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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1985-02-20, Page 6Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, February 20, 1985—Page 6 SENTIN 'The Sepoy Town" Established 1873 The Lucknow Sentinel, P.O. Box 400 Lucknow NOG 2H0 Telephone; 528-2822 Pat Livingston - General Manager Thomas Thompson - Advertising Manager Sharon Dietz - Editor Joan Helm - Compositor Merle Elliott - Typesetter Subscription rates in advance • 0° Outside 16° Canada Senior Citizens • 13.5o Outside Canada •45 °° ° •4300 Second class mailing reg. no. 0847 Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of ,the advertisement will be paid at the applicable rates. BLUE RIBBON AWARD Pay for retraining The unemployed of this 'province who have lost their jobs would appreciate the opportunity to retrain for another career while collecting a full salary from either their employer or the provincial government. Government retraining programs are inadequate to meet the demand and at best do not offer a full salary . while people take the program. The Ontario government however is putting some employees through•school at full salary for up to a year to help :launch them in new careers in real estate, consulting and other • businesses. The pilot program, which has helped 14 public servants since its inception two years ago, is part•of the government's restraint program. It allows employees in the ministry of municipal affairs and housing to find 'new jobs outside the civil service opening positions for other workers who other- wise may not get promoted..' Two of this year's participants plan to open their own businesses', one is aiming for the real estate business, one wants to open a fashion boutique and two will remain in government. One long time civil servant told a Toronto daily newspaper she entered the program fully planning to quit the . civil service. The program has merits offering employees who would be laid off the opportunity to train for new careers without enduring financial hardship. But the .program is not being . offered to the many unemployed in this province. It is being offered to government employees who are not losing their jobs and it is not restraining government expenses because the jobs vacated by the graduates of this program are not redundant but rather filled by upwardly mobile civil servants. The program has excellent possibilities if it were being' used to put unemployed in this province back to work Provides work for youth Karl Morrsion has worked in the armed forces learning search and rescue and fire fighting skills, as a crewman on a naval reserve training boat, at a ski resort dishing up french /fries and hotdogs, packing ski trails and as a cashier, as a volunteer in a friendship centre which hands out clothing to the needy, cutting. wood in a northern •Ontario bush and in a zoo in Quebec. Along the way he saw severaldifferent regions of our country, met all types of Canadians from all kinds of backgrounds and'•learneed to speak a little French while living in a francophone cemtnunity: Karl' was offered this work experience and the opportunity to learn many work and life skills because he participated in Canada's youth volunteer program, Katimavik. The eight year old federal program offers young Canadians a chance to learn about themselves and their country and to become bilingual while doing worthwhile community work in various parts of Canada. Each participant is paid $1 a day plus room and board and those who finish a nine month tour of duty get $1,000 bonus. Since the program began in 1977, some 16,000 Canadians age 17 to 21 • have taken part. The number of young Canadians participating in the program is likely to diminish. Katimavik's budget for this year will not likely be supplemented to an expected $50 million as it was last year, but, will be held to its original base of $19.7 million. This is a pity not only for the young people who will be •denied a chance to participate but also for the communities which have benefited from Katimavik projects. The budget cut back means only 1,750 young people will be accepted into the program this year instead of the 5,000 that had been planned. Government sources say Katimavik is not being expanded because it doesn't have formal job training 'or employment elements and doesn't lead anywhere. But• the program is. valuable. "Katimavik looks at learning and training in a more broad based sense," points out Family Court Judge Raynell And- reychuk of Regina, chairman of Katimavik's board of directors. The world is rapidly changing. We're trying to create a self awareness, flexibility and adaptability among young people that makes them reach out and cope with change, adapt to it and make their own opportunities." Karl Morrison's experience in the program is evidence of the value of this opportunity for young Canadians. A dollar a day doesn't buy much these days, but for a $1 a day the Katimavik program can provide work experience and training which would cost much more in other typical job training ' Youth unemployment in Canada is intolerably high, universities are cash starved' and education grants . are, diminishing. Now, the federal government plans cut backs to a valuable youth work experience program. For a government which came to power on the promise of "jobs, jobs, jobs", and Stated jobs for our youth was a priority, the cut back to the Katimavik program is irresponsible. Snow sculpture Waterloo sculptor, U. Fusari created this snow sculpture of an old order Mennonite, his wife and child with their horse as a tribute to the Mennonites living in his oomnwnity. Fusari creates a snow sculpture on his front lawn each winter. Last year's sculpture depicted apolar bear posed to attack confront, ing an Eskimo reacting in terror. (Photo by Sharon Metz) Neil MacCrimmon drove his little cart along the sixth line towards the Shamrock Hotel. He was accompanied by another Redtrees man • called MacRorie, The blush of fall had come to the Caledon Hills, and the' soft sweet air was saturated with the scent of fallen leaves which swished and crackled , under the cart wheels. Once more, the fanners were making preparations for winter. he harvest had been gathered in. It had been a good year and the community had much to be thankful for. Yet with prosperity had come those human n problems which thrive on affluence and MacCrimron was begin- ning to believe these would only increase with time. At the hotel, they tied the horse to the hitching post and entered the tobacco and liquor laden atmosphere of the mom. Fatty „Flynn, the owner, grimmaced at the sight of MacCrim- mon and wondered what trouble he had brought with him. The last time the leader of Redtrees had been in this establishment, he had threatened to take the place apart plank by plank if Flynn did not conduct his business properly. MaeCrimmon strode up .to the bar. "Ye hae a man here called Adam Simpson?" he asked in a firm voice. "That I have sir," Flynn replied. "He is lying upstairs in his mom. Very poorly he is. I had to send for your Doctor Cameron to. take a look at him." "Get him downstairs and have him carried on to the cart outside," Mac- Cmimrrbn commanded. "I suppose he has drunk away all his money. Is that the reason ye are sae anxious tae get him off ye're hands?" Fatty Flynn had no wish to become involved in argument with MacCrim mon. Although he would not normally have obeyed anyone, he shouted for one of his patrons to help him and went upstairs to fetch Adam Simpson. When the two men returned they carried an unconscious form " between them, • which they took outside and placed not too gently at the back of the cart. Froth the driver's, seat, MacCrim- mon took a last menancing glance at Flynn. "Try not to hae me come here again," he said tersely. "I canna stand the smell o' ye!" When MacCmimnion and MacRorie arrived back at Redtrees, Neil drove directly to MacRorie's bar. He slung the inert form of Adam Simpson across his shoplder like a sack of potatoes and entering the barn, dropped him in a comer on a pile of straw. When Mrs. MacRorie saw the cart arrive she ran down to the barn to see what was amiss. When she saw the .body lying on the floor,she was greatly upset. "Who is that?" she , asked in a frightened voice. "Adam Simpson." "Is he...is he....dead? she stam- mer. MacCrimrmn laughed out loud. "Dead? Aye he is dead, lass - dead drunk - that's what he is!" "Ye're no gonna leave him lying there, are ye Mr. MacCrimmon?" REDTREES. by Don Campbell "Well, yes I am, if ye don't mind him dirtying up ye're barn," MacCrim- - mon said with a smile. "I had thought of bedding him down wi'. the pigs, but I don't think they'd like his company." � Mrs. MacRorie was not at all pleased with having the man on the property. She could not think what she was expected to do with him. 'When `When we get him back tae life," MacCmimmon said with a crafty smile, "ye've got yesel a hired hand, and he won't cost ye a penny except frae his food." "Are ye sure he will want to do that?" the scared woman asked. "I thought he used tae work at the mill as a foreman." "Och, he'll do as I tell him, dinna fash yesel." Having experienced the wonderful way MacCrimnwn operated on 'such occasions, the MacRories could not doubt his word. "What do ye want me tae do wi' 'im?" Mrs. MacRorie asked nervously. MacCrimmon became very serious once more and thought for a moment. "if he is no awake in a couple o' hours, pour a bucket o' water over hint Then gi' ' im a bite tae eat. If he doesna want tae eat ye can call me, an' I'll come an push it down his throat!"