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S - Tha Canadian Champion, Tuasday, April 4,2000 'C Bnn~ 5npntîg Home smth Flotrers 487LaurierAte 3 878.2881 Rt ~j~n~mdfaoer~ k~1~ *Cbaxrn~oex con u ~Johnson truly a dedicated Miltonian By LISA CARTWRIGHT The Champion I t's the lifetîme of service and dedication to the community that has earned Fred Johnson the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Milton Chamber of Commerce. While flot as active as he once was, Mr. Jobnaon, who will tum 91 in May, atili belpa the community and Use people in it. "AS a member of Use comrnunity, it abould be worUswbile working for il," Mr. Jobason aaid. Mr. Jobnaon was born May 4, 1909 in Milton and grew up in a bouse where Use plaza on Use soutbweaî corner of Ontarjo and Main streets flOW lita. The town bas changed and ia continuing b cbange, aaid Mr. Jobnaon. Wben he waa a boy, Ibere was about 1.200 people living here. He bas watched it grow larger, spilling over tbe bordera of wbat uaed b be conaidered Milton. Tbe town once apanned only frorn Basnnte to Ontario atreets and frorn Steelea Avenue 10 Mailin Street, ha said. "Tbe cemetery was in town and beyond tbat was ont in Use country." Different lime Mr. Jobnson aaid ha grew tep III a Urne wben cbildren walked for milea to acbool and created their own fun. Hockey was popular, and be aaid tbe kida would abovel off Use pond and atrap on a pair of akatea. AS be got older, Mr. Jobnson did odd jobs for Ibe local sbopkeepers before working aI Ibe foundry as a bol and die machinist. Il was a trade be would do for Ibe reat of bis working life. Mr. Jobnson grew tep just around the corner fmm bis future wife. Margaret, wbo is known as Beas, lived wiUs ber parents in a amaîl borne on PearI Street. Tbe couple married in 1934. Work was bard to find in tbe '30s. For a wbile, Mr. Jobnson leased an Imperiai Qi! gas station on tbe corner of Main and Ontario streets. He rani tha station from 1934 until 1940. Et was during tbat lime the town couldn't afford 10 keep Use arena open ao il renteri it out to Use govemment 10 store wool. Mr. Jobnson said be flooded tbe faeld beside Use gas atation an cbildren would bave a place 10 play bockey. A sports lover, Mr. Jobnson coacbed basebaîl and bockey for 8 to 10-year-olds. "Moat of Use kida eventually joined Use army Long-urne volunteer Fred rernember~ when the populagrn ofMifton »oi~Iyj>zoa and neyer came back be aaid. En 1940 Mr Jobnson enrolled in Ibe Royal Canadian Ordinance Core in London, Ont. Tbe core waa responsible for repairing equipment. Mr. Jobnaon neyer made il 10 Europe, alUsougb be was aI Use train station twice. BoUs Urnes Use train was cancelled, be said. After six monîba in tbe arrny, Mr. Jobnson was discbarged because be bad a bemia. He and bis family moved 10 Toronto in tIse later part of 1940. Mr. Jobnson attained a job wiUs a company Usat was doing work for Use war effort. But bis family didn't like Toronto, and Usey rnoved back 10 Milton a sbort tirne later. The Jobnsons neyer left Use comrnunity again. En 1942, Use couple bougbt Ms Jobnson's farn- ily borne frorn ber parents and Usey "bave been bere since." Tbe couple raised six of Useir own cbildren in tha amaîl bouse. For a couple of years, one of Useir nieces aiso lived wiUs Usem. TIse farnily now includea 16 grsndcbildren (eigbt boys and eigbt girls) and six great.grand- cbildren (two boys and four girls) living tbrougbout Ontario and Ibe United States. One of Useir sons, wbo waa paralyzed from Use neck down in a swirnming accident in 1972, paaaed awsy in 1993. Work on Arrow After Ibe family moved back 10 Milton, Mr. Jobnson worked at a cornpany called Orenda unUl be retired in 1974. During bis lime witb tIse cornpany, Mr. Jobnson belped build Ibe Landcaster Bomber and Ibe engine for Use famous Anow airplane. But retirernent didn't slow Mr. Jobnson down. Enstead, be stsrted volunteering for Ibe Halton Centennial Manor (now Allendale), driving patients - oflen younger Iban birnself - 10 appoinîrnents. Today, Mr. Jobnson is still active. He still drives and expecta 10 for quite a wbile longer, especially afler be bas cataract surgery tc> improve bis vision. Mr. Jobnson la a life member oU tIse Royal Canadian Legion. Photo Eny GRAHAM PAINE Frad Johnaon, wlnner of the Milton Chamber of Cornmarce's Lîfetîme Achievement Award, enloys gardenlng and playlng carda, dans and anooker. The war vateran la also a regular at tha bown'a Royal Canadlan Laglon hall. He started going 10 Use legion bail in 1943 and ahI! goes regularly. He volunteers Ibere, taking groups tbrougb the Ibird-floor Memory Roorn tbat contains war memorabilia. En November, Mr. Jobnson selîs poppies 10 raise rnoney for veterans in need. En tIse aummer be plants a garden, often wiUs enougb produce left over 10 feed Ibe neigbbours. Tbis year, be said be will scale Use garden back, planting only tomatoes. Tbe reat of Use lime, Mr. Jobnson.enjoys going out witb frienda, plax ing cuchre and cribbage and taking case of bis Inouse. "Spare lime," be asked? "Wbat spare lime." Mr. Jobnson will be preaented Ibe Lifetime Achievernent Award Saturday during Ibe Cbamber's gala evening at Granite Ridge Golf Club. ~I1PNf~ P~P~i COGECO 14 Programmlng Schedule - ApnI 4th 2000 April lOth 2000 95~ lIa lia Nsa P~gedhi! lIa lia Nais PI~sd 4~ 5~ Eps Piigd~ h., liaiho P~aaed~' tnaoe Encan Incas Encans ~g< ~ 5J0,t~730~ Psgda~ 5306 flOP ~ 5~.0tJ0130pn Plaijedi Slips Ihenedlrne 530,630,130pn Pi~edIni &OOpn Cala R~sn Casa lOlpen lpantslll( Las 21 Main Street North, tOOten Soeusltmuae ~Ops UeC5ssan tOOps I6~ac~Scae 530pn Sausslhn*csse 6 Lnqis5eE~e www.cogeco.ca ~ T6el~CM ~30Pfl SsWI* Ls~ Actaen &30pn Cia Pds Cajsi & ~ I OOps Pie Ena a ~00pn MusyY~5 Actas, ON L7J 1V9 519-8534270, or 853-4700 Fatuwe this weele Catch "Swap Talk" Uve Only on Cogeco 14! W.d, 700 p m.