~ ‘admits ‘answered a newspaper ad in - reenact ~lovera , By TIMDUNN It’s not easy being an internatignal tourist attraction- especially when youre just a kid trying to your way through college A mountain can sit there and look majestic, but it’s a different matter when you're mere flesh and blood and have to measure up toa picture postcard. Randy P Porterfield, who's now going into his ‘second season. as a_ tourist attraction, wears the heavy responsibility well, -But he that when he 1975 he didn’t know what-he was getting himself into. ‘I was just looking for a summer job.”’ At 23 he’s almost finished college and for Corporal Porterfield, of the Governor-General’s Footguards, what began as asummer job has become a service to his country. He's anxious to get back into-his flamboyant uniform and to © go through his paces in the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, site of Canada’s federal parliament buildings. - Every morning at 10 a.m, (from July Ist until September) he and about 20. other young stalwarts tthis ancient colorful military ceremony whose pomp. and circumstance draws crowds _ like bees to honey. Or is it like mosquitoes to apicnic? - iN bit of each concedes Corporal Porterfield who. enjoys. an audience, but sometimes. feels a_ bit uneasy, while delighting hundreds of merciless onlookers: . keen-eyed shutterbugs; ‘wide-eyed children; jaded world travellers. Nothing protects them from the tourists but a filmey cordon of rope, a of Royal. Canadian inte Police and: their’ own raw courage. Clad in: black trousers with red slash, white belted scarlet tunics, rifles with fixed. bayonets at their. sides, and standing a foot taller under. their enormous bearskins, the Governor- General's Footguards* and the Canadjah Grenadier — Guarfs’ enough to ma parade. “Ttmust get awfully hot in those uniforms on asummer morning.” A you-don’t know- the-half- of-it smile is the reply, There's a stretcher van on ALE, impressive ke everybod the Hill for emergencies and. casualties are rarely from the ranks of tourists. Last year Corporal Porterfield’s became the butt of some barracks * room humor because seven of them collapsed during the summer without one shot being fired. He was one-of the unfortunate and insult was added to injury because he was on stretcher duty at the time. There's nothing more humiliating for a tourist: L. _and reward. - attraction than to fall down on the job - especially. when. some cynical visitors think it’s part of an act. The doctor dismissed it as a combination of heat and im dehydration and the next day Corporal Porterfield was back on the Hill, determined to redeem himself. Is a tough audience to play to but Randy thrives on challenge. His begins with reveille at 3 a.m. He and his comrades eat and are ready for inspection at 8 a.m, No mean.feat considering the opulence of their attire. At exactly 16 minutes to 10 ’ Old Guard and New Guard leave the drill hall in downtown, Ottawa . and march to Parliament Hill, arriving as the clock in the central tower of the parliament buildings strikes the hour... For half an hour they go-.-through their _ elaborate fitual -bald colors flashing on the rich green lawns, with the seat of government. a. anagnificent backdrop, ~«.-. The ceremony involves the guards, their respective to . color parties and regimental bands. After passing down inspection and exc compliments with the Ot Guard, the New’ Guard marches off to the residence of the Governor General, to replace the sentries of the . OM Guard, The Old Guard marches back to the drill hall, ae The ‘ultimate’ “ehallenge - or a guardsman is standing sentry at Rideau Hall { ical day: Government. House), the Governor-General’s residence, If it’s his turn to .guard the entrance to the grounds he must stand, imperturbable, for an hour, e curious onlookers try to rove him human. ildren will often tug at a uardem an s trousers, raping to make him move. ids and Corporal curiosity with humor, He’s not quite as generous towards the man who managed to get behind a sentry and began jabbing his finger into different points on his back - trying to start him up. . One father was overheard telling his son: ‘“‘the bayonets are rubber and the — es are plastic”. Even such. tangible evidence of life as (pardon the word) sweatisn't always accepted, On a particularly hot day a youngster, seeing baads of perspiration onaa guardsman’s exclaimed to his f “Look daddy, he’s melting”, But even national , monuments are susceptible od humor. One day an iderly woman decided to sit ide the sentry box: and rest her feet. Staring up at the implacable Corporable Porterfield she ve him asly wink. Being e gentleman the could only to wink with a. bearskin resting on the bridge of y¢ your nose. i “It’s § like that that aa it- all worthwhile” Randy. maWhile front gate sentries wink back. And it isn’t easy” Twa rownsaane, Thursday. sty 14 77, PAwe 9 OR AT LEAST AN ATTRACTION | Summer: work as a folk hero. endure tugs, pokes and landishments to smile for the camera” a_ polite member of the Ottawa Police Force runs interference, gently reminding peo) le that guardsmen aren't allowed to talk or smile while on duty. Precious. little le protéction mi Porterfield ob he’s "for a poor sentry Porterfield accepts their . vor Corporal insists it’s the best. ever had and - for art - ey pleasure. ‘ood food, good fun and g woe training é says, with the smile-of a man who’s found his calling. . He's proud to be part of a traditional ceremony that dates back several VEDNEODAY 386 most. centuries; ‘is maintained by the Queen’s Guards in England and has been carried out with great success in Canada since Bat it’s no light burden to know that a false step, errant smile or even unwarranted breathin t tarnish a nation institution and the pressure. takes its toll on even the most committed uardsman. Corporal ‘orterfield has decided to — hang up his bearskin at the end of this summer. He'll become a regular member of the Canadian Armed Forces where he intends to train as a pilot - for safety’s sake. | a division . 2 | ‘SEATTLE TODAY _. 9:00. 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