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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-07-12, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2018. Editorials Opinions President: Keith Roulston • Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld • Heather Fraser The Citizen is published 50 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $38.00/year ($36.19 + 51.81 G.S.T.) in Canada; $160.00/year in U.S.A. and $205/year in other foreign countries. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Mon. 2 p.m. - Brussels; Mon. 4 p.m. - Blyth. Canada MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1HO email: info@northhuron.on.ca We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1 H0 Ph. 519-523-4792 Phone Fax 519-523-9140 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca ocna ab CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council CMCA AUDITED We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright It's likely to get worse Sadly, last week's heat wave is reported to have contributed to the deaths of 54 people in Quebec (no similar figures have been released for Ontario). More tragically, if scientists are correct there will be even more deaths in the future. Climate scientists have forecast that extreme weather, including heat waves, will become more common as the climate changes because of man-made pollution. The recent deaths took place at a time when some elected officials in the U.S. and here in Ontario claim that efforts to try to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are nothing more than a boondoggle and tax grab. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has not only suspended the previous government's cap and trade system, but has promised to use every tactic in his command to prevent the federal government implementing its carbon tax plan in Ontario. Righting the problems caused through generations of burning more and more carbon fuels will not be instantly achieved by any government tax on carbon, but at least it's a start. Climate change deniers like U.S. President Donald Trump and Premier Ford simply push the solution to the problem further down the road. With more heat waves expected, more elderly and other vulnerable people will die — unless we install more air conditioners which require burning more carbon to generate the electricity to run them. — KR There's no easy solution The problem with complicated problems such as the gun violence plaguing Toronto in this hot summer is that people want a simple solution when there isn't one. So for a certain type of person, the solution to the violence is a tough - on -crime agenda: more police given more power to randomly stop and search suspected gang members and tougher sentencing. A different sort of person sees the current crisis as a result of young men and women growing up in deprived neighbourhoods being drawn to criminal gangs by a sense of hopelessness and desperation. The solution, they say, is changing the quality of life in these communities. There are probably as many reasons for gun violence as there are participants in the gangs, and therefore there's a need for many approaches to reduce the problem, both short term and long term. No doubt, for instance, young people in the communities that are home to these gangs often don't have the sporting teams and clubs that keep kids in more affluent neighbourhoods busy and give them a sense of accomplishment. Too often young people in these neighbourhoods either drop out of school or are expelled, diminishing their prospects of securing a good job and making the gangs look attractive. So in the long term, we must eliminate many of the root causes of the problem. This approach may help reduce gun violence in the future but it can't work retroactively. The people perpetrating the shootings in these gang wars are beyond that solution. For them, enforcement of the law and protection of the public should be the priority and police must have the powers they need, while at the same time being dissuaded from abuse of their powers. If gang members are arrested and sentenced, however, efforts should be made to give them the tools, such as education or training, to leave the gang culture when their terms are served. Too often leaders, whether liberal or conservative, want to choose one solution or the other. We need leaders wise enough not to get hung up in ideology and adopt multiple approaches to solve the short-term and long- term problem. — KR On this Trump's right When U.S. President Donald Trump scolded Canada in the lead -up to the North American Treaty Organization NATO meeting in Belgium this week for not meeting its NATO commitment to spend two per cent of our Gross Domestic Product on defence, it was hard to plead innocence. Canada has a long history of riding on the coat tails of more powerful partners. With a huge territory and a small population, for instance, Canada could not possibly have fended off the Soviet Union if it had decided to invade us during the Cold War. We were protected because the Soviets knew the Americans wouldn't stand for them invading Canada. Prior to that, Canada made massive contributions to the allied cause in both World Wars but before that the size and capability of our military was laughable. There's a good argument that the money we haven't spent on the military over the decades (we're spending about half what we've committed to) has helped us provide services to our own people like medicare, education and social safety nets. We've gotten away with it because we let the Americans pick up the slack. Still, we must stand on our own two feet, even if there are places we'd rather spend the money other than on the military. Painful as it is, we must pay the piper. — KR Looking Back Through the Years July 16, 1958 The Brussels Church Vacation School was set to hold its annual achievement night on July 18 at the United Church. A display of the children's work would be available to be viewed before the ceremony. The Morris Township Federation of Agriculture was urging its members to vote on the Hog Producers Marketing Plan on July 25. Huron County weed inspector W. R. Dougall put residents on notice that all noxious weeds were to be destroyed by July 19. If they hadn't been, he said they would be dealt with in accordance with the Weed Control Act of Ontario. July 19, 1978 West Wawanosh Council passed a new fire protection agreement for the township, authorizing a new partnership with Lucknow and Ashfield and Kinloss Townships for fire protection. As part of the newly -signed agreement, West Wawanosh Township would also aid in the purchase of a new fire truck as well as capital interest in the equipment owned by the Lucknow Fire Department. Morris Township Council accepted the resignation of Clerk Jane Badley at a special meeting of council on July 17. While Badley had submitted her letter of resignation on June 5, for over a month council hadn't accepted nor rejected Badley's request to resign. As a result of the resignation, council was now on the hunt for someone new to fill the position with the hopes that the new hire would begin on Sept. 5. Jean Siertsema of RR3, Blyth welcomed a special visitor to the community through the 4-H exchange program. Lori Ann Zimmerman spent both Canada Day and Independence Day in the Blyth area, away from her Wisconsin home. Zimmerman enjoyed her time in Canada and commented that she found her neighbours to the north to be "friendlier" than those of her home nation. July 17, 1991 Wingham OPP were in the midst of investigating an incident on July 15 that resulted in a two -car collision and an OPP officer and a young offender being injured. The OPP said that during the high-speed chase, speeds of up to 170 kilometres per hour were reached before it came to an end with the collision. Both the officer and the young offender were taken to hospital. Jim Snider of Listowel was the winner of the Brussels Lions Club's duck race, that had been held at the village's FunFest earlier that month. Zurich Reeve Robert Fisher became the first candidate for Huron County Warden in the fall, announcing his intention to run for the position at the July meeting of Huron County Council. Due to the municipal election in the fall, Fisher would have to win his position in his own local election before he could officially contend for the county position. Stewart Toll, a former Auburn resident, was making waves in Bermuda through his consulting firm and its work in helping to reshape its education system. July 17, 2008 Members of the Blyth Fire Department were busy, tending to a serious collision at the intersection of Blyth and London Roads and a late-night barn fire on Hullett- McKillop Road. Fire Chief Paul Josling said that the intersection of Blyth and London Roads had been a concern for firefighters for some time and North Huron Clerk -Administrator Kriss Snell said that North Huron and Huron County Councils were collectively investigating the possibility of installing traffic lights at the intersection. Snell said that the most recent meetings between North Huron and Huron County had been positive and that North Huron was "concerned" about the safety of those travelling through the intersection. After the success of the Brussels Homecoming of 2007, Brussels was looking forward to keeping that momentum going with a FunFest on the final weekend of the month. Chair Wayne Lowe said it would be a good opportunity to see old friends and for former residents to return to the village. Crop circles were discovered on the farm of Bert Van Maar near Holmesville. After an electrical storm had blown through the area the night before, Van Maar said he was surprised and didn't know what to think about what was going on in his wheat field. Kitchener -based artist Monte Wright was the next artist to have a professional exhibit at the Blyth Festival Art Gallery. The exhibit, titled, "Behind The Mask", was set to open on July 25. Huron East Council voted by a 6- 5 margin to begin the tendering process for the construction of the new Brussels Library. With the process beginning in July, Huron East staff predicted that construction on the new structure could begin as soon as the winter.