UDU(PUBLIC

INCO

Printed On Recycled Paper Vol.49 No. 11

December Ontario DivisionHarvest one Grand Award, three gold medals

Inco takes bite of Big Apple

p

:11Christmas Wishes

Darryl, son of former Occupational Medicine Nurse Cindy Croteau,cuddles up to Santa at the General Office Christmas Party. We think weknow what he wants for Christmas, and hope all his wishes come true.Darryl is courageously battling cancer. See story on Page 4.

Ninja Turtle float a crowd-pleaser

core one (irand Award andthreegold medals for the Ontario Divi-sion at an international communi-cations competition in New YorkCity earlier this month.

That was the medal count as

1990

largest international corporationsin the world, companies such asKraft, Mobil, IBM, Daikyo Incor-porated and SEGA Enterprises ofJapan, Novo Nordisk of Sweden,Xerox and Philip Morris. For all of

Inco walkedaway victori-ous from thefourth annualM e r c u r yAwards com-petition.

At a blacktie affair at theHotel Inter-Continental,public affairsmanagerJerryRogers ac-cepted one of20 GrandPrize awardsfor excellencein profes-sional corn-m Un ic at ionsfor the Divi-sion's newest publication, ueai-cated to Excellence.

"Inco's win was a total teamtriumph," Jeny said. "It was aMade In Sudbury production high-lighting the achievements of Sud-burians working at Inco. We werein competition with many of the

us who worked on the project, itwas a triumph of quality overquan-tity."

While Turner BroadcastingSystems of Atlanta, Georgia wasnamed the Best of Show for itslavish 1990 CNN media guide, Incowas one of just three companies to

capture three gold in the prestig-ious competition. Chevron Corpo-ration andTumerBroadcasting alsowon three gold.

Reni L. Witt, president ofMerCom Inc., which sponsors the

event, saidthe 1990MercuryA wardshad a rec-ord-break-ing thou-sand entriesf r o maround theworld.

"Inter-nationally,we re-ceived awide rangeof countriesincludingGreat Brit-ain, Eu-rope, HongKong, Af-

rica, India, New Zealand, the Phil-ippines, Puerto Rico and the UnitedStates," Ms. Witt said. "Judges forthe awards represented a group ofthe most illustrious creative pro-fessionals in the public relationsindustry. Twenty-two agencies

Continuvd on Pafle ii

Aggies' Christmas spirit a shell gameCowabunga now awesome tooRadical and party on dudesPass the pizza, join in the funMnja Turtles love everyoneNinja Turtlesin our townHelping Santamaking his roundsOn the second day of XmasWe're full of gleeTwo Ninja TurtlesHere in SudburyNinja Turtles crawling out onthe StreetFightin' crime they just can't bebeat!

Robert Frost it's not. But anyonecan plainly see that poets who canwrite lyrics like that should be incharge of building Santa Clausfloats.

"Inco's entry in Sudbury'sSanta Claus parade 'is becomingkind of a tradition in the depart-ment," said Agriculture Sectionground specialist Darl Bolton. "Itkind of helps us get into the Christ-

mas spirit a little faster."This year's Ninja Turtle entry

wasn't among th awarded floats,although insiders swear the thou-sands of kids who lined the streetsloved our float the best.

"Politics," said one 'Aggie',faking a sneer. "Kids can pick 'em,but not the judges"

For Inco'sAgges, winning isn'tthe only thing. It isn't even themain thing. "We give ourselves acouple of weeks to get the floatready," said Darl. "We try to fit itin around our regular workload. Iguess they give usthe annual proj-ect because we are used to makingthe best out of what we have towork with."

And the department has animpressive record, The Inco floathas been in the wmner's circle forthree of the past four years. "Thefirst year Mike Sopko (formerOntario Division president) tookus out to dinner because everyone

was so surprised that we won thetop float competition."

Shoestring budgets for the floatshaven't curbed anyone's imagina-tion. "We get cooperation and helpfrom others as well, like PublicAffairs and Freddie Eng of the Iron

Ore plant who did the banners forus."

It's the extra touches, like theNinja song written, produced andperformed by equipment operatorRay Boudreault, that make theannual Inco entry such a success.

Darl insists he hasn't a cluewhat the department will come upwith next year, but he's certain it'llbe a winner.

"We'll keep an eye on the kids,"he said, "and just go with the flow.Whatever's hot."

Jerry Rogers shows a winning smile and the awards to go with It.

The Trianqle 1

The creative Imagination of Inco's "Aggles" created another crowd-pleasing float.

2 December 1990

Inco's "Aggies" pine for new growth

Seeds of Christmas get a head startThe next time you get the urge tostrike out in the snow-covered bushto chop down that perfect Christ-mas tree for the living room, thinkabout Alex Gray's nerves.

Pine trees, 80,000 of them thisyear, get their beginnings as match-head-size seeds deposited individu-ally into paper pots by the steadyhands of Alex and company at the

Inco greenhouse in Copper Cliff."There are 200 (honeycombed

paper pots) in a flat. We can doabout 60 flats an hour," said Alex."About 55,000 seeds have to go tothe underground greenhouse atCreighton's Number Nine shaft inJanuary and another 25,000 willstay here at the surface greenhouse."

Although it still takes a steadyhand to place the seeds into thepots, Alex has managed to makethe job a little easier by manufac-turing an ingenious seed-plantingdevice from a piece of copper andan old electric razor. He attached acopper chute for the seeds to thebusiness end of the razor. Whenthe razor is plugged in the chutevibrates and the tiny seeds bouncedown the chute one at a time.

It's not just ordinary dirt thatgives the seedlings their initial push.The trays are filled with a specialforestry mix of peat moss, ver-miculite, dolomitic limestone andsoluble nutrients.

The seeds are specially preparedto boost germination. "We buypre-cooled seeds," said Alex, "andwe also pre-cool our own seeds af-ter we remove them from pine andSpruce cones and clean them."

Precooling involves leaving theseeds in a freezer for 72 hours.

All this special preparationgives the Inco Greenhouse seed-lings a much better start in life thantheir natural cousins in the wild.

"Almost every seed plantedhere will survive to the seedling

stage," said Ale. "That's muchbetter than in their natural state."

Once planted on the surface,however, it's every seedling foritself.

Survival depends on many fac-tors. Once planted, they take thesame risk as those in the wild.

Inco's "Aggies" aren't into

hybridization, he said. "We wantthem to grow naturally. We leaveit up to God to give them shape.

"These seeds will be Christmastree size by the turn of the century,"quipped Alex. "So if Inco ever getsinto the Christmas tree businessthey could end up in somebody'sliving room."

Is the Christmas spirit alive and well at Inco?

Alex Hubert. mechanic, Utili-ties: "It's not the same as it used tobe. It's for the kids. 1 have nofamily here. They're in the oldcountry. All I can do is send thema few bucks. But I have friendshere and I'll visit them. I'll have aquiet Christmas."

Mike Saari, plant engineering,CCNR: "I think Ihave more Christ-mas spirit today than when I was a1id. That'sbecauselhaveagirl 18months old. I look at Christmasthrough her eyes. It's all new toher. Me? I have two days off.That's my Christmas."

John Wierzbicki, plateworker,Plate Shop: "Christmas has changedin a fashion that we can afford a bitmore than our parents could. Wecan enjoy it more these days. Lesshardship. But that all depends onthe individual family."

I

£

Aldo Manarin, janitor, Gen-eral Engineering: "You can't takeaway the Christmas spirit. Whatelse would you have left? With allthe problems and fighting aroundthe world, the broken families, youcan forget it all once a year."

Alan King, geophysicist, Ex-ploration: "There's not as muchsnow around as there used to be,but I suppose that's because I'mtaller than I used to be. I have threelittle kids and I think I enjoy Christ-mas through them more than I everremember."

Bill Blanch ard, apprentice ga-rage mechanic, North Mine: "I havethe same Christmas spirit I alwaysdid. We visit friends and families,we share meals and spend timetogether. No matter what, therewill always be that Christmas feel-ing inside."

*Iri

Leo Pilon, driver, Transporta-tion: "It's not what it used to be.Too materialistic. Things are muchmore artificial than they used to be.But the Christmas spirit is still thereunderneath. My Christmases arestill as good as ever."

Garnet Phillips, maintenancemechanic, North Mine: "Oh yeah.Just yesterday we put up the tree.It's there, same as always. It's notwhat you get, but what you give.Christmas brings families together.Most people make do with whatthey have."

Eugene Kitty, laborer, Trans-portation: "Christmas is supposedto be a spiritual event, a celebrationof the birth of our Lord. Unfortu-nately, it's not that way anymore.Going to church as a family isn't aspopular today."

Gary Eadie, surface vehicleoperator, North Mine: "I get Christ-mas every Thursday and put it inthe bank. Christmas isn't the sameas it used to be. It's too commer-cialized today. We used to get oneor two gifts, but kids don't appreci-ate the things they get anymore."

Alex Gray at work at the Inco Greenhouse seeding trees.

The TrangIe 3

Could Good King Whatzisname be wrong?Fond memories of Christmas. We a

Funny how that annual infliction of Chriseems to play tricks with our minds.

By John Gast broomsticks, I ghh'stheNightBcforeChristmas, So where's the tr

and all through our house, she told me I waeverybody is stirring, piece of the trunk

A stocking, hung at the foot of I choked bacthe bed with care, has been gingerly dreamed about thremoved with a pair of tongs and pine, the feel of tIreplaced with a clean sock (over the rough bark anthe objections of an indignant as the needlesyoungster) packages undern

Me? No problemsUndertheChristmastreeagain, as she pulled a c

this time making sure the tripod scented aerosolholds by nailing the legs to the purse and beganhardwood floor, indiscriminately

it's a thing of beauty with its there.skinny, goo-covered, brown Sowiththercbranches, shiny ornaments, tinsel misty withand colored lights connected by a "Essence ofgreen wire. At its base is an ankle- Pine," I screwe(tdeep blanket of green pine needles Trunk A tothat gets thicker every time Trunk B andsomebody slams the door, fastened it upri

I'll buy smarter next year, of into a little Cecourse. I won't just go Out and beat marked "Stand."the snow off the third-last skeleton I crawled aroon the Chçistmas tree lot. In the fours collectingfuture I'll beware of the dealer who enough brushes tcsticks last year's leftovers in a two flushes a dbucket of water for this year's sales. They had color-c

Thisyear'stree,ailingornot,is stems, and I asnevertheless a small step for a man piles of whitebut a large leap fo the forces of orangeandred,thtradition. them into notche

The tree is real. broomstick. ReiBut last year, Christmas came blue and so on

in a 4x3x3 foot brown cardboard entirestructuretobox and an enclosed instruction shape of somethisheet stampedwiththe Number 14. you might exp

Always the traditionalist, to find in the Jollsentimentalist and romantic, I had Green Giant'sobjected, of course, but my wife toidy, proppedbought it regardless, threw it on the up next to therecreation room sofa and ordered bowl.me to erect it. T h e

I slipped the knife under the family cat,restraining tape, pulled, and like a always onegreen jack-in the-box scores of for rejectinggreen bottle brushes bounced out anything newalong with two green broomsticks unfamiliar, addethat clattered onto the recreation by showing her immediateroom floor, acceptance. She perched under one

Clutching one of the two of the low-hung branches and

time,but

contentedly widdledthe brightly-wrapped

All that's amemory now,of courseTraditiowon that4

on One ofparcels.

tradition of opening presents onChristmas Eve. How,my wife asks,do you explain the comings and

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attached tothe house were promptly ignored.

Thank God grandmas can't buy

hand grenades.Yuletide revisionism can

sometimes result in an extreme caseof the 1-lumbugs, sometimesreferred to as the Festive Flu,December Doldrums or Pre-Reindeer Rut.

The virus spreads around thistime of year when everybody isfrantically looking for theChristmas card lists they hid in asecure spot last year. How are yougoing to send cards to good friendsand dear relatives if you can'tremember who they are?

If the list can't be found, somepeole 1 know resort to a kind of last-minute reciprocity called MAD(Mutually Assured Delivery). Youdeliver one to my house and l'llretaliate.

Of course some people havegiven up sending them at all. 1 gaveit up once, only to discover that it'shard convincing a tearful grandmathat the annual Christmas cardexhange is an exploitation of thepublic by the card companies.

I'm sending cards again, asmushy as 1 can get them.

Exorcising the Humbugs isoften easier once they'rerecognized. As "common sense"and "maturity" creep intoChristmas, the pure joy is oftenlost.

Case in point, the notion thatgifts are only for the kids and adultsshould come to an understandingamongst themselves like "No giftsbetween adults; or keep gifts underten bucks; or give only money sogood money isn't wasted on 'bad'gifts.

Another Christmas humbug tobe avoided is the gift "arrangement"where each picks out his own "gift",wraps it up and puts it under thetree, then pretends (for the kids)that it's a surprise.

Not for me.I want to be surprised and 1

want to surprise. Call it childish,immature, unreasonable or oldfashioned.

I'll call it Christmas.

Christmas Tree, 0 Christmas Tree,(you're brown in barren beauty)

By Cory McPheeE benezer Scrooge must have hada real Christmas tree.

With their aromatic scent andvisual appeal, Christmas trees arethe model for holiday happinessand the bane of New Year's clean-up.

How many of us have madeearly trips to the tree stand hopingto land the best baby on the lot? Wepaw and prod, snoop and shake,cast furtive glances at other buyersand snicker behind the backs ofthose foolish enough to choose atree we've already deemed unfit.All this in the endless ritual ofelimination that we hope will leadto our purchasing the perfect tree.

With the selection processcomplete, a difficult decision con-fronts the dedicated tree hunter. Doyou cart your discovery to the cashand suffer the awkwardness andfrustration of fumbling for yourwallet while fighting off pineneedles? Or do you leave the tree

unguarded to go and pay, knowingfull well every other buyer on thelot covets it.

The conscientious buyer optsfor awkwardness and avoids disap-pointment. After all, where wouldyou ever find another tree like thisone?

Now the adventure begins.You stu ff the tree into the trunk

of your car snapping branches andspraying needles at an incrediblerate, while promising yourself forthe umpteenth time you're going tobuy a truck.

Safely tucked away, the treelooks pretty good, even though thetrunk won't close and you're 10miles from home "Never mind,"you tell yourself, "the kids aregonna love it."

Safely home, the tree looks alittle barer than you remember butnone the worse for wear, Pulling itout of the car and into the house,your neighbor remarks on the layerof needles lining your trunk and

leading up the walk to your frontdoor.

Recognizing his immense jeal-ousy, you choose to ignore him.After all, he has an artificial tree,poor soul.

That decorative touch

Erect and decorated, the treelooks better than it did on the lot.The kids do love it and the needlesreally weren't much trouble to cleanup. You give yourself full marksfor having the foresight to nab atree three weeks early while thepickings were still good.

Now you can sit back and re-lax, nothing more to do until NewYear's is over and the tree getsdeposited at the curb.

Unfortunately, Christmas isnever that easy for those of us whostill prefer a real tree.

By New Year's Day, a strongsneeze or heavy step is enough tosend dried out needles plummeting

to the carpet in numbers that eclipsethe original fallout a hundredfold.

Subsequent showers of needlesgreet the removal of each ornamentand those that survive the disrob-ing, drop in droves during the longwalk to the door.

It's times like these that everytree hunter needs a friend like EllenHeale.

Environmental co-ordinatorwith Inco, Ellen knows the bestway to avoid a messy post-holidayclean-up is to handle things prop-erly in advance and every step alongthe way.

"When choosing a Christmastree, give it a good shake," she said."The amount of needle drop willindicate freshness." This is not agood test to conduct for the firsttime on New Year's Day.

"When you are ready to bringthe tree into the house, it is veryimportant to re-cut the base of thestem. An angled cut will allowmaximum water uptake. Place the

tree in a plastic pail or other suit-able large container filled with freshwater.

"Glycerin, bleach, aspirin andsugar have all been suggested asadditives to the water and commer-cial Christmas tree preservativesare also available," said Ellen. "Themost important fact is to providethe tree with lots of fresh waterevery day."

Unfortunately for many of thetree hunting fraternity, advice suchas Ellen's too oftei goes unheeded.

With the vacuum in the repairshop having needles removed,many of us spend the New Yearstaring forlornly out the window ata stick on the snowbank thatvaguely resembles a tree we onceowned.

Is it any wonder that NewYear's resolutions are lost amidstthe chorus of cries sent up by frus-trated tree hunters everywhere?

"Next year," they vow, "we'llbuy an artificial one."

4 December 1990

A Croteau Christmas lasts all yearCindy Croteau gives a broad grin as son Darryl climbs on

her lap. The eight-year-old smiles back, shifts a bit, thensnuggles a head, almost hairless from cancer treatments,against his mother's cheek. He's a lot better this Christmasthan last year," she said, abut even now I realize that thismight be the last year we're together as a whole family. I don'ttake anything for granted anymore."

If there's to be a good Christmas anywhere, it'll be at theCroteaus.

The Croteau family has been cele-brating the Christmas spirit everyday for some time now.

Darryl has been getting strongerand stronger. The color is startingto return to his face and just re-cently he's had a port-a-cath (acentral venus line) permanentlyremoved.

"That's a major step for him,"said Cindy. "All the signs are posi-tive. Things are a lot better now.Things almost seem normalwait a minute, put 'normal' inquotation marks."

Cindy was a nurse at Inco'sOccupational Medicine Depart-ment until earlier this year whenshe decided to leave to spend moretime with Darryl and daughtersAngela, 6, and Katie, 4.

She liked her work, and underdifferent circumsthnces would havestayed at the full-time nursing job."But some things are more impor-tant and your kids are one of them."

Today, Cindy works as a reha-bilitation case worker out of herLively home. "It gives me moretime with the kids. Flexible hours.

You can take time off when youhave to."

The lives of Cindy, husbandDon and daughters are almost rou-tine these days, at least in compari-son with the way it was after Dar-ryl was diagnosed as having cancerjust over a year ago.

There was almost continualchemotherapy, radiation treat-ments, medicines, pills andneedles.There was a three-month stint inthe Hospital for Sick Children inToronto. Cindy stayed in Toronto,while Don travelled to Toronto onweekends, sometimes bringingDarryl's sisters.

Once out of the hospital, Darrylwas brought home but had to betaken back to Toronto regularly fortreatment and examinations.

For Don, it was even worse thisyear. His brother was killed in asnowmobile mishap. "This year issomething you wouldn't want toexperience again," he said.

But the year also had its highs.Darryl took his dream trip toDisneyworld this year that wasfinanced through donations by

friends in the community and fel-low workers at Inco.

"He just loved it," said Cindy."The support from everybody hasbeen just wonderful. It helps toknow people care."

There's much to smile aboutthese days, however. Darryl isgetting more confident. "He nevercomplained about all the needlesand treatments before," said Cindy."But now that he'shome and feel-ing better, he seems be a littleapprehensive about it. He seeshimself as being okay."

The testing and examinationswill never be over, she said, evenafter the five-year remission pe-nod doctors consider a cure.

Darryl rarely complains. "It'shard to tell what he's thinking,"said Cindy. "He certainly doesn'ttake advantage of the extra atten-tion he has to get. The girls havebeen bumped around a lot throughall this, but they haven't com-plained, either. In fact I feel thekids are much closer than before."

It'll be the second Christmassince the diagnosis andthere's littledoubt in the family that it'll be oneto remember. "Last year he was letout of the hospital for a few hoursfor Christmas. Don brought theChristmas tree to the rented apart-ment and that's how we celebratedChristmas. Darryl was so weakthat he had to rest after openingeach gift."

Describing herself as having an"up disposition" to begin with, shenevertheless admits there were

down times. "it was hard some-times, keeping yourself up. Butyou have to. Letting it get youdownisnot good for me and it's notgood for DarryL

"Am I stronger today? I don'tknow. Sometimes I feel strong andsometimes I don't. But as a fam-

ily? Yes, we're much stronger."We'll cherish every moment

of Christmas this year, but then,we've been doing that all year. It'stragic that so many people don't dothat until they face what we've hadto face."

New bonus plan: Santa's on the payrollE mployees in Salary Administra-tion have a special Claus in theircontract that allows them to ask theboss for anything they want once ayear.

In most cases, however, theysend their children to do the asking

for them.Frank Grieve, supervisor of

Salary Administration, has beenplayed Santa Claus at the GeneralOffice Children's Christmas Partyfor nine years. It's a role he inher-ited from former co-worker Larry

Peyton, who carried the mantle ofSanta Claus until his retirement in1982.

It's a long commute from theNorth Pole to Copper Cliff, butFrank's merry alterego makes thetrip willingly at least once a year.

"It's exhausting," he said. "Butit's a lot of fun as well and it helpsmake the holiday season a littlemore enjoyable."

In his role as Santa Claus, Frankhas been subjected to some of themost intense scrutiny and ques-tioning imaginable. He's also cometo realize that not all youngsters arecomfortable with the jolly old elffrom the North.

"You get varying reactions,"he said. "All of the small childrenbelieve in Santa Claus but some ofthe very young ones are a little bitshy. They prefer to stay at arm'slength in the safe embrace ofmommy or daddy."

Children are an inquisitive lotand Frank's comings and goingshave been questioned more thanonce, forcing him to tiptoe his wayaround potentially sticky situations.

One youngster asked the be-spectacled Frank why he wasn'twearing his glasses when he sawhim earlier at the mall. Anotherchild wanted to know where thereindeer were parked.

In the latter case, Frank casu-ally told the youngster his reindeerwere on the roof. When the young-ster left the party, she was dis-mayed to find the roof was empty.

Either Santa was lying or he wasstranded.

"I learned a lesson from thatone," laughed Frank. "Now whensomeone asks me where my rein-deer are I indicate a spot I knowthey won't be able to search."

Last year, Frank was on thespot again when Santa broke a littlegirl's heart by failing to draw hername for a dofl being given awayas a door prize "When she realizedshe hadn't won the doll she burstinto tears," he said. "When shecame up to sit on Santa's knee latershe was still mad, so Santa doesn'tdraw for door prizes anymore."

Still, Frank's greatest fear isthat which haunts everyone whohas ever drawli on the black bootsand red suit of Santa Claus - thefear of being exposed.

"When I ptt on my Santa suit Ishove a pillow in there and hope itdoesn't fall out. One of my biggestfears is that someone will get holdof my beard and pull it off."

Luckily, Frank has been able tosuccessfully separate his Inco iden-tity from that of Saint Nick. In theprocess, he's learned a lot aboutlistening, children and what's a hotitem on the average child's wishlist.

"It's a pretty simple process,"he said. "I ak them what theywould like for: Christmas and theytell me what they want. But some-times they forget themselves.

"I had one boy who stood be-side his younger brother and re-

peated his wish list for him. Everytime the younger boy spoke hisbrother asked me 'Didya hearthat?Did ya hear that?' and then heproceeded to tell me what hisbrother wanted."

When there are no older broth-ers to translate for Frank, he isoften left to his own resources infiguring out what the shy young-ster with the low voice might beasking for.

"On one occasion the child wasspeaking so low! couldn't hear herso I just nodded my head yes," hesaid. "A few days later the motheiasked me why I'd promised herdaughter a pair of sharp, pointedscissors."

Being a single man, Frank findsit easy to get out of touch withwhat's hot and what's not for chil-dren so he has to listen close whena child asks for Nintendo or Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In past years, he has put on theblades and allowed the children toskate with Santa, before putting achair in the middle of the ice andlistening to their requests.

He has also taken his SantaClaus act to the Computer ServicesDepartment where he used to workand to the General Office Christ-mas Dance accompanied by elvesTim Egan, Rena Armstrong andLiz Salhani.

"You can get away with thingsyou normally wouldn't," helaughed. "You can always say Santadid it, not me."

Cindy Croteau and son Darryl: Planning the best Christmas.

The Triangle 5

The evergreen litmus test

Central Process Tech puts eye to the needle1For those ofus who are romantics,traditionalists or just plain stub-born and don't want to put the giftsunder a K-mart Broomstick-and-Bowl Brush plastic Christmas tree,it can be a Yuletide crap shoot.

Buying a Christmas tree - thereal thing.

You pay for an evergreen, thenleave most of it a green carpet in thetrunk. More evergreen leaves a trailfrom the trunk to the front door andthe few surviving needles showerthe living room as the tree squeezesthrough the door.

And then there's sizing.Looks about right, you say at

the lot, but once home the onlysolution is making three separatetrees or cutting a hole in the ceiling.

And then there's the crook whobinds his trees with string for easiertransport. You undo the string athome and the weirdest vegetationyou ever saw springs to life. Kindof a coniferous Elephant Man. Nomatter how you turn it, there's morehole than tree.

Enter the people at CentralProcess Technology, millions ofdollars in laboratory equipment anda keen eye for needling the ail-ments of Christmas trees.

'Actually, we do all kinds ofvegetation analysi, including ev-ergreens," said Analytic Servicessection leader Dave Maskery. "Weget them from the AgricultureDepartment and we analyse themfor such things as heavy metalscontent. We tell the Agriculturepeople the content and they lookfor the effects."

He said the on-going periodiccheck has found little heavy metalcontent. "It's a precautionarything," he said, "so we can catchany adverse effects before they cancreate a problem."

Vegetation can be affected via

airborne agents or through the soil.For the chemists at Central

Process Technology, the job ofanalyzing a tree is more detailedthan the Christmas tree shopperwho runs his hands over the needlesand checks for overall appearance.

Dave admits that barring a labfull of equipment, there's not muchthe average shopper can do to see ifhe gets his money's worth. "Checkif it's green and not yellow orbrown,"

It's more detailed than that atthe Inco laboratory. "We dry theneedles, grind them and then dis-solve them in acid. Then the solu-tion is analyzed and the resultsrecorded. There's no microscopework involved."

There's even pine needle stan-dard reference material, certifiedfor many trace elements by theNational Institute for Standards andTechnology.

"It gives us a standard to meas-ure samples by," said Dave, as heplaced a small bottle containing alight brown powder on the desk.The bottle is marked "PineNeedles."

The tabora.ory also examinesdrilled cores removed from treesthat provide a general, overall his-tory.

It takes one or two people to dothe testing, perhaps providing justa little extra Christmas spirit.

"Who knows," said Dave."Maybe the tree we're testing thatday may be somebody's Christmastree in the future.

"In a way you could say we'reSanta's helpers," quipped SeniorAnalyst John Lemon. "Use yourimagination.

"It's interesting work. It'sinvestigative work, like a detec-tive. You never know what kind ofresults you will uncover."

Port photographerInco Christmas greS haring, giving and gettingtogether is what Christmas is allabout.

This year, people from twodistant and distinct Incooperations worked togetherto produce and deliver amessage of holiday cheer tocompany contacts. Now,they're just a little bit closerin spirit.

Inco's Public Affairsoffice in Toronto didn't haveto look far for an appropriateChristmas card to send to

1990 Christmas cards.The 1,500 cards were printed

on recycled material, of course

relations) and I wereparticularly taken with thered sun superimposed overthe pine tree. We thought itwould make a good publicrelations motif,"

Other Inco employeesfeel the same way.

"Two of our executivevice-presidents are usingthem and tapping oursupply," Purcell chuckled.

Peizer took the pictureswhile on assignment toInco's Thompson,Manitoba operations in1981-82 . This particularpicture, "Lonely Pine",won an honorable mentionaward in 1988 at aninternational slide showcompetition.

A credit for the PortColborne photographerappears on the inside ofthe card.

people on their extensivemailing list this year.

They had the help ofanother Inco employee.

After seeing some ofAdolph Pelzer's stunningphotography in the Triangleearlierthis year, manager ofcorporate public relationsBob Purcell asked the PortColborne Refineryemployee for permission touse one of his winter shotson the front cover of thisparticularlncodepartment's

inspiresetinis

"The (March, 1990) Trianglearticle inspired us to do somethingwith the picture," Purcell said.

"Dave Allen (head of public

Dave Maskery hams it up with a Christmas tree. The examination revealed its plastic.

John Lemon examines liquid pine needle sample.

6 December 1990

Merry Ct(A slightly rewritten 0

By Co'Twas the night before Christmas, when down in the shaftA trio of miners were plying their craft:Their work socks were hung in the lunch room with care.In hopes that St. Nickel-lust soon would be there.

With most of their co-workers tucked into bed,Awaiting arrival of Santa in red,The threesOme of Kensington, Konrad and Kirk.Had just settled down for a long night of work:

When out by the cage there arose such a clatter,They sprang from their seats to see what was the matter:Away down the drift with astonishing speed.They rounded the corner with Kirk in the lead.

The dull glow of light on the overhead rockDid liUle to mask their confusion and shock:For what to their widening eyes should appear.But a spritely old elf with a cage full of deer.

He spoke to his charges and sounded so cross,They thought for a moment he might be the boss.But his eyes flashed a smile as he tried to be sternAnd he swore to himself, "Won't these animals leamT'

"Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and VixenYou're stepping on Cupid and Comet and Blitzen!Get off the damn cage and stop making a fussOr I'll fire you all and start taking the bus."

As dry, barren tailings ground riddled with strife,With revegetation will spring back to life,So the reindeer recovered their underground nerveAnd filed off the cage showing style and verve.

Process Technology superintendent of technical services Sam Stupavsky carries son Davidwhile internal Audit auditor Glen Lyle serves as a mount for son Steven as the youngsters battlefor the balloons at the General Office Christmas Party.

Rumor has it that Sudbury's Santa Claus Parade special guest(ab'

Rehabilitation nurse Donna McNamara's youngsters, Ian and Katie, show some heavy,tongue-tied concentration during artwork at the Generai Office Christmas Party.

What's a Sudbury Christmas Parade without Nick Nickel?

Jasmine, daughter of GeneralOffice's Victor Theriauit,shows her enthusiasm.

Everybody got in line for the Frood-Stobie-Garson Complex skating party at the Sudbury Arena.

.ristmas!e to Inco's finest)fcPhee

And then in a twinkling they started to walk,Away down the drift on a highway of rock,With St. Nicholas leading the tightly knit bunchThey arrived in the room where the miners have lunch.

From his cap to his socks he was dressed all in red,And a visitor's hardhat sat snug on his head.He opened the sack that lay close by his feetAnd he looked like a miner preparing to eat.

His eyes how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!His cheeks they were hidden his face was so hairy.His di oil little mouth poked a hole in his beard,And the men found his outfit a little too weird.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his hand,Till Kensington told him that smoking was banned.He said in his years hopping rooftops and towers,He'd never encountered a chimney like ours.

A chubby old soul, he sat down at the bench,And surveyed the room for the source of the stench.When he noticed the work socks stood up by themselves,He wished he'd enlisted the help of his elves.

Alas, he said naught, as he silently rose,And filled all the stockings while holding his nose.Then turning to face his assortment of deer,Said, "Turn on your lamps boys, cause Rudolph's not heie."

In a flash they were gone down the tunnel of black,But the miner s heard Santa's voice echoing back,"In each of your socks men I've left you a gift,Just remember that Christmas starts after your shift."

The Trianqle 7

Andrea and Derek Solski, children of PT Inco clerk/stenographer Helen Solski and South Mineelectrician Brian Solski, feel at home on Santa's knee at the General Office party.

goes under the alias of LIttle Stobie surveyor Marcel Legault.

Jessi Millan, daughter of Copper Refinery accountant shipper Shirley Millan performs.

Ontario Division President Bill Clement shares a joke with old family friend, urray uennisof Sudbury at the President's annual Christmas party.

Amber Guenette, grandaughter of Frood-Stobe-Garson Complex warehouseman Bill Drury finds aneasier way to skate at the complex skating party.

8 December 1990

"To plant in a tray"By Ellen L. Heale, P.Ag.

Bonsai is an art form, using living material. It originated in Chinaand was adopted by the Japanese during the 11th or 12th Century. Aiinishcd' bonsai creates an image, evokes a spirit of nature. It is not aminiature of a full-sized tree although training does create mawrecharacteristics. What a bonsai suggests, what it seems to be is moreimportant than what the plant is or how old it is.

To produce the desired effect, control and training of the tree isrequired throughout its life. An appreciation for the environmentalforces that shape its growth and development is also needed. As a treematures its trunk thickens and tapers towards the top, lower branchesdroop down and roots increase in size as surrounding soil erodes.

The art form has precise standards. Basic is the triangle form - thelowest point symbolizes earth, the midpoint man and the highest pointheaven - to create an asymmetrical triangle. A blending of the elementscreates an overall balance (not symmetry). Bonsai has a front and aback side. The front line of the trunk should be visible nearly to the topof the tree.

There are 29 different styles or categories of bonsai that arerecognized. The first is by size. Measuring from the base of the trunkto the top of the tree, large bonsai are 66 to 100 cm, medium - the mostpopular in Japan are 30 to 66 cm, small 18 to 30 cm - the commonestIn North America, and 'mame bonsai'.less than 18cm tall and the mostdifficult to maintain. Six basic styles of bonsai are form& and informalupright, cascade and semi-cascade, windswept and leaning or slanting.Further categories are trees with one trunk, two or multiple trunks, forexample with dogwood, mugho pine and Japanese holly, a clump oftrees from one or separate roots using Chinese elm, European whitebirch, fir or oak, those with twisted trunks, windswept trees, clingingto or growing over rocks or octopus-style trees. Cascade speciesinclude azalea, fig and ivy. Colors of foliage, flowers or fruit, unusualor attractive bark and leaf size provide additional categories.

Woody or semi-woody plants

The best plants to choose branch well and have small leaves,flowers or fruit. Traditional favorites include ezo spruce, Japaneseblack pine, mugho pine, Sargent's juniper, 1-linoki false cypress,flowering cherry, Kurume azalea, Japanese or Chinese wisteria,maidenhair tree, Japanese and trident maples and the sawleaf zelkova.Species recommended for beginners include cotoneaster, dwarfhemlock, juniper and pyracantha. Some trees do not adapt well tobonsai due to their growth habit, extra large leaves, fruit or flowers,such as American mountain ash, willow, eucalyptus or magnolia.

Not a houseplant

A bonsai is not a houseplant. As a tree it requires a seasonal growthcycle, water, light and good air circulation, However, extremes shouldbe avoided. If you wish to cultivate a bonsai choose a species hardy inyour area. For display, a bonsai may be brought indoors for a day or twobut no more. They do not tolerate the heat and dryness in a house andwhen placed outdoors again the change must occur gradually, over acouple of days. Most species require a dormant period. In winter do not

keep them in a greenhouse. Instead construct an insulated coldframe forprotection.

Bonsai may be obtained in a variety of ways. There are pros and consfor each. Propagating may be done by seed or from cuttings, grafting.layeringordivision. Training must begin as soon as rcots are established.Plants may be collected from the wild. However, tiey do not usuallytransplant well and training may be delayed for up to two years untilplants are well established. Another potential source is nursery stock.

Whether creating your own or purchasing an established bonsai lookfor the following characteristics. The tree trunk gives the bonsaicharacter. It should be tapered with one or two gentle curves (nevercurving towards the front), Aged, weather-beaten characteristics areprized. There should he relatively few branches carefully directed andspaced (that do not cross over or rub). As a guide-line, the height of thetree should be six times the width of the trunk's base.

The foliage should compliment the trunk and branches, not hidingthe structure. Flowers and fruit should be alloved to develop inproportion to the tree. The appearance of the roots is also important. Youshould be able to see the crown - where the roots join the trunk (slightlymounded) with fanning out of the surface roots from the base of thetrunk and sloped down slightly. The base of the trunk should be off-centre, except in the formal, upright style.

Your bonsai will be in its container for life and will not be repottedas a larger specimen as it grows. The container, glazed or unglazedshould harmonize. It must have drainage holes. Traditionally bonsaicontainers have feet to elevate them slightly and color depends on thetree species. The depth of the pot equals the width of the trunk at the base,its length two-thirds the height of the tree or the height of the tallest trunkif the bonsai has multiple stems. For cascade bonsai the container shouldbe several inches deeper to maintain a sense of balance. Soil for thebonsai must approximate the trees' natural environment and supportshallow root growth. Different sieves will be required to sift dry loam,clay, sand and humus, The exact mixture will depend on the individualplant. Ordinary potting soil is nt suitable. Coarse granules are placedin the bottom of the container witji the tree held in the desired position.This is followed by soil worked in and around roots and the finest soilused as a lop-dressing. The tree may need to be initially secured withwire. Moss or stones on the surface of the soil should look natural andestahhshed.

Maintenance

Bonsai require regular. seasonal care. This includes watering,fertilizing (one-quarter strength liquid plant food four or five timesduring the growing season), weeding and checking for insect pests.Critical to a bonsai's training and maintenance is pruning and rootpruning of established bonsai. Pruning is important for size andcontrollingnew growth. There should be no signs of human intervention ie. visiblepruning scars. Proper pruning techniques must be used. Wiring isanother training technique. It should be done at specific times and lefton for 3 to4 months or up to a year depending on the species. Tender barkmust be protected and branches must be shaped in tt.eir new positionsgradually. Training or shaping is also done by tying, bracing, wedging.weighting, leaf stripping and trunk thickening. Root pruning and soilreplacement are necessary every year for flowering and fruiting trees,2 to 3 years for deciduous species and every 3 to 5 years for evergreens.

Additional information on the art of bonsai is avtilable from yourlocal horticultural or bonsai society and library books such as theReader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening in Canada, a Sunsetpublication - Bonsai, Illustrated Guide to an Ancient Art and The RoyalHorticultural Society Wisley Handbook on Bonsai.

Do not be intimidated by the ancient traditions and rituals or themystique surrounding bonsai. An enthusiastic amateur will be rewardedwith the creation of living art.

Inco's help in greening Region laudedOn behalf of Regional Council

I would like to take This opportu-nity to express our appreciation foryou generous support toward theRegion's Land Reclamation Proj-ect.

As you know, the success ofthis program has resulted in the

Region receiving several awardsfor outstanding environmentalachievements. The most recentwas presented to us, on Oct. 24,1990, in Toronto by the Lieuten-ant-Governor, the Honorable Lin-coln Alexander. A copy of myaddress on this occasion is enclosed

for your perusal.It is only through the collabora-

tive efforts of so many of thoseinvolved in this important projectthat this program has been so suc-cessful. Its recognition as an inter-national case study brings greatpride to all who have participated.

Inco Cupset to start

The Inco Cup ski racing corn-petition, the longest running cor-porate sponsored sporting event inNorth America, begins its 19th yearwith three days of racing at Mt.Antoine, Mattawa on January 10through 12.

The second series of races willbe on February 2 and 3 at theKimiscotia Ski Club in Timminsand the third series will be Febru-ary 21 through 23 at theSearchrnount Ski Resort, Sault Ste.Marie.

The final days of racing will beright here in Sudbury, at the AdanacSki Hill on the first two days ofMarch.

Company setsvacation break

Inco Limited has announcednormal summer vacationshutdowns for its Canadianoperations in 1991.

In the Company's OntarioDivision, the smelting and refiningplants at Sudbury will start a five-week vacation shutdown July 1.The mining and milling operationswill begin a four-week vacationshutdown July 8. Inco's PortColborne Refinery will close forfive weeks beginning July 8.

The Ontario Division employsapproximately 8 ,400 people.

At Thompson, the summervacation shutdown for theCompany's Manitoba Division -announced earlier - is scheduledfrom July iS until August ii. Thiswill include all mining and 4processing operations.

Approximately 2,000 peoplework in Inco's Manitoba Division.

No vacation shutdown isplanned for P . T . InternationalNickel Indonesia, where Inco's1,800 employees will holidayaccording to their individualschedules

Inco supportappreciated

On behalf of the Board of Di-rectors, staff and Foster Parents ofthe Sudbury & Manitoulin Chil-dren's Aid Society, I would like toextend our sincere gratitude for yourrecent contribution. Your dona-tion was used directly towards theFoster Parents Recognition Ban-quet held on Oct. 26. This eventwas a tremendous success and thegifts which Foster Parents won werewarmly received.

Your establishment has signifi-cantly acknowledged the contribu-tion of the Foster Parents of ourcommunity. Once again, pleaseaccept our appreciation for yourgenerosity.

Yours in fostering,

Jacques MartelManaging DirectorSudbury and ManitoulinChildrens Aid Society I

Editor's Note: Inco donatedfour coffee table books as prizesfor the banquet.

The continued support of IncoLimited in this environmentalachievement is greatly appreciated.

Yours very trulyT.M. Davies,Chairman,Region of Sudbury

The Triangle 9

Gunn's guide to good Christmas eats

The Weight-Watching Is Not For Christmas Guidecocktails Salad

CHRISTMAS FRUIT PUNCH

4 c. cranberry cocktail4 c. pineapple juice12 oz. can frozen orange juice12 oz. can frozen lemonade10 oz. pkg. frozen raspberries (unsweetened)10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries (unsweetened)2 large lunes, sliced finely2 qts. ginger-aleice cubes

Combine all of the ingredients except the ginger-ale and ice in the punch bowl andrefrigerate until serving time. Add ginger-ale and ice prior to serving and stiruntil ice-cubes are partially melted. This makes 8 qts. The recipe can easily ' ,be halved and either raspberries or strawberries used alone.

ppetizerPARMESAN AND WALNUT BRUSHETTA

Makes 24

3 oz. parmesan cheese, about 3/4 cup grated1/2 cup chopped walnutsSalt3/4 cup olive oil1/2 loaf narrow French bread (about 2-1/2" diameter)

Heat broiler. Grate cheese. Combine 1/2 cup of the cheese, 1/4 cup of thewalnuts and 1/4 tsp, salt in a food processor. Whir until finely chopped. Add1/4 cup of the oil aiid whir until fairly smooth. Cut bread on the diagonal into1/2" slices. Brush both sides with remaining 1/2 cup oil. Toast bread underthe broiler, about 30 seconds per side. Spread I side of each slice withwalnut and cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of thecheese. Press remaining 1/4 cup walnuts on the top. Broil until the cheesebegins to melt, about 30 seconds.

Main CourseROAST TURKEY

with Italian-sausage, stuffing and pan-roasted sweet and red potatoes

10 servingsWe used

12- to 14-lb. turkey Tom Gunn of

8 cups Italian-sausage stuffing Inco's Safety

Salt and pepper Department in

1 Ths. oil this picture

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, about 6 because he was

1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes, about 10 the closest in

2 Ths. chopped fresh dill, optional geuirl shape

3 Ths. flour to Santa Claus

3-112 cups Turkey Broth

Fill turkey neck and body cavity with cool stuffing Pull neck skin over stuffing and twistback wings to hold in place. Tie turkey legs together or truss if you like. Rub turkey with oiland sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put turkey in a roasting pan. Tent loosely with foil and roast.Cut red potatoes into chunks. After turkey has cooked 1-1/2 hours, add potatoes to roastingpan and toss them with pan juices. Peel sweetpotatoes,cutintochunks andtossin after an additional half- ' hour cooking. Sprinkle potatoes with1 tsp. salt. Continue roasting, basting

occasionally, untilpotatoes are tender

and a meatthermometer

thethighregisters l80°,about3-l/2hours

• in all. Uncover for the last half-hour. Remove potatoes and tosswith dill. Keep potatoes warm.'ransfer turkey to a carvinguard. Skim fat from pan juices.)issolve flour in 1/2 cup of the

broth. Stir into pan juices andadd remaining broth. Bring to aboil, stirring, scraping up anybrowned bits from bottom of

- pan. Boil 1 minute or until- thickened. Taste for seasoning

and add salt and pepper as needed.- Carve turkey and serve with gravy

and roasted potatoes.

MIXED GREEN SALAD

Preparation time: 15 minutesMakes: 10 servings

2 large heads romaine1 bunch watercress1 English cucumber

2 green onions, thinly sliced, or 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives1/2 cup peanut or sunflower oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar2 to 3 tsp Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, crushedGenerous pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper1. Rinse and dry

romaine andwatercress.Breakintobite-sizepieces Iand placein a largebowl.

9 S 1 i c

CHRISTMAS TRIFLE

12 servings

2 lbs. cornstarch2-1/2 cups sugar1/8 tsp. salt

5 egg yolks3-1/2 cups milk

5 tsp. vanilla1/4 lb. butter

6 eggs1-1/4 cups flour1 pint fresh or lO-oz. pkg.

frozen raspberries5 kiwis5 lbs. rum2 cups heavy cream

Combine cornstarch, 1-1/4 cups of the sugar and the salt in asaucepan. Beat in egg yolks. Slowly stir in milk. Cook over low heat,stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, about 10 minutes.Pour through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in 2 tsp, of the vanilla. Press plasticwrap directly onto the surface of this pastry cream to prevent theformation of a skin. Refrigerate. Heat oven to 3750, Butter and flour a 12"by 17"jellyroll pan. Melt butter and let cool. Beat eggs and 1 cup of thesugar until mixture has approximately tripled in volume, 8 to 10 minutes.Beat in 2 tsp. of the vanilla and about half the flour. Pour in the butterand add remaining flour. Bake until golden and a toothpick stuck in thecenter comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool on a rack. Peel 3 of thekiwis and chop. Cut cake into 2 rounds to fit into a 4-qt. glass servingbowl. Reserve scraps. Put a cake round in bowl and sprinkle with 1 lbs.of the rum. Add 1/3 cup of the raspberries, 1/3 of the chopped kiwis and1/3 of the pastry cream. Top with cake scraps, sprinkle with 2 lbs. ofthe rum and repeat layering. Top with remaining cake round and

sprinkle with remaining 2 Ths. rum and repeatlayering. Chill. Peel remaining

2kiwisandslice. ______________________________ Whiph e a v vcream

with remaining 1/4 cup of thesugar and remaining tsp. vanilla. Spread mixtureover top of trifle. Top with remaining 1/2 pintraspberries, if using fresh, and sliced kiwis.

, cucumber into 1/4- __________________inch-thick rounds. Then -cut rounds into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Add to bowl along

with green onions or chives.2. Make dressing by whisking remaining ingredients

together in a small bowl. Toss with salad just before serving.

10 December 1990

Inco bookletwins majorawardsContinued from Page /

The December Letterby Marty McAltister

It would really be stretching it to call this a Christmas story. hut theYuletide spirit may well have had something to do with the outcome.

In 1.14. world production of nickel was about $70 million pounds.Fully half of that came from international Nickel - from its Sudhurymines and its refinery at Constable Hook'(Bayonne), New Jersey. Thathad been the arrangement when the big new company was put togetherin 1902, and Inco had seen no good reason to change. They were too busypumping money intonew mining and smelting facilities amund Sudhury.Others, however, were not as content with the refining status quo.

OnIs in Canada

Truly. the debate over refining nickel in Canada had been brewingsince the first successful smelting began at Copper Cliff in 1889. As wecan read in the report of the Royal Ontario Nickel Commission (1917)."This agitation has at times been very active and at times less so, hut hasalways been alive."

The outbreak of The Second World War raised the issue to aprominence that wouldn't be denied, Emotions ran high. With the UnitedStates insistence upon remaining neutral in the conflict. Canadian publicopinion cried out for control of refining on Allied soil. The desire was tosee a refinery in Ontatria or somewhere in Canada or. as a finalchoice, at least somewhere in the British Empire.

While the public outcry continued, and while the new RoyalCommission was getting itself organized during the final quarter of1915. private steps were quietly being taken to resolve the matter.

Dear Santa

Sudhur'v 's own Frank Cochrane was then a member of the federalcabinet. 'Silent Frank' knew mining people and he knew the miningindustry. He'd even made a speculative dollar or two. Anyway. thatDecember he was asked to draft a very special letter - to AmbroseMonell. President of International Nickel, It was sort of a "Dear Santa.please bring me a nickel refinery" type of letter. Sir Robert Bordenadjusted the wording a hit, signed the letter, and dispatched it onDecember 29. (PMs weren't as big on deadlines then as they arenowadays.)

In the offices at 43 Exchange Place in New York. the letter wasn'texactly received with a "Ho! Ho! 1-b!." hut Monell replied to theCanadian Prime Minister in only nine days: "We will grant your requestand erect in the Dominion of Canada. at such point as seems in ourjudgemcnt to he the most economical for operation, a plant for therefining of nickel."

Six months later. The International Nickel Company of Canada.Limited was created as a subsidiary that would control all Canadianoperations, including the new refinery.

A well-kept secret

I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you that the whole thinghad been well in hand for two years. Rumors and news reports to thecontrary. International Nickel had been opening its New York books to

Canadian government officials every month since the declaration of war- with results being communicated directly to the Prime Minister andto the British War Office in London.

Why didn't they tell and take some of the heat off? Because, as longas the U.S. remained neutral, what they were doing was a bit of a no-no.So, they were caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place -guided, in the final analysis. only by what they believed to be right.

But what about the German submarine Deutschland, reported in Mayof 1916 to be heading out of Baltimore with a load of nickel -or was itgold? - or condensed milk? Think about it. How much of anything couldone 'merchant' submarine carry'?

In truth, the Deutschland episode was a tempest in a teapot. hutfeelings were high and the Canadian public needed little to fuel itstemper. As far as they were concerned the "hated nickel trust" was at itagain.

The vulnerable port

Finally, ending months of speculation, the company announcedpublicly on August 2, 1916 that it would immediately commenceconstruction of its new refinery at Port Colborne, Ontario. So. with theannouncement made, everyone lived happily ever after, right'?

Not quite.As a matterof fact, some folks were downright upset about the choice

of location. In September of 1916. the 'Nickel Commission' was hearingsubmissions at Cobalt, Ontario. One of the speakers was Lieutenant-Colonel R.W. Leonard, of St. Catharines: "I am very strongly opposedto locating such an industry, which is so essential torn initions work, soclose to the international boundary as Port Colborne."

That same month, the same Leonard wrote in the Canadian MiningInstitute Bulletin: "Port Colborne is on the shore of Lak Erie at the southend of the Welland Canal, it is within long range gun lire olUnited Statesterritory and especially vulnerable from Lake Erie. and of course equallyvulnerable to bombs dropped from dirigibles. aeroplanes orhydroplanes.and most accessible to raiders over the border.

Boy. they sure didn't get over the War of 1812 in a hurry!

Out with the old in with the new

On September 15, 1918- more than a year after the U.S. had joinedthe Allies and less than two months before war's end the tirst nickelwas produced at Port Colborne in 50-pound ingots. Power was turned onat the electrolytic tanks on August 8. 1922 and the first good sheets werepulled about October 15.

Also by 1922, demolition of the ('lid Bayonne rctiney was pretty wellcomplete. The foundry and research lab continued to peraIe for manyyears.

Christmas of 1918 was memorable for everyone --and even extraspecial for the people of Port Colborne. May they. and all of you, findChristmas of 1990 to be full of Peace and Joy.

Especially Peace.

Assault centre's largest single contribution

from around the country and Can-ada represen,ting more than 200professionals participated."

She said each entry was re-viewed at least three times by sepa-rate preliminary panels of judges.Their scores were then tallied andthe average score determined.Gold, Silver, Bronze and Finalistrankings were not automaticallyawarded in each category since acertain minimum score had to beachieved to win.

Elements that figured in Inco'sthree golds included how effec-tively the material met its goals andhow well it communicated to itsaudience, use of imaginative andoriginal solutions and the overallexpression of the message.

"Dedicated to Excellence wasthe right publication for us in theDivision at the right time," Jerryadded. "We had fantastic co-op-eration at all levels at Inco andwere able to produce a publicationthat was also regarded as success-ful by others in the communica-tions field. That was the icing onthe cake."

Jerry, who wrote and edIted thepublication, credited photographerBob Chambers who is document-ing the progress of the $500 mil-lion Suphur Dioxide AbatementProject for a future Inco film andSudbury advertisting firm, LakehillAdvertising, for their creativecontributions,

"Bob is one of the best featurephotographers in the country whobrought a remarkable empathy tothe project while Dave, who hailsfrom Sudbury and once worked forinco, gave the dramatic, graphicedge to the 6ook," Jerry said.

Inco copped golds for writing,photography and design and wasrecognized for a Grand Award inphotography in head-to-headcompetition with the TennesseeValley Authority which won twogolds in photography.

In presenting the awards.syndicated New York columnistCindy Adams said the awardswere a tribute fromcommunications peers andrecognized the creativity.originality and talent of theindividuals involved and towhom the awards ceremony wasdedicated.

Inco donation signals help to trGubled teensChristmas came early for theSudbury Sexual Assault CrisisCentre this month in the form of a$1,000 donation from Inco.

The money, the largest singledonation in the centre's history,will be used to set up a group coun-selling service in Sudbury for teen-age girls.

"We are overwhelmed at thedonation because we don't getmuch financial help," said exualitssault crisis centre coordinator Lu-ise Nikodem in a Northern Lifearticle earlier this month. "This isthe biggest single donation we've

ever gotten from anybody."The service will help teenage

victims of sexual assault and incestto pick up the pieces and get onwith their lives. Nikodem said theprogram is desperately needed inSudbury because of the growingnumber of teenage girls reportingsuch incidents to the centre.

"The number of teenagers whocome in to talk about date rape andincest is unbelievable," she said.

"Date rape, for one, is wide-spread. Sometimes teenagers don'teven realize they've been rapedbecause they believe all the myths

aboutrape which are so widespread."The money from Inco is quite

a sizable donation. It helps us to getthe group started four orfive monthsearlier than we would otherwisehave been able to. Without themoney we might have had to waituntil May."

Inco had some extra funds in itsdonations budget and was lookingfor an agency to give it to, saidJerry Rogers, manager of PublicAffairs.

"Violence against women is amajor social issue m this countryand this seemed an appropriate

place to put the money and helpout," he said.

The Sudbury Sexual AssaultCrisis Centre receives its fundingfrom the provincial Ministry of theSolicitor General. The centre of-fers a 24-hour crisis line, volun-teers to accompany victims to thepolice station, hospital and court,one-on-one counselling, and anincest support group currently beingreorganized. i

The number of women report-ing cases of sexual assault has risen25 per cent his year, said Nikodem

"Reports of sexual assaults are

going up but I don't think the inci-dence is going up - it's alwaysbeen there. It's just that the Issue ismore publicized now and peopleare more aware of the servicesavailable."

Nikodem said the SudburySexual Assault Crisis Centre fills avoid in the quantity and quality ofservices being offered in the area.

"Family services offered bysome other agencies have a three toeight month waiting period," shesaid. "With us, they can walk inarid sometimes receive counsellingimmediately."

The Triangle 11

Minding thi, store while Inco celebratesAs you cosy up to the suppertable for a meal of Christmas tur-key this year, be sure to raise adrumstick in salute to the dedicatedmen and women on the job.

While Christmas for most of usis a thy of family, feasting andfrolic, there are others in the On-tario Division who will spendDecember 25 ensuring things runsmoothly at their place of work.

At various plants throughoutthe Sudbury area, circumstancenecessitates that someone keep aneye on things while most of theirco-workers are off enjoying theholiday. It's a fact of working lifethat many inco employees havecome to accept as simply beingpart of the job.

"I can't recall when! was off atChristmas," said Sonja Ferlotte, apump operator in the Copper Re-finery Tankhouse. "In 17 years withInco I've worked through quite afew Christmases already."

Sonja will be operating the com-puterized pump controls in the tank-house from 7 am. Christmas morn-ing to 7 p.m. that evening. She'sbeen working 12-hour shifts forfive years now and the extendedday agrees with her.

"I love the 1 2-hour shifts," shesaid. "it's a long day but I'm busyfor the full 12 hours so it goes fast.I love my job, I really do.

"On Christmas Day I'll be look-ing after the plant, doing a routinerun-through and just making sureeverything's operating okay.There'll be three of us working, acirculator, a foreman and myself.

We'll all be keeping an eye onthings."

Married a 'ear-and-a-half ago,Sonja's husbaiid Allan is a mainte-nance mechanic at the CopperRefinery with five days off overChristmas. Between the two ofthem, they have 10 children (fiveeach) - Sonja's oldest is 28 and heryoungest is 19.

Having to :work on a thy nor-mally reserved for family hasn'tdampened her holiday spirit.

"I really don't mind having towork," she said, "I come homeafter my shift and my Christmas isspent in the evening. That's mycustom - I'm a Finlander. MyChristmas is actually over byChristmas Day because we cele-brate the night before.

"When I'm dayshift, Christmasdinner is late. When i'm nightshiftit's early. No matter what shift I'mworking I'll have my Christmas soit really doesnlt bother me."

Dan Canapini admits there areplaces he'd rather be, but workingon Christmas Day isn't all that bad.

"I can't really complain," saidDan, a process foreman in thecontrol room at Clarabelle Mill."I've gota good New Year's sched-ule and you can't really have both.We work 12-hour shifts so it worksout that you either get a good sched-ule for New Year's Day or a goodschedule for Christmas."

A 14-year Inco veteran, Danwill be in the Clarabelle controlroom from 7. Christmas morningto 7. that evening.

"I'm mostly there for fire pa-

trol," he said. "We'll have a fewpumps operating - we'll be pump-ing water through our productpumps, our concentrate line, ourpyrrhotite line and our tailings line- so I've got to keep the flows up inthose and make sure the pumpsdon't kick out.

"Somebody's got to be there. Ifsomething kicks out it could freezethe line."

Having to work Christmas Dayhas forced Dan and his wife to sitdown and figure Out a timetable forChristmas dinner.

"We're working on that now,"he laughed. "It looks like it's goingto be the weekend before Christ-mas. I'm off the Monday before sowe'll probably be at my mother'son Sunday and her mother's onMonday."

Juggling his holiday dinnerplans is something Dan expects toget used to for the next few years.

"I've been lucky," he said. "Fora long time I've had Christmas off.We're on a four-week rotatingschedule and I guess I've hadChristmas off the last five years.

"Now that it's my turn to workI'll probably be working Christ-mas Day for the next four or fiveyears."

Ken Thurlow has worked a lotof Christmas shifts in his 36 yearswith Inco. This year, the veteranplant protection officer will bestationed at the Parker Road gate-house from 6a.m. to 6p.m. Christ-mas Day.

"I think I've worked mostChristmases," he said. "We justfollow our regular schedule, wedon't do anything special for theholidays. I'd prefer to be off, ofcourse, but if I'm booked I've gotto be there."

Experience tells Ken that thingswill likely be very quiet during hisChristmas shift. He'll have tohandle whatever traffic there is atthe gate, but doesn't expect his firstaid skills to be called upon withvirtually no one else around.

"It'll be very quiet," he said.

"They seem to cut things back quite allows him one week off every foura bit at Christmas. I expect most of weeks.the contractors (who normally usethe Parker Road entrance) will clearout of here the Friday before Christ-mas Day."

If working Christmas Day hasaffected Ken's holiday schedule orhis outlook a great deal, he cer-tainly doesn't let on. He said he'sfinally used to the 12-hour shiftsand he knows that his schedule

This year, holiday dinner willbe on Christmas Eve, with his wife,two daughters, a son and theirfamilies.

The next morning, it's off to thegatehouse.

"I've had Christmas Day offbefore," said Ken, "and! know thatwhen it's my time to work! have towork."

Ken Thurlow is manning the gates while his workmates eat turkey. Sonja Ferlotte at home. On Christmas Day, she'll he working.

Dan Canapini will be on the job on Christmas Day but that won't ruin his Christmas.

12 December 1990

Christmas with camelswhile Inco eats turkeyOver in the Power Department,Marilyn Harper has a special reasonto be more than a little apprehensiveabout the coming Christmas.

As the holiday approaches,Marilyn keeps one eye on thecalendar and the other onnewspapers describing theconfrontation in the Persian Gulf.

Her daughter, Mary Catharine,lives and works in Dubai in theUnited Arab Emirates.

Expensive mother/daughterchats have grown a little morefrequent since August, allowingMarilyn tocheerfullyreport: "MaryCatharine says life in Dubai haschanged very little and that theydon't feel much increased tension.She did say, though, that they seemore military activity, more visitors

and more Kuwaiti licenseplates."

Too close for comfort

Right on the Persian Gulf, Dubaiis about 500 air miles from KuwaitCity. "The international airport,"Marilyn says, "is really busy now.(Even normally,49 airlines use it.)Flights that might have gone toIraq or Kuwait now land at Dubai.It's also become kind of a homebase for all kinds of journalists andtelevision crews from all over theworld. From there, they takehelicopters to the war zone."

The May, 1988 NationalGeographic gives a quickcomparison, showing the UnitedArab Emirates as about one-fifth

the size of Iraq with about one-tenth as many people. It has aboutthe same oil reserves, at 100 billionbarrels, which it only beganproducing in 1965 and nearly tentimes the per-capita income.

It will soon be five years sinceMary Catharine began work as arespiratory therapist in the UAEand three years since Marilyn's visitto the small but oil-rich land of 1.8million people.

Home away from home

It would simply be untrue tosay that Marilyn and her daughterand son-in-law Paul areunconrned about the militarybuild-up in Saudi Arabia right nextdoor.

"The Canadian Embassy usedtobe in Kuwait," Marilyn explains,"so it's inaccessible now. Butbecause oaul's English, they'veregistered with the British Embassyand have instructions on what to doit things get nasty."

in their own way,Paul and Mary

Catherine Bayliss are doing whatthey can to make life a little morepleasant for Canadian servicepersonnel in the Gulf. Marilyndescribes how that worked: "Theywere approached by the CanadianEmbassy, from its temporaryquarters she guesses, and wereasked if they would be host tosomeone. They agreed, and arejust waiting now to make contact."

in spite of the perfect weatherat this time of year and the relativecalm in Dubai, the young coupleare thawing their own line in thesand. "They're starting to makeplans to come to Canada, but it's aslow process."

Marilyn tries not to show herexcitement at the prospect of havingMary Catherine home again soon.She seems to work even harderthan usual as if to make time passmore quickly.

Mary Catharine's Christmas will be camels and sand. Just like this picture she sent home.

Kits, information distributed

Employees urged to join Inco in Hydro blitz'While Christmas lights twinkle produced in Ontario. In answer to According to Andy, the major There is also an 11-minute video help residents save

across the city, Inco is entering theNew Year with a firm resolve to cutenergy costs and consumptionwherever possible.

Employees in the Ontario Divi-sion '5 Sudbury operations will soonbe receiving an energy awarenesskit courtesy of Inco, Ontario Hydroand Sudbury Hydro.

Each kit contains about 15 seal-ers for electrical switches and out-lets, a faucet flow restrictor to re-duce hot water use, enough shrink-wrap window film to do one win-dow.

The kits will also contain anumber of brochures outlining ef-fective ways of managing your elec-tricity.

The first of these kits washanded out to Ontario Divisionpresident Bill Clement at a jointInco/Hydro press conference De-cember 17.

The remaining packages willbe distributed to employees at theirregular weekly safety meetings.

"Everyone gets one from thetop dog to the underdog," said AndyLemay, part of a Central Utilitiesteam spearheading the energymanagement program.

"We're hoping that by makinghe employees aware of energy

efficiency at home it might rub offin the workplace," he said.

"There has been concern overthe quantity of hydro able to be

that concern, Ontario Hydro cameout with a master plan for the prov-ince to eliminate energy waste. Iwas asked to look around Inco tosee if there was any way we couldreduce energy consumption. Theanswer was yes and it had to havea corporate directive.

"In February, 1990, Mr. Clem-ent issued a directive to cut theenergy load by five per cent divi-sion-wide this year."

Inco is the largest single cus-tomer of Ontario Hydro, withmonthly bills averaging $6 mil-lion, said Andy. "Our energy loadis one per cent of the load for theentire province."

The Central Utilities team setout to find ways of cutting theenergy consumption level at Inco.Andy's areas of concern includethe employee awareness program,high-efficiency motors, compres-sors and a $4.2 million lightingretrofit.

The latter is scheduled to beginJanuary 1 and is expected to savethe Division more than $1 milliona year. Over a two-year period, allmercury vapor lights will be re-placed by more efficient high- pres-sure sodium lights.

"In a nutshell you could say weare looking at everything at Inco asa possible means of saving energycosts - from light bulbs to em-ployee washrooms."

flaw in past energy campaigns wasthe emphasis on doing without."The thrust of this campaign is tohave everything you've had beforebut to use your energy more effi-ciently and reduce waste."

Andy illustrated his point withan experiment he carried out dur-ing the annual summer shutdown.In a test area of the EngineeringBuilding, he cut existing fluores-cent lighting by 50 per cent and putreflectors behind the light panels.

"We had the same amount oflight in there or more," he said. "Ididn't tell anyone and nobody no-ticed. I was able to get rid of twobulbs and one ballast per fixture."

Ways in which everyone cansave energy at home include pur-chasing energy-efficient lightbulbs,timers for such items as automo-bile block heaters and weatherstrip-ping for areas of draft around win-dows and doors.

"We want to make employeesaware," he said. "The less energywe use witfiout having to do with-out, the less the environmental im-pact of such things as generatingplants and transmission lines."

In addition to the employeeawareness kits, Central Utilititeshas five racks of pamphlets andliterature on reducing energy con-sumption that will be moved aroundfrom plant to plant throughout theyear.

on reducing energy consumptionin the home that is available toforemen who wish to show it totheir employees.

"If anyone has questions on howto make their home more energyefficient, I urge them to call On-tario Hydro or Sudbury Hydro,"said Andy. "They have programs,literature and people who are will-ing to share their knowledge to

rgy."He also encourages Inco em-

ployees to use the Suggestion Planif they have any new ideas theythink the company could use toreduce energy consumption in theworkplace.

"The awareness kits each em-ployee will receive are a start," hesaid. "Everybody will be gettingone because reducing consumptionis everyone's responsibility."

MA! L'POSTEC,n3 Po1 Ci,tTfo / St:èIt c,nad,nn, det 1*31,1

P1,11*9. P* P1,I P*1

81k Nbre2065Sudbury, Ont,

SU1BURY PUBLIC LIbRARY,74i MACKENZIE STREET

UOBURY,QNTARIU.CANADAP3C 4X8

Managr Public Affairs Publications EditorJerty L. Rogers John Gast

Published monthly for employees and pensioners of the Ontario Division ofInco Limited. Produced by the Public Affairs Department. Members of theInternational Associati*u' "' tors.

Letters and con ,. addressed to the editor atInco Limited, F C ) 3 ( 3 3 liff, Ontario POM INO.Phone 705-682

Marilyn Harper reads a letter from her daughter.

Mary Catharine Bayliss