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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-12-09, Page 5Wednesday, December 9, 2015 • Huron Expositor 5 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com Throne Speech silent on fight against ISIS A busy November for the Seaforth Lions Club MichaelDen Tandt At every phase StephennHarper's tenure as prime minister, Liberal parti- sans accused him of pay- ing too much mind to the trolls in his base and too little to ordinary hobbits whose votes swing with the wind. It was a fair criticism. It would be more than a little ironic then, not to men- tion damaging to their future electoral prospects, if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Grits were to make the same mistake. Consider "Dougie," the famous vote -targeting con- struct of former Conserva- tive backroom mastermind Patrick Muttart. Dougie is single, works at Canadian Tire and doesn't care about politics. He probably plays hockey in a beer league, fishes on weekends and hunts in deer season — with a rifle, not a bow. Or there's "Steve and Heather," a forty - something couple with three kids, a small business to run and a big focus on family, work and home. Muttartian strategy rested on the assumption that voters who fit these basic narratives, numbering as few as 500,000, determine the outcomes of Canadian elections. Trudeau's strategic innova- tion, in a nutshell, was to steal this demographic from the Conservatives. But what did the Throne Speech offer Dougie, Steve and Heather? Liberals will argue quite a lot, in the form of the tax cut that formed the spine of their winning campaign. Like any retail worker, Dou- gie benefits from reduced taxes for lower middle- income earners. The Liberals won't restore the 1990s -era long -gun registry, so Dougie no longer has a compelling reason to cut cheques to his local Tory candidate. Dou- gie, Steve and Heather really just want to be left alone. If the Liberals can do that and not make a total mess of things, their votes remain up for grabs. But not making a mess presupposes Ottawa is seen by fair-minded, ordinary folk to get the big stuff right. At the federal level in 2015, that comprises three areas: National unity (because in Canada, that never com- pletely goes away), econom- ics and security. The first is off the table for the moment due to the implosion of the Parti Que- becois in the 2014 Quebec election. This is why, in the months and years leading up to the Oct. 19 vote, Conserv- atives made economics and security their twin mantras. These were and remain fruit- ful ballot questions. And yet, despite Trudeau having instructed Finance Minister Bill Morneau in his mandate letter to "ensure that our fiscal plan is sustainable by meeting our fiscal anchors of bal- ancing the budget in 2019/20 and continuing to reduce the federal debt -to - GDP ratio throughout our mandate," the Throne Speech had nothing to say on either subject. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's mandate letter instructs him to maintain planned defence spending increases, establish a com- petition for a new fighter jet, invest in the Royal Canadian Navy, and offer more robust support for international peace operations and disas- ter relief, among other meas- ures. Good. But the Throne Speech offered only a "leaner, more agile, better - equipped military?' Leaner, as in smaller? Also, as the Conservatives immediately noted, the speech did not deign to mention the Islamic State of Iraq and ISIL. It's one thing to doggedly insist on ending Canada's air -combat role in Iraq and Syria, even as allies ramp up their contribution. It's another to let on, by the tone and text of your inaugural Throne Speech, that you're happy to cede the lead on the anti -terror fight to your political opposition. Maybe that isn't the intent. But then, why not say so? Dougie, Steve and Heather would probably have appre- ciated the reassurance. Ignoring them, as hordes of old-time defeated Liberals can attest, is not wise. Seadog's Southwestern Ontario fame endures Tom Villemaire Frederick Rolette did not follow the path of a typical Franco -Canadian. He was born in Quebec City in 1783. But when he was a young teen he joined the Royal Navy. The British Royal Navy. He served under Admiral Nel- son at the Battle of the Nile, where he was wounded five times, and the Battle of Trafalgar. By the time the War of 1812 broke out, he'd left the Royal Navy and joined the Provincial Marine -- comparable to the militia (civil- ian army) equivalent of the navy -- and was stationed at Sandwich, near where Windsor is today. He was young, courageous and an intuitive naval officer, and there was a war on. Imagine his delight when he saw the Cuyahoga Packet slowly mak- ing its way upstream past his base. The ship was bound for Detroit, carrying 30 soldiers, the regimental band for General William Hull's Army of the American Northwest, the army's quartermaster and all its medical supplies. Rolette rounded up six men and they jumped into -- accounts dif- fer here -- a long boat or two canoes. Either way, they overtook the ship fairly quickly. Here's a hint: If you're going to declare war, make sure you let your army know. Lieutenant Rolette knew war had been declared. Hull didn't. Once alongside the ship, Rolette demanded the ship's captain, Luther Chapin, surrender. With all weapons stored below, Rolette needed only one warning shot to persuade Chapin and the quarter- master to give up the ship. As they sailed the captured ship to Fort Malden, Rolette convinced the American regimental band to play God Save the King. On the Cuyahoga Packet, Rolette discovered Hull's papers detailing his plans for the defence of Fort Detroit and Hull's deep fear of Indian warriors, informa- tion British General Isaac Brock put to good use when he captured the fort shortly afterwards. Brock noted Rolette during the taking of Fort Detroit: "I have watched you during the action," said the general, "you behaved like a lion and I will remember you." Throughout the war, Rolette moved between ship and land assignments. While commanding the General Hunter, he captured more than a dozen other prizes. At the Battle of the River Raisin, Jan. 22, 1813, Rolette had aggres- sively moved his cannon forward to better pummel the American fort when he was hit in the back of the head by a musket ball from his own side. Luckily it was almost Letter to the editor The Seaforth Lions Club wel- comed 2nd Vice District Gov- ernor Dennis Flavell to their November business meeting. Dennis showed a video outlin- ing International President Dr. Yamada s vision of dignity, har- mony and humanity around the world and what Lions Clubs are doing to make his vision a reality. Dennis com- mended our club for the work we are doing in our community and beyond. Lions Cathy Elliott, John Snell and John's wife Ruth trav- elled to Oakville on November 12 for the graduation of local resident Karen Boxwell and her hearing ear dog Irie from the Lions Foundation Canada Dog Guide training facility. Irie was sponsored by the Seaforth Lions Club. This amazing facil- ity provides Dog Guides free of cost to any eligible applicant even though it costs $25,000 to raise and train each Dog Guide. Karen, her husband Richard and Irie attended our club's spent, so it didn't kill him. Rolette obstinately refused to leave the field: "I have been selected to work this gun, and it would be a lasting disgrace for me to leave it." At the end of the war, Rolette went home to Quebec City and was given a 50 -guinea sword in recognition of his service. He died March 17, 1831, at age 49, from the cumulative wear and tear of his war injuries, said doctors. Later a community in Quebec was named after him, and last sum- mer the Royal Canadian Navy announced it will name of Cana- da's ana- das new Arctic patrol vessels after Rolette. Rolette's old ship, HMS General Hunter, was found under the sands of Southampton's beach about 15 years ago and is now an archaeological and historic site. Tom Villemaire is a writer based in Toronto and the Bruce Peninsula. SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR — HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-527-0240 • FAX: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com November dinner meeting to share their storywith members and guests. The weather cooperated for the Santa Claus parade on the evening of November 27th. More than 50 participating groups and 5 bands provided a joyful experience for parade - goers young and old. Santa vis- ited with youngsters after the parade at the Legion. 48 attendees at the Huron East Centenaires hockey game on November 28 received free admission, courtesy of the Sea - forth Lions Club. Seaforth Foodland generously donated 5 turkeys for a turkey toss. Contestants competed to see who could toss a frozen turkey closest to the lion standing at centre ice. There are some skilled turkey tossers in our community as the winners showed great accuracy in toss- ing their birds. November donations were made to the Huron Perth Agri- culture and Water Festival for $250 and $750 to the Christmas Bureau. HAVE AN OPINION? The Huron Expositor welcomes letters to the editor. They must be signed and accompanied by a phone number for information clarification. Itis important to note, letters will not be printed without the author's name attached. All letters are subjectto editing due to possible space restriction. Letters can be dropped off at the office, mailed or emailed: The Huron Expositor 8 Main St. P.O.Box 69 Seaforth, ON NOK 1W0 Shaun.Gregory@sunmedia.ca www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com