Inbox: Missed the big goal by seconds, vision loss, retiree Visa

"Team Canada made the mistake of underestimating the Russians"

Stories on heroes welcomed

Thank you for publishing the story of the men who made history, Paul Henderson and Ron Ellis, Pete Mahovlich and the great Bobby  Orr (Hockey Heroes, September FYI.) I enjoyed reading the stories and I remember all too well the extreme pressure that was felt by not only the fans but almost all people across the country.

That goal by Henderson was indeed a miracle at a very critical moment for our democratic society. Team Canada made the mistake of underestimating the Russians then and we are still doing the same today, not in sports but politically.

The last paragraph of the Bobby Orr story broke my heart, addressing all the pains he suffered for so many years so that millions of fans could have their thrills. I also think of their wives, who are sometimes dubbed “hockey widows.”

And this leads to a controversial subject – violence in hockey. We can enjoy basketball for the skills and they do not need violence to attract people. All violence in sport should be banned by law. How many good people have injured themselves or even ruined their lives with brain injuries, just to provide others with some “good times”?

Why can we not see the foolishness of it all? Jesus Christ came to earth to give His life so that we can have “eternal life”; in the face of so much evil in the world and major disasters, who takes the time to stop and think, what is this all about?

The August article by William Thomas (Laughlines) spoke of the need for time for silent contemplation and I am glad that you published the comments of Yehuda Beni in the September edition confirming this truth.

Pierrette Gagnon
Toronto

Missed big goal by seconds

Reader Dennis Kelly wrote to FYI in response to a question posed in the August edition: Where were you when Henderson scored in Game 8 of the 1972 hockey Summit Series?

Sadly, I never witnessed the original goal.

All those years ago, I was a newspaper boy.

Our school had a black and white TV hooked up in the cafeteria and seemingly the whole school was there (about 500 kids) to witness this history.

I knew I had to get out of the cafeteria quickly to get my carrier bag from my locker or I'd be crushed by the vacating crowd when the game was over. So with about 50 seconds left in the game and a tie seeming inevitable, I left the cafeteria and headed up two flights of stairs to my locker.

As I reached the second floor just before getting to my locker, my buddy Steve burst out of one of the classrooms with, ‘WE WON! Did you see that? We won – Henderson scored.’ I genuinely thought he was kidding. I went to my locker, retrieved my newspaper carrier bag and left the school.

I delivered my newspaper route of about 40 homes and arrived home to more jubilation. I had missed the goal of the century.

Happily I've seen it a hundred times in replay, and I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Henderson and get his autograph about a decade ago, but that's where I was 40 years ago – on a high school staircase missing The Goal.

Dennis Kelly
Ajax, Ont.


Learn more about vision loss

Samara Gravesande posted on our website in response to the story “Boomers and vision loss: Forewarned is forearmed” (September edition):

Great and timely article!

The number of individuals diagnosed with AMD in Canada is on the rise. Now, more than ever, it's necessary to mitigate risk factors and engage in preventative measures.

If readers would like to hear from top Canadian scientists and doctors directly about the latest in AMD vision research, join me at the Foundation Fighting Blindness's Vision Quest conferences.

Oct. 13 – Edmonton (Current AMD treatments and Nutrition and AMD)

Nov. 3 – Toronto (Current AMD treatments and Nutrition and AMD)

More information is available at ffb.ca/visionquest or by calling 800-461-3331 ext 263.

Samara Gravesande
Program and social media coordinator
Foundation Fighting Blindness
Toronto


CSA: keep up the good work

There continues to be interest from readers interested in learning about the Canadian Retiree Visa proposed by the Canadian Snowbird Association and currently under review by U.S. legislators. In response to a story on our website, Jim Anderson wrote, “Great folks, keep up the great work.”

The website editor has posted this comment in response to queries from readers:

“Keep reading FYI for updates. The last suggestion from the Canadian Snowbird Association is that the visa legislation may be considered by the House and Senate during the lame-duck period after the November elections.”