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Atomic vets taking on feds

By Bruce Campbell
staff Reporter

A High River resident who was exposed to five atomic blasts – similar to the bombing of Hiroshima – is suing the Canadian government to receive compensation for illnesses caused by radiation.
Bob Henderson, 76, along with 68-year-old Jim Huntley of Balzac, are the two plaintiffs pursuing the class action suit, which was filed in Ottawa on Feb. 19.
The suit could affect approximately 1,000 veterans who were involved in atomic testing in the throes of the Cold War between 1946 and 1963, in Nevada, Australia and the South Pacific.
Both Henderson and Huntley were involved in testing at Nevada.
Henderson was one of four members in his unit who were exposed to live blasts from approximately four miles away during the summer of 1957. He is the lone surviving member. The others have died of cancer or heart complications.
“We thought we were going there to do surveys on a nuclear battlefield to make safe passage for our troops to continue the battle,” said Henderson, a member of the Canadian Atomic War Veterans Association based out of the Turner Valley Royal Canadian Legion. “The Atomic Energy Commission had rated us the top radiation survey team in the world...The Chief had called. We were appointed to go – we thought it was the right thing to do.”
Henderson, a Korean War veteran who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 27 years, has had two bouts with cancer.
He is in remission, but is getting checked every three months. He’s also had heart problems and presently uses an oxygen respirator. All of those ailments are consistent with exposure to high amounts of radiation. He also has Hepatitis C from bad blood he received during a heart operation.
He doesn’t believe he will be alive to see any money if and when there is some sort of settlement with the government. But that’s not his main concern.
“First of all we would like recognition – for 50 years we have been told that we were never there,” Henderson said. “For 50 years, we were told the amount of radiation we would have received would be the same as an X-ray. We want the government to recognize we were there and second we want compensation for the veterans, widows and the dependent children for the various problems related to radiation.”
Henderson has two grown daughters who have both battled cancer, which he believes is related to the atomic radiation he received in 1957. The daughters were born prior to 1957.
“We have had widows who have lost their husbands in the 1970s and they should be compensated,” Henderson said bluntly.
The Turner Valley Royal Canadian Legion has been the headquarters for the Canadian Atomic Veterans Association for the approximately 10 years.
Legion president Gordon Day is disappointed the veterans had to take legal action, but he is pleased that something may finally be resolved.
“I think it is long overdue,” Day said.“The government has not answered for its actions or have given very cryptic answers. However, it is the government that sent down these veterans without telling them of the dangers of radiation.”
Macleod MP Ted Menzies said he had talked to Henderson at the 2007 Remembrance Day ceremonies in Turner Valley about the atomic war veterans’ situation.
“As his MP, after I talked to him (Henderson) I went directly and talked personally to (Defence Minister) Peter MacKay and Veterans Affair Minister Greg Thompson,” Menzies said. “They were both aware of the situation.”
Menzies said because it is now before the courts he is limited as to what he can say publicly.
Patrick Alberts, a lawyer with Merchant Law Group, LLP in Regina, said the firm has launched the class-action suit, which could benefit as many as 1,000 veterans and their families.
He said Americans involved in similar testing received $75,000 each from the United States government several years ago.
Alberts speculated the figure Canadians may receive would be closer to $100,000 based on the American settlement.
He added that financial number might increase for veterans who have major injuries or life-threatening diseases such as cancer.

Emergency workers and investigators from Canadian Pacific Railway look over an accident scene on Highway 23 east of Blackie on Monday morning. A pick-up truck slammed into the side of train at the rail crossing. Both men in the truck survived the accident. photo by Lindsay Hanhart

Two men survive collision with train

By Bruce Campbell
staff reporter

Two men escaped with non-life threatening injuries when the truck they were travelling crashed into a train — knocking a train car full of liquefied propane gas off the tracks — east of Blackie on Monday morning.
Two men, 36 and 35 from Mortlach, Saskatchewan and Vulcan, respectively, were travelling eastbound on Highway 23 in a pick-up truck, when it collided with a train at a crossing approximately 10 kilometres east of Blackie, near Brant. The collision took place at approximately 8:15 a.m.
While the car filled with propane gas was derailed, there was spillage or contamination to the surrounding area.
RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb said a heavy fog in the area might have been a factor in the men driving into the southbound train.
The two men were transported to a Calgary Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No members of the train’s crew were injured.
High River RCMP, the Vulcan and High River fire departments, Vulcan and Foothills Regional emergency services and the CPR investigators were at the scene.
No charges have been laid as of Feb. 25.
The crossing is the same location where in October of 2004 a man, was killed when the cattle liner he was driving slammed into a train.
“The crossing is adequately lit and identified,” Webb said, however, he added drivers should be driving with greater caution if weather is a factor.

Council votes for wage jump

By Don Patterson
Staff Reporter

Okotoks town council voted for a raise after a review showed salaries for the mayor and councillors were below those for elected positions for similar municipalities.
Council voted to amend the 2008 operating budget at its Feb. 25 meeting to reflect the increases.
The mayor’s annual salary will increase by $12,000 to about $56,000 per year, while councillors’ salaries will increase by $4,800 to $31,000 per year.
Salary reviews are conducted every three years, with the last one occurring in 2006, and the mayor and councillors receive annual cost of living adjustments.
If council were to wait until the next election, Coun. Ed Sands said they would be further behind and a potential raise at that time would be even higher.
“Elected official remuneration adjustments are a particularly sensitive matter,” he said. “Changes have always taken effect at the end of the term or upon material changes in responsibility.”
He added the last significant change to council’s workload occurred when council changed its meeting schedule to include two meetings per month and no change in pay was considered at that time.
Coun. Ralph Wilson said councillor and the mayor deserve to be paid a fair wage for the work they do.
He said the mayor’s position has become a full-time job. He said the mayor often works more than 40 hours per week and, as such, deserves appropriate compensation.
“To me, he’s vastly underpaid in terms of the work he does,” Wilson added.
Coun. Stephan Clark cast the lone opposing vote and proposed an amendment that would’ve limited annual increases to inflation.
While admitting the position has resulted in longer work hours than he was told to expect, he said councillor stepped forward for their positions based on an expected salary.
“We’ve made a commitment to do this job for three years for a certain wage,” Clark added.
Nancy Weigel, Town of Okotoks manager of human resources, said other towns and small cities in the Calgary area have increased salaries for their elected officials. The Town compares its wages to nine similar sized municipalities, that are near a major city and have experienced significant growth, including Airdrie, Cochrane, High River the MD of Foothills.
“We felt it was only fair to councillors that they meet their policy, which is to meet the mid-market range,” said Weigel.
With the strong provincial economy, she said the labour market has become more competitive and some positions have been difficult to fill.
“I’m sure everyone recognizes the last few years have been a volatile market,” she said.
Salaries for Town staff will not revised until the next review in 2009.

Atomic vets taking on feds

Two men survive collision with train

Council votes for wage jump

Heartbreak at Scotties

Kleibrink loses last-shot
final to Manitoba
See Sports

State of the Arts

Part 2 in a three part series on Okotoks’ arts community
See Entertainment


February 27, 2008 Vol. 33 No. 30		$1.00 INCL GST

Atomic vets taking on feds

Two men survive collision with train

Council votes for wage jump

Heartbreak at Scotties Kleibrink loses last-shot final to Manitoba See Sports

State of the Arts Part 2 in a three part series on Okotoks’ arts community See Entertainment

Heartbreak at Scotties

Kleibrink loses last-shot
final to Manitoba
See Sports

State of the Arts

Part 2 in a three part series on Okotoks’ arts community
See Entertainment