HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-11-15, Page 2Boo!
Behind the Scenes
by Keith Roulston
United in remembrance
IltRUP( LS
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 187$
Serving orussels. and the surrounding community,
Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels,. Ontario.
by McLean Bros.Publishers Limited
Evelyn Kennedy • Editor Pat Lang - Advertising
Member Canadian. Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Associa tion
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $.9.00 a Year,
Others $17.00 a Year. Single Copies 20 cents each,
:/•r‘,74.•‘
Brussels Post
We wanted a change
The people of Brussels obviously had something to say when they
went to the polls on Monday. Betty Graber's victory has shown not only
that the resident's of Brussels would like some new blood on council but
that they're ready for the woman's viewpoint to the included in what
goes on in the village.
They have also elected another new councilor--Gordon Workman and
retained some former councillors as well. Obviously they're hoping to
benefit from the experience of the councillors that they re-elected and
from the new ideas of the new councillors.
Brussels residents were not apathetic to the situation in the village as
the 75 per cent voter turnout showed.
The election has given the people of Brussels a chance to say who they
want running village affairs and has also given the village some new
people who can bring in new ideas.
Now it's up to the new Brussels council, both those with past council
experience and the new members to show the people of Brussels that
their faith was well-founded by doing the best they possibly can for all of
US.
Open earlier
It's debatable whether moving Ontario's municipal election day
ahead a month gave voters in this area any better weather in which to
get out and, vote than they used to get in December.
What's not debatable at all though is the fact that the 11 a.m. poll
opening time discouraged a lot of people from voting period. These
vere people who had to be out of town for the day and didn't come
tack until after the polls closed at 8 p.m., people who could easily have
topped in to vote on the way to work at 8:15 or 8:45 if the polls had
'pened at 8 a.m. as they do for provincial and federal elections.
We'll never know how many people were too tired after a hard day
it work to stop and vote on the way home. Or how many were too
ozy at home to go out on a rainy night after supper.
4e' re sure the province isn't deliberately opening the polls late so as
o cut down on voter turnout. We're sure they just forgotto make poll
vening hours more in line with the modern world, while they were
.inkering with polling dates.
Perhaps the Ontario government felt one big change every two years
is all the voting public can handle. Before the 1980 municipal elections,
we'll be looking for them' to take the plunge and open the polls from
8a.m. to 8p.m.
To the editor:
Grey council clarifies
In answers to Mr, Thomas remarks re-
garding Township we feel the following
should be brought to the attention of the
Grey Township ratepayers.
Regarding the tile drainage loans, Grey
Township is like many Other municipalities
in Ontario. At present, there is ap-
proximately $1/0,000.00 in tile drainage
applications on hand for Grey Township.
When the Township; has only been allocated
t20,006,00 to whom do you allocate this
Money? Also, the by law which had expired i
has how, after much red tape been
:‘re.instated'*.
Remembrance Day has come and gone
and with it the peculiar memories of the
mixed up emotion of two world wars.
One of the thoughts that came to mind
during the ceremonies as I watched the on
television on Saturday was the tremendous
sense of unity that came upon Canadians in
those days mnipared to the factionalism we
have today when our nation faces a threat
to its survival. Oh I know that memories
are short and there probably was a lot of
backbiting and questioning back during the
war years too. I know that there was a
conscription crisis and that English Cana-
dians felt that French Canadians weren't
doing their part-to win the war. But I also
know that all across the country, including
Quebec, hundreds of thousands of people
were lining up at barricks to volunteer to
serve their country.
Today the threat is no less real, even if it
is less violent, yet Canadians are too
wrapped up with their own petty griev-
ances to come to the aid of their country.
Why? Well, perhaps it's a human failing
that is is easier to unite pople in hate than
it is in love. In time of war we can forget .
our own petty differences with our
neighbours and our own personal troubles
and unite in hate against the enemy. Hitler
provided a great catalyst for unity. No
matter what our problems were we could
take them out in our hate for this man with
no qualms from our conscience. We were
right and just in our hatred. Wasn't this
man trying to take over the world? Wasn't
he a craven madman? Didn't we have to do
something to stop him?
Decisions are so easy in a time of war.
Everything is black and white with no
hampering shade of grey. Our government
iur churches, our media, our schools, all
1:he support systems of society are united in
one common goal.
But love, now that's a much harder
emotion to organize. What 'will save
Canada today is love and respect, not hate
and that's a tough commodity to bring to
bear. There was an article in the
newspaper the other day about a woman
running for Parliament in the Ottawa area
who is very pessimistic about the future of
Canada, She was saying that English
Canadians don't seem to want to give any
effort to trying to hold the country
together. They don't realize that every
time sorriething insulting to French Catiad
ians happens in the rest of Canada it it
making it that much easier for the
separatists to Win over votes in Quebec,
Perhaps there is little hope that Canada
can survive. Separatists after all have a
much more powerful weapon oil their side
than those, in favont of unity. They have
hate: They'd never admit it, of course, but,
if they win the battle to have Quebec
separate from Canada it will be because of
hate. They are winning votes in Quebec
because of the hatred being built up in the
hearts of French Canadians because of a
century and more of being either abused or
ignored by EnglishCanactran §rS. Although
there were but a handful of English in the
province compared to French, it was
always the French who had to walk the
extra mile. The English gave the orders
and the French jumped. And even the
orders were in English.
There's no doubt a good deal of the
hatred and resentment built up in the
minds of Quebecers has justification. But
'hatred is not a positive emotion but a
negative one. It seems a poor foundation
for a new nation.
Of course the hatred that is helping to
build that foundation conies not only within
Quebec but from the rest of the country.
Many Canadians have been openly hostile
and derogatory toward French Canadians
for years. Many other have become tired of
the whole battle and seem to be wishing
the Quebec would just get on with it and
get out. Every tme one of these
anti-Quebec statements is made more
votes go Rene Levesque.
Many have tried to argue the two sides
of the separation issue in terms of rational
and economic arguements but these have
little chance of standing up against
emotion, especially for an emotional people
like the Quebecois. Hatred is what
promotes Separation. All that it can be
fought with is love. But love is a hard
comodity to sell particularly to this "me
generation" that has taken over Canada in
the 1970's, Hatred is a selfish emotion
while love is a giving, unselfish one. What
people who promote a unified Canada,are
asking is that everyone try to understand
the problems of the others around him and
to respect his dreams and his needs. What
that means is a gigantic 24-hour-a-day
struggle to set aside our own petty
grievandes and to understand the other
guy. Few people on wither side of the unity
quesiton seem ready to make that sacrifice.
In his famous speech in Washington
Prime Minister Trudeau said that if
Canada fell apart it would be a crime
against humanity because we had not
made this noble experiment work, If We
cannot extend love and understanding to
people in our OWn country, how can we
ever expeet of love and uncletstnd people
half-way around the world'? If we can't
build more love and understanding of
others, how many more Millions of dead
will We rementber on future Remembrance
bays.
Also, the zoning is being reviewed at this
time. But like nearly everything aspect ofi
municipal government, once again is bound
by "red-tape". To have one setencet"
changed in thei Secondary Plan, we have
been told that it will be approximately one
year to have this change Made and finalized.
TritSting that this has answered some of
the questions which have been brought to
mind,
Grey Township Council