HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-07-13, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2017.
Editorials
Opinions
Publisher: Keith Roulston • Associate Publisher: Deb Sholdice
Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott
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This problem won't go away
The news that Central Huron has been dropped from the list of
candidate sites for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's deep
geological repository (DGR) is probably not surprising, and many people
will be relieved, although some will see a lost opportunity for billions of
dollars worth of development and many jobs.
There are similarities between the real-world temptation of the DGR
investment, estimated at up to $24 billion, and the mythical Ojibwe
World theme park in Drew Hayden Taylor's satirical play The Berlin
Blues, now playing at the Blyth Festival. When the residents of Otter
Lake first hear of the proposal by German developers, they are either
appalled or doubtful, but when they start thinking about how the money
could change their lives, they find ways to ignore their consciences.
The DGR, however, is no laughing matter. Ontarians have been
enjoying the benefits of nuclear power for 60 years without facing up to
the problem of how to deal with the radioactive waste from the uranium
spent -fuel rods. There are now 48,000 tonnes of this waste in
"temporary" storage facilities at Bruce Power's Tiverton site. We
desperately need somebody, somewhere, to be tempted enough to accept
the DGR to hold this waste. Municipalities still in the running for the
DGR include Ignace, Blind River and Elliot Lake.
Whether it was visions of dollars dancing in their eyes or not, Central
Huron councillors deserve credit for having the courage to at least
explore the possibility of the DGR. For all our sakes, here's hoping those
tonnes of nuclear waste soon find a safe final resting place. — KR
Facing/denying, reality
The ironic reality of the furor over $10.5 million settlement between
the Canadian government and Omar Khadr, last week, was that in acting
in the best interests of Canadian taxpayers, Justin Trudeau's Liberals
went against their own political interests.
From a political standpoint, the government would have been far
better to continue to fight Khadr's lawsuit over violations of his civil
rights. Khadr's lawyers sought $20 million because Canadian
governments (the Liberal governments of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin
and the Conservatives of Stephen Harper) tacitly approved his retention
and torture in the U.S. military's infamous base at Guantanamo Bay after
his capture as a 15 -year-old child soldier in Afghanistan. Eventually,
after spending much more than the $5 million in legal fees it has already
spent, the government would have lost the lawsuit and paid out the entire
$20 million, but the Liberals could have shrugged and blamed the courts
instead of being slammed for "giving" Khadr $10.5 million
And the government would have lost, there's no doubt about it. The
Supreme Court had already ruled unanimously on Jan. 29, 2010 that
Khadr's right had been violated. The government under Harper, then
took another two years before negotiating to have him transferred to a
Canadian prison, and then only after he'd confessed to throwing a
grenade that killed U.S. soldier, Sgt. Christopher Speer during a battle in
Afghanistan when Khadr was fighting for al-Qaeda. He later recanted
that confession, saying it had been made under duress.
Everything about Omar Khadr is coloured by his odious family: his
father who died fighting for al-Qaeda and his mother and sister who
boasted on Canadian television about how proud they would be to have
a son killed while fighting on behalf of Islamic extremist causes. Given
his family connection, many Canadians are happy to set aside the rights
the young Khadr was entitled to because of his Canadian birth and forget
that, at 15, he would have been treated as a child soldier, internationally,
or as a juvenile offender if he had killed someone at home.
This matter of citizens' rights and freedoms is a knotty one.
Everybody agrees they should have rights against a government abusing
its power, but they want those rights ignored when they are applied to
people they don't like. It can't work that way. We can only be guaranteed
our rights if people we don't like are also guaranteed theirs. In its 2010
ruling, the Supreme Court made that clear.
In settling with Khadr, the Liberal government probably saved
Canadian taxpayers more than $10 million but at great cost to the party
which will lose votes for facing the reality of what must be done. — KR
One's right! 19 are wrong?
At last week's G-20 conference, 19 leaders stood on one side of the
issue of climate change and U.S. President Donald Trump stood alone in
denying action is needed. There's only one way that balances out: if you
could put Trump's ego on one side of a scale it would probably be large
enough to balance those of all the other 19 leaders.
Surely most Americans must wonder if their president is missing
something when he stands alone on such an important issue. But such is
the sense of American exceptionalism among Trump supporters that they
will probably accept that he's right and everyone else is wrong. — KR
Looking Back Through the Years
July 12, 1944
The Honourable Norman L.
McLarty, Secretary of the State for
Canada, was scheduled to be the
guest speaker at a special joint
meeting of the Huron -Bruce and
North -Huron Liberal Associations.
The meeting was scheduled for July
14 at the Wingham Town Hall.
In Morris Township news, the
first-ever reunion of the Hoy family
was held at Sunset Park in Goderich
on July 3 and it was estimated that
60 family members were in
attendance.
In order to keep the new-found
tradition alive, a committee was
appointed to arrange the reunion the
following year.
After a special meeting in
Bluevale, Turnberry Township
Council decided to grant $1,000 to
the construction of a new wing at the
Wingham Hospital.
Council stated that the funds
would be paid as the work
progressed.
July 22, 1981
A new contract for the 1981/1982
school year was ratified by the
Huron -Perth Roman Catholic
School Board at a special meeting
on July 15. The new contract would
see teachers receive a 10.42 per cent
increase in pay over the term of the
contract.
Howie Morenz, a Mitchell -born
hockey player, was set to be the
subject of a new play at the Blyth
Summer Festival called Fire on Ice.
The show would open on Aug. 4 at
the Festival and run until Aug. 22.
Morenz was born in Mitchell in
1902 and would go on to play minor
hockey in Stratford before signing a
professional contract with the
Montreal Canadiens in 1923.
During that time some called
him the "Babe Ruth of Hockey"
due to his speed and determination.
Huron County beef farmers said
that recently -announced aid for beef
feeders was "badly needed" after the
high cost of grain and energy,
combined with the high cost of
borrowing money had left many beef
farmers in a loss position.
July 16, 1997
Huron County Council stated that
their social assistance cases were at
their lowest level in five years.
Huron County Administrator John
MacKinnon said the cases dropped
10 per cent from May to June alone
to a total of 448.
The Drum and Bugle Corps from
Yokohama, Japan was set to travel to
Brussels to help the town celebrate
its 125th anniversary celebration.
The group consists 45 members
between the ages of 14 and 19 and
was planning on performing a
special concert on the Monday night
of the celebration as part of its North
American tour.
A scary incident played out in
Brussels, but it could have been a lot
worse as a scream scared off a home
intruder and avoid a serious incident.
An elderly Brussels woman was
stirred from her sleep around 2 a.m.
on July 9 by the sounds of someone
breaking into her home. The suspect
entered the woman's bedroom and
made "rude" comments and that was
when the woman shouted, causing
the suspect to leave.
Hullett Council declared its
preference if amalgamation was to
be forced on Huron County's lower -
tier municipalities, saying Hullett
would prefer to be part of a North
Huron group if forced to
amalgamate with a neighbouring
township.
July 14, 2016
Huron East Council was busy
discussing the potential for sharing
services with some of its
neighbouring municipalities.
While Bluewater and Central
Huron had already been identified
as potential matches for the
program, Huron East Mayor Bernie
MacLellan mentioned South
Huron as a potential participant in
the program as well, which would
have meant that a stretch of
municipalities from nearly the
northern tip of Huron County to the
south end.
MacLellan said that the debate to
potentially unite the four
municipalities would be "historic"
and had the potential to save
taxpayers millions.
"I think this is one of the biggest
potential benefits for taxpayers in
decades," MacLellan said.
Huron County Council was
feeling generous as it approved
grants to both the Wingham and
District Hospital's "Our Hospital,
Our Future" campaign and the
Canadian Centre for Rural
Creativity in Blyth.
The Walton Raceway and leading
Canadian sports broadcaster TSN
inked a television deal that would
see a number of raceway self -
produced shows air on the network.
Sharlene Bolen and Irene Kellins
aimed to reproduce some historic
Huron County needlework after
coming across some historical
textile work in the Huron County
archives.
Bolen then said she would be
exploring the process for an article
in Piecework magazine.
Huron County officially cut the
advanced care paramedic program
after several publicized and hotly -
debated meetings. The cancellation
of the program, councillors said,
would result in the savings of nearly
$2 million.