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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-01-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Lori Patterson & Brenda Nyveld 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 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1HO email: info@northhuron.on.ca The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 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 Canada ..ocna CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or Department of Canadian Heritage. photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright CMCA AUDITED Threats are wrong Citing threats from animal activists, a Toronto -area hall on the weekend abruptly cancelled a trade show that allowed African companies to connect with potential big game hunters. No matter how one feels about big game hunting, using threats to intimidate presenters is as wrong as the hunting itself. The hall that cancelled the event as exhibiters were setting up their booths was the second venue to cancel their booking, following earlier protests from the animal rights group against the Holiday Inn near Toronto Pearson International Airport. A similar trade show in Saskatoon also lost its venue following similar protests. Protests don't necessarily mean threats and it's hard to know just how threatening the "threats" experienced by the cancelling venues were. If they indeed made the venue managers feel threatened, then the animal rights protesters are as wrong as the potential game hunters. The righteousness of their cause has led some animal rights supporters to feel justified in taking extreme measures, such as releasing into the wild domesticated mink from mink farms when they had little chance of surviving. This extremism borders on the same kind of fanaticism that leads terrorists to think they have the right to "protect" their religion from perceived threats. Even dismissing pro -hunting arguments that hosting hunters from wealthy nations helps support the incomes of many Africans, resorting to threats to deter the hunt is just plain wrong. — KR Can't we find moderate voices? The suggestion last week that businessman and television personality Kevin O'Leary might seek the leadership of the Conservative Party is discouraging for all those who hope for a more moderate leader for the party. Someday, perhaps as early as the next federal election in four years time, Canadians are going to tire of Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, just as they always turn against sitting governments eventually. When that day comes, the last thing the country needs is a know-it-all, arrogant media star like O'Leary, who recently blamed Alberta's current economic troubles not on plummeting oil prices but on the NDP government of Rachel Notley which has been in office for all of seven months. If October's federal election proved anything, it's that Canadians are generally moderate people who aren't ready to shift their perspective significantly to the right as Stephen Harper attempted to do for 10 years. The last thing we need is for the federal Conservatives to follow the mistakes of the provincial Progressive Conservatives who probably would have won the last provincial election if they hadn't had such a hardline leader as Tim Hudak with his proposal to lay off thousands of provincial civil servants. Here's hoping the Conservatives will find the kind of moderate voice that middle-of-the-road voters can feel free to turn to as an alternative when the time comes. — KR How sad and senseless The news this weekend that a Quebec family and their friends were murdered by terrorists while on a humanitarian mission to the poverty- stricken African country of Burkina Faso is so saddenly senseless. The six were among dozens killed during a 12 -hour siege of their hotel by four jihadist attackers linked to al-Qaeda. They were in Burkina Faso to help renovate a school and were on their way home when their hotel, known as being popular with foreigners, was attacked. Apparently the terrorist organizations al-Qaeda and ISIS are in competition for attention of potential radicalized recruits these days and trying to top each other. No doubt the terrorists had no personal grievance against the victims of this attack. They were just handy targets and they were handy because they had good-heartedly given of their time, talents and money, to go abroad to try to help the poor. It's happened many times before that the easiest Westerners to attack are those who least deserve it. — KR Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise. Kevin O'Leary considers running for Conservative leadership. SIR, PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOU'RE CANAI*S VERSION OF DONALD TRUWiP MONS rS4SE° SORRY.. YOU'RE FIRED! 1 k '(G 4(438(A:teem:xi5,ce 7' avAvr+wsmo►._'Art - Looking Back Through the Years January 21, 1959 Hullett Township Council held its first meeting of the year, which was quickly followed by the first session of Huron County Council for 1959, at which Hullett Reeve William Jewitt was named Huron County Warden for the year. It took Jewitt to a second ballot to earn his spot, triumphing over Reeve Baillie Parrott of Morris Township and Reeve Cecil Blake of Ashfield Township. Jewitt and Blake tied on the first ballot with 12 votes each, while Parrott only received nine votes. On the second ballot, Jewitt received 19 votes from his fellow Huron County councillors, while Blake received 14. Jewitt was said to be an experienced leader heading into his election, having spent 15 years on Hullett Township Council and five as reeve. For the third time in the winter of 1958/1959, snow removal was deemed necessary in Blyth, with the Radford Construction Company taking on the task. With plenty of snow falling that winter, The Blyth Standard reported that snow removal in 1959 felt like a "futile effort". In honour of its recent increase in power output, CKNX television was set to host a live hour-long show to help celebrate the achievement. January 22, 1970 The Brussels Lions Club held its first meeting of the year, which was led by President Cal Krauter. One of the main pieces of business discussed at the meeting was the formation of a Santa Claus Parade Committee, which was carried. The Lions also had something to celebrate that night, as members of the club had recently returned to Brussels victorious after winning the Howick Lions Bonspiel. It was the first time that the Brussels club had won the tournament. The team put forward by the Brussels club consisted of Bill Stratychuk, George McCutcheon, Albert TenPas and Ralph Pearson. January 15, 1986 Wages and salaries were set to increase after the first East Wawanosh Township Council meeting of the year. After a lengthy discussion among the councillors, public works wages were set to increase by, in some cases, as much as 5.5 per cent. The Blyth Old Timers and the CKNX Try-Hards played a hockey game that was the toast of the town, with nearly 800 people packing the Blyth and District Community Centre in hopes of checking out the action. Players were dressed in various different costumes, including animals and clowns. The final score of the game was reported to be 12- 10 in favour of Blyth, although according to those involved with the fun, charity game, the score was open to interpretation. Morris Township Council supported a farm foreclosure moratorium, which had originally been proposed by way of a resolution by Huron County Council. The moratorium would hold off on farm foreclosures until a debt review board could be put in place. The moratorium was endorsed until the fall of 1986, but Morris Township Council was not in favour of going any further on the calendar than that. January 23, 2002 After a program that began in 1984 to release wild turkeys back into the environment, the final turkey release in Morris Township took place in mid-January with 14 turkeys being released into the community. The release involved birds that had been captured just the previous day in Barrie and Tennessee before making their way back to Morris Township. In the nearly 20 years since the program began, the wild turkey population in southern Ontario had reached above 35,000 birds. The Citizen was working on its own version of the popular television show Survivor, where eight members of the community would work to win $500 that would then be donated to the winner's favourite charity, courtesy of the newspaper's advertisers. The Brussels Lions Club did its part to ensure that it would be a warm experience at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Pool for the upcoming season, donating $6,000 to the facility to help buy a new pool heater. The Wingham Golf and Curling Club, located just south of Wingham in Morris-Turnberry, was all set to host the 2002 Farmers Provincial Curling Championship, which would make its way to the community Jan. 24-27. Sixteen teams, earning their way to Wingham from around the province, would soon be in the community, all vying for the title of the best in the province. Nine skaters from skating clubs in Blyth, Brussels and Wingham, coached by Michelle Blake, were busy in London competing at the Great Lakes Winter Skating Festival, some of whom placed first in their respective divisions.