HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1988-08-24, Page 3Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, August 24, 1988—Page 3
1988 is a season of firming
SHAPING THE FUTURE
It seems that the summer of 1988 is
destined to be remembered as the season
of extremes. While much of North
America suffers the worst drought in
decades, some localities have been hit with
floods and crop -damaging hail. Here in
Southern Ontario, the mercury has been
up and down like a yo-yo. One week record-
breaking heat, and the next unprecedented
cold, even 'some troublesome late June
frosts.
The markets have followed suit. While
not quite as wildly erratic as the weather,
commodity prices have made headlines
too. To sum it up in one headline, "Grains
Skyrocket, Beef and Hogs Bomb." The
range of these fluctuations is nothing short
of incredible! Weaner pigs were quoted at
one-half the money they fetched 12 months
ago. The cost of a tonne of grain corn came
very close to doubling in the space of four
weeks.
In the midst of this fantastic chaos sits
the farmer. While he is renowned in all of
society for his stubborn strength of will
and tenacious independance, a year like
this must surely bring the farmer to
recognize the painful reality of his own
predicament. In the summer of 1988, it
seems that no creature on this earth was
ever more vulnerable to powers far
beyond his own control or comprehension.
I wonder how many of us perceive this
fact and, if we do, how we respond to it. Do
cash croppers see themselves as mere
pawns in a high -finance game of multi-
national grain companies and commodity
traders? Does the small beef feedlot
operator realize that where the price hap-
pens to be when it's time to sell cattle can
do more to make or break him than all the
management decisions in a year?
Some people would say "that's fine, we
choose to farm because we like to gam-
ble." But I suspect the ones who lose out,
who can't hang onto the monetary roller
coaster and end up losing their farm.
extremes
would opt for more stability and less risk if
they had to do it over.
The ironic part is that we have the abili-
ty to bring stability into agriculture. No,
we can't control the weather, but we can
have financial se.curity. Other groups, far
less powerful than us demand, and obtain,
what they want. We produce the one thing
men and women can't live without: collec-
tively we have incredible power. United,
we can decide what we need, ask for it, and
it will be ours! United. Ah, there's the rub.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bruce County Federation
of Agriculture
Public Relations Committee
Blyth Festival has grown into a
A generation ago the Blyth Memorial
Hall, home of the Blyth Festival would
have become a parking lot had it not been
for a handful of visionaries who guided a
dream to a 3,4 million dollar theatre
festival. Today this unique theatre com-
pany has grown to become a most valuable
asset to the community - drawing tourists
and locals from far and wide.
To begin with, the theatre is firmly in-
tegrated into the community and recogniz-
ed not only for its cultural contribution but
for the economic spin-off of its operations.
A University of Waterloo sttfdy in 1985 con-
cluded that over $690,000 is injected into
the local economy -as a result of the expen-
ditures of the Festival and its patrons.
The study also details the steady growth
of businesses that cater primarily to the
Festival. New retail businesses are
flourishing along with a Bed and Breakfast
service and a Country Suppers network -
set up by the theatre. A seasonal theatre
company of over one hundred creates a
significant demand for housing and other
services.
"Wherever possible, we have a firm
committment to hiring local people" says
Artistic Director, Katherine Kaszas.
"You'll be surprised to learn that the
cultural sector is the sixth biggest
employer in Ontario. Every week
throughout the summer, the Blyth Festival
.draws in over 3,000 people to the theatre
who may spend many more times the price
of their ticket on meals, accommodation,
and souvenirs in local businesses." In On-
tario alone, each consumer spends $216
every year on cultural activities.
The Blyth Festival's roots have always
been firmly planted in the local communi-
ty. The Memorial Hall in which the
Festival is held, belongs to the Village of
Blyth and is leased by the Festival during
the summer months. The rest of the year it
is used by a wide variety of community
groups: senior citizens, Women's In-
stitute, Lions Club, Horticultural Society,
Blyth Festival Singers, and many more.
Equipment, such as lighting and, sound
equipment, and any repairs to the building
affected by the Festival, benefit the com-
Bantam ball
this we a ke n d
There will be exciting bantam baseball
played at the Dungannon Agricultural
Diamonds this coming weekend as the
Inter -township Year End Tourney takes to
the field Saturday, August 27.
Allan Webster, who coaches the Dungan-
non Bantam Team, reports that there will
be a total of five teams including Goderich,
Goderich Township, Hullett, Stanley and
the host Dungannon team. Play starts at
9:30 a.m. with Goderich taking on the
strong Stanley team.
The consolation game will be played at
1:30 with the championship contest taking
to the field at 3:30.
Dungannon area boys between the ages
of 15 and 16 have been playing their home
games inDungannon and Auburn this year
under the lea dership of Milton and Arlene
Turner as well as Allan Webster. Garry
Fielder has worked the games as umpire.
munity at large. °
"The Blyth Festival is a benefit to the
community both culturally and
economically by providing exceptional
live theatre with country suppers, offering
bed and breakfast, the art gallery, youth
workshops and play readings", says
Albert Wasson, Reeve of the Village of
valuable asset
Blyth. "The quality and popularity of the
theatre is quite evident by the number of
visitors and tourists attracted to the
, area." This season, nearly 40,000 people
will have seen a play at Blyth.
The Blyth Festival owes its longevity to
the interest and support of the com-
munities it serves and hundreds of
dedicated people who have shaped, financ-
ed and guided the Festival in its fourteen
year history. The Blyth Festival's current
$1.8 million capital campaign is now
underway and all donations to the cam-
paign are tax deductible and all donors
will be recognized on a permanent lobby
display.
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