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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-10-09, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008.EditorialsOpinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie GroppAdvertising, Ken Warwick & Lori Patterson The CitizenP.O. Box 429,BLYTH, Ont.N0M 1H0Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152,BRUSSELS, Ont.N0G 1H0Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.comWebsite www.northhuron.on.ca Looking Back Through the Years 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 $32.00/year ($30.48 + $1.52 G.S.T.) in Canada;$101.00/year in U.S.A.and $175/year in other foreign countries.Advertising is accepted on thecondition that in the event of a typographical error,only that portion of the advertisement will becredited.Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth.PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com Letter to the editor Oct. 10, 1962 For the first time since 1943, voters in Huron-Bruce favoured the Liberal party in a provincial election. Liberal candidate Murray Gaunt, the 27-year-old from Wingham, beat out George McCutcheon of Brussels by a 719- vote majority. Gaunt would be taking the place of Progressive Conservative John W. Hanna, who had retained the Huron-Bruce riding for 19 years. The election also saw 84 per cent of the voters in the riding turn out to the polls, an excellent showing for Huron-Bruce compared to previous years. Boxer Sonny Liston was named heavyweight champion of 1962 at a match held in Chicago. Liston gained the title after knocking out opponent Floyd Patterson two minutes and six seconds into the first round. Seats had been lined up in the central nave of St. Peter’s Basilica in preparation for the arrival of delegates to the Second Vatican Council. It was announced to the public that the Basilica would be temporarily closed, and many speculated that the reason for the closure was not only to give workmen enough time to complete arrangements for the Council, but also because of recent bomb attempts on the building. In Houston, Texas, picket lines were set up demonstrating against the loading of surplus U.S. flour aboard a Yugoslavian freighter which had carried Russian grain to Cuba. The picket line also included several Cuban refugees outraged with the actions of the U.S. Longshoremen honoured the message of the picket lines and refused to load the flour. Oct. 13, 1976 The Van Egmond Foundation was preparing to host its annual Ciderfest on the grounds of the historic Van Egmond House in Egmondville. In addition to hot cider and food, there would also be demonstrations of pioneer crafts as well as a flea market. The Van Egmond House was built around 1850 by Constant Van Egmond, son of Colonel Anthony Can Egmond, who led William Lyon Mackenzie’s forces into the Rebellion of 1837. Ralph Hoba, graduating student of Central Huron Secondary School, was the top award winner at his commencement ceremony. Hoba was presented with, among others, the W. D. Fair scholarship in general proficiency and subject proficiency, an Ontario scholarship, and the E. A. Fines Award for mathematics. Construction had begun on the brand new Blyth and District Arena and Community Centre. Workmen had been busy completing the lobby and dressing room facilities at the west end of the building, as well as building the seating which would be along the north side of the ice surface. Oct. 7, 1981 The Brussels Legion hosted a reunion of the First World War veterans of Zone C-1. Special guest Jack McLaren, one of the original Dumbbells who provided entertainment during the First World War and also appeared on Broadway, honoured the attendees with a performance after having retired from singing many years prior. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Maitland Conservation Authority, a dinner was held with 200 guests in attendance, at the Blyth Community Centre. Among guests and speakers attending were: Dave Gower, chairman of the MVCA; Tom Cronin, reeve of Blyth; Murray Cardiff, MP; John Stephens, chairman of the Upper Thames River Authority and chairman of the Chairmen’s Committee of Authorities of Ontario; and Russell Powell, executive director of the same committee. Oct 11, 1995 Wingham Ontario Provincial Police were investigating a number of mischief and disturbance complaints in Brussels where a homemade explosive device, known as a ‘Drano’ bottle bomb, had been used. A number of charges had already been laid, but the investigation still continued with more charges pending. The main ingredient of the bombs was the product ‘Drano’, and in turn, the active ingredient of that substance was hydrochloric acid. Area business owners were told to be cautious of the sale of Drano to anyone appearing to have no legitimate use for buying it. Parents were also advised to warn children about touching any of these devices if found, as there appeared to be a delay in their activation. When mixed properly, these devices were known to cause serious injury. The increased activity of the deer population in many parts of Ontario was posing great risk to drivers, especially in the autumn months. Drivers were warned to be extra cautious when driving in forested areas, and be ready to stop quickly in the event of a deer on the road. Playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich was Keanu Reeves in A Walk in the Clouds. Also playing was the Walt Disney picture Operation Dumbo Drop. THE EDITOR: With less than two weeks left to go in the federal campaign, the pressure is on for all candidates to convince us of which person to vote for. We admit, the national campaign is not our priority. We believe like many do, that our choice is based on our local candidate. After all, he is the one who will take our views to Ottawa, and will fight for our local concerns. Here in Huron-Bruce, six men are vying for this job. And no doubt, our choice is clear. Only one candidate has been visible for the past two years and has been involved in community support for over 15 years. The most disconcerting to us is the absence in campaigning of the Conservative candidate. Where has he been? While relaying to our electorate that we need to support his party, we are still left wondering what he stands for. But let’s get down to brass tacks. What is each one promising to do? We have not seen anything substantive as to what would each candidate do on a local platform, except the Liberal candidate. We have not seen any real policies relevant to our community on the candidate’s websites except for the Liberal one. When push comes to shove, who will be listening to us and our community? Without hesitation, our choice is clear. We will be voting for the candidate that has been listening to us from even before the campaign. We will be voting for Greg McClinchey. Geordie & Olga Palmer Bayfield We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Changing the rules Ordinary citizens, both locally and on an international level, have learned in the last week that the guys who own the puck (or football or baseball) get to set the rules. Whether it’s the local shock of the closing of the Volvo plant in Goderich with a loss of 500 jobs, or the international financial disaster, the ordinary Joe or Jane can only make the best of a crisis that is foisted on them by others. Locally, the Volvo announcement is particularly frustrating. Proponents of globalism say it’s important to use creativity to become the best in the world if you want to thrive in a competitive world. As Champion Road Machinery, the Goderich company did just that for generations, becoming the number-two road grader manufacturer in the world through innovation and hard work. It was this reputation that Volvo sought 11 years ago when it bought the company, saying it would make Champion a key component of its global growth strategy. Instead, it has in effect cannibalized the company, taking the superior product created by the engineers and workers in Goderich to its opera- tions in the U.S. and leaving empty buildings and unemployed workers. The blow to the local economy is devastating, given that these were well-paid jobs. Some will argue the very fact these workers were so well paid made them vulnerable to losing their jobs in a global economy. Yet free trade advocates have said the only way to keep well-paid jobs is to have a top-rate product and skilled workers. So much for that argument. Meanwhile, south of the border, a massive $700 billion bailout of financial firms that made foolhardy investments in risky mortgages, shows that if you’re big enough, somebody else will pay for your mistakes. Free-market advocates who claim that the market is wiser than governments have been only too happy to turn to government to save their bacon — with the taxpayer picking up the tab. It’s hard to play by the rules set by the big guys when they keep changing them every time you get close to scoring. — KR We’re not voting for emperor From the beginning, the federal election campaign has been more “presidential” than the U.S. presidential campaign to the south. Typically, the U.S. election is all about the presidential candidates. Whoever wins gets to go out and hand pick the people who will form the cabinet. But this year, the meteoric rise of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, which momentarily lifted the campaign of presidential hopeful John McCain, put the emphasis on the Republican team, not the individual. Here in Canada, however, from the beginning the federal election campaign has been about “leadership”. Stephen Harper argues his opponent, Stéphane Dion, isn’t up to being a leader, while Jack Layton portrays himself as a “strong” alternative to the “weak” Dion. The media and voters looking to simplify their choice, like personality campaigns. The problem is that much of what is wrong with our parliamentary system these days is that too much power has migrated to the prime minister’s office (or premier’s office in the provinces). We elect hundreds of MPs, but the only one who counts is the prime minister, who surrounds himself with unelected advisors who make decisions. In a parliamentary democracy, we’re not supposed to be electing an all-powerful emperor. but leader of a team. — KR &