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FOURTH LINE AUTO G O O O pY E A R For All Your Car's Needs Drive Clean Emission Testing Government Safety Inspection I TUne-Ups · Brakes · Exhaust · Coofrig Systems CAA Approved Shop I 559 Speers Road (905) 842-3001 Editor: Wilma Blokhuis Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 250) FOCUS ON c e n tr e p ie c e s h o p e ISNOWlLOWEft REPAIRS' I Single stage or Dual stage P ick up & D e liv e ry A v a ila b le CURRENT POWER MACHINERY INC. 1 6 6 1 L a k e s h o r e R d . W . M is s is s a u g a (5 S t o p lig h ts o a s t of 2 8 9 7 . 4 7 1 1 S o u t h d o w n R o a d in C la rk s o n ) «x» ® ^ ^ ^ Gingerbread house symbol of hope C r e a tin g g iv e s C h r is tm a s c a n c e r s u r v iv o r n e w Grade 2, he protested, wanting to remain in the same class as his friends. Extra help was not always available, yet Norman Pischel has a dream to one he maintained a positive attitude and day build and decorate a gingerbread persevered to complete his high school house that resembles the proposed education. "I was never one of the cool kids. I Rebound Centre. In fact, Norman can't wait to access would be cool one day, and with the the services of this new centre to be others on other days. I was in between built by brothers Andrew Sprawson of and always falling through the cracks," Rebounders Canada and Jonathan Norman recalled. "High school was Sprawson of DQI (Design Quorum especially rough. I was bullied." Once out of school, Norman worked Inc.), a local builder. Like Andrew, Norman is a survivor at different grocery stores, collecting of childhood cancer and is suffering the shopping carts and cleaning. He moved ill effects of his surgery and radiation from store to store, hoping to escape the taunting from his co treatment for workers and some of his Medullablastoma, cancer "Gingerbread houses bosses, again because he of the brain. Andrew is the make great centre couldn't complete his founder of Rebounders Canada, a non-profit sup pieces to put you in the tasks as fast as the others. "Sometimes I was port and self-help organi Christmas spirit." picked on by my bosses zation for adult survivors · Norman Pischel because I was different," of childhood cancer who said Norman, adding he are suffering the ill effects of their treatment. It also proposes self- learned that not only are kids cruel at Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver times, but some adults are also. help groups for parents and siblings. Norman Pischel, 27, decorated and built Gingerbread houses at Canadian Foods Inc. (CFI), completing orders for "One day I got so fed up, I went into The two survivors have known each other for at least a decade. Norman is a by boss' office and told him that I had the Christmas market. The adult survivor of childhood cancer hopes to be back at CFI for Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and next Christmas - he was recently hired by CFI for seasonal work. fired myself and left." member of Rebounders. Recently, opportunity knocked. be done, giving him a sense of respon Day, Easter and Halloween. Although Pischel, a sales representative with And, like Andrew, Norman finds he it's not full time, year round work, he Re/Max Aboutowne Realty, is a strong is slow to complete his tasks, but is con Norman landed seasonal work at sibility. "I've had to struggle through a lot of prefers to earn his money rather than promoter of the Rebound Centre to be fident he can complete any job provid Canadian Foods Inc. (CFI) on Invicta Drive and is currently assembling and unfairness," he said. "Now things are collect a disability pension. built at the comer of Kerr Street and ed he's given enough time. Frank MacEachem, owner of CFI, a Prince Charles Drive. "I cannot work at today's pace," he decorating Christmas gingerbread hous finally starting to look up for me. Construction is to begin as soon as a said. "I have to take my time. I need es. On the job for about three months, Society is more open these days to help local wholesaler of 350 bakery ingredi he enjoys the work, and it seems he's ing survivors!" ents including pie fillings, meringues, zoning change is instituted and a build time to work at my own pace." Norman will be working four sea extracts and flavours, describes Norman ing permit is granted. Norman had surgery at age seven to finally getting some respect. Others TTie Rebound Centre will occupy a remove a tumour the size of a billiard check with Norman about what needs to sons a year - Christmas, Valentine's as a "good employee." "He does everything pertaining to 9,000-sq. ft. three-story building with a ball from his brain in 1983 at the the gingerbread house business, from basement. The basement will house two Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, filling boxes to building the houses," workshops for survivors to hone their followed by 50 days of radiation. said MacEachem, explaining the gin skills at home economics and wood "One more day (without surgery and gerbread houses were sold wholesale working. A daycare centre will be locat treatment) and he might have been either as kits or finished houses - com ed on the main flooj as will a retail out blind," said his father Werner Pischel. plete with business cards on front doors let and cafe where survivors can sell Unfortunately, he added, "the doctors their products. for local businesses. weren't able to remove all of the Rebounders Canada's office will be Norman explained the Christmas tumour, but they removed as much as trees that comes with the houses are on the second floor as will a wellness possible." Since his treatment, "actually a reversed cones for an ice centre, drop-in centre and two two-bed Norman's scans have been clear of can cream dipped into green icing and dec room apartments for four survivors ten cer. orated with sprinkles. Candies, pretzels ants. The third floor will also have two "He went back to the baby stage, and sprinkles - plus icing - are used to two-bedroom apartments for another having to learn how to walk and talk decorate the houses made using pre four survivor tenants, plus two one-bedagain." It's a part of his life Norman baked gingerbread cookie pieces. room apartments for people participat finds embarrassing and would like to "It's a fully edible product," said ing in the cottage industry and life skills forget. MacEachem. "We sold more than 5,000 training programs. "It was like ice breaking away from The Rebound Centre will be adja fully decorated houses and well over the mainland," said his father compar 25.000 kits. We've also sold more than cent to a condominium development at ing his son's struggle to ice breaking 100.000 kits for mini-houses." CFI sold that same site. away. "You don't know how much - or Pischel was involved with a the gingerbread products to corpora if anything - you get back. It's like tions and sales people to give to their fundraising campaign where sales being stranded on a big ice flow, you customers, and to retail outlets to be agents with Oakville's two Re/Max don't know what's going to happen sold to the public. offices, including the Christopher tomorrow." "They make great Christmas pres Invidiata Team, bought completed gin Norman struggled through life, ents for kids," said MacEachem. gerbread houses and assembly kits for endured the taunts from classmates and "Gingerbread houses make great distribution to their clients, with pro the impatience of some of his teachers Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver centrepieces," added Norman, "to put ceeds going to Rebounders Canada. "because I was different." (See 'Rebound' page B3) When given the option of repeating A look at a decorated Gingerbread house assembled at Canadian Foods Inc. you in the Christmas spirit" O A K V ILL E B E A V E R STAFF By Wilma Blokhuis from the Management & Staff at The Queen's Retirement Residence L a s t M in u te G ift Id e a s I t ) ( J 9/e T h e Q u e e n s A v e n u e R etirem ent Residence 1 0 5 6 Queens Avenue, O akville, ON, (9 0 5 ) 8 1 5 -0 8 6 2 g i '·"lA N E Ysf--- " 7--o S E W E L L D R . */ GC I 5S 1 L E I G H L A N D A V E . \J1 i ES n Beautiful Downtown Oakville O A K V ILL E P LA C E IROQUOIS SHORE RD. )9 Cakeshore Road East (905)845-2031 Hours: Monday-Friday 9-6 · Saturday 9 - 5