S enemneaneeneneene eee —w— rc a pn In this month’s Cassiar Country I take great plea- sure in presenting Joe and Joyce Hebert. The Hebert’s live at Erickson Gold where Joe is our first-aid attendant and carpenter and Joyce operates the jig table in the mill. JOE’S STORY” Joe was born in Spring Hill, Nova Scotia on Sept- ember 29th, 1936, in a one-room log cabin. He remem- ters childhood as a depressing, introspective time with inadequate facilities for education, which helped to create the feeling of “‘no future”. “My father was a coal miner, and a drinker. We moved to New Waterford, Cape Breton, but life didn’t improve much. You didn’t have to be old to know you were poor!” Joe was the oldest in his family and the only boy. By the time he was fifteen he’d had enough of the ‘home experience” and not being quite truthful about his age, joined the army. He trained in Halifax for ten months, then was shipped to Korea with the Royal Canadian Enginneers. “J was a field engineer, laying mines, building roads and bridges, you know - we were support troops for the infantry. We carried 303’s and Bren guns and were in- volved in action.” Joe recalls this as an exciting period in his life. “I was sixteen years old, involved in a dangerous, once in a lifetime experience. I did not realize at the time the repercussions of the war - and not really for a long time afterwards,” Discussing his experiences in Korea are not easy for Joe, especially some aspects. Respecting his privacy, I did not dig too deeply - but he did make this statement, and you can take it as you please, ‘I had the opportunity to see both sides of the treatre in Korea - both as a Can- adian and as a “visitor” of the Chinese. I found that they (the Chinese) have an abudant affection for the young. They are a unique and unusual people. Any adventures I can relate to in later years is a throwback to approximate- ly eighteen months of education received from an unwant- ed host!” Joe left Korea in 1954 and was discharged from the army in 1957. He was married briefly during this time and is the father of two daughters. After his separation from his wife, Joe became a tramp. “I slept in hobo jungles, worked from job to job - { MARVEL TRAVEL SERVICE LTD PUERTA VALLARTA From Vancouver starting at $699.00 return air fare and accommodation (based on double occupancy) OTHER MEXICAN HOLIDAYS Beginning December 5th, 1987 isvoh GREAT PACIFIC TOURS From Vancouver - 17 exciting days $2,650.00 per person including return air fare and accommodation (based on sharing twin) VANCOUVER — BRISBANE return air fare $1,513.00 plus tax Monday to Friday 1:00 - 5:30 p.m. 164 Elliot Street, Cassiar, B.C. Phone: 778-7220 EXPO Hours 9:30 a.m. - Noon one week here, two weeks there. I worked and travelled in eight of the ten provinces in Canada and I dined on weiners and beans with some of the most amazing com- pany you’d ever see! ALL were roamers like me, only some of them were doctors, lawyers and engineers!” Joe slowly settled into a more stable lifestyle as he found the jobs getting better, and he grew older. “I took to living out of a brown paper suitcase, which contained all of my earthly belongings - two pairs of socks, one pair of pants, an alarm clock, a Bible and various sundry items.” A lot changed when he met Joyce in Chilliwack, B.C. in 1969. “I was just visiting friends. She walked in the room, sat down and talked to me all night. She had the most sparkling eyes I’d ever seen in a woman, and she had a firey fighting spirit through which flowed this in- credible sense of humour. I knew I’d met the gal who yf F r 2 ne Be Pr se pattie. he 2 164 Elliott Street, Cassiar, B.C. Phone 778-7220 Monday to Friday 9:30 am to Noon and 1:00 to 5:30 pm by Lorraine Lanteigne could cause me to retire that brown paper suitcase!”’ The - couple married in Chilliwack and some of you may have been guests at their wedding reception which was held at Erickson. Joe is well known in Cassiar for his involve- ment with first aid. “My interest goes as far back as my days in Korea. I was always frustrated when someone was in pain and I couldn’t help them.” Joe says his passion for living has, over the years, become a passion of how to live with living. Consequently first aid became two things in his life. The enjoyment was there when he was helping someone and a lot of satisfaction was felt for knowing what he did. Joe is a sensitive and spiritual man. “Over many years I could never believe that God put us on earth for a ‘one shot deal’. To me reincarnation is the only common sense solution that fits. I find that each spirit is a part of the total being (call it God if you wish) and in my case it may take many incarnation to eventually become Christ- like, or acceptable (to self spirit) to move on to a higher plain. (Call it heaven if you wish.)”’ Joe has been writing his thoughts for forty years. He says he writes poetry to express himself, as he finds it much easier to write his inner feelings than to express them verbally to people. ‘I was raised to believe that boys didn’t cry and you only spoke after someone had spoken to you. This wasn’t my internal nature!’ I asked Joe to express his thoughts on Erickson. ‘These past eight years I have met people that were of a class far above most that I have worked with!” Joe says the company (Erickson) is really unique. “Where else can you find a company in which you can be friends with the original owners; visit the Mine Superin- tendent’s home; and be entertained by the Mine Manager and his wife - feeling equally welcome in each situation?” Joe says he has found Erickson to be the kind of place where a worker gets his orders, and then can actually create their work from their own imagination, using initiative and skill. “One thing for sure,” concludes Joe, “with all of the complaining you hear, when the chips are down, the people of Erickson stick together like glue on a wool blanket! Yeah, it’s all true - this is a very unique and unusual situation!” Cont. on Page 14 HOLT AGENCIES INSURANCELTD SOPSPOOOSOCO OOO POPSGOOSOSOSOSOSSPSOOSPPSPPSOOSPOOOOOOSD Library News PS The Open House at the Library was held on September 30th, and proved to be a great success. Even though it was a very busy night for most people, about 35 dropped in for a coffee and a good look around. Of the wide range of new materials available that night, the library took special pride in the Juvenile books purchased through the Vancouver Foundation grant. Our library purchased 76 new titles through the grant and these titles along with the regular stock purchases are very welcome additions to our already excellent selection of juvenile books. ee THE WILCOX CHILDREN MAKE THEIR SELECTION FROM THE NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK SECTION AT THE LIBRARY. B ; In the Adult book department, approximately 100 new titles were displayed for the first time at the Open House. Many of these titles are on the best sellers list. The arrival of new temporary loan books from Dawson Creek is always looked forward to by regular library patrons. These 300 new titles will stay at our library until spring. I would like to share a few interesting facts with + you about your public library. Did you know? - 2,389 items were borrowed from the library in 1986, this includes hard and soft cover books, magazines and assorted government publications. - we carry 20 different magazines and all back issues of magazines may be signed out for a 3 week period. - 50 requests for books from other libraries were filled. (These were requests for books that our library did not have). A final reminder, there is a due date stamped on all materials borrowed from the library. Please make every effort to return your books by that date. We will be charging and collecting fines for all overdue material The fines are 10 cents a day per book. Sandra Sandvik P.O. Box 452 Cassiar B.C. VOC 1€0 SWEATERS JACKETS TABLE RUNNERS For Special Items, Please Contact Me In My Studio SSOSSSsS SSSSSssesss SSSSSSSSSS SSSoSSssss SSSSSSSSSSSSsss ~ Stone Sheep Studio Weaver/Designer Handwoven Articles will be in The Fashion Show November 14th PLACEMATS SILK EARRINGS SCARVES Watch for Display at the Christmas Bazaar 381 McDame St NORTHERN LIGHTS COLLEGE The Cassiar Learning Centre is off on another busy year. We are bigger and better than ever. We are concerned with presenting the residents of Cassiar Country with the best possible upgrading, post secondary and continuing education. We are limited only by the small population base and the isolation. Each year more and more becomes possible. For instance, we are pre- pared to offer a full time course in Computer Office Procedures and Applications. This is an advanced pro- gram providing experience in using a variety of business computer applications in an integrated manner. Expertise is developed in word processsing, bookkeeping and payroll applications on a personal computer, data base management, and the fundamentals of spread sheeting. This would be excellent training for people seeking employment in almost any business or office situation. The requirements for this course are that a student attend on a full time basis (6 hours per day, 5 days per week for a full school year) and that they have their Grade 12 or equivalent. The cost would be $70.00 per month. We would need 8 students to run the course. Our earliest starting date would be January, 1988. If anyone is interested, please contact me at the Centre. Courses which are presently in progress are: * Investing in Canadian Securities * Philosophy 110 - A History of Critical Ideas Cassiar Courier November 1987 Page 7 Courses about to begin or have just begun are: * Using MS Dos - a course for beginners in the use of IBM computers. Instructor is Eric Stump. Monday and Thursday evenings, be- ginning October 19th * Weaving on a Frame Loom - Instructor is Sandy Sandvik. Thursday evenings beginning Oct. 22 * Cake Decorating - Instructor Phoebe Randall Other courses to watch for are Basic Programming on Apple Computers, Creative Writing, Air Brakes and G.E.D. These will be advertised over W.S.T.V. and on the local bulletin boards. Our Computer. Centre is once again open. David Andrews is our technician and keeps an eye on the Centre in the evenings, while I am happy to switch on the computers whenever I am in the office. Cost is $1.00 for every half hour of computer use. We have self- intructed Tutorials in several programs which serve as good introductions to computer use. Last month I reported that we would have lap top computers available for rental. That was a little premature. We are not going to be getting any lap tops. In their place, we will be receiving one more P.C..computer with hard disc drive and modem. This will increase our teaching capability once more. It has taken since last January to set up our Learning Centre. We are very proud of what we have accomplished so far and would like each of you to become familiar with the Centre. We are throwing the Centre open to everyone on Wednesday, November 4th from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Please plan to drop by and see your College Centre. Allan Studd * Music 100 AKE - % hour piano lessons College Extension Programmer 4 JUST FOR LAUGHS HARARE - A Zimbabwean municipal workman has received a special award for bravery - rescuing a woman whose foot got stuck round the S-bend of a toilet bowl. Mr. Ismael Sengweni, 27, spent two hours on his hands and knees with a hammer and chisel chipping the pan out of the concrete floor of the toilet, which was of the “squat kind’ common in Zimbabwe. He received a special citation for courage ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ from the mayor of Zim- babwe midlands town of Kadoma, but the distressed damsel who ‘put her foot in it’ was too embarassed to attend the gala presentation ceremony for her rescuer at Kadoma Town Hall. a OFFICE HOURS ROOM 778-7455 } Allan Studd SERVING NORTHEASTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA CASSIAR LEARNING CENTRE OPEN HOUSE The public is invited to meet the people who make your College happen. Join us for refreshments and view the facilities first hand 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 4th EVERYONE IS WELCOME! COMPUTER Monday Wednesday Thursday The computers are available for use on a self-instructing basis at any of the office or computer room hours. There is a nominal fee of $1.00 per half hour. We have many computer tutorials which can be worked through individually. mace: srrogramimen > an NORTHERN IGHTS COLLEGE 9 to 12 noon Monday 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday 7 tOsO-D mi 8 to 10 p.m. David Andrews eos eS =