The latest update on the #Canada #Disability Benefit (#CDB)

“The Government of #Canada’s Office for #Disability Issues (ODI) within the Department of Employment and Social Development is pleased to provide you with the latest update on the Canada Disability Benefit (#CDB).

On Tuesday, April 16, the Government of Canada announced funding for the Canada Disability Benefit in the 2024 Budget. Specifically, the Budget 2024 proposes an investment of $6.1 billion over six years, beginning in 2024-25, and $1.4 billion per year ongoing, for the CDB program. The proposed design is based on a maximum benefit amount of $2,400 per year for low-income persons with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64.

With this historic milestone, which follows the Canada Disability Benefit Act receiving Royal Assent on June 22, 2023, the Government is enshrining the benefit into Canada’s social safety-net. As you may know, the Canada Disability Benefit Act will come into force no later than June 22, 2024, and the regulations setting out the details of the Canada Disability Benefit must be in place no later than 12 months after that – in June 2025.

This paves the way for the Government of Canada to begin providing payments to eligible Canadians starting in July 2025, following successful completion of the regulatory process and consultations with persons with disabilities.

To deliver the benefit as quickly as possible and to ensure nation-wide consistency of eligibility, the proposed CDB would be available to people with a valid Disability Tax Credit (DTC) certificate. As proposed, this benefit is estimated to increase the financial well-being of over 600,000 low-income persons with disabilities.

To ensure access to the CDB for eligible Canadians, and to address an anticipated financial barrier associated with benefit take-up, Budget 2024 further proposes funding of $243 million over six years, beginning in 2024-25, and $41 million per year ongoing, to cover the cost of the required medical forms during the DTC application process. Persons with disabilities also face barriers in finding out about and accessing government benefits and services. The Budget therefore includes funding for community-based navigation services to improve awareness and take-up of federal, provincial, and territorial programs available to working-age Canadians with disabilities.

We are pleased to report that we have already embarked on the next stage of work required to make the new benefit available to eligible persons with disabilities. Recognizing that many Canadians with disabilities are in need of the additional financial support that this benefit will provide, we will move forward as fast as we can with the required regulatory development process, so that the benefit can be paid beginning in 2025.

Work has already begun on drafting regulations setting out important benefit details such as the application process, how the benefit amount will be calculated, payment frequency, and the mechanism for Canadians to appeal decisions. We aim to publish the regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette as soon as possible, which will enable persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to provide feedback on the proposed approach in the spirit of ‘Nothing Without Us’. Input received through this consultation process will be considered in revising the regulations for final publication in Part 2 of the Canada Gazette.

At the same time, we have begun work on the delivery systems to receive CDB applications and distribute benefit payments.

Finally, we will also be working simultaneously with the provinces and territories to ensure that the CBD can best meet its goal of lifting persons with disabilities out of poverty.

We will continue to share information as this work continues, and updates will also be available on the Government of Canada’s website Overview of the Canada Disability Benefit – Supporting Canadians with disabilities – Canada.ca.

Thank you for your continued interest in the Canada Disability Benefit.”

Office for Disability Issues
Employment and Social Development Canada

Tabatha Noel Obituary

Tabatha Noel, 45 of Moncton, passed away on Sunday, February 18, 2024. Born in Moncton, she was the daughter of Lillian Noel and Bill Bourque.

Tabatha was very involved in her community and her children’s schools throughout their lives.

Tabatha will be missed dearly by her daughter Julia Noel (Austin) and son Jeremiah Noel, sisters Lisa Noel, Stephanie Bourque and Jessica Bourque. She was predeceased by her brother Danny Noel.

Public visiting hours will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, at Fergusons Funeral Home, 1657 Mountain Rd. Moncton NB (506-858-1995). Memorial donations may be made to Moncton HeadStart. Or if you wish to donate directly to the family to help Julia with raising her young brother, a GoFundMe has been created for them.

www.fergusonsfuneralhome.com

https://www.fergusonsfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Tabatha-Noel?obId=30851574

George DOUGLAS Obituary

GEORGE PATRICK CRICHTON VIBERT DOUGLAS April 19, 1931 – February 17, 2024 George Patrick “Pat” Crichton Vibert Douglas, beloved husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law and uncle, died, age 92, peacefully at Christie Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, on February 17th, surrounded by family. Patrick was predeceased by wife, Audrey of 59 years; parents, Olga and George; and siblings, Elizabeth, Mary and John. He is survived by children, Stephen (Valerie), Daniel (Caroline), Krystyne (Deji) and Isabel (Matthew); twelve grandchildren, Vivien, Hannah, Gareth (Endicott-Douglas); Naomi, Nadia, James, Sophia, Sami (Douglas-Najem); Isaac (Akinniyi); Aaron, Reuben, Benjamin (Abogado); nephew, John Cleasby; nieces, Sarah Cleasby and Marianne Douglas. He is loved and fondly remembered by many close family and friends in North America, England and Ireland. Born in N’Changa, Zambia, on April 19, 1931, Patrick was the third child of four to Olga (Crichton) and George Vibert Douglas. The family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1932, where his father was professor of geology at Dalhousie University. Patrick enrolled at Queen’s University completing an Honours BA in History in 1955, and later his Masters of History in 1966. Patrick taught in Nova Scotia before graduating from the Toronto Teachers’ College in 1958. After teaching at Humberside Collegiate, he became Head of History at Monarch Park Collegiate Institute in Toronto until he retired in 1991. Patrick was passionate about teaching and an inspiration to students and colleagues. But more than anything else, he was a family man; a devoted husband to his wife, Audrey, and a loving, attentive, magnanimous father of four children and grandfather to twelve grandchildren. Strong like an ox and always energetic, Patrick could cross-country ski, hike, journey in a canoe, row a boat, cut (with a buck saw) and chop wood with the best of them. A jack of many trades and a farmer/gardener in his spare time, he spent so many happy vigorous summers at the extended family cottage in the 1000 Islands, and especially at their house-on-the-hill property in beautiful Cape Breton; blending leisure, hard work, and fun with family and many local and visiting friends, as the main ingredients of happy times. Patrick and Audrey immersed themselves into local communities wherever they lived. In Toronto as members of Bathurst United Church since 1960, they volunteered in Hi C, an inner-city youth group, and later for many years, Patrick helped in local drop-in centres for the homeless. He was always caring for and about people in so many ways, too many to mention. Patrick was a long-time grass roots campaigner and canvasser for the NDP, winning polls by hard work and contributing to the surprise federal victory of Dan Heap in Spadina Riding. After a year (1978/79) spent with all the family in scenic Howgill, Cumbria, England (Patrick on leave and Audrey researching local history), and subsequent post-retirement stays in this small farming community, they established enduring connections with many people in the area. For a while, Patrick even worked several months a year as a hired hand for a local farmer and builder. Patrick believed fundamentally in peace and social justice; he marched and protested in support of, and was generous of his time and donations to, many causes. Above all his integrity, big heart, and unwavering sense of decency shone forth and was a beacon of light to family, friends, and people he met. Patrick learned to play the cello, knit, cane chairs, make bread, and he was an inveterate writer of letters. He read widely, enjoyed discussions on a range of topics, and displayed a spontaneous conviviality and a keen interest in people and their life stories. His big smile, warm handshake, care and compassion, and love of life, family and friends were always evident even in his final days. The family owes enormous debts of gratitude to the SE Health Care and VHA providers, Assisted Living and Courtyard Community care teams at Christie Gardens, and to Dr. Chase Everett McMurren, Patrick’s doctor prior to entering the Courtyard, for their compassion and care. In lieu of flowers, gifts in his memory can be made to Community Peacemaker Teams. A Celebration of Life service for Patrick will be held this spring. Please refer to the Basic Funerals and Cremation Choices website for details to be posted soon.

Published by The Globe and Mail from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 2024.

https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/george-douglas-obituary?id=54456170

You. Do. Not. Know.

{via Linda, Nick’s mom} 🌹

You. Do. Not. Know.

SHUT UP
Serious question: Is your child six feet under? Oh wait, are they a pile of ashes? No? They aren’t?
Wow. Ok. Cool.
Then, sit down.
And shut up.

Once a grieving parent.
Always a grieving parent.
No, this isn’t a plea for sympathy.
No, this isn’t even an angry post.
This is an honest post.
This is a passionate post.
This is a real post.
Sit down.
And shut up.

Unless you watched your child die. Unless you buried your child.
Sit down.
And shut up.

Do not tell a grieving parent how they should be living.
Do not tell a grieving parent how they should be acting.
I am sick of seeing grieving parents bashed for trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.
I am sick of seeing grieving parents shamed for trying to find their way.
Hell, for trying to find ANYTHING again!

We are lost souls. On a journey to find our self again. And YOU want to judge? You? Do you know the courage it takes to go back out there after your child has died?
After you watched them die of cancer. Or a massive heart attack. Or suicide. Or a car accident.
After you watched them fall to their knees. And clutch their chest. And take their last breath.
After you walked in on their body. Dead. Because they took their own life. You have no idea.

Do you have any idea how badly the loss of a child messes with your mind? With your heart? With your soul?
No. You don’t.
So sit down.
And shut up.

You are not allowed to judge.
You are not allowed to pass judgment as you drive home to your children.
You are not allowed to pass judgment as you eat dinner or have the ability to call your children.
You are not allowed to pass judgment as you cuddle up on the couch with your child.
You. Are. Not. Allowed. To. Pass. Judgment.
Sit down.
And shut up.

Stop judging.
Stop thinking that you know what the hell you are talking about.
Because you do not.
Your life wasn’t ripped from you.
Your future wasn’t destroyed.
Sit down.
And shut up.

This was not our choice.
This was not the loss of a dog.
Stop comparing.
This was not their time to go.
This was loss of one of our babies no matter how old.
If that place is so much better, send yours there and send mine back.
Sit down.
And shut up.

The next time you see a grieving parent try to be a little kinder.
You have 2 choices.
You can either sit down and shut up.
Or, you can give them a standing ovation.
For their heart.
For their courage.
For their bravery.
Those are your two options.
And your ONLY two options.
Because.
You. Do. Not. Know.

Wonderfully written by John Polo, Grief Counsellor ❤️❤️❤️

Breathe

Breathe

She sat at the back
and they said she was shy,
She led from the front
and they hated her pride.

They asked her advice
and then questioned her guidance,
They branded her loud
then were shocked by her silence,

When she shared no ambition
they said it was sad,
So she told them her dreams
and they said she was mad,

They told her they’d listen
then covered their ears,
And gave her a hug while
they laughed at her fears,

And she listened to all of it
thinking she should,
Be the girl they told her to be
best as she could,

But one day she asked
what was best for herself,
Instead of trying
to please everyone else,

So she walked to the forest
and stood with the trees,
She heard the wind whisper
and dance with the leaves,

She spoke to the willow,
the elm and the pine,
And she told them what she’d
been told time after time,

She told them she felt
she was never enough,
She was either too little
or far far too much,

Too loud or too quiet,
too fierce or too weak,
Too wise or too foolish,
too bold or too meek,

Then she found a small clearing
surrounded by firs,
And she stopped…and she heard
what the trees said to her,

And she sat there for hours
not wanting to leave,
For the forest said nothing
it just let her breathe.

Becky Hemsley Talking to the Wild

#Canada A comprehensive Report (2013) containing material that every Fatality Judge should be aware of and required to study.

(2013) #Alberta Child Welfare:

Aside from the inaccurate toll of human lives the article discusses as 145 child fatalities – a false number manipulated by previous Government – the true rate of death being 741, this is otherwise a comprehensive Report containing material that every Fatality Judge should be aware of and required to study.

Section 3: There continues to be no follow-up to ensure Recommendations are implemented into Policy, nor those existing, adhered to. Thus, our children continue to die.

Within weeks of release of the “Fatal Care Series”, the late Human Services Minister, Manmeet Bhullar, revealed 685 additional lives lost; at least 741 children had actually perished.

Thanks to the efforts of Journalists, Karen Kleiss and Darcy Henton and the families who contributed so that others might possibly be safe in the future.

Click to access tragedies-clocked-in-secrecy.pdf

(2017) Child Welfare Panel Discussion & Collaboration: VM

(2017) Child Welfare Panel Discussion & Collaboration:

The Alberta Government chooses to exclude the Public from meaningful engagement.

There is a problematic factor impeding progress and that elephant-in-the-room cannot be escaped:

The wrong people are at the Child Welfare table.

• Velvet Martin

The Panel consists of members which “have NO background in child care and yet are being asked to make decisions to change the parts of the System that are failing our children and families.”

• Dr. David Swann

Some Members of Alberta’s Opposition Parties advocated for Public inclusion:

“MLA Jason Nixon, (Shadow Minister for Child Services) did make requests to the Secretariat of the Child Intervention Panel for the Panel members to hear from you (Velvet Martin, Founder of Samantha’s Law), a grandmother (of a victim who died in care) & a social-worker (who is also a Residential School survivor).”

• Wildrose Legislative and Outreach Assistant

(The request was ignored.)

The Public has a right to be involved in issues which directly affect us.

In January 2007, I submitted numerous recommendations to Minister Janis Tarchuk, Progressive Conservative Party

Amongst those implemented by Ministry were the recommendations I proposed, however, the Department took credit and failed to acknowledge the work as my own.

Opposition Leaders and Lawyers publicly recommended my inclusion in the Child Welfare Roundtable, but they were ignored.

• VM

Jan. 28, 2014

Child Intervention Roundtable missing the most important elements: Sherman

Edmonton – Alberta Liberal Leader Dr. Raj Sherman says the Redford Conservatives’ admission to 741 deaths related to children in government care is a step in the right direction, but the Roundtable is still missing some very important elements.

Many of those who work in the system, as well as those whose lives are most affected by it, were noticeably absent from the panel of experts, specifically:

· Frontline staff tasked with providing continuity of care and implementing best-practice policies;
· Family members of any of the children who have died in care;
· Adults who have “graduated” from the system;
· Parents of children currently in care; and
· The federal government, which is responsible for First Nations children and families on reserves.

Sherman says the scope of the current Child Intervention Roundtable is too narrow as its main objective is improving the child death investigation process. He argues more focus should be put on prevention, early intervention, and improving the lives of children in care.

“We need to identify solutions aimed at improving the lives of our vulnerable children, solutions that are legally-binding.”

---

Susan Wright, lawyer:

“I applaud Human Services Minister Manmeet Bhullar for releasing the information regarding the number of children who died in government care.

Having said that, I urge him to invite someone like Velvet Martin, a child welfare advocate and the mother of a child who died in care, to participate in the upcoming roundtable.”

---

The Child Welfare Panel consisted mainly of visibly White Members aside from an Indigenous Elder who was present to offer prayer.

What changes have we seen stemming from the Roundtable? Our youth continue to die! And, they will continue to perish until there is concerted efforts to add public voices and ensure ALL individuals are held equal before the law.

Why is this Minister, Irfan Sabir, NDP, not listening?

There are Members of the Public who have risen to become eloquent speakers and professionals in the humanities. I compiled a list of persons whom would be great assets in Panel discussions due to diverse, extensive background experiences and passion for improvement:

• A Barrister representing victims of Child Welfare
• An Advisor on Native Affairs to the University of Alberta
• A renown Pediatrician providing health services to youth; including children in the foster care system
• A well-respected Kohkum whose grandchild died under Ministry care
• An outspoken Grandmother of a victim who died within 6 days of entry into care by the Department
• A Registered Social-worker; who is a survivor of the Residential School System
• A Ward 8 Candidate with lived experience; an exceptional voice for youth

As a citizen of Alberta, I requested the Panel invite those that have suffered in the System to be active in the creation of solutions to the problem.

(My input was ignored.)

copywrite@VelvetMartin2017

Documentary shows the ‘grand’ in grandparenting – and the gritty too (2013)

Documentary shows the ‘grand’ in grandparenting – and the gritty too

TRALEE PEARCE

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 10, 2013

This article was published more than 9 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Asheleigh Charbonneau, left, was raised by her grandmother Betty Cornelius, pictured with her husband, Ron Dennis and former foster child Taylor.

If you’ve overheard a parenting gripe session, you’d think grandparents were a big problem. They just don’t get the gluten-free or even nut-free diet that Madison is on. They’re not interested in the latest parenting expert’s theory. And: All. That. Candy.

But dig a little deeper and most parents know they are benefiting hugely from the support grandparents are increasingly called on to provide. They may have read about new research that signals great things coming from the swelling ranks of baby-boomer grandparents, from mental-health benefits to improved educational outcomes. Or they may noticed some of the learned skills grandparents openly boast about, including hard-won wisdom and an ability to focus on the long view.

You could say grandparents are poised for a surge of respect coming their way. “Grandparents can put things in perspective: that it all goes fast and that this, too, will pass” during an illness or crisis, says Vancouver parenting educator Kathy Lynn, herself a new grandmother of three.

A recent University of Alberta report found that more than one in five Canadian adults aged 65 to 74 and 9 per cent of those aged 75 and over help with child care.

For her TVO documentary Grandparenting (airing Oct. 16 and available online thereafter), filmmaker Karen Shopsowitz interviewed grandparents who are raising their grandkids when they could be kicking back in retirement. About 75,000 Canadian grandchildren live full-time with their grandparents, who go back to work, fight for educational services for a raft of special needs, and spend their retirement funds to keep it all together.

The poster grandmother of the documentary is Betty Cornelius, an outspoken dynamo whose journey as a full-custody gran started when her granddaughter Asheleigh was 3 and being abused and neglected in the drug-riddled home she lived in with her father.

“I don’t get to be the spoil-and-return grandma,” says Cornelius, who has not seen her own son for 12 years. “This is a club no one wants to join. But, of course, every one of us would do it again.”

In the doc, Asheleigh, now in college, fidgets while she tells the camera she is sure she would be dead had her grandma not rescued her.

Yet until called into action, whether as a guardian or a spoil-and-return grandparent, many will say that they didn’t know their own emotional capacity.

Kathy Lynn knew she wanted to be a grandma, but she has been blown away by the joy of having three grandchildren within 17 days of each other – a set of twins from her daughter’s family and a singleton from her son’s.

In conversation with her fellow grandparents, she has seized upon a few theories about the upside of grandparents.

“When you’re a grandparent, you can be 100-per-cent focused on the child without having to worry about any of that other peripheral stuff,” she says.

She gives the example of changing a diaper. She can just change a diaper, not worry about whether there’s been a Costco trip, whether there are clean clothes.

One of the most powerful functions of grandparents is as the keepers of the stories, she says. For one thing, recent research found that when children spend time with adults over 55 – who are presumably reading books and spinning these family tales – kids’ reading and cognitive test scores improved by large margins.

Nowhere is that more crucial than in the families Shopsowitz visited over the three years she filmed her documentary. Most share the kids’ unsavoury histories with them to set the stage for an honest relationship. “The grandparents don’t want the kids to think they came and took them away,” she says.

And while Cornelius and her peers are an extreme group, many of her observations will ring true, including the simple fact that grandkids keep you on your toes and help you stay young. “I had to be at soccer practice with all the 29-year-old moms,” the gregarious blonde says.

While there is research that shows grandmothers who are raising grandchildren appear to be vulnerable to depression, a study in August showed that strong grandparent/adult-grandchild relationships reduce the symptoms of depression for both groups.

Much of Cornelius’s work involves her gut instincts on this fact. She visits grandmas in despair who feel they can’t keep parenting their grandkids because of behavioural problems and are considering putting them in foster care. She is there to give them tough love, connect them with services to help them, and remind them of the long-term relationship they are building: “I tell them to hang on and dig deeper. Nobody is going to love that child the way you do.”

These are extreme cases of grandparents who are stepping up to the plate to save their grandkids, but Shopsowitz says working on the film gave her a broader perspective on the power of all grandparents.

“We don’t always value them enough,” she says.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/documentary-shows-the-grand-in-grandparenting-and-the-gritty-too/article14796223/

“Time comes for us all and in the end though missed just know that those that fight with you are still with you fighting just not in person as they once did.” – TC

Late last year, my dear friend, Terry Wiens – a fellow advocate – passed. He died by MAiD (euthanasia). I miss him tremendously. These natural emotions of grief are complicated due to the circumstances that lead to Terry’s premature death. Despite insistence by government that no one would lose their life due to disability poverty… Terry’s life did end exactly for that reason. His loss has left me feeling angry, heartbroken disgusted, bitter, cheated and defeated. What has humanity come to!?!

Another good friend and activist, Tarra Carlson, offered the following words of comfort that resonate with me. I hope that these sentiments will also bring a measure of peace to others struggling with inequities and injustice.:
-VM

Tarra’s words:

“There are others that can follow his wake for as long as they can…….a good friend and advocate said this to me years ago before they passed on and it is this that keeps me going and I hope it helps you in some way……… time comes for us all and in the end though missed just know that those that fight with you are still with you fighting just not in person as they once did……… as a fighter myself when my time comes all I ask is that those still living don’t give up the fight just cause I am gone but find another fighter to take up the reins where I left off……don’t be sad for me be sad for those living and forced to live in gov’t sanctioned poverty, be sad for those still living but can’t afford a home or rent, be sad for those that can’t escape abuse due to partner’s income as AISH (Alberta Assured Income for Severely Disabled) cut them off (those who qualify for benefits are penalized if they have partners; income a spouse earns is clawed back from the disabled individual), be sad for the kids that live in poverty thus often miss out on meals, be sad for the senior still living but can’t afford their life-saving meds due to no medical coverage, be sad for the disabled person whose aids need repair but can’t afford to fix it, be sad for the ones still alive and suffer the lack of equality so many have to live with when it comes to social norms and expectations where being neurodiverse means to mask and hide your true self, be sad for those still alive and struggling in a world not made for them………don’t be sad for me as my days of struggling are over when I am gone.”

Remembering an ambitious guitar amplifier company in Hamilton from the 1960s with Leo Lesar

Remembering an ambitious guitar amplifier company in Hamilton from the 1960s

It piqued my curiosity to find out more about the stories behind these largely forgotten gems from Hamilton history, writes Mark McNeil.

By Mark McNeil Contributing Columnist

Tue., Feb. 14, 2023

Two weeks ago, I wrote about a prosperous bass guitar businessin Hamilton’s industrial North End that has had a 45-year history in the city.

F Bass company builds high-end instruments that are sold around the world. And these days the manufacturing plant on McKinstry Street is busier than ever.

After touring the facility and talking to owner George Furlanetto, it made me wonder about other instrument makers in Hamilton.

I don’t think there are examples today on the scale of F Bass, but there have been some notable ones in days gone by.

It’s the old story about Hamilton. It’s known as Steeltown. But if you look at the history, a lot more than steel was made here during better times for manufacturing.

For example, I had no idea there was a guitar amplifier production facility in the 1960s called Sceptre Instruments. Nor did I know about the piano maker C.L. Thomas Western Pianoforte Manufactory that operated in the mid-1800s.

A square grand piano made by C.L. Thomas Western Pianoforte Manufactory of Hamilton.DENNIS MISSETT

The fellow who brought me up to speed on this was Dennis Missett, an avid collector of Hamilton artifacts and memorabilia.

He recently gave me a tour of his collection. And knowing my interest in playing guitar and other instruments, the first two things he showed me were his Sceptre “Cougar” amplifier and C.L. Thomas Piano. He picked up the amp on Kijiji for $300 a few years ago and the “square grand piano” was given to him in the late 1980s by someone who wanted to find a good home for it.

It piqued my curiosity to find out more about the stories behind these largely forgotten gems from Hamilton history.

The amplifier really captured my attention.

I’ve spent a lot of time perusing musical gear over the years and never once heard Sceptre amplifiers mentioned. Yet, here I had come upon one with a shiny “Sceptre Musical Instrument Co. Ltd.” nameplate on the back that proudly said “Hamilton, Ontario. Made in Canada.” And maybe even more remarkably, I stumbled upon a second Sceptre amp a couple of weeks later at a guitar repair shop.

It turns out, they are collectors’ items in some circles.

But where did they come from? What happened to the business? And were the amps any good?

With some help from Dennis – who remembers the company from when he was a boy visiting an uncle who worked there – I managed to track down the former owner.

His name is Leo Lesar. He’s 84 years old and lives in Stoney Creek. He never retired. These days he buys and sells heavy trucks for a living.

Leo Lesar, 84, with one of the guitar amplifiers his company built 55 years ago. MARK MCNEIL

He says he used to love the music business. As a player – he was an accordionist in a polka band. And he also worked in sales. “I used to go on the road selling inventory to music stores. I was a roadman.”

But his dream was to be a manufacturer. He wasn’t a guitarist himself, but he noticed a lot of kids, caught up in the British invasion, were taking an interest in the electric guitar. In the mid-1960s, there were only a couple of notable amplifier manufacturers in Canada – Traynor and Garnet. And he figured it was time for another one.

His Sceptre Instruments started in 1966 and made two guitar amplifier models: The Cougar and the much smaller Custom Dart. The company also made speaker cabinets and columns. He had a ten-person staff operating out of building on Barton Street East two blocks west of Wentworth, on the south side.

But it didn’t go very well. There were technical problems early on, that got sorted out. But the big issue was money. He quickly went through tens of thousands of dollars in loans from the Canadian Business Development Bank and a private bank as well as other lenders. And production was moving way too slowly. 

They had only managed to produce 50 amplifiers along with a bunch of speaker cabinets.

And then there was the fire. July 8, 1968. A big one. Arson. He had no insurance because he couldn’t afford the premiums. He lost everything. The fire department estimated the damage at $50,000.

At the time, he was storing his inventory, parts and tools in a section of a building that was part of the former Peller brewing company on Burlington Street. He had left the Barton Street plant and was trying to regroup with his stuff in storage.

“It was a tough time. And for a long time, I didn’t want to dwell on it. It really put me behind financial. I went into debt for big money.”

I asked him if he had any memorabilia from the Spectre days. Not a thing, he said. Not even documents. They all went up in smoke.

In fact, over the 55 years since the company dissolved, he had never come upon one of his amplifiers. Maybe a picture or two over the Internet.

Well, I knew a way to fix that. I arranged for Leo to kick the tires of the Sceptre amp that Dennis owns. I brought a guitar over so we could hear it.

“It looks brand new,” Leo said as he walked in the room. “Just as I remember it.”

“I probably did the upholstery on it, ” he said taking a closer look.

And heavy. Wow. We could barely lift it.

Mark McNeil

Sceptre guitar amp

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Sceptre Instruments made guitar amps and speaker enclosures in Hamilton from 1966-1968. This is what they sounded like.

So how did it sound after all these years? Amazingly good. It was warm and rich, produced by a combination of tube and solid state components in a very sturdy cabinet. The guy who previously owned it had kept it in tip top shape, and did a few modifications.

Leo agreed. It sounded better than he remembered. But it was still hard for him to look at it without recalling the financial stress the company caused him.

“Music is a business of love. Not a business of money. It doesn’t matter if you’re building something or playing an instrument, it’s a business of love.”

A C.L. Thomas Western Pianoforte Manufactory of Hamilton ad from the 1800s.COURTESY DENNIS MISSETT

As for C.L. Thomas Western Pianoforte Manufactory, the company operated on King Street in Hamilton from 1856-1893. It employed 30 people who built as many as 75 pianos per year, according to the online Canadian Encyclopedia. 

Thomas, who for a time was an alderman in Hamilton, had a partner named Francis Drew.

Notable about the square grand pianos the business made, was that they had 77 keys instead of 84. And that was a big reason why they later fell out of favour, giving way to full-sized grand pianos and uprights.

So out of favour, there are stories about square grand pianos being burned in large bonfires. But today they are seen as collectible antiques.

Indeed, Dundurn Castle has a Thomas piano as does the Wellington County Museum in Elora.

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https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/flashbacks-hamilton/2023/02/14/hamilton-guitar-amplifier-company-1960s.html