HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-08-11, Page 1CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, August 11, 2011
Volume 27 No. 31
FESTIVAL - Pg. 22 ‘Rope’s End’ and ‘EarlyAugust’ open in Blyth LANDFILL - Pg. 24Big changes coming toEast Wawanosh landfillSPORTS- Pg. 8Blyth U16 Boys win year-end tournament in GoderichPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
Robertson to seek Huron-
Bruce NDP seat this fall
Four compete for
Ambassador crown
Fancy Fords and Cruisin’ Chevs
Both Blyth and Brussels were home to some fantastic cars this week as the Normoska Auto
Show, held at the Blyth Campgrounds, took place. On Monday, August 8 the cars made their
way to Brussels where they visited local landmarks and enjoyed a meal made by the Brussels
Optimists. (Denny Scott photo)
Grant Robertson is stepping back
into electoral politics and he has his
eyes firmly set on the defeat of the
Dalton McGuinty government.
“After a great deal of consultation,
a lot of requests by people from all
over the riding to step forward and a
little bit of soul-searching with my
family, I have decided to seek the
Huron-Bruce NDP Provincial
nomination, with the intent of
helping to defeat the current
government,” said Robertson.
“The McGuinty government has
shown it is out of touch, arrogant
and a spent force in rural Ontario.
But just replacing it with an out-of-
touch, regressive Hudak govern-
ment is not the answer. Andrea
Horwath and the NDP understand
the issues of working families and is
pushing hard to give families a break
by doing things like taking the HST
off gas and home heating. The
Ontario NDP Plan for Affordable
Change is about change that puts
people first.”
Robertson finished a strong
second in this past spring’s Federal
election. The NDP result in Huron-
Bruce was within the top third of all
NDP results in the province.
“Our federal campaign was one
that made a lot of people sit up and
take notice. We refused to mud-sling
like some other parties, and we
remained focused on a positive
campaign about ideas and issues.
We’ve already seen McGuinty and
Hudak begin to throw dirt at one
another. But that is not my way – my
way is about fighting for the people
of Huron-Bruce, not trying to find
the best insult to hurl at other
candidates,” said Robertson.
Robertson brings a wealth of
experience on issues that matter to
people in Huron-Bruce. He has
served on the National Board of the
National Farmers Union and was the
top elected official for that
organization in Ontario. He has
worked with other parties, all levels
of governments, industry and
citizens in those roles. On a recent
visit to Owen Sound, retiring MPP
Peter Kormos acknowledged
Robertson’s presence in the
audience with some kind words,
including calling him “a fearless
leader on energy issues.”
“One of the things that motivated
me to run in this election is what the
McGuinty government is doing to
the town of Walkerton,” said
Robertson. “Walkerton is getting
back on its feet after the pounding
that community took in May 2000.
Yet the McGuinty government is
pulling the rug out from underneath
the town – by removing 50 jobs at
the Walkerton jail and shipping
those jobs elsewhere. That three
million dollars per year in lost
payroll will have devastating effects.
And I’ve got news for you – if the
Liberals will do that to Walkerton
after all it’s been through, then you
know your community, and rural
Ontario in general, just don’t matter
to Dalton McGuinty.”
Another issue of concern for
Robertson is education funding.
“The McGuinty government has
kept in place all the major elements
of Mike Harris’s education funding
formula. This cookie-cutter
approach may work for Toronto, but
it is undermining the education of
our rural children and
grandchildren, leaving our school
boards without adequate resources
to keep community schools open,”
he said. “When parents have to see
their kids bused all over creation,
and their local schools closed
because of a funding formula that
can’t provide resources for a high
school to have a gym. Or when our
boards have no money to maintain
and repair aging schools, something
is very wrong. It is time that small
town schools stop being short-
changed and that will be one of my
personal priorities.”
Robertson is now looking forward
to a nomination meeting later this
month.
Four of the brightest young people
Brussels has to offer will be vying
for the title of Ambassador Saturday
night at the Brussels Legion.
The Legion will open to the public
at 7 p.m. on Saturday with the
competition beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Admission is by donation. All are
welcome and following the
crowning, refreshments and a social
time will follow.
The four contestants this year are
Colleen Egger, Natalie White,
Hannah McCutcheon and Matt
Cardiff.
Colleen Egger is the 17-year-old
daughter of Fritz Egger and Betty
Anderson. Colleen lives at RR 2,
Bluevale and will be returning to
Listowel District Secondary School
in the fall for her Grade 12 year. She
enjoys playing rugby at school and
in her spare time she enjoys farming,
gardening, fishing and hanging out
with friends. She currently works at
Food Basics in Listowel and plans to
attend college to study Police
Foundations or Human Social
Services.
Colleen is sponsored by the
Huronlea Auxiliary.
Natalie White lives in Brussels
with her parents Randy and Donna
White. She is 18 years old and will
be returning to F.E. Madill
Secondary School to complete her
fifth year. At Madill, Natalie loves
to play volleyball and rugby. She
currently works at Brussels
Foodland and in her spare time
enjoys swimming, soccer, beach
volleyball, reading and spending
time with her niece.
She plans on pursuing a career in
Business Management at Ryerson
University after graduating high
school.
Natalie is sponsored by the
Brussels Legion Branch 218.
Hannah McCutcheon lives at RR
2, Brussels with her parents Gary
and Jane McCutcheon. The 17-year-
old is returning to St. Anne’s
Catholic Secondary School to
complete her Grade 12 year. At
school Hannah is involved with the
student cabinet, and plays field
hockey, volleyball, badminton and
soccer. She is planning on attending
university to study Kinesiology or
another medical field. In her spare
time she helps on the family farm,
and enjoys playing hockey, soccer,
swimming, biking and running.
Hannah is sponsored by the
Brussels Majestic Women’s
Institute.
Matt Cardiff is the 18-year-old son
Colleen Egger
Matt CardiffHannah McCutcheon
Natalie White
Continued on page 22