HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-05-20, Page 1.w.r�.+...�.s-ti[..+k--..+at-.++"'wt""`^w'•11�tsy v>�u ' "At,aWr`11 YFr41i L104. ''ice •:-- ,.:s7\•
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8 Miles North of Grand Bend
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Week 21
Year 160
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Farm and Flea
■ The Goderich Farmers'
and Flea Markets made
their return to CourtltoU e
Park this weekend pg
ouno oderich
■ The annual Sound of
Goderich night of melody
featured a fond farewell
Pg.8
• Sports pg 22
I Editorial pg 6
• Entertainment ... pg 27
gas ifieds pg 16
•
Photo by Dave Sykes
Ryan Lynch, 8, of Goderich was proud to present former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, James K. Bartleman with a story he
had written on aboriginal youth for a school project. His Honour, who spoke to a group of 150 service club members about the
plight of aboriginal peoples, autographed the story for young Ryan.
Former
Governor shares
hope .for learning
Dave Sykes
signal -star publisher
James Bartleman has seen first
hand the desperation and despair
among Canada's First Nations
peoples, especially the young, and
watched helplessly as entirely dys-
functional native communities self
destructed.
Fighting racism, discrimination
and promoting literacy among the
First Nations children became one
of the priorities and initiatives of the
27th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
and for the past several years he has
devoted his personal efforts to sup-
porting and rebuilding native com-
munities through its youth.
Speaking to a group 150 repre-
sentatives of local service clubs at
a special inter -club meeting at the
Goderich Legion Thursday, Bartle -
man walked the audience through
his formative years, growing up as
the son of a native mother and white
father, and being ostracized in the
Port Carling area of Ontario.
But for Mr. Bartleman, a return trip
to Goderich evoked fond memories
of previous visits beginning in 1961
when he rnet a nursing student from
Goderich.
"The first time I was here was
1961, I was a student at Western and
met a charming lady from Goder-
ich who was a nursing student,' he
recalled. "I made various visits here
but my visit here for Remembrance
Day four years ago impressed me the
most of all the services I attended in
WATCH/SU RF/TALK
my years as Lieutenant Governor as
there was widespread participation.
One of the best meals I ever had was
right here at the Legion and I have a
soft place in my heart for Goderich."
Getting to Goderich and the speak-
ing engagement, arranged by John
Grace, was a formidable struggle
against Mother Nature as pilot Sandy
Wellman of Goderich tried to get to
Smiths Falls to pick up Mr. Bartle -
man but severe weather prevented a
landing.
"Birds were being sucked out of
the air, trees were collapsing and
garbage cans were airborne over the
runway;" he said somewhat jokingly.
"But the intrepid people from Goder-
ich got me here from Ottawa."
The focus of Mr. Bartleman's ad-
•
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dress was the plight of Aboriginal
children in Canada and the serious
social injustice issues they have en-
dured.
"They are the largest single group
of disadvantaged people in the coun-
try and have suffered a tremendous
amount," he said. "If we're not care-
ful the resources we will have to de-
vote to other resources to treat these
people will be significant. 1\venty per
cent of people in jails are aboriginal
as are five per cent of the children in
care. Western Canada has ghettos of
despair as young people drift in from
the north."
Ontario is different, he noted, cit-
ing his own childhood growing up in
the 1940s and 50s on the edge of the
See BARTLEMAN, Page 12
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