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CBC PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION,
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CBC Pensioners Association, Maritime Region Newsletter

Halifax, NS                          Spring, 2001

ASSOCIATION SUCCESSFUL, BUT MORE CHALLENGES AHEAD

By

Jack Brownell

This past year has been the most eventful in the history of the Association. My involvement at the national level began Feb. 14 & 15, 2000 when Floyd asked me to attend a meeting in Ottawa as the Maritime Representative. I was surprised to find that we had more than 30 items on our agenda in a weekend filled with presentations by insurance companies, pension managers, CBC HR people, and health care representatives. In addition, we were updated on the activities of the Consultive Committee on Staff benefits. All in all, it was a great experience with a steep learning curve for me. With all of these items on our plate, we still took the time to set the date and the stage for our Founding Meeting. The Founding Meeting required much preparation and planning for a new Constitution and Bylaws. We needed a variety of committees to prepare for the event which was to be held in Montreal June 16-18th at "Le Maison."
Here at home we formed a committee to draft recommendations for a set of bylaws and started work to form a chapter of the Association in Moncton. Nil d'Entremont called the Moncton group together and John McKay and I went up to help get the new organization off the ground.
Our next meeting in Ottawa was held May 8, 9. This was the last opportunity to check on the progress of the committees and to make any changes. We left the meeting confident that our Founding Meeting had all the ingredients for success. Of course, the pension surplus had been a topic of considerable discussion at the February meeting. We were introduced to Dennis Gautier of Buck Consulting. Dennis had recently represented CMHC in their agreement on the distribution of their pension surplus. This meeting with Dennis was to have a profound effect on the negotiations with pensioners, the employees and the CBC concerning the disposition of our surplus, which had risen to $1.1 billion by the end of 1999.
June 16th came and forty odd delegates, invited guests, past-presidents and other dignitaries gathered on Friday evening at a small reception hosted by the Montreal branch at the Maison. This region was represented by Jack Ingram, John McKay and myself from Halifax and Nil d'Entremont from Moncton.
On Saturday morning, the delegates began the arduous task of threshing out every article of the new bylaws - 72 in all - some of them so controversial that a great deal of discussion took place and required some serious compromising. The good will displayed during the entire week -end was impressive, and the result was a very successful beginning for our "new" Association.
Since then, we have successfully negotiated a partial distribution of the pension surplus, opened an office in Ottawa, hired staff including a temporary executive director, worked with the Corporation to develop a better relationship and hope to soon receive final approval from a variety of government departments to make our association a legal "not for profit" entity.
With all that has been achieved, there is still much to do. There remains a large surplus in the pension fund. It is important that we work toward an improved cost of living formula, as well as improved survivor benefits among other things.. To those of you who haven't yet joined the Association, I urge you to do so. The cost is small and the benefits, as has already been proven, are great.

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EISAN STEPPING DOWN

The man who could be described as the driving force behind the CBC Pensioners' Association is stepping down. Floyd Eisan kick-started a dormant Halifax group on Jan. 6, 1993 when he called a meeting at the Beanery in Bedford. About 50 pensioners attended and elected him chairman of our branch and our national delegate. We decided to hold monthly meetings and in February we gathered at the Royal Canadian Legion on Cunard Street in Halifax and have been doing so regularly ever since.
Committees were formed to tackle the various issues of concern to Pensioners and Floyd worked closely with all of them. At the same time he was very active at the national level. In 1995 he was elected vice-president and in 1997 he was elected president for a two-year term. He headed a committee that recommended the formation of a new Association, funded by dues, and entirely independent of the CBC. He guided its development until his term ended in the fall of 1999. Floyd also laid the groundwork that led to the Pension distribution we just received.
Now he wants to devote more time to remodelling a family home in Yarmouth. However, he remains on the board as past president. Here is the proposed slate for the coming year.

President Jack Brownell
Vice Judi Milne
Treasurer Tom Pottie
Secretary Ivan Munn
Past pres. Floyd Eisan
Information Ivan Munn & Colin Cooper
Moncton Nil d'Entremont
Members-at-large: Rufus Abbott, Susan Altman,
Jack Ingram, John McKay and Audrey Sampson.

BIG CROWD AT DEC. MEETING

By

Audrey Sampson

Editor's Note: The planning and preparations for the event were capably handled by Audrey Sampson and Tom Pottie.

Publishing Schedule Returns to Normal

Now that we can afford the postage, we are resuming spring and fall editions to improve communications. Those with email will be advised when the letter is ready on our home page. The others will receive it in the mail.
We also want to serve you in your language of choice. If you would prefer to receive the newsletter in French, please contact the editor, Ivan Munn email at imunn@accesswave.ca
If you don't have email yourself, some of your friends do. Ask them to pass on the message.

IN MEMORIAM

It has been about 18 months since our last news-letter so the list of deaths is much longer than usual. We make every effort to keep track of all of them, but some could be missed. We apologize if any have been overlooked and will include them in our next letter if they are brought to our attention. In addition to Pensioners, we have decided to include long-time freelance and contract employees we have served with over the years. They will be designated by the letters (F/L) after their names.

BEARS, Alice Ruth - 88, died May 20, 2000, in Clintonview Lodge, Clinton, P.E.I. She was the widow of Charles Austin Bears who had worked for the CBC in Sackville, N.B. and Halifax. She was a native of Kensington, P.E.I.

CLARK, Calvin - 80, Summerside, P.E.I., and formerly of Chelton, P.E.I., died in the Prince County Hospital, September 23, 2000. He was born in Summerside and was a veteran of the Second World War. He worked in the Building Maintenance Department of the CBC in Halifax until his retirement.

COVEY, Gordon James "Gord" - 73, Dartmouth, died April 14, 2000, in the Victoria General Hospital. He was a native of Biggar, Sask. He was retired from Nova Scotia Power, and had previously served with MT and T and the CBC in Halifax.

CYR, Mrs. Laetitia - 67, died Sept. 25, 1999, in hospital in Moncton, N.B. Born in Baie Ste-Anne, NB, she was the daughter of the late Edmond and Céline (Turbide) Thériault. She was Director of Radio Canada Atlantique in Moncton.

DOYLE, John Langdon "Jack" - 80, died July 12, 2000, in St. Vincent's Guest House, Halifax. Over the years he operated several businesses in Halifax and retired from the CBC in 1985. He was also well known in music circles around the city.

FELLOWS, Paul S. - 71, died suddenly at home in Toronto on June 13, 2000. Paul started with the CBC in Halifax and moved to Toronto in 1958. He was with the Corporation for 37 years in the Human Resources area.

FLINN, James Walter - 65, died in hospital at Richmond Hill, Ont. on Aug. 27, 2000. A native of Halifax, Jim worked in the Human Resources Department of CBC Halifax in the early 1960s. He later joined Imperial Oil and worked in Alberta and Ontario.

HUGHES, Georgie Dorothy. Died Mar. 18, 2001, in the Dartmouth General Hospital. She was the widow of Elmer Hughes, a radio technician in Halifax. She was born in Truro, and was the daughter of Harry and Rosella Hinton. She had been living in Lower Sackville.

JENKINS, Beresford Havelock "Berry" - 71 died Feb. 7, 2001, in hospital in Halifax. Born in Britain, he joined the army and served in Germany and later worked for Sieman's in the British Isles and the Sudan. In 1962 he came to Canada and joined the CBC as a lighting technician at CBHT in Halifax, retiring in 1992.

LUMSDEN, Alexander P. "Sandy" died at home at Gagetown, N.B. on June 4, 2000. A native of Truro, he taught school before joining the CBC in 1954 as an announcer in Sydney. From there he moved into the Production Department at TV in Halifax and later moved to Saint John, N.B. as Director of Radio.

MASON, Robert George "Bob" died Nov. 27, 2000, in hospital in Halifax. He served in the RCAF for some time and then went to work for the CBC and spent 37 years as a TV technician in Halifax, retiring in 1991.

POTTIE, Wilfred John "Wilf" - 63, died suddenly in Panama City Beach, Fla., on Mar. 8, 2001. A native of Halifax, Wilf worked for the CBC for 39 years, retiring in 1993. As a volunteer, he worked with the homeless at Hope Cottage and the veterans at Camp Hill Medical Centre. Wilf was active in the Pensioners Association and served as chair of our Hope Cottage Committee.

RICHARDSON, Pearson Clement - 63, died suddenly at home on Oct. 20, 2000. A native of Sydney, Pearson spent 35 years with the CBC in Sales and Human Resources, mainly in Halifax. He was active in union affairs, and eventually moved into Labour Relations.

ROE, David Bryan - (F/L) 74, died May 24, 2000 in Halifax. He taught at various schools in Halifax. He also worked for 15 years as a commentator and interviewer in the Public Affairs Department of CBC Halifax in both radio and television.

SANGSTER, Arthur Osborne - 81 died at home in Northwood Manor, Halifax, Mar. 10, 2000. A native of Canso, Art served in the Second World War and then spent 23 years at CBC TV in Halifax as a painter and later a cameraman.

TABOR, John Robert "Jack" - 66, died suddenly in hospital in Springhill on Jan. 28, 2000. He was born and grew up in Springhill and as a young man worked in the coal mines. Later he moved to Halifax and worked as a stage hand at CBHT.

Moncton Chapter Up and Running

By

Nil d'Entremont

The Moncton Chapter of the CBC Retirees' Association came into being on May 15, 2000 when more than 30 retirees met at the Moncton Press Club, 160 Assomption Boulevard. Jack Brownell and John McKay from the Halifax Retirees' Association were present and gave a brief outline of the history of the Halifax Branch and the National Association.
Discussions centered mostly on the pension surplus and the importance of the National Association and funding by way of payroll deductions.
An interim executive committee was elected. This committee met on June 20, 2000 and again in September when a constitution was drafted.
The founding meeting was held on October 16, 2000 and 32 people attended. The constitution was adopted and a board of directors was elected as follows:

President: Nil d'Entremont
Vice President Louis Elsliger
Secretary Yvon Michaud
Treasurer Francis Porelle
Director: Denise Thellab
Director: Yvonne Cormier

Treasurer's Report

By

Tom Pottie

Finance Summary as of Dec. 31, 2000 (in dollars):

Revenues
Jan. 1/2000 Cash in Bank	870.
Loose Collection	439
Dues	4,229
Total Revenue	5,538
Expenses
Stationery, Postage	146
Donations*	360
Travel	321
Dues Allocation, Moncton	450
Special Meeting	105
Christmas Lunch	690
Total Expense	2072
Net Income	3466

*Hope Cottage, Scotia Legion, Phoenix Youth Programs, Ward 5 Community Centre.