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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-09-22, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld & Nicole Gillespie 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 Let's lead on rural issues Next week Blyth in particular, and Huron County as a whole, will be hosting strangers from across Canada, all of whom are concerned with the future of our rural way of living. The Rural Talks to Rural (R2R) conference is one of the first initiatives of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity (CCRC) which seeks to expand on the reputation Blyth has gained as a rural cultural centre because of 42 seasons of plays at the Blyth Festival that examined rural life and issues as is done nowhere else in the country. From Sept. 28-30, R2R will welcome speakers and conference attendees from across Canada and beyond to hear inspiring stories of rural success, tackle issues and hopefully build ongoing networks of rural thinkers. With a number of themes from rural revitalization to how to make the rural lifestyle more prominent in storytelling to retaining youth and attracting immigrants, the conference will focus on the rural tradition of self-reliance, not asking for studies and government support. Here's hoping the conference, and CCRC find success. Canada needs people and organizations that can build on traditional rural strengths like self-reliance and co-operative action to tackle the modern challenges that face our rural communities. Each town and village across the country has its own specific challenges and its own resources, but leaders in each community can learn lessons from the successes and failures of communities in similar situations. Rural people must find ways to solve our own problems because we can't depend on governments to save us in this time of declining revenues and increasing concentration on big city issues. If R2R can spread a "get 'er done" attitude it may be the first step to keeping rural life viable for the future. — KR Keep your promises As Parliament gets down to business for its fall session, let's hope the Trudeau government has reviewed the promises that helped get it elected a year ago and changes course on some the growing problems with its attitude. Many Canadians were attracted to vote for Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party by the sense a change in government would mean more openness and democratic spirit and less confrontation. Even aside from the Prime Minister's infamous "elbow incident" in the last parliamentary session, the hope for a more open, co-operative government already seems to be fading. The government apparently plans, for instance, to ratify the 2015 Paris climate agreement before it has met with provincial premiers to come up with a plan on how to make the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions that are required by that agreement. Sources say Trudeau has been under pressure from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to ratify the agreement prior to the U.S. Presidential election in November, but the haste has caused strain between the federal and provincial governments. Last week Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall denounced the unilateral decision — not a good start for the Prime Minister getting co-operation from the provinces, who will actually have to take the lead in emissions reduction. Meanwhile, the government has committed Canada to send 600 troops to support United Nations peacekeeping operations. Most Canadians probably support a return to peacekeeping but most would also agree that parliamentary approval should be given before sending our troops on missions that could risk their lives. Finally, there's the issue of electoral reform. The government promised that the 2015 election would be the last using the first -past -the - post system that rewards the party whose candidate gets the highest vote in each riding. While an alternative voting system hasn't been selected yet, the government remains adamant that this will be imposed before the 2019 election without being put to Canadians in a referendum. That's just plain undemocratic. Trudeau and his party will lose credibility and the support of many voters if they don't seek the approval of voters for any proposed electoral change. If Trudeau and his government want to seem democratic and open, it must act that way. — 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. 67% approve of screening immigrants for `Canadian Values'- POLL 'bo you now, or have you ever, owned a Nickel back album?' Uh-oh... 'could be a trick question.., Looking Back Through the Years September 24, 1970 Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Raddatz were announced in The Brussels Post as the new owners of the Kozy Korner restaurant, which they purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Le Blanc. The Raddatzes came from Kitchener to be part of the community. They planned on becoming members of the United Church. The first meeting of the new Ethel 4-H Club was held on Sept. 14 at Grey Township Central School. At the meeting, Jacquie Guy was elected the group's president, while Brenda Speiran was named the vice- president. The group decided to call itself the Focus on Fitness club. At Brussels Public School, Mrs. Johnston of London would be taking over the Grade 6 class in place of Mrs. Walker. Johnston, who lived in Seaforth, was married to a high school teacher from Seaforth who also played football for the London Lords. Brussels Village Council approved a raise of the annual garbage collection rate to $12 per year. At that same meeting, council also approved a grant to the recreation committee in the amount of $500 for the year. September 24, 1986 Due to problems spawning from a procedural irregularity at the Sept. 2 meeting of council, West Wawanosh electors were going to have to head to the polls again on Nov. 17 to elect a new councillor. The seat had been left vacant when Councillor Cecil Cranston was appointed to the reeve's chair, which was left vacant by the resignation of Reeve Jim Aitchison. While Kathy Todd of RR2, Lucknow had been sworn in to the vacant councillor's spot, there were a number of issues that led to an election having to be called. Jeff McGavin, 18, of Walton won the Reserve Junior Championship at the International Plowing Match, which was held near Belleville on Sept. 16-20. McGavin wasn't the only local to do well at the match, however, as 19 - year -old Paul Dodds of RR1, Seaforth won the Junior Champion Tractor Plowmen Trophy, which meant he would head to Quebec to compete at the 1987 Canadian Junior Championship Plowing Contest. More than 36,000 people attended the 1986 season of the Blyth Festival, which set a record for the Festival. The three per cent increase in attendance over the previous year surpassed the Festival's own predictions. The attendance figures meant that spread out over the Festival season's 92 performances, 81 per cent of the seats in Memorial Hall were filled. September 25, 2002 At a special auction to celebrate the newly -renovated Blyth and District Community Centre, $35,000 was raised for the village's Heart and Soul campaign. "In our small communities we don't often have opportunities to undertake significant projects such as this," said Heart and Soul Vice - Chair Steven Sparling. "The success of this past weekend confirmed what most of us have known. There is tremendous support for this, a broad base of support." One of the major donations made to the campaign came from the Blyth Lions Club, which pledged $60,000 to the project at the centre's opening ceremonies. Eric Coates, who had been serving as Associate Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival, was named the Festival's Artistic Director on Sept. 17. He was set to officially begin in his new role on Nov. 1. September 24, 2015 The Brussels Fall Fair became the third event in The Citizen's community to be hit hard by job action taken by provincial teachers. The annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, the Elementary School Fair in Belgrave and then the Brussels Fall Fair saw barely any students attend, which impacted revenue and general participation. Homecraft President Nicole Noble, however, said it was a good fair for Brussels, despite the challenges faced by the Agricultural Society. Congregants both past and present of Duff's United Church in Walton were planning to travel to Walton as the church would be hosting the final service in its 150 - year history. Those involved in the planning for the final service attempted to attract pastors from the church's past for the special service. It was announced that the former Blyth Public School building, or a new building at the site of the school, would carry the names of Grant and Mildred Sparling, an influential and beloved couple in Blyth history. The Brussels Leo Club completed work on its first major project with the grand opening of the Libro Multi -Purpose Sports Pad, which would be home to regular games of pickle ball, among other sports. The ribbon -cutting ceremony for the sports pad was held just ahead of the opening ceremonies of the Brussels Fall Fair.