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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-08-05, Page 5SMARTS letters to the editor I have been a resident of Seaforth for the past 13 years. On the whole, I really enjoy living here. It's a great feeling going into the local businesses, treated and served by staff being helpful, kind and respectful. There are many people from all walks of life I've met. They include wealthy, middle-class, the working poor and also people on fixed income from retirement. People living on or below poverty level that suffer from physical disabilities as well as mental disabilities. I have found unfortu- nately, that a few of these people have been taken advantage of. They of course get frustrated with different situations that have arisen in their lives. Unfortunately when this happens, they automati- cally feel they won't get a fair shake in general, because they have been beaten down time and time again. It has been brought to my attention several times over the years that there has been the odd landlord that has kicked people out of a place to live without any notice. Or have gone into people's places with- out 24 hours of notice. Locks are being changed, etc. I've also heard of heat being cut off early. I, in turn, phoned the Land- lord Tenant Act to find out Forest fires and photo -ops. Mr. Harper had a photo - op with forest fire fighters as background. One newspa- per refused to mention his name and referred to him as "a man in a blue suit': Although I question the eth- ics of this photo -op I am much more concerned about what he said. To para- phrase, "these forest fires maybe caused by climate change. We may have to consider increasing our for- est fire fighting capability." To those who do not track climate change closely the above statement may seem reasonable. As for myself I have been tracking climate change for over 30 years and my preferred statement would be, "our current forest fire tragedy is directly linked to climate change. We need to bring together experts in forest management along with climatologists to dis- cuss and develop a long term strategy to deal with the fate of our forests." Mr. Harper's statement reveals a lot more than one would think. Firstly, the "maybe" shows a lack of knowledge on the effects of climate change. It has been known for decades that northern forests in Canada and Russia are at risk due to rising temperatures in northern regions. In fact both Canada and Russia have witnessed a doubling of the area burnt yearly since the 1970s. The burning of the town of Slave Lake, just a few years back, should have set off alarm bells. In fact we should not have even waited for this event to occur to take action. So the current government of Can- ada has been negligent in not responding to this now present crisis. Harper's response to increase fire -fighting capacity also shows a lack of knowledge and a knee jerk response. The solution to our forest crisis is not that if the heat wasn't turned back on, that the landlord would be held accountable of a hefty fine. This problem was rectified immediately. Whether you are inde- pendently wealthy or come from old money; does not give you the right to treat people in a manor less than the way you would like to be treated yourself. Landlords and tenants if you are having a prob- lem, please find out the proper course to follow. I recommend the Landlord and Tenant Act. They are eager to help with any problems you may be hav- ing. I think it is better all the way around to do this privately and that clear. For those of you who are not following this issue the crisis can be described as "eventually, the whole of Canada's northern forests will burn away." There will be no more northern coniferous forests. Some researches say we should just let it burn because it will be impossible to stop. The coniferous forests will be replaced by aspen forests, hopefully. We would need to protect northern towns and infrastructure from the fires but that would be it. Unfortunately, this may increase the speed at which the permafrost melts which in turn will also burn. Canada will no longer be able to use our forests as a carbon sink to off set our carbon emis- sions. Instead, the forests become a liability. Unfor- tunately under the current federal government scien- tists have been silenced professionally. Please do not do it at your business verbally in front of customers shop- ping. Customers do not need to hear every word made to the tenants. I found this to be extremely inexcusable and rude behavior. How might you feel like, if you were treated in this manor in front of your customers? It is far better to rise above and do what is really right. I personally try very hard to live my life this way, occasionally with a slip because of pure frustration. Sincerely, A concerned resident of Seaforth and I know some climate scientist have left Canada under such a hostile gov- ernment. So here we are eight million acres burnt so far this year (way above the average) and no real direc- tion to head for because our current government does not understand the implications of climate change. Russia has also failed to respond, as I understand it. The Arctic Counsel should have this as a top priority. Appar- ently, Harper only sees it as a photo -op. The solutions are not yet evident so we need a government that recognizes a true threat to our safety, security and prosperity. Hopefully, this short letter gives the reader a small insight into the com- plexity of the situation and the urgency of the threat. Dan Taylor Clinton, Ontario Wednesday, August 5, 2015 • Huron Expositor 5 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com IN THE YEARS AGONE AUGUST 1,1930 • The King Government defeated -the Conserv- atives capturing 137 seats. The Huron repre- sentative is Conserva- tive George Spotton. • Farmers in Varna are busy these days har- vesting fall wheat, which is a real good crop. ■ A big celebration was held in Zurich on Mon- day night when it became known that McMillian was re- elected as a member of South Huron. ■ The local church ser- vices were not as well attended on Sunday, as they should have been. Many claiming it was too warm to attend. • The sympathy of the community is extended to Mr. and Mrs. Mat- thew Haney of Tucker - smith in the death of their twin. AUGUST 5,1955 ■ Mrs. E.A. McMaster, wife of Seaforth's mayor, officially crowns Marion Hemingway, 15, from Brussels. • Miss Hemingway is "Miss Seaforth Centen- nial1955." • While cleaning out a forage harvester last Wednesday afternoon James Ryan son of Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Ryan, Walton had his right hand caught in the machine and was forced to have it ampu- tated from the wrist. • Cigarettes were taken from the Starlight Drive-in Theater five miles east of Grand Bend Police believe the suspects forced off the lock around 2 a.m. • Hensall Kinsmen decided the children of their town need an arti- ficial ice arena. • Nineteen members of the organization got together and planned a 'Bean Festival." • More than a 1,000 peo- ple agreed it was a good idea by attending. The profit was about $700. AUGUST 1,1984 • Two wheat field fires in the Seaforth area dur- ing the past week were caused by vehicles driven into the fields, says Seaforth Fire Chief, Harry Hak. • On Thursday July 26 at lot one concession three of Hullett Town- ship, 15 to 20 acres of grain were lost on the farm of Bob Dalton, when a car driven into the field caused a fire. The field contained about 95 acres of wheat. The 1984 federal elec- tion has been billed as one of the most impor- tant elections for Cana- dians. For young Pro- gressive Conservative supporters in Huron - Bruce, the election announcement meant the timing was right to form a Young progres- sive Conservatives in their riding. FIRE PREVENTION At least 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in home fires. Here are some smart Fire Prevention tips for protecting yourself and your family: V Never leave candles burning unattended, and keep matches out of reach from children. V Keep space heaters away from curtains and other flammable materials. ✓ Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside each bedroom, and test batteries monthly.