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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-05-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Lori Patterson & Amanda Bergsma The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Ph. 519-523-4792 Fax 519-523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G 1H0 Phone 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca Looking Back Through the Years CCNA Member Member of the Ontario Press Council 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 N0G 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca May 24, 1962 The Brussels Horticultural Society held its regular meeting at the Walton Community Hall under the watchful eye of President Mrs. D. A. Rann. The Huron County Tuberculosis Association announced that it would be holding its annual meeting at the Dominion Hotel in Zurich. The meeting’s highlight would be guest speaker Dr. I. B. R. Duncan, assistant professor of Bacteriology at the University of Western Ontario. His topic would be “Antibiotics and Infectious Disease.” The Brussels Horticultural Society was set to enjoy high tea at the Anglican Church in Brussels. Members were encouraged to bring friends and their “loveliest flower arrangement” to the meeting. May 23, 1979 Brussels Village Council got some good news at one of its meetings that taxes would be going down in the village. That, however, wasn’t the whole story as far as taxes for residents were concerned. The residential rate in Brussels would be down 8.76 mills. However, the education rate had risen 16.54 mills, which would represent a $66 increase in taxes for the average Brussels ratepayer. The Brussels Post reported an interesting piece of history that came by way of a letter inquiry by William McCall of RR2, Bluevale, that found that the Disney family had lived in Bluevale. McCall’s request yielded this response from Walt Disney World: “Walt Disney’s great-grandfather, Elias Disney, emigrated from Ireland to Canada in 1834. He settled just outside of Holmesville and operated a grist mill. His son, Kepple Disney married Mary Richardson and moved to Bluevale around 1858, and it was there that Walt Disney’s father, Elias, was born in 1859. Elias grew up in Bluevale and went to school in Goderich before moving to Kansas in 1878.” The Majestic Women’s Institute was busy again with its annual Cancer Drive in Brussels as it raised just under $1,600 for cancer research throughout the community. The Huron-Perth County Roman Catholic Separate School Board voted down a resolution that would have reduced the number of trustees permitted to attend conferences outside of Ontario, but in Canada, at a recent board meeting. The change was first proposed due to the cost factor associated with flying a number of trustees to conferences. At the time, one administrator and three trustees would be allowed to travel to conferences within the country at the school’s board expense. At the same meeting, the trustees’ honorarium was increase by nearly $20 per month, as was the allowance for the board chairman, which went to $240 from $216. Both changes were made retroactive to Jan. 1. May 23, 1990 Bessie Johnston, a resident of RR2, Bluevale, was named the Citizen of the Year for the Brussels area. She had been nominated for the honour by two people. While the nominations, as well as the selection committee, said there were a number of factors in Johnston’s selection, it was for her work as co-ordinator for the Brussels, Morris and Grey Catering Group that she was most widely recognized. The group had been very active in the community over the years, donating $12,000 to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre the previous year for various improvements. “Bessie is a very modest person, she gives herself to family and community without a thought of reimbursement,” one nominator said. Johnston had also been involved with the Brussels Fall Fair for a number of years, while at the same time a long-serving member of the Brussels Legion Pipe Band. A portion of Morris Township history came to an end with the tearing down of Clegg’s School, S.S. #5, which was located on Morris Concession 5. Built in 1870, the school had been completed renovated around the turn of the century. The school eventually suffered from declining enrolment and was finally closed due to a whooping cough epidemic. May 23, 2001 A TV Ontario film crew was hard at work at Brussels Public School filming 14 students as they discussed their block-and-tackle science projects. The project came into effect as part of the Avon Maitland District School Board’s new curriculum and the film crew was in town to help document how it was being received by students. One week after a controversial report was released recommending the closure of several local schools, Avon Maitland District School Board trustees did their best to distance themselves from the report, saying that it came from an independent consultant and not from members of the board. “I, too, was stunned when I saw some of the options that were in the report,” said Stratford Trustee Meg Westley. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Another giant lost Some people, whether through their volunteer leadership, their business acumen, or both, change their community. Blyth, and Huron County lost one of those people last week with the death, at age 91, of Grant Sparling. After coming to Blyth to work at the local branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in 1949, he went on to build two important businesses. First, he took over a single storefront on the village’s main street in 1951 and through drive and vision, built one of the larger hardware stores in southwestern Ontario. Through the store he sold propane appliances and recognized customers’ need for gas for those appliances so started selling propane from the rear of the hardware store. Both businesses grew until he finally sold the hardware store to concentrate on the propane business which grew and grew to become one of the county’s larger employers. One would think running two businesses would take up all one’s time but he also managed to be a dedicated volunteer on the Blyth and District Fire Department for 32 years, part of that time as its Captain. He was also involved in the Blyth Board of Trade, the Lions Club, the Lodge and Blyth United Church. He was also an early and generous supporter of the Blyth Festival, helping it become the community-shaping institution it is today. He, and others like him who have made such huge contributions to this region we live in are sadly missed when they are lost, and present a tremendous challenge to succeeding generations to pick up the torch and carry it forward. –KR Take control. Get involved The conundrum of the decade is that a large part of Canada’s young adults complain that they are disadvantaged by the current political system, but they’re so disenchanted that they don’t even vote. It has been much noted that the recent federal government budget made life easier for seniors and the Boomer generation with changes such as allowing more money to be put in tax-free savings accounts while there was little to help young people get started in life. The reason for this unfairness, many commentators have suggested, is that older people vote in large numbers, while young people, many of whom feel alienated from government, don’t. There are two concerning issues in this problem. First, things don’t change by themselves. Writing off government, as a considerable number of young people apparently have, is not going to make the world better for young people. As a generation, the maligned Boomers were activists, throwing themselves (some, definitely not all) into the struggles of the day. Today, too many people are more likely to shrug and think that if they post a complaint on Facebook they’ve done their part. More concerning is that as the older Canadians who make more effort to vote, die off, what will happen to democracy? If you take democracy for granted, someone will take it away from you. There are plenty of politicians who will be happy to exercise power without having to answer to a public that can’t be bothered staying informed and involved. If you’re young, take control of your own future. Get involved. At the very least, vote come this fall’s federal election. –KR Punish underhandedness Suzanne Legault, Canada’s information commissioner, blasted the Conservative government this week for sneaking a change in the law (through the omnibus budget bill) that would retroactively clear the RCMP of breaking the law by disobeying her 2012 request under Access to Information Act for information on the Long Gun Registry. How much longer are we going to put up with dishonest governments using budget bills to put through things that have nothing to do with the budget. Obviously, Prime Minister Stephen Harper wanted to hide this change from public scrutiny or it wouldn’t have been in a budget bill. It has nothing to do with the budget. Until we punish politicians for dishonesty they’ll continue to try to get what they want by any means. –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.