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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-05-19, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 19, 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 May 15, 1974 Morris Township Council agreed to pay $400 to the Blyth recreation program after Blyth’s John Elliott visited council to discuss the program. The grant was to be allocated for recreation purposes, but was to apply only if the Blyth Lions swimming pool was approved to be built. Morris Council also approved a second grant to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Medical Centre in the amount of $150. The Huron-Perth Roman Catholic Separate School Board turned down a proposal that would have the board’s meetings alternate locations between Huron and Perth Counties. The meetings would have circulated throughout the board’s 19 schools, but the vote was lost by a count of 11 votes against the proposal and just two votes for it. The township mill rate in Hullett Township was set to be reduced by 0.8 mills. This decrease was due largely to the reduction in the mill rate at the Huron County level and a modest increase at the township and education levels. East Wawanosh Township Council had begun the process of investigating forming its own recreation committee. The proposal was being considered because the township would have to have its own recreation committee in order to receive provincial grants for recreation expenses. The Blyth Bantam hockey team had a successful season run ending at the All-Ontario tournament where the team finally bowed out to Oakwood in the tournament’s Bantam E final. The Auburn Women’s Institute held its annual banquet at Snell’s Restaurant in Westfield. May 14, 1986 Evalena Webster was named the Citizen of the Year for Blyth and area thanks to her community service and how active she had been in the community over the years. Webster founded the Blyth Swinging Seniors group and she helped obtain a grant for the roof at Blyth’s Memorial Hall, among other things. A disputed motion returned to the Brussels Village Council table dealing with the new wading pool that was to be built by the Brussels Lions Club. The motion was first read and passed at a Committee of the Whole meeting where members of the public were not allowed to be in attendance. The second time, the motion was read in open session in front of members of the public. It was, however, repassed, despite the controversy. The Brussels Lions Club was in the midst of celebrating its 40th anniversary. Bill Turnbull was chair of the meeting where over 200 people were in attendance to help the club mark this 40-year milestone. Taxpayers in West Wawanosh Township were facing a three per cent tax increase as a result of the budget that was adopted at the May 6 meeting of council. This, however, was a modest increase compared to the increase approved in Brussels of 6.2 per cent. The Brussels budget, however, included only a nearly-three per cent increase at the municipal level, but rising tax rates in the other sectors helped to drive the rate up even further. Kathleen Carter was named the new reporter/photographer for The Citizen throughout the summer of 1986. Carter had graduated from the Journalism program at St. Clair College in Windsor and was a Goderich native. June 4, 2003 Local feedlot farmers were beginning to struggle to the fallout of the BSE crisis in Alberta. Atwood Pet Foods, the largest deadstock collector in the province at the time was forced to close its doors on May 27. Owner Dave Smith said that after working for a week to try and keep business up, he had no choice, saying that between 60 and 70 per cent of his business was gone “just like that”. President of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture Neil Vincent agreed that the feedlot and deadstock industries were facing serious trouble. Turn off the Screens Week was a success once again with over 1,000 school-aged children participating in a program that encouraged them to turn off their televisions and enjoy some physical activity in the outdoors. The program was supported locally by the Huron County Health Unit and Take Heart Huron, also awarding several prizes throughout Huron County. The Grand Bend Motorplex announced a new six-year deal ensuring that its drag racing series would remain in the area until 2009. The welcome sign at the north entrance of Blyth was severely damaged as a result of vandalism over the Victoria Day long weekend. The damage was discovered Sunday night and it was estimated to be over $1,000 of damage. Blyth village worker Bill Bromley said that it looked as if the sign was used as a “soccer backstop” by the vandals. 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 Sometimes democracy hurts With Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT) hoping to draw more than 600 people to a protest rally in Seaforth, May 26, attention will be refocussed on the Green Energy Act (GEA). The group is hoping to put a stop to the approval for 15 turbines to be erected in the St. Columban area. Meanwhile, there is also a group in Central Huron trying to beat back a proposal for a wind farm development north and west of Clinton. The concern of these groups, and of many municipal leaders who want to do what their constituents are asking for, is that the GEA takes away the right of local municipalities to have any control over approval or location of industrial wind farms. While some municipalities that were on the leading edge of the wind farm movement had asked for some guidance from the province about things like proper setbacks from neighbouring residences, few councils wanted to lose control competely over wind developments. It was convenient for the province’s ambitious program of creating green energy – not to mention for wind farm developers – for the province to remove approval from local municipalities. For developers it meant there wasn’t a tangle of bureaucratic regulations, different in each municipality, to wade through to get approval. There wasn’t an opportunity for a municipality, pushed by angry residents, to set up rules that would effectively block any wind development at all. Ironically, a precedent for the province taking power away from municipalities comes from rural Ontario itself. Several years ago during the boom in expansion of the hog industry, some municipalities, pushed by angry neighbours, designed zoning restrictions to make it virtually impossible for hog barns to be built. The livestock industry asked the province to bring in standard regulations and prevent municipalities from rigging the rules against livestock farmers. There is no doubt that the GEA is anti-democratic at the local level, but at the provincial level probably the majority of people (all safely distanced from such developments) don’t have a problem with the provisions. In this case, many local people resent circumventing local democracy by pushing decision-making up to the provincial level. In the case of hog farmers, the province was a protection against local democracy being taken over by complaining groups. Whatever set of rules you want to play by, there are times when democracy is going to hurt, as well as times when it’s the answer. — KR They all have good points Community newspaper publishers had a rare opportunity last week at their annual convention in Niagara Falls when the leaders of four parties contesting this fall’s provincial election, made brief presentations and answered questions. Each, in his or her own way, was impressive. Premier Dalton McGuinty had probably the toughest task, having to deal with the reality of eight years of governing instead of dangling the dreams of what could be. Despite tough questions, as usual he came cross as reasonable and self-effacing. Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak, who seems likely to benefit the most from any disaffection with McGuinty and the Liberals, was the tough guy. He promised to get rid of Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) which he accused of costing millions in bureaucracy while front-line nurses are laid off because there’s not enough money. NDP leader Andrea Horvath had settled down a lot since her last appearance at one of these sessions. She made sense when she noted that across-the-board corporate tax cuts aren’t getting companies to invest in improving productivity and promised targeted tax credits to encourage investment in training and equipment. Even Brad Harness, leader of the Reform Party of Ontario had his points with his call for more power to individual MPPs. It made one wish politics was a smorgasbord table from which you could take from each party what you liked and leave the rest.— 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.