Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 30, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 2 Winnipeg free press thursday april 30, 1981 conjugal visits expected to ease inmates stress by Manfred Jager conjugal visits fur prisoners of five Canadian penitentiaries Are expected to reduce stress and danger for prison ers and correctional staff says John Braithwaite Deputy commissioner of the correctional service of Canada. Braithwaite in Winnipeg yesterday to attend a dinner honouring More than 200 volunteers who assist prisoners fat Stony Mountain Penitentiary said con Jugal visits should be referred to As family visits because they can involve parents siblings and children of prison handouts to be focus of debate government handouts to its Busi Ness allies is expected to be the main focus of debate at the Manitoba division of the Canadian Union of Public employees convention this weekend. The division s executive has pro posed a Resolution calling for an end to the practice of contracting out work traditionally performed by Public employees to private firms. The Resolution says that such practices Only Bene fit businesses financially while causing services to suffer significantly. The Resolution is one of 65 to be debated by an estimated 200 delegates to the three Day convention which begins in Brandon tomorrow. Other resolutions include support for a general strike if wage controls Are re introduced a provincial government takeover of private nursing Homes and harsh penalties for employers whose workplaces Are found to be unsafe and dangerous to workers. Cupe National president Grace Hartman and Secretary treasurer Kea Ley Cummings will address the Conven Tion. The Union has about members in 77 Manitoba locals. The program will begin at Stony Mountain next month. The visits Are designed to provide a Little More Normal visiting situation for both inmates and their families in eases where inmates serve sentences that Rule them out for any kind of leave for at least 10 years and in some cases for 25 Braithwaite said in an interview. Plans for the conjugal visit program began in 1976 after capital punishment was abolished in Canada and Long term imprisonment without parole was introduced for major crimes such As murder. In Stony Mountain a three bedroom trailer unit has been acquired for the family visits. An estimated 60 prisoners of the total prison population of 415 will qualify for 48-hour family visits every three months. Braithwaite said the visits were considered for a number of years and input was sought from both the Public and correctional staff before Feder Al authorities implemented the pro Gram. Not coddling inmates Don t forget that Saskatchewan for example has had this for at least 10 years. Other countries in Europe have had it for Braithwaite said. Also it took a while after 1976 to accumulate the number of people who have to serve Between 10 and 25 years without any Hope of leave whats Oev Braithwaite said the Community should not View the family visits pro Gram As a move toward coddling prisoners of Federal penitentiaries. This opinion has been expressed and it concerns me because the punish ment in sentencing for Long periods is to impose a deprivation of Freedom. Canada is a signatory to a United nations convention which says that the citizen who is convicted of a crime and becomes an inmate of an institution does t lose his rights except those taken away by legislation or by reason of his incarceration. We still have to safeguard his Basic rights As a William Jacob Johnson Blind since youth still works As a piano tuner at the age of 88. He has lived in Manitoba for 71 years. Eyesight gone but not forgotten Winnipeg piano tuner 88, feels life has been Rich in spite of his blindness by Manfred Jager William Jacob Johnson can remember the Joy of looking at a Lush Green Lawn although he has t seen grass or anything else for 79 years. The fact that a Friend of mine threw a Stone one summer Day on the Banks of the River Tyne near Necas England and blinded him has t diminished the Richness of life for the Winnipeg piano tuner who still works at age 88. He has never seen his wife Winifred whom he married july 11, the hottest Day in Manitoba history we had 112 degrees that Day his daughters Shirley and Elizabeth now living in Barrie out., and Vancouver b.c., respectively or his two teen aged grandchildren. He s never even seen his adopted country of Canada to which his parents brought him eight years after the 1902 Accident. Yes eyesight is a John son said yesterday. But you see if someone tells me this Lawn is beautifully Green or those roses Are deep red i can see that. I see it in my mind s Eye. I remember. It s a great advantage to have had sight before blindness. It s Only certain off colors they have today that i can t the Eye Johnson s Friend injured that summer Day should have been removed within four Days but was The subsequent infection soon involved the other Eye and until 1915, when he lost it As Well Johnson could Only Tell Day from night. We had a Homestead near Roblin then. Dad was working at Eaton s and got the urge to get out on the land even though we weren t really a farming family you know. I was working in the Yard near our Chicken Coop and a Branch of a Bush penetrated the Pupil of the other City Calendar nearly new shop asking for donations the nearly new shop 944 Portage Avenue would like donations such As clothing shoes China books and toys. Hours Are 10 . To 4 . Weekdays and to i . Saturday. A pickup service is available the shop will close june 17 and re open sept. 14. The Winnipeg philharmonic choir under the direction of Henry engbrecht will hold auditions May 19 to hear interested candidates for membership in the choir. For appointments phone 489-6434. The Manitoba federation of labor will hold its fourth annual Celebration of working class Solidarity at . Tomorrow at the playhouse theatre. Entertainment will include the Nellie Mcclung theatre group the chilean group Chile Lucha y Canta and the South african group Mandala. Admission is free. Weather Winnipeg area forecast mainly Cloudy today with a few showers this afternoon and a High near 15. Low tonight near Zero. Sunny tomorrow morning becoming mainly Cloudy in the afternoon with a High near 15. Extended weather Outlook Southern Manitoba morning Cloud saturday turning sunny in the afternoon. Warm and sunny sunday with scattered evening showers. Cloudy and cooler monday. Normal High near 15, Normal Low near 1. Northern Manitoba mainly Cloudy with occasional Light Snow saturday through monday. Temperatures near Normal of 10 and -4 saturday and sunday but colder monday. Northwestern Ontario variable Cloud saturday with temperatures. Sunny and warm sunday. Occasional Cloud monday with temperatures near Normal of 12 and 1. Temperatures Canada and the world an International snowmobiling Congress will be held sunday and monday at the downtown Holiday inn. Two Hun dred plus . State and Canadian provincial snowmobile association leaders will attend the Semi private gathering. The antique snowmobile club of America inc., will hold a free antique snowmobile seminar program from 1 to 4 . Saturday at the Airliner motor hotel ballroom. Early 1960s snowmobiles will be displayed. Alpha Omega women s alumnae will present an exhibition and Sale of Manitoba Art from 1 to 8 . Sunday in the Manitoba theatre Centre 174 Market Avenue. Works include drawings paintings and sculpture pieces. Vancouver Alderman Bruce Yorke will speak at a May Day meeting sponsored by United May Day committee from 2 to 4 . Sunday in r. B. Russell school auditorium. The embroiderers association of Canada seminar 81 to our roots run sunday to thursday at University Centre University of Manitoba. Features include imaginative stitching programs and a work exhibit from 7 to 10 . Wednesday. Nearly 150 people from across Canada and the United states will participate. Or. Jean Friesen University of Manitoba will lecture on the fur Trade in the 18th Century at 2 . Sunday in the planetarium auditorium. Guided Tours of an exhibit will be held at 1 . And . At Alloway Hall. Apples of Gold a film documentary about Israel with associate producer Jay Rawlings in attendance will be shown at . Monday in Charleswood Temple noon 6 and . Tuesday at the Winnipeg Art gallery. Voluntary offerings will go to Crossroads fund in Israel to help victims of terrorism. The eighth annual yom a at Maut israeli song festival sponsored by Joseph Wolinsky collegiate will begin at 8 . Wednesday in Rosh Pina synagogue. Students will perform original compositions. Trophies will be awarded. Western express five tickets Worth each and five Worth each were picked in the Western express lottery draw wednesday night. The tickets Are 2055282. 3483943, 4681092 2213206 and 1642138. The tickets Are 1794261, 4525676 and 5194283. There Are prizes of for tickets with the last six digits of the top draws for the last five digits and for the last four. Deaths classified death National Victoria. Vancouver. Calo Arv. Edmonton. Ref Luna. Winnipeg. Thompson. Kenora. Brandon. Dauphin. Thunder Bay. Toronto. Ottawa. Montreal. Halifax International Choc ago. Minneapolis. New York. Boston. Amsterdam. Athens. 15 17 17 15 17 19 6 16 15 14 16 13 13 13 9 16 17 53 23 10 25 Aviv anoles vegas 6 parity Cloudy Honolulu fair 38 21 Clear partly Cloudy partly 2 1 partly Cloudy 5 Winnipeg temperature companion 5 Mai. Min. Mean 6 april 29. 18.8 0.8 9.8 last year. 26.6 4.9 15.8 4 Normal. 13.3 0.6 6.7 5 highest on record 33.9 in 1952 13 lowest on record -13.9 in 1958 i precipitation 6 total for april i to april 29 11.9 i Millimetres. Normal 35.7mm. Baker. Louisa f., 65. Wife of Fred Baker. Bremner. Lillian 57. Of Windsor ont., wife of Donald Bremner. Cann Harvey William 52, of Villa Park calif., formerly of Winnipeg husband of Shir Ley Cann. Cordon Edith May of 155 Lanark Street. Flett Samuel of husband of Evelyn Flett. Gay Joseph j., 71, of 210 Oakland Avenue suite 936. Green Agnes 88, of 2060 Corydon Avena wife of Wil Liam Green. Howton James t., 87. Of 1985 Elgin Avenue. Joyce Doris Blanche 68, of Giroux wife of Edward Joyce. Yonchuk Michael 68, of 475 Jamison Avenue Hus band of Joyce Yonchuk. Kowall Walter j., 75, of Oak Bank widower of Stella Kowall. Laxdal Sigurdur 89. Of 515 Laxdal Road suite 210, husband of Carrie lax dal. Mathieu. Gerard 6, of 164 Kitson Street son of Evelyn and Denis Mathieu. Stoesz Jacob 78, of Al Tona. Struc Daniel 71, of Arborg formerly of Broad Valley. Walton. Or. Charles Hutchinson. 74, husband of mar Walton. Zug Broniewicz Joseph 52. Of 569 pilchard Avenue. Two years later Johnson was offered a Job As a tuner for the Winnipeg piano company and in 1925 he started tuning instruments on his own. 89 in August i be been doing it Ever since and i la be 89 on aug. 12." through All the years Johnson has kept Busy. Yes it s been a full life a Happy life. Blindness has not stopped me from doing things and i be been contented and have stayed involved. I be been on the vestry of St. John s Cathedral for a Good number of years you in 1940, Johnson was instrumental in starting the Canadian Council of the Blind one of the driving forces behind the later formation of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. The Institute yesterday honoured him with a life membership on its Manitoba Board of management a full 57 years after he was first elected to the body. I told them at the luncheon just now seeing they be done that they won t soon get rid of Johnson said. Coping with blindness is easier if those who have lost their eyesight associate with other Blind people and get the Benefit of experiences others have tackled before them Johnson said. People go through hell when they lose their eyesight but once they get Over that they re All right. That s Why it has always been my Contention that Blind people need to help each other. That concerns me very much and has for Many years. Too much in the affairs of the Blind is run by people who Are not Blind and really Don t know As much about our problems As we do blindness As far As Johnson is concerned is just one of those tilings that can happen to you. I still have a lot to be thankful ;