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BELLUZ Realty Ltd. . Simcoe Plaza Box 715 Terrace Bay Ontario 7e, POT 2WO fo Rg JURIS ZDANOVSKIS Office - 825-9393 atta 289 Sx BROKER Home - 824-2933 ara ys aH, Yo, MON CHERIE ha Ladies (807) 824-3080 Mountainview Plaza Huy. 17, Schreiber Volume 44 No. 26 Open Daily 10 am. ; L leey TUESDAY JULY 10, 1990 - The Terrace Bay-Schreiber "ps. ey 7 "rsa 40 Cents SUPERIOR-SHORELINE Special Rates: * New Homes (10 years or less) discount INSURANCE LTD. Discounts on Renovated Older Homes * Senior Citizen * Claims Free 825-9492 This goat demonsrates his balancing ability at the Cirque Des Etoiles. Close to 700 people attended the two shows on June 30. By Angie Saunders The News Safety is a large factor if you are employed at the Minnova Mine where they just celebrated 6 months without a lost-time acci- dent. Brian Gemmill, Safety Training Coordinator at Minnova- Winston Lake Division, stated, "We spend a lot of time on train- ing so things are done safely and right." Minnova, which stands for Mining innovation, is situated on one of the richest ore bodies in Canada, milling about 1,000 tonnes a day of zinc and copper. The mine presently employs about 168 employees who must all undergo training so their jobs can be carried out safely and effi- ciently. There are about 75 employees who work underground. Mr. Gemmill ensured me that the job is not as dirty and frightening as most people think. New men all important undergo common core training Photo by Angie Saunders for mine beginners which usually takes from four to six weeks. Training continues on an ongoing basis as the mine strives to improve productivity and safety. Underground workers, who work 8-hour shifts, prepare to go underground by wearing protec- tive eyewear, footwear, and a lighted hardhat. Earplugs or muffs are provid- ed for areas where huge ventila- tion fans blow in fresh air. Water is also piped through the mine to keep down the dust levels making things easier and safer for the miners. The elevator, called a cage, travels down a 2,500 foot shaft to take men to work in the drifts and stoops where they will extract the ore from solid rock. The cage is lowered and raised by a huge two-drum hoist operat- ed by one man who must stay alert at his controls because the lives of many men are literally in at Minnova his hands. These stopes and drifts are made mostly by huge automated machines called jumbo drills. Extensive training is required to operate one. The ceilings of rock are rein- forced with rock bolts that can hold up to 9 tonnes or more. These are installed using jackleg and stoper rock drills. The ore is mined from the lowest level up so the area where the rock has already been mined can be filled in with waste rock. Explosives are used to break the rock apart so it can be trans- ported back to the surface for milling. The miners drill holes with long hole drills which can accommodate an attachment of up to 80 feet. The explosives are placed in these holes. The blast- ing is done from the surface and no one is allowed underground at the time. The ore is transported by huge See Minnova...Page 2 Circus cats thrill crowds By Monica Wenzlaff On June 30, the circus came to Terrace Bay, and along with it came Sheba, Simone and Geronimo. The huge cats thrilled and terri- fied crowds as they danced, played dead, and jumped through flaming hoops only a few feet away from seated spectators. "When they haven't performed for awhile they do a great show because they miss it," said Conny Dam, who owns and trains the two leopards and the jaguar Geronimo. She, along with her husband Helge drove from their home in Tampa Bay, Florida:to perform with the CIRQUE DES ETOILES for most of the summer. Conny began her circus career in Denmark when she was a child. Her father was a bear trainer, and she travelled all over Europe with him as he performed. Her husband Helge was also involved with the circus in Denmark. When the family moved to the United States, Conny and Helge helped her father with the bear show, but then decided to try an act of their own. Twelve years ago, they bought their cats. "We bought them from animal dealers, just like you buy a car," said Conny, yet she admitted that they had to get through a lot of "red tape" before they could pur- chase the one-year-old animals. Training Conny and Helge spent over a year training the cats before they were ready to perform. Now, the cats are so familiar with the act that they need very little practice, even if they haven't performed for a month. "Once they have learned they always remember what they have to do. Sometimes, we just prac- tice for the exercise," said Conny. At home, the cats have huge pens so that they can get all the exercise they need. But on the road, the cats usually gain weight because they are confined to small cages in the back of the trailer that acts as a second home to Conny, Helge and the cats. "We feed them and clean them. We're with them 24 hours a day," said Conny, who thinks of her pets as part of the family. Huge appetites _ The three cats eat about 25lbs. of raw beef or chicken daily. They are also fed egg yolks and milk twice a week to keep their fur healthy. Conny and Helge try to always keep at least 400lbs. of meat in their freezer in the trailer for the cats. Conny said that her cats like the cool weather here in Northern Ontario because leopards live in mountains in the wild. Yet she said she's always worried that they might get a draft and catch a cold. "They like the weather as long as it's not below 0. So far they're healthy, knock on wood," said Conny, recalling a Christmas show she performed in five years ago in Thunder Bay. "It was so cold in the trailer that the cushions froze to the walls!" Although the cats were born in captivity, they are still wild ani- mals and they always will be. Conny used to walk her animals on a leash but she found it too dangerous because people would try to pet the cats. "They're wild animals, and they just don't take to everyone," said Conny. Conny and Helge will be trav- elling through Ontario and Quebec with the Cirque Des Etoiles until August 19. After that, they have two shows booked in Buffalo, and a month-long tour through Minnesota before the road takes them home. fa. \ DIANNE NEILL A COMPLETE INSURANCE SERVICE COMPETITIVE RATES FOR QUALITY COVERAGE TERRACE BAY INSURANCE LTD. * Home * Business * Auto * Cottages * Recreational Vehicles * Etc. SIMCOE PLAZA TERRACE BAY 825 - 3246 TERRY O'NEILL_/