The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS skit in the synchronized swimming Water Show in the pool Sunday allowed swimmers to show their swimming and timing talents Various props such as flashlights for the above show were used STAFF OF the pool demonstrated how easily boating accidents can happen at the pools water show Sunday evening An overloaded dinghy with rowdy drinkers without lifejackets can run into problems as was demonstrated KAREN GLENN mock victim of a boating accident and near drowning is revived with the pools new resuscitator at Sunday evenings Water Show Cal Rowles holds the oxygen to Karens mouth while Karen centre looks on YOUNG diver shows off ACTON SABRES HOCKEY CLUB and ACTON REFEREES ASSOCIATION Present A Gala Prize and Night SATURDAY DECEMBER 18th Is it true Id now have to work longer to collect Unemployment Insurance Yes Parliament has decided that the qualification time should be longer everywhere and that people who live in areas of high unemployment should be given certain advantages over those who live in areas where jobs arc more plentiful Which means that you now need more insurable work weeks to qualify for Unemployment Insurance benefits I can see why But just how long would I have to work to be eligible From to 14 weeks depending on where you live In regions of low unemployment claimants need up to weeks of insurable employment to get UI benefits This will only happen in places where its easier to get and keep a job In regions of high unemployment claimants now need as little as 10 weeks to qualify Does this mean Id get less or that the payments wouldnt last as long No change in payment amounts The UI benefit rate stays at twothirds of your average weekly insurable earnings The maximum is less tax The maximum time for which anyone may receive benefits has changed slightly however The old maximum was weeks Now its 50 weeks But since September number of weeks for which a claimant qualifies has more closely reflected the unemployment rate in his or her region Right now we measure unemployment by dividing Canada into 16 economic regions Later in we will finetune the program to 54 regions so that UI will be even more closely related to local labour market conditions What else is changing about Not much The basic two week waiting period remains the same everywhere And so do the rules on the waiting period when a claimant has left his or her job for no good reason or been fired for misconduct In such cases a claimant may have to wait up to eight weeks from when employment ends until benefits start Then theres maternity sickness and age benefits Previously sickness benefits were only payable during the first weeks of the claim Now theyre payable at any time during the entire benefit period Maternity benefits of weeks and the special onetime benefit equal to three weeks benefits at age remain the same The same people still pay for the program in the same proportions and the types of employ ment insurable for UI remain the same too Would I still go to the same office to claim As explained in the box below you still go to the familiar locations for both UI offices and Canada Manpower Centres Watch for changes in your area Unemployment Insurance has changed for everyones benefit including yours All we ask is that you remember your obligations as well as your rights Ifthe need should ever arise for you to come to us well make sure you get all the UI benefits to which you are entitled by law But you must keep up the search for a new job all the time you re getting those benefits The Unemployment Insurance Commission Department Manpower and Immigration have become the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission Ivr a time youll still see our identified as Unemployment Insurance offices or Canada Manpower Centra When theyre together in one location theyll be called Canada Centres Working with people who want to work I Employment and Emplol Immigration Canada Immigration Canada