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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-11-10, Page 4Photo by Janice Becker Where time stands still C N The North Huron lei itizen eA P.O. Box 429, P.o. Box 152, Publisher, Keith Roulston BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Editor, Bonnie Gropp Phone 5234792 Phone 867-9114 Sales Representatives, FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell 1,10 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, Listowel, 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 © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1993. Dangerous precedent The Huron County Council Strategic Planning Committee has recommended various changes to streamline the workings of county council. Any effort to make government more efficient is certainly welcome, but the way county councillors arrived at the decision is disturbing. The Strategic Planning Committee has been meeting for months, but no one but those involved would know about its activities. Not only have the committee's meetings not been open to the public, but two meetings of council held to discuss the potential changes, were not even held in the county court house but were held instead at Centralia College. It's questionable that many members of the public would want to have sat through the lengthy discussions to make changes in the committee structure and other aspects of the committee's proceedings but would there have been any problem if there had been public present? There may be some personnel matters to be discussed by the committee but the option is always there to go "in camera" if such issues arise. Secret meetings are an anathema to democracy. Meetings from which the public is excluded can be comfortable things for politicians, so comfortable that it's tempting to have more of them. The committee seems to have done some good and valuable work. How it arrived at its recommendations, however, is a dangerous precedent for the future.— KR Bite your lip The next few years, it was pointed out in a recent column in the Toronto Star, are going to be difficult for English Canadians as they watch the Bloc Quebecois perform in the House of Commons. What we cannot afford to do is rise to the bait when the avowed Quebec separatist party does something outrageous. It's in the best interests of Lucien Bouchard and his fellow members to create the impression that Quebecers and the rest of the country just cannot get along. If he can say enough outrageous things, he can get Canadians elsewhere to feel they'd be better to let Quebec separate. If Canadians from the Maritimes, Ontario or the west react in outrage to his demands, their reaction will be reported in Quebec as proof that Canadians just aren't willing to understand Quebec at all. Bouchard's recent remarks on compensation for Quebec if the EH 101 helicopter deal was cancelled because Quebec companies would lose business, for instance, raised temperatures in many observers outside the province. The angry response was no doubt reported widely in Quebec and will be used by separatists. Cooler heads must prevail. There's nothing fair about the current situation where the media and cultural elite in Quebec is so pro- sovereignty that it has made people like Bouchard and Rene Lesvesque into saints (the outrage over a new book reporting Ldsvesque's sexual dalliances shows he has moved to a position of sainthood) while it paints horns on federalists like Jean Chrdtien and Pierre Trudeau but it may be a passing fad if we give it time. Faced with the silly things Mr. Bouchard will say to stir up dissent, Canadians would be best to consider where it all comes from. Ignoring the man might not only be the best revenge, it might also save the future of the country. — KR Can free trade survive the U.S.? As one of the world's biggest boosters of free trade, the United States is also one of its worst enemies. The totally inward-looking nature of Americans, their ability to see the world through red-white-and-blue-coloured glasses, means that attempts to get any fairness into trade a hopeless task. As U.S. president Bill Clinton this week tries to garner enough votes to get the North American Free Trade Agreement through the Congress, he is tempted to win support of individual politicians by undermining the principles of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement that has been in place for four years. Wheat-state politicians have whipped up feeling against Canadian durum wheat which they say is subsidized, even though the U.S. has a shortage of wheat because its subsidized exports have taken huge amounts of American wheat to other parts of the world, often stealing traditional Canadian markets. When it comes to free trade, the U.S. speaks out of both sides of its mouth. — KR Through the Years Through the years... From the files of the Brussels Post and Blyth Standard 44 YEARS AGO November 9, 1949 The Hydro-electric Commission of Ontario spot checked local appli- ances in preparation for the conver- sion to 60 cycles. The Wingham District High School Board offered night courses in such areas as basic English for new Canadians, agricultural topics including farm machinery and soil chemistry and home economics. The fee was $5. The Londesboro Players present- ed "Back Woods Romeo" at the township hall in Ethel. The Huron Temperance Federa- tion met at the Presbyterian Church in Blyth for the annual convention. Jim Armstrong of Brussels won the Huron County Scholarship tO Ontario Agriculture College in Guelph. The prize of $100 is given to the student with the highest standings in the county who plans to attend the agricultural college. Some bargains to be found in the classified were: 500 buttons of all shapes, sizes and colours for $1.50; double-edged razor blades, 100 for $1.25 and a seven room brick house, 14 miles from Toronto for only $6,000. A 1939 Ford Coach could be bought for $350 and a 1935 Ply- mouth Sedan for $315 at Stan Stonehouse Motors in Listowel. F.R. Smith Drug Store advertized rubber gloves for 29 cents; Vick's Vapo Rub for 50 cents and Hud- nut's egg creme shampoo for $1.25. The Capitol Theatre in Listowel presented "North West Mounted Police", with Gary Cooper. 24 YEARS AGO November 12, 1969 The service of institution and induction was held at St. John's Church in Brussels for Rev. J. K. Stokes of Trinity Anglican Church. Several young men were appre- Man discovers turtle nest hended over an incident on Hal- garden. lowe'en night. The barn fire proved Superior Food Market in Blyth to be a costly prank for the men. offered these specials: 32 oz, Mira- The bingo jackpot had not been cle Whip, 55 cents; 4 oz. jar of won for three weeks and the total instant coffee, 93 cents; beef stew, prize mounted to $155. 55 cents; 5 lbs. of Tide, $1.69; cab- Energy and Resources Minister bage, 8 cents per lb. and 5-200's George Kerr rejected the call for an boxes of Kleenex, 95 cents. independent investigation of safety measures at the heavy water plant under construction at Douglas Point. Nebo Siertema discovered a nest Belgrave area hunters who had great success in the deer season. In two days they bagged nine deer and a fox. Congatulations were sent to the of turtles on his farm while plough- The Belgrave Anglican Guild held a successful tea and bazaar ing. He broke open one of the 11 with door prizes won by Mrs. eggs and found a fully developed turtle alive and well inside. He Willard Armstrong and Mrs. Harry reburied the remaining eggs in his McGuire. Letters to the Editor Paul's Perspective MPP talks on health THE EDITOR be 68 per cent higher in the year Health has been a big item in the 2010 than today. news in the last few weeks. It is a It would be easy to say "so what" subject which gets headlines and is but when we read that an estimated an increasingly important part of 40 per cent of the current health the provincial economy. The budget is spent on senior citizens Ministry of Health has the biggest who comprise 10 per cent of the part of the budget — 32 per cent in 1993. It is a Ministry whose population you see what we must prepare for the changing demands. That is one reason that Long decisions touch almost every one. Term Care is being changed. In order to provide better health Rather than increase the number of service for fewer dollars the buildings for older people, we must provincial government has look at ways of keeping people in embarked on a program of their homes. This is better for the spending more to prevent health people, it's better for their health, and disease problems. To explain it's less expensive, but it changes where our health care system is the way health care is provided. It heading, a booklet "A Healthier means fewer jobs in institutions Ontario: Progress in the 90s" and a and more jobs for people who go brochure "These Things Will Make out in the community. You Feel Better" have been In Huron County several prepared and are available from my committees are looking at ways to office. do this. We are trying to get These booklets are easy to read grassroots involvement and and they supply some of the leadership. It will mean getting answers which the headlines do not together to come up with solutions give. They look at trends such as which fit our own situation. an aging population, providing facts such as the one stating the Paul Klopp number of people 65 and over will MPP Huron E ditorial