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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-05-28, Page 1BEST ALL ROUND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN CANADA (Circulation Class under 2200) C.C.N.A. Better Newspaper Competition 1985 PU$l,1SHED IN LUCK NOW, ONTARIO WFPNESDAY, MAi '1,1986 20 PAGES 41,¢y2$ 400 PER COPY ao } A } ♦h �, a � 3D \� } • } ��t�§���;..;�'i?:.}i:C \?:'"a}\:`�::.; �i.����\`cam}• }c \♦�\�\\�'• .",°::*i�i':,ti.\}:::•:*.'3}�°t.'o-;F}:\t.`}�,iy\..'�7 Q 4`c' �'♦ .}»` 2+�\`}\,`\� .n • Federal Employment and Immigration Minister, Flora MacDonald, opened Champion Road Machinery's new training and technology centre In Goderich Thursday. The centre, which is -providing skilled training to 118 candidates, is funded by Employment Canada's Job Development Program. Huron -Bruce MP Murray Cardiff and MacDonald were given a tour of the company's manufacturing plant by vice-president Mike Sully. [Dave Sykes photo] German pensions available A Wingham area woman has discovered something which could be of considerable interest to a number of local people; anyone who worked in. Germany, even for as few as five years, could be entitled to a retirement pension from the German government. Mrs. Margaret ' Niessen of RR 2, Wingham and Ottawa based pension consultant Paul Linden held ans information seminar Tuesday evening, May 27, at the Women's Institute Hall in Belgrave to explain the pension criteria to interested persons. Mrs. Niessen said she read an advertise- ment ' in a Canadian, German language newspaper last year about Mr. Linden's firm, which acts as an intermediary between the Canadian and German gov- ernments. Since she and her husband, Helmut, both German -horn Canadians, were inter- ested in learning, about pension possibilit- ies, they contacted 'Mr. Linden. He supplied them with the pertinent information and they learned as well there have been significant changes in the German pension critieria. Previously only those who had worked in Germany for 15 years qualified for a retirement pension. The new, five-year eligibility criteria opens the door for many more people to collect retirement pensions from the German government, says Mrs. Niessen, including herself. , Although she cannot collect a pension until she is 65, Mrs. Niessen says people can make application as early as age 50 to 55. Not only does the pension apply to people who worked in Germany, but also to those who served in the army or were homemakers with small children, like Mrs. Niessen, who had two children born in Germany. Now widowed, Mrs. Niessen says she is looking for ways to supplement her retire- ment income and feels there could be many other people in the same position who don't know they are eligible for this pension. For example her parents, who also live in this country, now are_ collecting the German government pension. Those wanting more information about the eligibility criteria may call Mrs. Niessen at 357-2161 for more information. Employment minister tours Champion grader plant Federal Employment and Immigration Minister Flora MacDonald got a first-hand look at her ministry's largest Job Develop- ment Program , here and she was pleased with what she saw. The minister was in Goderich Thursday to officially snip the ribbon ar.d open Champion Road Machinery's technology training centre and view the Job. Develop- ment Program of Employment Canada in action. Earlier in the daythe minister spoke to a group of high school students in Exeter and she attended the Huron -Bruce Conservative Association. annual meeting in Seaforth that evening. Champion's technology training centre, which is housed in a Gearco building in the industrial park, has been the focal point of the minister's Employment Canada project which is providing training and long-term job skills for 118 people. Approximately $2.5 million has been allocated for the -eharnpion progitittri 'c"tmder' ` five separate projects. After introductory remarks by Mike and Mark Sully, MacDonald officially opened the centre and commented that the retrain- ing program injected new life into many unemployed people and gave them a new skill and a new chance. "It (the program) offers a permanent training facility for Champion and the people in this course are able to come in and learn new skills," she explained. "For me, this is obviously part of the new approach we are taking to improve the labor force market in Canada." MacDonald toured the training centre with Champion officials and Huron -Bruce MP Murray Cardiff before taking an extended tour of Champion's Maitland Road manufacturing plant where she met and talked with several employees. Champion and Employment Canada officials said the program was established County teachers accept contract Bruce County secondary school teachers voted 86.5 per cent in favor of accepting the Bruce County Board of Education's final contract offer on Tuesday night. May 13. The vote was delayed by a week as proper language had not been used through certain sections of the tentative agreement, said Gordon Cale, president of Ontario Secondary School Teachers Feder- ation, District 44. In an open vote, the Bruce County Board of Education ratified- the secondary school teachers' contract for the 1985-86 school year at a board meeting on Tuesday, May 20. The teachers have been without a contract since August 1985. Though the -teachers had voted in favor of a strike earlier this year, negotiations between the two parties still progressed. Negotiations between the board and its elementary school teachers for a 1985-86 contract are still in the process. in response to the company's need for skilled labour and to address some retrain- ing requirements for the company's 650 regular employees. The. centre opened in February and during the first six weeks, trainee -employ- ees received training in welding, drafting and blueprint reading. The employees receive classroom instruction and practical training and skill development in simulated work areas in the centre. The major portion of the work training is conducted at the Maitland Road manufac- turing plant and about 20 per cent of the time is spent at the training centre under the guidance of three full-time instructors. Following approval of the program in January and subsequent to initial screen- ing by Employment Canada, Champion interviewed 230 potential candidates to select the successful 118 trainees. While all the trainees will not find employment with Champion at the conclusion of the 49 -week training session, the candidates will have acquired some valuable skills and exper- ience. Company official Dave Million told MacDonald after the tour that the company could not have pursued the establishment of the training centre without government assistance. "We wouldn't have hired 80 per cent of the employees without the employment program," he explained. "Some of the trainees will not make it through the program but I doubt Champion would have made a move without the program." While Million said the company's employees have had to put in "an •Turn to page 2 Service clubs The Lucknow Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs have been busy lately, especially with renovations at the community park. SEE PAGE 5. Bridal shower Kinlough correspondent May Boyle nforms us of a pleasant afternoon ridal shower held recently in the ommunity. SEE PAGE 15. Complex draw Did you win the weekly sports omplex draw? For this week's and last eek's results..... SEE PAGE 18. In this week's editor's column, your favorite Sentinel scribe expouses on the merits of training the family pooch. SEE PAGE 4.