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9 Ss a a ee a wren Officer Lizotte has seen it all over 30 years by David Krayden When Art Lizotte first joined the Ontario Provin- cial Police 30 years ago, he was getting $75 for each six-day week he worked. "There were no benefits then either,' Lizotte adds. The constable is a 65 year-old veteran of the Penetanguishene Police. As he sits in the coffee room at the police station he clasps his hands together and his gently weathered face looks A Slice of life Art Lizotte finished his last day as a police officer when this picture was taken. He ain LEST thoughtful. So many memories. It's a special day at the police station. There's a massive black forest cake which Chief Bob Cumm- ings has just returned with from the bakery. This is Lizotte's last day on the job and the ceremony is about to start. Lizotte has seen it all. He's seen the town grow and change. He's seen police work change from file cabinets to computer has been a member of the force for 30 There's help on the line Telecare is offering a new service in Tiny. It's called "Phone Friend" and it's an exten- sion of the current telecare system which offers help to the elderly and sick. Jim Manuel, a Telecare volunteer, says the pro- gram is colloquially known as the "latch key." That term became popular in England during the Second World War, because so many children had to spend time alone without their par ents. That's the problem which Phone Friend is try- ing to rectify. : Manuel explains that if a child comes home after school and no one is there, he may dial a phone number and talk to someone. He can ask questions about virtually anything. "As long as he has so- meone to talk to," Manuel explains. However, the child won't receive "counselling" perse. Manuel says that word is unfashionable today. Instead, phone volunteers: "befriend" the child. Manuel is encouraging all municipalities in North Simcoe to endorse the pro- gram since "it won't cost them anything except the print-outs. But for all the technology and growth, Lizotte insists that "the crime rate hasn't gone up all that much; in fact it's probably the same." But there has been crime in this town. Make no mistake. Lizotte remembers one particular incident because he thought he was going to have his head blown off. It was a family dispute and the husband was hold years. Lizotte remembers the days when police cruisers didn't have sirens. cost of advertising the ser- vice itself." The number to call will be the same as exists for Telecare. Phone Friend originated in the United States, though '"'no hard research was done to determine whether this service was being dem anded."' However, Manuel feels there is a general feeling that children "need so- meone to call when they return to an empty house. "It's just the way things are today, when both parents are sometimes working. Services have to change as the times do." up in the garage. 'He saw us coming," Lizotte says "'so he turned off the lights."' Lizotte and his partner had to enter a blackened garage and take their chances. After they entered, the man pointed a handgun at them. "He says to us, 'Throw those flashlights down.' Well we did and then he told us to turn around and he shoved that gun right in- to my back." The hoodlum _ then ordered the two police of- ficers to march down into the cellar so "nobody will hear us down there." Just then, Lizotte wheel- ed around, smashed his fist into the man's neck and knocked him to the garage floor. He grabbed his hand, pulled one finger and push- ed his foot against the man's throat. "So this guy keeps yell- ing, 'Hey, I didn't mean it.' So I said, 'Well I do!' " Back in those days, you often learned how to react to situations like this while you were experiencing them. The Chief of Police, Robert Cummings, ex- plains that '"'you were given a gun with no coach of- ficer. You were it." Training used to include a straight seven weeks of extensive exams. Now, Cummings explains, it's an introductory period of nine weeks, followed by one to eight months in the field and finally six to seven months back in _ the classroom. "There's more physical exercise now too," Cumm- ings says. But Lizotte certainly put in his hours as a police officer. "When I first started, you had to be on the night shift for two months. You'd start at 11 and go right through to 7 in the morning. I never had a weekend off in those days." Even Christmases were interrupted. "When Mr. Forget was shot, one Christmas, we all had to work." The facilities weren't always the best either. Actually, they might have made "The Andy Griffith Show" in Penetanguishene. Andy ; and Barney might have worked here. You were on- ly given one round of bullets and if you wanted more you had to buy them. No walkie-talkies. To alert each other, police of- ficers used to have the church bells ring. No sirens on the cars either. Lizotte cups his hand together puts them around his mouth and lets out the biggest wail you ever want to hear to il- lustrate how it used to be done. The local police had to make their own sirens. Would Lizotte do it all again? "Oh yes," he says "either that or I'd run the grain boats, that's something else I've always liked." Lewis attacks free trade critics Simcoe North MP Doug Lewis says free trade with the United States means the difference between liv- ing in "Big Canada or Lit- tle Canada." Lewis, the Minister of State for the Treasury Board, was in Penetan guishene to address students at ESPSS last Wednesday morning. Over 100 students were there to listen and ask questions. A similiar event was held in the -afternoon at Midland Secondary School. And a grand public forum was planned for that evening at Midland's Highland Inn, but was cancelled due to a snowstorm that dropped 28 cm of snow on Huronia. He said free trade was great news for Simcoe North. "In the summer of 1986, I personally surveyed the executives of 38 companies to determine their attitude "towards a free trade agree- ment with the U.S. The results were remarkable: 30 firms with a total of 5,300 employees were in favor while only seven firms with a total of 800 employees were against."' Lewis told the students that fully 80 per cent of Canada's exports go to the More money for Melissa U.S. and two million jobs depend on that market be- ing kept open. Lewis called the Cana- dian energy sector "'a win- ner under the free trade agreement." He explained that now Canada can ex- port oil, natural gas and electricity without fear of U.S. import tariffs. As well, restrictions on uranium and tarrifs on petrochemical and refined oil products will be eradicated. Lewis asked why Cana- dians should be afraid of foreign investment. "As a young country, we need more investment than Canadian capital can pro- vide in order to take advan- tage of opportunities," he said. Lewis told the students not to worry about large American take overs. "The agreement reserves the right to review large, direct acquis itions: our Anti-Combines Act still ap- plies and key ownership restr ictions still exist in sectors such as energy, air transport and tele com- munications." What about consumers? The MP claimed the largest benefits of free trade are reserved for the Canadian consumer. The Midland Kiwanis Club came up with a cheque for $1,000 to donate to Melissa's Campaign to Live. Various travel agencies also supplied airplane tickets "So who was demonstrating on Parlia- ment Hill against free trade the other day? The customs workers -- what does that tell you?"' Lewis asked. "Now they won't be able to ask you whether you bought your blue jeans in Barrie or Buffulo. I think these people should spend more time pursuing por- nography, narcotics, illegal immigrant and other pro- hibited items and stop wor- rying about what Cana- dians buy south of the border." Lewis said only cowards are afraid of free trade. "T have every confidence in the Canadian work force because it takes a back seat to no one. It is skilled flex- ible and adaptable."' And organized labor shouldn't worry either, he said. Lewis quoted statistics which showed 46 per cent of union member- ship supported the free trade deal. "| have but one piece of advice for the trade unionists who oppose the free trade agreement: print membership cards. You'll need them."' The Midland and District Labor Council has taken a stand against the free trade deal, yet to be finalized by the Canadian and American governments. The MP shrugged his shoulders and asked, "What's the alternative to free trade? What are the Liberals suggesting? That's easy -- nothing." As for the NDP, Lewis says he is "amused by the wailing and nashing of teeth by Ed Broadbent of the NDP and Bob White of the Canadian Auto' Workers."' He said Broadbent's riding of Oshawa received $2 billion of foreign invest- ment and to bash the Americans is "hypocritical and self-se rving." Lewis reserved strong words for the Toronto Star and its virulent anti-free trade, anti-Conservative campaign. He accused the paper of demonstrating an "'anti- American bias and slanting every article, editorial and everything except the weather against free trade." The MP said the debate all rests on a decision to embrace one of two con- cepts of Canada. He said "Big Canada' welcomes the challenges and oppor- tunities of free trade while "Little Canada" is afraid. for Melissa's father and brother so they can go down to Minnesota for the operation.