The Brussels Post, 1976-07-21, Page 11er last
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Cones, Sundaes, Shakes,
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THE BRUSSELS POST, JULY 21, 1976
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PEPPERIDGE :FARM CAKES 8 ea
elen M McKercher
Staff honours retiring
home economics director
Today's Health
Be careful when
taking the plunge
It must be an uneasy time for members of
parliament. First, they were forced to vote on
a moral question-, the abolishment of capital
punishment, in what must have been an
agonizing examination of conscience versus
expedience, for many.
Despite the fact that the bill squeaked
through, most M.P.'s must know that most
Canadians are against it. And it's that same
majority that elects those same M.P.'s.
Enough to make a politician lose a little sleep,
eh?
Next they saw a comparatively small group
of Canadians, the airline pilots, thumbing
their noses at the government, and getting
away with it. And once again, it was pretty
obvious that a majority of Canadians was
solidly behind the pilots.
There is little doubt that most M.P.'s will be
happy to get out of the pressure-cooker
Ottawa has turned out to be this year, and
back to their own constituencies for a couple of
months of fence-building, baby-kissing and all
the other nefarious activities of a politician on
his home grounds.
My heart is not exactly bleeding for our
M:P.'s but I am more than a little disturbed by
the two incidents that have contributed to
their unease in the past few months.
On the first issue, capital punishment, it is
readily apparent, from the closeness of the
final tally, that the country is split right down
the middle on the issue. And that's not good.
But I can live with it. The majority has
spoken, in a supposedly free vote, and it's not
going to wound this country to the vitals if a
few murderers are hanged or kicked to death
with a frozen boot, or otherwise executed in
whatever cute manner is decided on.
It's the second issue that bothers me
considerably. For behind the pilots' palaver
about safety, and the government's obduracy,
amounting almost to stupidity, concerning
bilingualism at our airports, lies a much
darker murk. A
That is the obvious backlash' of English-
speaking Canadians to the government's
chosen policy of bilingualism. This bitter
backlash is not just bad, in my opinion: it is
dangerous.
Again and again, we saw on television
perfectly ordinary citizens who backed the
pilots' stand, even when personally inconven-
ienced by the strike that was not a strike,
blurting things like: "I'm sick of having it
(bilingualism) shoved down by throat'?
This is not the voice of reason, but of bias,
and I hate to see it in this country which. I love
so much.
For a couple of centuries, the French of
Canada had English shoved down their
throats, not by law, but by business,
commerce, politics, education. Naturally, they
resented it. Now, they're trying to achieve
equality of opportunity, through bilingualism.
The result is a strong and ugly racialism
bouncing back at them from those English-
sfjeaking Canadians who are biased and
bigoted.
As in most bigotry, the retorts are based on
ignorance and fear. Civil servants too stupid
or too lazy to learn French are afraid for their
jobs. Protestants abhor the rise of Rome, even
Though most French-Canadians these days are
more protestant than the Protestants. Conser-
vatives fear any change in the comfortable
pattern of Canadian. life, ,in which, for
generations, a Frenchman was a "Frog," to
be looked down on.
Maybe I'm out, of touch, but I haven't
noticed anybody trying to shove French down
my throat.
I hold no grief for the -province of Quebec. I
am as sick of its whining and demands as the
next guy. I think its politics are and have
been, more corrupt than any of the other
provinces, which isn't saying much. I don't
even care that deeply about Quebec separat-
ing from the rest of Canada. Nations are not
sacred.
But none of that has anything to do with the
FrenCh language. I thought Canadians were
growing up, learning tolerance, becoming
more sophisticated, more fair.
But the latest ugly developments make me
wonder. Are we just a bunch of rednecks at
heart?
Watching the Olympic swim-
mers makes us realize how
thoroughly human beings have
mastered the water. Whoever
said "if we'd been meant to
swim, we'd have come equipped
with fins and cold blood" could
never have seen the 100-metre
crawl performed in well under a
minute.
Less splashily, perhaps, than
the aquatic elite of the Olympics,
millions of Canadians neverthe-
less take the plunge at this time of
year. And why not? Swimming is
good clean fun. It expands the
lungs, exercises the heart and
muscles. . .tones you up all over,
and makes you feel good. If you
do it sensibly, that is.
But either through inexper-
ience or over-confidence many
people abandon sense when they
abandon land. Last year,' in.
Ontario, some 500 people
drowned. Many of these fatalities
could have been avoided had the
victims taken proper safety
precautions.
To start with, know what you're
getting into. Check that the water
you plan to swim in has no
obstacles like rocks or weeds.
And ensure that the current isn't
stronger than you are. ,
If you're going to dive - into a
lake, a river, an ocean or a pool -
make sure you know how deep the
water is. The reason for taking
this precaution is to, avoid spinal-
cord injury, which may result in
permanent paralysis.
Since even the strongest
swimmers can get into difficul-
ties, it's advisable always to swim
in company - never alone. And
swimming after dark, in a storm,
or immediately following a heavy
meals, can spell trouble.
Because roughly a quarter of
those who drowned last year were
children under 1,0, particular
attention should be paid to their
safety. Kids who can't swim
shotild never be allowed to rely on
inflatable toys or on other floating
objects like logs or rafts. And
children should always be seen
and heard when playing near
water.
It's a good idea to teach
children to swim at as young an
age as possible - and, at the same
time, to instruct them fully about
water safety, so it becomes a
habit.
Since many water mishaps
occur through poorly planhed
efforts to help others, you should
know that diving in after someone
who's fallen from a boat can
double the potential danger. The
person overboard should be
thrown an oar or rope or some
buoyant object like a lifebelt, or
even a gas can or thermos jug.
A pamphlet, Get In The Swim,
is available free of charge from
the Health Resource Centre,
Communications Branch, Ontario
Ministry of Health, Hepburn
Block, Queen's Park, Toronto,
Ontario M7A 1S2.
You may not need fins and cold
blood to enjoy swimming, but you
do need your wits, and a cool
:lead, to do it safely.
STEVENS
COUNTRY GOLD
DISC JOCKEY
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Phone evenings
887-6159
Ethel, Ontario
Sugar and Spice
by Bill Smiley
An uneasy time
ice After more than 40 years of,
service in the Home Economics
branch of the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food, Helen
McKercher, who's been director
of the branch since 1956, is
getting ready to start a well
deserved retirement.
The McKillop native was
honoured Thursday night at a
surprise pre-retirement party by
100 staff, forrrier staff members
and friends, at the Royal York in
Toronto.
After she graduated from
Seaforth Collegiate Institute, and
from McDonald Institute, Guelph
Miss McKercher started working
with the then department of
agriculture in 1932 on a part time
basis.
Three years in the 'Royal
Canadian Navy and studies at
Cornell University in. New York
followed and here she received
her Masters Degteee: She
returned to the Department of
Agriculture in Toronto as
assistant director until 1952 wheti,,,
she was named to head the
Consumers Branch in the federal
department of Fisheries in
Ottawa. Ifi 1956 Miss McKercher
Correction
Trophies for the winners Of
the August rodeo in EtriAsels will 13,6 doanted by the Brussels
Business, Association.
returned to Toronto and the
Ontario Department when she
was named director of the Home
Economics Branch.
Special guests at the dinner
were Seaforth area people
including Miss McKercher's
brother Robert and sister-in-law
Greta, Huron. County Home
Economist Jane Pengilley, Susan
Wheatley and kuth,Axtinann and
Jane Sills, now on staff with the
Home Economics branch in
Simcoe. Deputy Minister of
Agriculture R. Gordon Bennett
and Assistant Deputy Minister
Ken Lance also atteneded.
Mrs. Margaret Woof chaired
the program. Miss McKercher
was presetned with a saphire and
diamond ring. Miss McKercher
has a home in Stratford where
she'll live after her October
retirement.
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