North Bay Teachers College - Polaris Yearbook (North Bay, Ontario Canada)

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NORTHLAND In the town hall of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, there is a mural showing men lining up at the mine entrance to begin their shift. I have forgotten most of the details, such as, which of the once-famous Kirkland mines it is they are about to enter CWright-Hargreaves? , Lakeshore? , Teck-Hughes? , Sylvanite?y, or on what memorable date this particular shift went to work, other than that it was during the height of the gold mining era. There is also the strong suspicion that the picture, though honest and well-done, would probably never find its way into any renowned art gallery, but there is one lasting impression. Depicted here is the Canada I sought while still in war-torn Europe, here is the Canada I found some seventeen years ago, the Canada which adopted me and mine, and which I in turn chose for my country - not through an accident of birth, but consciously as an adult. What is it that makes this mural so outstanding, at least for me? Nothing is shown of the wonders of the Canadian landscape - the vast Arctic North, the endless prairies, the majestic Rockies - but then other countries have comparable wonders and beauty, and it is not for this that you would choose a new homeland. It is the very best, the essence of Canada, which is shown here - in the faces, somewhat tired but determined, of the men about to enter the mine, and in their names listed in conscientious small-town manner under the picture No roster of reputed heroes here, just ordinary men bent on a job no weakling would care for, men from all corners of the earth as demon- strated by their names, who even if they came here hoping to find the streets paved with gold had long since settled down to working for it - hard, dangerously, without glamour, This is the Canada of the mind, a community of people bound together not by common origin but by common goals, going about their work unostentatiously, maybe with a bit of grumbling as befits a gruelling job, but still ready to do their share, and let the next fellow have his, no matter how unpronounceable his name, how hard to understand his greeting. A decent but rather gloomy and not too inspiring picture to represent one's country in anyone's mind? Look outside. There is the living follow-up picture: the children of these men, black, brown and blond of hair, playing together in the schoolyard, laughing, calling to each other, proving their father's right. It IS all worthwhile, the loneliness at first, the mucking for gold , the sweat, the dreams. Here is the future now, carved by the men with the strange and silent faces, the Browns, the Laplantes, the Greatbears, the Pulsinskis, Benvenutos, Schmidts, SooLings, and all the othersg it reads like a roster of the United Nations. It is Canada today and tomorrow! And it is also the greatest challenge to all of us who want to take some active part in the further shaping of our country's future by educating its children. Swanhild A. Simmerling Form 3 COLLEGE DE PEDAGOGIQUE C with apologies to William Drummond 5 Although you don' know me, Ma nom ees Lee 'arris, To come to dees ecole Ie suis tres embaras. Ma brain she ees t'eek, Plaintee t'ing I don' know, But de qualification I got, So by gat me I go. Dey say dat cle teacher She ees ver-ee scarce, So I t'ink mebbe I try For bedder, for worse. De day she arrive, Le 12 du Septembre, Ma knee dey ees knockin', Ma t'aughts ver-ee sombre. I walk t'rou dat door, De auditorium she's feel, Dere ees no escape now, Ma fate she ees seal. De life at de college, She's so beesy an' gai, From top floor to bottom Leas' t'ree tam per day. Den down to de gym where We mak' beaucoup sport, M'sieur 'usband 'ee 'oller An' we dance an' cavort. Den out to de school We visite wan week, Teach beaucoup de children Mos' tam I feel seek. It's back to de college Pour write les exam, An' if we should fail By gar, what a jam! De exam she ees over An' now we mus' wait, For masters to mark dem An' tell us our fate. But if we don' mak' it, Don' lose de good cheer, Remember Pestalozzi, Try new job nex' year. Mrs. L. Harris Form 6

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ff X 1 iw + 'fi' This job wasn't what this implies. Q in 9 fit .19 3 gf saggy QVW Who says candid shots are funny? Sorry, it's been censored! That cau't be me! 1 fx 5 f Q 1 1 1