"There were times when I was just plain lucky," says Cliff Fryers of his time as a lieutenant during the Second World War.
Fryers, 90, is one of more than 700,000 people who enlisted in the Canadian Forces between 1939 and 1945. As a student at the U of M, Fryer's joined the university's contingent of the Canadian Officer's Training Corps--a unit in the Active Militia of Canada, which prepared undergraduate students to qualify as officers. He turned 21 in August of 1942 and soon began making plans to enlist.
"I had long since made a decision in my mind to volunteer, because I felt the war was so serious and the situation was so serious, that I should take part in it on behalf of Canada to the extent that I could,"
Fryers says.
He trained as an officer cadet in Quebec and graduated as a second Lt. in February 1943.
After more training in Alberta and at CFB Shilo, Fryers was told he'd be going overseas. He was given a short leave in Winnipeg, during which he got engaged to his girlfriend June. But duty to his country was at the top of his mind, so Fryers was in England by his 22nd Birthday.
On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), Lt. Fryers was attending a flame-throwing school when Gen. Eisenhower announced that allied troops had landed in France. Fryers was sent there as part of a group of reinforcements for The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, and taken ashore to a camp a mile or two inland from where the invasion occurred.
"The Lts. were platoon commanders while we were on shore there, but I don't think we would say for a minute that we took a platoon with us up front. No, everyone including those who were in the platoons would be sent up individually, or in groups, or whatever, as the need arose. When you get quite a few men shot, wounded or killed, then you have a need for reinforcements."
During the summer, two of Fryers's fellow Lts. and friends were called into service with the battalion. He was called a few days later.
"I reported into headquarters there and of course enquired about my two buddies, how they were doing. They had been killed already," says Fryers. "That was quite a shock, but that's the way things went at that time."
Fryers didn't have long to grieve. One day early in his time with the battalion, he heard the sound of an approaching German mortar. He dove for his trench, but the exploding shell sent a piece of shrapnel that ricocheted off his helmet.
"The steel helmet had saved my life of course, cause if that piece of shrapnel had hit my head, it would have taken a big chunk out of my skull."
In October 1944, Fryers’s time in the service ended when a German sniper’s bullet went through his big toe. It didn’t hit the bone, but put him out of commission for the rest of his stint overseas.
Almost 70 years after the war, Fryers finds Remembrance Day even more significant.
"Remembrance Day is so very important to me. It didn't used to be when I was younger: I didn't really absorb the fact that I was getting so much older when so many of my friends hadn't made it out of the war."
Fryers says he sympathizes with young people today who don’t understand war. He says he found it just as difficult to understand the First World War when he was young.
Monday, 21 November 2011
Graduation Day: A Short Story
Ben felt like he was floating on a cloud. While he slept, he felt so free, as if he hadn't a worry in the world. Suddenly, the roar of a passing bus on the street jolted him awake. He stretched, yawned and propped himself up on his elbow. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so rested. Ben wondered why his alarm hadn't gone off. He glanced at the clock and almost fell on the floor. "Oh crap!" he said. "8:30?" He half sprinted, half jumped towards his mother's room and flung open the door. "Mom. Mom," Ben shouted, "grad starts in half an hour." He started to explain about his alarm not working right, but she cut him off in mid sentence. "Oh my god. Get your good clothes on and I'll make you a piece of toast or something. What in the world am I going to do with my hair? Oh, and can you call Grandma when you're dressed?" Ben was dressed within about a minute. It was amazing how fast he could get something done when he had to. Of course it would take a bit of time to tie his tie, but he'd worry about that later. Ben dialed the phone hesitantly, knowing the conversation wouldn't be easy. "Hi Grandma, its Ben." "Who?" said his Grandma in a loud voice. "It's Ben. Your grandson." "Oh Ben. Where are you? You're late." "Yeah I know. We overslept, so you're going to have to take a cab." "Take a stab? A stab at what? You know me. I'll try anything." "No, a cab. You need to take a cab to meet us at the church." "Oh well, okay. I'll do what I have to do. There's no way I'm missing your graduation." "Okay Grandma, see you there." "My hair? Of course I'm going to do my hair." "Bye Grandma," said Ben exasperatedly and hung up the phone. He looked over at the clock again: 8:45. Ben rushed into the kitchen to see if he could hurry his mother along, but she was nowhere to be found. He poked his head out the door and scanned the driveway. He was surprised to see his mom waiting impatiently behind the wheel of her car with the motor running. They set off down the street and Ben prayed they wouldn't get a ticket. He knew this grad thing was important to his Mom—and who was he kidding, it was important to him too—but he didn't want them both to be killed just getting there. They rounded a corner onto the main drag. As they drove past the train tracks, Ben noticed it was 9:00: just about the time when the grads were supposed to be lining up. "Please let them be behind schedule," Ben said to himself. "Thank god I have a last name that starts with Z. Hopefully they won't get to my row for a while." It appeared as if luck was on their side. Just as Ben was about to relax, he could see a train chugging along in the distance. At the site of the train, his mom threw her hands up and groaned. After a couple of minutes of heavy breathing and helpless looks at Ben, she finally decided to break the silence. "I've been waiting for this ever since you were born. You've been through 12 years of school, and now because of our stupid clocks and this train, we're both going to miss your graduation. What if you don't get to cross the stage? What are we going to do?" This was the first time today Ben had seen his mom lose her cool, though he didn't blame her for it. "Mom," he said calmly, "I know how you feel. This is important to me too, but complaining about it isn't going to make time go backwards or that train move any faster. Besides, there's like five cars left of the train." "And now we’re going to be almost ten minutes late," she cried. "It's okay," replied Ben. "I always knew there was an advantage to being at the end of the alphabet." His mom smiled as the last train car disappeared from view. She gunned the engine again, and before Ben could tell her to slow down, they had reached the church where Ben's grad was being held. "Quick," she said, "you get out and get in there. I'll find a place to park." Ben did as he was told. He burst through the door and ran straight for the back room off the sanctuary. "What's your name and where have you been?" asked an impatient-looking woman in a business suit with her hair in a bun. "Ben Zanalouski." "Good. We're just getting to the Zs now. What's your gown size?" "Uhhhh ..." "Never mind. This will work. Here's your cap, here's your gown, now get in line." Ben found his place in line and began to march with his fellow graduates. As they filed past the audience, he felt something hanging around his neck; this whole grad ordeal had prevented him from noticing it. He had forgotten to tie his tie.
Friday, 28 October 2011
Diehard Fans at Last Saturday's Bomber Game
It was a cool and windy Saturday afternoon, but diehard Blue Bomber fans were in abundance at Canad Inns Stadium to see the Bombers beat the Montreal Alouettes 26-25.
An estimated 30,360 people were there to cheer on The Blue 'n' Gold. A number of them were season ticket-holders, and others were just anxious to see Winnipeg and Montreal battle it out for control of first place in the Eastern Conference. Regardless of how many games each person attends, there are special reasons why loyal fans come back game after game.
"It's tradition, it's part of my blood. I played football ... used to play it myself, so it's part of our history," said late-comer Rick Gibson.
Other died-in-the-wool Bomber supporters, like Patrick Loden, have similar feelings. Loden said he has been a fan of the big blue almost since birth.
"I think I was brainwashed, right, I had no choice in my family. So either be a Bomber fan or get the hell out."
Garry Lang is also harboring the tradition of Football enthusiasm in his family. Lang was accompanied by his toddler grandson Ashlyn, whose face was adorned with "Bombers go!" The grandfather first purchased season tickets back in 1980. He gave them up when the club put Astroturf on the field and his kids came along, but now that he's got used to the new turf and his grandson is old enough, he's excited to be back in the stands.
Others, who aren't spending quality time with their families, keep coming back for good old-fashioned fun.
"We're in Section S, so the cheering is always so loud and everyone gets right into it. It's great," said Melissa Morison as she enjoyed a beer with her partner Ryan Bruce before the game. "We're usually a little bit horse when we leave."
The fans in Section S will have another opportunity to cheer loudly, since the Bombers now have a home playoff date. Both Winnipeg and Montreal are tied for first place in the CFL's Eastern Division with 10-6 records, but the Bombers will achieve first place if the teams are tied at the end of the regular season.
An estimated 30,360 people were there to cheer on The Blue 'n' Gold. A number of them were season ticket-holders, and others were just anxious to see Winnipeg and Montreal battle it out for control of first place in the Eastern Conference. Regardless of how many games each person attends, there are special reasons why loyal fans come back game after game.
"It's tradition, it's part of my blood. I played football ... used to play it myself, so it's part of our history," said late-comer Rick Gibson.
Other died-in-the-wool Bomber supporters, like Patrick Loden, have similar feelings. Loden said he has been a fan of the big blue almost since birth.
"I think I was brainwashed, right, I had no choice in my family. So either be a Bomber fan or get the hell out."
Garry Lang is also harboring the tradition of Football enthusiasm in his family. Lang was accompanied by his toddler grandson Ashlyn, whose face was adorned with "Bombers go!" The grandfather first purchased season tickets back in 1980. He gave them up when the club put Astroturf on the field and his kids came along, but now that he's got used to the new turf and his grandson is old enough, he's excited to be back in the stands.
Others, who aren't spending quality time with their families, keep coming back for good old-fashioned fun.
"We're in Section S, so the cheering is always so loud and everyone gets right into it. It's great," said Melissa Morison as she enjoyed a beer with her partner Ryan Bruce before the game. "We're usually a little bit horse when we leave."
The fans in Section S will have another opportunity to cheer loudly, since the Bombers now have a home playoff date. Both Winnipeg and Montreal are tied for first place in the CFL's Eastern Division with 10-6 records, but the Bombers will achieve first place if the teams are tied at the end of the regular season.
Friday, 21 October 2011
Here's The Plan, Garbage Man
City council voted in favour of a garbage and recycling master plan Wednesday that strives to rid Winnipeg of its designation as one of the country's most wasteful cities, but one Point Douglas resident is skeptical about the plan's results.
Michelle Ross believes garbage pickup in her area isn't very efficient and she feels the pickups don't happen often enough. But the more pressing issue in her neighborhood, she said, is with the dumpsters in her back lane and the larger items people leave next to them.
"About 95 per cent of the time they are filled to over-capacity, so there's garbage bags and other things around the dumpster because it can't fit inside. And our back lane has been zoned as a fire area because of how many times the dumpsters have been lit on fire."
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge - East Fort Garry) said the plan, which will see current bins replaced by automated carts, will reduce illegal dumping and keep back lanes tidier. Gerbasi said people will take individual responsibility for how much trash they throw out, and because the new carts will have lids, they will not encourage illegal dumping.
The city will make use of 185,000 recycling carts and 145,000 garbage carts. Each cart holds 240 litres, which is equivalent to four blue boxes or three standard-sized garbage bags.
As part of the master plan, a flat fee of $50 per year will be added to Winnipeggers' water bills. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) proposed that the rate be based on property values to make it affordable for everyone.
"We're trying to improve our environment, but we also need to take into consideration people's ability to pay," Eadie said.
Ross felt a different approach was more suitable.
"I would say it would make more sense to pay based on how much garbage you produce, cause if you pay based on the market value of your house, that doesn't really correlate to how much garbage you produce," she said.
"A $200,000 home could produce very little garbage, but would have to pay a premium to have their garbage removed."
Council approved the plan without Eadie’s proposed amendment, but passed a motion to create a Citizens' Advisory Committee, so the initiative could be perfected in the future. Mayor Sam Katz said he did not think the plan was perfect, but he was optimistic.
"Every journey starts with a first step. This is our step," said Katz.
Michelle Ross believes garbage pickup in her area isn't very efficient and she feels the pickups don't happen often enough. But the more pressing issue in her neighborhood, she said, is with the dumpsters in her back lane and the larger items people leave next to them.
"About 95 per cent of the time they are filled to over-capacity, so there's garbage bags and other things around the dumpster because it can't fit inside. And our back lane has been zoned as a fire area because of how many times the dumpsters have been lit on fire."
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge - East Fort Garry) said the plan, which will see current bins replaced by automated carts, will reduce illegal dumping and keep back lanes tidier. Gerbasi said people will take individual responsibility for how much trash they throw out, and because the new carts will have lids, they will not encourage illegal dumping.
The city will make use of 185,000 recycling carts and 145,000 garbage carts. Each cart holds 240 litres, which is equivalent to four blue boxes or three standard-sized garbage bags.
As part of the master plan, a flat fee of $50 per year will be added to Winnipeggers' water bills. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) proposed that the rate be based on property values to make it affordable for everyone.
"We're trying to improve our environment, but we also need to take into consideration people's ability to pay," Eadie said.
Ross felt a different approach was more suitable.
"I would say it would make more sense to pay based on how much garbage you produce, cause if you pay based on the market value of your house, that doesn't really correlate to how much garbage you produce," she said.
"A $200,000 home could produce very little garbage, but would have to pay a premium to have their garbage removed."
Council approved the plan without Eadie’s proposed amendment, but passed a motion to create a Citizens' Advisory Committee, so the initiative could be perfected in the future. Mayor Sam Katz said he did not think the plan was perfect, but he was optimistic.
"Every journey starts with a first step. This is our step," said Katz.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Old Market Square: A Great Place to Visit, but Not For Everyone
Members of Winnipeg's disability community are giving a popular Exchange District attraction a failing grade on accessibility, and they want the city to do something about it.
Representatives from Manitoba League of Persons With Disabilities and Disabled Women's Network Manitoba say recent renovations made to Old Market Square do not meet accessibility standards for people with mobility or visual impairments.
Diane Driedger, MLPD Provincial Coordinator, said her organization met with city planners last year when the first phase of renovations was complete, and suggested steps the planners could take to make the space more accessible. But when they met again last summer, not a lot had been done.
"They put two new ramps in," said Driedger. "One of them is very steep and needs a railing."
Driedger compared the park's new green space that encircles the stage to a sunken living room. She said the three sets of stairs that provide access to the space do not have railings or visual indicators to show where each stair begins, creating a dangerous situation for people with balance difficulties or limited vision.
But the biggest problem, say the disability advocates, is with the ramp that provides wheelchair access to the green space in the southwest corner. The side walls also function as a seating area, which presents additional challenges.
"So what happens is, there isn't enough room to pass there--everybody's sitting there--and as a wheelchair user comes, they have to run over everybody's feet. They have to ask people to move," said Driedger.
She pointed out that those sitting on the walls could be asked to move, but some people with disabilities do not feel comfortable making that request. Either way, the MLPD and DAWN representatives feel the path should be made one brick wider, so everyone can have equal access.
"Public spaces should be public spaces," said Mindy Tucker, a member of MLPD's provincial council, who met with city planners.
Coun. Ross Eadie, chair of the city's Access Advisory Committee, agrees the recommended changes should be made. Driedger and company were told those in charge of the renos had run out of money, but Eadie said his committee is recommending that more funds be set aside, even though the city has spent $2.6 million on the project so far.
"I'm not quite sure what that cost will be. All I know is handrails are quite cheap. The biggest cost is going to be fixing the path, which is the biggest problem."
Eadie said he'll make the recommendation to the Mayer's Executive Policy Committee within the next couple of weeks.
Representatives from Manitoba League of Persons With Disabilities and Disabled Women's Network Manitoba say recent renovations made to Old Market Square do not meet accessibility standards for people with mobility or visual impairments.
Diane Driedger, MLPD Provincial Coordinator, said her organization met with city planners last year when the first phase of renovations was complete, and suggested steps the planners could take to make the space more accessible. But when they met again last summer, not a lot had been done.
"They put two new ramps in," said Driedger. "One of them is very steep and needs a railing."
Driedger compared the park's new green space that encircles the stage to a sunken living room. She said the three sets of stairs that provide access to the space do not have railings or visual indicators to show where each stair begins, creating a dangerous situation for people with balance difficulties or limited vision.
But the biggest problem, say the disability advocates, is with the ramp that provides wheelchair access to the green space in the southwest corner. The side walls also function as a seating area, which presents additional challenges.
"So what happens is, there isn't enough room to pass there--everybody's sitting there--and as a wheelchair user comes, they have to run over everybody's feet. They have to ask people to move," said Driedger.
She pointed out that those sitting on the walls could be asked to move, but some people with disabilities do not feel comfortable making that request. Either way, the MLPD and DAWN representatives feel the path should be made one brick wider, so everyone can have equal access.
"Public spaces should be public spaces," said Mindy Tucker, a member of MLPD's provincial council, who met with city planners.
Coun. Ross Eadie, chair of the city's Access Advisory Committee, agrees the recommended changes should be made. Driedger and company were told those in charge of the renos had run out of money, but Eadie said his committee is recommending that more funds be set aside, even though the city has spent $2.6 million on the project so far.
"I'm not quite sure what that cost will be. All I know is handrails are quite cheap. The biggest cost is going to be fixing the path, which is the biggest problem."
Eadie said he'll make the recommendation to the Mayer's Executive Policy Committee within the next couple of weeks.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Page One: Inside The New York Times (New Documentary)
What better choice for my inaugural post than to discuss a film that deserves “front page” recognition.
For one year, Page One director Andrew Rossi followed reporters working on the New York Times’ Media Desk—a department created with a unique task in mind. Its reporters were to cover the transformation of Journalism, from a field based on a reader-reporter relationship to an interactive platform based largely online.
David Carr, the film’s central figure, is a former crack addict turned reporter. He knows what it’s like to overcome adversity. So he doesn’t bat an eye when faced with newspapers going bankrupt around the U.S., the serge in popularity of social media, and increased pressure to stay relevant to readers who can access news content any time and almost anywhere.
However, we begin to wonder when the Times recruits Brian Stelter, a blogger and social media devotee, to work for the Media Desk. Carr is startled by Stelter’s proficiency with Facebook and Twitter, refusing to participate in the new publishing platforms. But when he discovers how Facebook and Twitter can enhance the immediacy of news, Carr is hooked. His inspiring story, appreciation for Journalism as a craft, and dedication to what he calls “Times exceptionalism” make Carr one of the documentary’s most memorable players.
Page One provides some fascinating insights into the impact of the paper in the overall media landscape. It is said that if a story is on the front page of the Times, you’ll see it on the front of almost every other daily the next day. In 2011, 160 years after the Times printed its first edition, that is certainly something to be proud of. In the film, writers and editors point out that Daniel Ellsberg needed a newspaper to publish the Pentagon Papers (which were instrumental in the Watergate Scandal) in 1972, but WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange only needed the internet to publish his classified documents in 2010.
The good news is that Assange still went to the Times to publish an edited version of the documents. The underlying point of this scenario is that news institutions like the New York Times can remain relevant if they learn to grow and change with their readers.
Now more than ever, journalists function as interpreters of the multitude of information we receive on a daily basis. It is easy enough to see and hear about the news of the day, but finding a trusted source to interpret it for us is much more challenging.
Of course there are challenges for publishers and editors too. For the past 15 years, almost all news content on the internet has been free, but as more of us depend on internet news sources, newspapers may start making us pay for some of that content. Many newspapers now update there news coverage 24 hours a day, and comprehensive coverage takes money. If the remaining North American newspapers like the Times can transition smoothly into online media, they will be around for a long time. That is the message Page One tries to convey and I’d say it’s a pretty accurate one.
If the New York Times can be experts at interpretation, as they’ve been for every other type of Journalism for 160 years, they won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
For one year, Page One director Andrew Rossi followed reporters working on the New York Times’ Media Desk—a department created with a unique task in mind. Its reporters were to cover the transformation of Journalism, from a field based on a reader-reporter relationship to an interactive platform based largely online.
David Carr, the film’s central figure, is a former crack addict turned reporter. He knows what it’s like to overcome adversity. So he doesn’t bat an eye when faced with newspapers going bankrupt around the U.S., the serge in popularity of social media, and increased pressure to stay relevant to readers who can access news content any time and almost anywhere.
However, we begin to wonder when the Times recruits Brian Stelter, a blogger and social media devotee, to work for the Media Desk. Carr is startled by Stelter’s proficiency with Facebook and Twitter, refusing to participate in the new publishing platforms. But when he discovers how Facebook and Twitter can enhance the immediacy of news, Carr is hooked. His inspiring story, appreciation for Journalism as a craft, and dedication to what he calls “Times exceptionalism” make Carr one of the documentary’s most memorable players.
Page One provides some fascinating insights into the impact of the paper in the overall media landscape. It is said that if a story is on the front page of the Times, you’ll see it on the front of almost every other daily the next day. In 2011, 160 years after the Times printed its first edition, that is certainly something to be proud of. In the film, writers and editors point out that Daniel Ellsberg needed a newspaper to publish the Pentagon Papers (which were instrumental in the Watergate Scandal) in 1972, but WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange only needed the internet to publish his classified documents in 2010.
The good news is that Assange still went to the Times to publish an edited version of the documents. The underlying point of this scenario is that news institutions like the New York Times can remain relevant if they learn to grow and change with their readers.
Now more than ever, journalists function as interpreters of the multitude of information we receive on a daily basis. It is easy enough to see and hear about the news of the day, but finding a trusted source to interpret it for us is much more challenging.
Of course there are challenges for publishers and editors too. For the past 15 years, almost all news content on the internet has been free, but as more of us depend on internet news sources, newspapers may start making us pay for some of that content. Many newspapers now update there news coverage 24 hours a day, and comprehensive coverage takes money. If the remaining North American newspapers like the Times can transition smoothly into online media, they will be around for a long time. That is the message Page One tries to convey and I’d say it’s a pretty accurate one.
If the New York Times can be experts at interpretation, as they’ve been for every other type of Journalism for 160 years, they won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
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