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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-03-02, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston • Associate 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 $36.00/year ($34.29 + $1.71 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. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 Canada 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 1 HO 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 AOCna tom. Member CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council CMCA AUDITED We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are m Copyright It's not free money As municipal councillors struggle to balance their budgets this spring they have been blessed with one apparent gift that's not actually real: a massive increase in the value of the assessment in most municipalities. An increase in the assessed value of property in a municipality is a good thing, if it comes as a result of growth — new industries and businesses, more homes and apartments. But while local municipalities have seen some modest growth, most of the boom in assessment comes from the new reassessment from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), previously known as the assessment office. The 2016 notices from MPAC saw an average rise of 12 per cent in residential assessments but a whopping 120 per cent increase in farmland assessments. Even though farmland is taxed at 25 per cent of the residential rate (which includes the farm home), it still means farmers may see their taxes soar. Just because farmland has sold at greatly increased prices in recent years, driving up assessments, doesn't mean the current owner has a sudden new wealth to pay higher taxes. It's a delicate balancing act municipalities that contain farms are going to have to negotiate. On one hand, many have been losing provincial funding at an astounding rate and either have to cut services or increase taxes, but on the other hand, increases in assessment of a property, whether a farm or a home, don't reflect the owner's ability to pay. Even slight tax rate increases when piled on top of huge assessment increases, can bring hardship for property owners. Councillors need to contemplate these new realities as they consider adopting their 2017 budgets. — KR Perception vs. reality All the attention on people moving across borders caused by the obsession of U.S. President Donald Trump, European anti -immigrant leaders like France's Marine Le Pen and their supporters, has turned a relative trickle of asylum seekers crossing the Canadian border from the U.S. into a major story. In the process, a sense of balance has been lost. How you perceive the couple of hundred people who have trudged through the snow across the borders in Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick, depends on how you look at the issue. Some people worry that these are people jumping the queue while others wait (im)patiently for immigration authorities to assess their right to enter Canada. Others see the hardship these people have braved, even before risking a frozen death crossing the border, and want to help. The reality is that no matter how hard the line governments take against migrants, many are so desperate they'll keep coming. When European countries closed their doors to migrants last year, people still piled into flimsy boats to try to cross the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe, thousands paying with their lives. The people coming into Canada through a punishing cold they've never before experienced, have already survived many risks to their lives just to get that far. Some people say these migrants aren't "real" refugees, they're economic migrants. Whatever the reason, these people are frantic enough to escape their current situation to take huge risks — just as many of our ancestors risked death in packed, often disease -wracked, immigrant ships 160 years ago. Building walls and hiring border guards isn't going stop the flow. We've got to improve the situation where they come from if we want them to stay home. We can't just ignore this problem and hope it goes away. We either have to help solve the cause of their suffering at its source or welcome these desperate people. That's reality. — KR Only I can save you Donald Trump is turning out to be even scarier as President of the United States than was feared, building a case that everyone from the judiciary to the legislature to the media can't be trusted, and that only he is right and honest. It's the scenario typical of dictators from the beginning of time, the creation of the cult of victimization and the leader's personal ability to deliver citizens from their many enemies. The U.S. is not like many countries because of its strong constitution. Still, that constitution may be tested over the next four years. — KR Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise. - And for the most divisive, dishonest, bombastic, petulant, thin-skinned performance by a world leader, the `Trumpster' goes to... Looking Back Through the Years March 1, 1944 James C. Shearer, agricultural representative for Huron County, announced that he would be resigning from his post. Shearer said he would be giving up his post with the government, which he had held for the previous 15 years, in order to go into farming on his own. According to the agricultural community, Shearer would be missed. "Since coming to the Huron office six years ago, Mr. Shearer has been untiring in his efforts in promoting the interests of agriculture in all of its branches throughout the county," stated The Brussels Post. The Huron County Warden's Committee announced that it had authorized a grant in the amount of $12,300 to the Red Cross for the coming campaign. Through the grant division, 19 branches would receive $600 each, two would receive $300 each and a further two would receive $150 each as part of the ongoing war effort. March 2, 1967 Despite stormy weather, plenty braved the conditions to make their way to the Brussels Skating Club's presentation of "Colourama" at the arena. Fifty local skaters took to the ice as part of the night's program, with a handful of guest skaters from Listowel and Exeter also showing off their skills A storage building and its contents at William Stratychuk Orchards was destroyed by fire in late February. The origin of the fire was still unknown, but it was discovered in the early morning hours the previous Saturday. Four hundred bushels of apples and 4,000 apple boxes were lost in the blaze, in addition to ladders and spraying equipment that had been used at the orchard. The Brussels Horticultural Society had been hard at work hand- crafting a quilt that would be celebrated as part of the village's upcoming Centennial event. The quilt would be on display at Rann Furniture Store and tickets to potentially win the quilt would be on sale by members of the Horticultural Society. March 5, 1981 Concerned parents were in the midst of organizing a special meeting after it was announced that Central Huron Secondary School would drop shop class, which it had offered for years. The meeting was set to take place in the auditorium of Clinton Public School on March 9. The Blyth Bantam Bulldogs defeated their opponents from Tara twice to take the win in a four -point series that earned them the Western Ontario Athletic Association (WOAA) title. Blyth won the series by a score of five points to three and would then move on to the all -Ontario quarterfinals, where they would play Hillsburg. The Bulldogs clinched the title in their final game against Tara thanks in part to goals scored by Todd MacDonald, Darren Richmond and Doug Craig. When the Blyth team was eventually victorious on home ice, they were awarded the trophy by Reeve Tom Cronin, who presented the hardware to Kent Howatt, the team's captain. The deficit in the Huron County Road Department's budget of over $200,000 from the previous year made for a very lively debate around the Huron County Council table, as councillors were trying to trim the department's proposed budget increase of 27 per cent down to under 15 per cent. Cheryl Radford, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Len Radford of Londesborough, was honoured with The County of Grey Award during the Georgian College Annual Awards Day ceremony, which was held on Feb. 12 in Owen Sound. Radford was honoured thanks to her work in the school's Creative Arts II program. She was one of 158 students awarded that day. March 5, 1997 Huge ice flows were the result of a larger -than -normal spring breakup. The increased water flow resulted in high water levels and damage throughout the community, including the tearing down of fencing in Morris Township, as evidenced on the front page of The Citizen at the farm of Keith Elston of Morris Township. Elston told The Citizen that the breakup of the Maitland River caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to fencing along his property that had been standing for nearly 40 years. Dalton McGuinty, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, was in the community, visiting the Huron Liberal Association at its annual meeting, which was held on March 3 in Seaforth. McGuinty told those gathered at the meeting that he was very concerned about the present government's downloading to lower - tier municipalities. Blyth Village Council opted to vote in favour of amalgamating its PUC with all other utilities throughout Huron County.