The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

In today's installment, 'Bob' tells us how his drug lifestyle affected those people who were closest to him. by Ken Moffatt, ARF, Thunder Bay, and Dennis Bernardi, ARF, Timmins. ARF: Bob, you've described some of the difficult emotions you had to deal with during the years when you struggled with your drug habit. Did you have anybody to lean on during that time? Bob: Well, [had a good buddy who started with me and for quite a few years we had each other so we could talk and share what we were thinking. But he did a bit too much and he killed himself, he shot himself. After he was gone there wasn't anybody around. My wife would try to help me but I thought she couldn't understand. I'd just tell her she didn't know what I was talking about. I didn't believe that she could understand what I was going through. ARF: Looking back- would you say Many dangers warns OPP Last winter 17 people died and 485 were: injured in a total of 558 snowmobile accidents across Ontario. Alcohol was a factor in approximate- ly half the fatal accidents according to the Ontario-Provincial Police. Some snowmobilers forget just how vulnerable they are to injury both on and off the road. Unlike a car or truck, the snowmobile offers little protection in the event of a sudden stop or colli- sion. Usually the driver and passenger are thrown off the vehicle. Off-road accidents accur when snow vehicles strike objects covered by snow such as rocks and tree stumps. Dips in terrain and wire fences are deadly to snowmobilers. Recklessness and alcohol increase the danger. Barely-frozen lakes and rivers are treacherous when a heavy snowfall covers them. a snowmobile that plunges through thin ice too often takes its driver and passenger with it. that she did understand? Bob: She did, but I thought I was in another class. She was my wife I lov- ed her and everything but she wasn't in my class. That's the way I looked at it anyway. ARF: What effect did your drug tak- ing have on the people around you? Bob: On my friends it wasn't that bad because all my friends were guys that did dope. But on my family it was pretty hard, especially my wife. I'd go from one town and pick up the stuff and bring it back to another town, so she'd never know what was happening to me. I overdosed about four or five times, wound up in the hospital for a few days, then she'd get a phone call. So it was pretty rough on her emo- tionally. I never hit her physically but I did abuse her mentally..I didn't realize it at the time, now I do realize it but I didn't realize then what I was doing to her. ARF; Looking back, how did you feel about this mental abuse once you started getting straight? Bob: You know, it took awhile for her to adjust to me once I was straight, and for me to forgive myself for what I did to her and the kids. So that's another conflict you wind up having when you go straight. ARF: So when you started to get straight there had to be readjustments in your relationship with yourself and with your family. Would you talk about that some more? Bob: To start off with, my wife didn't really believe that I was really going straight because I told her that a few times before and I lied to her. So she didn't trust me. I got kind of mad because I was try- ing and she didn't believe me. Then, as the time went on I saw why; she had a reason not to believe me in the first place because of all the times that I had said it before and I lied to her. There are a lot of emotions involv- ed and you have to.readjust your whole life, including your family life. Our whole family life had to be changed, The OPP find the most common violations include: the tack of safety equipment such as lights and helmets; failure to register the snowmobile and allowing others to operate it; no in- surance; driving across or alongside highways without having an operator's license; disobeying road signs; failure to share the roadway and careless driv- ing and impaired operation. Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Wednesday, December 17, 1986, page 5 A Northern Ontario drug addict's true story we had to learn to trust each other again. ARF: Was that the big issue, was trust the big block to overcome? Bob: Yeah, the first thing you got to do is believe in yourself. Once you get that done then you start working on your family and everybody else. If you try and get everything together at once, well, you can't han- dle all that at once. You have to do it LCCC CCL CSCC CS SSCS SOC ET NEW YEAR'S EVE DANCE > NEW LEGION HALL SCHREIBER one step at a time. ARF: Your life is essentially broken up into a lot of pieces and you have to take the smallest pieces first and start to put them together? Bob: Yes. Next week we continue to look at 'Bob's' changing relationship with his family. For more information, call Narcotics Anonymous at 344-5347 or ARF at 622-0607. ™' 530. Couple * ia * : 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. * : Music by PARTY SOUND * * TICKETS Ps * « + " . * ( ¥(. 520. Single TICKET SALES ON DEC. 3/86 I Designated drivers available for transportation home after the dance. IN MEMORIAM NOVA McBRIDE In loving memory of a dear friend who passed away December 23, 1985. Sadly missed by BILL & ANNE KUSHNIERYK McBRIDE- In loving memory of NOVA McBRIDE who passed away DECEMBER 23, 1985 Please God forgive a silent tear. A constant wish that she were here. Others were taken yes we know. But she was ours and we loved her so. She bid no one a last farewell. Nor even said goodbye. She was gone before we knew it. And only God knows why. If all the world were our to give. We'd give it, yes and more. To see the face of the one we loved Come smiling through the door. Please God just take a message. To her in Heaven above, Tell her how much we miss her, And give her all our love. Lovingly Remembered by RON, RONNIE, KAREN, GERALDINE, LAWRENCE AND GRANDCHILDREN. Come out and bring in the l= Happy New Year TERRACE BAY CURLING CLUB meyanee® ary at CURLING CLUB LOUNGE DECEMBER 31, 1986 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. *30.00 COUPLE *15.00 SINGLE COMPLIMENTARY CHAMPAGNE & LUNCHEON TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM DIANE O'NEILL % at 825-9206 *x or POLLY BAJKIEWICZ 825-3726 # »* Ot ROR et * a4 ee New fear 4 MOK KKK HK HK 4 HK THE McCAUSLAND HOSPITAL THE McCAUSLAND HOSPITAL is pleased to ANNOUNCE THAT IT HAS RECEIVED A 3-YEAR ACCREDITATION FROM THE CANADIAN COUNCIL ON HOSPITAL ACCREDITATION. The letter reads: "The Board of Directors of Council has assessed the reports of survey sub- mitted after your recent accreditation visit on September 3, 1986. It is a pleasure to advise that Council has awarded Accreditation status to your hospital. Your hospital will be resurveyed in approx- imately three years' time." An explanation of the degrees of accreditation was enclosed with the letter. 1) Accreditation with resurvey in approximate- ly three years: Health care facilities deemed by Council to have "ABOVE AVERAGE" com- pliance with standards in all areas are normally awarded accreditation for three years." Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our achieving this accreditation. It proves that by working together we have proved that we do indeed have an "above average" health care facility here on the North Shore. New Year with your friends. VPA R RRR Og The Valhalla Inn FERRO a gag FORO THUNDER BAY ct The Perie Weekend Get Away 59" *Per room, per night, no extra charge for children under 18 in the same room. 1 VALHALLA INN ROAD, THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO CALL (807) 577-1121, TELEX 073-4524, CALL TOLL-FREE IN CANADA (800) 268-2500 =e ee eee ees ss For reservations call toll-free 14800)268-2500 pare Expires April 30, 1987 ror usWalhalla Inn Guest $10.00 VALID ONLY IN THUNDER BAY amour LEN and no/100 Present at Check-in for $10 off per room Limit one cheque per room per stay Subject to availability. WEEKENDS ONLY The Valhalla Inn THUNDER BAY May not be used in conjunction with special rates, group rates or vouchers. NOT NEGOTIABLE