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The Citizen, 2017-10-12, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017. Editorials Opinions President: Keith Roulston • 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 AOCnaMember 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 Good luck wizards Here's hoping this weekend's Festival of Wizardry at the Blyth Campground has all the magic one would expect in assembling so many practitioners of wizardry in one place. With 9,000 tickets presold, the festival doesn't need to conjure up an audience, but organizers still need to make sure participants feel they've received full value for the money. Local Huron County residents can help out by giving visitors the same friendly welcome those attending International Plowing Match received. Ultimately we all gain when events such as this are successful. — KR Can you justify your energy use? Environmentalists are celebrating the cancellation of TransCanada's Energy East 4,500 -kilometre pipeline that would have carried 1.1 billion barrels of crude oil across the country each day from the Alberta oilsands to refineries in Quebec and New Brunswick. But could environmentalists endure the same scrutiny they demand of new pipeline proposals? Many oil industry supporters think the final nail in the coffin of Energy East was when the National Energy Board announced it would ask TransCanada, in addition to proving the safety of its pipeline, to assess the full range of climate -change -related impacts that would result from the pipeline's approval. This request follows the latest philosophy of environmental groups that rather than fight to persuade people to use less petroleum, the best way to force a reduction in greenhouses gases from burning oil is to prevent oil being taken out of the ground and transported to market. So they have been demanding that companies proposing a petroleum project must show what will be the final effect on the environment of the burning the oil they will produce or transport. Would they be as pleased, however, if the same rules applied to them (and us) as consumers? Suppose that before we were allowed to buy a ticket on an airplane we had to justify that the trip was really necessary and explain how we were going to offset the production of carbon dioxide our trip would create. What if, before we could fill the tank on our car, we had to account for the impacts burning that gas will have? Certainly we must reduce production of greenhouse gases but environmentalists have latched onto what they see as an easy way to choke off supply rather than to convince people to reform their own bad habits. It won't work because other countries, beyond the environmentalists' reach, will gladly fill the demand and only Canadian oil producers and Canadian workers, will pay the price. — KR From a `victim's' viewpoint Last week 170 people in Woodstock found out they will soon lose their jobs at the Firestone Fibers and Textiles facility when their plant closes next year. Once again the beneficiary of jobs being lost in Ontario will be the U.S. — the country that has been so badly abused by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) according to U.S. President Donald Trump. Thousands of Canadian jobs like those at Volvo in Goderich, Heinz in Leamington and Caterpillar in London have migrated to the U.S. in recent years, hitting the economies of Ontario towns and cities hard. Meanwhile Canadian -owned auto -parts giants like Magna International and Linamar Corporation have created thousands of well -paying jobs in new plants in the U.S., as well as in Mexico. Despite these gains, President Trump and other U.S. trade hawks can only see how badly hurt their country has supposedly been because of NAFTA. Like the President himself, they can only view things from their own, insular point of view. While the Americans claim to only want a level playing field, the demands made so far in the NAFTA renegotiation talks show their idea of "level" is a field tipped steeply in their direction. Their sense of America's destiny means that a win-win proposition is one where their country wins and then wins again. A good deal for them is not one that meets the needs of both parties. If the workers of any of the three countries have the right to claim NAFTA has cost them their jobs it is Canadians. Currently Jerry Diaz, president of Unifor, and his members are fighting General Motors to retain 2,800 jobs at Ingersoll's CAMI plant because they fear production of the Chevrolet Equinox will be moved elsewhere. In July they already lost 400 jobs when production of the GMC Terrain was moved to Mexico. Mexican autoworkers make $2 an hour. NAFTA means something different to Canadians than Americans. Canadians see the trade deal as a defence against the worst of American protectionism while Americans chafe at the rules that keep them from flexing their muscles to bully their neighbours into getting their way. There are many reasons for Canadians to resent NAFTA and only one real reason to continue it — because without the pact's safeguards, people like President Trump will impose their own idea of fairness. — KR Looking Back Through the Years October 11, 1944 A meeting to name a new candidate for the Liberals of North Huron in the coming federal election was set to take place on Oct. 12 at the Wingham Town Hall. The guest speaker for the evening would be George Wood, MP for the Brant riding. The Grey Township Federation of Agriculture held its second annual banquet in Ethel on Oct. 5. The ladies of Ethel United Church were on hand to cook the meal, while 280 made their way to the hamlet for the special dinner. President of the federation, William J. Turnbull, presided over the events. October 12, 1967 On Oct. 3 at Melville Presby- terian Church in Brussels, the Goderich Treble Singers were received with appreciative applause after their lengthy performance at the church. The group was under the direction of J. E. Hetherington and the program consisted of a number of classical favourites. Dr. K. Zyluk, a new doctor coming to the community from England, was set to arrive at the new Brussels Medical Centre on Oct. 16. The Brussels Post called for residents to come out in numbers to welcome the new doctor to the community. The first meeting of the Brussels Area Darts League was held and Jim Smith was elected to be the group's president. Ross Duncan would serve as secretary, while Ross Alcock would be the group's treasurer. October 7, 1981 To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, dinner was served to over 200 people in Blyth and a number of awards were handed out as part of a very special night for the organization. The local Sports-a-rama event proved to be one full of fun and education for all involved. In addition to some celebrity sightings, a number of locals were also involved in what went on. A number of models both young and young -at -heart put their skills to work for the special event, including Bruce and Ricky Howson, who were tapped to model the latest in hockey gear for the event. Serving as youth models for the latest in sports clothing were Deanna Lyon, Julie Howson, Angela Nethery, Lynn and Lisa McDonald, Marilyn Archambault, Shelley Wasson, Julie Knott and Ricky Howson. The Brussels Legion honoured a handful of veterans of the First World War at a special ceremony held at the local Branch. Jack McLaren was a guest of honour during the proceedings. McLaren was one of the original Dumbells who provided entertainment during the First World War. He had also appeared on Broadway in his younger years. October 15, 1997 The race was declared to be on with elections set for three local municipalities on Nov. 10. A number of last-minute filings made for an interesting election season. While Mason Bailey had been acclaimed to the position of reeve in Blyth, seven men were set to vie for four council positions. Incumbents Rob Lawrie, Gerald Kerr, Ron Ritchie and Doug Scrimgeour were being challenged by newcomers Jeff Howson, Murray Nesbitt and George Reinink. Tom Cronin and Dale Whitfield were all set to take charge of the Blyth PUC. Long-time Grey Township Reeve Leona Armstrong announced that she would not be seeking re- election, leaving the seat open for either Robin Dunbar, the current deputy -reeve, or Dale Newman, a former councillor who had challenged Armstrong for the post in the Last municipal election. Alvin McLellan was acclaimed to the position of deputy -reeve, while Helen Cullen and Graeme MacDonald, both incumbent councillors, would challenge newcomers Lyle Martin and Fred Uhler for the three available council spots. In Morris Township, Bert Elliott was acclaimed to the reeve position, as was Keith Johnston to the deputy - reeve position. However, five candidates were vying for the three remaining council seats. Edna McLellan, Neil Warwick, Melody White, John Duskocy and Kevin Pletch had all thrown their names into the mix. Grey Township Council was presented with a petition signed by 36 residents that asked council to further investigate follow-up procedures and enforcement provisions for intensive livestock expansions in terms of long-term water quality. "Residents are becoming more concerned about what is going on around the countryside," said David Lewington, a supporter of the petition. The North Huron restructuring committee had set a goal of the end of the year by which the group hoped to make its recommendations to North Huron Council. The one wrench thrown into the proceedings, however, was that there would be a municipal election in the middle of that time period.