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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-05-04, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 4, 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 Let's put on a new face It's great that Huron East has adopted the proposed community improvement plan for Brussels' main street. Now let's hope property owners take advantage of the new initiative. The plan will provide up to $5,000 for improvements to storefronts, to be matched by the property owner. That's not a lot of money at today's construction costs but hopefully dangling that carrot will tempt a few property owners to go ahead and spruce up their buildings, and then the idea will catch on with others who don't want to be left behind. It will be property owners who must make this leap of faith but everyone in the community plays a role. With more and more people travelling farther to buy basic necessities, it's increasingly difficult to find enough new types of businesses to fill all the stores that provided all the community's needs when these buildings were built in the 1800s. A landlord will think twice before investing in upgrading his or her building unless there's a viable tenant in sight. While property owners have the deeds and carry the mortgages, every local resident owns a piece of a town's main street. It's the face of our community and we're all judged by its appearance. With its outstanding Victorian architecture, Brussels has the potential for a handsome face indeed. It's going to take a community -wide effort, though, not just that of the owners of those buildings, to make downtown prosper so this plan isn't too little and too late. Still, Huron East should be congratulated on this initiative. Let's everyone get on board. — KR Here's money you won't see The Ontario government's budget last week promised $200 million to create 24,000 more licensed day care spaces. It's unlikely to help many rural parents. Licensed day care facilities in rural areas are few and far between, even for those who can afford the expense. If you're a parent living in Blyth or Brussels, let alone Auburn or Belgrave, you must drive miles to access a licensed operation. Often the location may be in the opposite direction from where people work and may not be open the hours that a working parent needs. The province's day care policy is, like so many of its policies, blind to rural needs. There was a brief hope years ago when former Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a vision of making schools family hubs including day cares and before and after school care facilities, that local schools could be essential community centres. Instead, the province's school funding formula went in an opposite direction, closing community schools and shipping kids by bus to neighbouring, larger communities. This made it inconvenient even for parents to drop off or pick up school -aged children at their schools. Meanwhile, the new funding goes for day care spaces, not to parents, meaning those parents who use a good, private day care provider in their own village or town, get no help. There goes another $200 million that's sure to by-pass rural Ontario. — KR With a friend like this .. . U.S. President Donald Trump used his customary superlatives last week to boast that he had accomplished more in his first 100 days in office than any president in history. Apparently those accomplishments include picking fights with friends like Canada. At the rate he has insulted and badgered friends, from neighbours like Canada and Mexico to major powers like Germany, it's hard to imagine that the United States will have any friends left by the end of Trump's first term (please, please, please! may it only be one term!). Trump has played to resentments of Americans that somehow, despite being the largest, richest country on earth, they are being picked on by bullies. Fear the rich and powerful, whether a billionaire like Trump or a superpower like the U.S., that sees itself as a downtrodden victim. Of course as usual, actual facts don't matter with Trump and his supporters. According to them, Canada has taken advantage of the U.S. under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Trade figures show Canada does indeed have a slight trade surplus in goods, but a deficit when services are included. Part of the surplus comes from selling the U.S. the petroleum it needs to fuel its economy. But Trump has complained about those imports, promising to slap an import tariff on Canadian petroleum (even as he boasts his approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, designed to carry Canadian oil to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico, will create thousands of jobs). Last week, as he imposed a 20 per cent tariff on softwood lumber imports from Canada, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross accused Canada of "dumping" lumber, which generally means selling exports for less than the product is sold at home, which isn't so with lumber. The U.S. is starting to take on the personality of its president — a self- centred egotist who thinks he's so powerful he doesn't need to treat friends like friends. — KR WE'RE ON LEBRON,,, You COVER EVERYONE ELSE Looking Back Through the Years May 3, 1944 As part of the ongoing Canadian Victory Loan campaign in Huron County, Brussels moved into the lead as the community that was contributing the most money to the ever -important campaign. At the time of reporting, Brussels had achieved over 45 per cent of its goal in the campaign, which led all other Huron County communities at the time. The community's objective was to raise $74,000 through the Canadian Victory Loan program and Brussels was in first place, far clear of Hensall, which was in second place having raised 33 per cent of its goal. The Huron Presbyterial held its annual meeting in the auditorium of the Ontario Street Church in Clinton on April 27. President Mrs. R.G. Nay was in charge of the day -long service. Rann's furniture store was attracting attention, not for its merchandise on display, but for the 17 -inch -long trout on display in the store's window. The speckled trout weighed one and a half pounds and Rann had caught it earlier the day before. May 4, 1967 The Majestic Women's Institute held its annual meeting in the basement of the Brussels Library. At the meeting, Mrs. James Smith was elected to be the group's president for the coming year. Ann Oldfield, the daughter of Max Oldfield and his wife, were one of two pupils chosen by the teaching staff of Wingham District High School to participate in the federal - provincial youth travel program. As part of the program, Ann would be a centennial year visitor to North Vancouver. She would be leaving home by train on July 26 and returning Aug. 8. Robert Worrall of Teeswater was the other student from Wingham chosen to participate in the program. Mrs. Cecil Raynard was elected as the president of the Ethel Women's Institute at the organization's annual meeting. May 6, 1981 Huron County residents were going to have to prepare to pay an additional $38.71 on their education tax bill on the average residential assessment of $3,100. The increase came as a result of a reported increase of 13.2 per cent in spending in the Huron County Board of Education's year -over -year budget. The biggest chunk of the budget, nearly 75 per cent of it, was labelled for salaries and benefits for those within the board, amounting to well over $20 million in the budget. Herb Shannon was set to take over caretaking duties at Blyth Public School from Jimmy Lawrie. The pair were pictured on the front of The Blyth Standard as Lawrie showed Shannon the ropes. Murray Elston, the newly -elected Member of Parliament for the Huron -Bruce riding, received a new appointment as he would serve as the Liberal Party's Critic of the Solicitor -General's Ministry. In making the announcement, Stuart Scott, leader of the party, said he had confidence in Elston that he would carry out his duties properly going forward. While vacationing in Florida, George Radford bought a $100 draw ticket, the proceed of which would go towards a new Catholic church. Radford, however, was lucky in the draw and came back home from Florida with a brand new Lincoln. May 7, 1997 On May 10, Hullett Central Public School was set to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Students past and present were being invited for the day, which was going to be full of activities for guests young and old. The special day at the school would include a ribbon -cutting ceremony on the renovations at the school, which were officially completed. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation issued a warning to the Huron County Board of Education, saying that the federation would be holding a strike vote in the last week in May. John Clarke, one of the board's representatives, said that the strike vote had nothing to do with the local board, but was a province -wide decision. "It is in response to provincial legislation," he said. The Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame announced that Gordon McGavin, founder of McGavin Farm Equipment in Walton, would be among its next induction class posthumously. "It's quite an honour. When you look back at what he did, he deserved it. He was always thinking of ways to make plowing better. He lived and breathed plowing," Neil McGavin said of his father. "He counted up the number of days he spent at plowing matches and decided he had spent more than a year of his life there" Bev Elliott of Blyth was set to open the doors to her newest venture, a gift and decor shop called Olde Village Accents. Elliott had scheduled a grand opening weekend during which she would welcome residents into the shop for the first time.