For young and
old, children,
parents and
grandparents,
the REBOUNDER
Is a sensible
approach to fit-
ness, cardlo-
vascular exer-

cise, improved
circulation, even
weight loss.
Doctors endorse
this refreshing
method of impro-
ving your physical
and mental
condition.

‘*Add life to your years
and years to your life!’

The Rebounder Store

4926 Imperial Avo..
Burnaby

Call
435-2145

tor Into or demonstration

GATHERED TOGETHER FOR a picture these seven girls have all won parts in this
year’s production of the ‘Nutcracker’. The girls attend the Seymour Heights Ballet
School under the instruction of Brenda Lorenz. The auditions were held Oct. 18 at
which over 500 dancers tried out for the possible 100 positions. Front, Hill Trory,
middle (left to right) Clari Nothard, Julie-Claire Hamilton, Helen Nothard. Back row
(left to right) Erica Gunn, Carolyn Bergstrand and Jennifer Anderson. (Terry Peters

‘Vantage Cleaners

1305 Lonsdale Ave. ¢ 987-2412
(Cor. 13th St. on Lonsdale)

nr; 0

Plain PANTS. |
Plain SKIRTS.

*Please present this coupon
whth your order

Oller capires December 14th

-- cM@--- COUPON -=-------
Vantage Cleaners

2... 1 Sale

2Pce. SUITS ....
Plain SWEATERS .....

Drapes, Blankets &
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Mig an

a Kiam

‘and even panic

To writer Leah Cohen

it’s a question of
priorities, plain and
simple.

Either we care about our
older women and _ the
contribution they've made to
our society, or we don’t. So
far, the evidence she’s
collected proves  con-
clusively that we don’t.

“They've made a con-
tribution whether they've
been homemakers, or
they’ve worked or a com-
bination of the two. It seems
to me that we're saying
there’s no reward for a
lifetime of service,” she said.

Since watching her
grandmother die at the age
of 105 in a nursing home,
Leah decided to make the
subject of aging women her
own personal ‘‘cause
celebre” and set about
studying this almost invisible
and largely ignored group of
people within Canadian
society.

Her research has taken
her across Canada, talking to
aging women, both in and
out of nursing homes, fin-
ding out what their ex-
periences and problems have
been and how they view the
future and their own aging
process.

“The fear of aging has
caused a great deal of stress
in many
women, because’ the
assumption is that from age
40 on, it’s all d hill. It's
something that Eoncerns all
women,” she said.

No matter how a woman
may feel about getting older,
she still has to deal with
society's cruel image of her.

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2 for J
2 for I

2for 1

CL ae ce Mere ot
‘Wo pom var

The popular view is that if
life begins at 40 for a man,
it’s surely the end of the line
forawoman. _
Leah discovered

some
shocking problems
associated with aging

women. For example, she
found that 66% of all women
over 65 live below the
poverty line, have
inadequate housing and
suffer from a _ lack of
nutrition.

What, in Canada, you say?

“J’ve come across women
who lived comfortably on a
thousand dollars a month
while their husbands were
alive and, when he died,
suddenly ~ their income

dropped to little more than

one hundred dollars a
month. Sure, they pet a
‘widow's pension from the
Canada Pension Plan, but it’s
hardly enough to keep body
and soul together,” she said.
Leah thinks women should
start preparing for their old
age while they're still young.
She suggest that married
women take more of an
interest in their family’s
finances and make certain
their husband's life in-
surance program is adequate
to take care of them. They
should know what their

family’s assests are and
figure out how long they
would last if they had to use
them to support themselves.

“On average, women
outlive their husbands by
roughly ten years. And. if
they aren’t adequately taken
care of financially, that’s a
long time to live in poverty,”
she said.

Although the average
income of elderly women is
outrageously low, recent
changes in legislation seem
to indicate that the
government is beginning to
notice the plight of widows
in their 50's or younger.
Leah hopes benefits to these
women will increase
significantly.

She said, “I think there's a
growing concern and focus
for the plight of widows in
this country.”

But it’s still a little early to
start cheering. We have a
long way to go before aging
women in this country are
assured of the right to grow
old gracefully.

It’s pretty easy to check
our progress. All we have to
do is ask ourselves if we're
looking forward to our old
age. If the answer is ‘no’,
maybe it’s later than we
think.

- custom made drapertes
- valances and spreads

- upholstery

- custom made furniture
- blinds and woven woods

Sale ends Nov. 3iIist

INTERIORS

KM IGWA TI) WE

985-O641