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I Acton library Christmas day In the backwoods Is not like Chris day In merry old England tor the heart of the emigrant yearns for bis Motherland and for the old familiar friends that were wont to meet around the fireside for the home of his child hood that he has left perhaps never to look upon again Our Christmas meetings are atbest but a melancholy Imi tation of those social hours and their chief charm arises from the retrospect of the past and from the long train of affectionate remembrance that crowd thick and fast upon each other and because we know and feel that we are not for gotten and that as often as that season returns there will be kind voices to name our names and sigh that our place is vacant Id the family circle The foregoing Is an from The Backwoods of Canada by Catherine Parr Traill youngest of a family of nine six of whom carved niches for themselves In English literature Bom in 1802 Catherine was the daughter of Thomas Strick land who died when she was sixteen Fourteen years later she married Thomas Traill an officer in the Royal Scottish Fusiliers Succumbing to the lure of Canada Traill and his young wife sailed from Greenock in the Brig Laurel In July of thatsame year They reached Quebec on August and Mon treal two days later at the height of a cholera epidemic By the end of August the couple resumed their Journey to by stage and toCoburg via a paddlewheel steamer light wagon they headed for Peterborough en route to their government grant of land all virgin bush on the shores of Lake Katcbenanook in the Kawartha district They stayed with Catherines brother Major Strickland until their loghouse was built In a clearing Moving on December the celebrated their first Canadian Christmas in the Isolated home where they spent seven happy years The Backwoods of Canada is a series of letters written by Mrs Traill to her mother and friends In England The letters covering a period of almost three years were not written for publication but an publisher Charles Knight acquired them and added them to his series under the general title Library of Entertaining Knowledge Catherines nostalgic description of a backwoods Christ mas could have been inspired in part by her personal anguish Mackenzie rebellion Her soldier husband whom she referred to as Mr Traill left home December in good spirits to join volunteers being recruited to stop William Lyon and his rebels Thomas was back again three days later unhurt after having got as far as Port Hope where the partys colonel Alex received a dispatch countermanding further progress He left December toat- meeting of volunteers planningtogoonanexpedition In search of the traitor A fall from his horse put Thomas out of action and he made it home December 16 so hurt as to require assistance to dis mount from his horse Small wonder on that particular Christmas that Cather ines thoughts were of her former peaceful home in England For the most part though her letters are full of vivid descrip tions of her adopted land people climate flora and fauna Her encounters with friendly Indians were happy and Catherine must have Impressed them favourably because they named her Petawanooka red cloud of the dawn Catherine Traill was 98 when she died after a full busy life She raised nine children but still found time for authorship and botanical studies Eight of her books were published after she came to Canada Her sister Susannah also a gentle Immigrant wrote the famous Roughing it in the Bush Also on the library shelves is Canadian Wild Flowers painted and by Agnes FiUglbbon with Botan ical descriptions by Catherine Parr Traill Christmaf time for remembering Remember the bell silver sleighs and carts of another era The Sleighs of my Childhood mon by Carlo Ital- lano although Montrealbased strikes a chord in Ontarian memories has produced paintings of adult sleighs In full colour plus drawings of childrens sleighs and child hood scenes Horse lovers will think Carlo drew the horses for them A cold and hungry mouse that invaded the organ loft of the church of St Nikola in the Austrian town of Oberndorfnear Salzburg responsible for the composition of Holy Night The out and stirring on the night of Dec 23 1818 gnawed a bole in the bellows of the old pipe organ With the organ mute and no repairs possible until spring church of ficials fated a Christmas Mass without music Temporary assistantpriest Joseph Mohr and organist Franz collaborated on a solution The story of Silent Night by the Inimitable Paul is delightful reading at any time of the year Among other books in our librarys Christmas display are Nora How Far to Bethlehem and A Christmas Book by Elizabeth Goudge Each of these writers is unique with no mimics worth listing The late William Kurelek has painted the Christmas dreams f a prairie boy in Northern Nativity For readers with a taste for Miss Reads England there is Village Christ mas And what Christmas would be complete without re reading of hearing again Charles Dickens Christmas Carol From head librarian Mrs Betsy and Acton Lib rary staff Including a newish batch of puppets best wishes fora Joyous Christmas And happy reading to all in the quieter moments of this fes tive season Obituary Charlotte Holmes funeral Saturday Orton Yahoos The Acton Free Press Wednesday Dec A lifelong resident of Acton died In Guelph General Hospital on December Charlotte Isobel Holmes wife of Hills fire chief Mick Holmes Brock St Acton died at the age of She was born on September 21 191B in Acton and at tended public and high schools in the town She was married October 19 1B40 Mrs Holmes belonged to the group and was especially interested In the Canadian Heart Foun dation She had been an active member of Knox Presbyterian church for many years and was a member and past president of the Heather Club Besides her husband Mrs Holmes Is survived by one daughter Mrs Julie Brace of Rockwood two grand children Phillip and Sherry two sisters Anne Georgetown Ella Acton and five brothers Bob Marshall Acton Bill and Jim Marshal both of London Gord Mar shall and Allan Marshall of Toronto The Rev A McKenzie officiated at the funeral in Acton on December 10 Over members of the fire departments of Halton Hills attended and formed a guard of honor Pallbearers were David Butler Acton Milton fire chief A E Clements former Acton Jack Newton Weslon Terry McKee North Bay assistant fire chief Robert Hyde Georgetown and district chief Bern Van Fleet Acton Interment was at Cemetery Acton A helpful Interested and cheerful person Mrs Holmes will be missed by many friends as well as her family Gifts for home Big Game Hunting See Beaver First Atari Computer Video Console Great Canadian Tragedy far from tragic its good by Gordon Murray Yahoos first album The Great Canadian I Tragedy Is anything hut a tragedy With the exception of a few numbers and the chatter between tunes the album is delightful and In spots really good The Yahoos are much like the popular and successful Ozark Mountain Daredevils and with a little luck could someday be just as big Like the Daredevils the Yahoos can handle a melodic balled country rock or blue- grass with equal ease Great Canadian Tragedy has a lot of good toe tapping knee- slapping music to help keep the listener feeling warm on chilled winter nights bluegrass this reviewer found Little Maggie and Alberta Bound particu- ORTON YAHOOS have released their first album Great Canadian larlly pleasing Al Penroses workonthebanjoandMaggie McFadzens fiddling are well displayed and appreciated on these cuts The Yahoos are well known in these parts and for purely parochial reasons Redneck Is enjoyable since that friendly place to the north Hillsburgh is mentioned in the lyrics Redneck may put on the map like From Muskoky did for the Huntsvtlle Bracebridge and Gravenhurst From the rest of the first side Time is a nice ballad and Trucker is also fun country rock One wouldnt buy the album for the lead cut The Rabbit or for the minute and six second interlude In the middle which is talking with weak music In the back ground The group has tried to dis guise a studio production with the kind of chatter which takes place among musicians between numbers This chatter is presumably sup posed to give the album the warmth live recordings sometimes have but more often than not dont have In this case the Yahoos come In far behind even the weakest live albums Without crowd response on the tracks the chitchat becomes an annoy ance and makes the players sound unprepared for the studio John Elliss voice Is terrific on Friend of the Devil lead cut on the flip side and the song Itself is one of the finest on the record Keep Me From Blowin Away with Don Kobe It singing is a lovely song and Yahoos instrument it well puts a lot of feeling into his work on this number Midnight Bus is a fine little tune to get the blood running and Play It again Sam Is an excellent windup tune if only it was the windup After Play It Again Sam is Thank You which isnt necessary and two interludes on the second side are a waste of time Cocaine Bill and Through The Bottom of the Glass arc alright but by no means standouts Overall a good first effort for the Yahoos since more than half the album is excell ent Only a part of the remainder Is poor Singing and instrumen tation is superb but material selection could have been better The album wont likely launch the group to stardom None of the numbers is likely to end up being pressed as a single and played on top radio almost a necessity for commercial success This is fortunate for the listener but no break for the band Canadian content require ments set down by the Cana dian Radio and Television Commission could result In several cuts receiving gener ous play which would help the group gain valuable exposure The band is well known in this area having entertained at both in Glen Williams and Acton on Canada Day and at the Festival Halton 76 farm roll A livestock and poultry census In in 1976 gives a good Idea of how extensive agriculture really is in the region The survey showed farms with cows and of which 3039 are being milked farms with 14808 beef cattle 127 farms with 15639 farms with 1701 sheep farms with 14 farms with turkeys 42 farms with geese and BO farms with 1442 ducks Region seeks markets for resource recovery Regional Council is pursuing more information concerning a market analysis for products from resource recovery plants before making any commitment to what type of resource re covery plants they want to have in the region A recommendation before council Wednesday urged the region to get on with pre liminary design of a resource derived fuel system Regional Chairman Morrow said the initial study had been biased in favor of a plant that would generate a resource derived fuel RDF J The chairman said he at tempted to bring all of the most recent information be fore council but he noted that is difficult because of recent statements by Minister or the Environment George Kerr Kerr recently indicated that plants processing waste and generating steam for known markets would be elig ible for the same subsidy that RDF plants are now eligible for Because the provincial funding is necessary if the re gion Is to move towards re source recovery in any form the recent indication has dramatic Implications for Halton Since that meeting Morrow and regional officials have been rethinking their posi tions and the Von Roll process used by Dominion Bridge Is now being considered more seriously than before Morrow said he Is planning a half day seminar In Jan uary or early February to discuss the regions position In terms of future landfill accommodation In Milton wet 16 Road S Suite 304 GEORGETOWN 8776984 A fantastic game the whole family can play Turns your television into a combat field with a combat car tridge included You will be able to play 9 variations each of tank bi plane and jet fighter Other cartridges can be bought for further variations Batteries extra Has two separate controls Treat someone to ATARI this Christmas 219 Table Tennis Has a thick playing sur face with 1 plywood ap ron 2 casters Folds for easy storage Steel corners for pro tection Green surface 99 Frikon Ping Pong Table Folding table from rugged Sloe Has an playing face Is coated with nonskid Acrylic paint Regulation size Or Snooker Table A Great Gift For the Family A super pool table lhat will undeniably pro mote family fun The playing surface is made from 3 sturdy particle board molded plastic corners level lers under playing surface Comes complete wllh cues chalk rack and set of Treat Yourself To Shower Magic By Lido The Magic allows you to pick the shower you want Choo so from spray pulsating mas sago or com bination spray and mas- sago It massages and re laxes you while you shower Givos your skin a vigorous and healthy The head can bo adjusted or spray massage pul sating massage Shower with a shower with a Lido shows Magic 8 88 Ping Pong Set Better Quality Set Four pong set which includes Items as sat at left See Beaver a wide variety of Christmas Rao Super SledToboggan MAE A designed Ml Molded In tough bright MM WW rod poly tor durability ancT 9 Duvni speed long anct wide Buns smoothly R Coleco Shoot N Score Its having a real shooting gallery Realis tic pump action rifle Moving targets make as hay are hit 59 NEW STORE HOURS Effective Friday November Until Chrmmai 9 am to 9 pm Monday thru Friday Saturday 9 am to 6 pm 316 Guelph Street East Georgetown Account Chncu