Page 71 - Billy James MacNamara of Evanston

ISSUE : Issue 49

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1988/8/1

you come back here to live?) Well, I was born here, I guess, and I guess I got tired travelling and came back here, I guess. That's the only thing I know! (You were making a living up there?) Yeah. I came down here one summer, and I was around here, and stayed here, and by God, I took the notion to come back again. Of course there were lots--there were good times up there then, around the States, that time. When I went up to the States, they'd coax you to go to work, around Boston. Construc? tion jobs. They'd meet you on the street and ask you if you wanted to go to work. (Now,) I guess it's'like here, work isn't too plentiful there, ei- ther. (That's today. But in those days, work was plentiful.) Oh-, lots-- just building her up then. (Then why would you come back here and stay?) Oh, I just took the no? tion. (Was your father still living?) Oh, yeah. (Was he still fishing?) Oh, yeah, he was working on the railroad when I came home. (So he didn't need you, like that--he didn't need you to come home.) Well, not to a certain extent. He didn't have to. But I.... Work was picking up here pret? ty good at that time. I went to sea out of here, too. I fished out of here, inshore fishing: lobster fishing and her? ring fishing. (So you de? cided to stay.) The wages weren't--the common wages between here and the. States weren't too much in difference. It was a little higher in the States, the common labour here, up till 50, 60 years ago. And wages started to crawl. (So, you worked hece, you fished for awhile, and you went....) Oh. I fished here home, and farmed. I worked on the railroad some. Well, I took over this farm here We had cattle here, and we had sheep, and we had pigs--my father had. I took it over here then. My father gave it to me. (Did he stay on?) Oh yeah, he stayed here till he died--both him and her. Both of them died here in this house. (And then you continued to operate a farm, pretty much, until...?) Yeah, I kept her going up till the last 15 years. In those days we (didn't have) to fence all our fields, at that time. You could let your cattle go loose. No trouble with cattle-- let them go to the woods all day and come back in the evening. But after they started making highways, they put restrictions on it: you had to keep your cattle all wired in. At the last of it, they got down to wire fences, then they got down to only 2 or 3 strings of barbed wire around the fence, and everything. It got hard; people had to give up. Small farms gave up keeping cattle altogether. (Because of the wire?) THE BBT COMPENSATION FOR An Injured WORKER Is Getting Back To Work Workers get injured. When they do, they need compensation. But, not just in the form of money. That helps them get over the initio! financial hardships, but it is not a lasting solution. Becoming re-employed is. What these workers need is an employer who will pive them the opportunity to re-enter the work force. To allow them, once again, to be productive, valued employees. Through the Employer Incentives Program, the WCB substantially reduces the costs incund by employers who hire injured or disabled workers. We'll evaluate the wori(er's potential. We'll subsidize retraining costs. We'll assume the cost of any wori<-site modifications to accommodate the worker. We'll monitor the worker's performance and provide full support services to both the employee and employer. All the employer has to do is open the door. To someone like Pauline White. PAUUNE WHITE OF NORTH SYDNEY WAS EMPLOYED AS A REGISTERED NURSEyihan she injured her back while lifting a patient. But, she was a nurse and went back to nursing as soon as possible until her back was further injured, again while lifting a patient. Practical nursing is no longer possible for Pauline. The risk of permanently damaging her back is too great. But, this doesn't mean she will liave to leave nursing. Today, with WCB support, Pauline is enrolled at the College of Cope Breton where she is studying for a Bachelor of Nursing degree. She plans to major in psychology. After that, she hopes to work in a hospital helping patients, putting her old and new nursing skills to good use. There are people like Pauline all over Novo Scotio; people who want to continue making a contribution. Please hire an injured worker. Don't confuse disobility with inability. For complete information on the Employer Incentives Program, contoct: Rehabilitation Department. WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD OF NOVA SCOTIA 5668 South Sma SydhiyMedicm Am Bldg. Post Off ICE Box 1150 336 Kms-Roio, Suite 117 Mm, Nova Scotia B3J 2Y2 Swnei Hoya Scotia BIS I A 9 Telephone 902 4244529 Telephone 902 5646451

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