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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-08-02, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 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 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 Enough amalgamations While those of us who live in the country can only watch at a distance the furor caused when Premier Doug Ford unilaterally decided last week to slash membership on Toronto City Council nearly in half, we can dearly hope he's not setting a precedent as to the size of constituency he thinks municipal councillors should represent. In cutting the size of Toronto's council from 47 to 25 seats, Ford has chosen the same boundaries as the provincial and federal ridings for the wards to be represented by the reduced number of councillors. While we can leave it to Torontonians to fight against this, we need to be aware how ridiculous the same rules would be in rural Ontario, In Huron -Bruce, for instance, we'd have one councillor (now there's efficiency!) to represent an area from the base of the Bruce Peninsula in the north to Mt. Carmel at the southern end of Huron County. To have enough councillors to actually debate issues, we'd have to create a new municipality encompassing Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth Counties for which we could have four councillors representing the four provincial and federal ridings. Such a possibility seems preposterous, but given the resentment many people harbour towards politicians at all levels, nothing seems impossible. Municipal politicians themselves often seem anxious to reduce representation in the name of "efficiency". The problem is that the fewer councillors we have, the greater the burden is on each councillor. When each township, village and town had its own council, it wasn't a big commitment for people to run for local council. Deciding to run for a more time-consuming council position requires a harder decision. In cities where being a councillor is a full-time job, a candidate needs to consider how her or his life will change if elected, without burning bridges to their current occupation in case they don't win. On top of that, as one Toronto councillor explained, if you are going to hear the complaints from many more constituents you're going require a much larger staff. Hopefully we're not looking at further municipal amalgamations, let alone the lunacy of the representation on a constituency basis, but it's within the power of the Premier to order whatever he wishes. Remember the current amalgamated municipalities are in place because councils scurried to reduce the number of municipalities under threat that if they didn't, Premier Mike Harris would do it for them. We need to be prepared to fight against even bigger municipal government with less representation. — KR One thing leads to another According to U.S. President Donald Trump, trade wars are easy to win. Tell that to American farmers! Last week, after hearing from the U.S. farm community, which heavily supported him in the 2016 presidential election, about the hardships they face because of retaliatory tariffs imposed by China, the European Union and other countries, the American president announced $12 billion worth of subsidies in an "emergency relief package". Despite the huge figure, the money doesn't nearly make up for the losses farmers are facing after other countries responded to President Trump's punishing tariffs on goods from their countries. One U.S. farm group estimates that corn, soybean and wheat producers have seen losses of $13 billion just in the first five months of the year. As well as losses caused by higher prices for their products due to tariffs imposed in China and elsewhere, there's the effects of the uncertainty caused by trade tensions. Concerned with the security of supplies, Mexican millers, who buy 38 per cent of U.S. wheat exports, have been turning to Russia and Argentina as alternative suppliers. Farmers have become pawns in Trump's trade chess game. The U.S. has a sizeable trade surplus in farm products but that also makes farm commodities like wheat and soybeans attractive targets for retaliation. The President says those being hurt need to be patient. If trading partners don't give in to his demands for new trade agreements that are favourable to the U.S., he'll hit them with harsher tariffs. No doubt they'll hit back with matching tariffs of their own, which will hurt other Americans. In turn, he'll have to come up with more "emergency relief' packages to help farmers, workers and companies harmed by the retaliatory tariffs. The other countries, in turn, will have to spend money, as Canada is with steel and aluminum mills, to help those in their own countries hurt by the trade war. Trump wants to leverage America's position as the world's largest economy in a war of attrition which he's sure will eventually make other countries give in, but he's gambling with the livelihoods of others. Even if he wins, millions of Americans will have paid a steep price. Leave it to Ben Sasse, a Republican Senator from farm country in Nebraska to say it best. "This administration's tariffs and bailouts aren't going to make America great again, they're just going to make it 1929 again [the eve of the Great Depression]." — KR Looking Back Through the Years August 6, 1958 The Morris Federation met at the Township Hall and it was moved that Albert Bacon's expenses to the Hog Producer's annual meeting in Toronto be paid. The organization also had Carl Hemingway address the meeting, providing an outline on an upcoming Hog Marketing Vote, urging local producers to take part in the vote. Children were enjoying a new wading pool in Brussels. While the site was yet to be officially opened, the pool, which was 50 feet by 25 feet with water depths from six to 22 inches, was built through volunteer labour and was a joint project by the local Lions Club and Royal Canadian Legion Branch. William Dennis of Walton won first place in the East Huron Agricultural Society Field Crop Competition. Dennis was followed by Lloyd Montgomery of Belgrave and Graham Work of Brussels. August 9, 1978 Doug Brown of Delta, British Columbia was visiting the area through the Lions Youth Exchange program. Brown was staying with Fred and Laura Lawrence of Auburn. Brown said of the area that there are "more similarities than differences" to his home, but did note the weather here was is hotter and muggier than his home, which is along the Fraser River Valley and close to the sea. The 1978 International Plowing Match (IPM), hosted at the Armstrong family's Wingham Farm, was aiming to draw in a wider audience, including women. Carol Armstrong, the Ladies' Program Committee Chair, said the program was to include numerous activities and displays in two 50 by 100 foot tents and a building of the same size. Featured items included crafts, quilts and wares, as well as fashion, cooking demonstrations, hair -styling workshops and an afternoon exercise class. August 7, 1991 One year after losing their post office, residents of the village of Walton were saying the change wasn't as bad as anticipated. While it was reported that residents were against the move, possibly due to the forced retirement of then -postmaster Marjory Humphries, after a year of experience with a retail outlet at the Walton Tea Room, residents were saying the change wasn't as bad as they thought it was going to be. Resident Jeanne Kirkby said that, except for losing the Humphries General Store, the former Post Office, the service was pleasant. Farm leaders from Ontario's main farm groups united to call for emergency aid from the federal and provincial government to off -set low prices in the cash crop sector. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) teamed up with production boards representing corn, soy bean and wheat producers to call for the change after prices for grains and soybeans hit a 15 -year low. Greg Haasnoot, a former Brussels resident and blind swimmer, earned a berth at the Canadian games for the Physically Disabled. Haasnoot, son of Hank and Ada, lived in Fordwich at the time and had been blind since berth. He earned provincial gold in the 50- and 100 -metre backstroke and 100 -metre freestyle events and silver in the 50 -metre freestyle event, earning him a shot at the national championships. Maarten VanEembergan of Amsterdam, Holland, was one of three exchange students visiting the area through the Lions International Exchange program. He was the guest of Gerrit and Maria Van Keulen and family of RR2 Brussels. August 14, 2008 The Phillips family was honoured on Aug. 8 as the Blyth Festival named the Phillips Studio after the prolific family. The structure, formerly known as The Garage, was named after the Phillipses, who were represented in a special ceremony by Dr. Anne Juhasz (nee Phillips) of Chicago and her brother Harold (Butch) Phillips of London. Juhasz had, in 2007, donated $50,000 to the Blyth Centre for the Arts. In addition to the naming of the studio, the Festival also launched the McCreary-Juhasz Young Company Director's Fund which would endeavour to have professional theatre directors for the Young Company program. The North Huron Food Share was facing a difficult future as donations were dwindling. Representatives of the organization said they were short on food every week and needed help if it were to continue serving community families. Esha Gupte of New Delhi, India and Juliana Fujishiro of Sao Paolo, Brazil, were visiting the area through the Lions Youth Exchange program. The two were staying with Bill and Susanne Robinson in St. Augustine. Both Gupte and Fujishiro came from cities that have millions of residents and commented on the difference between spacious rural Ontario and their homes.