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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1987-10-28, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1987. PAGE 5. Ethel to hold meeting over post office the people greatly concerned that the hamlet may lose its post office as the result of the federal government’s new policy aimed at reducing the deficit. A public meeting to protest the move has been called for Thursday evening. Continued from page 1 the contract offered to her by Canada Post last Wednesday, Ms. Suter estimates she would earn between $3,000 and $5,000 per year, down by well over 75 per cent from the $19,000 per year paid to the former Ethel postmaster, who retired at the beginning of Octo­ ber, when Ms. Suter took over the general store containing the post office, which she had purchased a month earlier. ‘ ‘You’d have to be crazy to take on a job at that rate of pay,” says Mrs. Higgs. ‘‘And if no one takes it, the community will automati­ cally lose its post office, and will be forced to get its mail from a ‘super box, ’ and drive to the nearest town to buy stamps or pick up a parcel. ‘ ‘ And we all know that if you have to drive to Brussels or Atwood togotothepost office, you ’ re going to do the rest of your shopping there as well. This whole mess means that our rural villages are going to die; it’s just a matter of time.” But crazy or not, Doreen Suter says she will likely sign the contract offered to her a week ago, although she has taken the precaution of taking it to her lawyer for examination before she makes up her mind, despite the November 1 deadline quoted by Dave Munn, the Kitchenerpostofficesuper- visor who delivered it to her in person. ‘‘What else can I do?” she asks. ‘‘They’ve got you coming and going. If I don’t sign it, I’ll be known as the person who let the Ethel post office die, after it’sbeen here for more than 100 years. And NELSON SLEIGHTHOLM ‘ It would be a bad disadvan­ tage for the people here. [Canada Post] wastes so much money anyway, why can t they just cut down on the staff at the top? if we lost the post office, I know the rest of my business here would go right down the drain.” But watching Ms. Suter, the EDNA PEARSON MILDRED GILL BARBARA MARTIN ‘ ‘If we lose the post office, the store will die as well. The rascals are not taking our service away, they are just making it impossible f or any­ body in the community to run it. ” “I’ve been in the post office nearly every day since I came here as a bride in 1934. Older people can ’t drive all the way to Brussels or Atwood just to buy a stamp. Ethel General Store's only em­ ployee, as she rushes back and forth from the post office wicket to the store’s shelves and counters practically non-stop during the 50 hours a week the business is open to the public, one wonders how any human could keep up the pace. ‘‘I certainly can’t hire somebody else to help out at what I’ll be earning, whether I sign the postofficecontractornot,” she said. The residents of Ethel are the feisty Ms. Suter for her intentions, but at the same time they are outraged as to the choice offered her by Canada Post. Led by Lorraine Robinson, co-owner of the Century House Retirement Home in Ethel and a neighbour of Ms. uter’s, they plan to fight for a better deal from Canada Post, not only for Ethel but for the other small communities in the area as well. Miss Robinson invited Mrs. Higgs to Ethel to lead the public information meeting called for Thursday, and she has notified both weekly and daily newspapers in the region of the situation, as well as alerting local radio and television broadcasters. An ad hoc committee is also travelling around the area putting up posters and talking to anyone who will listen aboutthe upcoming meeting, to be held at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, October 29, in the Ethel Commun­ ity Hall. “We need the post office here inEthel-it’s the very heart of the community. I wouldn't blame Doreen if she didn 't sign, but the job has got to be made worth taking. ‘‘We’ve got to let as many people as we can know what the post office is doing to people like Doreen, because this is the only way we are going to be able to fight back. We’ve got to try to stop this thing before it kills off Ethel, and alltheotherlittlevillagesinthe country,” Miss Robinson says. She adds that Ethel’s situation concerns every community in the area, because any one of them Politicians offer sympathy, little more Continued from page 1 hurt.” Mr. Cardiff took time off from a weekend at home to pay a personal visit to Ms. Suter on Saturday to discuss the Catch- 22 situation in which she finds herself, but wasn’t able to offer any practical solution, she said. ‘‘I really appreciate that he took the time to come to see me,” Ms. Suter said. ‘‘He seems really concerned that Ethel may lose its post office withinthe next few months, and he said he would try to delay (the renewal of) my contract until the first of the year, but apart from that, he doesn’t think there is much he can do. ” Due to a prior commitment, Mr. Cardiff is unable to be present at the public meeting planned in Ethel tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss the situa­ tion but said that he would try to make arrangements for a ‘ ‘sen­ ior official” from Canada Post to be present to answer any questions that may arise. ‘‘This will be an information meetingonly,”hesaid. ‘‘Ihope it won’t turn into a confronta­ tion, because I don’t think that would be helpful at this point. Huron MPP and Ontario’s minister of agriculture Jack Riddell says he is also very upset about the situation in Ethel and in other communities in his riding, but doesn’t think there is much that he or his government can do to help out. ‘ ‘Mr Riddell is prepared to do whatever he can to help out, but we’re up against the federal government here - it’s a bad situation,” said Jim Fitzgerald, executive assistant to the mini­ ster. International scene Continued from page 4 become something of a household word within the world’s brewing industry for their aggressive stance. Even the giant American producers such as Anheuser- Busch could become one of their victims. Where all this will leave Canadian brewers remains to be seen. While we are No. 12 when it comes to the amount of beer produced peryear (2.2 billion litres a year) we do not have any breweries in the top 20. The U.S. ranks first with six in that category while such countries as France, Brazil, Denmark, Philippines, South Africa, Venezuela, Mexico andColumbiaallmanagetoget one company on the list. The largest by far is the above mentioned Anheuser-Busch while the top non-American is Heineken of Holland. There could be some interesting battles out there. The growth of the light beer seems to be coming to its end. One could be ‘‘next on Canada Post’s hit list. ” In Belgrave, the post­ master’s present contract expires on November 6, she says, and it has become common knowledge that up to 11 other post offices in Huron County are under review, includ­ ing those at Londesboro, Bruce- field, Kippen and Hay. ‘ ‘The people concerned have got to take a stand right now,” warns Mrs. Higgs. ‘‘Tomorrow might be too late.” Mr. Fitzgerald said that Mr. Riddell says that the most important thing that the people in Ontario’s small communities can do is to get organized to ‘‘fight this thing at the grass­ roots level.” ‘‘If there is a loud enough protest from the small commun­ ities themselves, it will prove to be effective in the long run. But the thrust has to come from the people themselves. I suggest that you all write a letter of protest to your MP’s, and lobby as hard as you can to try to overturn the post office’s new proposal.” Mr. Riddell met with Viola Higgs, secretary of the Ontario chapter of Rural Dignity, in his constituency office in Exeter on Saturday to discuss the situa­ tion. ‘‘He was very upset about what is happening to our communities, and said he’d do anythinghecouldtohelp,” said Mrs. Higgs. ‘‘Of all the politicians I’ve talkedtoaboutthis, Mr. Riddell seemed to be the most genuine­ ly concerned (about the possi­ ble loss of rural post offices). And being the minister of agriculture, he knows just how hard our little towns will be hit if the post offices are closed down.” Mr. Riddell is in Northern Ontario this week as part of his government’s Free Trade Hearings, and will also be unable to be present at Thurs­ day’s meeting. But he said that he would try to have a represen­ tative there, and added that “if there is anything I can do to help, my line is always open to my constituents.” American consultancy firm is of the opinion that the sale of such beers is likely to fall by as much as five per centasbeerdrinkersinthe U.S. search forbeer with more body. That is why they have taken to Canadian beers over the last few decades but those large interna­ tional firms of which I spoke are not going to let Molson or Moosehead have any more room to move than is absolutely necessary. In this battle for the beer dollar that is going on, where do the Canadian companies stand? Frankly they are on rather shaky ground and they may soon wish that they had done some consolida­ tion at home instead of remaining so fragmented. Wemayliketocrawlbackinto our economic womb where it is nice and comfortable but the world is not going to let us do that. Now is the time to show a good burst of economic aggression, not give in to the blandishments of the faint hearted.