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

Area resident The Acton Free Press Wednesday Jan 19 1977 Stompin Tom media critic champions Canadian talent By Jennifer Burr Canadas number one male country singer sat In his Erin Township home ner vously chainsmoking He told me he was fed up with the condition of the music business in Canada Stompin Tom Connors has fought hard for recognition of Canadian talent Now he feels hes losing the battle In years Canadian talent will be blase laments the man who has done so much far Canadian folk singing Twenty seven albums nearly 100 ingles numerous gold records and six Juno haven I gone to Tom head Comfortable and easy talking Tom is an enthusiastic patriot hut never is not happy with media reception of Canadian talent For years Connors has attempted to assist struggling musicians gain If other performers have to go through half what I went through he comments theyll just go to the States In 1971 Connors established Boot Records to encourage young talent The based company now em braces nine subsidiary companies under the protection of the Boot Group as it is known Eight people are employed with the organization dealing in a variety of acts from classical to easy listening and oik music Two hundred albums have been released jnd 500 singles from groups They also control over pieces of published Canadian music Tom manager and business associate Jur Krytiuk says promotion is his biggest job but they still can gel past the media Radio programmers claim the music is not for their listeners Krytiuk states But who is it buys the records he queries Stompin Tom considered more native Canadian than other performers and noted for his country ballads about small towns can understand the altitude of radio disc jockeys The CRTC regulations of 1971 demanded per cent Canadian content on every program but according to Tom when program organizers discovered loopholes in the legislation they went right back to almost total American talent They come up with a bunch of ex he says And when we satisfy those excuses they come up with more He feels hell go bankrupt if Canadian performers don get more air time If Id saved my money he mutters could be very well off now But Connors has been sinking everything above modest living expenses back into the business He says hes knocking head against a wall because the public will never buy recor dings unless they hear the artists I cant continually put thousands into production when no demand is being created he comments glumly Tom feels if Canadian artists go to the States for recognition everyone loses He publicly decries the music business at every opportunity and has even gone as far as to turn down appearing at the Canadian National Exhibition two years in a row because he felt the Canadian content wasnt sufficient He says the CNE is the largest of its kind in the world We have it here its ours Why cant we use it to our advantage He told CNE officials they should have at least GO per cent Canadian content if you cant make a commitment I wont play he told them And he didn Hes also unhappy with newspaper coverage of the socalled cancellation of his CBC television series Stompin Tom Canada I cancelled he frowns the contract was up He explained the CpC wanted to sign him to a series with options for renewal but Connors only wanted to do a 13 week series without option fearing damage to sales if he dtdn I get back on the road They met somewhere in the middle and negotiations were completed When the contract was up Tom said he was free to do other things but the public only heard the word cancellation Im known to be the fool of Canadian businessmen he laughs I m fighting a losing battle but I m happy and contented inside at least I did my bit The Stompers home for the last while is a modest split level house situated bet v Acton and Georgetown The decor suits the lanky down loearth cian and his family Lena baby Tommy and Lenas father After a six month tour Tom plans to hole up there writing more songs for his next two albums He also hopes to get to know his son born in an area pita Just before his father left on lour his is the first year Lena Connors I her husband across Canada Writing lakes him about 16 hours a day He spreads a map of Canada in front of him surrounds himself with tourist guides pamphlets and short histories while sweating out the inspnation I got to get it all together its a combination of things He says he thrown away more songs than he s used and has probably written over i thousand When asked what brought the Connors to Stompin Tom the area Tom shrugs and remarks hud two days to a plate and this out was for sale He been home much to judge the but says the nice It suits my needs I like quiet Jnd Idled we enjoy it very much I got no complaints Although the properly measures len acres of picturesque bush swamp and underbrush the docsn plan on keeping many Hell keep i dog ben he can be home to train it He docsn I ride Only people ride horses for plea sure be growls jetiplc from the farm a horse is a horse not stay in this area It all depends on business lorn lie might retire to Ins farm Prince Island if he gels his fight going to the land where hi and tame from As t child was raised in orphanages and homes in the Manlimes He refers to the arm in Skinners Pond Phi youth as his home Striking out on the road in his Tom started wanderings inspired bis snugs tor he rode the rails He was down and out playing for a beer or a night shelter but getting to know the people and country he loves with obvious passion was many years before the Canadian public became aware of the guttural voice under the inevitable black stetson panied by Ihe thumping heel on plywood Songs like Bud the Spud Connors all time best seller and Big Joe are now well known but are still not receiving adequate media attention Connors insists Disappointed in response by a media he feels is most Tom lells of his sadness and feeling of hopelessness for all Canadian performers If the rest of Canada would lake a few cultural hints from Quebec we might be doing something he says Kronen culture in Quebec looks after their own and makes sure everything home produced gets top priority from the media he notes In terms of their creative arts and music Quebec is way ahead regret But I shouldn l complain ad mils the singer composer probably getting more response than other ar lists I feel for other guy Thais exactly the way Tom Connors came across a sincere advocate championing Canadian talent Roads needs study update Ha I ton Hills works com miltee gave approval Mon day to an updating of Us roads needs study at a cost of Engineer Robert Austin reported the roads needs study which was done in 1974 set out the deficiencies in municipal roads is to be up dated so the Ministry of Transportation and Com munications can computerize it A consultant is needed for the updating the study Based on the information which is placed in the computer Queens Pork will decide how much each town gets in road work sub sidies A total of 126 Ontario municipalities have been asked to get information together for the computer ization program All members of the com mittee supported hiring of a consultant since the town would lose subsidy money if the needed information isnt turned over to the province At the same meeting Mayor Tom Hill committee chair man Armstrong and Conn George were named to a coordinating committee to work with the engineer provincial officials and the consultant EVERY MONDAY BINGO Now held in GEORGETOWN ELKS LODGE Mountainviaw Rd Georgetown Early Bird Gamei 730 PRIZES Doors Open 7 PM Bingo Starts PM 3 Special EA Jackpot 58 Numben GUARANTEED or Community and Dial In Small FREE BUS SERVICE Front Acton Tins Save 27c Stand TBONE SIRLOIN WING PORTERHOUSE STEAKS 159 Full ROUND STEAK ROUND STEAK ROAST SIRLOIN TIP ROAST BONELESS RUMP ROAST TOP ROUND STEAK ROAST Schneiders 6 oz Pkg 10 VARIETIES COOKED MEATS 279 Devon lb SIDE BACON 109 TOMATOES 299 Aylmer oz Tins Save 56c PEAS Facalle 2 Roll Save TOILET TISSUE 49 2 lb Save INSTANT HOT CHOCOLATE Bicks 32 Jar BABY DILL PICKLES Save 26c 89 Pantry Shelf 19 oz Tins PINEAPPLE Save 289 Sealtest 3 Qt Bag or Jug Deposit 2 MILK Grade A Mediu EGGS 79 Campbells 10 oz Tins Save 18c TOMATO SOUP 51 38 Bottle Save 24c COOKING OIL 16 oz Container Save 28c COTTAGE CHEESE 59 Silverwoodi MEADOW GOLD ICECREAM No 2 lb Bag CARROTS 39 No 1 lb Bag COOKING ONIONS 49 Ont Fancy 3 lb APPLES Novel Siio113 ORANGES Savo 99 69 Effsctfvs January AB SUPERMARKET 8534650 IN OUR FABRIC DEPARTMENT Good Assortment Wide PRINTED C SHEERS CREPES CHIFFONS ETC REDUCED TO CLEAR QUILTED PR I NTS Cotton Pelves IN OUR DRAPERY DEPARTMENT 100 ACRYLIC DRAPERY Several Colours Beautiful Print Regularly S398 Yd OPEN WEAVE ACRYLIC Wide DRAPERY CLEARANCE Polyester REDUCED TO SPECIALLY PRICED AT 30t BARGAINS FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE IN THE UPHOLSTERY DEPARTMENT Ideal for Rec Room furniture Wide O COTTON and LINEN PRINTS CLEARANCE of UPHOLSTERY ENDS U to Yd pieces were LOTS OF UNADVERTISED SPECIALS ALL Remnants A Price of textiles Queen St West Brampton Mil WEST OF TOWEHS BRAMPTON ACROSS FROM THE GULF STATION I 4578291