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Exconvict Ernie Hollands leads Barrie people in prayer After turning to God Exconvict wants back in iail to preach religion to inmates By NANCY FIGLERUA Of The Examiner Ernie Hollands hiyeanold Peterborough man has spent years of his life in prison Hollands convicted for attemp ted murder and armed robbery was released from jail two years ago and now he wants togobacktojail It isnt that he misses his old home or that he dislikes life on the outside but rather that he wants to spread the word of God to the inmates of anadas prisons and reform schools in Saturday Hollands gave his Christian testimony to members of the Barrie chapter of the Full Gospel Busi nessmens Fellowship Hollands said that he receiv ed his education in crime early inlifc My mother used to take me shopping and while she held the shopping bag open stole items Off the shelf he said By the time was eight years old was constant thief and by the time Iwas 12 was sent to refor matory Hollands born in Halifax was the illegitimate child of 16ycarold girl After his father and mother married the fami ly grew to five children His father had cancer and had to keep the family alive on unemployment insurance His mother soon ran off with boyfriend abandoning her family Early in life Hollands learned to hate society and authority He made 18 attempts to escape from reformatory Seventeen times he was returned and 17 times he was beaten he said Ill never know why they call them reform schools said Hollands The guards will beat you just for talking Jan you imagine beating 12year old kid They heat me and they locked me up in the hole solitary confinement INTULICRAHLE the two years he spent in the Guelph reformatory he says that life was intolerable The pretty boys were raped and made to do things that animals shouldnt do he said Some of those guys are in Millhaven and Kingston now their lives are just rotting away 0n Hollands 18th escape atempt he made it as far as Washington but he was caught by the police was returned to Halifax but to my surprise the police did not want me he said went home but my father didnt want me either He could not afford to keep me Totally rejected and without home he continued and ex panded in his life of crime He decided to try life in western Canada but before long he was in jail in British Columbia on burglary charges He managed to escape from the BC jail But they came looking for me with dogs they soon found me Soon Hollands had committed number of armed robberies some in the United States thought had the big times Hollands recalled committed armed robbery in Detroit and held up bank in Saint John NB In Los Angeles planned an armed robbery in supermarket but things went wrong police officer was wounded Suddenly was fac ing an attempted murder charge In metter of years Hollands had graduated from petty theft to armed robbery to attempted murder His list of jail homes iii clude akalla Prison Farm the Ontario Reformatory Detroit Jail ttawa City Jail Saint John County Jail Dorchester Penitentiary King ston Penitentiary ollins Bay Prison Millhaven Peniten tiary and Joyceville Prison Hollands said that whenever he was away from jail he wanted to be back in jail was considered bigtime criminal and waa looked up to by fellow inmates he said At least had sense of im portance Yet whenever was in wanted to get out quick ly ESCAPE ARTIST With practice Hollands became an escape artist He managed to jump the walls at akalla in Detroit hc unlocked his handcuffs with paper clip he walked away from the tawa City Jail he sawed the bars through and broke out of the Saint John County Jail and with elaborate planning he broke out of Dorchester Penitentiary stole huge turnip from thejail kitchen got hair from one of the guys in the barber shop had nose made in the woodshop and put it all together to look like me he said knew when the guards shifts changed and when it did went over the walls using rope from the jails movie screen and two meat hooks from the kitchen Marion Pilon of Elmvale correctly identified last weeks entry in The Newsmakers Contest as Win ners of the Georgian College Queen Contest and won Big Meal at McDonalds if you know the story behind this weeks entry send your na re Once he had escaped Hollands stole gun and robbed bank He was caught and sentenced to nine years in Kingston Penitentiaiy and said Hollands You dont escaiXifromKingston Hollands recalled that as soon as he got to Kingston he was stripped of his clothes thrown in the shower and sprayed with disinfectant They sprayed me like was common cockroach he said Then they mixed me in with rapists murderers arsonists and mollesteis like pot of stew Kingstoi was the turning point of his life He started making artificial fish flies and it was this that eventually turn ed his life around Hollands made 84000 flies Soon Hollands made contacts with outside sporting good stores and became the supplier of flies to many stores His mail order business continued to grow made more than $3000 in my cell tax free he said nc of his customers was Grant Bailey owner of Baileys Sports entre in Pembroke Bailey had recently found hrist and although he was not too interested in Hollands flies he was interested in Hollands Hailey wrote to Hollands and told him about Jesus RAZY thought he was crazy said Hollands All my life had been stealing from people like him He was rich and he wanted to help me couldnt believe it To me Hailey had everything wife family nice home good business Yet he said that until he took hrist as his personal Saviour something was missing He kept sending me these letters about iod and all wanted was for him to buy my fish flies just wanted to make the almighty buck that was my God However Hollands decided to accept iailcys letters wanted to stay on his good sidi just for tiusiness reasons Hailey gave Hollands Bible and with more than enough time on his hands Holland road the iible five times couldnt put it diiwn Slowly Hollands started praying in his cell used to pray in the dark said Hollands didnt want the guards to see me Theyd tell the prisoners and then Id real ly be in trouble However he soon found that he didnt care whether or not address telephone number with your entry to Newsmnkers Contest Barrie L4M 4T6 Examin notified by mail Winners are selected by random draw of all correct answers the other prisoners knew what he was doing had accepted God he said One night hands went out and cried itxl believe Let me live my life forJesus Hollands said that Jesus hrist came to him in his cell saw Jesus just clear as see you he told his audience He said to me Your slate is now wiped clean You can start over again was freer that night in my cell than most people ever are he said For the first time in my life began to see beautiful things RELEASED Hollands had made numerous requests for early parole but he was always turned down Then one day 21 months before my sentence was over guard came to me and said pack your stuff youre going to Joyceville medium security prison near Kingstnni he said Within three weeks of his stay in Joyccville another guard came to him and said pack your stuff youre free at 130 in tomorrow in the lay he was released Bailey was waiting at the door of the prison with his car and Ullaul van to transport Hollands and his 34 cartons of fish flies to Pembroke Bailey had room prepared for Hollands and job for him as cashier in the store Hollands did not stay at the job long He found that his ob in life was to spread the word of Christianity He has spoken at universities colleges high schools churches bars jails and reform centres He holds nondenominational church ser vices in the Ottawa and Pen broke jails and has applied for the same privilege in peniten tiarics In few weeks he hopes to return to Millhaven to spread the word of iod Ill go anyplace anywhere for Jesus he said In December 1077 Hollands married Myeareold woman whose husband minister had rcccntly died Her three children heard me on TV and prayed that one lay would be their new daddy he said couldnt believe what was hap pening to me was going to have wife and three beautiful children If you had seen me four years ago you would have said was doomed man But God gaVe me chance he mended my problems and if you let him hell mend yours The Examiner Box 370 or Photo Winners will be the examineLf wognesgay Nov 1978719 Library now more accessible for the physically handicapped By SUE BURKE Of The Examiner Changes are being made to make the adult section of the Barrie Public Library more ac cessible to the physically han dicapped Steps at the new main en trance to the library on Mulcaster Street have become ramps and bathroom stalls in the public washroom have been altered to provide room for wheelchairs The major move has been the installation of small elevator to carry the handicapped bet ween the librarys two floors says Sara Maley head librarian Over year ago Wintario came out with plan to help finance alterations to public buildings that would make them more accessible to the handicapped she said We had already planned to alter our entrance That was in our budget So we applied to Wintario to finance the installa tion of an elevator The library board received conditional approval for 100 per cent of the costs and will be refunded to Wintario once the bills are collected The ramp and elevator will enable the handicapped to move more freely in building that has not before now been accessible There were always stairs to get up and stairs to get down whether you wanted to get into the library or whether you were going from one floor to another would often find people sit ting halfway up or down the staircase resting because the stains were little too much for them said Mrs Maley Plans were made two years ago to replace entrance steps with ramps but bids made on the project were too high said Mrs Maley We had budgeted for $10000 but the only bids we received were for about $25000 she said Construction on the elevator and ramp is completed and finishing touches are being put on other changes in the library for an open house being held in January We have also centred our checkout and incoming ser The Barrie and District ASStXlZIlth for the Mentally Retarded helps the retarded care for themselves and obtain employment This is done through number of services pre school nursery residences for the mentally handicapped the Adult Rehabilitation entre and SubTon Industries But without the help of the United Way these services would all come to an abnipt halt and many of the mentally handicapped would be in in stitutions where they would be drain rather than contribu tion to the community Ironically aking it is the United Way at keeps us in business says John Seymour executive director of the Harrie and District Association for the Mentally Retarded We have yearly operating costs of $1 million dollars only $37000 of which comes from the United Way That is small percentage of our total but without it we couldnt expect to survive for more than one year The association is volunteer charitable organization dedi cated to the prevention of men tal retardation the protection of the rights of retarded per sons and the promotion of con ditions favorable to their development and wellbeing in the community It is affiliated with the On tario Association for the Men tally Retarded and the ana dian Association for the Men tally Retarded 25TH ANNIVERSARY This year marks the 25th an niversary of the Barrie and district association It offers number of services both for children and for adults Childhood services include iii fant stimulation Sunny Park Nursery and familysupport program The infant stimula tion program helps parents to promote maximum develop ment of their infant up to the age of two through an intensive stimulation program The Sunny Park Nursery located on Ross Street helps handicapped children reach their maximum potential through developmental pro gram that begins when the child is two years old The nursery tries to operate vices at one desk said Mrs Maley We originally had two desks so we wouldnt have to carry bmks up and down the Stairs But having one main desk is more efficient There isnt quite the same opportunity to step out the ollier Street door with books that havent been check ed out she said Hooks on one subject both reference and circulating are also being put together in areas to make them more accessible for library patrons said Mrs Maley We are putting very promi nent labels on the reference books to show that they cant be taken out of the library she said Before now reference and cir culating books have been kept separate The changes are the latest to take place in library that has been growing steadily since its beginnings from debating society in 1954 It was actually lxgun by Mechanics Institute which was designed as sort of mid dlc class effort to educate the workers through books and debating said Mrs Maley Rut all the members were middle class small library with music and drawing classes and debating was begun and in 1002 it was incorporated After movnig from room to rented room building was taken over on twcn Street in lhlll Part of the present building was constructth in 1917 The upper third of our present building is the original struc turc said Mm Maley There was one librarian and as late as the ithis the hours wcrc from to and from to pm An addition built in 19m more than doubch the size of the libraiy and in 1073 the childrens department moved to an annex building on MulcasterStrHt onstruction costs for the 190i alterations were $100000 osts incurred to make the library accessible have reached $l1tlil0 said Mrs Mailey We were granted up to $150000 by Wintario but we ac tually spent $1 10000 she said on one to one basis and relies hcaVily on volunteers Each child has an individual program gearwl to his or her specific needs said Seymour We depend on volunteers for this program and need as many volunteers as children The family support program provides counselling educii tion and the opportunity for families with dcvcliipiiieiitally lvindicappid children to share common concerns Dlll SIIHVH lIS The adult services include the Adult Rehabilitation Centre Subton Industries and two residences The Adult Reba bilitntion entrc provides work and training setting for the assessment and llilllllllL of persons who icquuc assistance in vocational and prc vocational areas SulTon Industries provides realistic work and training set ting and in some cases perina ncnt employment for the men Phyllis Goskin checks out books at the new central desk of the Barrie Public Librarys adult section The desk handles books stacked on both floors of the library and is located close to the librarys new ramped entrance cnd elevator Changes are being made at the library to streamline operations and make services more accessible to the physically handicapped Ex aminer Photo tally disabled Sub loii riceivcs packaging contracts from various companies Seymour says biisiiiess at Subton is cvccdtlni exrxcta tions We cant keep up llli ilic lltllllltl oi itllllv also llt asked us to do tl pa tun ing he said lI but to tiiriidimi lllliiltttlllflilr The two ltfiltltlittS operated by the association prmide ilk cominivlations tor those men tally liindicappid people who require illtl isioii and assistante to llt iiorinril liti in the ioiiiiniiiity tini icsidiiicc in on lii Street and the otlici on iipli ldlttl Nlllilllllliii llltilttil1tlill llilltl residence biiilt Ill tilitl ltllli tnlikt other ttitllilltlililltS where the public has complain cd of group homes and residences Seymour says that Harrie is very tolerant city Weve never met with any objections from the people of Wayne Chambers is one of more than 35 mentally handicapped persons employed by SubCon ln dustries SubCon is one of six services for the mentally handicapped that is directed by the Bar qiriic he said Although really cant see anyone coni plaining about havzng ltsllltlltt for the mentally hair dicaple in their community The mentally handicapped are id love average citizens The two Harrie residences have been used as models to other cities and towns con lciiiplating residences for the mentally handicapped Most of the United Way money that the association gets lgt used to uni their Dunlop Street otticc The government wont pay our operating costs said Seymour We do get grants and subsidies but they art iiwiiys for specific pro jects need the llllllttl Way money to operate the office and to pay off the interest on loans we have We live and operate on borrowed money INSIIIITIUNS Seymour said that if the association had to close many of Harries mentally retarded 1vs Funds keep office going mm in fight to help retarded would be sent to iiirtitulions lot of people get thanct when they hear about grin llK us getting grants and subsidies said Seymour They taxpayers money is wasted Hut it the mentally liandicappts were all put imo iiritituiions it ltriiltl be lot more costly and the taxjiaycr would be footing the bill The real loscr however would be the handicapjwd person Scyiiioui wont be certain if the ssoriitions request from lnitcd Way for Fifth ld been approved until after the ITiiiied Way money has all been out lecttd Hut he has Illitlt trtl sonal ittiiiipt to sci that the United il goal is met For five nights iI Etc ny brotherin law and mnvasscd the streets of Allandle for Liiitcd Way he said Those were cold dump nights but just kept remembering that without the tnited Way money we would be out of business rie and District Association for the Mentally retarded This year the Association hopes to receive $37000 in funding from the United Way Examine Photo