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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-05-06, Page 5Wednesday, May 6, 2015 • Huron Expositor 5 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com letter to the editor Conservatives' budget steals from poor seniors to give to the rich Dear editor, The federal Conservative govern- ment's latest budget gives the most to those who need the least Stephen Harper's priority is a $2 bil- lion income -splitting plan and a mas- sive increase to the limit for Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs). Both of these measures disproportionately benefit the rich instead of focusing that help on the middle class and those who are working hard to join it The vast majority of Canadian households - 85 percent - won't get a dime from income -splitting, but they will be the ones left to pay for it Increasing the TFSAlimitto $10,000 per year is also expensive and unfair. The previous TFSAlimit was help- ing the middle class save for retire- ment. However, most Canadians won't benefit from the new higher limit Canadians who are struggling don't have an extra $10,000 to sock away each and everyyear. But wealthy Canadians do. The new TFSA limit will end up costing the government billions of dol- lars each year. A third of that cost will be borne by the provinces. And because TFSAs don't count toward income -tested benefits, it will result in additional Old Age Security (OAS) payments for alreadywealthier sen- iors. When asked about the long term consequences of the new TFSA limit, Finance Minister Joe Oliver shruy;ed and said it was a problem for "Stephen Harper's granddaughter to solve:' Yet these are the same Conserva- tives who, shortly after the last elec- tion, broke their promise and passed a law to raise the age of Old Age Security from 65 to 67. They falsely claimed that they had to do it in order to keep the OAS program financially sustaina- ble.Raisingthe age of OAS to 67 takes $32,000 away from each of Canada's poorest and most vulnerable seniors. The government will be taking that money away at precisely the same time as the extra OAS payments for wealthier seniors start to really kick in. The federal Conservatives are steal- ing from poor seniors in order to give that money to the rich. It's unfair and un -Canadian. "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" used to be an old adage. Under the federal Conservatives, it has become government policy. Yours sincerely, Scott Brison, MP Liberal Party of Canada Finance Critic The Odd Fellows of Seaforth At the turn of the twentieth century, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows rivalled the Freemasons in membership. The Odd Fellows were a powerful fraternity based on the noble ideals of 'Friend- ship, Love and Truth: At their peak of popularity just before the Great War, the Odd Fellows had 10 lodges in Huron County alone. For more than 125 years, Fidelity Lodge #55 carried on the charitable spirit of Odd Fel- lowship in Seaforth. Odd Fellows Lodges can be traced back to eighteenth cen- tury England. According to the 'Encyclopedia Britannica; in small towns and villages where there were not enough craft 'fel- lows' to form a single trade guild like the masons, craftsmen from a variety of trades gathered together in lodges of 'odd fel- lows: It was a 'Friendly Society' that collected dues from local tradesmen for death and sick benefits to help members and their families through hard times. Over time, non -trades- men paid dues in order to enjoy the fellowship and benefits of a fraternal organization. On March 8,1870, the inaugu- ration of the Seaforth lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows was held under 'auspicious circumstances: Many of the provinces leading Odd Fellows 'ably conducted' the dedication of the new lodge. Sixteen new members were initiated into the order that evening making 21 members. Simon Powell, a 56 year old Seaforth merchant and hotel owner, was the first Noble Grand. The evening ended with songs and odd fellowship in the 'commodious' hall 'fitted up in a tasty mariner' above Mr. John Thompson's store on Main Street. Fidelity was the first and oldest Odd Fellows Lodge in Huron County. Soon other lodge sprang up in Goderich, Clinton, Exeter, Gorrie, Hensall, Wing - ham, Wroxeter, Brussels and Brucefield (only Brucefield Lodge #210 and Exeter Lodge #67 are still active). The Odd Fel- lows attracted an influential membership. It counted many of .01001. fier4 1°11 Huron History David Yates the town's leading citizens amongst its ranks as merchants, tradesmen and clergymen joined the brotherhood. By 1874, Fidelity Lodge's membership swelled to the point where a new lodge build- ing was needed. A lot was pur- chased on the south east corner of Main and Gouinlock Streets, and in March 1874, construc- tion began the 'handsome' two- storey Italianate brick building which became Fidelity Lodge's home for over 120 years. The Lodge Hall was one of the first brick buildings on Sea- forth's Main Street. In Septem- ber 1874, the 'Huron Expositor' called the structure 'one of the handsomest buildings in the County and will be a monument of credit to the Lodge and an ornament to Seaforth: The meeting hall was on the second floor while the first floor was rented as store space. The lodge's opening on Janu- ary 27, 1875 was a major event. Despite the blizzard con- ditions which kept some of the entertainment from arriving, the 'Expositor' said 'every available foot of standing and sitting room was occupied: It was estimated that the lodge room could seat 500 people. Suspended from the hall's ceiling were suspended 'two large and elegant bronze chandeliers: A stage at the west end of hall was 'sufficiently large for all ordinary purposes: The Lodge's walls were adorned with several paintings 'peculiar to the Order: A smaller anteroom at the east end of the hall was used for the Lodge's regalia. After a gala evening of songs, speeches, readings and instru- mental recitals, the evening of entertainment, the paper pro- nounced the evening Seaforth Odd Fellows' Hall (built 1874). 'highly satisfactory: The Grand Representative of the Order, John Gibson praised the Seaforth building as 'one of the finest belonging to the Order in Can- ada: It was an'honour not alone to Fidelity Lodge, but also to the town: The Odd Fellows' Hall is one of the few Main Street buildings that pre -date the Great Fire of September 1876. Its brick exte- rior probably saved it from the flames. In 1912, the Edelweiss Rebekah's Lodge, the predomi- nantly female branch of Odd Fel- lows, met in the building accord- ing to the Huron East website. Odd Fellowship in Ontario reached its peak in 1921 when the Order had over 62, 000 members. The Order thrived in rural Huron County as a pillar of a town's social life. Newspapers advertised lodge sponsored dances, card parties and other entertainments. In 1936, 'D' company of the Middlesex -Huron Regiment was located in the Seaforth Odd Fellows Hall. The base- ment was fitted out with a rifle range for training. The lodge building served as company headquarters until 1945 when the regiment was disbanded. In Seaforth, lodge member- ship remained strong in the post-war period. When past Submitted Noble Grand, Jim Rose, joined in 1957, there were about 120 members. Rose who lived on the family farm at the time joined because several of his neighbours were Odd Fel- lows. Rose's wife, Marian, was a member of the Rebekah's and lodge activities became an important of their social and community life. Bob Campbell, a past Noble Grand and District Deputy, joined in the late 1960's because his father was an Odd Fellow and several of his friends were lodge members as well. Camp- bell said that a key part of the lodge's mission was 'helping out widows and orphans: Both Rose and Campbell enjoyed the social aspect of Odd Fellowship but also took pride in the Order's charitable work. Fidel- ity lodge raised money for crutches, wheel chairs and new beds for the Seaforth hospital. However, by the 1970's, Campbell said it was harder to get 'younger people out to join the lodge.' Changing social pat- terns brought about a dramatic decline in lodge membership across the province. In 1996, the lodge went dark for the last time. The dwindling band of members amalga- mated with the Brucefield Lodge ending 126 years of Odd Fellowship in Seaforth.