Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-07-26, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 26, 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 1H0 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 HO 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 Good intentions, limited means One of the frustrations for all levels of government is that there are always so many good things that might be done, but there are limited resources to make it happen. So at the federal level, there's a desire for a national pharmacare program to make prescription drugs available to those who need them. During the recent provincial election campaign the Liberals promised free child care for kids aged two and a half to kindergarten. Locally, North Huron Councillors are finding the limitations of their budget compared to the desires of residents. The North Huron Museum has been locked because millions are needed to bring the current building up to standard. Meanwhile, some Wingham residents have urged councillors to replace the failing Howson dam for aesthetic and tourism purposes. A study has put the cost at $6-$9 million over 30 years depending on the type of construction chosen. Meanwhile the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority suggests the dam be removed and the river allowed to resume its natural course at a cost of "only" $500,000. Sadly, government resources are limited. Sometimes there's not enough money for even the most laudable projects. — KR Good news for a change In a world where there seems to be so much division, the international effort that rescued 422 "White Helmets" and their families from the war zone of Syria on the weekend was welcome good news. The White Helmets have saved 100,000 lives by rescuing civilians from collapsed buildings and providing first aid during Syria's civil war, but because they operated in rebel territory and because they often told the world of the atrocities carried out by Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad's troops, the volunteers and their families were in danger when the government re-establishes control over the entire country. A Canadian diplomat brought their plight to the attention of officials in Ottawa who relayed the urgency to other countries. Apparently much of the groundwork required to start the ball rolling on the rescue mission was done at the NATO summit, a meeting that had seemed like such a failure when U.S. President Donald Trump berated member countries for not spending enough on defence. But it was Trump, as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ask that he use his armed forces to rescue the White Helmets and their families while they still could. Meanwhile, Jordan agreed to give a home to those rescued until they could be resettled in Germany, Britain and Canada. Canada will accept 50 of the volunteers and their family members, perhaps 250 people. There's been tension between many western countries and Israel recently. There's been growing division between the U.S. and its allies. But when something needed to be done to rescue these brave volunteers, Trump used his influence to persuade Israel to risk the lives of its soldiers to carry out the rescue. Unfortunately the story didn't have a totally happy ending. Hundreds of White Helmets and their families remain in Syria and may be killed or tortured when al -Assad regains control of the entire country and exacts revenge. Still, seeing good people rescued through co-operation among countries that often squabble is a good news story. — KR He can't have it both ways U.S. President Donald Trump understands winning Apparently he's not so good at understanding economics. As he does so often, the U.S. President criticized his own officials last week, this time the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates too high, too fast. The problem, as Trump sees it, is that higher interest rates keep the U.S. dollar strong compared to the currencies of other countries. A high U.S. dollar makes it more expensive for people in other countries to buy American-made goods. But the more Trump wins in his trade war with everybody else in the world, the stronger the U.S. dollar will become in relationship to the currencies of the countries he beats up on. It's part of the basic balancing act of economies. If a country is in financial difficulty, the value of its currency drops in terms of other world currencies. The Canadian dollar, for instance, has dropped in value compared to the U.S. dollar in recent years. With tariffs already in place on steel, aluminum, softwood lumber and newsprint hurting our exports to the U.S., our dollar has sunk to 76 cents in U.S. currency compared to trading nearly at par in 2014. If Trump imposes the 25 per cent tariff on imports of cars and car parts made outside the U.S., the Canadian dollar will likely plunge further, in part offsetting the effect of the tariffs. Trump wants to win every battle. He wants tariffs to reduce imports and stimulate the American economy, but he also wants a low U.S. dollar to increase American competitiveness. If he gets his first wish he can't possibly get his second. — KR Looking Back Through the Years July 30, 1958 Jean Patrick had been awarded the silver medal by the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music in London for obtaining the highest marks for the year in her Grade 2 piano examination. The Seaforth Lions Club was in the final planning stages of hosting its 23rd annual Summer Carnival. With a different program each of the three nights, the Lions pledged that there would be plenty for all to see and do at the event, which would raise money for local initiatives throughout Seaforth. Five different types of victory bonds could now be exchanged for new Canada conversion bonds with a higher interest rate and an immediate cash adjustment. August 2, 1978 The Auburn Junior Farmers took time out of their busy schedules to visit with local seniors as they entertained a group at the Maitland Manor Nursing Home in Goderich. Star Wars was on the screen at the Park Theatre in Goderich, joined by showings of Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta. July 31, 1991 Members of the Brussels Fire Department had their hands full with a fire at a vacant Catherine Street home that was found to be on fire late into the night of July 29. Fire Chief Howard Bernard said it didn't take long for firefighters to extinguish the fire and, after careful inspection, firefighters were then able to return to the hall. They weren't quite right, however, as firefighters had to return to the site again and remained there until well after 2 a.m. the next morning. An ongoing study in Huron County aimed to look at the future of agriculture in the community by way of a special meeting scheduled to be held in Clinton. Don Pullen, a long-time Huron County agricultural representative, had been providing research for the study after discussing the future of agriculture with area farmers for the previous few months. Morris Township native Murray Elston was chosen as the interim leader of the Liberal Party. The 41 - year -old Elston would serve in a leadership capacity for the party until a successor could be chosen at the party's upcoming convention. Elston replaced Robert Nixon, who had served as the party's interim leader, stepping in after David Peterson resigned from his position after being defeated in the provincial election the previous fall. Peterson, however, landed on his feet after his election defeat, becoming Ontario's agent general in London, England. While Elston said he was happy to serve in a leadership capacity for a short time, he said he had no intention to seek the leadership permanently, saying he didn't want to put any additional stress on his family life. This came after Elston had already served as the province's health minister and its minister of financial institutions. Tom Knight, executive director of the Huron County Children's Aid Society, struck back at statistics quoted by Huron County councillors, saying that the organization's budget had jumped by 28 per cent. The actual figures, he said, were 13.9 per cent and were actually within the six per cent guideline laid out by the provincial government. July 31, 2008 After generations as an unofficial heritage site, work was underway to make the Brussels Library site an official heritage site, recognized by the provincial government. Huron East Council voted in favour of beginning the process, which was drafted by local architect John Rutledge. The process, he said, would entail council negotiating a final draft of the bylaw with the Huron East Heritage Committee, holding a public meeting and then finally voting on the bylaw. Shahzad Ahmed, the owner of the Grand View restaurant in the south end of Blyth, received a rude awakening when he heard local firefighters outside of his restaurant just after 1 a.m. While it had yet to stir him from his slumber, the business was on fire and Ahmed needed to be rescued. "He was not aware there was a problem until we walked in and hollered that there was a fire," said Blyth Fire Chief Paul Josling. The fire had been called in by a passing motorist who saw smoke coming from the building. Three young women had put their names forward in hopes of becoming the next Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador. Darby Alborn, Kari Bell and Melinda Dorsch were all hopeful that they'd be wearing the crown at the end of the upcoming competition. Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle and MPP Carol Mitchell were both on hand for the official groundbreaking of the new Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) in Clinton, a dream that had received funding from the provincial, federal and local branches of government.