cktimes.ca Archives for Notes from a Garage


Notes from a Garage

With John Gardiner

Gadgets and widgets and everything in between

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Was into a most interesting discussion with one of this area's artistic community, Jon-Erik Kroon, over the weekend – Jon-Erik, a visual artist who captures the spiritual in life in a way that I find honest and true. Anyway, we were into discussing one of my favourite things – what went wrong with the sixties. I mean, it all looked so darned positive from where I was sitting back in the middle of the decade of love. We wanted to create something more than our parents had had, but it was a quality thing, not quantity – that's why our current commercialized-to-the-hilt world seems like such an irony to someone like me. I stand in the doorway to Walmart and marvel at what we've done. We have made so darned much stuff that it's mind boggling even to think about – we have made gadgets and widgets and this and that and everything in between. Most of it is stuff we don't really need. But we have to keep making it and we have to keep buying it or our way of life will come to a screeching halt. Strange, but true. It's sort of like a viscious circle and I'm not sure there's an easy way out of it. I enjoyed Jon-Erik's take on things and found his attitude to be most refreshing – very sixtyish – if that's a word. I hope he's able to push his work out into the great, wide world and people take some notice. It would do them good.

Spent a most interesting afternoon this past weekend down in Blenheim where I toured the Blenheim Leisure Centre and Rotary Pool and what a fine complex it is. My most able tour guides for the time were Dr. Howard Rees and Bob Fox, both of whom have been instrumental in the development of this great community project. Dr. Rees, who is retired after practicing medicine in Blenheim for 40 years, has been a staunch supporter of both the Centre and Pool and really seems to have kick-started the whole campaign. I was told that he pushed for the final design of the pool, and you really have to see it – it's fully glassed in and has a retractable roof – likely the only one between Toronto and who-knows-where. I mean, a rectractable roof in Blenheim!!!! Because of the glassed-in design, swimming in the winter is like swimming in the summer – it's terrific. And they're working on getting more and more swimming programs going in the pool. Bob Fox spearheaded the fundraising for the complex and he's justifiably proud of what's been accomplished. If the Leisure Centre project continues to push forward, watch for the construction of a gymnasium on the site and also connecting links between the arena and the complex. It's quite a master plan and would cost about $3 million if everything goes according to hoyle. It's amazing what's going on in this community.

Executive Director of the Tilbury Help and Information Centre, Kim Bilcke, welcomed me to that facility last week and that was an eye-opener. What a wonderful facility with a great staff. The Help Centre acts as a focal point in the community and works on a variety of programs that help local residents with a variety of needs. Thanks to Kim for taking the time out to see me.

So, this was the news last week: On Tuesday, the papers were full of the auditor general's report and we were told about the hundred of millions of dollars being wasted on consultants and the like; On Wednesday, Finance Minister Janet Ecker reported that we're running a $3 billion surplus in the province this year; On Thursday, there were more in an endless stream of stories about how the health care and education systems are underfunded. Strange, but true. How can all three of these stories be true? How can we be wasting hundreds millions of dollars, running a surplus in the billions, and still have to wait six months for a simple medical procedure? This is a very weird place.

Speaking of the medical system, how angry would you be if you knew that professional athletes in the Toronto area can jump the line for medical procedures the rest of us wait a very long time for if they fork over a ton of cash? Thought that couldn't happen in our public health care system. Man, is it frustrating when you read stuff like that – especially when you're just one of the plebes down in the trenches trying to eke out a living.

I'm hoping that more of you will start trying out the cktimes Forums. If there's something I've written about that you either agree, or more likely, disagree with – drop me a line and let me know. I'd like to get a few lively discussions going in the cktimes forums. Thanks for the great support you've been giving the paper. Remember, I can't do this without you. Talk it up to friends and neighbours. And remember to support our sponsors.

Take care until next week – Christmas is almost here. And remember...."Hew to the line; let the chips fall where they may."




John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.