The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1987-07-01, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987. Opinion Time to preserve a fascinating past It’s been afascinating.oftenfrustrating, time getting out the special commemorative issue for the Brussels 115th anniversary Homecoming. Fascinating, because the story of the men and women who built the community, and all other communities around, is intriguing. They were people of great courage, ready to throw off the certainty of a more settled life in Europe or in the more settled parts of this continent to venture into the bush and carve out a new community. It’s intriguing because many of these people had big dreams, dreams of not creating most a rural village, but of becoming as rich as the barons of their old country. It’s been frustrating because the task is so large and the time so short. To have pulled off the kind of issue we’d really liked to have we needed much more time over the last few months than we could devote when we had a paper to get out each week. It’s been frustrating too because of the lack of reference material on the facts of the history of the community. Brussels must be one of the few communities around that has never written an official history books. It’s been fascinating because people have brought us wonderful pictures but it’s been frustrating because every year that goes by, a few more of these pictures disappear through housecleanings, etc. How wonderful it would be if the community (and all communities for that matter) could organize some sort of archives room to take precious pictures and documents that people no longer want, and store them safely. It’s been fascinating because we’ve talked to some senior citizens with wonderful stories about the past. It’s frustrating because you know that by the next time there ’ s a Homecoming, many of these people will no longer be with us and their memories and stories will be lost if someone doesn’t take the time to capture them on tape-recording or on paper. We hope people will enjoy our modest attempt to salute the history of Brussels and if it accomplishes one thing, let it be to stimulate peoples interest enough for them to take action to preserve more of the village’s history. Meanwhile, many thanks to all those who helped in any way to make the issue possible. Without your photos, your stories, your memories, we couldn’t have accomplished what we did. Something to be proud of There are plenty of things wrong with Canada as we are constantly telling people, and in turn being told, but for one day of the year, your country’s birthday, July 1, maybe we can sit back and look at what’s right. Probably the biggest thing Canada has to offer the world is the hope that there can be peace between people of different languages and races. Yes, we still have our language disputes and our religious disputes and charges of racism but for the most part, Canada has proved that people can put aside past differences and live in peace. The anniversary last week of the terrorist attack that took the lives of hundreds of Canadians on an Air India jet is important in that it stands out in contrast to the long history of the country. People coming to this country from abroad often bring their old grudges with them but they seem to die with the first generation. The Irish brought their sense of injustice at the hands of the British but that has long since ceased to mean much in Canada even though hatred is stronger than ever in Ireland. Each succeeding wave of immigration has managed to heal old wounds in a bright, bountiful new country. So too, one hopes, will the Sikhs and Hindus manage to leave the hatred of the old land behind. So too, we hope, the Americans will manage to put away past atrocities at the hands of the Turks. The challenge to Canada will be to continue this wonderful record of bringing people together as the diversity of immigration continues and as people are squeezed into more densely populated cities. As an example to the world, we must work hard to prove that people from all corners of the world can live together in peace. Now for solutions The capital punishment debate is over, the motion to reinstate the death penalty is defeated and let’s hope the issue dies for the foreseeable future. Now, to solve some problems. There were very legitimate concerns of many of the supporters of returning the death penalty. While some of the arguments such as the deterrent value can be refuted, the fact remains justice must appear to be done. We cannot have murderers paroled back on the streets in a few short years after their crime. The government must act to bring in humane but just alternatives to the death penalty. THE IRON LADY Mabel’s Grill There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the town hall. People in the know, however know that the real debates, the real wisdom reside down at Mabel's Grill where the greatest minds in the town {if not in the country] gatherfor morning coffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Fili bustering Society. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: Julia Flint was talking this morning about all the stories about pit bull terriers in the papers and on the radio and television news these days. It’s like living in a Stephen King novel, she said. Hank Stokes said he never even heard of a pit bull terrier before a couple of months ago and now every news cast seems to have something on a pit bull attack somewhere. Either all these dogs went mad at the same time or the media went mad reporting it at the same time. Billie Bean said maybe the “dog days” of summer arrived early in the news business. Tim O’Grady said it’s a wonder some right-wing organization hasn ’ t seen a Communist plot in all this: the Russians sneaked all those dogs that were trained to kill into the country then on a signal, probably from some Russian spy satellite, all the dogs all over the continent went beserk and attack ed cats and kids and anything that moved. WEDNESDAY: Hank Stokes was talking this morning about the picturesonthefrontpage of the daily newspaper showing the police wrestling with strikers at the post offices around the country. “Looks like the newspapers are tryingtocomeup with their own version of Miami Vice,” he said. Tim said that with the govern ment talking about increasing the armed forces, maybe a cheap way to train the new recruits would be to put them on the picket lines too. It wouldn’t matter whether they were on the striker’s side or the police side they’d be sure to get lots of training in hand-to-hand com bat. THURSDAY: Julia was talking about all the fuss the Royal family is causing in England these days, especially with Princess Diana and Princess Sarah acting up in public. The press over there has taken to calling them “Daft Di” and “Fun Fergie”. Billie said that if Royalty contin ues to get such a bad name it will be hard to know which side of that new Canadian dollar coin is the looni est, the side with the bird or the side with the Queen. [Published by North Huron Publishing Company Inc.] Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Published weekly in Brussels, Ontario P.O. Box 152 P.O. Box 429, Brussels, Ont. Blyth, Ont. N0G1H0 N0M1H0 887-9114 523-4792 Subscription price: $15.00; $35.00 foreign. Advertising and news deadline: Monday 2p.m. in Brussels; 4p.m. in Blyth Editor and Publisher: Keith Roulston Advertising Manager: Janice Gibson Production and Office Manager: Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968