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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-06-15, Page 5Even in this century birth was in the home . Until well into this century, most Canadian women gave , birth at home, attended by mothers, aunts and sisters. The only professional involved was an experienced and knowledgeable woman - the local midwife. Midwives consoled and guided the mother, soothed the newborn with a brew from weeds and often took care of household chores while -the mother recovered. They were recognized as important members of the community. In New France, midwives were elected by the female members of the parishes. Ranging from highly - trained medical professionals to local women who inherited the knowledge from female family members, midwives were highly respected. In villages, they were recognizedas moral and public advisers. In Montreal, Quebec and Trois Rivieres, midwives were paid by the King.. • Elsewhere in Canada, midwives never attained elected status but they were held in high regard. In. Newfoundland, where midwives held sway until well into the 1960s, the local granny was a respected community figure. "We usen't to bother with the company doctor," according to one Newfoundland woman, "I had the midwife, Auntie- Elizabeth, for all my' babies. There ws no limit to, the' things she used to handle -She was so kind and sweet to us all." ..i • Until the 19th century, most Canadian doctors took little interest in childbirth. Hcwever, as their numbers grew, delivering babies became a lucrative business for many doctors. To persuade women to move away from their midwives,. they promised a cleaner and safer delivery. In medical journals, doctors ac- cused midwives of negligence and quackery. In the British American Journal, physicians asserted that: "When we consider the enormous errors which they (midwives) are continually perpetuating and the valuable lives which are frequently sacrificed to their ignorance, the more speedily some legislative interference is taken with respect to them, the better for the community at large." - .Childbirth was a frightening ex- perience for most women., Mortality rates for mothers and infants remained high until well in the 1920s. Women began to favor hospital births. However,' in reality, . hospital births may have been no safer than home births. -While doctors had "see Midwives, page 6 SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! _ Don't Miss This Event! FRIDAY, .JUNE 1 7 4pm-9pm SATURDAY, JUNE 1 8 gam-6.pm gleet the Mates'representacive and s�>r the latest '94 rt-fcldel SNORKLING & SCUBA EQUIPMENT CLEAROUTS AT EXCEPTIONAL PRICES! Groundhog Divers II 582 Gustavus St.; Port Eqn Shop by phone 389-3629 COALITION FOR HURON COUNTY MEETING . June 23rd 1994 8:30 -am to 12:00 pm Hensall Community Centre Auditorium U.- .. Groups and Businesses interested in community and labour :market issues are invited to attend. • Co-sponsored by jobsOntario Training and the Employment Training Committee of Huron Community Services Network. Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 15, 1994 - Page 5 History found in six miles To the editor: As you are aware, many ratepayers in our township have banded together to form the West Wawanosh .Landfill` Coalition Group to oppose the choice of our township as a site for a future Huron County Landfill or Dump. As one of the interested parties, my position has been to coordinate the committees and assist in pulling together all of the information to present our case to Huron County. Thispast weekend, Mrs. June Robinson handed in her report on the history of the farms on the sixth concession of West Wawanosh. What an' eye opener...all this history on our 6 1/4 mile line! There are 21 farms on this line that have been in the same families for three generations, three farms are fourth generation and the Pentlands are 5th generation. Many of these are century farms. What great history and what a shame much of this continuity could be lost or destroyed if Huron County chooses our community on the 6th Conces- sion for its landfill site. Huron County says that they are concerned about agriculture, however, it seems to have forgotten the root word of agriculture is "culture." What we are talking about here is 'cultural survival --the loss of family farms, many of them century farms, is not only a heritage resource lost but the backbone of the community lost. Writer, Wendell Berry says it best --"The average North American farm is sold and reshaped every generation. To find a third generation farm is rare. Yet, commone sense would identify the third generation farmer as the best keeper of the land. The whole idea of having a succession of people or communities in one place so that there is a memory -of what happened and knowledge of mistakes made --how not to repeat them is important. The third generation farmer is not inclined to overwork his land to pay off debt, nor is he satisfied with temporary solutions to long-standing problems as soil erosion --he is on his way to solving the grand relation between a farmer and his land and, beyond that, between a community and the land that sustains it." Thanks to June for the history lesson. I look forward to the publication of the West Wawanosh Hostory book and hope Huron County stops to consider that our "heritage" is the most imporatant thing we can leave for the next generation. Bev Grierson P.S. The next meeting of the West Wawanosh. Landfill Coaltion Group is at 8 p.m., June 24 at the St. Augustine Church. Please come out --we need your support! C Purchasing a vehicle is a 1 big decision! Let us help you make the right on& GARRY WOODCOCK Duality Cars 8 Trucks We Can Save You Money Drive A Little • Save A Lot LUCKNOW MONTGOMERY 528-2813 �•t.---1.++ TOWNSHIP OF ASHFIELD 1994 TAXES Second Installment Due on or before June 30th,1994 Taxes may be paid in person at the Municipal Office locat- ed (on Huron County Road #20, Lot 5, Conc. 9, Ashfield Township,. or mail to Township of Ashfield, R. R. #7, Lucknow, NOG 2H0. Linda Andrew,. A.M.C.T. Clerk -Treasurer Township of Ashfield remember to walk your fields after crop has emerged, it, is important to determine the stage of weeds/for proper post -emerge- application. weed escapes are easy to clean up at this time, and you also get is good over-all. view of crop performance • (OPERA F1oN Fiu4.. Basagran" Forte 1063:111MreadN;SONS tairtrab BEANS SEEDS FERTILIZERS Seaforth Hensall Mitchell Ai sa Craig Granton Port Albert 345-2545 262-2527 348-8433 293-3223 225-2360 529-7901