HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-04-13, Page 4Page 4 — Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, April 13, 1994
Published weekly by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd at 619 Campbell Street Lucknow, Ont
P.O. Box 400,, Lucknow, Ontario NOG 2H0 528-2822: Fax (519) 528-3529
Established 1873
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Pat Livingston -- General Manager/Editor
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applicable rates.
Another writers view
on the welfare system
After years of neglect and abuse, the province Is finally
getting tough on welfare. Well, at least It's claiming a get -
tough -stand.
Ontario's welfare system—a quick cash grab for the
thousands of so-called refugees, among other—reached the
height of lunacy last year when It was revealed that a
Somalia warlord's wife was living In London with her children
and collecting welfare. Ludicrous because on one hand the
woman Is living the life of Riley while her country folk are
killing each other In a civil war.
There was also the allegation that Somalian refugees were
scamming the welfare system, sending the cash home so
their leaders could buy weapons.
Recently Tony Silipo, Community and Social Services
minister, announced the province was stepping up the fight
to battle welfare fraud. The same week the Somalian war-
lord's wife hightailed It out of Canada and at last report was
in Kenya.
While Silipo said "most of our clients are truly in need" and
will continue to receive social assistance, he said the goal
was to go after the abusers. And to meet that goal, the
province is hiring 270 "specially trained" staff to reexamine
everywelfarecase.
Right there the system Is flawed. What Is this, another make
work project for a bunch of overpaid civil servants?
There are abusers and Silipo would make major gains If
Instead of hiring 'experts' that he hire the (very people
breaking the welfare bank to catch any other abusers.
That's a start. What really needs to be done Is an overhaul
of the system, from stem to stern. Granted, welfare is needed
In order for people to survive. But the day should soon come
to an end where people on social assistance are paid to sit
around and twiddle their thumbs.
There was a big furore when someone came up with an
idea last year of having welfare recipients 'employed'. It was .
a scheme where they would work for the money they receive.
The jobs could be simple, like collecting garbage from
roadsides and the like, but the idea had merit. Though few
welfare recipients complained about the Idea, the do-gooders
In society thought It was terrible people would have to stoop
to such levels t� collect welfare.
Our prime minister wants to get .this country back to work.
tie said so in his successful election campaign. And while he
throws millions of dollars to communities in make-work
Infrastructure programs (streets and sewers), the very people
who need jobs aren't getting them --those on welfare.
Ws time we went the extra step and did the 'terrible' deed
by getting those on welfare out Into the community and
doing jobs, no matter how great or small. There's nothing
worse than having able-bodied people moping around with
nothing to occupy their time. A welfare created job would
Instill hope and build self-esteem. Getting people working
would have major benefits, plus an underlying one as they
would then feel justified that collecting a social assistance
paycheque Isn't so bad after all.
Meanwhile, we put up with talk of hiring experts to cleanse
the system. Here in Bruce County we've even installed a hot
line In hopes of nabbing the welfare cheats.
As long as we have unemployment and easy -to -get welfare
we're going to have people abueing the system. Make them
work for It; though, and It will be a totally different story. As
long as government has the willpower and the Intestinal
fortitude. --(Kincardine News).
kM
The sentinel Memoirs
Booze making nets $200 fine
70 years ago
April 17, 1924
Adiaking booze nets $200 Pine - A Huron
Township man was in the toils of the law
this week, a charge having been laid against
him under the Inland Revenue Act by the revenue
officer of Goderich.
Having their suspicions, Constables Fellow of ,
Goderich and Douglas of Lucknow, along with the
revenue officer, visited the Huron Township farm
where they found 12 barrels of "mash," a still and
other evidence that the Act was being violated.
He was arrested and brought before Magistrate
Johnston in Lucknow. Rather than go before the
county magistrate, the man admitted the charge and
paid the customary fine of $200 and costs.
Thrown from buggy - Rod MacDougall of
Kinloss got badly shaken up and sustained a
broken arm when thrown from Ibis buggy
while driving on the Boundary road west of Lucknow.
The horse became frightened and ran away and Mr.
MacDougall was thrown out and dragged for some
distance along the ground.
50 years ago
April 13, 1944
lane crashed at Amberley - Seldom has there.
p
been such excitement in Amberley as there
was last Thursday when an airplane landed in
the centre of the hamlet. This is at least four that have
landed in the vicinity. The plane is a total wreck but
none of the five occupants were seriously hurt. One
had to be taken to the hospital.
The plane was flying so low it took the hydro and
telephone wires with it after almost touching the roof
of Walter Brown's 'garage and coming very near
James Shiell's house.
won't pay drain assessment - Culross
Township has declined to pay its assessment
of less than $32 on the Ackert Drain in
Kinloss. At their last meeting the Culross Board
passed the following motion: "That, this Council
instruct the clerk to notify Kinloss township that at
present they do not feel like paying $31.86 cost on
Ackert Drain." .,
0 n the entertainment scene - The Agricultural
Society was hosting the play 'Silas Smidge
from Turnip Ridge' at the local town hall. The
play was called "Tops in Entertainment" and was put
on by the Ripley Dramatic Society. Admission. was
.50 for adults and .25 for children. A dance was to
follow to MacKenzie's Orchestra with an admission
charge of .25.
1
25 years ago
April 16, 1969
Ffiremen take over police car - Fire Chief
George Whitby and deputy -chief Bill
Johnstone met with council to discuss the
possibility of making use of the Lucknow police car,
a 1965 model, as a rescue and utility vehicle with the
Lucknow Fire Department.
The police car has been'stored, unused for some
time since Lucknow last had a full time police officer.
Consideration has been given to selling the vehicle
from time to time, but the suggestion of the Lucknow
Fire Department was well accepted by council, Who
felt that the village stood to gain more it using it in
this manner in view of its relatively low mileage and
1
good condition.
It was pointed out that on a number of occasion,
particularly in the case of a drowning or a call for the
resuscitator, the car alone could be used where on
many previous occasion the, fire truck was put into
service on such calls. 1
It was also pointed out that the car, which has since
been painted red and is equipped with a light and
siren, would command more respect on the road and.
would be able to get to a or emergency situation
with less traffic problems than at present when
firemen take their cars.
Settler had interesting
association with religion
LUCKNOW 1910 - William
Geddes is second among the
present citizens of Lucknow who
have been longest residents in
the village. He arrived in Luck -
now, in 1862, when only four
houses were standing. He began
business as a cooper, which he
has carried on every since.
Mr. Geddes is associated in an
interesting way with the religious
history of Lucknow. For nearly
two years after his arrival, there
was no organized body of wor-
shippers in the village, and, it
may be, added, no public school.
In 1863, he and Robert
McCready, who was then a
working carpenter in the village,
organized and opened up the
first Sabbath School. The first
meetings were held in the upper
room of McDonagh's tannery,
among the hides of cattle.
Shortly afterwards the first
Methodist Church was built, to
William Geddes
be followed by a Presbyterian -
Church, and the humble Sabbath
School was soon displaced by
others of a more denominational
character.
Stratford
woman
named new
GM at Blyth
Susan Moffat, of the Stratford
area, has been appointed as general
manager for the Blyth Festival,
effective Apr. 25. I
During the past 15 years, Moffat
has held a variety of positions' in
Canadian theatre, giving her a
comprehensive view of the arts in
Canada. An experienced theatre
administrator, Moffat was most
recently the general manager of
Northern Lights Theatre in Edmon-
ton. She also brings to Blyth con-
siderable experience gained during
six seasons as the assistant to Strat-
ford
tratford producer Colleen Blake, and as
an administrator for the Canadian
Actors' Equity Association.
Moffat isa graduate of the
University of Windsor School of
Dramatic Art. She is currently in
Ottawa completing work on her
P Fd. degree.
She sang through hard times
MONTREAL 1929 -- Poverty
"was no stranger to theinhabitants
of the Gaspe Peninsula. As a young
child Mary Travers quickly learned
to face hardship with cheerfulness
and courage.
Fluently bilingual, she sang and
played the accordion, fiddle, and
harmonica to brighten the evenings
spent with neighbors. Her Irish
reels, intertwined with "turlutes,"
Acadian mouth music, kept her
family and friends Merry and warm
on long winter nights.
At 13 years of age, in 1907, Mary
left for Montreal to relieve the
financial burden on her family. She
first worked as a maid, then in a
textile mill, making terrible wages
for work days that lasted as long as
13 hours.
Her lively personality attracted the
attention of Edouard Bolduc. They
were married in 1914, a few days
after the start of World War I. For
10 years, the family struggled
against illness and poverty, moving
every two years, staying one step
ahead of disaster. Mary gave birth
to 13 children but only four sur-
vived.
She made her first public ap-
pearance in 1928 when she replaced
a fiddle player in the "Veillees du
Bon Vieux Temps," a popular
folklore show. The audience liked
her jigs on the fiddle, Jew's harp,
and spoons and one evening when
she ventured a song, the crowd
demanded an encore.
Word of mouth spread quickly
about this exciting new singer. Soon
she began to perform on the radio.
• Her catchy songs were grounded
in day to day life - she found fun in
landlords, insurance agents,
policemen, mothers-in-law, and
even in the corner grocery: "Watch
close when they weigh your meat;
sometimes they'll try to cheat; To
create distraction; They tell us 'a
little yarn."
In 1929 Mary decided she wanted
to make a record. The company she
approached refused her, saying that
she was too inexperienced. Mary
refused to back down and paid for
the session in the recording studio
herself.
Her first recorded song, "La
Cuisiniere" (The cook), charmed
the mothers of large families and
the factory workers who preferred
humor and hope to the fatalism of
other singers.
A year after her stand-off with the
record company she was producing
almost a record a month.
The Great Depression of the
1930s threw hundreds of thousands
of Canadians out of work.
By 1931, a quarter of Montreal's
population had no income other
than assistancefrom charitable
organizations.
La Bolduc encouraged people to
confront their troubles with strength
and optimism: "The time will come,
the time will come, But we can't
lose hope." '
Shetoured across' Quebec and in
•see Songs, page 24