Editorial Growing old

One day at a time

Over one third of Canada's population is either just approaching the age 50 mark or has already passed it, and as Canada’s birth rate continues ts decline, that percentage will increase. No one can understand what life is like for the over 50's unless and until they have personally ex- perienced it.

You are fifty (or more) is when you hear one talking about ‘‘that old geezer”’, “that old guy”, “that old lady”, “old gra nny’, or “gramps” and you look around to see who he is about and it comes as a terrible shock when, for the first time you realize he is talking about YOU. You - who always thought of yourself as being young, and “with it’. ;

In one moment you feel the cold chill of realization that your youth is behind - and suddenly - suddenly it hits you. You look in the mirror at your thinning hair. If you're a male, the chances are there is a spreading bald spot and your forehead hairline has receeded more than you realized. You notice the “getting up nights” and bathroom visits are becoming noticeable to the point where your youngsters make joke of it. .

When you enter a department store or restaurant, you find yourself hunting for the ‘washroom’ and learn to suffer the indignities of vandalized toilets - many without paper, soap or other necessities. Getting out of a chair can be an agonizing experience for so many men and women after fifty.

In about ' one out of three persons ove r fifty, hearing has already begun to deteriorate - although often the person is not aware of the onset of deafness, Whe n it is realized - this comes as another shock to the system and it can bring on depression. (No one likes to think of having to wear a tell-tell so called “hearing aid”.) Then, buoyed up by misleading ad- vertising, the sufferer investsina hearing “aid” only to ind the results are not nearly as effective as hehad expected. All background noises come inlouder. Trying to listen to one particular speaker at a meeting and singling out his con- versation is difficult as rustling of clothing, scraping of chairs and coughing comes in like rifle shots - and causes splitting headaches. A change in attitude of friends £3 soon as they spot

e in attitude of friends as soon as they spo the device behing his ear, en - by age - many persons - especially those living away from access to easy dental care - are beginning the visits to.dentists- with all the accompanying émbarrassniénts related to s” “bridgework”, and “‘false”’ teeth.

So - with the aches and pains of rheumatoid- arthritis affecting one out of every four, loss of hearing, falling hair and bal , dental problems, urinary and prostrate troubles for men, constipation for women, plus for another ame out of four - failing eyesight which means fumbling for glasses just to find a number in the phonebook , and difficulty in threading a needle, ete, - those over 50 find themselves entering a lifestyle far different than any they knew before.

Often it Is too late then to amend their attitude

. those over - fifties they have so misun- derstood and had so little sympathy and patience with before. The jokes they have made about deaf people; the shuffling gait they have laughed at on the Carol Burnet show; the excluding of deaf persons ina conversation and the show of exasperation at having to repeat what they said for persons with hearing difficulties to un- derstand. In this editorial Ihave only dealt with those ns entering the 50's,

If there is sufficient respo se, I would like to deal with those farther along their life-span - the 60's, the 70's and the 80’s. Canada has over 2 million of them.

Meanwhile, if this editorial has helped any younger person to have just a little more feeling and consideration for those who still think they are young - but whose bodies are starting to give them problems, and make them appear aged - it will have been worth-while.

This editor would particularly like to hear from anyone having strong views on thesubject (and the problems) of aging at any age.

ROMAN

12 Univeriel treme Syncticote

izfu Rochelle

"No Doc, I'm not the six million dollar man. | had a transistor radio in my back pocket.”

Ot

awa Offbeat

’ Ottawa Offbeat

By Richard Jackson

Ottawa-One after another, up they go.

Trial balloons the government is sending into the political skies to. test the winds of public opinion on cutting government over- spending by trimming social services.

Twice they have been shot down. But they keep rising. The balloon floats up the hint, the suggestion even the firm statemen that if the government is en fa het a handle on spending-it's long been out of control-- family allowances and pensions will have to be ‘immed, Shoot down one balloon

and that should take care of it.

Bring down a seconds and the suspicion is left that maybe the govern- ment is honing the knife.

But to have to draw a bead on a third one is to

have to believe that this is -

one of the post-election jolts the government has ‘mm store for the economy.

A shock treatment of sorts, todemonstrate that after years of loose talk and empty promises of mending its ruinously

reckless financial ways, . this time the government

really means business. Public Works Minister Judd Buchanan was the:

first member of Cabinet.

to send up the pesistent balloon. .

Buchanan chose his audience, a ga of the representatives of the “Old Money Establish- ment” in London, Ontario his home base and centre of the insurance industry.

That old New Demoncratic was horse, STanley Knowles, who has spent his life—ever since 1942-fighting the disable and the veterans, took shot at the balloon the following day in the Commons.

Ina question to Welfare Minister Monique Begin, he shot it down-or she shot it down for him,- which was what he wanted.

No truth in it, she told him, Buchanan. hadn't been speaking‘ for the government. © | ~.

Next tofloat the balloon was Treasury Board Presieent Robert Andras,

who hinted it might make good economic sense, but rather hoped it wouldn't have to be done.

Stan Knowles nailed it down again that there would be no pension ‘or allowance tinkering.

That should have not ¢

only downed the balloon but demolished it.

Until the other day when Toronto-Dominion Bank Chief Executive Officer -Allan Lambert filed his report on “Financial Management and Accountability” in government, - .

He's running on on-

going Royal Commission. sf

on government spending. Said it was Pout control and that there wasn't much management ‘and presious little countability.

ace

He suggested that if the government didn't regain control, cut spending and ~shocking all in Fat fire the bureaucratic deadwood, then it might be necessary to tighten the pension and allowance belt with a means tent.

Up leapt out Stanley: ‘ is the same Mr .

at pensions and ‘ances were none 0 his business, not covered in his - Commission's terms of referance. why did he do it?",

The Stan moved a motion:

“This House deplores the irr ible statements on cutting back on Parliament’s social programa, and urges not a decrease but an increase in

ty=.

ons,” Dr,

. The demonstration held on Wednesday by T.W.U.

So members was marred by

a despicable incident seab appeared te iry and scab a an deliberately incite a riot. As picketers marched

walk by Laval Avenuo

It needed unanimous pictures

agreement of the House to carry.

’ But the’ Liberal ‘Nay sayers"—a group assigned fo vetoing 0 tion motions, g

or bad-killed it.

“Something's up,” dare do it ‘ore the election. But after?.

“Every time something regrettabl

like this up-and the

head,’ Rest easy-relatively— Stan still stands on guard.

U.Vie Welcomes Student Visitors

Students from schools throughout British Columbia are invited to tour the campus and facilities the University of Victoria to see universi hand”. nder university's student visitation rogram visitors from schools can have a fensral walking tour of the campus and-or make extensive visits to special areas.

The special tours in- clude group visits to the departmenta of biology, chemistry, computing centre, the glass blowing shop and

e language laboratory. In chemistry and biology the tours include the labs as wlel as other parts of the department; in

life “first .

physics,

physics the students are also. shown univer- sity’s telescope. In the es blow shop emonstrationa ani lectures can be arranged while in the language labs visitors can see a demonstration and watch a film.

The. departments of Terr

theatraand microbiology are also to requeats for apecial tours. Visitors from schools may eat 7

asks schools - in- terested” in havin students - take part contact the office at least

three weeks in advance.

‘Library News _

“News from the brary Kate Inoue

Now that we are well into winter, the library has’ done a window display on winter sports i neluding curling, skating, ice sai i snowmobiling, skilng and snow camping. of

lumbia cross-country ski routes by Richard and

be special interest is British

right. The reat Soviet goalie ladislay Tretyak talks about his training, his views on hockey, and the

Soviet-Canadian games in The hockey Ilove. The snowmobiler’s handbook ives a lot of basic in- ormation on the sport from how to dress‘ an where to.go to insurance and snqwmobiles games. As -you know, the library offers 6 ce anda record player downstairs in the listening room to listen to records before talking them out or to just while away a pleasant time. For the work- oriented, there is a public typewrlter and paper cutter in the same. room.

po pension Pls won't sta own--you've got to hit it unt on the '

_ with saner ac tro

gestures ’ attempting to ‘aw union mem into a difficult situation.

This act of stupidity everyone, but

restraint, they deferred from doing anything e. After many

used to being baited and have shown respon- sibility in all cases.

After several minutes of scab harrassment Polies were called and upon arriyin scene remind

dewalk.

to on the AD ee . members

demonstrated peacefully and should com: mended for prevalling ons tha n

ublemaking B.C. Tel

scabs. Ken Blanes

cketers

‘Dear Mr. Senior:

at the’

“Do you have any recipes fer dove?”

Letters to

the

Yeur editorial December 22 titled “CP Takeover a Ripoff,” contains assumptions and conclusions which we are both incorrect and ua antes discuss!

our ons with thenews media, no attempt was made to hide or ‘brush aside” the fact that some Northland employees would be displaced as a result of the - jakeover: fated Specifical ’. we staté that of the total -97-em- ployees at Northland tween 25 and 39 would

be laid off and that these

positions include: elerical and senior opera management - ‘ost all in Vancouver. The decision to lay off staff is never one made easily, rdiess of the size company. However, thie move was necessary insom as Canadian Pacific's coastal marine operation already has the

marketing and sales,

clairns, computer an accounting in its existing nization.

While ¢ dation of

these functions will mean

obvious internal changes, our. statement

Your statement that the m saved on

—apeount of the displaced

The Editor Terrace, Herald ace, B.C.

. Dear Sir,

Would anyone care to comment on a system whereby schools are

the forbidden to teach

religion in any form, |

where a Grade 1 teacher

luck day’? heading backwards or forwards, I wonder?

Yours truly — Educated Elsewhere and Thankful

~. Liberals prepare

for Nat'l Conf.

ottawa-Senotor . Al Graham, president of the

- Liberal Party of Canada,

indicated recently that Liberal organizers are busy preparing for their party's National Con- vention to be held in Ottawa February 2426.

Convention cochair- man, Senator Joan Neiman and Pierre Bussieres, MP, Inicated that 3,000 people from across Canada. are ex-

ted to

5 last national meeting of the Liberal Party before the next election.

Delegates will discuss policy iuestions under

e@ me of “Canada: Our Future Le Canada a venir’, and focus on the Canadian economy,

‘available aa hd

rticipate in

Canadian unity, human rights, and social polciy.

The ‘Convention Pelic Committee, chaired by Scarborough Est MP, Hon. Mar has prepared a set of -discussion - con- stituencies for use in pre-

‘convention policy

meetings,

Q'Connell says he is greatly impressed with

e buildup towards this national gathering. He and ae team oof representatives from: ail over Canada tended preparatory conventions in every

province,

Editor

feel in assuming

O’Connell, -

have at- °

empl an increase in

of executives’ salaries is.

without foundation and simplynot true.

You are also incorrect that headquarters for this operation will be located in Montreal. Throughout its 75 year history on the west coast, CP Rail’s coastal marine arm, namel its British Columbia Coast Steamship Service, has always | _ based-" in British Columbia; and all

eeping and ac- coun! or the B.C.C.- SS. - Northland Service, will be controlled from Vancouver.

Our goke apa ran. sportation compa not to develop northern potential, but rather to respond to the growing transportation needs in northern B.C, which we foresee in the years to come, We will indeed be working to capture a share of that growth potential - inclu the

ned pipeline traffic - the hope that it will be both economically worth- while for us, and will contribure to the growth and prosperity of the Kitimat-Terrace-Prince Rupert corridor. Just as important, it will allow us to expand the service and meet the tran- tion requirements shippers ary receivers.

We sincerely hope that our role in northern B.C, will be judged on our

maaniag emenit “operations, *-

The Honourable William Bennett . Premier, 0 Province of British Columbia

Parliament Building Victoria, British Columbia V8V 1X4

Dear Mr. Bennett:

It is with some t that I must ty: s t a etter ou. and your Ministers on the issue of capturing British — Columbia falcons at this

2, regret, ‘on behalf of ihe Sierra Club, is due to the front page article in The Vancouver Sun, 78-01-09, entitled “Contracts . Worth . $71

. Fa nanos fee nih as “According "the tar-

issued , in effect, a Directive to your overnment (o approve e plan Kelowna falcon breeder Frank Beebe, Your options now a lear: Epessubmilt ot extra- parliamentary pressure and instruct the Honourable Mr. Bawlf to approve the falcon deal. 2, Reject the Saudi falcon proposal. = Any other position by your fovetument could asily interpreted as a “sell-out’’ after the statement attributed to the Saudi Arabia Prince. This Saudi Arabian action will casta shadow over any future effort to resolve this issue of falcon capture. If ad: dressed at all by povernment, the faleon ssue should proceed through a en: vironmental impact review with requisite

performance. public participation’ and earings, Yours very truly May I recommend that BD, etts you consider making a Genoral Manager, blic statement in the Coastal Marine immediate future to Operations reaffirm to the people of Rall British Columbia that our provincial parliamentary . : overnment remains ee imment: or was intact in light of Prince's received just as we are alleged statements. going to press. Com- : ments will appear in Yours truly, tomorrow’s editoria] Robert W. Nixon - e, ES. Regional Conservation eccrine: Representative med TERRACE

a

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