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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-01-11, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1989. Opinion Opportunity knocks with railway loss Municipalities, individuals and groups along the recently- abandoned CP Rail line from Guelph to Goderich have a glorious opportunity to turn a headache into an asset in the next few months if they can get their act together. With the closure of the rail line the problem of what to do with the right-of-way moves to the top of the agenda. While some of the railway land may be useful for farming or other purposes, most of it will never be good for anything but an eyesore. There is an alternative though. Across the United States the Rails-to-Trails program has turned these liabilities of abandoned railway lines into assets as major recreation and tourism attractions. As all-purpose trails, the right of ways can attract hikers, riders and cyclers in the summer, skiers and snowmobilers in the winter. As Gerry Fremlin of Clinton pointed out last J ply in a letter to The Citizen, the Guelph-Goderich line offers a unique opportunity. It links a large population area in the Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo area with a major attraction at Lake Huron. Along the way it passes through some beautiful countryside and through another major attraction, the village of Blyth with its theatre, mills and shops. Turning the abandoned line into a trail would be no easy feat. Although there has been afew similar projects proposed, there aren’t any models in Canada to point the way. Yet the fact you’re first, also gives the opportunity to be unique if local organizers can pull it off. The Rails-To-Trails program not only turns the eyesores of abandoned lines into assets to the community, it also preserves the right of way so that if economic conditions should change years down the line, and railways are again needed, the line can quickly be re-established instead of having immense cost involved. The Huron County Planning and Development Department made a valuable first step recently when it asked the federal government and CP Rail to delay disposal of the land until groups trying to organize the trail can take action. That initiative should be backed up quickly by support from municipalities and groups along the line if there is any hope of making the project work. There is a lot to be gained if the trail program can be put in place but there’s no time to waste in taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Beef trade beefs underscore problems The current squabbles about the refusal of the European Economic Community to accept beef from North America where hormones are ised in the production of meat proves again that what one party sees is the right of self determination, the other sees as a trade barrier. European countries have not bought the argument that hormones ised to promote faster growing by cattle are perfectly safe as North American farmers and governments have. They have banned the use >f the hormones to their own farmers. Because they banned it for heir own farmers, they have also banned imports of meat grown ising the hormones. Canadian and U.S. beef producers are not happy with the ituation. They cite scientific reports that say there is no danger from he hormones. They feel the European decision is just a way of eeping North American beef out of Europe. They may be right. Certainly the Europeans have used other means to keep trade from Morth America out of their back yard. But the fact remains the Europeans are simply asking our cattlemen to play by the same rules they expect their own farmers to olay by. In the name of free trade, however, North American cattlemen and trade officials argue that the Europeans should at least et our beef in, hormone grown or not. The question is, are countries going to be able to set their own rules is they see fit or, in the name of free trade, are countries going to be orced to change the rules to favour trade over principal. Cattlemen, ndividualists to the end should understand the reluctance of Europeans when they’re told they should live by North American ules. The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 Magic wands 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] gather for morning coffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Filibustering So­ ciety. MONDAY: Ward Black asked Hank Stokes this morning if he wasn’t a little worried about the attention the hormones fed to beef cattle were getting because of the European ban on imports. After all, if the Europeans are against the hor­ mones, maybe some North Ameri­ cans will be too. Hanks said he wasn’t worried. In fact, given North Americans needs for instant solutions to any problem, he felt this might bring about whole new markets for beef. There are those stories over in Europe for instance of the young girls with enlarged breasts. If we leak a few of those stories out in Canada you’ll have half the female population lined up at the nearest fast food burger place. On the other hand, if we could convince some of the athletes that the growth hormones will work on them, we can have all the competitive athletes switching back to beef steak instead of pasta Continued on page 7 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario, by North Huron Publishing Company Inc Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $17 OO/yr. ($38.00 Foreign) Advertising isacceptedon the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2pm - Brussels; Monday, 4pm - Blyth We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright » Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, DaveWilliams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968