NORMAANDGLADYS

The province of Newfoundland isusing a refurbished schooner “TheNorma and Gladys” as a floating“diplomat” to carry a grim messageof the realities of fish-depletion onthe once-teeming Grand Banks.The artistic exhibition the ship carries below decks has three thrusts.As the visitor enters, he or she isgreeted by a vision of marine bounty with numerous fish-like mobilesillustrating the original breadthand abundance of marine species inNewfoundland waters. Fartheralong, the visitor learns how twomarine currents have kept the Atlantic Continental Shelf so wellstocked. Finally, the viewer isshown the implications of ongoingmechanized fishing, voracioustrawling, and the plight of local fishermen whose movements are restricted (unlike those of the long-distance fleets) to the twelve-milelimit and who cannot move furtherout when the local fish stocks aredepleted. The ship is travellingacross the Atlantic to fishing communities in Europe and elsewhere.Jointly sponsored by the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland, the ship is destined ultimatelyfor the International Oceans Exposition in Okinawa, carrying Newfoundland’s views on the law of thesea.

The C.C.C.C. was set up in 1972 asa resource centre for written andaudio-visual material dealing withThird World issues. Its purpose isto help people understand the central causes of underdevelopment inCanada and throughout the world.The centre catalogues and stores awide variety of newspaper clippings, articles and journals. It alsoproduces films and tapes on thesubject of development, and its

This museum, located in a storefront on a busy Ottawa street to attract the passers-by, presents thefacts about the true cost of energyand the extent to which we waste itin everyday use. For those unfamiliar with things like the nigrogencycle or food-chains, the museummakes clear the interdependence ofecological systems of people andtheir environment. All is done

Pollution Probe — Ottawa53 Queen St., Suite 54Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5C5(613) 231-6329

provide material covering all aspects of current municipal and plan-fling issues.

The shop’s keepers’ hope is toestablish its credibility as a nonpartisan community agency whosemanagers can act as neutral mediators in disputes between citizens

the North York Mental HealthCouncil. It provides extensive information and referral for a widerange of local services such as income tax returns, snow removal,grass cutting, volunteer transportation, homemakers, shopping forsenior citizens, friendly visiting andlegal-aid. There is also a readingand writing correspondence servicefor senior citizens in times of illness

The Ecological

This publication is a fascinatingguide to the ecological costs ofeveryday consumer goods. By making the prospective purchaseraware of these costs, it providesthe socially conscious shopper withan informed basis for choosing products that minimize the impact ofconsumption on the ecology. TheGuide provides information onbehind-the-counter realities, enabling ecology to be seen in a newperspective. For example, it takes

III-E-6 17 trees to make a ton of paper;

and developers, citizens and thecity, or developers and the city.

Eric Baker149 Colony St.Winnipeg, Man.

and LEARNX — a file of human resources in the locality. An interesting aspect of the service is that it islocated in the local library, makingit a busy centre of activity andgreatly expanding its function as asource of references.Willowdale Library5126 Yonge St., North YorkToronto, Ont.(416) 223-9727 III-E8

each person throws away half a tona year, and so, by buying disposablepaperware, the shopper is helpingthrow away 190 million trees a year.Ecological shoppers see all goods asenergy spent and resources used —

they are unlikely to forget that43% of the cost of a can of beer is inthe can.

Pollution Probe — Ottawa53 Queen St., Suite 54Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5C5(613) 231-6329 III-E-9

4

Your City and You ShopWinnipeg’s Municipal Governmentand a cross-section of communityinterest groups and individuals areplanning to open a “storefront”which will make information onlocal issues and development readily available to anyone. The “UrbanInformation Exchange Shop” will

LINK: Circulating InformationLINK is a community informationand referral service sponsored by

III-E-4 the North York Public Library and

ITI-E-7

Cross-Cuftural Communication Centrestaff is directly involved in a number of community projects. Its activities range from the preparationof films on native land claims to thepre-orientation of volunteers forCanadian University StudentsOverseas (CUSO).

Cross-Cultural Communica’n. Ctre.1079 Bloor St. W.Toronto, Ont.(416) 537-2222

A Community Museumof Energy and Conservation

fflE5 Shopping Guide

through clever juxtaposition andlayout. Pollution Probe — Ottawaprovides instructions, flow-charts,and advice on how to establish oneof these museums in other urbanlocations.

73

In the east-end of St. John’s, Newfoundland, CPAC became active inthe promotion of the local Neighbourhood Improvement Program.To spread information about theProgram’s aims, CPAC hired a localtroupe of actors, the Mummers,Living as participant observersamong the east-end residents, theMummers gathered material on theneighbourhood’s lifestyle and needs

Flip Switchfor Local NewsIn over 200 small Canadian towns,the CBC owns AM, 40-watt transmitters. The transmitters are fullyautomated and merely serve asboosters to bring network programs to those towns. This meansthat without construction of costly($3,000 to $8,000) recording studiofacilities, there is no possibility oflocal programming. Despite theenormous success of a communityoperated, CBC-aided and affiliatedstation at the sub-regional level (asopposed to local) in Espanola, Ontario, it is still evident that the costsof equipment are too high for widespread installation of local stations.An alternative has finally beerfound, costing only $200. CalledFLIP, for Facility for Local Input, itconsists of a simple microphonehoused in a box attached directly tothe transmitter. It permits local“talk” broadcasting to occur; programming can range from a fewminutes a day for local weatherreports, to a range of shows on localnews and events, and still remaineconomical.Canadian Broadcasting Corp.P.O. Box 8478Ottawa, Ont. K1G 3G5 III-E-11

and produced a simple and entertaining play. This “mirror on thecommunity” played in local theatres to enthusiastic audiences. Itsimpact and effectiveness were successfully documented on film byCPA C.

Codco is another group in the St.John’s area that performs in pubs,theatres, even the lobby of the Confederation Building in an effort tobring theatre to the people. Codcouses satirical review to draw attention to issues confronting the community. Entertainment combinedwith social action is the aim of boththese groups.Newfoundland Div.Community Plan. Assoc. of Canada144 Water St.St. John’s, Nfld. HI-E-1O

SELEC’TOVISION

With “selectovision”, there’s nopossibility of missing a favouriteTV show — you can watch it whenyou want to. The system was triedexperimentally on cable networksin three Quebec communities byVideographe. A video workshopgroup originated by the NationalFilm Board’s “Challenge forChange” (“Socidtd Nouvelle”), Videographe is now funded by theQuebec government. While locally-made video tapes were aired on onestation, an animator hosted a dual-purpose “show” on a second. Hisrole was to keep track of phoned-inrequests for the playing or re-playing of tapes on the first station. Thetape in greatest demand wasplayed as soon as the current tapefinished. The animator was also responsible for taking calls commenting on earlier tapes. Commentsoften led to lively discussions,prompting further calls for a tape’s

People in bus terminals acrossNorth America can watch TV whilethey wait. People waiting in hospitals, doctors’ waiting rooms, socialservice bureaus, medical clinics,libraries and government institutions must twiddle their thumbs —

often while expensive closed-circuitTV, videotape-systems or audiovisual equipment lie idle. Cue-In Video in Edmonton, was an attemptto bring highly pertinent information of a social nature to sectors ofthe public not normally reachedthrough conventional channels.Many people often remain unaware

replay and providing the producerswith instant feed-back of audienceresponse to a tape. In one of thecommunities, Mont Laurier, fourstations were used for the selectovision experiment — three showedtapes, while one was free for discussion. The ten-day experimentstaught viewers they need not bepassive TV consumers and that dialogues can be more fun than squareeyes. One tape called “Drug Alert”was screened 15 times for the sakeof children who also added theircomments. Young people, more interested than ever in broader programming, are already persuadingcable-owners to start up Selectovision in other locations.

Robert Forget, Mousse Guernon,Videographe1604 St. DenisMontreal 109, Que. III-E-12

of available community services,such as Legal Aid, consumer protection, housing for the handicapped, student placement and ascore of others. Through the use ofexisting systems in public serviceinstitutions, Cue-In reached wideaudiences, alleviated their tedium,entertained and educated them andat the same time presented clearadvice on a personal level.

THE MUMMERS AND CODCO

INFORMATION ON CUE

Gay ArmstrongNo.20—10018—112 St.Edmonton, Alta. III-E-13

74

Across Canada there are numerouslistings of available country property published both by governmentsand by the private sector. But forthe urbanite interested in relocating in a rural area, the information provided (location, acreage,price, description of buildings) isfrequently insufficient. Funded bya LIP grant, “Country Alternatives” of British Columbia attempted to provide a more comprehensive description of sale (or leasehold) properties. They initially intended to include all rural Crownand private lands of five or moreacres in the province, and to describe in detail regional climatic,

CONCERTCANADI EN

Here is a project which aims at developing an understanding of Canada’s cultural heritage in the UnitedStates and at determining its popularity with American audiences.Concert CancLdien produced a limited edition of 1000 sets of records, each set constituting a complete radio program which samplesCanadian music and provides acommentary on the cultural background of each piece. The sets weredistributed to 722 college- and university-affiliated stations and 168commercial FM stations in theUnited States. The programs offera wide raxge of Canadian folk andpopular music, including artistssuch as Buffy Sainte Marie, Leonard Cohen, Moe Koffman andGilles Vigneault.

Concert Canadien followed upwith a survey to determine how theprogram was used and received.407 stations used the records and ofthese 375 broadcast the full program series, reaching an audienceof some 1.2 million people. Ninety-five percent of the stations thatused the material indicated theywould like to have other programson the same theme. Many suggested that there should be ahigher French Canadian content.The responses showed that poorrecord distribution is the majorbarrier to getting Canadian exposure in the U.S.: 62% of the stations surveyed did not obtain theseries, but indicated that theywould have aired the programs hadthey been available. Clearly, theCanadian music industry does notsuffer from lack of a potential audience. The task now is to improvedistribution.Concert Canadien4 Brendon RoadToronto, Ont. M4G 2X1

agricultural, and topological conditions, and so forth. To date, comprehensive descriptions have been provided only for private land, but coverage may be extended in the future to include Crown lands forwhich the pertinent informationwas originally unavailable. Nonetheless, a guide of this sort couldprove invaluable to potential purchasers and to those interested inlocal climatic and topological conditions.

Barry Albert Rhuman2741 W. Third AvenueVancouver, B.C.

A new and unique service providinginformation and material on urbanplanning and related issues to bothlaymen and professionals has beeninitiated by the Community Planning Association of Canada.

The CPAC Bookshoppe/La Librairie de l’ACU is a mail-orderbookstore which provides a centrallocation for purchasing specializedbooks and offers assistance in library development, book location, andevaluation of available books. Astock of 700 titles on such topics asarchitecture, citizen action, environment, demography, public administration, parks and recreation,regional and rural development,transportation, community profilesand special studies is carried to fillorders. 95% of the Bookshoppe bus-

Newsletters, magazines, periodicIII-E-14 als, journals, annual reports

the information network and communications effort is extensive.Common interest associationsusually keep in touch with theirmembers and disseminate the latest news in some form of printedmaterial. Many government departments at the provincial and federallevels and university units alsopublish regular bulletins. The Directory of Associations in Canada(University of Toronto Press) willbe helpful to those looking forgroups who share a specific interest. Periodicals that specialize incommunity interests include:

City Magazine35 Britain St.Toronto, Ont. M5A 1R7$7.00 for one year (8 issues)

CPA Cl?eview425 Gloucester St.

III-E-15 Ottawa, Ont. K1R 5E9

mess is done through the mail.Every effort has been made to

stock every Canadian title in print,and a good selection of non-Canadian material which would be ofinterest. A Checklist of availablebooks, which contains 600 titles relating to human settlements issues,will be sent upon request. Specialannotated lists, new title updates,and personal search assistance aresone of the other services offeredby this unique Bookshoppe.More information can be obtained

by writing to:

CPAC Bookshoppe/La Librairie de L’ACU425 Gloucester St.Ottawa, Ont. K1R 5E9 III-E-16

$10.00 for one year (12 issues)includes membership in CPAC

Urban Forum251 Laurier Ave. WestOttawa, Ont.

University of Toronto PressFront Campus, Univ. of TorontoToronto, Ont. M5S 1A6(also distributes a number of Canadian journals). III-E-17

A Bookstore forHuman Settlements

Country Alternatives

Periodic Information

.rhai. ferwcdI.qwe irhaii

City Magaz:ne

75

MISCELLANE0USThe section for all seasons and all catalogues — miscellaneous! There arealmost enough projects dealing with money and finance to warrant a separate section, but then there wouldn’t be quite enough of a miscellaneoussection left, and how could we leave out the unique service that helps yousleep through the night? Included also is a description of several designservices available to citizens, and of organizations devoted on a full-timebasis to the study and improvement of human settlements. 111-F-a

DAY CARE

DESIGNASSISTANCE

Getting It BuiltSeveral organizations across thecountry provide low-cost architectural and planning assistance tocommunity groups, low-income individuals, service organizations andhousing co-operatives. Their workis based on the awareness thatbuilding projects must reflect theneeds and desires of their occupants and that normal professionalservices in these fields are oftenprohibitively expensive for theirclient groups.

Articulation of design requirements is not an easy task for laypeople, and most of these organizations utilize the skills of social animators in their work with the community. These people take into account not only design criteria, but aknowledge of historical events anddevelopment trends in the area.Assistance is provided for primarydevelopment investigation and feasibility analysis including community study, municipal restraints,site analysis, and preliminary costestimates. The initiation and co-ordination of community participation, the design and the creation ofconcept plans and architectural programs can also be included. Someactive organizations offering thistype of service are (from east towest):

School of Archit., N.S. Tech. Col.P.O. Box 1000Halifax, N.S. (Grant Wanzel)(902) 429-8300

Co-op. Confed. des Synd. Nat’aux.155 est boul. CharestQuébec City, Qué. (André Tourin)(418) 529-8741

Ontario Habitat Foundation25 Eden Place, Suite 100’Toronto, Ont. (Robert van Alstyne)(416) 363-4395

Inst. Urban Studies, U. of WinnipegWinnipeg, Man. R3B 2E9(Lloyd Axworthy)(204) 786-7811

Urban Design Centre1111 Commercial DriveVancouver, B.C. V51 3X3(James Le Maistre)(604) 254-6112

Sport andRecreationalData BankA data bank, sponsored by Ontario’sMinistry of Culture and Recreation,is being set up to collect and distribute information relating to the design, construction, and operation ofsports, recreation and fitness facilities. This service will be availableto municipal recreation departments, public and private recreational agencies, engineers, designers and architects. On request, aclient will receive data concerning aspecific area of interest and a rundown on the availability of furtherinformation at the time of inquiry.When the data bank becomes operational in September, 1976, therewill be approximately 1200 units ofcomputerized information. At themoment, project staff are interestedin receiving examples of the information needs of those providingsport and recreation facilities. Additional material for their information-base is welcomed.Greg Mathieu or Peter YoungblutRecreation Facilities Rsch. ProjectOntario Sports Training CentreMm. of Culture and Recreation5 North Service Rd.Oakville, Ont.(416) 844-8171 III-F-2

Summer tourists and shoppers inOttawa can park their children in adowntown day-care centre whilethey enjoy the capital. The centrecharges $3.00 for half a day — asmall price for mobility. Childrencan romp in a special playgroundwith two areas that are designedfor the one-to-five and six-to-twelveage ranges. Sponsored by the National Capital Commission (NCC),

Manual for DayNurseries in LondonPeople wishing to set up a day-nursery, and communities organizing with a view to obtaining funding for a nursery can obtain thismanual which serves .as a usefuloutline. Prepared for London, Ontario area by the United Community Service of Greater London, itincludes a summary of governmentregulations, guidelines for planning

the centre operates at NepeanPoint during July and August,using the winter skating sheltersremoved from the canal (see No.I-B-13).

National Capital Commission48 Rideau St.Ottawa, Ont. KiN 8K5(613) 992-4231 111-F-3

and financing and advice on how toextend existing services. Althoughthe information itself relates to onecommunity, the type of informationpresented could prove helpful elsewhere.

United Comm. Svcs. of Gr. LondonCentral St.London, Ont. III-F4

Ill-F-i

PARKING THE KIDS

76

BUDGETING FOR BASIC NEEDS

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Citizens in Halifax, N.S. can obtaina guide, Budgeting for Basic Needs,to help them get better value foreach dollar. Produced by the Nutritional Branch of the Halifax SocialPlanning Department as part oftheir “People on $50” (a programproviding self-help and work forthose on welfare — see III-A-4),the guide covers food, children’sclothing, energy, electricity and

electrical appliances. An appendixillustrates how to organize the “family budget sheet” and gives arange of inexpensive and tasty recipies, such as “Four Bean Salad”and “Seven Layer Dinner”. Thefood section provides advice on cost-cutting in the home and, throughits “Portrait of a Poor Shopper”,gives very practical guidance tothose with limited means. Good

buys in children’s clothes are explained in terms of fabric washability, adjustability of hems andseams, stretchability, and the purchase of two-piece outfits that allowfor growth. Gasoline is well documented, and many tips are includedcovering car maintenance and economical driving habits. There is asection on strategy and tactics inthe kitchen, fridge-care, and heat-

ing-husbandry. The guide could beused as a field-tested curriculumfor budgeting and homemakerclasses.

Social Planning Dept.3rd Fl., Scotia Square, Duke TowerHalifax, N.S.(902) 426-6450 III-F-5

B. C. GOES TO BAT FOR CONSUMERSThe British Columbia Departmentof Consumer Services was established in 1973 to supervise consumer affairs in the province. It attempts to educate and inform consumers (and indirectly, businessmen), to investigate sharp businesspractices which may contraveneconsumer laws, and to assist peoplewho are overly in debt (a conditionbad for both consumer and shopkeeper).

Such services are not unusual in

Winnipeg’sCommunityIncome Tax

ServiceThe Community Income Tax Service (CITS) was established in 1974by several community groups inco-operation with the Midland Credit Union. Funding for the projectwas provided by the ManitobaGovernment through its ProvincialEmployment Program. The primary function of the service is toprovide clients with the opportunity of borrowing against estimated income tax rebates at an interest rate of 1% per month. Thisoffers a real alternative to peoplewho would otherwise have beenforced to borrow from privategroups operating income tax refunddiscount services at rates which insome cases approach 70%, or fromloansharks at even higher rates. Anumber of related services havedeveloped as a result of the CITSoperations. It now assists low-income people in completing theirincome tax returns and offers debtcounselling and budget planningservices. The CITS operates between February 26 and May 6, andthe average size of loans granted is$170. The volume of loans has tripled since it began operations twoyears ago.Nick Ternette294 Ellen St.Winnipeg, Man.(204) 943-2465 III-F-7

themselves, but in B.C. they arecombined with one further activitythat makes them potentially moreuseful for the province’s consumers: the Department can and willbring legal force to bear when necessary, going so far as to prosecutebusinesses on behalf of customers.Many cases have been settled amicably out of court or dropped. In1974 a Greek immigrant signed for$3,000 worth of furniture. He laterrefused delivery on the groundsthat items which he thought werewood were, in fact, plastic. Theirate firm promptly took him tocourt. The defendant went, not to alawyer, but to the provincial government for assistance. The Con-

sumer Services Department in Victoria substituted itself as defendantin the action and the firm droppedits claim, feeling that there was noway it could take on the government. This is just one example ofthe impact the Department canhave.

The basis for this consumer department is the B.C. Trade Practices Act which became law in 1974.The law spells out what are considered to be misleading sales prac

tices, and provides remedies forpersons caught up in sales, leasing,and rental problems — from insurance and real estate to pots andpans. The Debtor Assistance Actenables government counsellors tomediate with creditors and helppeople who are financially over-extended by arranging repaymentplans. The Department also runs aninformation and education divisionwhich keeps in touch with consumers through schools, the media,booklets and trade liaison.Department of Consumer Services838 Fort St.Victoria, B.C.(604) 387-6831

77

New Banks for New Customers

Storefront clinics and Legal Aidservices are becoming an established part of many low- to middle-income neighbourhoods in Canada.Now, the Royal Bank of Canada isreaching out to new customers in asimilarly informed way. Its “Community Branches” are aiming atthat 20% of the population — thoseon welfare and the working poor —

who, in the past, have had to relyon much costlier forms of financing.By combining business acumen andsocial concern, the Royal Bank hasidentified a viable new market inwhich the traditional criteria of credit worthiness are not the totaldefinition of a client’s ability to pay.These branches issue and servicesmall loans with careful regularity.A $60 loan to a widow for winter

Outside of Quebec, and even withinthe cities of Quebec, the Caissesd’Entraide are almost unknown.Yet they are “putting the capital ofthe region to work in the region”with almost missionary zeal, basedon a philosophy of local ownershipand control. In Alma in northernQuebec, it is a household word: thelocal Caisse financed a major community-planned downtown renovation scheme. After being rejectedby traditional lending facilities onthe grounds that a downtown mallwould need a strong contingent oftriple-A tenants, the Caisse steppedin and backed the venture. Not tobe confused with traditional creditunions like Caisse Populaire Desjardins, the Caisses d’Entraide area medium-term savings bank, operated on co-operative principles accepting fixed monthly deposits on afive-year basis. Most of their lending is in the commercial and industrial field in the form of long-termmortgage loans as required by law.Originating in Alma, the Caissescontinue to have a strong regionalbias, each having great local autonomy. The provincial federationoperates as a specialized serviceagency to individual branches. AllCaisse staff are drawn from the locality and funds must be investedwithin a specified geographic area.The Caisses support financingunheard of in banking circles. Thepurchase of a trucking firm by itsformer employees who preferrednot to see ownership pass out of theregion is one example.

78

clothes or $100 to a welfare motherfor a confirmation dress for herdaughter are common occurrencesin the Community Branches. Children deposit pennies in a Community Branch — they’re as welcomeas any other savers. By comparison, conventional banks will lend aminimum of $500 for six months.

The interest rate at CommunityBranches, at 13%, is marginallylower than the current 131/2% atmost chartered banks, and far below the 17% to 24% charged byloan companies or the usurious400% demanded by “loan sharks”.Community advisory committeescomposed of local volunteers oftennegotiate far into the night in committee rooms provided in thebranches themselve to work out

The Caisses are widely acceptedpolitically as every provincial partycan find something in Caisse philosophy to suit the party line. Whenthe now passed Law of Caissesd’Entraide Economique was underreview, nine of the ten-man reviewcommittee were members of theirlocal Caisse. These community credit unions have developed subscription to a science. Equity is raisedfrom a broad community base andthe outright self-interest of consumers is enlisted. A shrewd twistto their approach is what they term“Ia contamination economique “,

cim Dl

1/AJ4p

the exact nature of loans withclients, new banking procedures,more suitable banking hours andeven the layout of the bank itself.For nine to fifteen months beforebranches open, the trust and cooperation of the community is solicited on a door-to-door basis by theRoyal Bank’s “social action” people.

With the aim of increasing thefunds available to municipalitiesand regional districts, the Government of British Columbia hasadopted a policy of sharing reve

whereby new members provide therecruiter with the names of twoother potential members. Hence,wives, cousins, brothers-in-law andfellow workers are jointly involved.Using the pyramid selling technique to best advantage, but withoutdirect personal gain, the community benefits as a whole.

Fed. des Caisses d’EntraideEconomique540 Sacré CoeurAlma, Qué.(418) 662-6595

There are now CommunityBranches in Montreal, Toronto,Winnipeg and, soon, Vancouver.

Manager, Public AffairsRoyal Bank of CanadaBox 6001Montreal, P.Q.(514) 874-2110

Drive4n CityAccountsThe City of Edmonton has built anew Drive-in Account Collection“station” for persons paying theircity accounts, to make bill-payingan easy and inexpensive process.From 9:30 to 5:30 bill-payers candrive up and deposit their chequesat the wicket and then drive on. Aone-way street system funnels traffic into and out of a parking andpayment lot which can handle anumber of cars. In this way, youcan even line up at peak times without actually parking and paying forthe privilege of paying!Commissioner’s Dept., City Edmon.2nd Floor, City HallEdmonton, Alta.(403) 425-5447 111-F-il

B.C. SHARESRESOURCE REVENUES

III-F-8

Regionalism Sells like Hot Cakes

nues derived from the export of natural gas. Under the Natural GasRevenue Sharing Act (Bill 110,1975), one third of net provincialreturns arising from the portion ofexport gas in excess of $1 per 1,000cubic feet will be distributed to municipalities. Each municipality willreceive a basic support grant. Relative operating costs; water andwaste disposal program requirements; annual increases in newhousing units; and need for specialcommunity disparity funds as determined by the Minister of Municipal Affairs will be the basis foradditional grants.

The program has been widelyhailed as a necessary first step torecognizing the principle of provincial-municipal sharing of revenuesfrom all sources, including naturalresources.Union of B.C. Municipalities204 — 604 Blackford St.New Westminster, B.C.

III—F-9 (604) 526-4447 hI-F-b

FIGHTING FIRE WITH....

A RESTAURANTA BEDSIDE HOT-LINE BRINGING PREMIUMS DOWN

When a fire starts at night in Summerside, Prince Edward Island,firemen are called using a bedside“hot-line”. For the past 12 years,there have been no sirens to wakeup the whole town. Instead, a dispatcher simply picks up the red fire-phone which then rings immediately in all 38 firemen’s homes, thehomes of two newspapermen and in

FireballSummerside, P.E.I.

Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia canboast of two splendid services, bothworthy of a second look — a modern, well-equipped fire hall and athriving community-operated restaurant. The success of these twoventures is not unconnected. Therestaurant’s profits go to the upkeep of the volunteer fire depart

IH-F-12 ment and to the purchase of the

latest fire-fighting equipment. Thevillage’s fire protection has improved significantly since the restaurant became a profitable concern, causing premiums for fireinsurance to go down.

Fire Hall,Lawrencetown. N.S. III-F-13

Heritage Canada

the town manager’s home. Thesephones ring continuously until answered. The firemen hear a repeated message as to the fire’swhereabouts. The special hook-upwas installed by the telephone company for a minimal surcharge.

79