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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-09-30, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30,1992. E ditorial I ____a Hydro meltdown1? The movie China Syndrome first chilled ordinary people with the image of a nuclear reactor at a power station out of control. It came just about the same time as the Three Mile Island disaster and was later confirmed by the failure of a Russian reactor. Now Ontario residents are witnessing something not quite as dangerous but just about as frightening— an entire hydro utility out of control. That's the situation at Ontario Hydro where horror story follows horror story. At a time when competitiveness is becoming more important all the time, Ontario's largest commercial hydro users are facing 9.1 per cent increase January 1 (the proposed increase for the rest of us is a mere 7.9 to 8.6 per cent at a time when inflation is less than two per cent).The cost of the Darlington Nuclear Power Development was originally forecast for $2.5 billion. If all goes well until the station is finally finished, five years behind schedule, it will be $11.3 billion over budget. Ontario Hydro has 28,000 employees. The average pay, is $98,825 including benefits....that's the average'. Current Hydro chairman Marc Eliesen resigned effective the end of October to take a job with another utility. Could it be because he realized he couldn't control this behemoth? Hydro has shown before that it cannot be brought under political control. Former Liberal Premier David Peterson had been opposed to the Darlington project before he took office. Once in office, he was persuaded by Hydro officials that the project must go ahead. Now Eliesen says the costly overruns in Darlington construction costs account for three quarters of the proposed 8.6 per cent rate increase for next year. Ironically, the NDP, a vociferous opponent to Darlington and nuclear projects in general, must now take the heat over Hydro's huge cost increases. Ontario Hydro is too important to the the entire economy of Ontario to let it continue to go out of control like an overheated reaction. Hundreds of thousands of jobs exist in Ontario because of low, or at least reasonable, electricity costs. Yet our cost advantage over U.S. states is evaporating and one more reason to stay in Ontario is disappearing. The utility must start to live with the same kinds of restraints everyone else in the province has adjusted to in the last few years. It's too important to everyone to allow this madness to continue.—KR Optimism still prevails It's pretty easy to be pessimistic these days. The weather has been setting records for low temperatures and wet days, driving farmers in particular into deep depression. The economy continues to stubbornly ignore the assertions of the government that the recession is over. The constitutional crisis continues with growing hints the Oct. 26 referendum may not even bring a merciful end to it all. Yet, like farmers who each spring ignore the troubles of the year before, business people continue to show confidence that things will get better. Major expansions of two supermarkets in Brussels and Blyth are on the drawing boards. This week, after more than 20 years without the service, Blyth will get a pharmacy. Three other shops have opened on the main street of Blyth over the summer. Brussels had gained one new main street business. New owners are expected to take over a Blyth restaurant soon. To be sure there have also been closings in each of our towns, but in general we have gained more than we've lost, despite the recession. It should be recognized that all this positive business activity has come at a time big chain stores have been collapsing. Some large city malls saw major proportions of their tenants lost in a matter of weeks earlier this year, as chain after chain closed up, victims of the times. Everything is the opposite of what we've been led to believe. Small towns are dying, we've been told over and over again, yet our small towns have, so far at least, survived the recession better than one could have expected. Big chains, offering economies of scale, better promotion and better financing, were supposed to be the way of the future, yet it's the big guys who have dropped like flies. The little guys, with lower overhead, managed to pull their belts a little tighter and tough it out It can't go on forever, of course. The economy must improve if small town merchants are to survive any better than big city chains. This year's poor crop conditions are going to mean millions of dollars will be lost to the economy. Tourism has also dropped off as the recession hardened. You can support the faith business people have shown in your community by keeping your dollars at home instead of taking them to shopping trips to Kitchener or Port Huron. You owe it to yourself.—KR W/iere's the play? Photo by Bonnie Gropp Looking Back Through the Years pionship.looking backward ONE YEAR AGO October 2,1991 Blyth and District Fire Depart­ ment responded to the farm of Jerry Greydanus, just west of Londes- boro on Cone. 10, Hullet to battle a stubborn fire in his chicken bam which claimed the lives of 2000 chickens. The Board of Directors of the Blyth Festival announced the appointment of Ray Salverda as the Blyth Festival's General Manager. THREE YEARS AGO September 27,1989 The long story of the Brussels Legion Fire finally came to an end when Leonard Gordon Cowie and Robert Martin Killick pleaded guilty to charges relating to the fire that gutted the building in the early morning of July 6, 1988. The first winners of the Norman Parks Garrett Scholarship (for stu­ dents from the village of Blyth) were Jamie McDonald, Michelle Cronin, Stacey Elliott, Stacy McClinchey, Elaine Poore and Dan McDougall. The Walton Squirt Girls captured the Tri-County "A" Division cham­ FIVE YEARS AGO September 30,1987 After serving the Ethel and sur­ rounding area for 23 years Jean and Lothar Weber, proprietors of Weber's General Store retired to move to Rodney. Julie Howson of Blyth won the W.D. Fair Scholarship for profi­ ciency in grade 13 biology at the Central Huron Secondary School Commencement. The Blyth Christian Reform Church celebrated its 25 th anniver­ sary. C itizenTheNorthHuron P.O. Box 429,P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont.BRUSSELS, Ont.Publisher, Keith Roulston N0M1H0 NOG 1 HO Editor, Bonnie Gropp Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 Sales Representatives, FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 Jeannette McNeil and Merle Gunby The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $31.03/year ($29.00 plus $2.03 G.S.T.) for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Ustowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and Foreign. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copywright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 .npx wrqoiw wi 'isc^ro'JfiJuip i/idi pis anpiisoj^UjKi/pQpoIoi aoa Ql aqoixus ion esw [ .npiisxilsixlif