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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-12-11, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008.Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie GroppAdvertising, 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 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website 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 $34.00/year ($32.38 + $1.62 G.S.T.) in Canada; $105.00/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 PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet.com Letter to the editor -Dec. 11, 1940 Santa was arriving in Brussels by airplane and would meet the local band at the library before heading to the town hall. There he was to distribute gifts to the children. Dr. C.A. Myers left Brussels to join the medical crops of the CASF. Dr. Myers had been in practice in Brussels for about a year and a half. Dr. T.T. McRae assumed his practice. It was with great regret that the members of the Red Cross workroom learned that their president, Miss E. Downing had the “misfortune” to fracture her left arm while “about her household tasks.” Christmas tree and entertainment was being held at Ebenezer Church Browntown, featuring a play entitled A Pampered Darling. At the Regent Theatre, Seaforth, The Grapes of Wrath, starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwin was the feature. Canadian National’s ad in The Brussels Post tempted people to take a trip out west, where “golf is played all year round.” The Cunningham comet was speeding towards the planet at a rate of 780 miles a minute. It was sighted through telescopes and was expected to be visible to the naked eye in December. Suitcases were on sale at N. Chapman’s Harness Shop, starting at $1.50. Awaiting call for service were H. Gibson, A. Henderson, D.X. Warwick and W. Fischer. The paper printed a letter from Cop. Cecil Bateman in Collins Bay, thanking the Ethel Branch of the Red Cross Society for the gift he had received. An inside set of lights was selling for 45 cents at Zilliax Hardware. Replacement bulbs were two for five cents. Dec. 12, 1962 William Riehl was elected president of the Blyth Legion. First vice-president was Harry Gibbons, while second vice-president was Stanley Ball. Other officers were: secretary, Clare Vincent; treasurer, Stanley Lyon; Sgt. at Arms, Thomas Thompson; chaplain, Rev. Robert Meally. A fire completely destroyed a brick farmhouse on the 13th concession of Hullett Twp. The man of the house was working in the barn and didn’t learn of the fire until he was informed by neighbours. The house and contents were a total lost. The news report said the fire department’s efforts were thwarted by heavy snowdrifts in the laneway and a lack of water. “This is just one of many times when an auxiliary tank truck located in Blyth would have been at terrific benefit. It is very disheartening to all concerned to see the flames just beginning to die down when the 500-gallon water supply on the truck is exhausted.” Blyth’s postmaster had orders from postal authorities to carefully check Christmas cards sent for two cents and containing written messages. All that was allowed on any card was five words of greeting plus the senders’ signatures. Any cards containing more would be fowarded to the address but would arrive as first class mail with postage of six cents due. Two trustees, Jim Coultes and Eldon Cook, had qualified to fill the East Wawanosh School Board. Dec. 9, 1981 Marie Button was the first customer to lay down cash to take a chunk out of Harold Ferguson’s beard. The cause was the Blyth Lions Christmas charity fund. Thirteen clubs were represented at the 4-H achievement night. Girls completing six clubs were: Lori Charter, Lisa MacDonald, Lynn MacDonald, Janny Greidanus, Christine Stapleton, Nellie Roest, Tracy Gregg, Jennifer Fuller, Margaret McWhinney, Glenyce McClinchey, Margaret Vanderlinde, Margaret Shoemaker and Lisa Dougherty. Sharon Altman and Susan Pollock received advance honours for completing 18 clubs. Santa was coming to Blyth, courtesy of the Blyth Lions Club and the Board of Trade. Dec. 11, 1991 Blyth councillor John Elliott suggest a tax freeze for 1991 saying he wouldn’t hesitate to send a resolution to other municipalites, the county and the board of education recommending they do the same. OPP officers were investigating a break-in at McGavin’s in Walton and one at the Blyth Legion. The former netted the thieves a small amount of coin while alcohol and cigarettes were taken from the latter. The Booster Bus that carried Brussels fans to sporting activities was perhaps going to roll again if a plan by the local Lions Club was to proceed. The bus had been off the road for more than a year since a hearing by the Ministry of Transportation decided it was a commercial operation. Lions members appeared before council to say they would like to take over running the bus if council and other clubs would help. Kids snow boots were selling at Rice’s Store for $15 and $20. Ladies’ one-piece snowsuits were selling for $50 while coveralls were on sale for $25. Following a secret ballot, B. Murray was declared chair of the separate school board. THE EDITOR, Canada had two years of minority government in which Stephen Harper bullied the opposition with 43 “confidence” motions which he won. It is ironic that the first time the bully is confronted with a “confidence” motion when the opposition has calmly told him “we won’t be bullied anymore” he turns tail and runs clinging to power with nasty and divisive attacks. We live in a parliamentary democracy. Canadians did not elect the Tories to govern. We elected Members of Parliament. The majority determines what laws pass and who will form the government. A coalition will actually be more reflective of the majority of Canadian voters than a Conservative minority that doesn't understand how minority government works. Canadians did choose the folks who make up the coalition as well as the Conservative members. Their responsibility is to figure out what a majority of those MPs elected by “the people of Canada” can support in the House of Commons. The Conservatives are either unable or unwilling to deal with our economic problems. They would rather play partisan games, roll-back wage increases in agreements negotiated in good faith and violate human rights such as the right to equal pay for work of equal value. They’re prepared to reduce equalization payments and sell off government assets. How will this improve our economic prospects? In the recent election, over 60 per cent of voters chose to support other parties. There is a responsible alternative to the lack of leadership shown by the Harper Conservatives and it’s not another $300 million election. A coalition government would be the most democratic and fiscally- responsible way to make this Parliament work for Canadians. And the three opposition parties in the House of Commons have now signed an accord to work as a coalition government in the interests of Canadians. This economic crisis is too urgent and important to ignore. If Harper cared about democracy and Canada he would have taken the consequences of his bullying, accepted the Dec. 8 confidence vote results and stepped aside to let a coalition that does have the confidence of the house and the support of substantially more voters govern. Instead he prolongs the crisis hoping to cling to power. What a tragedy for parliamentary democracy and for Canadians. Your sincerely, Tony McQuail. 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 No ‘right’ way Many people like to see things in terms of black and white, but the recent debate over the number of teenagers who could be in a car at once illustrates how complicated issues can be. Safety advocates have criticized the provincial government for backing away from a proposed law that would have limited drivers in the first year of their G2 licence to no more than one passenger 19 or younger, except for family members. They argue young drivers can be easily distracted if they have too many young passengers. Young people rebelled against the proposal with 150,000 joining a Facebook page to voice their outrage. Particularly upset were rural teenagers who are dependent on cars since they have no public transport- ation. They argued that they needed to carpool for school and sports. The government finally sided with the young people. The first time there’s an accident that kills a carload of teenagers, however, the safety advocates will have their ammunition to beat up the government. — KR Let cooler heads prevail The likely selection of Michael Ignatieff as Liberal leader, plus six weeks of cooling off with the prorogation of Parliament, hopefully will allow cooler heads to prevail and prevent the recent parliamentary crisis from continuing when sitting resumes Jan. 26. Ignatieff has carefully distanced himself from the coalition with the NDP, supported by the Bloc Quebecois, that polls have shown is unpopular with Canadian voters. He has hinted a partnership with the NDP is not in his party’s best interests. If he becomes leader, he may draw back from the brink and not commit to defeating Stephen Harper’s Conservative government as the coalition has done. The ball will then be in Harper’s court. Has he read the polls that suggested he’d have won a majority government if an election was held at the height of the crisis or has he listened closely and heard how furious even many of his supporters are with him for provoking the crisis. One sign may be the Conservative reaction if Ignatieff is chosen Liberal leader. Will the attack ads come out immediately as they did in the days after Stéphane Dion was named Liberal leader in 2006? Leaving aside the partisans on both sides of the crisis, Canadians have clearly shown they want their politicians to work in the best interest of the country, not their party, in this time of economic distress. Having given the Conservatives a minority, they think Harper should be allowed to govern, but that, as a minority, he should seek co-operation with the opposition, as he said he would do in the days following the election. One senses that Canadian voters are ready to punish those politicians they see as not behaving in the best interests of the country. Politicians of all stripes should listen and learn before it’s too late. — KR &