The Citizen, 2017-05-25, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2017.
Editorials
Opinions
Publisher: Keith Roulston • Associate Publisher: Deb Sholdice
Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott
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Let's explore all possibilities
Four million dollars in repairs later, Blyth Community Memorial Hall
re -opened Friday. What a difference five decades make.
It's hard to remember now that in the early 1970s there was much
debate about whether it made sense to spend $50,000 to undertake
repairs that were needed at that time to keep the theatre portion of
Memorial Hall useable. Who could have foreseen at that time that
somebody would come along with a hair -brained idea to start a summer
theatre, an idea that proved not to be so hair -brained after all when the
plays chosen struck a cord with local people who suddenly wanted to see
their lives and the lives of people like them, portrayed on stage?
Who, in 1975, could foresee that rural life was evolving and a
village's main street as the commercial heart of the community, would
diminish as people shopped in larger centres and that the theatre would
be the only reason many storefronts would be occupied.
We need to look around for other forgotten assets that may hold keys
to our communities' futures. The conversion of the old CPR rail right-of-
way into the Guelph-to-Goderich Rail Trail may be one example. Let's
be creative. Let's take the future into our own hands. — KR
Poof, there goes our asset
The provincial government recently announced it was going to sell a
another big chunk of Hydro One shares, reaping billions that will help
make its bottom line appear healthier than it is.
The government's sleight of hand will end up making more than half
of ordinary Ontario taxpayers' ownership disappear, and darned if most
of us could see where it went. It did help the government deliver the
balanced budget, but how that budget will remain balanced when the sale
of Hydro One shares is complete is a mystery — one that will probably
have to be cleared up by some other government when the Liberals have
been defeated in next year's provincial election.
Despite many good intentions, the government has made such a mess
of its finances that its efforts seem like a more and more frantic version
of hiding the pea under the walnut shell. This has made it essential for
the opposition parties to prove that they offer reasoned and reasonable
alternatives. The only way the current government will survive the next
election is if the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats play to
their bases instead of across the political spectrum and make moderate
Ontarians decide their only choice is to re-elect the Liberals. — KR
We can't be a pushover
With U.S. President Donald Trump last week formally announcing his
intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement,
(NAFTA) it was good to see the Canadian government immediately
signal Canada does not intend to go into the negotiations prepared to
concede to his every demand.
On the same day that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer
announced the beginning of the 90 -day notice period required before
NAFTA could be reopened, the U.S. Department of Commerce said it
would investigate claims by U.S.-based Boeing Co. that Canadian rival
Bombardier was subsidized because the Quebec government had
invested in the manufacturer of airliners and the Canadian government
had loaned the company money. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister
Chrystia Freeland immediately retaliated by saying Canada was
reconsidering buying Boeing Super Hornet fighter planes, a move that
could cost Boeing billions.
Freeland's quick move sends a strong signal to American negotiators
and companies like Boeing that the pain of trade disputes is felt on both
sides of the border. Yes, Canada is the world's largest beneficiary of trade
with the U.S. but American industries also have their largest market in
Canada. Often we both sell and buy at the same time. Each of
Bombardier's aircraft, for instance, include millions of dollars worth of
parts made by U.S. companies.
Canadian negotiators must also break through the U.S. myopia which
sees itself as a fair trader while others aren't. Boeing likes to portray
itself as unsubsidized when it produces its passenger aircraft, but it
receives billions of government support to develop its military aircraft
like the Super Hornet, money that helps support the company while it
develops its airliners.
Canadian negotiators are facing a tougher challenge than in past
negotiations because Trump wants to find somebody to beat up on to
prove that he's the great leader who can make things happen. He wants
to renegotiate NAFTA to allow his government to have "Buy American"
clauses while at the same time preventing the Canada and Mexico from
protecting jobs in their own countries. He has proven he will be a bully
if he can get away with it.
It's up to Canada to make him aware we won't be bullied and that
Americans can be hurt too if things go wrong. — KR
Looking Back Through the Years
May 24, 1944
The annual St. John's Masonic
Lodge of Brussels church service
was scheduled to be held at Duff's
United Church in Walton on May
28. Rev. H.C. Wilson of Brussels
was set to be the guest speaker at the
service.
The local Chief of Police, George
Evans placed an advertisement in
The Brussels Post saying that any
and all traffic infractions would be
strictly enforced in the village of
Brussels going forward. This
included speeding and the use of
headlights and tail -lights.
The Brussels Cadets Corps
ranked 37th among 165 entries from
across Canada in the year's Youth of
the Empire rifle competition.
The Corps ranked higher than it
might have because every single
member of the group took part in the
competition, which earned the Corps
extra points.
The Brussels Firemen were set to
host a special concert on May 26 in
the Brussels Town Hall featuring
Frankie Banks and his Orchestra.
Proceeds from the evening would go
towards the Overseas Cigarette
Fund.
May 25, 1967
The Brussels Horticultural
Society held its annual May flower
show and tea meeting on May 15 at
the Brussels Library.
Neil Hemingway, a Grade 9
student and the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Douglas Hemingway, was named
the best dressed cadet at the group's
recent inspection and awards
evening. Over 200 cadets were part
of the special ceremony, which was
held at Wingham and District High
School.
Douglas Wheeler, a Grade 11
student and the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Lloyd Wheeler, was chosen as one
of the three master cadets. This
honour made him eligible for
consideration as a candidate for
cadet exchange visits with foreign
countries.
Rev. Hugh Wilson, a former
minister at Brussels United Church,
was due to return to the village and
the church as a guest speaker on
Sunday, May 28. Also as part of the
special service, the St. John's
Masonic Lodge of Brussels would
be holding its annual parade to the
service as well.
Twenty-five members of the
Melville Presbyterian Church Guild
were present at a special meeting
held at the church's manse Mrs.
McCarroll was the host for the
meeting.
May 27, 1981
Klaus Seeger, a health inspector
with the Huron County Health Unit,
has sharpened his presentation skills
as he was charged with talking to
Hullett Central Public School
students about rabies.
Seeger was at the school to teach
students about the dangers of rabies,
how it is transmitted from animal to
animal and potentially to humans
and the problems that contact with a
rabid animal could cause.
The Belgrave Women's Institute
had reason to celebrate, as it was
marking its 70th anniversary of
work in the community.
President Mrs. Ross Higgins was
the head of the meeting, overseeing
the special events planned for the
day.
May 28, 1997
Dianne Cunningham, the Minister
responsible for women's issues, was
in Clinton at Central Huron
Secondary School to help launch a
new CD-ROM on the subject of
sexual harassment. Her message to
students was that "the joke's over"
when it comes to sexual harassment
or jokes of that nature that students
would find offensive.
The CD-ROM was launched by
four of the school's students. It was
a collaborative effort of the Ontario
Secondary School Teachers'
Federation, the Violence Against
Women Prevention Initiatives and
Technology Incentive Partnership
Program and a number of other
software partners.
As part of her visit, Cunningham
spoke to a number of Hensall Public
School students who had viewed the
CD-ROM who said they learned
plenty from the project.
Liberal incumbent Paul Steckle,
Progressive Conservative Colleen
Schenk, Jan Johnstone of the NDP,
Dave Joslin of the Christian
Heritage Party and Doug Fines of
the Reform Party were all in
Holmesville to answer tough
questions as the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture held its
all -candidates meeting ahead of the
upcoming federal election.
The Brussels Optimist Club was
again in the news for its work in
fundraising for soccer in the village,
helping to put teams on the field and
to improve the field itself.
The Optimists had been
instrumental in obtaining funding
for field renovations and the creation
of a new field, while they also
contributed a further $1,000 to the
league in 1997.
Murray Siertsema was thrilled
with a plan to rehabilitate an
abandoned rail bed running through
Blyth and turn it into a trail along the
Blyth Brook. Siertsema owned
property near one of the proposed
trails, saying he had already begun
developing a park -like setting at the
back of his property, so the trail
would just further those efforts.