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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-02-17, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011.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 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G 1H0 Phone 887-9114 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com 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 $34.00/year ($32.38 + $1.62 G.S.T.) in Canada; $115.00/year in U.S.A. and $175/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: norhuron@scsinternet.com February 13, 1974 A rectangle measuring 50 feet by 20 feet in the yard of Blyth Public School had been fenced off due to water seeping up from the school’s sewage system. After much discussion, the school was ordered to seal off its septic tank. It would then become just a holding tank and would have to be pumped regularly. It was reported that the septic overflow problem hadn’t been reported to the Huron County Health Unit, and that Health Unit officials found out about the problem as the result of a story published in The Blyth Standard. The problem, it was reported, could actually have had a silver lining in that it was thought at the time that the issue would help speed along the process of Blyth’s sewage project. Five Blyth-area residents were given two years of probation in connection with drug charges. The five people were charged with growing marijuana without a licence. In addition to the probation, two of the five were given six months in the Ontario Reformatory, one was given three months in the Ontario Reformatory and the remaining two were also ordered to pay fines of $500 each. East Wawanosh Township Council was set to meet with the Blyth Lions Club to finalize plans for a swimming pool. The plan, which had been spearheaded by the Lions Club, brought East Wawanosh, Blyth and Morris Township together to fund the pool project. A hydro line study was being conducted and local MPs and MPPs were enlisted to help. Huron MP Robert McKinley and MPPs Murray Gaunt and Jack Riddell were asked to use their influence with higher levels of government to garner support for the study that would locate transmission lines on poor farming land where possible. February 12, 1986 Fire costs for Blyth were set to rise, but the rising costs weren’t due to increased firefighter salaries. The increased costs, approximately 10 per cent above 1985 costs, would allow the Blyth fire board around $10,000 of working funds for the department. In past years, it was reported, the department had been so low on funds that when an expense came up, it wasn’t unheard of for the department to hold back the salaries of firefighters until funds came in to cover the deficit. The firefighters voted to freeze salaries, saying they would rather see the increase go towards the updating of equipment in a fire department that covers one of the largest areas in all of Huron County. Huron County took its first steps toward abolishing the Huron County Library Board. New legislation had come in from Queen’s Park and was implemented by Huron County Council that would make the municipal governing body the new library board. The change was set to be put into effect on June 1, 1987. The vote, which was recorded, was 25 votes for the abolishment of the board and six votes against the change. Huron County’s chief librarian, William Partridge said that he would continue to work at his position, despite the change in governance the libraries would have. He planned to remain on, now as an employee of Huron County. For the upcoming 25th annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, Blyth Village Council had decided that it would have an increased presence. February 26, 2003 The Brussels Optimist Club was in the midst of planning for its fourth annual dinner and auction and members were actively looking for items they could auction off on April 5. Profits from the dinner, said co- chair Doug McArter, would be going to benefit Jesse’s Journey – Foundation for Gene and Cell Therapy as well as some community betterment for Brussels. In previous years, the dinner had raised nearly $70,000 for various charities. Potential exemptions to the smoking bylaw that was to be enacted in Huron County were a hot topic at Huron County Council, with a packed house debating the subject in Goderich on Feb. 18. One notable exemption that was being sought was at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich where Dr. Patrick Conlon, chief of psychiatry, was asking for an exemption to the bylaw for the psychiatric floor. Another exemption being sought was by Archie MacGowan of Braemar Retirement Home. “It is inappropriate and demeaning for the county to ask residents to go outside in sub-zero temperatures, risking their safety and health,” MacGowan said. Members of the Royal Canadian Legion asked for an exemption from the bylaw as well, with Zone C-1 commander Robert Gray saying he wasn’t for or against the bylaw, just that Legion members wanted the freedom of choice in the matter. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright A delicate balance The recent debate at North Huron Council over policing, illustrates again the difficulty of how to allow parts of a far-flung municipality to retain their uniqueness within the governance of a larger area. Wingham Ward Councillor Bernie Bailey objected to the fact that the Wingham Police Service affects only the Wingham Ward, yet the whole council gets to vote on police issues. “We make decisions here for the Wingham Police Board, and five of the seven people voting aren’t affected by the decision,” he said. Bailey’s proposed solution was to extend the jurisdiction of Wingham police to cover all of North Huron. When others pointed out that to give all of North Huron the same level of service as Wingham would drive up policing costs enormously, Bailey suggested areas outside of Wingham wouldn’t need the same level of service. But others pointed out that even providing the level of service the OPP currently provides to East Wawanosh and Blyth Wards would cost more than ratepayers of those areas now pay for OPP coverage. They’d be paying more so the municipality could have one policing solution. If Wingham ratepayers want to pay more to have their own police service, that should be their right. It’s also to be hoped that councillors from outside of Wingham wouldn’t make decisions that are detrimental to that desire. On the other hand, for the sake of having one “united” municipality, ratepayers in other wards shouldn’t have to pay to support that system. A decade after the province strong-armed municipalities into amal- gamation, people are still struggling to figure out what it means. Some municipal politicians see the new municipalities as larger versions of the town, village and township councils we used to have. They see the ward system as a problem. Some ratepayers do too, asking why they shouldn’t be able to vote for all councillors, not just those from their ward. But wherever municipalities cover large areas, the ward system has guaranteed some sort of protection for the uniqueness of all parts of the municipality. Toronto and London, for instance, use a ward system. On a provincial and federal level, the riding system is the equivalent of a ward system, ensuring that all of our Members of Parliament don’t come from the largest cities in the country. So the problem of these extended municipalities remains: how do you protect the special needs and interests of one part of a municipality within a larger municipality. — KR One right trumps another What do you do when the rights of one group to do what it wants, obliterates the rights of others to do something differently? Last week our federal parliament decided the rights of the minority don’t matter. Led by Conservatives and Liberals, parliament voted down the NDP- sponsored Bill C-474, which would have required that an examination of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically-engineered (GE) seed were permitted. The bill was intended to protect the markets for organic producers from the unintended consequences of the introduction of genetically-altered foodstuffs. It’s easy to argue that the majority of farmers (not to mention the huge businesses that create and sell genetically-altered seeds and, in future, animals) shouldn’t be prevented from using the latest technology. On the other hand, the market for organic canola was wiped out because pollen from GE canola invaded organic fields, making them ineligible for organic certification. (What’s more, in the Percy Schmeiser case, the Supreme Court decided the problem is not with the invading pollen but with the person who owned the field invaded.) Even some markets for honey closed because bees collected pollen GE canola. This issue is similar to the two rights of smokers and non-smokers. After much debate we finally agreed that the rights of people to smoke should not trump the rights of others to breathe fresh air. Surely the rights of people to use GE seeds should not be allowed to put organic producers out of business. — 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.