Peace
Pole Erected At Pinecrest Public School During Touching Ceremony
September 18, 2001 was the International
Hear The Children Day of Peace. Ironically, one week earlier, on a day
which will be remembered as a turning point in the history of the world,
September 11, 2001, the United Nations International Day of Peace was
marred by the most devastating attach on the World Trade Centre and the
Pentagon in the United States.
The 200 Grade 6 to 8 children of Pinecrest
Public School in Valley East refused to let the terrorists of the world
stop them from doing their small part to promote world peace - a
movement which is even more critical to our survival than ever before!
“The students have dedicated and unveiled a
lasting memory of their attempts to promote and contribute to world
peace in their community. These youthful ambassadors of peace are
involved in a continuing project to assist in making peace a long term
vision at Pinecrest. Our beautiful Millennium Garden surrounding the
commemorative Peace Pole will be the visible result of their effort to
encourage peace locally and world wide,” says Deborah Knuff, Principal
of the school.
Ms. Knuff is shown in the photo on the far
right along with, from the left, Ms. Lori Adams, Principal of Wanup
Public School and students, Katie Goggins and Brett Lair
“Everyone has been involved in a wide variety
of activities, as organized by teacher Lynda Bailey, for our event
called “Hear The Children Day of Peace”. They rehearsed songs and
poems dedicated to the foundation and nurturing of a peaceful society.
Other activities will unfold throughout the year as part of our
involvement in the World Class School program,” stated Knuff.
The Peace Pole was donated by Ms. Lori Adams
who received the pole from the World Peace Prayer Society in Japan.
“There are over 200,000 peace poles around the world, making
Pinecrest School an important part of that global chain,”
stated Adams when she addressed the students and guests gathered
for the ceremony. Adams brought the Peace Pole back from Tokyo last fall
after attending a World Peace ceremony in that city as a Canadian
Representative of the World Peace Prayer Society.
“The planting of the peace pole symbolizes
your commitment to sharing, as individuals and as a school community,
the responsibility to build equitable, fair and peaceful communities for
all people around the world,” Adams continued.
The message inscribed on the pole, in English,
French, Spanish and Japanese is “May Peace Prevail on the Earth”.
The following poem, entitled, “Let There Be
Peace on Earth”, was sung by the assembled students, lead by the
Pinecrest Choir.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With love as our guide,
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me,
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow
To take each moment and live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Since 1981, the United Nations has declared the
2nd Tuesday of September as the International Day of Peace.
Undoubtedly, that day will continue to be set aside for people around
the world to take time to remember their individual responsibilities
with respect to peace. Unfortunately, September 11 will also be a time
to reflect upon one of the darkest days in the history of mankind. A
grim reminder - but one which may impress upon all civilized persons the
importance and significance of this mission of ours.
Bears
Becoming More Than Just A Nuisance Around Valley East Subdivisions
Scratches on the apple tree in a local
resident’s back yard remind all of us of the danger of bears roaming
the bushes that boarder Valley East neighbourhoods. Many signs of bears
have been spotted along local trails which are frequently used by
children as short-cuts or as play areas where they ride their bikes. The
police and the MNR have been swamped with calls from people all over the
region with concerns about wandering bears. Some have been shot and
killed, others captured and relocated, but there are still many more in
the area. The field across from the fire department in Val Therese has
been the area where many bears have been spotted roaming in broad
daylight. One lady in the Val Therese indicated that one day around
11:30 a.m., she heard scratching at the back door and when she opened
the inside door she discovered an adult bear standing on her hind legs
staring right at her. The police indicated that they would send someone
out when they had a chance. Bears wandering on the streets and in back
yards during the day create a real safety hazard for young children.
Most of the time, if you make enough noise,
bears will leave you alone and stay hidden. Unfortunately, there are
still cubs with their mothers. If you happen to come upon a bear cub you
may soon find yourself confronted by an angry mother bear and that is
where things could turn ugly. This summer has been especially stressful
for people who enjoy walking in the woodlands. Rabid foxes in the spring
time and bears on the loose all summer, have created a situation which
is becoming intolerable.
If any of our readers have sited bears or have
encountered problems recently, The Vision Paper would like to hear about
it. You can visit our web site at www.thevisionpaper.com
and send us an email with your comments. Any suggestions on how to keep
them away from residences would also be appreciated. For what it’s
worth, some people have indicated that the problem this year is nothing
compared to what it will be in the future when the young bears grow up
and begin having cubs of their own.
