Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-04-18, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 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 April 21, 1948 A brief wind storm resulted with terrible damage at the farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Robertson. The wind momentarily reached almost hurricane standards. Shingles from one side of the barn were ripped from the roof. An old barn door that was not in use was picked up by the wind and thrown at a tree. A portion of the door broke off and flew through the upstairs window of their house and came to rest under their bed. Mr. Kenneth MacDonald of the Boundary Road found an old arrowhead while he was working in his fields. After he found it, he took it his office for verification. It was found that the arrowhead was in a very good state of preservation, he was told. April 20, 1988 Hank Dyk of Walton got a long distance message on April 9 when he found a balloon in a field on his farm. The balloon had a tag with the name Sarah Bishop of Memphis, Michigan. “Happy Easter” was written on it as well as the date: April 2, 1988. It was from the St. Phillip and Holy Rosary Parishes, St. Philip Neri Church, Richmond, Michigan. Three Huron County students had punched their ticket to the Canada Wide Science Fair in Winnipeg. Tammi Medd would be leading the group. The Grade 8 student from Blyth Public School won the top Grade 8 biological project at the Huron County Science Fair in Clinton from her project “Effects of insecticides on soil”. Going along with her to Winnipeg was Jason Venkiteswaren of Robertson Memorial Public School in Goderich with his project on microwave ovens. Brian Hemmingway from Goderich Township Public School in Homesville would be joining as well with his project on “waste disposal alternatives”. Both were Grade 8 students. April 20, 2006 Chris Robertson visited East Wawonosh Public School and told the students and staff about his bike ride from the very bottom of Canada, to the very top. He began his journey in Point Pelee Ontario and travelled to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. His trip was 6,520 kilometres including crossing the Arctic Ocean in complete darkness. Robertson suffered frostbite around his eyes that he said he would have for the rest of his life. He also told students about his several near death experiences including facing a bear, a lightning storm and biking on the TransCanada highway next to all the big truckers. Robertson shared his experiences with students, business people and anyone interested. He has published a book about his experience and a movie based on his trip was in the works. Ryan Smith received the Don Higgins Memorial Trophy as the goalie of the year at the Brussels Minor Hockey banquet. The award was presented by the association’s president Mike Vader. The annual student show was set to open at the Blyth Festival Art Gallery. A wide range of media would be on display including mixed media sculpture, photography, drawing, painting, printmaking and digital illustration. The Brussels Midget Girls hockey team played their WOAA year-end tournament in Wallace on April 1 and 2. Their first game was on Saturday morning against Walkerton. Brussels lost 2-1. Lacey McArter scored Brussels’ only goal. In the afternoon Brussels had a game against Beaver Valley and Brussels won, 1-0. Sunday afternoon was the third and final game against Saugeen Shores. The Brussels team won 4-2. Scoring were Ashley Sholdice, Uyl, and Colleen Aitchison with two. April 19, 2012 Fire department of North Huron Chief John Black welcomed Rev. Gary Clark on the Blyth United Church to the department as its chaplain during as induction ceremony at the Belgrave Community Centre on April 12. NASCAR noises and memorabilia transformed Hullett Central Public School on April 13 as the members of the Students Advisory Committee held its annual community fun night and silent auction. The NASCAR theme brought with it decorations that clearly mimicked NASCAR. Programs were drawn and coloured by the students, names and numbers of well-known drivers were plastered on the wall and tables had checkerboard clothes. Those in attendance had a chance to try changing tires in a pit box, try plasma car racing or look over a racing car. Scott Steckley, 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, was signing autographs. Huron County Council passed its 2012 budget with a modest one per cent increase. Council also decided to move $185,000 to the unforeseen circumstances portion of the budget. Central Huron Council brought in consultant Nigel Bellchamber to aid in the municipality’s search for a new chief administrative officer. 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 We’re so vulnerable The electrical blackout that brought life to a standstill late last week demonstrated again just how dependent we have become on electricity in most aspects of life, and just how fragile our delivery system is. Hydro One service personnel did heroic duty working around the clock to repair the system and get the power back on for thousands of customers, but the fact that there were so many breaks caused by ice- covered trees falling on the lines shows we have a system that’s vulnerable, especially in these days of climate change. In a world increasingly dependent on technology that is powered by electricity, there’s not much work that can be done when there’s no power. Unlike times past when a pencil and paper or a manual typewriter were all that was needed in most offices, today everything is done on computers and other devices that require electricity. With modern computerized telephone systems, often you can’t even make a phone call when the power is out. This vulnerability comes at a time when globalization means we are competing with nations all around the world for jobs. Where once upon a time we adapted to our local conditions, now we must play by the rules that say companies will locate where they can be most productive. It’s hard to be productive if you don’t have electricity. People who move here from Europe are often surprised at how Ontario residents take it for granted there will be electrical interruptions. They have seldom experienced those blackouts except in extreme emergencies. The truth is we in Canada are running a 21st century, technologically- driven economy on an electrical delivery system that hasn’t changed much since wires were first strung on poles a century ago. We have a lot invested in this delivery system and in a country as vast as ours, it is still the most economical way to move electricity – when it works. It would cost a lot more to make the system more secure with, for instance, more underground power lines. Still, in a world where the price for not changing is not just momentary inconvenience but global competitiveness, it may soon be a price we need to pay. –KR Give them a home The furor caused by the revelation that the Royal Bank of Canada was using employees brought to Canada through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to replace Canadians, has shone needed light on this program. Actually, in this case at least the Royal Bank was hiring highly skilled technology workers, which is what the program was meant for. As of the end of 2012, there were 338,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada, yet only a fraction of these are highly-skilled workers. Most new guest workers, according to Human Resources Canada, are hired in the restaurant, hotel, construction and office-cleaning fields. These are jobs that have in the past been filled with new immigrants trying to get their feet on the ground in their new country, but we’ve tightened the immigration requirements in recent years to make it hard for unskilled workers to apply to immigrate. Meanwhile employers, finding it hard to fill these jobs, persuaded the federal government to expand the TFWP to allow temporary workers to do this “unskilled” work. Unlike the new immigrants of the past, these people haven’t the security of knowing they can stay in Canada and aren’t allowed to bring their families. Other countries like Germany have had such temporary workers programs for many years, but experience there shows that when it’s time for these workers to go home again, employers don’t want to lose the training they have invested in them and start all over with inexperienced workers. The companies apply to keep the “temporary” workers longer. These workers, not allowed to put down roots and become part of the country, have become a problem. If we have these jobs, and will continue to have these jobs, doesn’t it make sense that we allow these workers to immigrate and become Canadians? After all, nearly all of us are descended from people who came to Canada as unskilled immigrants in the first place.–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.