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The Citizen, 2016-04-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 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 1H0 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 Providing an essential service Who could imagine what Brussels would look like today if a group of people hadn't got together 70 years ago to start the Brussels Lions Club. From taking a major role in raising money for the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre in the 1970s, to building the swimming pool in the 1980s, to donating a significant amount to support the new library more recently, the Lions Club has left its mark, physically, on Brussels. By financially supporting dozens of less visible causes the club has also benefitted the community. And in an imperceptible way, the community has gained simply by dozens of people coming together twice a month to get to know each other better and to consider how they can improve their village. This is the value of service clubs for communities, whether they be Lions, Kinsmen, Optimists, Legion branches or Women's Institutes. Generation after generation they re-engage citizens in the task of working together to make their communities better. It's essential to helping our small communities function, since we can't depend on government or private enterprise to provide all the things we need. So thanks for the far-sighted founders of the Brussels Lions Club (and the founders of all the other community organizations) and thanks to the tireless members who continue to make these organizations so essential to our communities. — KR Move people, or shift minds? Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien probably spoke for many Canadians last week when, responding to a wave of suicide attempts in the remote Northern Ontario First Nations' community of Attiwapiskat, he suggested because of the hopelessness brought on by the lack of job opportunities, people in remote communities are going to have to move to where the jobs are. What if instead, we could open minds to see another way of doing things? Chretien's view is the typical, urban, southern view of the problem. Even in the south, communities more than a hour's drive from a 400 - series highway find it hard to attract major employers so what is the hope for a community where the only way in or out is by plane? And yet we're also supposed to be revolutionizing the economy so that distance doesn't matter as much. In the digital world, that guy who interrupts your supper to try to sell you something may be calling from halfway around the world. Newspapers are sending stories to be edited and advertisements to be designed to India. If we can integrate India into our way of doing business, why can't we use our imaginations to find ways to integrate northern communities into the Canadian economy. The digital age is supposed to be about new possibilities but too often we can't get past our old way of thinking — of centralizing and homogenizing If we could change the thinking or urban decision - makers and get them to use their imaginations, many new opportunities might be created for remote (and rural) parts of Canada instead of insisting that people abandon their homes and communities and move south to where the decision -makers insist on putting the jobs. — KR Playing to the base The Leap Manifesto, now being studied by the NDP, is dividing a party that was already small enough it can't afford to be divided. The manifesto, promoted by such thinkers as author Naomi Klein and her husband Avi Lewis, son of former Ontario NDP leader Stephen Lewis, calls for radical restructuring of the Canadian economy away from fossil fuels by, for instance, forbidding any more pipelines and leaving oil in the ground. Naturally, since the Alberta government of NDP Premier Rachel Notley depends on the oil industry to make its province tick financially, that split the party on an east/west basis. It can also divide the party's blue-collar workers from its intellectual leaders such as Lewis and Klein. The Leap Manifesto basically plays to the NDP's idealistic base, which is fine if the party wants to be just morally idealistic. At a time when party members are bitter at their leader for not winning last fall's election, however, the Leap Manifesto makes it less likely they'll ever form a government. — 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. Looking Back Through the Years April 22, 1959 More than 70 members of the North Huron Women Teachers Association attended the group's annual meeting, which was held in Blyth at the school room of the Blyth United Church. The meeting was led by the association's president, Mary Wightman. A quartet of Blyth singers was set to be featured on CKNX television, performing for viewers. Walter Buttell, James Lawrie, Glen Kechnie and Irvine Wallace, all of Blyth United Church, would perform the hymn "Softly and Tenderly" for audiences. April 23, 1970 The Brussels Figure Skating Club was busy preparing for the year ahead and elected its new executive for the 1970/1971 season. Mrs. Jack Cardiff would serve as the organization's president for the coming term, while Mrs. Bob Richmond would be the vice- president. Ricki Willems of RR4, Seaforth was awarded advanced honours at the Huron 4-H homemaking club's achievement day, which was held at Seaforth High School. Provincial honours were also presented that day to Barbara Gemmell of RR2, Kippen and Yvonne Price of RRl, Seaforth. Harry Bolger led the way as the Cranbrook Area Dart League wrapped up its season by way of a round-robin playoff. He finished with 15 points, which was just ahead of Ralph Noble's 13 and Bob Alexander and Ernie Back, who both finished with 12. April 16, 1986 Blyth Village Councillors found themselves in a charitable mood and decided to donate $1,800 to the Clinton Hospital's ongoing campaign to finance an addition to the building's obstetrical wing. Total cost of the project was projected to be $800,000, $400,000 of which would be provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health and $150,000 of which would be provided by Huron County. Brussels Reeve Hank Ten Pas resigned from the top political position in the village of Brussels, but then withdrew his resignation four days later. Ten Pas had initially submitted a one -sentence letter of resignation. However, Clerk -Treasurer Ruth Sauve implored councillors to convince Ten Pas to stay on as reeve, at least for another month. Council also received a letter signed by 20 Brussels citizens also to that effect. Ten Pas was then summoned to a council meeting to explain his decision to resign. He told councillors that the four months he had spent on council were "very disappointing" to him and that he had hoped they would improve, but they hadn't. "I was dreading going to council, wondering what fight I was going to have to referee," Ten Pas told councillors. He also said that the stress associated with the position was affecting his health. The committee in charge of the soon -to -be -built Brussels Lions Swimming Pool was told that construction of the village's newest asset was on schedule and the May 15 completion date looked like it would hold up. April 24, 2002 A committee in charge of organizing Blyth's 125th anniversary was busy working, but they needed help. In a story in The Citizen, it was reported that celebrations might have to be cancelled due to a drastic shortage of volunteers coming forward to help make the event a success. MacKenzie Chalmers, the four- year-old daughter of Lynn and Darryl, was an impressive one-for- one as she entered her first-ever dance competition in London and took home the event's top prize. The event was held at the University of Western Ontario's Talbot Theatre and it was Chalmers' jazz routine to the song "My Boy Lollipop" that won over the hearts of the judges. For her efforts, she earned first place in her division and the top overall mark in the Novice category. The Blyth Festival was on the prowl for singers throughout the community for work on The Outdoor Donnellys. The production, wrote Artistic Director Eric Coates, would rely heavily on members of the community performing throughout the village, reaching a participant contingency that would number approximately 120 people. Budget deliberations in Huron East continued as council began to zero in on a proposed 10 per cent increase to the municipal portion of the year's taxes, a four per cent overall tax hike. The initial proposed tax increase was higher, but cuts to areas such as administration, transportation and road maintenance helped staff cut the budget. Council, however, was cautioned by Treasurer Brad Knight about delaying the inevitable. He told council that work being delayed in 2002 had to be done, so council was simply kicking the can down the road.