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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-02-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2013.Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Acting Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny ScottAdvertising Sales: Ken Warwick & Lori Patterson The CitizenP.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; $130.00/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: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 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 March 2, 1961 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Baker, who had operated the nursing home in Brussels for the previous three years, decided to move their family to the Kitchener area. They sold the nursing home to Douglas Callender, also of Kitchener. The Brussels Post reported that Callender’s wife would be conducting business at the nursing home going forward. In recent weeks, The Brussels Post reported, 13 different windows had been broken at the Topnotch Feed Mill. It was reported that the windows had been broken with an assortment of rocks and snowballs. The business warned the community against reoffending, saying that they would be forced to take action if the “wanton destruction” continued. The 4-H Club hosted a meeting of its Cotton Stylers on Feb. 11 at the home of Mrs. McTaggart, the club’s leader. Sheila Stricker was elected as the group’s president, Carol Fischer was named press reporter and Patricia Ducharme was elected as the group’s vice-president. February 24, 1988 Bruce McCall of Brussels was re- elected to the position of president of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority at the organization’s annual meeting in Wroxeter. McCall was nominated by Grey Township director Leona Armstrong. McCall first accepted the position in 1987 when chairman Vince Judge stepped down due to other commitments. The new lift at the Blyth and District Community Centre was officially opened with a ribbon- cutting ceremony on Feb. 20. Despite the treacherous driving conditions that night, several were on hand for the ceremony including Janice Henry, president of the Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary and Ruby Pattison, vice-president of the group that spearheaded the project to get a lift into the centre in the first place. Cookie Wars, a comedy by Kathleen McDonnell, was announced to open the 14th season of the Blyth Festival. The play followed a battle between huge food corporations over an old-time Amish cookie recipe. The Festival was set to open on June 17 with the new play. Snowdrifts and high winds were to blame for a four-vehicle pile-up on Hwy. 86 near Bluevale on Feb. 22 said representatives of the Wingham detachment of the OPP. Investigators said that three cars and a tractor-trailer were involved in a chain reaction collision when the first car, driven by William Horne of Port Elgin, spun out of control in whiteout conditions and became stuck in a snowbank. February 23, 2006 Members of the North Huron Snowmobile Clubs braved the cold and snowy temperatures and raised over $7,000 for Easter Seals by taking part in the second annual Snowarama. Approximately 40 riders took part in the event. The day’s top fundraiser was Yolanda Vandriel who raised $360 on her own for the event. At a regular meeting of the Avon Maitland District School Board it was decided that the French immersion program would not be expanded beyond its current incarnations at Bedford Public School and Stratford Central Public School. The Canada Cord was awarded to three local Pathfinders during the Guide/Scout church service on Feb. 19. The girls honoured were Brittany Cartwright, Kate Lynn Losch and Megan Carter. February 23, 2012 An inquest into the death of OPP Const. Vu Pham was announced. The inquest was set to begin sometime in March in London, the provincial government announced on Feb. 18. The inquest was expected to last about 13 days when 30 witnesses were expected to take the stand. Pham was killed when he pulled over a pick-up truck being driven by 70-year-old Fred Preston on March 8, 2010 and Preston fatally shot Pham. Concern echoed through the community as Ontarians were shown a picture of their financial future by economist Don Drummond, who prepared a report featuring several money-saving recommendations in the 668-page report. The main concern was how the report, and its recommendations, would affect the Clinton Raceway and the slots-at-raceway program throughout the province. In the report Drummond suggested that the partnership between provincial raceways and the province should be re-examined or potentially terminated. Jessica Bokhout, sister of John Bokhout, who had perished in a house fire in Alberta, spoke with The Citizen about a piece she had written for the ‘Lives Lived’ section of The Globe and Mail, which she penned on the life of her brother. Bokhout said that since her brother’s death, her family had become much closer, taking the time to say ‘I love you’ to one another because “we may never get a chance to say it again”. 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 Making Queen’s Park work Now that the Ontario Legislature is back at work following the government’s ill-advised prorogation for the Liberal Party leadership race, the big question for most Ontario residents is can the kids play nicely in the sandbox of a minority government situation. It’s probably in nobody’s best interest, certainly not the voters, to see things go off the rails with a vote of non-confidence in the government and an early election. In the high-wire world of parliamentary politics, however, it might be difficult to avoid. Often when a governing party gets a new leader, the publicity of the race and a new face in the premier’s chair tempts it to call an early election. New Premier Kathleen Wynne shows no signs of that, and it’s probably wise. She needs time to demonstrate the Liberal government she leads is demonstratively different than that of Dalton McGuinty who descended into cynicism and opportunism in his latter days. If her party is to win another election, she has to give the government a fresh face and prove her ability to be premier. If the Liberals are to win a majority in that election, she must rebuild bridges to the rural parts of the province that McGuinty burned. She has signalled she wants to do that by appointing herself Minister of Agriculture and Food but she needs time to prove she is different. If anything the agenda is trickier for the opposition parties. They don’t want to let her overcome the general disillusionment left by McGuinty and rebuild her party. On the other hand, they can’t be seen as being too thirsty for an election when the new premier, who prides herself on her ability to negotiate in difficult situations, is vowing to work with the opposition. At the same time, each opposition leader needs to keep his or her rank and file members on side by appearing ready to take the government down at any moment if only the other opposition party would co-operate. Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives seem to know no other mode than attack, as they did last year when they said they’d vote against the budget even before it was announced. He may be hard pressed to find excuses to support the government if the NDP moves non-confidence at a time when his party is not high in the polls. Meanwhile many hardliners in Andrea Horwath’s NDP have dreams of doing what the federal New Democrats have done and push the “unprincipled” Liberals to the brink of extinction. It will be hard for her to support the government when party members see the possibility that their party’s day in the sun is just around the corner. For political junkies, the next few weeks or months will be fascinating. For ordinary voters the events in Queen’s Park may make them wish the legislature wasn’t back in session. –KR Senate reform with a difference The scandal over the dubious expense claims of several Senators has many Canadians questioning the validity of the whole institution. Support for abolishing the upper chamber of the Canadian parliament has shot up. Others prefer the Conservative governments attempt to turn the Senate into an elected body. But before we reject an appointed Senate perhaps we should look first at an alternative to the current way people get to become Senators, generally as a reward for good services to a governing political party. These political hacks give the Senate a bad name. Imagine instead a Senate filled with outstanding non-partisan Canadians appointed for their wisdom, experience and love of Canada. There are many people who would be valuable participants in our chamber of sober second thought but who will never run for election. Many wise, brilliant thinkers just aren’t politicians or may not be the kind of people electors will vote for. Imagine if there was a non-partisan body (say members of the Order of Canada) given the task of appointing these outstanding Canadians to the Senate, in the way non-partisan bodies currently recommend judicial appointments. A non-partisan Senate filled with the cream of Canadians could be an asset to our parliamentary system, not an embarrassment. — 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.