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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-09-01, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 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 August 27, 1975 Murray Gaunt ran unopposed for the Huron-Bruce Liberal seat for the upcoming provincial election. Gaunt won the riding by a majority of 8,600 votes in the 1971 election, received a standing ovation from his over 250 supporters at the nomination meeting, which was held at the Wingham Town Hall. Gaunt said the previous four years had been the busiest in his political career since first winning the seat in a by-election in 1962. A 22-year-old Goderich man was killed when the Maitland River swelled in Auburn. The man’s canoe was overturned by the flood conditions. The flooding was caused by major rain storms over the previous weekend with estimates pegging the rainfall between one and a half inches in some places to over five inches of rainfall in others. Two plans to restructure Huron County Council were being held secret by two councillors and were going to be revealed at a special council meeting on Aug. 28. The restructuring plan would reduce the amount of councillors at the Huron County Council table from 26 down to eight or 12 representatives for the entire county. The meetings that were scheduled to be held to discuss the potential restructuring were to be closed to the public. William Walden of Wingham was named the Provincial candidate for the Progressive Conservative party of Huron-Bruce in the upcoming election. Walden won the nomination uncontested when the only other candidate, Dr. Gary Gurbin of Kincardine eventually declined to let his named stand for the nomination. A county-wide housing authority was accepted by 50 elected representatives and municipal clerks at a special meeting held in Goderich. August 27, 1986 What was being called the “Brussels Boom” continued as another new store opened in the village. Some Thing Special opened earlier in the month between Oldfield Pro Hardware and George’s on Turnberry Street. The store was opened by Wilma Rathwell and Nella Blake. It was the only full-line women’s clothing store in the village. Yolanda Van Bork of Toronto was killed on Aug. 22 in a freak accident when the 1986 Toyota she was driving collided with two horses in the westbound lane of County Road 25 near Blyth. In addition to Van Bork’s death, both horses were also killed, one of which was pregnant. The horse gave birth to a foal that died at the scene of the collision as well. Police found and destroyed a marijuana crop in a field near Wroxeter that carried with it a street value of over $2 million. The crop was found by police to be growing near a vacant barn hidden from a concession by a large stand of corn. The annual Brussels, Morris and Grey swim meet was held with the Brussels team taking on a team from Wingham. Rain brought an early end to the meet that saw Wingham defeat Brussels by a one point margin. Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, was being screened at the Mustang Drive-In theatre in Goderich. Don Hainesrink of Clinton was awarded the Carter Trophy, winning the annual tournament held by the Brussels Lawn Bowling Club on Aug. 21 Two Wroxeter residents were at Howick Township Council voicing their concerns with how the police village was being portrayed and its image in the public. September 2, 2004 Edgar Daer would replace departed Blyth Ward Councillor Ralph DeVries after being voted to the position through a by-election held in the village. Daer had recently moved into Blyth from East Wawanosh earlier in the year. Fifteen months after the BSE crisis first struck area beef producers were in the midst of mourning an industry. “This is the most serious thing I’ve seen in agriculture in 77 years,” said Brussels area farmer Ross Procter. Rev. Eugen Bannerman of the Blyth United Church recently launched his new book, Street Names of Blyth, which gave a brief history and some short stories on every street in the village. Jim and Leona Armstrong of Brussels celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the family farm just outside of Brussels. A third bird had tested positive for West Nile virus in Huron County, said the Huron County Health Unit, which found a blue jay in Clinton who tested positive for the virus. To date, however, no mosquitoes had been found with the virus. An outdoor theatre workshop on The Passion of Blyth was presented for young people hoping to pursue a career in the theatre industry. The workshop featured director Kelly McIntosh and well-known Blyth resident Brock Vodden. School-by-school results from provincial standardized testing would soon be made available through the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board. 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 Showing rural generosity Eleven days after the F3 tornado cut a swath of destruction through Goderich and nearby Benmiller, the full, ongoing extent of the cost is still being assessed. On top of the tremendous damage to properties caused by that 12- second blast of energy can be added the ongoing toll of lost income for businesses and lost wages for employees. One of the area’s largest employers, Sifto Salt, had to lay off 485 workers – many of whom live elsewhere in the county – until repairs could be made to make its mine and evaporator plant safe. Dozens of businesses are too damaged for occupation or in an area closed off by authorities for safety concerns. The task at hand is so big it can be overwhelming for many of those affected, despite the swift pledge by the provincial government of $5 million in aid. Unfortunately, while a whole country is mobilized to help in large-scale disasters like the earthquake in Haiti, it’s hard to rally private financial support nationally for emergencies that only affect a single town in an area of the country that isn’t top of mind for the national media. So it will be up to those of us in this area to help Goderich residents tackle the overwhelming task that confronts them. Already there have been many who have volunteered their time to help with the clean up. Others donated supplies for those hardest hit. And the financial generosity of people in the region is starting to be shown. Workers, unions and Bruce Power itself have pledged $180,000 to help Goderich. A former Seaforth resident who now runs a charitable foundation in Switzerland, has promised $100,000 to help rebuild. For those who have wanted to help but didn’t know how, opportunities are now available. Cheques can be mailed to the Disaster Relief Fund, Goderich Town Hall, 57 West St. , Goderich N7A 2K5 along with your contact information. The United Way of Perth-Huron has also set up a fund. You can go on line at www.unitedwayperth.on.ca or contact co- ordinators at 1-877-818-8867. Blyth Lions are also collecting funds. Contact John Stewart at 519-523-4528. People in rural communities have a proud history of pulling together to help each other out after tragedies. Let’s carry that tradition on by helping victims of this tornado put their lives back together. — KR Biting the bullet The results of a referendum on the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in British Columbia were announced last week and voters rejected the tax. There is no referendum in Ontario but we may find out in October’s provincial election if the Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty will pay a price for introducing the HST here. Certainly both Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak and NDP leader Andrea Horwath have tried to harness discontent, but significantly neither has promised to scrap the tax, just to take it off some goods and services that people find irritating like home heating costs. Writing in The Globe and Mail last week, Roger Martin, chairman of the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity and James Milway, the institute’s executive director, said the tax may have been received better in Ontario than B.C. because here it was part of a comprehensive reform package that included personal income tax cuts and transitional payments. Now that B.C. has rejected the tax and has to go back to its old provincial sales tax, it may suffer from being less competitive than Ontario, they argue. Longer term, B.C. might be more damaged if the pattern established by this referendum becomes a part of the province’s future. While it seems democratic, a requirement that taxes be approved by the public has proved destructive in the U.S. There, some states have passed voter- instigated legislation that states cannot run a deficit, but then voters veto any tax increases in referenda. This has led to cuts in service and massive layoffs which have made U.S. jobless numbers even worse. Nobody likes taxes. How many people would willingly vote to approve a tax? Yet we have to pay our bills, whether personal or as a society. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pay up. — 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.