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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-12-12, Page 19PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013.Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston Acting Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny ScottAdvertising Sales: Lori Patterson & Sue Brindley 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: 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 December 14, 1961 At the annual Santa Claus Parade in Brussels, members of the village’s Legion and Lions Club reported having distributed approximately 850 bags of candy to children at the parade. Herb Travis was elected as president of the Brussels Legion, while Tom McFarlane was named first vice-president and Eldon Mann was named second vice-president. The Legion Ladies Auxiliary also elected its executive, naming Mary Storey president, Kay Duncan first vice-president and Helen Dobson and second vice-president. Bertha Elliott would be the group’s pianist for the year. The annual Cranbrook Christmas Tree concert was set to be held at the hamlet’s community centre on Dec. 22. December 14, 1988 Past-president of the Belgrave Kinsmen Niel Edgar presented the “Kinsman of the Year” award to Belgrave’s Harvey Black at the club’s annual Past-President’s and Ladies’ Night, which was held at the Wingham Golf and Country Club on Dec. 7. The Blyth Atoms had some success at an annual hockey tournament in Zurich, as they took the tournament’s top spot. Playing against the Southwest London Atoms, Blyth was able to come out on top in the championship final by a score of 6-3. Only 80 per cent of claims to the Ontario Beef Financial Protection Fund Board were accepted in relation to the collapse of the Brussels Stockyards. Approximately 100 claims had been made. The claims requested a total of $800,000, of which about $500,000 was paid. Why nearly $300,000 was not paid out was not disclosed. December 14, 2006 Jenny Versteeg of RR2, Gorrie, who was re-elected as a trustee on the Avon Maitland District School Board, was named the board’s chair at an early December meeting. Meg Westley of Stratford, who had served as chair of the board for four years, said she had complete confidence in Versteeg after she decided not to let her name stand for a fifth straight year. Huron East Councillor and former McKillop Reeve Bill Siemon was chosen by council as the municipality’s third representative at the Huron County Council table. After the municipality crossed the 8,000-elector mark, by bylaw, it was allowed a third council representative. Siemon defeated Seaforth Ward Councillor Joe Steffler in the vote, citing his 20 years of experience in municipal politics, adding that because he was now retired, he would have the time to dedicate to the position. A concert at Blyth Memorial Hall featuring Canadian singer Rita MacNeil was cancelled as the musician had been hospitalized for an infection. The Dec. 9 concert had been rescheduled for March 7, 2007. Grey Fire Department calendars were a hot commodity and the Christmas season was the last time they were going to be available for the following year. The calendar, which was created as a special fundraising tool for the department’s 50th anniversary, featured members of the department in funny, candid situations, rather than a serious scenario. December 13, 2012 The Emergency Services Training Centre in Blyth announced that it had partnered with Conestoga College for a corporate training workforce development course. The centre’s co-ordinator Stephanie Currie said that the partnership was just one of many she was hoping to have in place in the near future. Local students had an unexpected day off on Monday, Dec. 10 when their teachers took to the picket line in Blyth in front of Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson’s office. Teachers were also busy in Wingham, protesting in front of F.E. Madill Secondary School. The teachers were protesting Bill 115, which aimed to limit the group’s bargaining rights as negotiations with the provincial government were ongoing. The job action, however, was a one-day event and classes resumed the next day. A development agreement between Huron East and the developer of the former Seaforth Public School property was voided by council at its Dec. 4 meeting. The agreement had been a contentious issue for many councillors who felt inaction at the site had gone on for far too long and wanted the agreement voided years earlier. South Huron Mayor George Robertson was elected as Huron County Warden for 2013, succeeding Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan. Morris-Turnberry officially launched its new, expansive history book entitled A Harvest of Memories. Blyth Festival Artistic Director Peter Smith was set to bring the small town of Drummond to the stage with A Country Carol. The play would feature local actors and (loosely) follow the story line of Charles Dickens’ iconic A Christmas Carol. 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 Cost-to-service imbalanced Residents of rural areas have long been overpaying for the service received from the Ontario Provincial Police but under the new OPP billing model the situation is getting just plain ridiculous. Morris-Turnberry councillors got a shock last week when they learned that the most recent policing proposal would cost $369 for every household in the municipality, nearly double what they had been paying. The province, back at the time of the Mike Harris government, neatly downloaded much of the OPP cost to rural municipalities by saying it was only fair they should pay for their policing costs just like urban municipalities. Even then the $90 per household charge was probably more than the service rural areas were getting since the only time police were seen in rural areas was when they were called. There have been times, such as the long-running standoff with native protesters at Caledonia, when municipalities got a refund on their charges because local OPP officers were absent to help with the crisis. Few people probably noticed the difference in level of service. Perhaps rural residents weren’t paying as much as they should in the days when they paid nothing for police services but today they’re paying for far more service than they’re getting. –KR Back to political basics Former Conservative cabinet minister and current back-bench MP Michael Chong took a courageous stand last week when he introduced a private member’s bill to regain the rightful power of the ordinary Member of Parliament. In his Reform Act, Chong tries to rebalance a nearly-50-year drift in which MPs went from important parts of our governmental system to little more than puppets of the executive branch — the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The PMO began gaining strength under Pierre Trudeau when he had a powerful aid in Marc Lalonde. In the years since, the size of the Prime Minister’s staff has ballooned while the MP is expected to vote the way the PMO says and present cheques at the constituency level, usings pre-approved speeches, that makes the government look good. It’s a waste of intelligence to elect good people as MPs if they’re not allowed to think and contribute to the national debate on all important issues. The Member of Parliament system was designed to be a bottom- up system, with MPs representing their constituents across the country. Instead, the Prime Minister and his cronies make the decisions which the MPs are expected to report back to their constituents. Private members bills have a low rate of being approved in parliament. Mr. Chong’s bill, which subtly criticizes his own party, probably will never come into effect. Too bad. We need it. –KR There came a wise man In all the tributes given to former South African President Nelson Mandela after his death last week, much was spoken of his courage to fight injustice and his willingness to forgive but his wisdom was not given enough attention. Wisdom is a devalued virtue these days. According to Psychology Today it includes the integration of knowledge, experience, and deep understanding that incorporates tolerance. Early speeches from Mandela, even before he went to prison, show he was a man who believed in non-violence, but during his 27 years in prison he had a lot of time to think and realized that the last thing his people needed was revenge for what the white minority had done to the black majority. He was wise enough to see South Africa needed everyone, black and white. Through concepts like his Truth and Reconciliation Commission and his use of sports to rally people of all backgrounds to a common cause, Mandela worked hard to heal wounds and build a nation. Every country needs wise leaders. Too often we have leaders who are smart at playing people off against one another and otherwise manipulating voters. We need to look for wisdom in the people we choose to lead our governments. –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.