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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-06-25, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 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 27, 1979 The chariot, chuckwagon and Ben Hur races, held at the Brussels Fairgrounds, provided spectators with many thrills and lots of excitement over the course of the day’s races. The biggest reaction, however, came when two chariot drivers unfortunately had a collison, although no one was hurt as a result of the incident. Brussels Village Council held a special meeting with Huron-Perth Assessment Commissioner Floyd Jenkins where village assessment was discussed. It was decided that Brussels, as a village, would be reassessed, but that decision wouldn’t affect overall assessment in the village. The Melville Guild, in the process of celebrating its 125th anniversary, announced that it would be donating $1,500 to the Melville Presbyterian Church. The money would be put towards renovations needed at the church. . June 27, 1990 While plenty of rain fell in Blyth, the spirits and good times from the Rutabaga Festival couldn’t be dampened. The Citizen reported that nearly every attraction at the festival brought in more visitors than organizers had hoped to attract. “I was just more than impressed with the community spirit for every event on the weekend,” said Festival Chair John Elliott. The event began early on Saturday morning, with CBC Ontario Morning being broadcast from Blyth, attracting nearly 100 people at 6 a.m. to watch the show go live from the village. The Festival also included a “Gong Show” which attracted over 500 people to the Blyth and District Community Centre, an indoor location chosen once the weather turned inclement. People were guaranteed to be well fed at the Festival, with over 80 entries in the event’s baking contest. Organizers said they were amazed at the tasty and creative dishes that were submitted, all using rutabagas, the star of the weekend. George and Elizabeth Procter welcomed some special visitors to their home, bringing a family from Japan to RR5, Brussels as part of a special agricultural exchange program. The family, and the visitors, all went to Calgary for a special meeting pertaining to the agricultural exchange program before returning back to the area. June 27, 2001 The Bluewater Kennel Club was in Blyth once again for its annual dog show. The 2001 competition would mark the first year that the show would include an agility challenge, which saw dogs and their handlers move through an obstacle course of hoops, tunnels and zig-zags as quickly as possible. Brussels residents and members of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Recreation Board were busy fundraising for a new pool heater after children had been complaining about how cold the pool was for far too long. Avon Maitland District School Board Vice-Chair Colleen Schenk was named vice-chair of the western region of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. The appointment was made at the association’s annual general meeting, which was held on June 16 in Kingston. The Blyth Communities in Bloom committee issued a challenge to residents, asking them to paint the village’s fire hydrants, bringing out the inner artist within dozens of residents. The contest was set to be judged on July 13. June 26, 2014 In The Citizen’s poll-by-poll election results, over 750 spoiled their ballots in what was commonly referred to as a “none-of-the-above” election. Four-hundred and twenty-seven voters in Huron-Bruce entered polling stations to receive their ballot, but only to refuse it and give it back, while 141 voters submitted an unmarked ballot and 197 ballots were rejected due to unclear markings. However, Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, who had won the election, dominated competition Colleen Schenk of the Liberal Party in nearly every poll in The Citizen’s coverage area. Bill Scheltema of Canadian Breed Custom Electrics had chosen Brussels as the site of his new store, saying he not only expected to craft hand-made guitars at the store, but to also host music nights that would attract musicians from all over Canada. With a number of hold-ups already under their belts, the Blyth parkades, which would legally allow several area restaurants the ability to host a patio, had cleared another hurdle, this time at the North Huron level. Billy Bishop Goes To War, starring J.D. Nicholsen and Marek Norman, was set to open on the Blyth Festival stage. It was the second show of the season behind Kitchen Radio. 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 Mediation needed With the Guelph-to-Goderich Rail Trail (G2G) scheduled to open July 1, and farmers and adjacent landowners complaining louder than ever that their concerns are not being dealt with, it seems time that someone – the province or Huron County – stepped in to mediate. The trail shouldn’t be a them-or-us choice. Since a large part of the old CP Rail right of way is already used as a trail both at the east for the Kissing Bridge Trail from Guelph to Millbank and the Goderich-Auburn Rail Trail in the west, many of the issues that concern farmers must already have been dealt with elsewhere. As well, Scott Tousaw, Director of Planning and Development told Huron County Council last week that the trail working group has so far met six times to try to work out issues. But the inability or unwillingness of G2G Inc. to deal, issue by issue, with the landowners’ concerns, undermines the group’s credibility. If they don’t even have the resources to sit down, even one by one, home by home to meet with adjacent landowners along the trail, then do they have the resources to deliver on the promise made to build needed fences and bridges and other needed upgrades and to police the trail? This should be a win/win situation – a project that will bring new recreation/tourism resource to Huron County with very little effect on the trail’s neighbours. Instead, through hard-headedness and stubbornness on both sides it seems in danger of being a failure. Somebody needs to bring people together. — KR Let’s make Canada welcoming Hurray for Toronto Mayor John Tory for challenging his city, last week, to find homes and sponsor the arrival of 1,000 Syrian refugees. Not only did Mayor Tory set a goal for his own city, but he called on the mayors of other big cities to do the same for their communities. The comparison was made to Canada’s finest hour in 1979-1980 when people in all corners of Canada sponsored 50,000 refugees from Vietnam. Church and community groups pitched in to sponsor families, give them homes and help them find jobs. The issue is just as grave and even larger for 3.3 million Syrian refugees, some of whom have also, like the Vietnamese, become “boat people” as they try to escape the chaos of their country, caught between a vicious government and the Muslim extremists of ISIS. Canada has pledged to take in 10,000 of these refugees, a drop in a huge bucket, yet we’ve hardly even begun to take in even that many. Mayor Tory was promoting Lifeline Syria, an organization set up to help groups of five or more people to sponsor Syrian refugees. Wouldn’t it be great if Canadians, including local groups, showed that we’re just as caring and welcoming as we were 35 years ago? If you’re part of a group that might be interested in helping you can get information at www.lifelinesyria.ca. –KR The big issue that got missed As Canada approaches its 148th birthday, July 1, an issue that should bring major issue in this fall’s federal election was raised last week – and hardly anyone noticed. Accused of being a light-weight with no real policies, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau unveiled a 32-point plan to make Canadian democracy work again, and got very little media coverage. It’s certainly not because rebuilding democratic principles isn’t needed. After all we’ve had 10 years of abuse of democracy by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his gang, who, while arguing the importance of a free market economy, have attempted to impose a monopoly of ideas, centralizing control in the prime minister’s office. Trudeau and the Liberals aren’t alone in promising reform. The NDP has also pledged to restore a more open government. Here’s hoping that in the coming months Canadians use these proposals to examine what’s happened to our democracy. After all, what’s the sense of having a prosperous nation if we don’t have our greatest gift as Canadians, an open and energetic democracy. Don’t let this essential issue get buried by the mud slung in the coming months. –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.