Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-02-22, Page 14Page 14 Times -Advocate, February 22, 1989 Exeter By Yvonne Reynolds EXETER - Masses of humanity. Aggressive beggars. Chaotic traffic. Constant noise. Blowing dust: Curious, friendly people. Beauti- ful, loveable children. These are among the myriad vivid impress sions the four members of the Good family have brought back to Exeter after •a whirlwind visit to Bangladesh. Doreen and Dale had been among a number of people who adopted children from orphanages in Bangladesh run by Families for Children. They, along with 16- • year-old son Ryan and 14 -year-old daughter Rochana, were part of a family group of adoptive parents and chil- dren who travelled to Bangladesh for the official opening of a chil- dren's village operated by the same non-profit charitable organization. The four Goods came back weighing less than when they boarded their pjane at Pearson Inter- national on January 27, but with a heightened awareness of the strengths = and the needs - of fellow • humans living on the other side of the world. The Goods' first impression of Bangladesh was frightening. The •moment they stepped into the air- port at Dhaka the Canadians were surrounded by swarms of people, back from life -changing trip and hundreds of hands reached out for their luggage. They realized later that the Bengalis have an avid curiosity. Many literally live at. the airport. Their entertainment comes from watching foreign tour- ists, and their income from carry- ing the visitors' bags: Once we understood, it was no longer a threat", Doreen observed. The Canadians encountered beg- gars.evcrywhere they went. They learned to ignore them, because -giving to one would, have brought appeals from hundreds more: "We gave our money to our fa- vourites just before we left", Ro- chana said. Souvenirs - Dale,- Ryan, Doreen .and Rochana Good display some from a trip to Bangladesh. of the items they brought back • Lucan OPP investigate 41 occurrences LUC-AN During.the past week, officers at the Lucan Ontario Pro- vincial Police Detachment investi- gated 41 general occurrences and six motor vehicle accidents. There .were no major occurrences during this time period. Among the general occurrences two break and enter, two thefts and two damage complaints were re ceived. Liquor related charges saw an increase -with one driver''being charged. with impaired driving, two people receiving 12 hour licence suspensions and eight liquor charg- es being laid. Five of these liquor -charges involved people drinking in vehicles while attending a dance in Lucan. Five of the ,accidents involved property damage only with no inju- ries reported. Wayne Wannamaker, age 34, of 115 Britannia Road, Goderich,was 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 the driver of a 1986 Plymouth which collided with a 1984 Chrys- ler driven -by David Seymour of Richmond Hill, Ontario. The miss hap happened on Huron -Road 5 at McGillivray Township, Conces- sion 2-3 Road. Both drivers and six passengers received injuries; four of them listed as major inju- ries an taken to South Huron Hos- pital in Exeter.- The xeter."The law The severity of a penalty for breaking a traffic law depends on the offence, the driving rccord you • have and what the court thinks of your driving attitude. Fines are the usual penalty for most violations but many moving violationsalso carry demerit points against your li- cence. Being licenced to drive is not a right but a privilege which courts and provincial licencing authorities can take away. Ontario's demerit point system is aimed at detecting poor drivers and encouraging than to improve their driving habits. As points are accumulated, the MTC may call drivers . for an interview concerning possible licence suspen- sion. Once 15 points are accumu- lated, the driver's licence is auto- matically suspended for 30 days. Your licence is returned with six points remaining. Demerit points remain .on your driving rccord for two years. New drivers arc classed as "probationary drivers for a "two year clean driving period. Proba- tionary drivers arc allowed up to six demerit points before thcir licence is suspended. ' Don't allow your licence to be suspended and lose your privilege to drive. Drive carefully and responsi- bly to develop good driving habits. Rochana's braces attracted atten- tion. She was asked if some dis- ease was the cause of the metal bands on her teeth. - Dale remembers the look on his son's face when Ryan got his first look at the shacks of scraps and burlap surrounding their hotel in haka. D"I wasn't sure sed at what 1 saw. 1 had seen it before on TV. But I didn't expect the feelings 'that came", Ryan revealed. Traffic was another surprise. The streets were filled with motorized rickshaws, baby taxis, ox carts, old cars, trucks, and buses, and pedestri- ans carrying large loads -on their heads. And it all went the wrong way. It's like trying to cross 401 north of Toronto on foot. You step out and the rickshaws dodge you", Dale said. The Goods required •a guide the first time they crossed the street in front of their hotel to get to a re- staurant on the other side. Although the dust blew every- where, as this is the dry season, the Goods saw very little garbage in the streets. The group drew a crowd wherever they were. "We could tell where the other Canadians were by looking for the crowds in the marketplace", Dale re- called. "The friendliness of the Bangladesh people was overwhelm- ing. We stopped our sightseeing bus ata farm to ask if we could • take pictures, and were invited on a tour of the granary and the housing compound. Can you imagine invit- ing a busload of strangers into your tibmc?" Children's Village - The highlight of the visit was a two-day stay in the children's vil- lage, "very clean, and built of good old Canadian brick" according to Rochana. The complcx,in Sreepur, about two hours drive north of Dha- ka, replaces three orphanages previ- ously operated in Dhaka by Fami- lies for for Children. The new facilities currently shelter 650 or- phaned or abandoned children, and there is "space for 1,000 altogether. Although the Canadian flag flies proudly in the compound, most of the $1.6 million that built Srcepur was raised in 'Britain in response to an article written about the4Dhaka orphanages by a British Airways flight attendant. The Canadians, arriving the day before the official opening, were mobbed by hundreds of outgoing, boisterous; beautiful, . loving chil- dren. • Frank Jones, writing in the -To- ronto Star, described Sreepur as "a place where tears come easily. Ac- ceptance is unconditional. Here, bands are for holding, eyes are for -smiling, arms arc for hugging, and all adults, men and women, are called 'mummy" Thenext day, -in preparation for the great occasion, Dale and Doreen helped to dress some of the children in the new outfits the Canadian group had brought over. Dale smiled as .he relived the sight of ENusum mi mi ion won mai umin -Il.l•INIsp--- The Irresistible RRSP What makes our Special Bonus• RRSP hard to resist? In addition to our competitive daily published rate, you get a .aew&rdiwt+iwifiveT 1. .. • • Certificate that matures May 1, 1990. . This bonus app fes both to new and transfer deposits. There are no administration fee$. And you receive an instant -tax receipt: IIad and present it at 'your nearest N•at4 tial -- 1. 1 1 Ask us about our complete range of RRSPs. If you're thinking along the lines of a Self -Directed or Mutual Fund •RRSP, talk to our knowledgeable staff. . At the branch or on the phone, you'll find them ,• • - eager to help. 1 A loan could -be a smart move. • . utssruut of i E tax benefits of an RRSP by depositing as close to yourallowable maximum 1 - as possible. If you don't have sufficient funds available, let us show you how a National Trust RRSP -_"1ti'Lt`Yi1t="s'Tffnclrtcal.mov �ii smartest financial move you can make. Whatever your RRSP needs are, come 1 1 in and let us look after them for you. NATIONAL TRUST EXETER - 425 Main St. 235-0530 •Ttrins & Conditions: • Offer cannot be used with other offers • Offer expires March 1, 1989 • Applicable to contributions and transfers in • 5500. minimum deposit • Maturity May 1, 1990 • Non-cashahle prior to maturity • Will be renewed for I year term automatically on matunty, unless advised pnor to maturity • Bonus is added to our published GIC rate nn the day you make your deposit • Offer to retail clients only, not through brokers. over 600 children, fresh from their showers, arranged in groups by ages sitting stark naked in the sun to dry. Taking part in the ceremony were the president of Bangladesh and the chairman of British Airways. The Canadians were asked to stand and be acknowledged. Later, the visitors were taken to the health building, so some of the children quarantined with chicken pox could meet them. "The ayahs (nurses) know all the kids, and the kids all know each other. It's like a big family", Dale said. Some of the older girls are train- ing as student nurses. "It's a better future for them there than out in the countryside. Girls . from poor families become wives in arranged marriages by age 12", Dale noted. Permanent changes The Goods' priorities and percep- tions have been permanently changed by the most momentous trip of their lives. Doreen and Dale wonder what will become of a little street urchin, a lovely five-year-old girl who fol- lowed them around the streets of Dhaka. They had to leave her be- hind, as the Bangladesh government no longer allows out -of -country adoptions •_ Ryan and Rochana came back overwhelmed with gratitude that they arc Canadians; both are deter- • mined to go back and work to make some contribution to the land of their birth • "I appreciate Canada,a lot more. I'm very lucky to be here. I could have been one of those kids in the orphanage, or on the streets beg- ging. Or dead", Rochana remarked. The trip has changed Ryan too. • He is more aware of what he previ- ously took for granted - things like decent housing, and drinkable water - and more consious of the materia- listic tendencies of most Canadians, including himself. Ryan intends to go back to Ban- gladesh for a short time after he - graduates from high school. Hit. longterm future goal is to get his degree in some field that would be useful in his native country, and re- turn to make some contribution to the land where he was born. Doreen admitted to pangs of guilt because she knew she was only in Bangladesh for a week. "Staying indefinitely would be to- tally different", Doreen revealed. Dale confessed to feeling utter frustration. He is still haunted by the sight of gaunt bodies, protrud- ing bones, people who are always hungry. How does one help so many? The Goods are going to do what they can. A child at the orphanage can be sponsored for $12 a month, a cheap price for investment in anoth- er's happiness and well being. 3-4 yrs. mo. London Trust 1 yr. ann.11ome Savings & Loan 3-4 yrs. ann. London Trust 1 1 1 1 moo mill No IN eim ium me Nu me EN se mom man NI IN mvw a•,-r.�...e.�e�w >F'.�Gla,- f RZ :w .i.�w�- ♦ -_ r -s.o a n :t v t Lj` r?a' r•.iL�.. �r ��i�i7'+.' ,., i O U' 0 cR ACCOUNTANT -PUBLIC NORRIS, IIO1It'7'Il.-'1'A1'LOIZ. PIN.I)ER-& M(•NEILLY Chartered Accountants ' Auditing.' Accounting. Taxation • Advisory Services Matra St Exeter Ontario NOM 1S0 (519) 23.-01.01 (519) 235-0120 AUCTIONEERS FILSON & ROBSON The Experienced Auctioneers that Guarantee You" More SS Considering A Sale or • Need an Appraisal 666-0833 666-1967 Collect • • Supplying You with 30 Yrs. Efficient Service Mobile blf ice • Immediate Payment ' 2 Auctioneers It Is Our Pleasure To Serve You NORM WHITING LICENSED AUCTIONEER & APPRAISER (Bob Heywoodl Licensed Auctioneer Specializing in household and • estate auctions Reasonable rates Bob 235-0874 Laverne 235-1 78 This space Prompt Courteous Efficient. be ANY TYPE. ANY SIZE ANYWHERE yours We give complete sole service Phone PROM BY txrtaltuct Phone Collect 23S-1964 EXETER (sewing Mashinel Repairs to (111 pools es Free estimates 90 Day Warranty Experienced since 1952 Sew and Save Centre Ltd. 149 Downle St., Stratford Closed Monday _Phone 271-9660 Th Debentures, G.I.C. s, R.R.S.P.s Contact Joan Love RR 3 Parkhill Ontario. NOM 2K0 Phone Grand Bend 238.264. SP _ - " Sri4: 1*• t; it"'41030tdt- if.tnP?C1ttNHai Xi WilehltfiW4Mtf4'ips{ •Nµ,Atiit 0/M4%isGaer-Kneale Exeter 235-2420 Grand Bend 238-8484 Clinton 482-9747 Hensall262-2119 GIC RATES 1 1 1 1 /4 go 1 1 YR. Insurancee 11(yo 5 YRS. CALL TODAY FOR THE .HIGHEST RATE AVAILABLE .Rates subject to verification •.G.LC.'s may be registered as R.R.S.P.'s' _ 1 1 1 1 moo mill No IN eim ium me Nu me EN se mom man NI IN mvw a•,-r.�...e.�e�w >F'.�Gla,- f RZ :w .i.�w�- ♦ -_ r -s.o a n :t v t Lj` r?a' r•.iL�.. �r ��i�i7'+.' ,., i O U' 0 cR ACCOUNTANT -PUBLIC NORRIS, IIO1It'7'Il.-'1'A1'LOIZ. PIN.I)ER-& M(•NEILLY Chartered Accountants ' Auditing.' Accounting. Taxation • Advisory Services Matra St Exeter Ontario NOM 1S0 (519) 23.-01.01 (519) 235-0120 AUCTIONEERS FILSON & ROBSON The Experienced Auctioneers that Guarantee You" More SS Considering A Sale or • Need an Appraisal 666-0833 666-1967 Collect • • Supplying You with 30 Yrs. Efficient Service Mobile blf ice • Immediate Payment ' 2 Auctioneers It Is Our Pleasure To Serve You NORM WHITING LICENSED AUCTIONEER & APPRAISER (Bob Heywoodl Licensed Auctioneer Specializing in household and • estate auctions Reasonable rates Bob 235-0874 Laverne 235-1 78 This space Prompt Courteous Efficient. be ANY TYPE. ANY SIZE ANYWHERE yours We give complete sole service Phone PROM BY txrtaltuct Phone Collect 23S-1964 EXETER (sewing Mashinel Repairs to (111 pools es Free estimates 90 Day Warranty Experienced since 1952 Sew and Save Centre Ltd. 149 Downle St., Stratford Closed Monday _Phone 271-9660 Th Debentures, G.I.C. s, R.R.S.P.s Contact Joan Love RR 3 Parkhill Ontario. NOM 2K0 Phone Grand Bend 238.264. SP _ - " Sri4: 1*• t; it"'41030tdt- if.tnP?C1ttNHai Xi WilehltfiW4Mtf4'ips{ •Nµ,Atiit