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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-08-17, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 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 AOC11a � ber Member CMCA CCNA AUDITED Member of the Ontario Press Council We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are m Copyright Don't sell small businesses short To watch the actions of governments in Canada, one would think that small businesses were insignificant. They are not. According to the 2016 census, businesses employing fewer than 99 people provided 20 per cent of all private -sector jobs in Canada, more than 8 million jobs in total. In rural Canada, small employers probably provide closer to 90 per cent of non-government jobs. And yet they have been treated like punching bags for governments trying to score points politically. Karl Baldauf, the vice-president of Policy and Government Relations for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, speaking recently at a meeting of the Huron Chamber of Commerce in Goderich, pointed out that small employers can't possibly adapt quickly enough to the provisions of the Ontario government's Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, which will include a 32 per cent increase in the minimum wage in just 18 months as well as increases in benefits for employees. The burden for small businesses goes even further, to things like sky- rocketing energy costs, higher property taxes and increased employer CPP payments, Baldauf said. Meanwhile, proposed tax changes by the federal government, designed to close a loophole that has allowed some high income earners to avoid taxes by registering themselves as corporations, may hurt small businesses by exposing them to much higher taxes. Perhaps government policymakers get their idea of business by reading the financial pages of major newspapers which give all their coverage to big business and make it seem that small businesses are so unimportant they can be ignored. At the same time, there's a tendency for politicians and activists to think that all business is big business and should be able to afford to ante up for employees and government. Small employers, like the neighbourhood store, the local builder or your neighbouring farmer are the forgotten engine of the Canadian and Ontario economy. Governments can't afford to kill the goose that laid the golden egg by making it hard for them to stay in business. — KR How to deal with hard heads The rally of neo-Nazi, white supremacists, Ku Klux Klan members and other racists in Charlottesville, Virgina on the weekend once again raises the problem of how to deal with this kind of dangerous radical. No matter how enlightened a society in general may be, there will always be people who want to strike out at anyone who isn't native born, white and Christian. This isn't just an American problem. Canadians were seen atending this rally. We've also had our share of Holocaust deniers and other white supremacists over the years. The dynamics of the Internet have given new strength to the movement, allowing people who might have felt isolated in their own neighbourhood to find a community of people who share their extreme views. On one hand, if they are not allowed to express themselves the opinion will fester and might get worse. We have to put up with hateful things being said in order to protect free speech, one of democratic society's most fundamental rights. But while it may be hard to know just how best to deal with this cancer of hatred, there's one thing that's clear: we must not allow political leaders to encourage this sort of behaviour in the name of winning votes from extremists. U.S. President Donald Trump has played footsie with the race extremists since early in his campaign, and even after a woman was killed when an extremist ran over her with a car while she tried to protest the rally, he refused to come down hard on the racists. We've had politicians in Canada try to play this card too. There must be no comfort shown for this sort of hater. Our governments must make it clear their kind of thinking is not welcomed. They must be opposed when they try to spread their hatred — although protesters in Virginia crossed the line in assaulting one speaker, turning him into a martyr. We must make it clear that while people are free to be as petty and poisoned as they want as individuals, we will not support them spreading their hatred. — KR With a friend like this .. . It was only natural that Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland would pledge support for the U.S. in its war of words over the rogue nation of North Korea's nuclear missile program, but she must have swallowed hard while doing so. In the past, it was easy for Canada to support its neighbour given the seeming mental instability of North Korea's President Kim Jong Un. With the wild, undiplomatic boasts of U.S. President Donald Trump, however, it now seems our friend is headed by a leader who is just as bellicose and child -like as our enemy. The rest of the world, including Canada, can only hold its breath and hope these two man -children don't dare and double -dare each other into a war. — KR Looking Back Through the Years August 16, 1944 Dr. H. A. S. Vokes of Blyth was said to have sold his practice to Dr. Hodd of Hamilton, who would be taking over the office's duties very shortly. Vokes had made his way to Blyth six years earlier by way of Dungannon and for health reasons was forced to give up his practice. High winds on the previous Friday resulted in huge limbs of a maple tree on the river bank falling and crashing through the roof of the nearby bowling green house. In addition, a number of steps and the railing of the house were also damaged. August 17, 1967 The Centennial Farm of Mr. and Mrs. Ross Smith in Grey Township served as centre stage for an important get-together to mark the 100th year of the farm. The Smith family welcomed over 85 family members to the farm to help mark the occasion. It was in March, 1867 that Thomas Smith settled on the farm — land that he bought from the Crown. The Brussels Horticultural Society was set to host its annual flower show and turkey supper at St. John's Anglican Church on Aug. 25. In the wake of many complaints, Brussels Council was asking parents to impress upon their young children that riding their bikes in the streets or on the sidewalks was a dangerous practice and that it should be avoided at all costs, especially in front of local businesses. The issue was discussed extensively at the recent meeting of Brussels Village Council and it was decided that councillors would reach out to the community and try and help solve the problem that way. Several students were set to head to the Expo in Montreal thanks to the Brussels Lions Club sponsoring their tour to the other end of the country. August 12, 1981 The first annual Blyth slo-pitch tournament was said to be a huge success. However, local teams weren't quite so lucky, with teams from Lucknow winning both the tournament's A and B championships. There was said to be a silver lining to the five-week drought that had plagued Huron County farmers. John Heard, an assistant agricultural representative of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, said that the dry period meant that root systems had to search for water and develop. This process, he said, would prevent lodging, which is when plants topple over because their roots can no longer support them. The Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association planned a work bee just ahead of its annual reunion. Projects that needed the group's attention included the installation of a new hydro pole, repairs to the old bleachers and a new door for the steel shed was also constructed and set to be installed. Plans were being made for a roller skate-a-thon on Aug. 22 with proceeds to go towards the purchase of new precision -wheeled roller skates for the Blyth Arena. Prizes would be handed out as part of the event to the participant who collected the most pledges and the oldest and youngest participants. August 20, 1997 Thieves stole over $12,000 worth of merchandise from McGavin Farm Equipment over two different incidents from Aug. 4-8. The first incident took place through the night of Aug. 4-5 and police said the suspects entered the building through the rear door and stole over $8,000 worth of tools. Then, on Aug. 8, thieves entered the business through a second -floor window and stole a number of tool boxes and a power washer, which totalled over $4,000. Through provincial restructuring, municipal councils were concerned about policing costs and what they would mean to ratepayers throughout Huron County. County -wide, ratepayers were being told to expect an additional $171.81 every year on their tax bill to pay for policing in their communities. Blyth was predicted to be on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of cost, with an annual bill expected to be $64,407, while larger areas like Hullett Township would cost $113,216 to police. While municipalities still had the option to opt out and create their own police force, Wingham Clerk Byron Adams said that the per - household cost to police Wingham, with its own police force, was over $370. The Walton TransCan National Motocross Championships was plenty of fun for most, but the weekend ended in tragedy as a 25 -year-old rider from Essex County was pitched over the front of his bike and sustained a head injury in one of the final races of the weekend. The father of two was listed in critical condition as a result of the incident. Between 4,000 and 5,000 people made their way to Walton over the course of the four-day event.