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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-06-08, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1988. PAGE 5. Rural Dignity picks up support for protest The Rural Dignity caravan arriv­ ed in Blyth some four hours behind schedule Saturday evening, to pick up more than 350 postcards in support of its nation-wide trek. Woodrow Mullett, president of the grassroots organization and mayor of Gambo, Newfoundland, said that more than 300,000 of the cards had been collected so far, with many others being couriered to Ottawa from communities the Rural Dignity vans had been unable to touch in their two-week journeyfromcoasttocoast. The cards have all been filled out and signed by individuals' concerned that more than 5,200 rural and small community post offices across Canada will be closed under Canada Post’s intention to priva­ tize them. Driving a borrowed car rather thanthewell-marked “Coastto Coast for Rural Post” van he had intended to bring to Blyth, Mr. Mullett said he had had to make a special trip here, as promised, while the van went on from Shelburne to a rally in Woodstock, where he would rejoin it as it moved towards Ottawa. This van, which left Victoria, B.C. on May 17 will meet with its counterpart from the east coast in Ottawa on June 7, where they intend to present all the cards they have collected to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. The tour is being closely moni­ tored by Canada Post, which has just mounted a major advertising campaign across the nation to say that over the next several years the corporation will be increasing, not decreasing, the total number of postal outlets in Canada. About an hour before Mr. Mullett arrived in Blyth, a man who identified himself only as being ‘‘with Canada Post” turned up at The Citizen’s office looking for the tour. Mr. Mullettsaid later that post office officials have shadowed the Rural Dignity tours from the beginning, but had made no move to disrupt them. ‘‘They’re definitely nervous about this,” said William H. Peck of Chatsworth, a director and strong supporter of Rural Dignity. ‘‘But there’s not a lot they can do about it.” He added that as far as he is concerned, the post office has already violated the civil rights of some of its rural postmasters by warning them not to talk about their situation. “You just can’t do that in Canada,” he explained. The issue attracted local atten­ tion last fall when most of the residents of the village of Ethel attended a noisy meeting there to protest an offer from Canada Post which they claimed would see acting postmaster Doreen Suter’s income from the corporation drop by more than 75 per cent, while increasing her workload. Rural Dignity’s Ontario secre­ tary-treasurer Viola Higgs of Ilderton maintains that her organ­ ization has information showing that over the next 10 years Canada Post plans to eliminate all staffed post offices serving fewer than 10,000 people, while Mr. Mullett said he became involved as the organization’s president after lear­ ning that by 1997, only 17 government-run post offices in the entire province of Newfoundland would still be in operation. “Qoast to Coast for Rural Post’ ’ cards may still be mailed in to the government. No postage is neces­ sary to mail them directly to the prime minister’s office. Police seize arsenal in Walton Continued from page 1 phries’ Store, which had been turnedovertothepolice, as was her home next door, by owner­ operator Margery Humphries. Police were in touch with Mr. Comeau by telephone throughout the ordeal, and at one time took Mrs. Comeau into the Humphries’ home, apparently to speak to her husband by phone. Inspector Jim Gordon and De­ tective-Sergeant Bob Middlebank of OPP District Headquarters in Mount Forest were called to the scene, as were members of the OPP tactics and rescue unit (TRU) in London, standard procedure in such cases. Camouflaged TRU- team officers closed in on the Comeau residence, while snipers stood by. At about 3 p.m. Mr. Comeau could be seen opening the front door of the house at intervals to Walton home last week after the occupant kept police at bay for four hours. The collection includes 10 shotguns and rifles, two handguns, 23 knives, two bows, two ceremonial swords and a quantity of ammunition. Sgt. McKee holds the knife found in the man’s belt as he gave himself up to police. place several weapons on the porch, then just after 4p.m. he emerged to walk to the centre of the streetwith his hands over his head, and was quickly surrounded by the tactics and rescue squad who searched him before hustling him into a police van. All entrances to Walton were blocked by police throughout the incident, and traffic was re-direct­ ed around the village. The Win­ throp school bus leaving Walton Public School about an hour before the drama ended was also re-direc- ted, while Vice-principal Al Sy- grove of Goderich kept the half dozen village children with him at the school until the streets were cleared for them to go home. Mr. Sygrove said that only the Grade One children were in school on Wednesday as both the Grade Two’s and Three’s were on a day-longfield trip. He said that although school staff were inform­ ed of the situation in the village at noon, the children were kept in and not told that anything unusual was happening until it was time for them to go home. “But they weren’t worried at all,’’ Mr. Sygrove said. “They could see the police cars around, but they decided it must have been a bank robbery, and when I explained that nobody had been hurt, they thought it was rather neat.” Police later searched the Comeau home and seized 10 shotguns and rifles, two hand­ guns, 23 assorted knives, two ceremonial swords, one crossbow and one longbow, as well as “ammunition for all of them,’’ according to a spokesman for the Wingham OPP, who added that the man was armed with a small hunting knife when he gave himself up. Conditions of Mr. Comeau’s release include that he not associ­ ate with either his wife or with a boarder at the family home; that he reside in Cambridge pending his next court appearance; that he not possess any type of weapon; that he not consume any alcohol or non-prescription drugs; that he attend a medical doctor in Preston and accept any therapy recom­ mended; and that he continue with his employment at a foundry in Guelph, where neighbours said he had been commuting to work since the family came to Walton about a year ago. Letter to the editor Science Fair committee says thanks for help The Editor, Now that the Science Fair is completely over for Huron County and Canada Wide we look back and see what a great success it really was. Itwasgreattoreceivesuch tremendous support from so many areas. The Wingham Optimists and both the ladies’ and men’s teach­ ers federations of Huron County as well as the Huron County Board of Education were a tremendous help with their financial assistance. Randy Hutchinson and the Howick Mutual Insurance Company, Wroxeter, needed to be thanked greatly for supplying first aid kits as gifts for the judges. Mrs. D. Woodrow Mullett of Gambo, Newfoundland, president of the Rural Dignity organization whose mandate is to save Canada’s rural and small community post offices from extinction was in Blyth on Saturday, part of the group’s nation-wide “Coast to Coast for Rural Post” tour which has collected more than 50,000post cards which were presented to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney In Ottawa June 7. Mr. Mullett holds some of the cards collected locally. CN hearing postponed The hearing into the closing of the Canadian National railway line from Listowel toWingham through Brussels has been postponed for the third time. Originally planned to take place in Wingham last November, the hearing was first postponed to December, then postponed “inde­ finitely,” then called again for last Thursday, June 2 - and late last week postponed again until July 26 and 27. David Gervin, a senior official with the National Transportation Agency of Canada in Ottawa told The Citizen Friday that the June 2 hearing had been postponed at the request of Ontario Hydro, backed up by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. He added that since the notice of the June 2 meeting had not been delivered until “late April, due to mailing delays and other pro­ blems,” Ontario Hydro had asked for the postponement in order to have time to prepare its submis­ sion. Graham also spent many long hours doing a wonderful job of lettering the certificates given to each county wide participant. Another great supporter of the Science Fair was the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Conser­ vation Authority. They supplied us with excellent judges, a conserva­ tion award and participation certi­ ficates. They have been great supporters for such a worthy event. Also of great assistance were all of the towns, villages, townships and county governments. They suppli­ ed our Canada Wide participants with several lapel pins to trade with Continued on page 6 “Our regulations say that we are only obliged to give 15 days notice of a hearing, but we like to give at least 30 days,” Mr. Girvan said. He noted that no other requests or submissions had been received by his agency prior to the June 2 date, but noted that the latest postponement will still make it possible for other submissions. Anyone wishing to make a written presentation at the hearing should have 15 copies of their submissions available at the hear­ ing, while those unable to attend must send their views at least 10 days in advance to the Agency, with a copy to the railway’s lawyers (addresses are available at The Citizen or at municipal offices.) Last November Brussels Reeve Gordozi Workman said he thought the municipality should be repre­ sented at the rail hearing, but village clerk-treasurer Hugh Han- ly said Friday that, as far as he knew, nothing further had been done on the subject. If the July hearing finds that the rail line is uneconomical and has no possibility of becoming economi­ cal, itcan order that the line be abandoned as early as this Octo­ ber, Mr. Gervin said. Hensall company wins aid contract Cook’s Division of Gerbo Corp, of Hensall has won a Government of Canada contract worth nearly $ 183,000 to supply kidney beans to Angola for the Canadian Interna­ tional Development Agency. Murray Cardiff, M.P. for Huron- Bruce, made the announcement today on behalf of Supply and Services Minister Otto Jelinek. The beans are part of Canada’s contribution to the World Food Program.