HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-02-21, Page 6e 4-141ielesew Sentinel, Wednesday, February 21, 1979 ,
The Lucknow Sentinel
LUCKNOW, ONTARIO ' •
"The Sepoy Town"
On the Huron -Bruce Boundary
Established 1873 - Published Wednesday
.Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd.
4
Sharon J. Dietz - Editor
4
Anthony N. Johnstone - Advertising and
' General Manager
Subscription rate, $11 per gear in advance
Senior Citizens rate, $9 per year in advance
U.S.A. and Foreign, $21.50 per year in advance
Business and Editorial. Office Telephone 528-2822
MailingAdress. P.O. Box 400, Lucknow, NOG 2H0
Second class mail registration number 0847
To discuss cutbacks
" Wingham.dnd District Hospit-
al are holding a public meeting
at the hospital at 8 p.m. tonight
to discuss the 'bed cutbacks
proposed by the Ontario Minist-
ry of Health.
''The'government proposes cut
ting back to 3.5 hospitalbeds per
:1,000. populations which means
Wingham • will possibly. close
about 14.beds toconply with the
regulation.
The board of directors for the
Wingham Hospital met on Feb-
ruary .14 to discuss the minist-
ry's proposal and its remit ica
tions on. the Wingham. Hospital.'.
They'are prepared to discuss the
problems involved with the
public tonight.
Petitions are being circulated
in this area:opposing the propos-
al to cutback the, number of beds
at Ontario Hospitals. Many'
people who believe that this
proposal will seriously affect. the
• quality of healthcare in our area
and . across the province are '
...signing .'their names in opposi- .
tion to the : bed cutbacks.
The. Huron Medical Officer of
Health and doctors in Huron
have been speakingout against
the proposal sayingits ramifica
tions could mean hospital closur-
es, inefficient services due' • to
lack of funds and perhaps'even
deaths attributed to unavailabil-
ity of .services. '
It is fairly simple -to 'add your
name to a petition without
understanding the issue or ,its
ramifications. The meeting ' in
Wingham tonight will give ev-
eryone an opportunity. to .ask
questions, learn details 'and find
out -how the Wingham Hospital
plans . -to: copewith budget
_restraints and bed .closures: It
will be ,a chance to make a
knowledgeable decision in , fav- •
- ou.i",,;,or against the government.
proposal,
Health care is . everyone's.
responsibility: But there is also a
responsibility to study the issues
before accepting the proposal as
a . a `faite accompli" ' or signing
ypur ,name to a� petition against
it;
Wine and cheese pa
at Pnec�esta fine; t
BY AUBREY HIGGINS
I have a first and exctusive-
for you. On January 30 we
' had a wine and cheese social
for the residents of Pine -
crest. Right here is where.I
think° I should thank ,the
management and staff for
their thoughtfulness, :and all
the wotk they . put. into
making �t stick, a success. -
Thisi " .not just fromme, •
pt -all ho were - able to
artig pa e, '
- 'do? rtyWas in full swing
when 1 left iify soon to go
and join in. When I got -to the
entrance of the dining room;
something stopped me, and I -
was'looking at a wonderful
sight. •
The rooin seemed to
change into a large parlour in
a very old house and the
people I was looking at were
the members of a very, large,
old family gathered to cele-
brate grandma's birthday or
something.
The wheelchairs all teem-
ed t9 disappear . and I was
looking at different groups;
some at fables, some on
davenports, with a group- of
chairs all occupied and ev-
eryone talking at once, some
getting' all the ' problems
solved' for Mr. Trudeau.
Others were laughing and
.reminiscing and , others . just
talking pout. nothing.
Therewere'' only a few
outsiders just enough to give
it a modern touch.
You should\ have seen the
sophisticated way some of
thosel'adies raised their wine
• glasses:. They might not get
it all the way to their lips; -
without having to set it down
again to voice another opin-
ion. - ..;;,. .
Tliere.,»;as no resemblance
whatever' to a cocktail party
where everyone is .-rushing
around with a glass of
champagne' in one hand and
a martini in the other, trying
to prove how much they can
drink and still stand up.
Na, I thought it about the
finest thing that has happens
ed to our place since I have
made this My home. ,
I hope there will be many
more of them. .
SLIPPERY.SIDEWALKS
I niahtaged to ~get down
town on. Monday the first I
have been out of the build-
ing, since before Christmas.
I was given a ride to the
Royal .Bank then walked over
to -the Post Office, then down•
the street.
Something struck me. very
CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
eaters to
editor
February 19, 1979.
To the editor,
$ The Lucknow Kinsmen
would like tothank the.
Lucknow Figure- Skating
Club, Dave Black and Steve
Pritchard who donated . their
referee time free of charge
and all those who supported
the Lucknow Kinsmen winter
carnival.
Proceeds from' the fund
raising project will go . to .
support Cystic Fibrosis.
the Liicknow
District Kinsmen.
•
sszonary. cow
BY SANDY NICIIOLSON
The picture and story . about the:
"Missionary Cow" first appeared in the
United Church Observer in December
1931`. In 1971, while living in Saskatoon,.
I wrote a number of articles for the
'Hudson Bay Post Review about some
snaps -taken during the period I was the
.United Church minister in the Hudson
Bay district. One was - about the
' `Missionar Cow". It - read in part:
` `From the time 1 would leave Hudson
Bay Junction on a Mondaymorning, to
• travel -by train' east, west, north or
south, I would rarely see a house witha
brick chimney. When relief was first
'made available in the area, the
maximum amount paid was $5 a month
fora couple plusc'a .dollar a .month per,
child . $10 ' each month being the
maximum for any family. ' Initially . the
relief officers had nq. 'authority to
disburse funds ' fox clothing. Conse-
quently, letters which I sent tochurches
in the cities and towns, east and •west
brought tons of good used clothing:
While delivering clothing with H. , K.
Webb, who was driving With his team
and. wagon, ' we met a' fain-ly that had
come from the Ukraine with $700 in . .
cash on reaching Canada. They arrived
as the worst possible time, unable to get
work or a homestead. A man made this
abandoned house available. They had a
' stock of hay but very tittleood in.the
house. Mr. Webb and I had`never.seen..
a baby so close to, starving' as the young
baby.
I :had just received a cheque om .the
late. John Joynt, who was en a
Member' of the Legislature for my n
- community, ' Lucknow, 'Ontario. His
instructions were to use the money
wherever it wbuld do the most good.
Mr. Webb and I thought that a cow
would probably save the life of the baby
and give the ,other .children .a better
chance.
When ! 4r. Webb and . I - found a
;suitable cow and turned: up with it the
newcomers -,'to Canada thought there
must be sothe catch. My previous article
continues:
"The family explained that. they. had
no money and did not wish to accept
charity in a new country. I explained
that we i'i+ould call it the Missionary
Cow. She would help them over. a
difficult period. When they were better .
established the cow would move on to
help someone else in the community.
Dr. Nicol- came to Hudson Bay
Junction especially to get a' picture of
the cow and family. Dr. Oliver,
Principal of St. Andrew's College had
become the first Moderator of the - ,
Church from the West: He thought this
a good story. It was arranged that Mr.
'Webb would meet us at Bertwell'With a
After the service in the large log
prime of the Webbs on Monday night he
would also .drive us, to Somme the next
- day when we could get a picture of the
cow, and family. The 'following . day
someone: else drove . us to Porcupine
Plain where we had church Wednesday
- night before returning to .Hudson Bay.
Junction. on .-the ,Arborled train on
, Thursday.
Almost a year ago, I had a long
distance call from Mrs. John .Luckin-
chuk, Prince George, B.C,' She . seemed
`surprised that 1' knew the Nicholson in
the picture with her husbands fancily so
Many years ago. Hee are some extracts
from her. • letter after the telephone
conversation '•
"ft tookquite a while to get your
-x address. When . ,Mom gave me that
Paper last ,year, whilevisiting'
finally I got your, address from the Post
Review . Those in the picture - Mom
lives in Somme - she . is' 80 in fair
health,• and recalls vividly all the hard-
ships coming • to Canada. Dad .passed.
• away in 1961.. Alex, the eldest boy, died
ofa.,heart, attack in 1973 leaving 5
children:: John, my husband, joined the
army in 19.40 and was wounded in the
front lines : we have 6 children. Anne
married .Bob Winn before he went
overseas:They lived in, Oakville and had
two children.. She died.'i.n 1974. Mild
red'.s husband is .employed by the
Wheat Pool in Regina - they have 2:
children. Louis:. 9s ...married ' with ` 5
children in Cache Creek and Philip' with
4 children lives in: Sheliy, B;C. Eva, .the
baby, is married to the :Wheat Pool
Agent at Carragana. and has 4 children.
A neighbour boy, John Moscovic, . also
got in . the picture. He now lives .in •
Vancouver." -
John wanted a copy of the picture,
which he has received through , the
kindness 'of Mks. Luckinchuk.
Last 'summer I had another telephone
.call from Prince George. Mrs. Luckin-
chuk"s" eightyyear old mother-in-law
was visiting. and wanted to thank me for.
"the .Missionary Cow". 1 told her my
wife and I were going west in August,
and she was one of the special friends
we planned to see. Marian's .fracturing
her left knee cap prevented our seeing
her,:, hilt we will. plan to visit Somme
again.•
Mr. Joynt,-when he 'sent the cheque,
was quite wealthy. But he too had been
poor when young, and never. forgot .this.
His son Wesley, and grandson George
became Reeve of Lucknow. and Warden
of Bruce County. I wish I had this story
before the death of Wes, a short time
ago.
The original picture{ind story appear-
ed in\ the United „Church Observer in
- January 1975 as one'of the stories of the
'first fifty years worthy retelling.
1