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Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, July 1 t. 2001 mm Theology in a canoe The following article, reprinted by permission, was written by Henry Sissons of Orono and submitted to United Church Observer in response to their request for canoe stories. Henry Sissons responded to the premise that: "It has been said that a United Church member, is someone who knows how to do theology theology in a canoe." Henry Sissons Sioux Lookout, 1936 Black (continued from page 8) "Oh? Which flight were you on sir?" I told her. "No problem" problem" she said "I'll just call Betty" And picked up her telephone and dialed. Except, naturally, no one answered. "Right" I said to myself. "Now comes the game of bureaucratic snakes and ladders. ladders. "If you'd just Fill out this form in triplicate sir date of flight, flight number, time of arrival, description of the lost property as to size, weight and shape, approximate value of lost property, business and home address and hours during during which someone will be home to. recei..." Except there was none of ; that. She put down the phone and smiled, "No one seems to be answering. I'll go and get your jacket for you." And she did. She was gone for twenty minutes - which was faster than I could have made the round trip - and returned with my jacket neatly folded over her arm. I was so utterly disarmed, I didn't even think to get her name. Interesting lesson in sociology sociology though - how a faceless corporation can piss you off to the point off incoherence... incoherence... but a single human gesture can cancel out the bile. So... a toast. Not to a company company but to the people in the company who have to carry Your interesting linkage of the canoe and thus all of nature with theology takes me back 65 years to the blazing blazing hot dry summer of 1936 when as a 3rd year student at Victoria College I was engaged in a character building building summer job as a prospector's prospector's helper running survey lines through inhospitable bush in the Pickle Crow area north of Sioux Lookout. Inhospitable, that is. to all but the finest specimens of horse and deer flies in all creation. creation. No self respecting animal animal could be expected to put up with them, and they were more than enough to test to the limit one's faith in higher education and Higher Authority. But when forest fires started started encircling us we were sure our sins had caught up with us with some finality. We had two freighter canoes liberally patched with chewing gum (5 cents a pack) loaded to the gunwales with all our bush gear and summer's summer's food. Faced with the prospect of heading back the can for the company's calculated calculated and callous incompetence. incompetence. Here's to the employees of Air Canada. Cheers, folks. Your company company doesn't deserve you. towards civilization in the direction of the growing pall of smoke, and perhaps being conscripted as firelighters it we made it, we had little choice but to run for it down the Crow River to where our map showed a small lake. There we could camp on the shore and if fire closed in take our canoes and worldly goods out to the middle where we could hopefully survive with our noses just above water and heads wrapped in wet cloth. The lake, reached after several frantic sweaty, smoke and prayer filled but fly free • hours, did not disappoint, having a sandy birch lined beach and a center several hundred yards offshore. We made camp, swam and recovered our strength and courage for two anxious but otherwise idyllic fly free days, with the canoes aimed at mid lake and ready for hasty embarkation. Still no sign of the rain for which we prayed night and day, but lo and behold on the third night the wind shifted and we awoke beset again by flies but free of all but the lingering smell of smoke. Believe me there is nothing nothing much more terrifying, as the flies well knew, than the threat of raging fire and billowing billowing smoke closing in with no place to go. On that morning morning we rose quickly from hell, christened our old .canoes with some angelic names and never again cursed the flies, harbingers of our deliverance. deliverance. Theology in a canoe -- well maybe! Henry J. Sissons, Victoria College, 3T7 DURHAM REGION Property Survey of Private Sewage Disposal Systems in Orono - Downtown Core PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE WORKS DEPARTMENT PUBLIC NOTICE PROPERTY SURVEY OF PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS ORONO - DOWNTOWN CORE INTRODUCTION . The Region of Durham Works Department has completed an evaluation of ■ the private sewage services through a lot by lot survey in the Orono Downtown core. Individual property owners within the survey area will be notified directly by mail. PUBLIC INFORMATION: A Public Information Centre regarding the study will be held: TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2001 4:00PM to 8:00PM Orono Town Hall 5315 Main St, Orono COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS Staff from the Region of Durham Works and Health Departments and the project Consultant, dagger Kims Limited, will be available to answer questions. questions. For further information, please contact: John Presta, P.Eng. Manager, Engineering Planning and Studies P.O: Box 623, 105 Consumers Drive Whitby, Ontario L1N 6A3 Phone 905-668-7721 OR 1-800-372-1103, Ext. 5383 Durham Region Works Department 105 Consumers Dr., WHITBY ON L1N6A3 Tûlûnhnno fQnFlfifiR-7721 OR 1-800-372-1103 www.region.durham.on.ca NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME Family owned and operated by Carl Good, Funeral Director, and Joyce Kufta 386 Mill St. S., Newcastle 987-3964 www.newcastlefuneralhome.com "Caring for our Community" 14 North st, Ste. #1 Newcastle, ON LIB 1H7 i This certificate * J entitles the i bearer to a i FREE Market 1 Evaluation of J their property Listings required! Your home should be Gall today! List with TOM! Tom Mitchell FULL-TIME Representative Call Tom j today for your ] FREE Market i Evaluation i Call 905-987-1414 e-mail: tommitchell@trebnet.com SOLD Call me to buy or sell... Orono and area's real estate representative... Krysiyna Jones 983-6013 Sutton Group Dynamic Realty Inc. Bowmanville (905) 697-1700