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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-06-11, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 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 June 13, 1979 A lack of involvement among businesses and community members with the Brussels Business Association (BBA) concerned the organization and its events going forward. After losing money on its annual Carnival Days event, fingers were pointed at members who didn’t show up for the event, although the group did raise about $125 at its Trash and Treasure sale. Despite extensive conversation surrounding the Huron County Board of Education’s field trip policy, and proposed changes to it, nothing was done, which led to the disappointment of several board trustees. “I’m a little disappointed in this two-line recommendation,” said Zurich trustee Herb Turkheim of the simple recommendation of no change to the policy. “I felt like a detailed study of the policy was needed.” June 13, 1990 Huron MPP Jack Riddell announ- ced that he would be retiring after 17 years in office. He held a press conference at his Dashwood home to announce that he would not be seeking re-election in the next provincial election. “After 17 years, I have decided it was time for me to make a change,” Riddell said at the press conference. The Blyth Festival was set to open for its 16th season while work on the public areas of Memorial Hall, including its new courtyard, had yet to be completed. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was planned ahead of the opening of the Festival and would feature a number of local dignitaries, including Helen Gowing, the only original member of the Festival Board of Directors who was still serving on the board. Marie Hicknell, Reeve of McKillop Township, announced that she would once again run for the position of Warden of Huron County. Hicknell, however, would have competition, as Hensall Reeve James Robinson also announced his intention to run for the position at the same meeting. The Brussels Midget baseball team was off to a great start to the season, winning its first six games in convincing fashion. “Within the Landscape” featuring serigraphs created by David Peter Hunsberger was the exhibit scheduled to open the new season of the Blyth Festival Art Gallery on June 15. The Kitchener-born artist’s one- man show would run at the gallery until July 12. June 13, 2001 In a vote that passed by the slimmest of margins, 6-5, Huron East Council voted to hire a new economic development officer, with half of the $25,000 salary to come from Seaforth. After an hour of debate, it was decided that Seaforth would pick up half of the officer’s new salary, because, as Grey Councillor Alvin McLellan put it, Seaforth would reap most of the benefits of the officer’s work in the municipality. Mayor Lin Steffler said she was in favour of hiring the officer, but didn’t feel that Seaforth should have to pay half of the position’s salary. She said that the hire would benefit the entire municipality and the position’s salary breakdown should reflect that. McKillop Councillor Sharon McClure, however, was against the hiring of an officer, saying that when she had spoken with residents in both McKillop and Brussels, they were against the hiring, saying they didn’t understand why the municipality needed an economic development officer. “Not one person was in favour,” she told councillors. The point was also made that the hire could take pressure off of volunteers. June 12, 2014 A number of people with land adjacent to the proposed Goderich to Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail spoke to Huron County Council at its June 4 meeting, airing a number of concerns they had with the trail. One such landowner, Larry Plaetzer of Central Huron, said that many landowners felt “confused and frustrated” with the G2G process thus far. Will and Claire Fleming, two Londesborough residents, had just returned to Huron County after biking across Canada to raise money for Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program, which helps young people to play sports despite not having the financial means to do so. With a stated goal of just over $7,600, the pair eclipsed that, raising over $35,000 for the charity. When they arrived in St. John’s, Newfoundland, they celebrated by dipping the wheels of their bikes in the Atlantic Ocean. The Brussels Tigers were victorious in Huron County Fastball League action, beating the Wroxeter Royals by a score of 7-0, but along the way, Tigers pitcher y Sebastian threw a perfect game, striking out 14 of the 15 batters he faced, in the most dominant outing the league would see all year. 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 This is how we get laws The proposal for new outdoor open burning laws in area municipalities shows how we get the kind of red tape that many of us hate. As usual, the actions of a few bring rules that impact the many. When James Marshall, community safety officer for Morris- Turnberry and North Huron, explained the need for the bylaw at a recent Morris-Turnberry Council session, he told of cases of people who had started fires, then went to town for a coffee leaving the unwatched fires to burn out of control. Throughout the spring, firefighters had battled several wildfires that came close to burning buildings in their path. Another clause, to prevent harassment of firefighters, was made necessary because in two incidents firefighters were sworn at and intimidated as they attempted to fight fires (these firefighters are our neighbours volunteering to protect us, remember). There’s often a feeling bureaucrats just love to write new, unnecessary laws. More often, at the local level at least, those laws are made necessary by the thoughtlessness of the few. –KR Going, going, gone With the passing of the Ontario Liberal government’s omnibus budget bill last week, Ontario is on the way to selling off 60 per cent of Hydro One, even if the majority of the people in the province oppose the idea. It’s somewhat ironic that polls show about 60 per cent of Ontarians oppose the idea of privatizing the utility. Public opinion demonstrates that, despite the political mantra that government needs to get smaller, a majority of people would rather have a publicly-owned company providing their power than a private company. There are various reasons behind the support for maintaining public ownership of Hydro One. Many consumers think electricity rates are likely to increase under a majority private ownership of the utility. Meanwhile public sector unions don’t like the idea of selling off sectors that provide highly-paid jobs, worrying private owners will find ways to reduce the payroll burden (12,500 employees from Hydro One, Ontario Power Generation and their subsidiaries earned more than $100,000 in 2014 according to te Sunshine List). For many taxpayers, what’s disturbing is the idea that a company they owned a share of, that took a century to build to its current size, will now, through a clause snuck through as section of the budget, be sold off without anyone asking their permission. Money from the sale will help Premier Kathleen Wynne keep a promise to build infrastructure such as subways for Toronto but many of the utility’s former “owners” throughout the rural areas of the province are unlikely to see much return for sale of “their” Hydro One. –KR Easier said than done In the wake of the latest scandal over unjustified expenses claimed by members of the Senate, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair is again promising to abolish the institution – which shows him as just as much of an opportunistic politician as leaders of the old-line parties to whom he likes to pretend he’s morally superior. The Senate scandal is a gift for Mulcair and his party. Since governments appoint Senators, and the NDP has never been in power, his party can portray itself as simon pure while the Conservatives and Liberals are grasping cheaters. It plays right into the party’s self-image as filled with representatives who are more honest. But Mulcair is being dishonest in promising to do something he won’t be able to carry out, just because the idea of getting rid of the Senate is popular at the moment. The Supreme Court has said that the Senate can’t be abolished without a constitutional change, which in turn can’t happen without permission of the provinces. One thing Canadians have learned from the past is that getting enough provinces to agree to change the constitution is nearly impossible. In promising to do a popular thing he can’t deliver on by getting rid of the Senate, Mulcair is undermining his own moral superiority, and that of his party. –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.