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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-06-13, Page 65 Palle Sentinel, Wednesday, June 13, 1979 The LUCKNOW SENTINE LUCKNOW, ONTARIO "the Sepoy Town" On the Huron -Bruce Boundary • Business and Editorial Office Telephone 528-2822 Mailing Address P.O. Box 400, Lucknow, NOG 2H0 • " Second class mail registration number - 0847 Established 1873 Published Wednesday CN. A MEMBER MEMBER SHARON J. DIETZ - Editor. ANTHONY N. JOHNSTONE - Advertising and General Manager PAT LIVINGSTON - Office Manager MERLE ELLIOTT - Typesetter MARY McMURRAY - Ad Composition 'Subseription rate, $11 per year in advance • Senior Citizens rate, $9 per year in advance A SIGNAL pu•LicanoN U.S.A. and Foreign, $21.50 per year in advance „ 5,r. Cit., O.S.A. and Foreign $19.50 per year in advance 5;. • '''''' 4.;""" • • " ."" A breach of trust • There's a glimmer of hope on the horizon for those concerned about bed closures at VVinghana and District Hospit-. al. An Ontario Supreme Court judge has ordered the Ontario Ministry of Health to restore immediately the budget funds for 25 beds ordered closed at the Metropol- itan Hospital 'in Windsor, The Windsor ' case is interesting • because the Wingham and Distrid . Hospital board passed a motion at their last meeting to take similar courtaction if • necessary to restore $168,000 removed from its budget for failing to close 14 beds as ordered by the ministry. The Windsor hospital entered a surpeme court action against the ministry • for the purpose of restoring the funds to their budget: The case will not be heard in the court •for some weeks but Mr. Justice R. G. Raynor has ordered the funds restored in the meantime. Evidence submitted to judge indicated, in his opinion, an eniergency situation exists in Windsor and the funds must be made available at once. SuCh-a situation • does not exist in Wingham at the present time, but the full impact of the budget shortfall will be felt in January,/ February and March or next year. •During those months the •Wingharn hospital is usually filled to capacity, due to high percentage of elderly residents and the prevalence of winter diseases.' The Minister of Health Dennis Tim- bre(' says bed closures to adhere to a ratio of 3.5 beds per 1,000 population in three years is part of the ministry's long range planning to deal with thec;lesialation • health care costs, -r'" • The al0z* "4ofibe health ministry * --arelto50- niphasize acute hospital care and place greater emphasis on alterna- tive, lowercost forms of health care such • as chronic and extended care facilities, day -surgery, out-patient and home care •programg. The minister wants greater emphasis placed on disease prevention and community health programs. He also wants to encourage increased personal responsibility for health. The people of Ontario Must perceive health as some- thing preserved by way of living rather than something restored by treatment of • disease says. Timbre'', • Hospital boards and administrators, doctors • and staff would agree such programs are required, especially here in Huron and Bruce where our aging popu- • lation is higher than in other areas. But th close hospital beds without implementing support programs is putting the • cart before the -horse. The local health units have heard nothing of increased funds to begin home care programs' and Wingham• Hospital will not receive money to update their facilities for day surgery and out- patient care. These programs should be in place before active treatment beds .„atte. closed. It will take educational programs and considerable promotion over a • long 'period of time before there will be fewer patients in a doctor's office because people in this province have changed their lifestyles to preserve their health. Mr.. Timbrell's Objectives sound good in theory but the fact of the matter has always been dollars not beds. • The health ministry in this province simply does not have the money in its 'coffer s to keep up with escalating health costs. But closing hospital beds is not the • way to cut costs anymore than closing small hospitals was the answer several years ago. The people of this province trusted the government when the politicians took 6ver responsibility of health ,care in the province. Payment of OHIP premiums was an agreement between the people and the • government that adequate hospital and doctors' services would be provided when needed. When OHIP was Instituted there was no condition that services would only be accessible on a limited basis. The payment of 01 -HP premiums is an agreement that the insured person will have a hospital bed if his/her doctor says hospital treatment is required. -Bed closures and the resulting ramifi- cations are a serious breach of trust between the people of the province and the government they elected to represent them at Queen's Park. . A • • . Little itilean. Todd, 2, found she could entertain herseff with 'a sand shovel and egg cartons ••while het mother sold firm fresh' eggs at. the Farmers Market on Saturday: morning. Several of the vendors friOught their children to the market vendor .• for the morning which ,adds to the style of the village's " • • •• • Market. • . [Sentinel StaflPhoto] Regina •Normal School„ 1919 • BY HAROLD B. BURNS • !What is Geography? Geography. is the study ,of the earth as the home of Man." •• • That's the way Mr. McKecknie began • his first lesson at the Regina Normal School in September, 1919. Mr. McKeck- • nie was originally from Bruce County and • had taught at Wiarton, Since I camefrom Lucknow he looked on me with favour. The Principal of the School was Colonel Perrett Who had Inst his sight on 'active service in World War 1. Each morning his • secretary escorted him to the podiuin in the auditorium, for Assernbly. • Miss Weir, the , Home Economics teacher, painstakingly. taught us male students to make a pillow slip 'in case we should ever have to teach sewing. My first practice was memorable. We students were sent out on this particular day to observe, but through a foul up in the bookkeeping we had to teach instead. After twenty minutes study I held forth on the growth of navigation and the expansion of the British Empire. There were pleasant memories too. We could dance with the girls at recess morning and afternoon in the assembly hall, We •also enjoyed' the privilege of going in early to • play the piano. There wa a live and let live atmosphere at Regina Normal School which I learned lateg was all too rare at other Normal • Schools of that day. Early in the fall Edward, Prince of • Wales (later Edward VIII) visited Regina. He spoke to a large crowd on the griands of the Parliament Buildin.gs, then was escorted inside to read , the Speech from the Throne. Although not a big man, the Prince was handsome in uniforni• . Mt. •George Scott wearing long, flow-. ing robes and a tri cornered hat was then installed Speaker of the House. He was also an impressive figure. 1. was very • flattered •when Mr. Huff, one of the • Normal School Masters, presented me to Mr. Scott. • The Prince's special coach was o • railway siding over the •weekend and drew the young ladies of Regina like a magnet. They swooned .over the Prince the way their granddaughters did over Elvis Presley. As for me, I was even more interested in Mrs. Pankhurst who also visited Regina that fall. She was a great surprise. • A tall, slender, charming lady, she held the crowd in the Metropolitan Church spellbound. Votes for women made yards that night in Regina. Teachers' Convention brought us Dr. • Cody, Minister of Education for Ontario, as the main speaker, The Prince and Mrs. • Pankhurst were hard acts to follow. My our months at Regina Normal School 'flew by.- I would dearly loved to have finished the year there but board was $9.50 a week and funds were running low. 1 was fortunate to obtain a teaching position at Davidson, Saskatchewan, for , „January ist, 1920. • ''