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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-09-01, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: 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 Please not that again! In the heat of a campaign for a provincial by-election in Scarborough this week, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown made one of those short-term vote -buying moves that are not worthy of the leader we'll need when it's time to replace the current government. A party source told The Globe and Mail that complaints about the new provincial sex -education curriculum were coming up regularly when volunteers spoke with voters at their doors. By last week Brown, who had at first opposed the controversial curriculum, then said he supported it, had issued a letter to residents of the riding. "I believe parents are the primary educators of their children. When it comes to sexual education, parents should have a say in how much their children are taught and at what age." He then promised: "Upon being elected, a PC government would scrap the controversial changes to sex -ed introduced by Premier Kathleen Wynne." It was a clear appeal to those parents who don't like the new sex -ed curriculum. Yet Brown wants to be seen as a progressive, too, so he then said he still sees the need to modernize the curriculum, he just thinks parents should be consulted. Parents were consulted with the current curriculum of course, but if, after consultation, the government unveils a curriculum you don't agree with, you really don't think you've been "consulted". Monday, Brown said his promised repeal was a mistake. It was. Brown's promise to kill the current sex -ed curriculum sounds too much like former PC Leader Tim Hudak's fatal error last election in promising to fire 100,000 government employees. When it came right down to it, this was a right-wing, simplistic solution that undermined the leader's credibility with the majority of moderate Ontarians who had previously been ready to give the Liberals the boot. Knee-jerk appeals to the PC's conservative base rather than its progressive side will not help get the party elected. — KR Exposing the great cover-up You know that you've turned some kind of historic corner when laws are passed, not to make people cover their bodies as in the past, but to force women to uncover themselves at the beach, as several French seaside towns have done recently. Thankfully France's highest administrative court on Friday overturned a ban on the "burkini", enforced by the southern town of Villeneuve-Loubet. That town and several others in the area had passed laws to forbid Muslim women wearing the so-called burkini, a bathing costume that covers much of the bather's body. The local politicians saw these suits as an assault on the French culture. The ban looked particularly silly when video was posted on the internet showing police insisting one woman strip off part of her attire to comply with the law. For much of a century, of course, police on a beach would have been insisting women put on more clothing, not less as modern, body -baring bathing costumes were seen as indecent. In a way the French authorities are in the same corner as the officials who created the rules for beach volleyball at the Olympics who said women players must wear two-piece bathing suits whether they wanted to or not. Surely it should be a fundamental human right not to expose your body if you don't want to. Modesty should not be a crime. — KR Canada's in a tough position Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in position where it's impossible to do the right thing when he visited China this week. China is such an important part of the world economy that a country like Canada needs to promote trade with the world's most populous country. At the same time, that country is run by the dictatorship of the Communist Party, which often leads to human rights abuses of its own people. As well, Chinese leaders seem bent on restoring China's past empire by aggressively claiming areas beyond its borders. As our Prime Minister, Trudeau must express our displeasure with these domestic and foreign policies, even though it won't change Chinese leaders' minds one bit. At the same time, displeasing this dictatorship can mean trade reprisals that will hurt Canadian jobs. Trudeau must do the right thing, even though it won't make a difference but not so strongly that Canadians will pay the price. — 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 September 3, 1959 In the midst of the worst electrical storm of the season, the Blyth Fire Department was called to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Snell in Westfield where the chopping mill on the property had been struck by lightning. The Snells first attempted to call the fire department when they noticed smoke in their home, thinking the house had been struck by lightning. Upon further investigation, however, they found that it was coming from the mill, which was about 100 yards away from the home. Because of the storm, phone lines were down and Snell was forced to drive the six miles to the village to summon firefighters to the mill. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, saving the mill was an impossibility and attention was focused on saving the nearby buildings from fire. Damages were estimated at over $75,000. September 3, 1970 Two years away from Brussels' centennial celebration, The Brussels Post mobilized citizens, saying that now was the time to begin making plans for the huge celebration. The Brussels Squirt baseball team was on quite a run in its regular play, beating a London all-star team by a tight score of 20-19. The London team was coached by Rev. Allan Johnston, a former resident of the village. This came after Brussels had played another team from London in Brussels, beating up on the visitors by a score of 28-1. A bale of straw was set on fire in the middle of a the Grey Township sideroad bridge. The fire resulted in several of the bridge's wooden planks being burned. September 3, 1986 A Blyth Festival car rally team called The Dire Straits racing team, comprised of David Sparling, Kevin Scrimgeour and John Liebold, was one of the stand -outs of the special fundraising event. The team even went to the extreme of handing out business cards that said "Don't follow us, we'll follow you" to spectators and competitors. The car rally was a special fundraising event for the Blyth Festival and it took participants on a tour of northern Huron County, including Brussels. The 25th annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association was set to go forward in Blyth. It was said that the special anniversary reunion would have its biggest -ever presence in downtown Blyth, with a main street parade for the entire village to see. With a new truck route implemented, postal service in communities like Blyth, Londesborough, Auburn and Walton, would see their postal service continue to deteriorate. The Citizen reported that mail destined for the outside world would only be picked up from the aforementioned communities once a day under the new system. As a result of the change, The Citizen had to change its mail route to ensure that readers in Auburn would continue to receive their newspapers in a timely fashion. Teachers' aides and secretaries throughout Huron County were in a legal strike position and it was said they could walk out of their jobs as early as Sept. 5. Both sides, however, seemed committed to mediation, as they vowed not to strike or lock out until mediation had run its course. September 4, 2002 The Huron -Bruce Liberal Association chose a Clinton woman to represent the party in the next provincial election, which was expected to be called in the spring. Carol Mitchell, the reeve of Central Huron and a two-time warden of Huron County, was elected by the association as its official candidate in the event of an election. Mitchell told the membership that she felt she could bring a Liberal victory to the riding thanks to her willingness to always speak up. While she said she liked to talk, she also added that she liked to listen too. Blyth Festival Artistic Director Anne Chislett decided not to renew her contract with the Festival, meaning she would be leaving the organization at the end of October after five successful seasons with the Festival. While Chislett had decided to step down, she said she was confident in the Festival's position and its direction, no matter who would take over. "The Festival is flourishing now both artistically and financially," she said, "and critical acclaim is at an all-time high. Also, we are currently blessed with a totally committed and skilled artistic and administrative staff, so I can step aside with absolute certainty that the Festival's high standards will be maintained." In recognition of the conclusion of the Heart and Soul campaign to support the new Blyth and District Community Centre, a special barbecue and auction was scheduled to be held at the centre. There would also be an extensive silent auction, as well as tours and a special grand opening ceremony.