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THE HERALD Wednesday January 1990 Page Water soaks MPs house after frozen pipes burst I have wrUten in the past of the rewards and frustrations of this job I have not told you much about the personal and human side of be a Member of Parliament Some MPs choose to maintain one home and camp out for a few days a week Ottawa in a hotel or sharing an apartment For ex ample the deputy prime minister Don Mazankowski lives with two other MPs in a threebedroom apartmpnt Others sell their homes in the riding move to Ottawa and then travel back regularly to at tend to business where they were elected Dorothy and I made the decision to travel back and forth together after I was elected We sold the farm outside Acton bought a home near my constituency office in Georgetown Right after the election we went to Ottawa and rented a as I started work in the House of Commons travelling back here on weekends Eight or nine months ago we bought an old semidetached house in Ottawa because over the course of four years it made more sense to own than to rent It certainly been an adjustment to live in a city for both of us was the right decision After the long days at work it means a lot to me to come home to my wife And to my dog We left Ottawa two days before Christmas and drove back to Georgetown Anytime the two of us return together we drive rather than fly because its so much cheaper MPs are given 64 return tickets a year to travel to their ridings but anytime I use one of those tickets it costs the taxpayer about A couple of days ago Dorothy called our next door neighbor in Ot asking her to pick up our mail The neighbor mentioned how cold it had been there and that her basement has been flooded withwater A bit concerned we Far All Your Fine China Silver Crystal 227 MAIN ST MILTON I OPEN 7 DAYS 87321 51 211GuelphSt Sat 9am Sun Campbell House Gallery 115 MAIN ST S GEORGETOWN Above McCarthy Tea Room 8730674 called my office assistant in and asked him to look in on our place The next morning two days ago as I write this he did George called in the morning and there was real emotion in his voice In the background I could hear water splashing and miles away I tned to visualize what he was telling me In the intense cold pipes had burst in the upstairs bathroom The kitchen ceiling had sagged then caved in from the weight of water running for untold days The kitchen cupboards below had been showered and become misshapen The flow then went into the dining room destroying rugs and fur niture then down the vents leading to the furnace which was extinguished In the basement the water was standing about six inches deep and rising Upstairs the oak floor ing was soaked and popping Well over the phone I got some people in to pump the place out and it will take a week of drying to know what the real damage is Meanwhile I have so many com mitments here in the that I can t travel to Ottawa to see what actually happened Burst pipes of course come into many people lives It just a house and not the end of civihzo lion as we know it I only share this with you because the job of being an MP does not really allow for any reversals It hard to find time for a haircut let alone trying to repair a house that smells like a bog The media lately has of reports of the investigating MPs because they used govern phone lines to call their families back home Proposals last week to change TV broadcasting in the House of Commons have pro mpted commentators to suggest how Members of Parliament don spend enough time there I read editorials every other day on how we are somehow ripping off tax payers And I must confess I ve just about had it Yesterday I opened a letter from a constituent complaining I d sent him a Christmas card because that represented govern ment waste But I bought my cards with my own money I received another letter this week complaining that I usually drive between my home and Ot I should be using the VIA train instead even though the train doesn connect between the two Every day I hear from people who say MPs are wrong to get a pension of per cent of their wages after serving six years But the average Member of Parliament only lasts four years and four months never collecting a cent My friends never assume that public office brings riches It unending days and many per challenges I am proud and privileged to sit in the House of Commons and will forever recall these days th affection Being part of your country s living history can in no way be diminish As the other Mr Turner said on TV recently serving in Parha ment is the highest calling I agree But don believe you read and hear There s no country club on Parliament Hill There s no glamor in hours on the or in the airports or the hotel rooms I see my colleagues in Ottawa at the end of a week and the purple bags under their eyes tell the story Then they re off to their ridings to be accountable to those who sent them to the capital Over the past year I have learn ed a great deal and I will carry that experience with me like a precious jewel I have never felt so useful or challenged And I hope you can understand the pressures I may not get all the letters answered or the phone calls returned Just blame it on the pipes RECYCLING call do oil Please Remember to Recycle This Newspaper 1 gram GEORGETOWNS GENERAL STORE ORANGE CRATE GOURMET CANADIAN MADE GIFTS ON SALE NOW I VIDEO RANCH FILM TO VIDEO TRANSFERS I I I J MACHINE RENTALS CAMCORDER VCR NINTENDO GS Main Street NEW TITLES NINTENDO NEWS CALL IN YOUR HIGH SCORES TOM BISHOP Pinball 295 000 JODY FORD Tetris 315 000 TETRIS XMEN Double Dragon II Marble Madness Trade In Your Old Games For New And Pay 10 00 WliKINDSPfCtAL RENT 3 GAMES FOR KEEP DA COUNTRY LANE 10th Line River Rd Across From Geo Golf Club 8772254 80th birthday By KAY WILSON Nerval Correspondent Congratulations to Margaret Wrigglesworth Georgetown on her 80th birthday Dec 27 open house was held at h er home when 150 family members friends and neighbors called to offer their best wishes Her three daughters assisted in receiving the guests Joan and her husband Robert Marshall Milton Manlyn and her band Victor Hawtin of Calgary and Diane and her husband Paul May of Her seven grandchildren and one great grandchild attended Wayne and Lonnie Carolyn and Patrick and Brenda and Sam all of the Milton area John and Gary of Calgary and Tim and Sherry of and great grand child Tyler Sister in laws Carney of Milton and Ruth of Georgetown also en joyed the party Helping to serve were her nieces Carney Thelma and Sandra Homewood and neighbor Mary Wilson A friend Marion McPhail made the birthday cake 50th anniversary Congratulations to Francis and Ruth Thompson RR2 Georgetown on their 50th wedding anniversary Dec Dave and Joyce Anderson RR4 Georgetown entertained for the Thompsons to a family party at tended by Ruth s sister In law Eldred Anderson Ray and Nor ma Anderson of Brampton Don and Anderson of and Betty Jean and Clare Carberry of Bramp ton Groomsman Fred Nurse of RR2 Georgetown also attended along with Art and Margaret McKane and Jim and Helen McKane as well as several great nephews and nieces The family presented Ruth and Francis with a microwave oven Get well well wishes to Margaret Russell of Nerval who is convalescing at home following surgery for a cataract Get well wishes to Sam Mc- Clure of Georgetown who is home from Peel Memorial Hospital following a hip opera Pinegrove euchre Com Euchre will be held on Jan at the school Best wishes NORVALGet well wishes to Mrs Ken Ella of Hornby who is a patient the Credit Valley Hospital for surgery on a plastic knee replacement WI NORVAL Norval Women In stitute began the new year with an Agricultural meeting at the home of Jean May Jan President Van opened the meeting with a reading about Resolutions Secretary Nixon read replies received to letters written by members regarding the Pioneer McNabb Cemetery The name of Mrs Edward Burk has been added to the Erland Lee Museum In Memonum book Two of the members will attend the I Educational Workshop March 3 in Melville United Church Fergus The Institute was alerted to a traffic problem in Huttonville that exists at Embleton Road and Road The Institute was sorry to hear of Jean Har accident and that Laila Smith is ill A speedy recovery is wished both ladies on in ued an Page WESTERN carpet VINYL BR0ADL00M VINYL TILE AREA RUGS FULL INSTALLATION DEPT FAST FRIENDLY SERV 184 GUELPH ST 8732355 KENNEDY BRAMPTON JANUARY SALE