The Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-11-10, Page 6editorial
Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, November 10, 1982—Page 6
L:UCKN�
SENTINEL
"The Sepey Tows" Established 1873
THOMAS A. THOMPSON - Advertising Manager
SHARON J. DIETZ • Editor
PAT LiVINGSTON - Office Manager
JOAN HELM - Compositor
MERLE ELL'IO1T , Typesetter u'
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Take time to remember
Remembrance Day is tomorrow, November 11. Each year
the Royal Canadian Legion finds it more difficult to
encourage Canadians to stop in their busy lifestyle to. take
the time to remember the thousands of Canadian men and
women who lost their lives in two world wars and the
Korean War.
War is a fading memory for the older generation and an
unknown . reality for the younger.
Many of us do not know the sad farewells to fathers, sons
and daughters and the pain of losing a loved one who never
returned home. We don't .remember the rat . infested
internment camps; the bloody marches through muddy
rain swelled fields, the dirty foxholes, the noise of exploding
bombs and artillery fire. We don't remember the rationing
of essentials and the long hours of work as women took jobs
in factories and everyone volunteered, for the war effort.
Printed in today's Sentinel is a story which appeared in
last week's edition of the Wingham Advance -Times. Martial
rule has been declared in Poland and Solidarity, the free
tiade union, has been outlawed. A Polish couple and their
young family who arrived in Ethel to start a new life two
weeks ago, were interviewed by the Advance -Tunes editor,:
Henry Hess.
Their story makes all of us stop and think of: those who
laid down their lives that Canada could be free. Their story
makes you stop and think about the freedoms and rights we
all take for granted.
1'
redtrees
Doctor James Cameron was dedicat-
ed to his profession and his people. As
the Reverend Duncan MacLeod once
said: "If the greatest attribute of a
true Christian is charity, then James
Cameron is closer to God than
anybody I have ever known!"
Both the minister and the doctor
hadmuch in common. Each was unsel-
fishly devoted to a' calling which
placed service to humanity above and
beyond all thoughts of material, gain.
Ironically, these admirable qualities,
which were once almost synonimous
with the lifestyle of .pioneer physic-
ians, are questionable today; 'greed it
seems, now takes precedence over
charity and human compassion.
When Doctor Cameron was called in
haste to the Brodie cabin, he found a
strange man lying on the floor upon a
straw. filled paillasse and covered with
an assortment of travel -soiled blankets
and clothing.
Ewan Brodie was a kind, thoughtful
souk but he had not carried the man
up the ladder to the . loft, which
contained the one 'and only bed in the
household; the memory of the late
Mrs. Brodie was .'toostrong to be
violated, even for emergency reasons.
The woman who sat on a stool
beside the profusely sweating and
heavy breathing sufferer, rose quickly
to her feet at the sight of the doctor.
Her face was tiredand drawn and she
wrung her hands in her anxiety.
"Och, I'm sae pleased ye came Sir.
My' man is fearful poorly. He will no
eat and has no the strength tae sit
up. fY
Doctor . Cameron placed his bag
upon the vacated stool. Even before he
examine d the man he suspected pneu-
monia.. He laid a gentle hand upon the
woman's arm as if to reassure her.
"It would be best if you wait outside
until 1 have had a look at him," he said
softly. "Be so kind as to fetch a bucket
of water and leave it on the stoop."
By comparision to modern techni-
ques, medical science in 1844 was only
in its infancy. The common diseases
now so easily controlled by drugs and
vaccination programs were often
lethal in . thedays of the pioneers.
Major surgery, performed without any
regard, for sanitation, was a gamble in
which nature was usually the winner.
In general, life expectancy was only
a fraction of what it is today. A glance
at the early gravestones will bear
witness to these facts. Undersuch
circumstances, a doctor, by necessity,
needed to possess a strong moral fibre
in addition to his academic qualifica-
tions. His life . was ' a constant
association :with acute human suffer-
ing and death.
The woman waited impatiently
outside the cabin for the doctor to
make his report on her husband's
condition. A warm spring wind .cares-
sed the emerging leaves upon 'the
trees and carried the sounds of voices
and axes, from., the clearings' in the
bush. The air was filled with the
mating songs of a variety of birds and
everywhere it, seemed there: was
promise of a new vigorous life in a
prolific land.
But the woman was totally oblivious
to her surroundings. Her life and
future was bound up in the man who
lay helplessly upon the cabin floor.
The doctor emerged from the cabin
yomussmismmumnsmanammilmilillimilo
and began to wash his hands in the
bucket; as if reluctant to confront the
woman's inevitable question.
"Is he goin' tae get well?" she
asked in a pleading voice. "Please
doctor, tell me he will no die."
Cameron forced a sympathetic smile
to face and dried .his hands upon a
piece of linen.
"Your .husband is suffering from
pneumonia ma'am and he has reached
the point of crisis. Send for me as soon
as you see a change in his condition.
Do not alarm yourself unduly and try
to eat and get some rest." He took her
hand and patted it.
'There, there, we must not cross
bridges before we come to them. In
the meantime, 1 want you to take care
of yourself or I may have another
patient."
She watched the doctor ride down
the pathway to the concession line,
and for a moment she was tempted to
run after him and question him
further. Yet she knew that his vague-
ness was kindness and he had said
everything there was to say.
The woman suddenly felt that she
was being left alone' to suffer in silence
but she had not counted upon the
generosity of the Redtrees people.
One by one they. came to the Brodie
cabin. '
"Here's a wee drop o' chicken broth
frae me man.
"i brought bread baked fresh today
and a piece o' pork still warm frae the
fire."
All simple gestures of 'kindness
from . people who knew- • the real
meaning of suffering and the necessity.
to . stand together in times of need.
•
•
Polish family seeks freedom and security in Canada
By Henry Hers
Caught between inflation and unemploy-
ment, preoccupied with bill and taxes and
wondering where next month's mortgage
payment is coming from we may perhaps be
excused for not seeing it.
With eyes on our own problems and an
indifference born of long familiarity, ' it' is
easy to miss the vision of the promised land
which Canada still holds for many beyond its
shores;.a promise, if not of prosperity, then
at least of comfort, security and the freedom
to make choices denied elsewhere. =
So it is helpful to be reminded from time to
time that there are those in the world who
would be glad to have our problems.
Take the case of Mr' and M. Wieslaw
Popieniuk, a young Polish couple who
arrived in the hamlet ' of Ethel with their
three children last week, nearly 'a year. after
they quietly left their troubled homeland for
a promise of freedom and security else-
where.
Though the pain of leaving home and
family :s still with them, they said they are
glad finally to be in Canada, where they ope
hope to find . a future and security for their
children •
Speaking through an interpreter at the
small farmhouse on the outskits of Ethel
which is their new home for the present. Mr.
, and Mrs. Popieniuk 'recalled some of the
reasons they left Poland.
Until last fall, Mr. Popieuniuk was
farming with his father,l ,raising grain and
vegetables on a 12 -hectare (30 -acre) farm
near Gdansk. He was not a member of
Solidarity, he said - the free trade union
which quickly grew to 10 million members
and came to symbolize Polish spirit had not
organized among the farmers yet * but he
did speak out against the government and
consequently he ran into difficulties.
It became hard to get seed, fertilizer and
machinery parts. with long waits and lots of
red tape.
In addition, he knew that although his
father's farm was a private holding,' there ,
was noguarantee he could ever inherit the
landor pass it on, to his children. Though
private farms still exist, they are held
conditionally and the farmers have no
recourse .if the government decides to take
the land fol. a collective farm.
Gradually, PS conditions grew worse in
Poland. the . Popieniuks decided they must
leave. They had mixed feelings about going,
but friends and family supported them and it
advised them to get out while they could..
On November .18. 1981, the family
boarded a 'plane for Austria. Though they
were leaving on tourist visas. they knew they
were saying goodbye for good.
They suspect the government possibly
knew as well, but it did nothing to stop them
- or the thousands of other Poles who aiso
fled the country at about than. time. In
Austria alone there were some 45,000 Poles
living in camps or donated private dwellings.
Mr Popieniuk noted, and an estimated
150.000 are scattered • through Western
Europe. Also, there are many who . were
already abroad and chose not to return.
The Popieniuks were fortunate when they
reached Vienna. Because they have three
young children, Matthew, now five. and
Thomas and Monica three, they were not
put into one of the refugee camps but found
a temporary home in a boarding house
provided by the . Austrian government
through the auspices of the United Nations.
That was the beginning of a long wait to
get to Canada.
Why Canada?
Mr. Popieniuk' said that right fromthe
beginning they wanted to come to Canada.
Ever since he was a little boy. he was quite
fasscinated with Canada and heard many
things about this country. They have a friend
•
who, came here six years ago and married a
Canadian and who now lives near Toronto,
he added.•
However getting into Canada was easier
said than done. and it took about seven
months of wading through red tape, inter-
views at the Canadian embassy and waiting
before they received their visa.
At about the ' same time, the refugee
committee, from Saccr�ed Heart. Wingham
and St. Ambrose. Brussels. parishes was
looking for a family to sponsor.
The group asked , for a . Polish family.
because it had heard so much about the
Polish refugees in Austria and thought a
Polish family would find it easierto adapt to
life in this area. explained Mrs. Irene Blake
of Brussels. .
Originally from Poland herself, Mrs.
Blake is a member of the refugee comm mittee
and acts as interpreter for the Popieniuks
until they can learn English.
The committee. which previously spon-
sored a refugee family and several indiv-
• iduals from Southeast Asia, has provided the
home for the family for the ,next' year and
lined up some work with loal farmers.
"We asked for someone with experience
in agriculture. because jobs are difficult to
get here," Mrs. Blake explained. "He was
farming in Poland and trained in agriculture.
and hopefully will adapt easily."
She is not certain yet where he will be
working. but Clank Maas, a local farmer. has
offered part time work and a number of other
farmers have ' expressed an interest in
providing seasonal employment. she said.
Even after a year. the Popieniuks find it
difficult to talk about their homeland without
emotion, but they are satisfied they have
made the right decision. Since they left
conditions have become much worse, with
martial' law delcared and the suppression of
Solidarity.
Life in Poland is difficult now and not
pleasant, they reported. Some foods are
rationed. and what is available is not. very
appetizing because of the attempt to mast
produce it in a hurry. Clothing is difficult to
find and many store shelves are empty.
Ironically, it is easier to buy Polish shoes in
Canada than. in Poland, as much of the
production goes for export, to the West and "
to Cussia.
They fear for the. future of their country. A
general strike has been .called for November
10. and they are waiting .to hear what
happens. They feel a civil war is unlikely.
they said. At this point the people are afraid
to try an uprising.' If it does come to that,
they fear a massacre.
The .young people in Poland want peace
and freedom, they said, while many of the
old ones are resigned, "they've seen it all
already:' '
They also feel the military government of ,
General Jaruzelski has betrayed the people
and lied to them through strict control of the
news media. When they arrived in Austria,
they began to see the other side of the story.
Currently the government is trying to
crush opposition by isolating the centres of
rebellion. Mr. Popieniuk reported. Evenku-.
ally it may resort to militarization, forcing all
young people into the army.
There • are many Russian soldiers in
Poland. he said. and • he likened their
presence to the. U.S. military presence, in
West Germany. But while the Russians are
blamed for some �f the repression, General
Jaruzelski is not seen as a hero by the Polish
people.
"It is a very sad situation," he said. "We
would much rather live in our own country
and we were saddened to leave. but the
situation is getting worse and we, don't feel
there is any future there now."
However mixed with the. sadness is a joy
to be in Canada. "We are the lucky 9nes,"
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