC
Publisher — Robert Southcott
Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager
Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh
Plant Manager — Les Webb
Composition Manager — David Worby
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386
Paid in Advance Circulation
March 31, 1975 5,249
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $9.00 Per Year; USA $11.00
Phone 235-1331
History lessons easier .on location
The snows of yesteryear
We've watched the poplar out
at the cottage grow from a tiny
straggling infant into a beautiful
leafy tree. Up on the cliff where
we're located we're buffetted by
many storms through every
season of the year, and when the
tree was just a small shoot it was
often bent over to the ground by
winds and rain and snow and ice
that lashed it unmercifully, Its
growth was slow and we often
wonder if it would reach
maturity. But inch by inch it sent
down its roots, and as its foothold
strengthened it gradually began
to heighten and branch out.
One year it was as if it suddenly
came of age . . it stood
stronger, straighter and started
to grow at a rate that amazed us.
And so it has continued until now
it towers above our small
lakeside retreat.
But winds and gales continue to
batter it, Last weekend I watched
it bending before a violent wind
and rain storm that ripped
through its branches, but even as
it was being tossed and torn it
seemed to keep a quiet firm
dignity like a majestic queen
rising above the turmoil and
angry noise of a maddened mob.
Even its leaves looked
courageous, their backs turned
up against the storm, bracing
themselves and hanging on.
When the tempest was over the
tree stood strong and unruffled,
even more beautiful as the rain
from the storm glistened and
shimmered on its leaves in the
sunlight.
Author Robert Raines writes,
"Courage is a tree in a storm,
bending low, standing there,
rooted in something strong than
the storm." The tree reminds me
of a lady whose life has been
battered by many storms. A
Small son died in a car accident,
And I guess I'm not the only
one. There were 500 at this
reunion, from three countries?
Where are all the others? There
were 10,000 airmen in the camp I
was in, only one of many.
A couple of other items
emerged from the news story.
Guess where the chaps were
entertained? In the officers' mess
at Moose Jaw,
Secondly, it was the first
reunion of POWs in 30 years to be
held outside Toronto.
What does this suggest? To me,
a little clique of Toronto-based
ex-officers who have kept the
thing going, for who knows what
adolescent satisfaction.
Whatever you may have heard
or read elsewhere, prisoners of
war who were officers didn't
suffer all that much. I know. I
was there.
We were not required to work
in factories or mines or on farms
as were "other ranks." I know of
no Canadian officers who starved
to death, though grub was
mightly slim in the last few
months.
Perhaps one in 1,000 was
beaten up for some
misdemeanor. I was one of them,
and it was my own fault.
It was no bed of roses, and I
don't minimize the skill and
daring of those who tried to
escape, but, looking back, it was
all juvenile and Boy Scoutish:
lookouts, secret passwords,
disguises, caving-in-tunnels,
an older son was killed in World
War II. Her husband was struck
down with a crippling disease
through which she nursed him for
many years before his death. In
later years, her daughter was
confined to a mental hospital.
Any of these tragedies would
have broken and embittered
many people but not this lady.
She surmounted her troubles to
become a victoriously, un-
defeatable woman, In fact, she
just keeps getting more beautiful.
Like the poplar after the rain-
storm glistening in the sun, her
face has taken on a glow and a
shine that draws others to her.
Her understanding and com-
passion is like a well where
discouraged and broken-hearted
people come to drink to be
refreshed and strengthened.
This is what Robert Raines is
talking about „ . a courage
rooted in something other than
the storm. And what is it rooted
in? Belief in God, trust and faith.
"I just kept on believing and
never lost faith," says my lady
friend, "and I've tried not to feel
sorry for myself and torment
myself by asking, "Why me?"
Two pieces of scripture that
have brought her and others
through storms are these: "I had
fainted, unless I had believed to
see the goodness of the Lord in
the landof the living," (Psalm 27)
and "I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me,"
The storms of life hammer all
of us. The battle continues from
childhood to the eventide of life
and sometimes we are bent to the
ground. Some are shattered and
their potential broken, Others
have the experience of having
God with them and when the
Storm hits it proves to be just
what makes them malleable and
Strong.
interminable planning, and end
results about as dramatic as one
degree Celsius.
There was suffering, of course,
but it was not beatings and tor-
ture and starvation, not for
Canadians. It was not physical,
but psychological.
As far as military discipline
went, most of the bodies had far
more freedom than they had on
their units. But there was the
simple fact that you were in jail,
and somebody would shoot you if
you tried to get out (quite the
opposite to modern Canadian
jails).
And there was the great feeling
of waste, of knowing that the best
years of your life were going
down the drain, while other
young men were kissing girls and
drinking beer and staying up all
night and doing all the other
foolish things young men do.
There was boredom and
monotony and stagnation and
frustration and a little lurking
fear that the latrine rumors
might be true - that Hitler had
ordered the SS to eliminate all
P.O.W.s when Germany faced
ultimate defeat.
But there were compensations.
There was a tremendous sense of
oneness against the enemy.
There was the fascinating
meeting of different ideas and
cultures, a great and almost
immediate education in itself.
Throw into one room the
following: a young actor from the
London stage, a kid from a
prairie farm, a Glasgow toughie,
a Dublin hooligan, an Australian
sheep farmer, a Welsh poet, a
Rhodesian schoolboy, a Nor-
wegian railworker.,That's a bare
sample.
Toss in an American from
California and a West Indian
singing calypsos and a Belgian
bookmaker and a Polish count
and a few other assorted odds and
sods, and you had a typical group
- at least in my camp.
I wonder where they all are?
Most of them, certainly, are a
long way from Moose Jaw and a
small group from Toronto whose
members can afford to fly to a
convention and try to recapture
something that is gone forever.
For the same reason I have
stopped going to reunions of old
fighter pilots. I went to a couple.
Enjoyed them. But there is a
tendency to maudlinism,
exaggeration and downright
lying about long-gone days.
These pot-bellied, bald, wife-
ridden, right-leaning, class-
conscious, middle-aged poops are
my old comrades? No way.
My memories of prison camp
and fighter-piloting are far more
fun than meeting some red-faced
paunch who roars over the noise
from the bar: "Hey, yeah! Aren't
you Jack? Jack Wiley? Yeah! We
were at Sagan together, (I was at
Barth). Wancha tameet the
wife."
All"the wife" wants is, not to
meet me, but to be sure that
Goerge is on his feet for the final
evening's ball, at which she will
peer, with her sad, crumpled 50-
year old face, at all the other sad,
trumped 50-year old ladies and
wonder what the hell the kids are
up to while she's hoofing it up in
Moose Jaw.
I told a little of this to my
friend. He understood, He was a
German officer with Rommel,
badly wounded in North Africa,
spent three years in a US prison
camp, and is now a Canadian
citizen,
Where are the snows of
yesteryear?
People go on vacations to
forget things, When they Open
their bags, they find out they did.
For some unexplained reason,
this appears to be the year for
members of the T-A staff to spend
their holidays in Western
Canada, so not to be outdone, the
editor and his troupe joined the
pilgrimage,
Our prime object was to attend
the annual convention of the
Canadian Community
Newspapers Association in
Saskatoon.
Now before you conjure up
thoughts of the usual convention
antics, let us note that govern-
ments employees were on strike
in that western city, cutting off
all liquor supplies, and this fact
wasn't even noticed by any of the
convention-goers until they heard
that news on their way home.
Puritans all!
Our trip started from London
airport aboard a DC9 and we
were particularly fortunate to
have picked up an ultra-clear day
for our flight, and despite getting
up some 35,000 feet into the
clouds, the terrain was still very
much visible below for most of
the trip.
The multi-hued fields of
Western Ontario quickly gave
way to the greens and blues of the
boundless lakes, rivers and
forests of North-Western Ontario
and then to the golds and light
greens of the Prairies below us,
The panorama visible from our
lofty perch gave full evidence of
the diversity of this great country
and our return trip on the train
provided a closer glimpse of the
vast changes that can be seen and
which make Canada so exciting
to behold.
Our trip also provided us with
an unique opportunity to step
back into history as the con-
vention organizers had arranged
a full day's outing to Batoche,
Duck Lake and Fort Carlton - the
three main centres involved in
the North West Rebellion of 1885.
Our knowledgeable guide,
Dennis Fisher, related his studies
of the Rebellion as we criss-
crossed the South Saskatchewan
river and we could almost
imagine being in the ranks of
General Middleton's militia as
they made their way by foot and
on the steamer Northcote to meet
the Metis under the command of
Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont at
the tiny settlement of Batoche.
We stopped at the main battle
field and had an opportunity to
kneel into the field pits which had
been dug by the Metis to give
them cover and a strong em-
bankment high on the hill
overlooking the river.
Further on, we walked past the
rectory and church, both
buildings still showing bullet
holes from the Gatling gun which
played such an important part in
the defeat of the Metis,
A museum in the rectory
displayed many artifacts from
the Rebellion, including actual
photographs taken at the battle
and even some of the pieces of
nails and stones which the Metis
used when their supply of shells
was depleted.
The nearby graveyard displays
the tomb stones of some of those
who fought for the Metis and a
memorial has been erected over
the grave of Dumont.
_Later at the convention we
heard one of our speakers refer in
glowing terms to the ability and
skill of Dumont. At age 14, he was
chosen by the Cree Indians and
Metis to lead their buffalo hunts
and we were told he probably
killed 300 or 400 buffalo for every
one killed by that American hero,
Buffalo Bill Cody.
Our speaker had met Dumont
as a young lad and referred to
him as one of our most colorful
Canadian figures.
The speaker? The Right Hon.
John G. Diefenbaker.
Historians have recounted that
had Dumont been given more say
in the battle strategy, the victory
by the militia would not have
been secured so easily.
Dumont had wanted to fight a
guerilla type of warfare, where
he could move his men in small
numbers to ambush the soldiers,
but Riel ordered him to stay at
Batoche where he was forced to
fight in a manner for which the
opposing militia was trained,
While he was hanged as a
traitor, Riel is more and more
being acclaimed as a hero in
Canadian history for his part in
attempting to protect the in-
terests of the Metis and the
Indians who were being pushed
farther and farther into the west
by the approaching civilization.
Moving on to Duck Lake, we
viewed a cairn erected at the
scene where the first shot had
been fired in the Rebellion. Some
argument exists as to who fired
that shot when a patrol of North
West Mounted Police met
Dumont and some of his band on
the road. Two men from each
side moved into a clearing to talk,
along with a police interpreter.
Our guide said that most of the
speculation suggests that the
interpreter fired the first shot
that led to Canada's major civil
insurrection.
At any rate, we had a history
lesson that more vividly taught
us in a matter of a few hours what
we only vaguely had been able to
comprehend in a history class
several years ago.
It's unfortunate that every
student in Canada couldn't be
given the opportunity to traverse
from coast to coast to visit all the
important locations where the
country's history unfurled. They
would certainly find it as en-
joyable as a trip to some
European country and they
would be more knowledgeable
and proud of their heritage.
Mr. Diefenbaker also en-
couraged all those at the con-
vention to urge the governments
to restore national sites of in-
terest such as Batoche so the
generations to follow will have an
opportunity to get first-hand
information on the events of our
past.
+ + +
Our second outing was to the
Western Development Museum
in Saskatoon. Here was another
educational and pleasant sojourn
into history in one of the largest
Museums we've ever visited. It
was about the size of a football
field and was all housed under
one roof.
On stepping through the main
door, visitors take a step back
over 100 years and before them is
the complete main street of an
early Western town.
Every shop and service outlet
available was in evidence, each
amply stocked with the wares
and equipment associated with
each one. The aroma of fresh
baking wafted into the street, to
be overpowered along the walk
by the interesting smell
emanating from the drug store
15 Years Ago
Robert Wolfe as King and Ann
Robertson as Queen reigned over
the Cowboy and Indian parade
which marked the end of the
Exeter Kinsmen playground for
the summer.
Col. E.E. Tieman, OBE, CD, of
Dashwood has been appointed
commandant of the Royal
Canadian Army Medical Corp
School at Camp Borden.
A significant development in
district schools will be the
opening on September 8, of the
new central school in
McGillivray township,
There will be three new
teachers on the SHDHS staff this
year, Cecil Wilson will be
returning to the school and
joining the English department,
Victor Dinnin will be teaching
English and Math; Ron Bogart is
the new instructor in agriculture
10 Years Ago
A group of teenagers, members
of the Exeter Teen Town picked
up hammers and nails last
Thursday evening and con-
structed bicycle stands for use at
the municipal swimming pool.
Two stands will hold 36 bicycles
and greatly assist in keeping the
pool bicycle parking area or-
derly.
Kay Hodgins, 18, daughter of
Mr, and Mrs. Reginald B.
Hodgins, Waterloo, formerly of
Centralia has been awarded an
Ontario Scholarship, Miss
Ilodgins indicated she will take
an honors course in French and
Latin or English at the University
(4 Waterloo,
and then the leather shop, etc.
Horses (lifelike models) and
carts lined the street, along with-
vintage cars and the fashionable
horse-pulled bus waiting to
transport people from the train
station up to the two-storey hotel
at the other end of town.
Antique cars, trucks, farm
implements, ambulances and
hearses were contained on the
side streets, leaving the visitor to
marvel at the ingenuity and
evolution which has led to today's
modern modes of transportation.
A real rootin tootin bank
robbery was staged for our en-
joyment, although the loud
cracks of gunfire sent some of the
younger convention-goers
scurrying for protection behind
their mother's skirts,
Similar museums are located
in other parts of the province
we can heartily recommend a
visit next time you travel to
Saskatchewan.
Most of the museums are
staffed by senior citizens on a
volunteer basis so the operating
costs are kept to a minimum.
Elderly gentlemen smile with
pride as they take visitors for a
ride in a steam tractor, while the
ladies display some of the skills
they knew and practiced in
earlier days as they quilt, make
hats and staff some of the
displays.
The opportunity given them in
operating the museum is un-
doubtedly one that provides
many hours of pleasure and their
interest in showing visitors a part
of earlier times obviously gives
them a deep sense of pride and
satisfaction.
+ + +
Outing number three was the
one to which we had been looking
forward for several weeks - a
fishing trip into Northern
Saskatchewan.
When most people think of the
Prairies, they think of endless
grain fields on a landscape that
stretches on a plateau as far
as the eye can see.
However, we were to see the
other Saskatchewan . . . the land
of trees and lakes so similar to
that of our own province's rugged
north.
Our destination was Waskesiu
located in the Prince Albert
National Park, The village in
itself is an ideal family vaca-
tionland, The facilities include a
supervised sand beach, of similar
quality to our own Lake Huron,
playgrounds, tennis courts, lawn
bowling, riding stable, theatre, a
beautiful 18-hole golf course and,
of course, plenty of lakes in which
to test your skill against northern
pike, pickerel, perch or trout.
Unfortunately, the Batten
family fishing experience was not
good. On our first trip out, with
former NHL star Dave Balon
guiding, we searched un-
successfully for walleye in Heart
Lakes. We returned with only one
perch. On our second trip, again
with Dave, our crew managed
only one jackfish (northern pike).
Our catch was no real in-
dication of the fishing in northern
Saskatchewan. Our congenial
host, Ray Baker, loaned us his
car and a later trip to HeartLakes
revealed one family returning
with 10 fish,the largest being an
eight-pound jack. On returning to
our cabin, our neighbors called us
over to see their catch of six pike,
the largest being an immense 11-
pounder. Several 20 to 30 poun-
ders have been caught in the area
this year.
When the bus pulled into
Waskesiu to pick up the Battens,
our faces were rather glum as we
had to relate our shut-out on the
lakes, and they became even
more glum when we heard our
confreres relate their ex-
periences, Most of them had been
hosted at fishing camps in the
Lac LaRonge area and they told
of catching more fish than they
could carry. One man said his
arms actually ached at night
from reeling in fish, while others
told of keeping only one in five or
six as they pulled in fish with
practically every cast.
Most had enjoyed lakeshore
fish feeds with their guides and
gave ample indication that
northern Saskatchewan is in-
deed a fisherman's dream.
+ + +
SIDENOTES — Our first ex-
perience of sleeping on a train
was great fun, particularly for
the kids. We marvelled at the
engineering skill that went into
transforming our two-chair
sitting room into a bunk bed
suitable for four of us for the
evening . . Two nights on the
train was ample and we did
wander at the stamina of those
fellow travellers who had spent
five days traversing the country
from Vancouver . . On the
second day of the rail trip, we
awoke in Armstrong and went to
sleep at Sudbury and the terrain
throughout the entire day had
been nothing but trees, rivers and
lakes in the immense northern
Ontario hinterlands while
many on the train were there
because they dislike flying, there
is little comparison between the
treatment received in the two
modes of transportation. This is
particularly the case when
comparing the smiling, cheery
airline stewardesses with some of
the grumpy men who serve as
stewards on the CNR . . . It also
seems that one is gouged
whenever possible on the train as
they charge an extra dime or
quarter for most of their items
from the snack bar and we also
found that their planning left a
little to be desired because most
items such as hot dogs or ham-
burgs were sold out before our
trip was half completed . . . one
of those on the fishing trip was
Bill Smiley, and no doubt we can
expect to read some of his fin-
dings in a future column in this
newspaper . . . if you think road
costs are high in Ontario,
imagine the share of tax dollars
spent in Saskatchewan where
they have three percent of the
nation's population and 30 per-
cent of the nation's high-
ways . . . western cities such as
Saskatoon have learned from the
mistakes of eastern cities and
they have been planned to ensure
more orderly growth as the in-
dustrial areas are well separated
from the residential zones.
A friend brought to my notice a
news story today. He wanted
my opinion of its contents.
The story was headed: Former
War Prisoners Hold Prairie
Reunion. It stated that more than
500 former prisoners of war from
Britain, the United States and
Canada gathered at Moose Jaw
recently for a 30th reunion.
The rest of the story was a little
nauseating. The reunion was held
in "an atmosphere not unlike the
prison camps they survived in
wartime." There was barbed
wire, a bazooka, two machine-
guns, a German flag, people
dressed up in German uniforms,
and caricatures of war-time
German officers.
I gave my reaction to my
friend: "A bunch of middle-aged
boys clinging to the only real
thing that ever happened to
them."
That sounds harsh, at first
glance, if it's possible to glance at
something and hear it. But it
satisfied' my friend.
"It's incredible," he said. "I
too would like to see some of my
old friends from prison camp, but
to talk, not to play games."
I agreed. I would like to see
some of my old friends from
prison camp. For about half an
hour. Not for a three-day reunion,
with wives tagging along.
And perhaps this is why I don't
attend the annual reunion of
former prisoners-of-war, though
I am invited every year.
40 Years Ago
Three members of the Main St.
Mission Circle were honored on
Thursday evening last at their
annual picnic at Riverview Park.
A large group were present also
Mrs. G. Layton the honorary
president. An address was read
by Miss Marjorie Medd to Miss
Evelyn Howard, president who
has secured a school at Blind
River and she was presented with
a shower of handkerchiefs. An
address was read by Miss Helen
Dignan to Mrs. T. Moffatt'
(nee Eleanor Medd) and Mrs.
Gerald Ford (nee Ruth Balkwill)
and the girls were presented with
silver casseroles.
The interior of the Exeter
school has been redecorated
ready for the fall term.
The home of the late Mrs. Mary
Ann Jones has been purchased by
Mr. 'Eric Campbell who gets
immediate possession, Mr.
Campbell is an employee of the
Tuckey Transport.
25 Years Ago
Mr, Murray Stephens of Lin-
denfield's is holidaying this week
at Doon School of Art, Kitchener.
Charlie Jinks who has carried
the mails to and from Hensall
Post Office to the CNR station for
the past 15 years has resigned,
Grand Bend Church of God
officially opened on Sunday. It
was built almost entirely by
donated labor.
The Exeter Public School has
decided to establish a kingeraten
at the beginning of the year.
Mr, & Mrs, Cecil Skinner and
Mr, W. C, Pearce attended the
London Laymen's Association at
Alma College, St, Thomas.
•