I'm a lover, not a fighter

As we all know, the civil rights and women’s liberation movements had a tremendous effect on changing attitudes and behavior throughout the 70’s and were influencing other aspects of society like gay rights and the environment as well. By the time I worked at Dumont (1973-76), change was also coming for people with disabilities. I remember at the time that the major players in shaping attitudes about disabled people were organizations like Easter Seals. Though well-meaning, they tended to be quite paternalistic with a ‘we-know-what’s-best’ approach that emphasized charity and sympathy for people with disabilities but little in the way of actually empowering us.
One year, Easter Seals launched its annual fundraising campaign around the slogan “Back A Fighter”, as if disabled people were all engaged in this great struggle with their infirmities. Never mind the fact that most people with disabilities sooner or later come to accept their limitations and just want to get on with life. The real battle was with other people’s attitudes. Anyway, one day this letter arrived at Dumont from Easter Seals with the Back A Fighter logo prominently displayed in the corner. I recall finding it in the incoming mail box and before anyone had a chance to open it, I took a pen and (ever the editor) crossed out the word Fighter and wrote in the word Lover. Then I put it back in the mail box. I think the phrase Back A Lover was (is) much more evocative of the real struggle disabled people face.
I don’t know if anyone else even noticed what I had done; at least no one ever said anything about it. But it was one of those little personal-is-political actions that’s stayed with me over the years and as we all slowly sink into various states of decrepitude I offer it again as a slogan that expresses an eternal truth about the human condition.

Reclusive Rockers Revealed

For those sceptics in the crowd who mused and wondered if there was really a fifth Lackey in the concert/contest photo (as elusive, perhaps, as the fifth Beatle), let us assure you all that it was our pal Bruce anchoring the band on percussion, and David Papazian (aka Papper) adding harmonica and vocals on that sunny Sunday afternoon in mid-July, 1975. Also in that second photo is the omnipresent Rosco Bell, who hasn't changed a bit over the years, except I don't think he still has that red guitar.

Winner of the first Dumont Reunion photo contest is Susan Scott of Victoria, who gets a lovely print of the 1994 Dumont Reunion. Keep on the lookout for the May Dumont Reunion photo contest, appropriately themed, Road Hockey Warriors.

One Knight at the Waterloo Hotel

News that fire recently destroyed a plaza at 140 University Ave reminded me of something that happened when 132 still occupied that very space. One fine evening the group of us wandered down to the Waterloo Hotel for a few beers. This was probably in 1968 when beer was 15 or 20 cents a glass and I could tell the difference between ale and lager just by the colour. It was a slow night, nobody else in the place except us and after a couple of hours the bartender said that's it, he was closing the bar for the night and told us to leave. Now this sort of thing never happened. I mean who ever heard of a bar closing before 10 o'clock? In those days, things were just starting to happen at 10:00. Anyway, we left the hotel and went back home – to a house full of smoke! Seems one of us had left a cigarette burning in an ashtray perched on the arm of the couch and it had slipped into the cushions where it had been smouldering since we'd gone out. We rushed inside, grabbed the burning couch and quickly tossed it out onto the front lawn. It was a close call but other than the couch, the smoke and a couple of very frightened pets hiding in the basement, there wasn't any serious damage. It may have been a coincidence but I still have to thank that bartender who had better things to do than watch a bunch of careless hippies drink themselves silly.

couple of pics

hey, here are a couple of old pics. sue

Reunion rumours rampant as Running Dog retrieves raft of R-words

Yeah I know, it's a pretty lame attempt at creative alliteration. It does, however, introduce our first monthly contest leading up to next year's Dumont Reunion in Waterloo. There will be prizes! Here are your contest questions:

1. Who are the five musicians in this photograph?
2. When and where did this performance take place?
3. Who was the sixth musician joining the band that day, but who, tragically, fell off the stage and missed being in this concert photo?

Get your answers in to the blog comments section by April 25! Contract employees of Dumont World Enterprises and their immediate offspring (legitimate or circumstantial) are ineligible, unless, of course, nobody else gets it right. Winners will be announced after the judges figure it all out.

A return to the Roots

Three pilgrims from the East visit the grave of Gabriel Dumont on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River near Batoche. What insights did they seek? What questions did they ask? What inspirations did they draw from this tranquil, almost spiritual homage? How did they get there in the first place? What's for lunch?