SilverLights Newsletter Vol 18 Number 1 · SilverLights Newsletter Vol 18 Number 1 March 2012 2 out about hikes, golf and even cruises. Enjoy your leisure time and play safe, and

President’s Message

Gerry Bowers

I attended the 35th annual curling fun spielin Grand Falls in February. (Article on page12) Not only did I attend, I participated,more like I tried to go through the motions...The last time I curled was at the 30th an-niversary and it showed. The bus ride outhad 51 on board, with some very enthusias-tic young people. However on the return triptheir endurance waned and the senior folks,with more experience on pacing themselves,took over. The guitars, accordions and songsheets came out and some of us arrived homea little hoarse from singing.

I try to catch myself from referring to Sil-ver Lights members as retirees because thereare employees with 25 years of service stillworking. To this end I am calling on, chal-lenging, all Silver Lights members and otheremployees in St. John’s to sign up for thehighway cleanup scheduled for May 26th. IfReg White can go to Thailand to constructa house for Habitat, surely you can spare acouple of hours to clean up our backyard. In-dicate your willingness to participate by e-mailing Silver Lights so Reg can assign teamsto highway sections.

The spring Info Day is scheduled for May10th, same location as last year, CorpusChristi Hall. Sheila Williams, who has per-formed with the Spirit of Newfoundland, willbe our star performer/entertainer.

Spring Info Day topics will include:

• Investment strategies by Scotia McLeod

• You and your medication, by a localpharmacist

• Our Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)- what’s happening there.

• A surprise topic is still being worked on.

Registration is important for this becausea head count for the FREE lunch is needed.Please E-mail or call Silver Lights by May8th.

An article on our pension fund unfundedliability is included in the newsletter on page30 for your information. This was a rebuttalto our provincial politicians who continue toavoid pension reform.

Since all Hydro retirees are members of thePublic Service Pension Plan (PSPP) markyour calendar for the 2012 convention inGander Sept 21-23rd. Gander Hotel roomrates $106/night, registration fee is $40 andspousal fee for the banquet dinner is $25.

Your club financials are included in thisnewsletter (Page 17). Cash in the bank atyear end and on-going computer sales havepermitted us to again subsidize the fall socialthis year which will be at Tuckamore Lodge.A special notice about this has already beenmailed out. Space is limited hence registra-tion via a $100 deposit by you is required andwill only be cashed if a space can be reservedfor you on a first come basis. Otherwise yourcheque will be returned.

Breakfast socials are ongoing in St. John’son the last Tuesday of the month at the Ken-mount Road A&W. I encourage you to startone in your area. We can help by broadcast-ing a notice to members in your area. Find

Vol 18 Number 1 March 2012

SilverLights Newsletter Vol 18 Number 1 March 2012 2

out about hikes, golf and even cruises. Enjoyyour leisure time and play safe, and remem-ber time is the enemy and slips by faster everyyear.

Editor’s Message

Janet Calver

Ah, the first day of Spring has arrived! Yes,we have made it through another winter, andby all accounts, it wasn’t too bad was it? Inmany ways, it was a typical Newfoundlandwinter - one or two good snowstorms badenough to keep everyone at home for the day,a fair number of cold, crisp, sunny days forthose who love outdoor winter activities, andthen rain and mild temperatures for thosewho can’t wait to see the last of the snowpiles! Even though retirement seems to havemade winters more bearable, dare I say evenmore enjoyable, it is so good to have the ex-tra daylight now in the evenings and to seethe garden start to come back to life again!

We hope you enjoy the first Silver Lightsnewsletter for 2012. It’s just bursting atthe seams with great articles and informa-tion! Where would we be without our starcontributor and storyteller, Ken Ball? He’sback again with a great story about a hunt-ing trip to get the ‘winter kill’ (a must read!)and an update on some of our fellow re-tirees. We have an inspiring article from RegWhite about his trip to Thailand with 11other volunteers from across Newfoundlandand Labrador to construct a Habitat for Hu-

manity House. We also celebrate the 35thCurling Bonspiel that was held last monthin Grand Falls-Windsor. Check out the pic-tures!

In this edition, we also welcome on boardthe latest members to the 25-year club andour newest retirees. Check out the upcom-ing Silver Lights Club activities, includingthe annual Information Day (May 10th), thespring cleanup of the Team Gushue High-way (May 26th) and our autumn trip plannedfor the beautiful Tuckamore Lodge in MainBrook (September 5-7). We look forward toseeing you at these events! Finally, it’s that’stime of year when we present the club’s fi-nancial statements.

As usual, we try to include a number ofarticles that deal with general interest issues.We have the first of a two-part explanation ofAdvance Health Care Directives - what theyare and why you may want to consider hav-ing one. We have Chris Schwartz, from Sco-tia McLeod, back with us again this year asour regular contributor on financial matters.In this edition, Chris talks about RegisteredRetirement Income Funds (RRIF). Have youever heard about Geo-caching and wonderedwhat it’s all about? Our resident ‘techie’columnist, Brian Gamberg, gives us an in-depth introduction. It’s a fun activity forall ages. In our health and wellness section,we continue our eye health discussion; thisedition covers cataracts. March is Nutritionmonth. Have you ever heard that honey isgood for you while white sugar is bad? Isthis a fact or a myth? Check out a few nutri-tion myths; The answers might surprise you!There’s lots more of course but we’ll let you


browse through the newsletter and see foryourself!

Thanks to everyone who contributes to thefinal product you have in your hands or arereading on your computer - the Silver Lightsexecutive team, all our contributors wherewould I be without you? - the folks fromNalcor’s HR department, and of course you,our readers! We hope you enjoy! Take careand enjoy our Newfoundland spring.


SilverLights News

Out and About with Ken Ball

This has been a slack period for me as it re-lates to seeing Hydro Retirees, other than ourJerry Marks Breakfast Crowd.

I guess everyone got all their fill of shoppingand is sticking close to home.

I spent Christmas in Oakville Ontario andsince I’ve been home have had eye surgery torepair a hole in the back of my eye; Oh! thejoys of growing old.

But I’ve got to submit something to Janetor she will skin me alive.

With that in mind I’ll try to recall a hunt-ing trip we had when I lived in Rencontre.

Every year after Christmas, usually inFebruary after the snow came and had driftedhard we would go to try and get our ”winter’smeat”.

We went as a Party of 6, and here I pointout that I am the last surviving member ofthat group.

Preparing for this trip I had to borrow adog and a country sled which was a necessity.You also needed country clothes. This was ahomemade style coverall, made entirely fromRobin Hood Flour Sacks. This suit was madewith a button fly and a square trap door thatcame up over the fly to keep the frost out. Onthose trips it was very common to have yourface frostbitten; you didn’t need anything elsefroze.

The next necessity was a sack of frozen her-ring for your dog and two weeks of grub and

clothes for yourself. The food and clotheswere put in a home made canvas travellingbag. The same bag you used in the summerto bring out moose or caribou you happenedto get. We did not poach, we hunted for meatfor the table, not to sell or profit from in anyway other than for food.

On the morning of the hunt we put ourdogs, slides and rifles aboard a row dory andwe got aboard a motor dory which towed thedory. We had a friend drop us off on the bayice with the dory and we had an agreed timewhen he would come to pick us up hopefullyat the end of a sucessful hunt.

We had a good start when we got to theedge of the ice and the person up forwardjumped out on the ice; he went down throughto his armpits. He headed to a cabin on theshoreline to light a fire and dry his clothes.We were a man short to handle all the gearand drag the dory over the ice to the shore.

We finally got organized and headed up thehill. I won’t comment on that except to saythe hill was probably 300 feet high and thepath was rock, ice and small trees. We wereglad when we got to the top.

We hitched up the dog to the slide, loadedon the bag of food and herring and away wewent to the tilt (cabin) 6-7 miles away.

When we got to the tilt we prepared forthe night. The tilt had a 6-person bunk ofrough lumber and a 45 gallon drum for astove. There were wooden benches aroundtwo walls, but I don’t remember a table. I doknow there were no bathroom facilities. Thegreat outdoors was our outhouse. We weredesignated jobs; Somebody had to light thefire , 2 people had to care for and tie on the


dogs out under the trees, someone else wentto chop a hole in the pond for water and therest went out to cut off some branches fromthe fir trees to line the bottom of the bunk.This was the matress. Now we needed a cook,who would stay back and cook supper whilethe rest hunted. This was not a position onewanted. We chose 2 cooks; I was one of them.We would at least get some hunting time be-cause we only needed one at a time.

Today when people hunt they don floures-cent orange clothes to be easily visible. Whenwe hunted in the winter we dressed all inwhite. I don’t recall ever hearing of anyonebeing shot at by mistake. When the wind wasthe right way you could crawl up within easyshot because we blended in to the landscape.

There is something about sleeping head totoe when there are six men in one bunk. Butyou do get comfortable until someone saysthere’s somebody’s dog untied and Ken it’syours. Out in the cold with a flashlight, catchthe blasted dog and get him tied on again. Iwon’t comment on the lack of toilet facilitiesor water to wash with in the morning, but Iwas always glad to get home to those basics.

To sum up the trip, we got our meat, no-body got lost or frozen, nobody’s dog washurt and the snow was good for hauling outour caribou which was basically shared upwith everybody in the community that wasnot able to get their own meat. Sharing withneighbours was a way of life with us.

VALENTINE DAY GREETINGS

Because yesterday was Valentine’s Day Iwould like to pass along to you all a special

Greeting. These Valentines were not origi-nally written by me. Even though I love theverse and style I cannot take credit for them.

This first masterpiece was written by 2young boys almost 65 years ago. It was writ-ten in Richards Hr. on the Sou’ West Coastby these two kids who both liked the samegirl. They had dug out a snow house andwith a piece of cardboard and pencil createdthis heartfelt Valentine:

When your cat is in a treescratch your arse and think of me.

A Masterpiece.This next one was composed by a young

woman in New Hr. (renamed Parsons Hr.)also on the Sou’ West Coast. It was writtento a Teacher who had come there in Septem-ber. This young man was a little large ofgirth and on this Valentine’s day was unfortu-nate enough to have a boil on the back of hisneck. These situations always caught some-one’s attention on Valentine’ Day. To expressher love for this young man she composed thisclassic:

Kelloway is fat and drollwith a bag of blubber on his poe

She never, however, got her man.You have my permission to send this to

your love one next Valentine Day.

SICK REPORT

Some of our Friends have been out of sortsand are still not well. Sam Stickland hasjust finished taking radiation and is feeling


pretty good. Lou Crummey is doing therapyat the Millar Centre; I understand He is com-ming along and shows improvement in get-ting around. Jerry Wells is recovering froma serious infection after an operation. He as-sures me he’s feeling a bit better. He hashad a difficult time and lost 50+ pounds. Wewish them all the best and look forward tothe time when they are all better.

Recently Barry Taylor and I visited UncleGeorge Sutton at the Hoyles/Escasoni Home.and had a great chat. He is always glad tosee Hydro Friends and even though he’s 97years old He still has a good sense of hu-mour and that old twinkle is still in his eye.

George Sutton (right) with Barry Taylor

If you get the time and are in the area Un-cle George would be glad to see you. If thereare any retirees that you know of who maybe sick please let us know, and if you have aHydro story you would like to share let Janetor me know we’ll be glad to pass it on.

Reg White’s trip to Thailand tobuild a Habitat for HumanityHome

Reg White is known to many throughout theSilver Lights family, not only for the 30+years of work with the Accounting Depart-ment at Newfoundland and Labrador Hydrobut also for his volunteer activities within thecommunity. One of the volunteer groups thatReg dedicates his time and energy to is Habi-tat for Humanity. The story below is Reg’saccount of a ‘build’ that literally took him andthe other Newfoundland and Labrador volun-teers around the world! Congratulations Reg- you are an inspiration for all of us!!

Twelve Newfoundlanders, six men and sixwomen, traveled to Thailand to provide ahome for a needy family. Some left St. John’searlier than others but we all met in Bangkokon the evening of Saturday January 21st atHotel Ibis. On Sunday we were free to dowhat we liked and to adjust to the timechange, a ten and a half hour difference. Wehad to meet the representatives from Habi-tat Thailand at 5:30 pm to be briefed on ourbuild and following that we were treated to aThai dinner by them. Our build location wasa bus ride of one hour and twenty minutesoutside Bangkok and was in an area that wasflooded only a few months ago.


The Habitat Team

Day 1Getting Ready for Foundation

We arrived at the build site at 9:30 am onMonday morning and had to start the buildfrom corner markers in the ground on a build-ing lot 35 feet by 50 feet. That first day wehad to dig ten holes 24 in square by 24 indeep and in each of these holes we had to usea 6 in auger similar to an ice fishing auger tobore holes 24 in deep in each corner of tenholes. Concrete was then mixed by hand anda footing was poured in each hole to standprecast concrete pillars on. This work was

done in 33 ◦C heat; Later in the week it wasup to 41 ◦C . Over the next four days wedug a trench between each pillar block for theconcrete footings for the walls, we installedthe pillars, we tied rebar for reinforcementin the footings, dug a septic hole four feetsquare and five feet deep and installed con-crete blocks around the lower walls.

Day 2Starting the Foundation

Foundation Comes Together


Pah on Site

Day 3Foundation Finished

Team Canada Sign

Imp, Shannon and Paa


Day 4Starting Walls

Heat of the Day

Saturday and Sunday were tour days. OnSaturday we took a two hour bus ride outsideBangkok and we visited the partial ruins oftwo Buddhist Temples that were destroyedby the Burmese in a war. Following that wealso visited an active Temple. This Templehad many buildings throughout the site. Inthe afternoon we boarded a cruise river boatand went down river to Bangkok. This was awonderful ride as dinner was served and theview of all the riverside sites was fantastic

and as we neared Bangkok the view was evenmore interesting as all the high rises cameinto view. On Sunday a Subway and thena Sky Train ride carried us to the MarketPlace. This was an indoor-outdoor affairthat must have had about a thousand storesand it seemed that all 6.5 million residentsof Bangkok were also there. Just imagine;All twelve of us wandered around in smallgroups and managed to meet after two hoursin a predetermined spot, nobody got lost andit was back to the hotel via the same route.

Culture Day


Ayutthaya Buddhist Temple

Over the weekend the Thai people installedthe roof on the house.

Day 5Working on Walls

John and Paa

Day 6Roof is on!


Jay, Paa and Imp

Monday and Tuesday were our last twodays working on the house; The concrete floorwas laid, the block walls were about ninetypercent completed and the septic tank wasinstalled . Tuesday afternoon the house dedi-cation ceremony was held and we had our laston site meal before we left for the ride backto the hotel. .

Reg at Work

The Canada Team

End of Build


The Habitat House Family

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday werethree more days in the area. On Wednes-day we visited the famous Bridge over theRiver Kawi and toured the cemetery whereall the Prisoners of War that died workingon the cross Thailand Railway were buried.A white water rafting session, an elephantride and a one hour ride on the death rail-way train was also enjoyed by all. Thurs-day was spent visiting the beautiful and veryinteresting Grand Palace which was followedby another River Boat ride to various Mar-ket Places along the river. Friday was a veryspecial day as we visited Phantong School inChonburi City which was a two hour driveoutside Bangkok and presented two scholar-ships, one was for $500CDN the other val-

ued at $1000CDN. These scholarships werepresented to two deserving pupils during anassembly of the full student body.

Friday night our last night together we haddinner along with our Thai friends at an out-door restaurant on top of an 81 story hotel.

Saturday morning three of us traveled backto Newfoundland, four of the girls went toanother area of Thailand for five days, twowent to Cambodia for a few days, two wentto Vietnam and one stayed in Bangkok foranother week.

Our two weeks of building and touring wereenjoyed by all and it was an eye opener tosee how that part of the world exists. Theonly part of the trip I didn’t enjoy was thethirteen and one half hour trip from Torontoto Tokyo and after only a one hour layoveranother five hours to Bangkok The trip backthe same way didn’t seem so bad but I thinkthe fact that I was getting closer to homehad something to do with that. For morepictures check out our travel blog: http://

blog.travelpod.com/members/habitatnl

Curling Bonspiel

The Hydro 35th Annual Curling Bonspielwas held in Grand Falls - Windsor. By allaccounts, it was another great success. Con-gratulations to all the organizers who workedso hard to make sure everyone had a goodtime! Below are just some of the pictures ofthe winning teams. See who you recognize!

http://blog.travelpod.com/members/habitatnl

http://blog.travelpod.com/members/habitatnl


Section A WinnersCarl Dawson, Terry O’Neill, Vanessa

Laikie, Gary Noseworthy

Section A Runners UpGerald O’Brien, Larry Hynes, Darlene

Hancock, Pearce West

Section B WinnersRandy Piercey, Terry Noel, Marg Piercey,

Jonathon Steward

Section B Runners UpRussell Finley, Rick FIsher, Arlene Dicks,

Frank Dyke


Section C WinnersGerald Thorne, Chris Kennedy, Megan

Crotty, Harvey Young

Section C Runners UpGeorge Fowler, Ellis Oake, Shawn King,

Coleen Sutton

Section D WinnersRenee Hodder, Cheryl Dunphy

(Substitute for Doug Nicholl), KevinLewis, Frank Wade

Section D Runners UpLou Slaney (Substitute for Joe Merrigan),

Lisa Caines (Substitute for TracyMaynard), Jeff Williams, Terry Bouzane

25 Year Club

Below are the names of the employees whohave joined the ranks of the 25 Year Club.


Congratulations to all!Employees for the first quarter of 2012 are:Kent BrophyBrian BurseyWilliam A. LockmanJanet HiscockCraig PondWanda RussellCorrine Kennedy

Membership Fees

We remind any of you who have not paid yourSilver Lights Club Membership fees that wehave converted to a one-time lifetime mem-bership of $80, less any fees paid previously.Please send your cheque to the SecretaryTreasurer at the address indicated on the let-terhead of this Newsletter.

Also Available!! Silver Lights members whoare still active employees can now pay theirfees through payroll deductions. If this isof interest to you, please contact the SilverLights Office for a form to have the deduc-tions started.

Upcoming Events

Information Day

Thursday, May 10th, 2012Pre-registration: Before May 8thLocation: Corpus Christi Hall, Waterford

Bridge Road

Last year’s Information Day was a greatsuccess and this year should be no different.The executive team has lined up several keypresenters each speaking on a topic of interestto the new-age retiree. A sample of the top-ics to be covered include investment strate-gies, The Public Service Pension Plan, andmedications for the elderly. Sheila Williams,well known singer and entertainer with theSpirit of Newfoundland, will be joining usduring the lunch hour. Such a treat!! In-formation Day is free to members and theirspouses/significant others but we do requireregistration beforehand. Stay tuned for amore detailed agenda. For more information,or to register for the Information Day, pleasecontact Silver Lights at 737-1378 or Email usat [email protected]

Team Gushue Highway Cleanup

Saturday, May 26th, 2012 (weather permit-ting)

Volunteers are needed!! The cleanup takesa couple of hours in the morning. Besideshelping to take care of the environment, it’sa great bit of fun and there is a great feelingof accomplishment at the end of the morn-ing. Transportation to and from the highwayis provided as are all cleanup supplies and didwe mention lunch as well! There is no finerexample of the saying - Many hands makelight work. Everyone is welcome to comealong - 25-year club members, any Nalcoremployee, and family and friends! For more


information, please contact Silver Lights at737-1378 or Email us at [email protected]

Trip to Tuckamore Lodge, Main Brook

September 5 - 7, 2012

Silver Lights is organizing a trip to Tuck-amore Lodge, Main Brook for September 5-7,2012. The 3-day, 2-night trip includes: ac-commodations (based on double occupancy),daily breakfast; superlative amenities (Seehttp://www.tuckamorelodge.com for com-plete listings)

Notice about this trip has already beensent to members and as of March 22 we havefilled all spots and have a waiting list.

http://www.tuckamorelodge.com


Silver Lights Financial Statements - 2011

Balance SheetDec 31, 2011

2011 2010AssetsCash 2,877 1,477Accrued Interest 207 98Investment - Term Deposits 22,000 22,000Total Assets 25,093 23,575

Liabilities 0 0

Fund BalanceBeginning of Year 23,575 28,867Net Income (Loss) 1,518 (5,292)End of Year 25,093 23,575

Income & DisbursementsYear Ended Dec 31, 2011

2011 2010IncomeComputer Sales 6,975 220Contribution Income 100Events Attendance Fees 1,440Membership Fees 840 320Interest Income 674 499Total Income 10,029 1,039

DisbursementsDonations 600 1,250Events Expense 5,571Christmas Parade 1,583Highway Cleanup 289 216Information Day 1,051 1,804Socials 825 700NLPSPA Conference 174 779Total Disbursements 8,510 6,331

Income over (under) Disbursements 1,518 (5,292)


Club Service and Support

Part of our mandate is to support club mem-bers when needed. If you have a family mem-ber in hospital and would like us to visit,please give us a call. Visitations and otherhelp is extended to all club members andtheir families, but it will be done on a familyrequest basis only.


Everyday Life

Advance Health Care Directives

Public Legal Information Association ofNewfoundland and Labrador (PLIAN) is anon-profit organization dedicated to edu-cating Newfoundlanders and Labradoriansabout the law. They provide public legaleducation and information services with theintent of increasing access to justice. Thearticle below is taken from PLAIN’s web-site http://www.publiclegalinfo.com/

publications/seniorsandthelaw2011.pdf

In the next two newsletters, we coverthe topic of advance health care directives.Please note that this article contains onlygeneral information and is not intended as le-gal advice. In order to discuss your particularsituation, we suggest that you consult with alawyer.

Advance Health Care Directives(Part I)

What is an Advance Health Care Di-rective?

An advance health care directive is a doc-ument that allows you to give instructionsabout your future medical care, and/or des-ignate an individual or individuals to makehealth care decisions for you if you are nolonger able.

Is an Advance Health Care Directivethe same as a ‘Living Will’ or ‘Power ofAttorney for Personal Care’?

No. ‘Living Wills’ or ‘Powers of Attorneyfor Personal Care’ are similar to, but not thesame as, Advance Health Care Directives. InNewfoundland and Labrador only AdvanceHealth Care Directives are legally recognized.

When does an Advance Health CareDirective take effect?

Your Advance Health Care Directive onlycomes into effect and only remains in effectwhen you are not competent to make yourown health care decisions or are incapableof communicating these decisions. This maybe because of a permanent mental incapacity,like Advance Alzheimer’s, or it could be be-cause of a temporary physical condition, forexample, you could be unconscious.

Do I need an Advance Health Care Di-rective?

An Advance Health Care Directive gives yougreater control over your health care whenyou are no longer able to make health caredecisions. It can also relieve your loved oneson the burden of guessing what your healthcare decisions would be.

What happens if I don’t have an Ad-vance Health Care Directive?

If you become unable to make health care de-cisions for yourself and do not have an Ad-vance Health Care Directive, the Advance

http://www.publiclegalinfo.com/publications/seniorsandthelaw2011.pdf

http://www.publiclegalinfo.com/publications/seniorsandthelaw2011.pdf


Health Care Directives Act sets out a list ofwho will be asked to act as your substitute de-cision maker and in what order. That personwho acts as your substitute decision makermust have been in contact with you in the lastyear and must be willing and able to take onthis responsibility. Your substitute decisionmaker will be required to make health caredecisions for you based not on his or her ownbeliefs, but based on what he or she thinksyou would want.

How do I make an Advance HealthCare Directive?

To make an Advance Health Care Directivegenerally you must be 16 years old and youmust be competent to make a health care de-cision. An Advance Health Care Directivemust be in writing and must be signed byyou, the maker, and at least two indepen-dent witnesses. If you are not able to sign,someone else can sign for you and you mustacknowledge this signature in the presence ofat least two independent witnesses.

Do I need a lawyer to make an AdvanceHealth Care Directive?

A lawyer is not required to make a validAdvance Health Care Directive, however alawyer’s advice can be extremely helpful. Alawyer can help ensure that the words you usein your Advance Health Care Directive havethe intended legal meaning and that your Ad-vance Health Care Directive meets the legalrequirements.

Do I need to consult with my doctor tomake an Advance Health Care Direc-tive?

It is not a requirement, but it is a good ideato consult with your doctor and other healthcare professionals when making an AdvanceHealth Care Directive. Your doctor can ex-plain medical terms and treatments and canhelp you anticipate what health care deci-sions you or your substitute decision makermay face in the future.

Managing your RetirementFunds - RRIFs

Chris Schwartz

A comfortable retirement, free of financialworries, is something we all aspire to. The re-ality, however, is that many Canadians over-estimate what they will be worth at retire-ment and discover, too late, that they haveinsufficient resources. This scenario can beavoided through proper planning.


This does not simply mean planning whenyou are in your thirties and forties, mak-ing regular RRSP contributions and invest-ing them carefully, but also making plans tomeet your needs once you are actually retired.In order to make these plans, it is importantthat you understand your alternatives for re-tirement income.

One of the best options available to retiredinvestors is a Registered Retirement IncomeFund (RRIF). A RRIF is essentially a con-tinuation of a Registered Retirement SavingsPlan (RRSP), except that the purpose of aRRIF, as opposed to an RRSP, is to providea source of income during retirement. Theaccumulated funds in your RRSP are simplyrolled over into a RRIF at age 71, provid-ing the same tax sheltering as before. Be-cause RRSPs must be collapsed by December31st of the year in which you turn 71, RRIFsare an excellent choice for protection of yourhard-earned retirement savings.

RRIFs offer some important advantages toother retirement income options such as an-nuities. The most important advantage isthe flexibility to design your own pension.RRIFs are more flexible than annuities be-cause the amount and the frequency of pay-ments can be varied. You can elect to havepayments made from the plan on a monthly,quarterly or annual basis and you can changethe frequency of your payments whenever youlike. Lump-sum withdrawals are also pos-sible. In addition, subject to a minimumpayment amount, you can vary the amountof your payments as desired. However, youshould know that the amount that you de-cide to withdraw will have a dramatic effect

on the payment schedule of your RRIF.Because RRIF payments are based on per-

centages as opposed to a flat amount, deduct-ing more in the early years of your RRIFmeans you will reduce the amount you canwithdraw from in later years. The most im-portant factor in setting up a RRIF and de-ciding on the amount of payments is to makechoices based on your objectives. If you sim-ply want a RRIF to provide a sheltered ve-hicle for your investments and if monthly in-come is not a priority, then it really doesntmatter how much you withdraw.

However, if you are concerned with provid-ing yourself with a regular income indexed forinflation and an estate upon your death, thenyou can structure your payments accordingly.If at any time your objectives change, thenyou can alter the payment structure to meetyour redefined needs. This is the most obvi-ous benefit of a flexible RRIF plan.

Another advantage of a self-directed RRIFis the ability to control your own capital.Again, based on your objectives, you canstructure your portfolio to match your needs.Unlike an RRSP, which is designed for cap-ital growth, a RRIF is designed for securityand income. In most cases, the funds in aRRIF should be invested in secure invest-ments which provide income. Its importantto stagger your maturities to provide quickeraccess to funds should you require a lump-sum payment. The option to invest in equi-ties to combat inflation is also a benefit ofself directed RRIFs. The important aspectsof your portfolio should be security, with con-sideration given to liquidity based on yourpayment needs.


Upon your death, your RRIF will rollover tax-free to either your spouses RRIF orRRSP, assuming they have been named asyour beneficiary. If your objective is to pro-vide an estate, then smaller withdrawals inthe early years of the RRIF will provide alarger sum towards the end.

At ScotiaMcLeod, we provide expert ad-vice on RRIF investing. Our RRIF calcula-tor allows us to show you what your portfoliomight look like taking into account variablessuch as your age when you start your RRIF,the rate of return you earn on your invest-ments and any special payment amounts.

Chris Schwartz, CMA is part of theMYW Consulting Group at ScotiaMcLeod.Chris can be reached at 709-576-1387 orchris [email protected].

GeoCaching

Dennis FlynnPreviously published in the Nov. 2011 issueof Downhome. Reprinted with permission.

How do you get techie geeks interested inlong walks in the open air and outdoorsytypes interested in computer science?Introduce them to geocaching.

Walking along the plateau atop GrosMorne Mountain in August 2011, I was con-tentedly drinking in the amazing view of dark,distant ponds cradled in the mountain valley,where silver rivers snaked their way towardsinland fiords far below. Over lunch break,while still enthralled by natures wonder in aplace so removed from civilization and indus-trialization, I was invited to take part in, ofall things up here, a high-tech treasure huntusing a friend’s GPS (Global Positioning Sys-tem).

Within 15 minutes we had found the hid-den treasure and traded an item in the cachewith something of our own. Soon after, weheaded back down the mountainside. We hadconquered a mountain and found a hiddentreasure not bad for a casual summer day.While I’d like to say what we accomplishedwas extraordinary, it certainly was not. It’snot even unusual.

There are thousands of these little ‘trea-sures’ hidden in public places all over New-foundland and Labrador, including almostall the major parks and developed trail sys-tems. They are on the tops of mountains,under rocks on scenic beaches, hanging frombranches in the woods, stowed away behind

mailto:[email protected]


statues and monuments, tucked under board-walks and stuffed inside bushes. The mosthistoric lighthouses of the province have themnearby, as do many resettled communities.Some are in the hearts of cities near busyintersections, while others are on remote is-lands in the depths of the wilderness.

A collection of treasures gathered fromgeocaches across the province

The vast majority of people passing bythese sites don’t even know some things arehidden there. But there is a growing num-ber of enthusiasts who make it their pastimemission to track and find these objects, andto place items of their own for others to seekout. It’s all part of a worldwide technology-based treasure hunt called geocaching.

Many caches contain just a log inmicrocanister, which the geocacher can

sign

The sport has been around for a few years,since hand-held GPS devices became com-mon tools (sometimes toys) for those whospend a lot of time on the water or in thewilderness. And the newest smartphones areequipped with GPS so that even those whomight never have ventured far are now luredinto trying it out.

The term geocaching describes the activitythat combines geography (pinpointing placesusing longitude and latitude coordinates) andcache, which is the place where items are hid-den. The basic premise is that organizationsand individuals hide caches all over the planetand share the latitude and longitude coordi-nates (waypoints) on the Internet. Searchersprogram the waypoints into their GPS unitsor their smartphones, then attempt to findthe caches and access the wide range of re-wards stored in them (typically they are trin-kets with no real monetary value).

Each geocache has a unique code name as-sociated with it, and players can log theirfinds online at Geocaching.com. Basic ac-


counts are free and do not expire so (asidefrom the purchase of a GPS or appropri-ate smartphone) there is no cost to try geo-caching. Caches are ranked 1 to 5, easiestto hardest, in degrees of difficulty to findand degrees of difficulty of terrain. Whileseasoned hikers and the more adventurousmay appreciate the level five caches, manynovices find that the easiest caches make afun activity for families. Geocaching has evenspawned a new kind of travel called ‘technotourism’, whereby people actually plan vaca-tions and trips around their geocaching ac-tivities. Last spring, there was a Canada-wide geocaching contest that enticed peo-ple to national sites. Geocaches contain-ing a password could be found at select na-tional parks, national historic sites and na-tional wildlife areas throughout Canada, withchances for participants to win prizes. Somegroups in Newfoundland and Labrador, suchas the Kittiwake Geo-caching Network, havealso planted caches to capitalize on this trendand bring new high-tech tourists to theirarea. This past summer, the Bay RobertsCultural Foundation sponsored several ‘Geo-cache Weekends’ (with prize draws for thosefinding a prescribed series of caches) alongthe towns beautiful Shoreline Heritage Walk-ing Trail.

‘With the widespread use of Global Po-sitioning Systems (GPS) and all the hikingtrails and beautiful shorelines in the province,geocaching is an excellent activity to promotetourism’ says Margaret Ayad, organizer ofthe Bay Roberts event. ‘We found people re-ally enjoy the search, and from the photosand comments they left, they bring family,

friends, and even pets.’

When you find a cache, the rules forwhat you’re supposed to do next are prettystraightforward:

1. You sign a logbook to record your visit.

2. You take something from the cache youfound.

3. You put something else back in the cacheto replace what you took. Most itemsfound in caches are small, durable andof relatively low value, but make inter-esting conversation pieces or geocachingtrophies. Obviously no food, drugs, alco-hol, ammunition or anything that coulddamage the caches should be included.

4. Finally, log your find under your free ac-count at www.geocaching.com.

One of the more interesting items to find ina geocache is called a ‘Travel Bug’ (also calleda ‘Hitchhiker’). It is a small object that iscarried from cache to cache by different geo-cachers. These objects (often labelled witha special tag or identification number) oftenend up travelling around the world. EachTravel Bugs adventure is also tracked onlinethrough www.geocaching.com.

As of press time, there were more than1,538,598 active geocaches and more than fivemillion geocachers worldwide (according toGeocaching.com). More than 4,365 of thosegeocaches are located right here in Newfound-land and Labrador, with the number growingall the time.

www.geocaching.com

www.geocaching.com


Geocachers Favourite Finds

Here are a few favourite geocaches of varioustypes, locations and levels of difficulty, sin-gled out by geocachers in Newfoundland andLabrador. Remember to always check thedescriptions, hints and especially any recentuser comments on www.geocaching.com be-fore visiting any geocache. This quick checkto make sure the cache is still active and notin need of maintenance could save you a lotof time and effort. Full descriptions, coor-dinates, and current status of these cachesare available at www.geocaching.com. Logon and search for caches by GC Codes below:

Cache GC Code LocationGCX32N FlatrockGC1YYD2 Normans CoveGC2BVBK Bay RobertsGC1B81 Portugal CoveGCQ42R Kings CoveGC1F07V Gros Morne MountainGC2X6E1 Roaches LineGC1YHTX Little CatalinaGCY5JB BurgeoGCPHWF TrinityGCGJBV St. AnthonyGCQ4BH Red Bay, LabradorGCWJZ3 Cape SpearGC1GQZE St. JohnsGCQ6AK Burgoynes CoveGC2EB8C SunnysideGCGND2 Lomond

Internet Resources for Geocachers

East Coast Trail

The East Coast Trail Association is look-ing forward to another exciting year ofhiking. Keep checking their websitefor a list of scheduled hikes for the

www.geocaching.com

http://coord.info/GCX32N

http://coord.info/GC1YYD2

http://coord.info/GC2BVBK

http://coord.info/GC1B81

http://coord.info/GCQ42R

http://coord.info/GC1F07V

http://coord.info/GC2X6E1

http://coord.info/GC1YHTX

http://coord.info/GCY5JB

http://coord.info/GCPHWF

http://coord.info/GCGJBV

http://coord.info/GCQ4BH

http://coord.info/GCWJZ3

http://coord.info/GC1GQZE

http://coord.info/GCQ6AK

http://coord.info/GC2EB8C

http://coord.info/GCGND2


2012 season. http://eastcoasttrail.ca/

scheduled_hikes In the meantime, the EastCoast Trail Association (ECTA) has receivedwell deserved recognition from non other thenNational Geographic Magazine!

In February, National Geographic Maga-zine identified the East Coast Trail as oneof the 10 best adventure destinations in theworld for 2012. Congratulations to all whohelp make the East Coast Trail a treasurethat we can all be proud of. Read moreabout the distinction at the following website:http://adventure.nationalgeographic.

com/adventure/trips/

best-adventure-destinations-2012/

?source=link_twt20120209adventure#

/newfoundland-cape-spear_45469_

600x450.jpg

Events Around the Province

By the time this newsletter actually gets intoyour hands, some of these events will havecome and gone, but most are annual eventsnow so keep them in mind for next year!

Spirit of Newfoundland ProductionsDinner & Show

January 1 2012 - December 31, 2012St. John’sSee website for more information and a listingof upcoming showshttp://www.spiritofnewfoundland.com

Newfoundland and Labrador Public Li-braries

Various RegionsCheck out various events at libraries allacross Newfoundland and Labrador at thelink below: (scroll ahead to see what iscoming up in future months!)http://www.nlpl.ca/index.php?option=

com_jumi&fileid=4&Itemid=167&mth=

3&yr=

Newfoundland and Labrador Museums

Various Regions (and operating days andhours)Interested in furniture making? Maybe youwould like to know about early photographyin Newfoundland? Perhaps you have aninterest in wolves in Newfoundland? For thisand much more, check out this website: andsee what your public museums have to offer!http://www.therooms.ca/museum/

museumnotes.asp

Cain’s Quest Snowmobile Race

March 17 - 24LabradorAt close to 3,000 km, Cain’s Quest isCanada’s longest snowmobile endurance race.The race started in Labrador City, March 17.The route took participants across the land toHappy Valley - Goose Bay, then up the coastas far as Nain, then across the northern in-terior up to Kuujjuaq, and then back downto Labrador City. This is the ultimate snow-mobile race and definitely not for the faintof heart. Team 25 came in first. The team

http://eastcoasttrail.ca/scheduled_hikes

http://eastcoasttrail.ca/scheduled_hikes

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/best-adventure-destinations-2012/?source=link_twt20120209adventure#/newfoundland-cape-spear_45469_600x450.jpg






http://www.spiritofnewfoundland.com

http://www.nlpl.ca/index.php?option=com_jumi&fileid=4&Itemid=167&mth=3&yr=



http://www.therooms.ca/museum/museumnotes.asp

http://www.therooms.ca/museum/museumnotes.asp


of Jean-Guy AuCoin and Steve Girard fromCheticamp, Nova Scotia and Chibougamau,Quebec rrespectively crossed the finish lineon Thursday, March 22 at 9:21See the website below for more updated in-formation and pictures of the winners.http://cainsquest.com

Snow West 2012

March 21 - 24, 2012Corner Brook/Marble MountainThis annual event is four days of winterfun in the Corner Brook/ Marble Mountainarea. Everything from skiing, dog-sledding,and ice sculpting in the daytime to greatentertainment, shows and fine dining in theevenings.Check out this website for more information:http://gowesternnewfoundland.com/

snowwest

36th Great Labrador Loppet Race

March 31, 2012Labrador CityRight on the heels of Cain’s Quest, anothergreat event takes place in Labrador City -the Great Labrador Loppet race. This race isfor both the competitive and the recreationalskier. It covers various distances from 10 kmup to 54 kms , all on groomed trails. If youenjoy the outdoors, you’ll love this event!For more information, please check out thiswebsite:

http://www.meniheknordicski.ca/

?page=great_labrador_loppet

62nd Newfoundland and LabradorProvincial Drama Festival

April 10 - 14, 2012St. John’s, Arts and Culture Centre

The adjudicator is Lynda Boyd from Re-public of Doyle fame.

Below is the lineup:April 10: Off-Broadway Players, CornerBrook - ‘Hysteria’ by Terry JohnstonApril 11: Carol Players, Labrador West -‘Night Mother’ by Marsha NormanApril 12: Avion Players, Gander - ‘33Variations’ by Moises KaufmanApril 13: Northern Lights Theatre Co.,Labrador West - ‘Fighting Words’ by SunilKuruvillaApril 14: Mokami Players, Goose Bay -‘Bedtime Stories’ by Norm Foster

For more information, see the followingwebsiteshttp://nldrama.ca

https://artsandculturecentre.com/

stjohns

Receiving Titanic - Cape Race Com-memorate 2012

Portugal Cove SouthApril 14 - 15, 20122012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sink-ing of the RMS Titanic.

Sunday, April 1st Irish Heritage CommunityBrunch

http://cainsquest.com

http://gowesternnewfoundland.com/snowwest

http://gowesternnewfoundland.com/snowwest

http://www.meniheknordicski.ca/?page=great_labrador_loppet

http://www.meniheknordicski.ca/?page=great_labrador_loppet

http://nldrama.ca

https://artsandculturecentre.com/stjohns

https://artsandculturecentre.com/stjohns


Tuesday, April 10th New Titanic ExhibitUnveiling at Cape Race

Wednesday, April 11th Titanic Night onGeorge Street

Saturday April 14 - 15 Main Event

• Community Brunch at PortugalCove South - 12:00 P.M.

• Ecumenical Service - 5:30 P.M.

• Commemoration Event - 8:30 P.M.

• Reception ‘Flavors of Cape Race’ -7:00 P.M.

For a full listing of events throughout 2012please visit the Receiving Titanic web site atwww.receivingtitanic.com.

Newfoundland and LabradorPublic Sector Pensioners’ Asso-ciation (NLPSPA)

On February 21, 2012 Gerry Bowers at-tended a Think Tank Day sponsored byNLPSPA. As a result of that meeting, aTerms of Reference document was adopted.NLPSPA members were asked to bring thisdocument to their respective organizations forreview and to seek general confirmation onthe direction set by the NLPSPA. Also at thismeeting, Ralph Morris, President Elect of theNLPSPA , presented a paper called UnfundedLiabilities are a Financial Myth. This paperis included in our newsletter for your infor-mation.

TERMS OF REFERENCEPENSIONERS COALITION OF

NEWFOUNDLAND ANDLABRADOR

Goals:

The Pensioners Coalition is committed topromoting the collective voice, influence, andpower of Pensioner Associations/Groups inNewfoundland and Labrador by advancingthe common interests and concerns of theirmembers to meet the primary goals of:

1. Protecting and increasing the consum-able income for all pensioners through,but not limited to, pension indexing, adhoc increases, elimination of claw back,elimination/reduction of fees, etc.;

2. Representing membership interests withrespect to the protection and mainte-nance of a comprehensive co-pay insur-ance program which ensures adequatemedical and drug care coverage for mem-bers: and,

3. Advocating on matters of public policythat have an effect on the life circum-stances and well-being of all pensionersand older persons.

Scope:

The scope of the Coalition includes, but isnot limited to:

1. Pension and Health Benefit issues;

2. Taxes, service fees, and other govern-ment established rebate programs;

www.receivingtitanic.com


3. Community and media awareness of thelife circumstances of public sector pen-sioners and other retired and senior per-sons in Newfoundland and Labrador;

4. Other issues as either directed by theMember Associations or identified by theCoalition.

Objectives:

1. To provide a collective forum to pursuepension and health benefit related issueswith government through lobbying, me-dia action, legal action, education, andother means as determined by the repre-sented Associations/Groups;

2. To provide a forum whereby Public Sec-tor Pensioner Associations/Groups andother public or private pensioner repre-sentative groups in Newfoundland andLabrador can work together to raise gov-ernment, business, community and me-dia awareness of the life circumstancesof their collective membership;

3. To conduct information sessions for affil-iated organizations to bring a collectivefocus on issues that impact on the lifecircumstances and well-being of pension-ers and older persons;

4. To develop and establish links with otherpensioner associations and groups in theprovince, with public sector bargaininggroups, and with the parent bodies ofany member associations in order to fur-ther the interests of member associa-tions;

5. To facilitate and negotiate a means forthe sharing of the costs of these collectiveactions.

Membership:

Membership is open to all Public Sector Pen-sioner Associations/Groups in Newfoundlandand Labrador. Affiliated membership is opento all other Associations/Groups that sharethe goals of the Coalition

Structure:

The Newfoundland and Labrador Public Sec-tor Pensioners Association will be the leadAssociation of this Coalition. The Chairwill be appointed by mutual agreement ofthe Coalition membership. The Secretaryof NLPSPA, or designate of the Chair, willmaintain a record of all meetings of the Coali-tion.

Qualification:

These Terms of Reference do not precludeany member Pensioner Association/Groupsfrom maintaining their individual purposeand action/activities for their membership.

Approved: May 26, 2008 by PensionersCoalition 2008

Revised: January 23, 2012Approved: February 21, 2012 by Pensioners

Coalition


Unfunded Liabilities are a FinancialMyth

byRalph Morris, President Elect

NLPSPA

What is an Unfunded Liability? An ’un-funded liability’ is a projected expense that acompany, business, or government could ex-pect to incur if all its employees cashed intheir benefits, such as annual leave, sick leave,overtime, and pension or the company, busi-ness, or government was shut down and hadto honour these commitments to its employ-ees at one time.

An unfunded liability is a financial myth.Referring to an unfunded liability as a rea-son not to settle an account past due is thelatest politically correct way to mislead thegeneral public. Simply put, an UNFUNDEDLIABILITY is a DEBT, which is depositedin the form of markers into fictional trustfunds that will someday have to be paid forby taxpayers. No matter how this debt wasor is being incurred, the continuing referenceto an unfunded liability as being the reasonNOT to action pension increases is a deliber-ate attempt to confuse and mislead the gen-eral public to absolve Government from itsobligations. Debt is debt, plain and simple.We all have to pay our bills and Governmentshould be no different.

A growing course of complaints about pen-sion debt is unsettling to the ordinary voterand for business owners and in some casesfor pensioners themselves. Truth be known,there is no cause for anyone to be unnerved.The only possible explanation of “unfunded

liability” is to contrast it to a “funded li-ability” which presumably is more finan-cially secure and apparently morally superior.Funded or unfunded liabilities are nothingshort of “guesstimating” what will be neededten to thirty years into the future. Moreand more, we are seeing publicly availableretirement funds (RRSPs, RIFs, and otherpension retirement funds) and long-term sav-ings plans with a healthy percentage of stocksquickly turn from a “funded liability” into an“unfunded” one. Yet our Government con-tinues to place the blame on former publicsector workers for the debts of the Province?

Here are some truths as to why the publicsector pension fund is unfunded or has a debt:

• From 1967 to 1981 Government spentthe pension premiums of workers andfailed to pay their portion of the matchedpremiums resulting in a $4 billion short-fall;

• In the mid 1970’s Government droppedthe retirement age from 65 to 60 to avoidlayoffs caused by cutbacks, offering fullpension at age 60; government did notcompensate the pension fund for thisshortfall;

• In the mid 1980’s Government further re-duced the retirement age to 55 to avoidmore layoffs because of cutbacks, offer-ing early retirement and again added thisdebt to the pension plan;

• Ex-gratia pensions were granted to per-sons who had never paid into the plan,with no compensation to the plan fromGovernment;


• Some persons who served on Boardsof Government or special projects weregranted free pensionable service years atcost to the pension plan with no offset-ting deposits from Government;

• Government took over certain ‘private’pension plans, deposited millions of dol-lars placed into general revenue, placedthe employees into the Public ServicePension Plan and transferred no fundingto compensate for the shortfall;

• Removal of a $62 million unfunded liabil-ity from MUN pension fund and placedinto the Pooled Pension fund;

• Government in 1991, 1992, and 1993took a holiday from paying its premi-ums into the plan; pensioners continueto carry this decision forward into per-petuity;

• Lucrative pensions of MHA’s and Judgesare paid out of the Pooled Pension Fund,with these pensions having to be subsi-dized by other public sector pensionersas the pay-in rates and numbers con-tributing are far less than the amountbeing paid in benefits to these groups;

• In addition to the MHAs defined pen-sion benefits, they are also eligible for asecond benefit known as the MHA sup-plemental retirement allowance.

• Increasing costs in administering thePooled Pension Fund, including full

funding of the Pensions Division of Gov-ernment, are subtracted annually fromthe pension fund.

These actions and others of respectiveGovernments have led to the underfunding ofthe pension plan and yet today Governmentcontinues to blame the former workers ofthis province for this unfunded liability.

Well I ask Government...

What is the unfunded liability of HealthCare for this Province?What is the unfunded liability of WorkersCompensation Benefits for this Province?What is the unfunded liability of the Educa-tional Programs for this Province?What is the unfunded liability of SocialSecurity for this Province?What is the unfunded liability of roads andinfrastructure for this Province?

We never hear of Governments unfundedobligations for all of these programs. We onlyhear of the unfunded liability of the pensionplan. Governments, business, and the corpo-rate community who are profit focused wouldhave you believe that you are responsible forthis pension mess and that you should notenjoy those benefits that you worked so hardfor during your employment. It is time totell these institutions that you know the realtruth. Tell them you deserve better and youdemand it. Without us, this province couldnot and would not survive. We deserve to livein dignity and peace.


Health & Wellness

Vision and Aging: A guide togood eye health and vision

Back in September, we read about twocommon eye diseases that affect seniorspresbyopia and glaucoma. In this newsletter,we continue the examination of healthyeye care and learn about cataracts. Thisinformation is taken from the Cana-dian Association of Optometrists. Formore information please see their web-site: http://opto.ca/openyoureyes/

your-eye-health/eyes-diseases.

Cataracts

What is a cataract?

When the normally clear lens within youreye becomes cloudy and opaque, it is calleda cataract. Cataracts vary from extremelysmall areas of cloudiness to large opaque ar-eas that cause a noticeable loss of vision.

Who gets cataracts?

Cataracts are most often found in personsover the age of 60, but they are also occa-sionally found in younger people, includingnewborns.

What causes cataracts?

No one knows exactly what causes cataracts.It is known that a chemical change occurs

within your eye that causes the lens to be-come cloudy. This may be due to advanc-ing age or it may be the result of heredity,an injury or a disease. Excessive exposureto ultraviolet radiation present in sunlight,cigarette smoking or the use of certain med-ications are also risk factors for the develop-ment of cataracts. Cataracts usually developin both eyes, but often at different rates.

Can cataracts be prevented?

Currently, there is no proven method to pre-vent cataracts from forming. Wearing sun-glasses is a tremendous benefit as they pro-tect your lens from harmful UV rays, whichcan speed up cataract formation. A diet richin antioxidants (such as Vitamins A, C, E,Zinc Selenium & Magnesium) is seeminglyalso beneficial.

What are the signs / symptoms ofcataracts?

Cataracts develop without pain or redness,some indications that a cataract may beforming include blurred or hazy vision, theappearance of spots in front of the eyes, orthe feeling of having a film over the eyes. Atemporary improvement in near vision mayalso occur and increased sensitivity to glare,especially at night may be experienced.

How are cataracts diagnosed?

A comprehensive eye examination by a Doc-tor of Optometry can determine if you have acataract forming.How are cataracts treated?In the early stages of a cataract, where vision

http://opto.ca/openyoureyes/your-eye-health/eyes-diseases

http://opto.ca/openyoureyes/your-eye-health/eyes-diseases


is only minimally affected, your optometristcan prescribe new lenses for your glasses togive you the sharpest vision possible. Whenthe cataracts start to interfere with your dailyactivities and glasses cannot improve this vi-sion, your optometrist will refer you to an eyesurgeon who may recommend the surgical re-moval of the cataracts. The surgery is rela-tively uncomplicated and has a success rateof at least 95 percent.

When will I need to have cataracts re-moved?

Cataracts may develop slowly over manyyears or they may form rapidly in a matter ofmonths. Some cataracts never progress to thepoint that they need to be removed. When achange in glasses can no longer provide func-tional vision, your optometrist will arrange aconsultation with a cataract surgeon.

What happens after cataract surgery?

Intraocular lens implants, inserted in youreye at the time of surgery, serve as a new lensand sometimes give you good distance visionwithout glasses. Your near vision will stillbe blurred. Your Doctor of Optometry willprescribe new lenses for your glasses about4 weeks after surgery to maximize your dis-tance and near vision.

March is Nutrition Month

The following information comes fromCanada’s Registered Dieticians’ website. Seehttp://www.dietitians.ca for more greatinformation on nutrition and healthy eating.

Nutrition information has never been moreaccessible than right now; millions of Canadi-ans have ready and easy access to the Internetand other forms of social media. But not allthe information is credible; myths and misin-formation abound. Nutrition Month 2012 isdedicated to busting up popular food and nu-trition myths by bringing truths to Canadi-ans from dietitians, the food and nutrition ex-perts. Below are some commonly held mythsabout nutrition and the truth behind eachone.

Organic foods are the safest and health-iest choice for you.

THE TRUTH: Both organic and non-organic foods are nutritious and safe to eatwhen youre making healthy choices based onCanada’s Food Guide. Many factors affect afood’s nutritional value, such as where andhow it was grown, stored, shipped and evenhow it was cooked. So organic foods mayhave more, about the same, or less nutrientsthan non-organic foods. And both organicand non-organic foods are grown and pro-duced under strict regulations to make surethey are safe for you to eat. Like any foodpurchase, buying organic food is a personalchoice.

http://www.dietitians.ca


Late-night snacking will make you gainweight.

THE TRUTH: Late-night snacking canlead to weight gain, but it’s not due to thetime on the clock. The trouble is, after-dinner snacking can lead you to eat morecalories than your body needs in a day, es-pecially if you’re having high-calorie snackfoods and sweetened beverages. If you usu-ally get hungry for an evening snack, try eat-ing dinner a little later. Still hungry? Sip onwater with a squeeze of lemon, or go for smallportions of healthy choices like whole graincereal with milk, a piece of fruit, or plain air-popped popcorn.

Sea salt is natural so it’s better for youthan table salt.

THE TRUTH: Sea salt, just like kosher andgourmet salt, has about the same amount ofsodium as table salt. It is not a healthierchoice. Too much sodium can be harmful toyour health. The differences between sea saltand table salt are taste, texture and how theyare made. Table salt is mined from dried-up ancient salt lakes. Some table salts in-clude iodine, a nutrient that helps preventthyroid disease. Sea salt is made by evapo-rating seawater and tastes different depend-ing on where its from. Whichever salt youchoose, use less. For a flavour boost, sprinklefood with orange or lemon juice, garlic, herbsor spices.

Processed foods have no place in ahealthy diet.

THE TRUTH: Some processed foods, suchas whole grain pasta, canned light tuna andplain frozen vegetables, are healthy choices.Others provide few nutrients and/or are highin calories, fat, sugar or sodium and should belimited. Some examples are deep fried foods,salty snacks and packaged baked goods suchas donuts and croissants. Make wise foodchoices. Enjoy more whole foods, like vegeta-bles and fruit. Read labels and choose foodshigher in nutrients you want more of, like fi-bre, calcium and B vitamins, and lower innutrients you want less of, like sugar, fat andsodium

Cows’ milk is full of hormones and an-tibiotics.

THE TRUTH: Not true! Canadian milkmeets strict government standards so it’s safeand healthy. Canadian dairy farmers givetheir cows the best diet and health care sothey produce quality milk naturally. Growthhormones to stimulate milk production arenot approved for sale or permitted for usein Canada. Just like humans, cows some-times get sick and need medications like an-tibiotics. If this happens, the cow is identi-fied and milked separately until she is healthyagain. Her milk is properly disposed of for amandatory length of time, to allow for themedication to get out of her system. Milk,organic and non-organic, is a safe, nutritiouschoice.


‘Multi-grain’ is the same as ‘wholegrain.’

THE TRUTH: Dont be fooled by market-ing. Multi-grain isnt always whole grain.Multi-grain products include different grains,but they may not be whole. You’ll get thegreatest health benefits from eating wholegrains. To make sure a food is made withwhole grains, look on the food label’s ingre-dient list for the words whole grain in frontof each grain name. If whole grains are themain ingredients in a food, they should ap-pear first in the ingredient list. Make at leasthalf of your grain products whole grain eachday.

Everyone needs to drink eight glassesof water a day.

THE TRUTH: There is no truth to theclaim that everyone needs exactly eight cupsof water a day. Water is important for goodhealth and it is your best choice to satisfythirst, but other liquids are also hydrating.The amount of water you need to hydrateyour body varies daily and depends on factorslike your gender, physical size and how activeyou are, as well as environmental factors likeheat and humidity. To help stay hydrated,drink plain water (tap or bottled) plus otherbeverages like milk, coffee or tea throughoutthe day. And remember to drink more in hotweather and when you are very active.

Honey, brown sugar and agave syrupare better for you than white sugar.

THE TRUTH: Nutritionally speaking,they are all pretty much the same. Whilesome people consider brown sugar, honey oragave syrup to be more natural, they are stillsugars. All are concentrated sources of calo-ries with very few other nutrients. Your bodycan’t tell the difference between them andwhite sugar. In fact, your body handles natu-rally occurring sugar in food or processed sug-ars and syrups in the same way. Excess sugarin any form gives you extra calories. Whetheryou choose to use honey, brown sugar, agavesyrup or white sugar, use small amounts.


NALCOR News

Recent Retirees

Once again, we have a lot of retirees to wel-come. The Silver Lights executive wisheseach and every one of you all the best inyour retirement! I would personally like tothank the people in Human Resources for alltheir help in getting the pictures and biostogether for this newsletter. Dana Reardonand Amanda Singleton always come through.‘Thanks again’ Dana and Amanda!

Robert Stoyles

1973: Hired as Apprentice Electrician1976: Awarded Journeyperson status in

Industrial ElectricianJun 1978: Appointed to role of Se-

nior Journeyman Electrical in ElectricalMaintenance Dept of Churchill Falls

Feb 1982: Took on role of P&C Technical4

Dec 1988: After brief employment else-where, returned to company as P&CTechnologist with Hydro in Whitbourne

Jun 2005: Appointed to position of P&CSupervisor in Whitbourne

Feb 29, 2012: Retired

Rose Dyson

Jul 1975: Hired on PT basis in ChurchillFalls with Town Centre Operations

1993: Moved into role of Grocery StoreClerk

Mar 31, 2012: Retired

David Hayes

Feb 1, 1988: Hired as Lineman ‘A’ withPower Distribution in Burgeo

1990: Accepted Lineman ‘A’ Position inStephenville

1996: Moved into role of General Mainte-nance ‘B’


George Baggs

Mar 23, 1981: Hired as Lineman Ap-prentice in Burgeo. Position allowed himopportunity to rotate through areas -BDE, Springdale, Happy Valley

1984: Attained Journeyperson Status

Nov 1984: Appointed to position of Line-man ‘A’ with the Power DistributionDistrict in Central

: Remained a dedicated employee in role



Madonna Coish

1985: Began working with Hydro as Sec-retary in then ‘Rates and Customer Li-aison/Financial Planning’

1986: Took position as Personnel Clerk1987: Accepted position as Secretary1989: Permanent appointment to Secre-

tary in Controller division1997: Accepted position as Secretary in

St. John’s Materials Management andAdministration Department - Library

2000: Appointed to position of Admin-istrative Assistance on Labrador HydroProject

Jan 31, 2012: Retired

Sandy Jenkins

1980: Hired in CF as Painter: Later reclassified as Service Man ‘B’: Continuously returned to CF on a sea-

sonal basis in that role.1993: took an opportunity to pursue alter-

native career optionsMay 1998: Returned to Churchill Falls as

a painter.Jan 31, 2012: Retired


Smiles & Laughter

Newfoundland Place Names

In the September newsletter, we presented afew of the more colourful place names foundin Newfoundland and Labrador. - but thereare many more. Here are a few more for you.(Taken from Newfoundland and LabradorBook of Everything: Martha Wells, 2011;pages 39 - 47)

Come by Chance

As early as 1714, this town was referred to asComby Chance, and as Come by Chance bythe mid 1830s. The French used the port asa staging area to plunder English settlementsin Trinity Bay; historians feel the element ofsurprise in the raids inspired the name.

Conche

Although locals claim the town is named forthe Caribbean conch shell, it is more likelynamed for the Abbey of Conches, founded byRoger de Toeni I (990-1039) in Normandy.

Corner Brook

The province’s second largest city was namedby Captain James Cook in 1767. A smallcommunity until the last century, CornerBrook grew exponentially in the 1920s thanksto the pulp and paper industry that remainsits economic heart. Corner Brook receivedcity status in 1981.

Cow Head

This peninsula on the west coast of the is-land was named for a prominent bolder (nowgone) that resembled a cow’s head. In 1534,Jacques Cartier named the same headlandCap Pointe.

Cranky Point

Not a reference to the locals’ demeanour, thisplace gets its name from the dangers of thesea that surround it. ‘Cranky’ possibly stemsfrom the English ‘crank’ and/or the Dutch‘krengd’, both of which describe a boat thatis easily heeled to a sharp angle by the wind.Many vessels experienced this when trying tonavigate the waters around this windy point.

Cupids

Appointed in 1610 to settle a colony andsecure the fishing trade, John Guy and 39colonists made their way to this Trinity Baysite. Originally known as Cuper’s Cove andcorrupted over time to Cupitts, Coppers andCubbits Cove, the colony was home to thefirst British child born in the province (in1613, a boy). Ultimately, Guy’s colony failed.

Cut Throat Island

The name of this Labrador site is not a link topirates past, but to the province’s fishing her-itage. It comes from the term ‘cut-throater’,the person in the process of preparing cod forsalting who performed this task.


Dildo

Although this area of the province was orig-inally explored by the Spanish, it was theFrench that named it ‘d’iles deux’, whichof course was famously corrupted to Dildo.When they arrived at present-day Dildo, theywere no doubt struck by the large harbourwith two large islands protecting its entrance.The two large islands protecting the harbourare called Dildo Island and Spread-Eagle Is-land.

Quotes to make you Smile

Around this time of year, we can all use alittle bit of humour as we await a much an-ticipated spring. Bill Cosby has always beena great favourite of millions of people. Whocan forget the Bill Cosby show? Below arejust a few of his favourite quotes. Hope youenjoy them!

• A new father quickly learns that his childinvariably comes to the bathroom at pre-cisely the times when he’s in there, as ifhe needed company. The only way forthis father to be certain of bathroom pri-vacy is to shave at the gas station.

• A word to the wise ain’t necessary - it’sthe stupid ones that need the advice.

• Always end the name of your child witha vowel, so that when you yell the namewill carry.

• Any man today who returns from work,sinks into a chair, and calls for his pipeis a man with an appetite for danger.

• As I have discovered by examining mypast, I started out as a child. Coinci-dentally, so did my brother. My motherdid not put all her eggs in one basket, soto speak: she gave me a younger brothernamed Russell, who taught me what wasmeant by ‘survival of the fittest.’

• Even though your kids will consistentlydo the exact opposite of what you’retelling them to do, you have to keep lov-ing them just as much.

• Gray hair is God’s graffiti.

• Having a child is surely the most beau-tifully irrational act that two people inlove can commit.

• Human beings are the only creatures onearth that allow their children to comeback home.

• I don’t know the key to success, but thekey to failure is trying to please every-body.

• I guess the real reason that my wife andI had children is the same reason thatNapoleon had for invading Russia: itseemed like a good idea at the time.

• If the new American father feels bewil-dered and even defeated, let him takecomfort from the fact that whatever hedoes in any fathering situation has a fiftypercent chance of being right.


• Immortality is a long shot, I admit. Butsomebody has to be first.

• Let us now set forth one of the funda-mental truths about marriage: the wifeis in charge.

• Like everyone else who makes the mis-take of getting older, I begin each daywith coffee and obituaries.

• Men and women belong to differentspecies and communications betweenthem is still in its infancy.

• Old is always fifteen years from now.


Contacting the Silver Lights Club

The Silver Lights Office is located on the second level of Hydro Place. Our telephone numberis 709-737-1378. You can also contact the Executive directly:

President Gerry Bowers 722-6471Vice President Rami Wadhwa 753-4757

Ex Officio Reg White 368-5200Past President Dennis Jones 368-2351

Secretary Treasurer Vern Penney 745-0705Silver Lights Editor Janet Calver 745-1343

Silver Lights Fax: 737-1231Silver Lights Email: [email protected]

Documents

SilverLights Newsletter Vol 18 Number 1 · SilverLights Newsletter Vol 18 Number 1 March 2012 2 out about hikes, golf and even cruises. Enjoy your leisure time and play safe, and