ON THE ROAD Seniors’ driving tests vary By JUDY CREIGHTON Canadian Press William Pettes of Knowlton, Qué., will be 102 on Dec. 26 but that doesn't stop him from driving around “to get his groceries and go card playing.” To renew his licence, Pettes — like all drivers over the age of 80 in Quebec — must pass an annual medical and eye examination. His doctor says the former locomo- tive fireman is as fit as a lot of people aged 65. But if Pettes lived in Ontario, he would have to pass an annual driving exam, mandatory to renew a licence after age 80. “If I had to take a road test, I'd cancel my licence,” says Pettes, adding that the test would be unnecessary. Ontario's rule isn’t intended to penalize people over 80 “but rather to help them maintain the good driving habits needed to cope with today's complex. driving conditions,” says a spokesman for the province's Trans- portation Ministry. ‘Seniors in B.C. must provide a doctor's certificate at age 75 acknowledging they are fit drive’ In Alberta, where a doctor's certifieate is now the “only réquirement for drivers over 75, the Council on Aging wants to see road tests added to the renewal procedure. FINDS PROBLEMS Council spokesman Chris Lawrence says road tests would weed out incompetent drivers and force seniors to brush up on new regulations and their driving skills. Many seniors have never taken a road test, she adds, because in some places they weren't required years ago. Some older drivers, like Chris Bellchamber, 67, of Sherwood Park, Alta., says singling out seniors for road tests is discriminatory. “To pick out a group of people and say: ‘Hey, you're senile,’ that hurts.” A licensed driver for 35 years, he would have no objection to’taking one, but he thinks the medical requirements are adequate. Seniors in British Columbia also must provide a doctor's certificate at age 75 acknowledging they are fit to drive. ~~ In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, seniors are treated *| no differently than younger drivers. Their licences are renewed annually unless they admit to @ mental or physical disability or their family writes a letter ‘warning their driving is dangerous. In both instances, their renewal would come under review. It’s similar in the Atlantic provinces. Only a senior’s driving record or a request by family, doctor or police would cause the driver, no matter what age, to be retested. In Ontario, a policy group in the Transportation Ministry meets every seven to 10 days to review all accident reports involving drivers aged 70 to 80. If they find full or partial responsibility by one of these drivers, they review the person's driving record and can order a retest. Eric Parker, 75, of Toronto, who has been driving since he was 16 years old, agrees with Ontario's regulations for annual tests for seniors over 80. “They are only proteeting the people being tested and other drivers on the road,” he said in an interview. “Anyway, I don't know if I'd want to drive my car after I'm 80. Even now, I rarely drive during busy hours or at night.” A recent study by the B.C. Attorney General's Department compared rates of traffie accidents for 10,000 drivers in various age groups and found that, on the whole, older drivers have the least number of accidents. However, when thé study calculated results on a per- kilometre-driven basis, drivers aged 65 and over had almost twice as many accidents as teenagers. And female drivers over the age of 71 were responsible for the majority of those accidents involving older drivers. At least one province is concerned about the rights of individuals if mandatory annual driving tests are imple- mented. A spokesman for the New Brunswick Transportation Department said the reason there is no says that if drivers of all ages were subjected to regular road tests datory retesting in that province is because it is prejudicial and against the Charter of Rights. Bosco Cheng has cure for almost anything HALIFAX (CP) — Bosco Cheng has a cure for almost everything. Troubled by stomach pain, nervous exhaustion, heart- burn, gout or poor circu- lation? Try Ginseng tea. Worried about your kid- neys and digestive system? Try sesame gruel. Cheng, who owns the Bei- jing Champion Restaurant in Halifax, is the leader of a one- man iT to inform “T think food is a process of sharing and learning,” Cheng said in a recent interview. “The problem is not with the consumer. It’s with the promoter.” Cheng, 38, was born in the Fujin province of China. He moved to Hong Kong at the age of eight. The youngest in a family of 10 children, Cheng was sent to a boarding school where he learned to speak Cc and English be- Nova Scotians of the curative powers of authentic Chinese foods. As part of his campaign, Cheng frequently hosts ban- quets — inviting. Chinese students and their professors as well as government and business leaders ready to try new food. One banquet involving Na. tional Sea Products Ltd. of Halifax led to an agreement for a shrimp processing plant in Beijing. fore teaching school for two years. Cheng became involved in community service around the same time, training trade union leaders as community volunteers. It was that work which earned him a scholar- ship in 1970 to the Coady In- ternational Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S. He spent six years at the institute, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts Student invents game HALIFAX (CP) at University, when a deck of of college life. cards, a case of beer and a few friends became the cen- tre of the universe? Well, the experience has been captured and turned into a board game by an en- terprising university student hoping to make a buck. The game, Wanna Be a College Graduate, Eh?, goes on sale this month at uni- versity bookstores and spec- ialty shops in the Maritimes and southern Ontario. It re- tails at between $25 and $30. Bob Smith's idea was to create a microcosm of uni- versity life, complete with a lively social scene, financial nightmares and the odd gca- demic pursuit. It's a cross between Mon- opoly, Careers, and Trivial Pursuit, stirred together in a brew of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. The game is billed as an “irreverent but honest look at campus activities across the country.” If that’s true, the future of academia may be in doubt. GAIN POINTS Social points are gained for knowing how make Kraft Dinner, and are lost when Greenpeace puts your boy- friend or girlfriend on it's en- , dangered species list. Know- ing what's in a B-52 cocktail will move you a step closer to graduation. During each of the game's three years, students are given a $2,000 loan and one social point, awarded for nat- ural charm. They receive a beer token every time they pass the the game — the academic - re quires university-level know- ledge. As the players go from first to second to third year, currency in the United King- dom?” Smith came up with the idea for the game sitting 1987 require the presence of the sai Casi it. 1:00 | One (1) Trustee Three (3) Year Term One (1) Trustee Three (3) Year Term NOMINA' The nomination paper and Public Officials Disclosure Returning Officer at any time between shall state the name, residence and occupstion id govern him: Electoral Aree “I” — Poss Creek Elementary Schoo! — Shoreacres Elementary Schoo! — Torys Elementary Schoo! Electoral — Blueberi — Ootischenia Elementary Schoo! — Robson Elementary School ADVANCE POLL: SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 9 (CASTLEGAR) NOTICE OF ELECTION PUBLIC NOTICE la hereby given to the electors of Schoo! District No. 9 (Castlegar) that | electors at the School Board Offic C. on Monday the 26th day of October, 1987 between the Hours of 10:00 A.M. and TIONS Candidates shall be nominated in writing by twe qualified electors of Area “I” and the dote of this notice and 12:00 Noon, nomination. The nomination paper may be in the form prescribed in the Municipal Act, and of nominoted poh co manner as to paper shall be signed candidate, Ii being necessary, the Poll will be open on Saturday, November 21, 00 A.M. (0:800 Hours) and 8:00 P.M. (20:00 Hours), of which every sett i Area “3” Creek Elementary School times. We thought: ‘Let's get some of those in the game.’ " He describes the theme as “parties, and getting through on a fixed sum of money.” Smith's father, Robert, is financing the pilot project. @, 865 Columbia Avenue, Area “t” Area "J" "s”. ' : it shall be delivered to the joon, of the day of ‘An advance Poll will be open Thursday, November 12th, 1987 and Friday, November 13th, 1987 between the hours of 10:00 .AM. (10:00 Hours) and 2:00 P.M. (14:00 Hours) at the School Board Office, 865 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. to permit duly qualified electors who expect to be absent from the District on Polling Day to vote. Dated at Castlegar this 9th day of October, 1987. 4. DASCHER, Returning Officer in adult education. Now settled in Halifax and still active in community service, he wants to educate Nova Scotians about the medicinal powers of food. Cheng has a long list of favorites. A special blend of Chinese Oolong tea and herbs is effective in reducing body fat, he says, while chrys- anthemum tea is good for your eyes. All seafood, Cheng ex- plains, is “brain food” — good for the mind as well as the ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE A.M. FORD’S AUTOMOTIVE SUPERMARKET! At A.M. 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