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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-08-13, Page 5Sugar and Spice by Bill Smiley It wasn't quite the ridiculous and the sublime, but near enough. A good, contrasting picture of Canada on a Sunday in summer. We'd gone back to the village to join Grandad in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the little white church by the bay. Sunday morning, breakfast over, off for a drive with the city-lawyer brother-in-law, while the wives were doing the dishes. Poked around the neighborhood, shaking our heads over the property developments, where entrepreneurs were geting as much for a single lot as their grandfathers had for a 150-acre farm with house and barn. Commiserated with each other over the fact that we'd both be millionaires if we'd bought some of this shore property 20 years ago, when it was dirt cheap.. Conveniently forgot that neither of us had enough money to buy one lot 20 years ago, let along a mile of shoreline. Driving along the shore road, spotted a loe'of activity. Naturally, stopped for a 'look, as one always does in the country. It was a scuba . diving expedition, complete with vans, tanks, goggles, snorkels, and man-from-Mars suits.. Hung around to watch, and asked some casual questions from one of the "divers." He was so reticent you'd have thought he was just about to climb into a Moon-bound capsule, instead of into about 12 inches of water. He finally -admitted grimly that the group had just finished its training, and that this "dive" they were about to make was the "real thing". There were about 20 in the group. We stood around and watched as they struggled and wiggled and squirmed into their skin-tight suits and heavy tanks, and sprayed 'their goggles and checked their air-lines and adjusted their flippers. This was the real thing, no question about it, and the tension mounted steadily as they spent 'half an -hour getting fitte out for the dangers of the depths: octopi, sunken wrecks, sharks. There was only one female in the group, an extremely chubby one, and she had so much trouble squeezing into her suit and getting it zipped, over the bulges that I was mighty glad I wasn't out there, trapped in a wreck, waiting for her to rescue me. Finally, purple in the face, she was ready. Then their leader appeared. He had been out there, fearlessly probing the possible dangers of the sunken wreck. He stood there, barking orders, making them recheck their gear, dividing them into teams, ensuring that their boot-knives were available for a swift slash of a tangled life-line. Finally, the big dive was on. They waded for 10 feet, since it was too shallow to lie down. Then they flopped and snorkeled out, in about two feet of water, to the wreck, every nerve keyed, every sense alerted to the perils ahead. The assistant instructor, who wasn't making the dive, sighed with relief, pulled a beer out of his van, and chatted cheerfully with us. "What do they do out there?" he was asked. "Not a helluva lot," he replied. "When you've swum over, the thing about three times, that's about it." We silently concurred. We knew the "sunken wreck" was an old barge, towed there years before to serve as a dock for a boat-owner. Three years ago, when the water was lower, it sat three feet out of the water. The only sunken treasure would have to be the old car motor which anchored it. I know that diving must be fun, and is dangerous, but this operation made me giggle. It was like watching a lot of six-year-old boys get fitted out .in their space uniforms, do a ritual countdown, and then run around the backyard yelling :"Zooml Zoom!" Couldn't help pondering on why 20-odd people would drive a round trip of 300 miles from the city and get dressed in Hallowe'en costumes to paddle around in three feet of water "exploring" an old barage. Three hours later,, we were sitting in the church, for the anniversary service, just 100 yards down the road from the big dive. There was a simple dignity here which underlined the silliness of the other operation. I guess we were as inappropriately dressed for a hot summer day as the divers — shirts and ties and suits and summer dresses. Most of the people were middle- aged to old, with a sprinkling of children. But there was a sense of drawing together, of closeness, of continuity. Reading the brief history of this little, frame, 100-year-old building, one was aware, however dimly, of the fierce determination of the first families, when they erected it, on a donated lot, at a cost of $500, that their children would be God-fearing , God-loving christians. And there was a little sadness in the knowledge that the sunday School had beenforced.to close, and that the church is now open only in summer, and that many of the children, and the children's children and so on, are neither God-fearing nor God-loving. And there was some price when grandad, sitting next to me, was singled out as having been associated with that church for 75 years. But the children and the children's children had rallied around for the occasion. And after the service, there was the get-together in the community hail for the coffee and sandwiches, and the hundreds of handshakes, and the sometimes desperate trying to put together of names and faces not seen for years, and the presentation of grandchildren, and the hard realization that everyone is growing older. The new and the old. The silliness and the simplicity. the plump young city men struggling into their skinsuits, and the weather-beaten farmers in their strangling collars and ties. A summer Sunday in Canada. Wingham Memorial Shop QUALITY SERVICE CRAFTMANSHIP Open Every Weekday Your Guarantee for Over 35 Years of CEMETERY LETTERING Box 158, WINGHAM JOHN MALLICK WEEKLY SALE BRUSSELS STOCKYARDS LTD, EVERY FRIDAY At 12 NtiOn Phone 887-6461 Ofit The Industrial Development kakis trying tO make its facilites better known and More readily available in the Brussels area. An experienced represen- tative of 1.1)B, W. R. Rounding, has recently been assigned the specific reSpottsi= bility of handling financing proposals frotn the Brussels territory, He will be Operating out of the Stratford district office, which administers the Ibtt programs inPerth and Huron- CdOnties. In the above capacity, Rounding will conduct Prdadvertited visits to WInghatri ion the third Tuesday of each month) 1)55 for the purpose of Making financial and advioty sOVides available to local IBD more active in Brussels businesses. Mr. Rounding will also be in the area several times monthly on an informal basis, to conduct follow-up credit studies as well as to respond to requests fot advice on the bank's functions from local financial institutions, chartered accountants and Munidipal Officials on behalf of their clients. The IDR, established in 1944 as a subsidiary of the Bank 'of Canada, makes loans to new or existing businesses of all types for a Variety of purposes. While thete are no liniits on loan amounts, almost 80 per cent of the bank"i loans are for $50,000 or less, reflecting the bank's special focus on providing assistance to smaller businesses,• Where the proposal is sound and financing is not available elsewhere on reasonable terms and conditions in keeping with .the needs of the operation. In addition to • financial assistance, IDB is issuing a series of helpful brochures on small business management which .are a vailable, on request, at no barge. TDB also organizes, through its branch offices and with the asSistance and co-sponsorship of district Chambers of Comnierce, management seminars to help owners and operators of smaller businesses improve their management skills. Speakers n the functions of the bank are also provided for professional and service club rneetingS on request. Crowd greets Campbells on 50th anniversary Mr. and Mrs. George H. Campbell of Queen Street East, Listowel, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with "Open House" on August 2nd, 1975 at the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Ivan and Betty Campbell of Brussels. Mr. Campbell was the son of the late Ivie and Mary Campbell of Grey Township. Mrs. Campbell was the daughter of the late Thomas and Catherine Lucas also of Grey Township. They were married in Waterloo on August 1st, 1925. Mr. Russel Thiel, cousin of the bride, and now of Preston-Cambridge, acted as groomsman, and Mrs.Robert (Nell) Bennett, sister of the groom and now of Listowel, was the bridesmaid. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have been residents of Listowel for —35 years and are members of the- Presbyterian Church. The couple have 2 sons, Ivan of Brussels, and Morris of Holstein. They also have 6 grandchildren. During the afternoon and even ing, • Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, along with their bridesmaid and groomsman, greeted the guests in the living room, then the guests entered the dining room for tea, squares and wedding cake. The table was A wide range of cultural and recreational projects are eligible for funding from the first proceeds of the Wintario Lottery. Culture and Recreation Minis- ter, Robert Welch said individ- uals and community groups are being invited to suggest projects ranging from the purchase of band instruments to arranging historical displays. He said that approximately $9 million is being made available immediately from both Wintario and Oympic lottery proceeds for projects and activities which do not require any substantial capital investment for buildings or facili- ties. Mr. Welch told the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario that the province expects at least $20 million from the Wintario Lottery this year. Draws have been held every second week since Mayand the net proceeds are intended for sports, fitness, culture and rec- reation programs 'and facilities, Projects eligible for assistance under the program announced include tours by artists and performing groups within Ontario adorned with a homemade lace cloth, centred with a bouquet of golden rosebuds and baby breath, and gold candles. The wedding cake was displayed on the buffet. Pouring tea were Mrs. Irene Campbell, Miss Margaret Armstrong, Mrs. Thomas Lucas- •, Mrs. Jack Lucas, Mrs. Gordon Heath, Mrs. Jackson McCutcheon, all of Listowel, Mrs. Jessie Finkbeiner of London, Mrs, Gertrude Coates of Palmerston, and Mrs. Addie Higdon of Boston, Mass. Serving guests were granddaughters and nieces of the couple, Heather, Holly. Lee, Harmony and Julie Campbell, Mrs. Reta Mann, Mrs. Barbara Breckles, Karen Mann, Mrs. Jackie Allen and Mrs. Joanne Williamson. During the supper hour, many guests enjoyed a picnic lunch with the Campbell families at the same home. Guests attended from Boston, Detroit,' Wolverene, Kapuskasing,Toronto, Burford, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Preston Cambrdige, London, Bur lngton, Mount Forest, Holstein, Elmira, Kincardine, Seaforth, Gadshill, Listowel, Atwood, Gorrie, Molesworth, Ethel, Cranbrook , Walton, Brussels and surrounding area. and funds for musical instru- ments and major sports equip- ment. Grants will be made only for a portion of the cost and will be. considered on a "one shot" basis with no commitment for further provincial funds. He said municipal recreation• departments will be eligible for grants to buy supplies and equipment to start new arts and crafts programs and libraries will have additional funds to buy additional material, including - foreign languages and books designed for use by blind and handicapped people. Grants up to $5,000 will be available on a matching basis for events connected with municipal anniversary or centennial celebra- tions and municipalities, business and industry will be encouraged to develop fitness programs. The minister said the grants are in addition to those now provided by the ministry for community centres, cultural faci- lities, libraries, community information centres and visual and performing artists and groups. Wintario money available NE. BRUSSELS', Pititti. AUGUST 13, 191S —