Tillsonburg District High School - Tatler Yearbook (Tillsonburg, Ontario Canada)

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FREEDOM IS HAPPINESS I am an Estonian. I am a refugee of Communism. I left my homeland in 1944, 30th of September. I left it because the Russians came. There was a big war at that time. The Estonian Army was too small against the Red Army. They won and occupied it. Now it is added to the terror in the Soviet Union. At the same time thousands of the Estonian people left the homeland to find a refuge in the large world. So did I. But the most of my people must stay. They had no chance to go. Now they live under the wild terror of Communism. My mother and brother are there. I have known nothing about them for four and a half years. They are behind the Iron Curtain. A great number of the Estonian people were killed at that time. The sea was the only way to go, and the people had not a great number of good boats. They had to use little fishing boats. It was fall, and the sea was very stormy. The boats were too full of people and so many, many of them never did get to the other side of the Baltic Sea. I got happily over the sea to Sweden. Sweden had in wartime a great number of the homeless people who found a refuge there. I lived four years there, and I am very obliged to Swedish people for that time. I came to Canada to find a new home- land. Now I have been here three months. This is a short time and I have not seen much of this country but I like it. I hope to find a good home here and be happy. Freedom is happiness. By Reet Kasekamp. MY STORY In the year 1942f27!2, the Germans took me to Germany when I was fifteen and a half years old. So I stayed in Germany till the year 1944 when the Americans came to Germany. Then after that came the Polish Captain who took all the Polish families to Holland. We stayed in Holland for one month in Mastericht. After that we drove through Belgium to France till we came to Lille. From Lille all those boys who wanted to go to the Polish Army went to Ostandy in Belgium. THE TATLER From Belgium we went to England. But I can't remember which port we landed in, I didn't care. I was so happy that I didn't bother to find out. We stayed in London for two hours waiting for the train. When the train came we went right into Scotland. We landed in Edinburgh. From Edinburgh we went to Kinross, the place where we were sent. I stayed in Kinross for a while before I was sent to the Tenth Brigade of Paratroops. From there I went to the First Battalion Grenadiers where I spent the rest of my time. In 1946 I started to look for my uncle in Canada through the British Red Cross. In the year 1947 I left the Army and I started working in a Sheffield factory. In the meantime the Red Cross found my uncle in Canada, and he asked me if I wanted to come to Canada. So, I came here on July 12, 1948. From then on I started to work on my uncle's tobacco farm. And I like it very much. Now I don't think I would like to go back to the Old Country. By Peter Modney. HOLLAND AND CANADA The teacher puts a very difiicult question, but I will try to write down a little story. What is the difference be- tween Canada and my native land, Hol- land? I live in Canada only half a year. I like it very well over here. I like the people as well as the country. The biggest trouble is the language, not forbthe Canadians but for me. One of the first things by which I was so much impressed when I came over here, was the great distances in this country. The average size of the farms here in Ontario is greater than it is in Holland. Farm work is donemuch more by machines. Many farmers are not only good farmers but are also carpenters and mechanics. V I don't like the way they measure over here on distances, volumes and weights. There are many more wooden buildings than in Holland. Wood must be much cheaper is scarce and dear in Holland. By William Bontje. than bricks and cement. Wood 69

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NEW CANADIANS AT T.D.H.S. NIGHT CLASSES Uno aspect of the life of the school with which the day-pupils of T. D. H. S. are perhaps not well acquainted is the institution, by the Department of Edu- cation and the local Board, of night classes in Basic English for New Canadians. A very commendable beginning was made in this field several years ago under the guidance of Mr. S. Wightman. This year the Department of Education has en- couraged the expansion of this important effort. On Monday and Wednesday evenings throughout the winter, Miss Howitt and Mr. Hay have instructed two classes of enthusiastic and willing workers. These 68 men and women, boys and girls, oi' various nationalities, are united in their desire to perfect their knowledge of the Canadian speech and to absorb the customs and history of the country of their adoption. By their faithful attendance and enthu- siastic response they have shown their patient and understanding instructors how earnest is this desire. We are glad to welcome these new Canadians and to wish them success and happiness in their new home. Because we feel that our new friends have a desire to use their newly-acquired English and have something to say to us, we are pleased to print some of their compositions. THE TATLER

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LIKES CANADA I live in Canada for many years and I like this country very well. I came from Holland, the country with the bulbs and dykes. I came from Amsterdam, the big- gest city in Holland. The difference in my country is that if a girl is married she cannot work outside the house, and in this country you are free to do as you please. The people of Canada are many- French, Dutch, Hungarian, Belgians and others. The people work hard and are doing so to make a better Canada. The religions are different but it is free. Canada is a country of freedom. The Dutch country children go to school shak- ing but the Canadian children like to go in buses. The air in Holland is damp and wet, but the air here is clear and dry. I still love my country but Canada is my home forever. I have been in Tillson- burg a long time, but this is the first opportunity we have to go to learn the English language in school, and I like it. I hope to go next year again. By Mrs. Vanderhoek. .1 .......- VALEDICTORY ADDRESS fContinued from Page 251 the Tillsonburg District High School, you have a great opportunity for an education. Opportunity is knocking at your door. Open that door! But I am here to say goodbye. It is not an easy thing to say goodbye. It is especially difficult for me tonight as I look out on this group of old schoolmates and as I recall those memories of T.H.S.- commencement in years past, cadets, rugby, basketball. These are things that we new graduates--and I dare say things that all graduates of T.H.S.-will never forget. And now my classmates of the class of '48 join me in saying, farewell fellow students, farewell graduating classes of '49, '50, '51, '52 and '53, goodbye T.H.S., whate'er our destinies may be, we shall remember you. 70 4 MONDAY EVENING ART AND CRAFT CLUB Another activity which goes on at T.D.H.S. after the regular school day has ended, is the Tillsonburg Art and Craft Club. Membership in this group is open to all persons of the town and district who wish to draw, paint, or work at a craft. Under the supervision of Miss Field and Mrs. A. B. Taylor, a large group of men and women from Tillsonburg and Mount Elgin, as well as pupils of T.D.H.S. and the Public School, have been busy with paint brush, palette knife, crayon, and leather, and it is expected that there will be an exhibition of their work in the spring. Three trips were made by bus to see exhibitions and demonstrations at the London Art Gallery, and two travelling exhibitions of paintings by Canadian artists have been brought to Tillsonburg by the Club and displayed in the Junior Lab. for all those of the town and school who are interested. The Club also had the privilege of entertaining three promi- nent artists from London. Messrs. Kemp, Versteeg and Arris, who by demonstration and explanation gave valuable instruction to the members and friends who attended. The aim of the Club has been to bring together people who are interested in some phase of the arts as a hobby for their leisure hours, and the by-products have been mutual instruction, relaxation, and un. APPRECIATION We also Wish to express our apprecia- tion of a very complete and well-expressed article on the history of the Hungarian people, written by Mrs. Wallentiny. In her article she comments: Actually, the situa- tion in Hungary is worse than ever. The war ruined the country, the so-called liberation by the Russians brought the Communist minority to power and the life of the people was turned into slavery and terror. Thousands and thousands of them chose rather the state of miserable fugitives than to live under increasing fear and dictatorship. This people learned to know what the Communist regime really means .... and there is only one question more-whether she will be able to survive this period or not. History only knows the answer. THE TATLER