president’s message editor’s message · silverlights newsletter vol 18 number 2 june 2012 2 how...

President’s Message

Gerry Bowers

This year St. John’s had a real spring fora limited interval. The great weather how-ever had undesirable consequences for SilverLights functions. The May 10th InformationDay and the May 26th Highway Clean Upboth had fewer participants than was hopedfor. The last Tuesday in May saw the tem-perature drop and the wind pick up. This re-sulted in a big turnout at the A&W breakfaston Kenmount Road. Visitors included DaveCollett’s wife Iris, and John Turner from FortMcMurray.

Now this is for employees only.

Are you close to the magic 85 (age 55 plus30 years of service)?

Silver Lights executive and an HR rep-resentative have discussed the possibility ofjointly participating in a pre and post retire-ment road show/seminar. Silver Lights exec-utive is up for the task.

Are you interested?

If yes contact HR and say so.

I see the slogan “Take Charge” around theNalcor Office, so maybe you should. TheSeptember newsletter will report on your ef-forts.

Regards,

Gerry Bowers

President

Editor’s Message

Janet Calver

Now this is summer! We have been blessedwith lots of sunshine and blue sky. You can’thelp but feel energized when you wake up inthe morning to sunshine. What’s even bet-ter is that we are able to enjoy every seconddoing those things we only ever dreamed ofdoing when we were working! Isn’t it greatto be able to read, work in the garden, go fora hike, get on the bike and go where the roadleads you, or just sit down with friends andchat over a good cup of coffee? No clocks, nodeadlines, no meetings!

While you’re “hove off” on that deck chairwith a cup-of-something in your hand, havea read through our summer newsletter. (It’scompletely stress free, I promise!) Ken Ballhas another great column. He manages tomeet so many people on his travels and thenhe shares that with all of us. How goodis that! Thanks so much Ken! We have afollow-up on the Information Day held forNalcor retirees in May (along with pictures)and a recap of the Spring Team Gushue High-way Cleanup that also took place in May.Our financial adviser, Chris Schwarz, is backwith an article on severance payments and re-tiring allowances. Chris always provides in-formative articles that are of interest to ourreaders. This one should be of particularinterest to those newly retired or those em-ployees considering retirement. How many ofyou use or would like to use a GPS (GlobalPositioning System)? Our techie columnist,Brian Gamberg, is back this time with anintroduction on “open street mapping” and

Vol 18 Number 2 June 2012

SilverLights Newsletter Vol 18 Number 2 June 2012 2

how you can play a role in mapping road waysand trails as you travel this summer. Checkout our article on Advance Health Care Di-rectives Part II and then see a samplingof some of the events happening around ourprovince this summer. In our Health andWellness section we have an article on macu-lar degeneration, the leading cause of blind-ness in North America in adults 55 years ofage and older. And have you ever wonderedwhat exactly does the “best before date ”mean as opposed to the “expiry date”? Readour newsletter and find out! We have a greatbunch of people who have reached the 25-yearmilestone. See who they are. And we haveanother long list of retirees. See how manyyou know! Finally, we end with some deep(!)thoughts from Woody Allen on starting lifeover again. I hope you enjoy it!

I can’t finish before saying a big “Thank-you” to Gerry, Dennis, Reg, Vern and Rami.Where would we be without you?

To all of you out there, the next couple ofmonths are your time to just enjoy life andeverything it has to offer. So stay safe, takecare and have a fun-filled, wonderful summer!


SilverLights News

Out and About with Ken Ball

Seeing Hydro Retirees is a lot like moosehunting; You go for months and don’t seeanyone than you run into bunches of them.

I should also state here that I’ve gottenhold of a Hydro Telephone Directory that waspublished in 1995 that I use for Job Titles atthe time you were working. If I label youwith a designation that you had been longsince promoted from, please ignore that er-ror. People are really only interested in youand how you are doing now.

Allan Parsons

I met Allan at the Food Court in the Vil-lage Mall the other day. Al is recoveringfrom Prostate Cancer and is doing great Sincehis retirement Allan has learned to skate, orshould I state he’s learning. He does his skat-ing at the Stadium in CBS. At this locationyou don’t pay when you go on the ice butpartway through the session an Attendantwill come out on the ice with his money canand collect from you. The other day Al wasskating around when the Attendant flaggedhim down so he could collect his fee, but Alwas going too fast to stop so he shouted “seeyou next time around”. He needs the samestopping distance as an oil tanker. Allan isstill involved with his church and you will of-ten see him serving breakfast for the Men’sService Club. He is enjoying his retirement.

Allan was Traffic Officer with Materials Man-agement in St. John’s.

Russell Findley

I saw Russell at Costco the other day. I knewit was someone I should know but couldn’tremember his name. Fortunately he knewme and spoke. We had a great yarn. Heis working part time with CF(L)CO. Russellwas Area Superintendent at Wabush. He isstill active in Hydro Curling.

Delano Fowler

I was down to the Waterford Hospital forbloodwork. Sitting beside me was a manand woman who I didn’t know and then theycalled out Delano’s name and this man byme got up. I spoke to the Lady and asked ifthat was the man that used to work with Hy-dro and she confirmed that it was. We hada great yarn and she told me all about hisproblems and his eventual kidney transplant.The new kidney is working good but Delanois having a lot of problems associated withthis. When he came out I introduced myselfand he briefed me on the medical problemshe was having but was very positive. Afterhis retirement Delano wrote a children’s bookon safety that is now in all the schools. Hewas a Distribution Lineman and I think hewas stationed in Roddickton for a while butagain I’m not sure.

Calvin Bailey

Saw Cal at Swiss Chalet and between the ribsand the chicken we had a catch-up session.


Cal is really enjoying his retirement. Hehas his business in Lewisporte, where he sellsparts for snowmobiles. This spring he droveup to Labrador and down through Quebec,and unlike most travellers on this road theyhad no problems. His next trip is a cruiseto Alaska. Cal is one of the most likeablefriendly people you can talk to; Of course hewas like that when he worked with Hydro.Cal was Office Supervisor at Stephenville be-fore he took up the position of Office Super-visor at Bishop’s Falls.

Gordon Holden

Saw Gord at Smitty’s Restaraunt in MountPearl. Never had much time to talk but Gor-don looks fit as a fiddle and is taking advan-tage of his 6 Saturday 1 Sunday week. Gordis an Electrical Engineer and worked as Man-ager of TRO.

Hubert Budgell

I Bumped into Hubert at the Avalon Mall.Occasionally I will meet him when out walk-ing. He is active and enjoying his retirement.When Hubert retired he was Director of Sys-tems Planning.

Hank Janes

Took my car in for servicing the other dayand saw Hank Janes. Hank is part time driveron the Toyota Courtesy Van. He works thereon Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Friday hevolunteers at one of the local Food Banks.Hank still plays hockey but has retired fromBall Room Dancing. When he retired he was

a Compensation and Benefits Specialist withthe Personnel Department.

Gerald Elliott

Met Gerald on one of my walks. He looks ingreat shape. Gerald has had a lot of medicalproblems over the years but it appears thathe has conquered them; Let’s hope so. Ger-ald told me one time he was seeing that manyspecialists that he would sit in the doctor’soffice and ponder as to who this doctor wasand why he was seeing him. Let’s hope thatis all in the past Ol’ Trout. Gerald was Sr.Purchasing Supervisor with Materials Man-agement in St. John’s.

Roy Goosney

Roy is working part time at Dominion Storesin Mount Pearl and that’s where I saw himthe other day. We never had much time totalk but I did have enough time to find out alittle of his history. During his years with Hy-dro, Roy worked in Labrador, RoddericktonChip Plant, Holyrood and finally Manager ofMaintenance at Hydro Place. Roy looks greatand is enjoying his retirement and part timejob.

Maureen Green

Saw Maureen recently at the Avalon Mall.Maureen was VP of Human Resources andLegal Services Division. She is presentlyworking with the Public Utilities Board andother projects associated with Pensions. Sheis well and keeping busy.


Herb Dowden

Bumped into Herb on his way to CanadianTire. I was glad we never met at a lo-cal Restaraunt because eveybody would saythat’s all I do is eat. Herb has just come backfrom the sunny south and looked tanned andhealthly. This is great because a couple ofyears ago he had a rough time with cancer.Herb is a Trailer enthusiast and does a lot ofRVing in the summer around our Province.Herb is also very active in his church, whichhappens to be my church also. Herb workedas Operations Superintendent at Holyrood.

Dianne Morris

Saw Dianne down to the ear, nose and throatdoctor’s office and managed to have a littleyarn. Dianne is a racing buff and often at-tends the Rally races in Montreal. If you hadasked me who were the two Hydro Employ-ees who would be least interested in racing, Ithink Dianne and Tom Peckford would easilybe named, yet they are great racing fans soyou never can tell. Dianne is helping out withher aged parents and this takes a lot of hertime but she still is vibrant and positive. Ob-viously another Retiree who is enjoying herretirement

Sick Report

Horace Pye has had a bit of bad luck latelywhen he fell and broke his hip. I understandfrom some of his Hydro Friends that he isout of the Hospital and getting around again.A lot of people have been asking me have Iheard from Horace so hopefully this will give

a little insight into what’s going on with ourOld Friend.

Sam Stickland is taking more radiationtreatments but Thank God he is positive andtakes things as they come. Hopefully thisbatch of radiation will do the trick.

Lou Crummey has not been to our break-fast meeting this year because he has spentsome time at the Miller Centre doing therapy.I understand that he is getting around prettygood but unfortunately he has had to give uphis license. But knowing him he will manageto enjoy life without his license; That‘s Lou:he doesn’t let things get him down.

Gerry Wells is finally on the mend after 7months of not knowing what’s going on and2 operations. He lost 40+ pounds but hassince gained back 18, thanks to Margaret’shome cooked meals. The one problem nowremaining is that he gets pain when he walksor tries to do some work because of a stent inhis kidney. Gerry figures this will disappearwhen the stent is removed in the next weekor so. He sounds a lot better than he did allwinter and I’m willing to bet he could nowbait and haul a tub of trawl with the best ofthem.

The Gerald Dalley Story

Gerald was in town the other day and hecalled me to see when we were having anotherbreakfast. We had just had our session theweek before but we went to the Silver LightsBreakfast on Kenmount Road and met thefollowing Retirees:

• David Kiel...Environmental Services Di-rector


• Don Barrett...Risk Insurance Manager

• Vern Penney...Cash Management Super-visor

• Reg White...Accounting Supervisor

• Andy Grant...VP Finance

• Anita Pike...Operating Reports

• Aubrey Hill...Project Reporting Super-visor

• Dennis Jones Director MIS

While driving across town, Gerald and I hada chance to talk about his career with Hy-dro. Gerald joined the Power Commission in1967 as a linesman. He was interviewed forthe job by Bill Dwyer and Clayton Rideout atthe Burnt Berry Motel. Gerald worked fromhis Headquarters in Springdale where he waspromoted to Front Line Supervisor. His areacovered the distribution in Green Bay andBay Vert Peninsula and distribution lines toCat Arm and Hinds Lake. His crew consistedof a lead hand and 2 linesmen in Sops Arm,Baie Verte and La Scie reporting to him atSpringdale. When the electrical code camein Gerald and Fred Burden spent 6 monthsintroducing it in the areas. This was a pe-riod that he really enjoyed. During his HydroYears Gerald reported to Bill Dwyer, ClaytonRideout, Sam Matchem and last of all NormSlade. Gerald is retired from Hydro as wellas his insurance job and has all the time andthe toys to enjoy life. He has a cabin, 2 boats,quad and Skidoo and has the health and en-ergy to enjoy them.

Gerald told of a couple of incidents in hisarea during the early days related to PowerCommission customers.

One involved a linesman who was up in apole doing maintenance. Now this particu-lar pole was on the customer’s land. As thelinesman was making the connection this mancame out with a chainsaw and shouted that ifhe didn’t get down and off his land he wouldsaw down the bloody pole with him on it. Heactually started his chainsaw. The man onthe pole came down!!!!!

Another lineman at a different location,same circumstance; Up the pole when thecustomer came out with a shotgun and in-formed the person on the pole that if hedidn’t come down he would blow him off thepole. This eventually became a court case.If you want the decision you will have to callGerald Dalley anytime after 3:40 AM Mon.thru Fri. Just kidding!!

Recent Sightings

On my way back from Stephenville recently Istopped into Irving Station outside Bishop’sFalls and saw 3 active Hydro Employees :

Blaine Piercey

Blaine is the Terminal and Salvage StoresSupervisor in Bishop’s Falls. Though I hadnever met Blaine I introduced myself to himand we had a little yarn.

Rob Cater

Rob was a P & C Engineer and Manager atBishop’s Falls. I’m not sure of his current


position but he is still working from Bishop’sFalls. I always enjoy seeing Rob and talkingto him about Hydro Friends.

Jim Haynes

Jim and Rob were having lunch and I didn’twant to bother them too much but I did man-age to interrupt them for a while and as al-ways discussed things and people associatedwith Hydro. Jim is VP of Generation .

Old Foolishness

It was in the early 40’s; Some men weregathered on the wharf in Fogo.One Old Fellow says “What’s that noise?That‘s not Jims Boat.”A Young Guy pipes up, “No Uncle Sim,that’s an airplane.”“A what?”“An airplane; She’s goin to pitch.”“She won’t pitch if we keeps talkin andmakin noise.”

In another community on Fogo Island,about the same time period, some men weregathered when a dirigible airship passedover;“What the hell is that?”“Looks like a wheel (whale) gone to wing.”

Good News Story

We have a lot of talented people in our Re-tirees Organization. Don (Sonny) Locke withhis Piano Lessons who I’m sure is playingBach by this time. Then there’s me with the

accordion. I can play one hymn and “YouAre My Sunshine”. Oh you may laugh butI’ve only been at it 20 years. Anyway now wehave another talent on the scene. I can hearthe announcements in years to come; ”Andnow ladies and gentleman, the piano stylingsof Dennis Jones playing Simani in C Minor”.I have known Dennis for 40+ years but didn’tsee this side of Him. If you can play an instru-ment please let me know because Dennis andI could be joining up to form a band soon.

We could use some stories for our bulletin.Why not contact Janet or me with a story ofyour days with Hydro. Your friends will beglad to hear from you.

Spring 2012 Information Day

On Thursday, May 10, our Silver Lightsclub and CARP (Canadian Association ofRetired Persons) St.John’s Avalon Chap-ter, combined resources once again to holdthe Spring 2012 Information Day at CorpusChristi Parish Hall in St. John’s. There werepresentations on various topics of interest toour membership. Even though the number ofattendees was down from last year, those whocame were very enthusiastic about the cal-iber of the speakers and the information pre-sented. Our lunchtime guest was the fabulousSheila Williams. She kept us entertained withher music, singing and humour! These eventsjust don’t happen; it takes a lot of planningand dedication to make the day a success. Abig “Thank-you” has to go to Gerry, Dennis


and Reg for making the day possible.

It’s so good to see people you haven’t seenin a long time, have a chat with them andcatch up on their goings-and-comings. Nal-cor retirees are busy people! Not much grassgrows under their feet for sure! For thoseof you who could not make it this year, wehope to see you next time. Below is a briefoverview of the speakers and topics:

• Ten Estate Planning Moves You ShouldAvoid - Lynne Butler, Scotia McLeod

• Your Medication and You - Derrick Hi-erlihy (semi-retired pharmacist)

• What’s Happening to Your Public Ser-vice Pension Plan - Ralph Morris

• A Unique Tax Shelter - Eric Miller

Below are some of the pictures from the In-formation Day. Nalcor retirees (and spouses)in attendance were: Patricia and WayneCantwell, Jerry Goulding, Ruby and AubreyHill, Ewart Locke, Marg Pearcey, Marilynand Harold Steele, Sylvia and Bob Taylor,Harvey Young, Tom Peckford, Gerry Bow-ers, Reg White, Dennis Jones and yours truly!See who you recognize!

Gerry presenting gift to Lynne Butler

Marilyn and Harold Steele

Sylvia and Bob Taylor


Harold Steele and Marg Pearcey

Ruby and Aubrey Hill

Ewart Locke

Tom Peckford and Wayne Cantwell

Jerry Goulding

Sharron Callahan from CARP


Derrick Hierlihy and Ralph Moores

Lynne Butler

Patricia Cantwell

Gerry presenting gift to Ralph Morris

Harvey Young

Lunch is Served


Dennis is ready for the soup!

Lunch and a Chat

Reg White takes a break

Ewart and Bob share a laugh

Sylvia joins in with a great smile


Sheila Williams was a great lunchtimeentertainer!

Gerry,Rick Bouzan, Reg and Eric Miller

Team Gushue Highway Cleanup

A portion of the Team Gushue Highway islooking a lot cleaner these days thanks tomembers of Silver Lights and friends! Therewere MANY bags of garbage collected fromthe sides of the highway. Reg White volun-teered to be the Team Lead for the cleanup

and he, along with an enthusiastic crew, haveonce again done us proud!

Reg and his team assembled at HydroPlace around 8:00 AM on Saturday, May26. After the safety talk and general instruc-tions, Reg assigned the groups their own areaand made sure everyone had safety vests andgloves. Did I forget to mention a good supplyof garbage bags as well? Soon, everyone wasoff. It was a beautiful sunny day and spiritswere high. After the cleanup, it was time fora reward for all that hard work. All the vol-unteers were treated to lunch at KFC. All inall, a great day for both the environment andour volunteers!

Taking part in the spring cleanup this yearwere: Stella and George Fowler, Rick Green,Aubrey Hill, Larry Lehr, Ewart Locke, Ger-ard Piercey, Harold Steele, Rami Wadhwa,Dennis Jones and Reg White. This was thefirst time for Larry and Rick and we hope tosee them again for our fall cleanup! Thanksvery much to everyone who took part!

If you missed this opportunity to partici-pate, we’ll be doing the Fall Cleanup in a fewmonths. Watch out for the announcement.We hope to see you there! Below are a fewpictures taken that day.


Starting Out at Hydro PlaceHarold Steele

GarbageBags

Aubrey Hill, George and Stella Fowler atKFC

Gerard Piercey and Ewart Locke enjoyinga well deserverd lumch at KFC


Reg and DennisNotice the Empty Box!

Larry Lehr and Rick GreenGreat to have you with us!

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 second quarter of 2012are:

Frank Ricketts

Gary O’Brien

Derek A. Rendell

Carl Seymour

Terry Barnable

Gerard Cochrane

Terence Gardiner

Leon Hopkins

Craig Warren

Keith Saunders

Fred Murphy

Karen Walsh

Upcoming Events

Trip to Tuckamore Lodge, Main BrookSeptember 5 - 7, 2012Silver Lights is organizing a trip to Tuck-amore Lodge, Main Brook for September 57, 2012. The 3-day, 2-night trip includes:

• accommodations (based on double occu-pancy)

• daily breakfast

• superlative amenities (See website forcomplete listings)

NOTE: Transportation to and from MainBrook is the responsibility of members.


Retirement Seminar

The Silver Lights executive have had prelim-inary discussions with Nalcor’s Human Re-sources Department on holding a series of Re-tirement Seminars across Newfoundland andLabrador. The idea would be for retirees tomeet with Nalcor employees who are consid-ering retirement. The retirees would discussthe planning they undertook prior to makingthe decision to retire, provide hindsight as towhat plans worked and what didn’t, and pro-vide some of their personal experiences asso-ciated with retirement. If you are interestedin helping with this undertaking or are inter-ested in finding out more about it, please con-tact the Silver Lights executive at 709-737-1378 or Email us at [email protected]

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.

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- Part II

Public Legal Information Association ofNewfoundland and Labrador (PLIAN) is anon-profit organization dedicated to edu-cation 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 this newsletter, we conclude our discus-sion of advance health care directives. Pleasenote that this article contains only general in-formation and is not intended as legal advice.In order to discuss your particular situation,we suggest that you consult with a lawyer.

What can be included in my AdvanceHealth Care Directive?

(This list is not necessarily exhaustive)

The Substitute Decision Maker: Inyour Advance Health Care Directive youcan name a substitute decision maker.This person will be responsible for com-municating instructions that you haveput in your directive to your health careprofessionals, and when necessary, thisperson will make health care decisionsfor you. You may also want to namea back-up substitute decision maker in

case your original choice is unwilling orunable to act for some unforeseen reason.The person you name as your substitutedecision maker must agree, in writing, toaccept this role.

Instructions: The instructions you putin your Advance Health Care Directiveprovide guidance for your substitute de-cision maker. You can include gen-eral principles regarding your health carethat you want your substitute decisionmaker to keep in mind when makinghealth care decisions for you. For exam-ple, there may be some treatments, suchas blood transfusions or organ trans-plants, that for personal or religious rea-sons, you do not want to undergo in anycircumstance. You and your doctor mayalso be able to predict some of the healthcare decisions that your substitite deci-sion maker is likely to have to make foryou. You can put specific instructionsfor dealing with these decisions in thedirective.

Who should be my substitute decisionmaker?

Your substitute decision maker must be atleast 19 years old and must be competentto make health care decisions. This personshould be someone you trust, and someonewho understands and respects your wishes re-garding your healthcare. It is helpful if thisperson has a good relationship and commu-nicates well with your family and your healthcare professionals. If you have an EnduringPower of Attorney it is a good idea to ensure

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

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


that your substitute decision maker and yourattorney can work together. There are somehealth care decisions, for example, selecting along term care facility, that are also financialdecisions.

What happens if my substitute decisionmaker is unwilling or unable to act?

If the person you named as your substitutedecision maker is unwilling or unable to act,the Advance Health Care Directives Act setsout a list of who will be asked to act as yoursubstitute decision maker in his or her place.The rest of your Advance Health Care Direc-tive remains valid. If there are any membersof your family who you do not want to actas your substitute decision maker, you canspecify this in your Advance Health Care Di-rective.

Can I change or cancel my AdvanceHealth Care Directive?

Yes. You can change the instructions in yourAdvance Health Care Directive by making anew directive. The new one will cancel anyearlier directives. You can also cancel a di-rective by intentionally destroying the origi-nal or by having someone else destroy it foryou in your presence.

When do I need to update my AdvanceHealth Care Directive?

It is a good idea to update your AdvanceHealth Care Directive regularly. If your in-structions regarding your health care changeyou may want to make a new Advanced

Health Care Directive. You may also want toupdate your directive if your substitute deci-sion maker is no longer able to take that role,for example, if that person moves away ordies. If you have named your spouse as yoursubstitute decision maker and you are laterdivorced, the part of Advance Health CareDirective naming that person will be consid-ered cancelled, unless the directive expresslystates that it will continue in such circum-stances.

What should I do with my health caredirective?

Keep the original of your Advance HealthCare Directive in a safe place. You shouldgive copies of your directive to your doctorand your substitute decision maker and makesure they know where the original can befound. It is also a good idea to keep a copy ofyour Advance Health Care Directive in yourwallet in case you need emergency medicaltreatment.

When does an Advance Health CareDirective not apply?

Emergency Treatment: A health careprofessional normally has a duty to takeall reasonable steps to find out if an in-competent or uncommunicative patienthas named a substitute decision makerwho is available. However, in cases ofemergency health care, a health care pro-fessional may proceed with treatmentsthat are medically necessary to preservethe patient’s health or life, if a delay


in obtaining consent from the substitutedecision maker would pose a significantrisk to the patient.

Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment:Neither you nor your substitute decisionmaker has the authority to refuse invol-untary psychiatric treatment or involun-tary admission to a psychiatric facility.If you must undergo involuntary psychi-atric treatment you are entitled to namea Patient Representative. This personwill be able to monitor your treatmentand your health care professional mustconsult with this person when makingtreatment decisions. This person doesnot however, have the right to makehealth decisions for you.

Severance Payments and Retir-ing Allowances

Employees leave their jobs for a number ofreasons on both a voluntary and involuntarybasis. An employee may have voluntarily re-tired prior to their expected retirement date,or may have been encouraged to retire earlythrough the offer of certain other paymentsfrom their employer. Additionally, they mayhave been terminated by their employer dueto the elimination of their position.

Whatever the reason, terminated employ-ees are eligible to receive various types of pay-ments from their employer. These payments

vary according to the reason for the em-ployees termination. This article will brieflydescribe severance payments and how thesepayments can be sheltered from tax by wayof a retiring allowance.

Severance Payments

At present, two jurisdictions require paymentof severance pay; the province of Ontarioand federally regulated employers. Generally,the amount is related to the employees pe-riod of service with the employer. Employersoften structure their severance payments toavoid wrongful dismissal suits from involun-tarily terminated employees. Another reasonis to provide an incentive for taking early re-tirement or reward an employee for long ser-vice upon regular retirement. Generally, thelonger you have been with the company, thehigher the severance.

Severance payments can be made in eithera lump sum or as a series of payments de-pending upon the degree to which the em-ployer is willing to be flexible. The deci-sion depends on a couple of factors; flexibil-ity and tax deferral. A series of payments islike receiving a salary and may provide accessto other company benefits including pensionbenefits. However, a lump sum payment maybe preferable to pay off debt or if there areconcerns about the companys ability to meetthe on-going payments.

Regardless of how they arise, severancepayments are eligible for treatment as a re-tiring allowance payment for tax purposes.These payments may be eligible in part or inwhole for transfer to an registered retirement


savings plan (RRSP) in the amounts allowedunder tax legislation.

Retiring Allowances

According to the Income Tax Act, retiring al-lowances are considered to be payments madein the event of loss of office or employmentat or after termination of employment. Likeordinary employment income, if a retiring al-lowance is received as cash it is subject towithholding tax at time of payment. Thistax may be deferred if the funds are trans-ferred to an RRSP. You have up to 60 daysafter the end of the taxation year in which thepayment was received to re-contribute the el-igible portion to an RRSP.

CCRA views a retiring allowance as a spe-cial RRSP contribution, so it has no impacton a persons regular RRSP deduction limit(over and above normal contributions). Themaximum amount a person can roll into anRRSP as a retiring allowance is $2,000 percalendar year (full or partial years) of serviceprior to 1996, plus $1,500 per calendar year(full or partial year) of service prior to 1989(providing no vested pension plan contribu-tions were made in the year and no credit wasreceived for any company contributions to apension plan).

For example: An employee who beganworking in March 1985, joined the companyspension plan in January of 1987 (all pensionbenefits have fully vested), was terminatedin April 2001 and given a severance packagewhich includes a $50,000 amount that qual-ifies for a retiring allowance. The maximumamount this individual can roll into an RRSP

as a retiring allowance is determined as fol-lows:

Number of calendar years employed priorto 1996: 11 x $2,000 = $22,000

Prior to 1989, the number of calendar yearsemployed when not a member of a vestedpension plan or DPSP: 2 x $1,500 =$ 3,000

Total: $25,000In the above example, only $25,000 can

be rolled into an RRSP as a retiring al-lowance. The remaining $25,000 would haveto be taken into income, just like salary orwages, and taxed accordingly.

The eligible portion of a retiring al-lowance can only be transferred to a per-sonal RRSP and cannot be transferred to aspouses/spousal RRSP.

Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)

In the past, individuals receiving large retir-ing allowances had to be careful not to triggerthe alternative minimum tax. The 1998 fed-eral budget eliminated the need to include re-tiring allowances when calculating AMT andthis change is retroactive to 1994.

Conclusion

The loss of a job is difficult under any cir-cumstances and the first item you may needto deal with is how to handle any immediatepayments offered. A retiring allowance pay-ment can present you with an opportunity tosignificantly increase the value of your RRSP.

Note: The above article is for informationpurposes only and should not be construed asoffering tax advice. Individuals should con-


sult with their personal tax advisors beforetaking any action based upon the informa-tion in this article.

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

Technology: More Fun WithYour GPS

Last issue we talked about using your GPS forgeocaching. In this issue we’ll talk about us-ing your GPS for improving the open sourcemap called OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborativeproject to create a free editable map of theworld. Two major driving forces behind theestablishment and growth of OSM have beenrestrictions on use or availability of map in-formation, and the advent of inexpensive gpsunits.

Maps are an important and useful methodof conveying spatial and visual informationquickly and clearly. You can use maps ina variety of ways to help make decisions, toconvey safety information, to efficiently movearound a community, or to describe whereto go and how to get there. Traditionally,this useful information is collected and main-tained by organizations whose main motiva-tion and interest is in making money fromthe maps. But often, the use of these mapsis restricted, and in cases where it’s not prof-itable to create or maintain them, good maps

may not even exist. OpenStreetMap was cre-ated to fill these voids: it is an open, freely-editable, wiki-style map of the world.

For many people, participating in Open-StreetMap is about having fun while creatingdata that others can use freely. Contributingto OpenStreetMap is a great way to explorea town you’ve never visited before, a reasonfor learning more about somewhere you’re fa-miliar with, and a means to becoming deeplyknowledgable about places you care about,using data collection as an excuse for all theseactivities! Additionally, collecting map dataon foot or bicycle is a great way to maintainphysical fitness and an excellent reason to beactive outdoors.

To use openstreetmap, simply use yourbrowser to go to the web site http://www.

openstreetmap.org, zoom in to an area ofinterest, and browse the map. If you wouldlike to modify or add to the map, you’ll needto set up an account using your e-mail ad-dress. Registered users can upload GPS tracklogs and create new roads, paths and trails onthe map.

No paths described in this issue’s ECTAhiking section for example, have yet beenmapped. So why not put your GPS in yourpocket, take a hike, and add the paths to themap.

State of the Newfoundland andLabrador Map

For the Island of Newfoundland, the hy-drodology (coastline, rivers, lakes, streams)is complete. However, much of the datacame from older Canadian and Newfound-

http://www.openstreetmap.org

http://www.openstreetmap.org


land topographic maps, and some of thenames of features may not be correct. Most ofthe roads are implemented, but hiking pathsand woods roads are incomplete. Amenities(shops, schools, churches, public buildings)are incomplete as well.

For Labrador, hardly anything is complete.

So, what can you do?

If you’re going on a hike on a known trail,take along a GPS and set it to record yourposition as you go. When you return, youcan upload the gpx data from your gps, andadd it to the map using one of the free toolsprovided (Potlatch or JOSM).

You can do the same thing if you’re outfor a run on your snowmobile or ATV (onknown trails), or if you’re driving your car inLabrador.

You can also add points of interest to themap. Using your gps, or local knowledgeyou can enter the location of all of the cof-fee shops, convenience stores and supermar-kets in your community, or the local namesof rivers, lakes, harbours or headlands.

To get started, you can check out the guideat http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners%27_guide, or you can dive rightin and start adding to the map.

East Coast Trail Hiking

This summer is shaping up, weather-wise, tobe one of the better ones we have experiencedin a while. What better way to enjoy every-thing our province has to offer in the way

of breath-taking scenery than to take advan-tage of one of the trails of the East CoastTrail Association.(ECTA). Over the next fewmonths, the ECTA has many hikes sched-uled for all fitness levels. Check out theirwebsite for up-to-date information. http:

//eastcoasttrail.ca/scheduled_hikes/.

Please note that these hikes are notorganized by the Silver Lights Club.

For the month of July, the following hikesare offered (weather permitting):

Wreck Path

(Cappahayden - Chance Cove)June 30, 2012 (Saturday)

Cape Spear Path

(Cape Spear - Maddox Cove)July 1, 2012 (Sunday)

Stiles Cove Path

(Pouch Cove - Flatrock)July 7, 2012 (Saturday)

Sounding Hills

(Ferryland - Aquaforte)July 15, 2012 (Sunday)

Bear Cove Point Path

(Kingmans Cove - Renews)July 21, 2012 (Saturday)

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners%27_guide

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners%27_guide

http://eastcoasttrail.ca/scheduled_hikes/

http://eastcoasttrail.ca/scheduled_hikes/


Goat Cove Path

(St. Philips - Beachy Cove)July 29, 2012 (Sunday)

Events Around the Province

There is just so much to do around ourprovince during the summer months, it’s hardto know where to begin! Dinner theatres, folkfestivals, come-home-years, Canada Day cel-ebrations, regattas, the list goes on. Beloware just a sample of some of the events hap-pening in Newfoundland and Labrador thissummer.

The World’s End Theatre Company

http://www.worldsendtheatre.org

Central1 Jan 2012 - 31 Dec 2012Fogo IslandJoin us for the World’s End Theatre Festi-val. Hosted throughout Fogo Island-ChangeIslands, these productions celebrate the richhistory and culture of the Fogo Island-Change Islands area.

The Great Viking Feast Dinner Theatre

http://www.lightkeepersvikingfeast.

com

Western1 May 2012 - 1 Oct 2012St. AnthonyEnjoy an evening of food, fun and feuds in

the only sod covered dinner theatre in NorthAmerica.

Ghosts of Signal Hill

http://www.facebook.com/

pages/Ghosts-of-Signal-Hill/

200025613375505

Avalon1 Jun 2012 - 14 Sep 2012St. John’sDaring escapes, murdered pirates, ghostships, buried treasure, tragic drownings, andheadless phantoms: it is all in a night’s workat Signal Hill National Historic Site.

Rising Tide Theatre - Seasons in theBight Theatre Festival

http://www.risingtidetheatre.com/

Eastern5 Jun 2012 - 6 Oct 2012TrinityRising Tide’s award-winning blend of history,drama & culture set amidst the magnificentbackdrop of historic Trinity & presented by50 of the province’s finest professional artistsoffstage and on. Box Office open daily.

Labrador West Regatta

Jean Lake , WabushJul 27, 2012+1 (709) 944 [email protected] fun-filled day of music, food, drink, gamesof chance, novelties, etc., along with a highly

http://www.worldsendtheatre.org

http://www.lightkeepersvikingfeast.com

http://www.lightkeepersvikingfeast.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ghosts-of-Signal-Hill/200025613375505



http://www.risingtidetheatre.com/

mailto:[email protected]


competitive Olympic style rowing schedule ofapproximately 20 races.

Dance Up

http://www.pigeoninlet.com

Avalon1 Jul 2012 - 31 Aug 2012St. John’sLearn the easy moves for participation inNewfoundland Set (square) Dancing withcaller Tonya Kearley and fiddler Kelly Rus-sell. Call for Dates and times

Faces of Fort Royal

http://www.placentiatheatre.ca

www.pc.gc.ca

Avalon1 Jul 2012 - 15 Aug 2012PlacentiaFaces of Fort Royal is a bilingual adventureto the past through a period of theatricalpageantry

Sunny Cottage Garden Party

http://www.harbourbreton.com

Central1 Jul 2012 - 31 Jul 2012Harbour BretonEnjoy history through a good ol’ fashion gar-den party!

Tilting Days

http://www.townoftilting.com

Central1 Jul 2012 - 31 Jul 2012

TiltingLive traditional Newfoundland & Irish music,food to tempt the palate and entertainmentfor the kids. There’s something for all ages!event takes place on the last weekend of Julyeach year

Queen Street Dinner Theatre

http://www.andco.nf.ca

Central11 Jul 2012 - 23 Aug 2012Grand Falls-WindsorWeekly Performances: Sun to Thu, Jul 11 -Aug 23. Dinner Theatre, Lunch Time Showand Loads of Newfoundland food and fun.

Battle Harbour Fun Day

http://www.battleharbour.com/home/

Labrador21 Jul 2012 - 21 Jul 2012Battle HarbourBattle Harbour Fun Day is an annual eventcelebrating traditional games of skills andchance combined with a ”garden party” at-mosphere.

Twillingate/N.W.I. Fish, Fun & FolkFestival

http://www.fishfunfolkfestival.com

Central23 Jul 2012 - 29 Jul 2012TwillingateParade, fireworks, traditional Newfoundlandmusic, variety fish meals, kids show, dances,giant craft show, unforgettable scenery. 32nd

http://www.pigeoninlet.com

http://www.placentiatheatre.ca

www.pc.gc.ca

http://www.harbourbreton.com

http://www.townoftilting.com

http://www.andco.nf.ca

http://www.battleharbour.com/home/

http://www.fishfunfolkfestival.com


Annual Celebrations of the Fish, Fun & FolkFestival

Makkovik Trout Festival

http://www.makkovik.ca

Labrador24 Jul 2012 - 28 Jul 2012MakkovikMakkovik Trout Festival, music, games, pa-rade, dances, family times, tournaments.Trout Supper

http://www.makkovik.ca


Health & Wellness

Vision and Aging: A guide togood eye health and vision

In our last newsletter we continued thetopic of eye and vision health with anoverview of cataracts. In this newslet-ter, we examine macular degeneration.This information is taken from the Cana-dian association of Optometrists. Formor information please see their web-site: http://opto.ca/openyoureyes/

your-eye-health/eyes-diseases/

Macular Degeneration

What is macular degeneration?

The macula is the central most part of theretina that is responsible for detailed sharpvision. It is used for reading, driving, recog-nizing peoples faces and fine work. MacularDegeneration is a condition that causes thecentre of your vision to blur while the sideor peripheral vision is unaffected. It is gener-ally related to the aging process, and is alsocommonly referred to as Age-related MacularDegeneration (AMD). It is the leading causeof blindness in North America in adults overthe age of 55.

What are the symptoms of Macular De-generation?

Initially, the most common symptom isslightly blurred vision when performing tasksthat require seeing detail. A blurred spot orsense that there is dirt in the way of clearvision may develop. Over time, the blurredspot may increase in size and interfere withreading and recognizing faces. Wet AMDcauses a straight line to look wavy or dis-torted, and dark spots may blank out por-tions of the central vision. There is no painwith AMD.

Are there different forms?

There are two types of AMD: dry and wet.The most common is the dry form. Thisis the milder form where there is a grad-ual degeneration of the tissue cells that makeup the macula and symptoms generally de-velop slowly over time. The wet form is asevere leakage, or even bleeding, from weakblood vessels under the macula and symp-toms progress rapidly. Wet AMD accountsfor approximately 10 percent of all cases, butthe dry form can develop into the wet formover time.

Who is at risk of developing MacularDegeneration?

The risk of developing AMD increases withage. High risk groups include smokers andpeople who have had extensive UV exposure.AMD is also associated with conditions suchas high blood-pressure, arteriosclerosis, andthose with a family history of AMD.

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

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


How can I prevent Macular Degenera-tion?

Lifelong UV protection and general nutritionare believed to play a key role in preventingAMD. Living a healthy lifestyle by keepingyour blood pressure down, reducing your in-take of fatty foods and not smoking are allrecommended. A diet high in antioxidantssuch as beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A),vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthinand selenium can also help prevent AMD.Most of these antioxidants are found in fruitsand leafy green vegetables. Regular eye ex-aminations are also important in the earlydetection of AMD. Early stages of AMD maybe found during an eye examination even ifno symptoms are noticed. Your optometristcan discuss ways to minimize the possibilityof vision loss due to AMD.

Is there treatment for Macular Degen-eration?

Currently, dry AMD has no treatment. Manycases of wet AMD can be treated with Pho-todynamic Therapy (PDT). Early detectionand prompt intervention are crucial to thesuccess of PDT for wet AMD. Certain vita-mins can assist in slowing down the progres-sion of AMD. It is important to realize thatthe use of vitamins will not reverse any visionloss that has already occurred, nor will it stopthe progression of AMD completely. Reg-ular eye examinations and counseling fromyour optometrist will let you know of any newtreatments that become available.

Is there help available?

Many patients with sight loss due to AMDcan benefit from low vision aids. Your op-tometrist can prescribe magnifying devicesto enhance both distance and reading vision.These aids will not restore sight to normallevels but they allow people to maximize theirremaining vision. Your optometrist may alsotrain you to use the Amsler grid, which is atool that can assist in testing the progressionof AMD.

Food Safety

Have you ever looked at that unopened con-tainer of yogurt and wondered if it was stillsafe to eat? Well, OK, maybe you’re nota yogurt-type person, maybe your prefer-ence leans more toward that can of Viennasausage. When we’re in a rush or just toolazy to make our meals from scratch, we of-ten reach for pre-packaged items. Have youever looked at the expiry date or the best be-fore date and wondered what exactly is thatall about? Well read on. This informationwas taken from Inspection Canada’s website.

Date Labelling on Pre-packaged Foods

Information about dates on pre-packagedfood is a valuable source of information forconsumers. A basic understanding of whatterms are used can help you to better under-stand these labels.


Durable Life “Durable life” means the an-ticipated amount of time that an un-opened food product, when stored un-der appropriate conditions, will retain itsfreshness, taste, nutritional value, or anyother qualities claimed by the manufac-turer. A “best-before” date, also knowas a “durable life date”, tells you whenthis durable life period ends. This infor-mation is usually found on the label withthe words “best before” and “meilleuravant”. “Best before” dates do not guar-antee product safety. However, they dogive you information about the freshnessand potential shelf-life of the unopenedfoods you are buying.

“Best Before” Date “Best before” datesmust appear on pre-packaged foods thatwill keep fresh for 90 days or less. Retail-packed foods may be labelled with eithera “best before” date and the proper stor-age instructions if they differ from roomtemperature (for example, “keep refrig-erated”), or the date packaged, alongwith the durable life of the food (for ex-ample, the number of days a product willretain its freshness).

Foods with an anticipated shelf lifegreater than 90 days are not requiredto be labelled with a “best before” dateor storage information. If manufacturersand retailers choose to provide customerswith this information, they must followthe required manner of declaration, asdescribed below.

Expiration Date Expiration dates must beused on the following products: formu-

lated liquid diets (a nutritionally com-plete diet for persons using oral or tubefeeding methods), foods represented foruse in a very low-energy diet (foods soldonly by a pharmacist and only with awritten order from a physician), mealreplacements (a formulated food that,by itself, can replace one or more dailymeals), nutritional supplements (a foodsold or represented as a supplement toa diet that may be inadequate in energyand essential nutrients), and human milksubstitutes (infant formula). After theexpiry date, the food may not have thesame nutrient content declared on the la-bel. Food should not be eaten if the ex-piration date has passed. They shouldbe discarded.

“Use by” Date The Food and Drug Reg-ulations state the terms “use by” and“employez avant“ may replace “best be-fore” for pre-packaged fresh yeast only.It must be presented in the same formand manner as the ”best before” date.

“Best Before” Label The “best before”date must be identified using the words“best before” and “meilleur avant”grouped together with the date, unlessa clear explanation of the significance ofthe “best before” date appears elsewhereon the label.The “best before” date may appear any-where on the package.If it is placed on the bottom, this has tobe indicated elsewhere on the label.The month must be in both official lan-guages or indicated by using specifiedbilingual symbols.


The year is optional, unless it is neededfor the sake of clarity (for example, ifthe shelf life extends into a new calendaryear).If included, the year must appear first,followed by the month, then the day.Best before08 JA 30Meilleur avant

January: JAFebruary: FEMarch: MRApril: ALMay: MAJune: JNJuly: JLAugust: AUSeptember: SEOctober: OCNovember: NODecember: DE

Eating food that has passed the “bestbefore” date

You can buy and eat foods after the “bestbefore” date has passed. However, when thisdate has passed, the food may lose some of itsfreshness and flavour, or its texture may havechanged. Some of its nutritional value, suchas vitamin C content, may also be lost. Re-member that “best before” dates are not indi-cators of food safety, neither before nor afterthe date. They apply to unopened productsonly. Once opened, the shelf life of a foodmay change. NEVER use your nose, eyes ortaste buds to judge the safety of food. You

cannot tell if a food may cause foodborne ill-ness by its look, smell or taste. And remem-ber: “If in doubt, throw it out”! Foods thatare likely to spoil should be properly stored,and they should be eaten as quickly as pos-sible. Harmful micro-organisms that lead tofoodborne illness can grow in foods, even ifthey do not appear to be spoiled.

The Government of Canada’s role infood safety

The Government of Canada is committedto food safety. Health Canada establishesregulations and standards relating to thesafety and nutritional quality of food soldin Canada. Through inspection and enforce-ment activities, the CFIA (Canadian FoodInspection Agency) is responsible for verify-ing that food sold in Canada meets HealthCanada’s requirements. For more informa-tion on food safety, please visit:

Canadian Food Inspection Agencyhttp://www.inspection.gc.ca/

english/fssa/concen/concene.shtmlHealth Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.

caBe Food Safe Canada http://www.

befoodsafe.ca

Additional information on “best before”dates and the labelling of foods can befound in Chapter 2 of the Guide to FoodLabelling and Advertising on the CanadianFood Inspection Agency (CFIA) website athttp://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/

fssa/labeti/guide/ch2ae.shtml#a2_11

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/concene.shtml

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/concene.shtml

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

http://www.befoodsafe.ca

http://www.befoodsafe.ca

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/ch2ae.shtml#a2_11

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/ch2ae.shtml#a2_11


NALCOR News

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!

Lawrence Marrie

Apr 1, 1986 Hired as temporary UtilityWorker in Holyrood

Each year Returned to the company in thisposition

Apr 16, 2007 Permanent hire as UtilityWorker in Holyrood

July 21, 2009 Reclassified to GeneralMaintenance B

Apr 30, 2012 Retired

Joe Walsh

Jan 25, 1982 Hired as Distribution Techni-cian with the Power Distribution Divi-sion (PDD) in Bay d’Espoir

Nov 2, 1987 Accepted position as Distribu-tion Line Foreman with PDD CentralArea located in BDE

Oct 8, 2007 Became Lines Superintendentwith TRO Central in Bishop’s Falls


Harvey Payne

Jul 7, 1975 Hired as permanent GroundMaintenance Man ‘B’ (seasonal) at CowHead

Apr 3, 1978 Started Ground MaintenanceProgram

Apr 15, 1990 Moved into role of DriverGround Worker



Claude Davis

1976-1979 Had temporary time withCF(L)Co as Summer Student

Jul 22, 1981 Hired as Distribution Techni-cian with Power Distribution District,Operations Division in Hawkes Bay

Sep 9, 1985 Appointment to position ofDistribution Technician with PDD Tech-nical Services in Bishop’s Falls

Sep 8, 2008 Promoted to DistributionServices Supervisor in TRO Central,Bishop’s Falls


Robert Hobbs

Jun 1967 Summer Student position asLabourer in Bay d’Espoir

Jul 1, 1968 Summer Employment asHelper in Whitbourne

July 1, 1969 Summer Employement withSpraying Programs in Bishop’s Falls

July 3, 1980 Hired as Journeyman Indus-trial Electrician in CF(L)Co.

Aug 1, 1983 Started as Electrical Mainte-nance ‘A’ in Bay d’Espoir GenerationStation

Aug 7, 1989 Transferred to HolyroodThermal Generation Plant as ElectricalMaintenance ‘A’

Sep 5, 2011 Started as Electrician / GasTurbine Operator with Hardwoods ter-minal station


Randy Heath

Jul 13, 1974 Hired as summer student withRecreation in Churchill Falls

1975 Returned as Summer StudentNov 1975 Hired as Recreation AttendantMay 2, 1977 Hired into Apprenticeship

Program - Operator (Power Systems) inChurchill Falls


1980 Earned Diploma as Power Systems Op-erator and was employed as a Power-house Operator and Control Room Op-erator

Mar 9, 1987 Moved to Bay d’Espoir ac-cepting position of System Operator inthe Energy Management Section

Aug 20, 1990 Transferred to St. John’s towork in ECC as System Operator

Mar 1, 2001 Accepted position of Shift Su-pervisor ECC

May 31, 2012 Retired

John Mallam

As a work term student, John worked with anindependent contractor as a Jr. MechanicalInspector at Churchill Falls.

May 1975 Began with company as JuniorEngineer Mechanical in PDD Design andConstruction

Oct 3, 1977 Transferred from Operationsto Projects; assigned to Bay d’Espoir forcommissioning, then through to Holy-rood

Jun 1, 1979 Formally assigned to positionof Construction Engineer (Mechanical)

Apr 1, 1980 Appointed to Mechanical De-sign Engineer with Engineering andConstruction Division; Later assumedresponsibilities of Sr. Mechanical Engi-neer

Mar 27, 2006 Named the VP, of Engineer-ing Services

Oct 1, 2010 Took on new role as Lead Me-chanical Engineer role with LCP (LowerChurchill Project)


Vernon Oldford

May 4, 1981 Hired as Apprentice Linemanin Springdale (rotated through Whit-bourne and Happy Valley)

Sep 24, 1984 Upon successful completionof Apprenticeship Training, moved intorole of Lineman ‘A’ with Power Distri-bution District (PDD) in Happy Valley

Sep 16, 1988 Transferred to Central AreaPDD in Springdale


Dean Roberts

Aug 29, 1988 Hired as Office Supervisorwith Hydro Generation in Bay d’Espoir


Jan 4, 1999 Appointed to Support ServicesAdministrator - Hydro in Bay d’Espoir

April 9, 2001 Took an 18-month second-ment to Liaison Officer for Granite CanalProject


Winston Hughes

Aug 21, 1978 Hired as MeterReader/Collector in Flower’s Covearea

1987-2012 Remained committed to com-pany for 34 years and availed of trainingopportunities.


Ern Barbour

Jun 16, 1982 Hired as Metering TechnicianII with P.D.D. Operating Service atHolyrood Generating Station

Sep 13, 1982 Transferred to P&C Centralin Bishop’s Falls

Jun 16, 1985 Advanced to Technologist

Apr 28, 1983 Relocated from Bishop’sFalls P&C to Whitbourne P&C

Jan 2, 1991 Promoted to ‘Revenue Meter-ing Supervisor‘ located in St. John’s


Harold Lee

Jun 3,1985 Hired with Operations in Bayd’Espoir; Spent time as Utility Workerand General Maintenance

May 15,1989 Hired in permanent positionof General Maintenance ‘A’

Apr 1,2007 Reclassified to Carpenter

May 31,2012 Retired

Wayne Hoskins

Dec 13,1976 Hired as Distribution Techni-cian in Happy Valley

Dec 13,1980 Progressed to DistributionTechnologist

Dec 13,1982 Became a Senior Technologist

Jul 4,2005 Took on role of Planner in TROLabrador- Happy Valley

May 31,2012 Retired


Randy Pearcey

Dec 19,1988 Hired as Driver Clerk withTransportation

Stepped up to take on additional tasks overcareer with Transportation

Jun 30,2012 Retired

Jeremiah (Jerry) Kearley

Oct 2,1989 Hired as Security Guard withHydro Generation in Bay d’Espoir

Oct 28,1996 Took on role of Water SystemAttendant with Hydro Gen

Jun 30,2012 Retired


Smiles & Laughter

Smiles and Laughter

I’ve often wondered if you had to live life over,could you start out as a senior and gradu-ally get younger! Just imagine, you wouldstart off with all the wisdom that comes fromyears of life’s experiences and then as theyears go by you become a kid again carefree,healthy, loads of energy and not a care in theworld! Sounds good to me. Well, as crazyas this sounds, it seems there was at leastone other person who had similar thoughtsWoody Allen! Read on!

My Next Life by Woody Allen

In my next life I want to live backwards. Youstart out dead and get that out of the way.

Then you wake up in an old people’s homefeeling better every day.

You get kicked out for being too healthy, gcollect your pension, and then when you startwork, you get a gold watch and a party onyour first day.

You work for forty years until you’re youngenough to enjoy your retirement.

You party, drink alcohol, and are gener-ally promiscuous, then you are ready for highschool.

You then go to primary school, you becomea kid, you play. You have no responsibilities,you become a baby until you are born. Andthen you spend your last 9 months floatingin luxurious spa like conditions with central

heating and room service on tap, larger quar-ters every day, and then voila!

You finish off as an orgasm!I rest my case


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]

president’s message editor’s message · silverlights newsletter vol 18 number 2 june 2012 2 how...

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