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The Citizen, 2019-07-18, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019. Editorials Opinions President: Keith Roulston • Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld • Heather Fraser The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Ph. 519-523-4792 Fax 519-523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G 1H0 Phone 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.huroncitizen.ca Looking Back Through the Years CCNA Member Member of the Ontario Press Council The Citizen is published 50 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $38.00/year ($36.19 + $1.81 G.S.T.) in Canada; $180.00/year in U.S.A. and $380/year in other foreign countries. 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: Mon. 2 p.m. - Brussels; Mon. 4 p.m. - Blyth. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON N0G 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca July 18, 1968 Moncrieff continued to top the Tri-County Intermediate softball standings with a record of 12-2. Walton was in second place with 11 wins and three losses, while Brussels sat in third place with a record of 8-6. James Michie, 79, of Belgrave died when he was thrown from his light truck after being involved in a two-vehicle collision on the 5th Concession of Morris Township. Three young women from the U.S., who were visiting with a caravan of American 4-H Club members, would be stopping into Huron County for a visit. Members staying in Huron County hailed from Texas, Maryland and Virginia. The staff at The Brussels Post reported that, as of press time, they were undecided about publishing another issue the following week. Due to the postal strike, the staff was considering an extra week of holidays in late July. July 18, 1973 The Blyth Standard took another step towards its expansion with the purchase and installation of a Buckingham offset camera. The move meant that all aspects of producing the newspaper, with the exception of the actual printing of the final product, would take place at The Blyth Standard office. Friday, July 13 proved to be a scary day for many as members of the Blyth Fire Department were called to make two saves in just six hours on the day that has been known to induce fear in some. One fire was caused by a lightning strike at the Dexter home, but May Dexter was saved by quick thinking from Tom Cronin, who was at his hardware store at the time. Cronin went across the street to help Dexter, whom he knew suffered from poor eyesight and a lack of mobility. He broke down Dexter’s door and hurried Dexter out of the home and into the neighbouring residence of Wes Taman. Firefighters were then called out again just a few hours later to a small fire on County Road 25. There, a small fire had been caused when a bearing on a Brindley Transport truck seized up and overheated. Though still subject to final approval with the signing of the rental lease agreement with the provincial government, the wheels of the Huron-Perth regional assessment office were in motion. July 19, 1995 With the 1999 International Plowing Match creeping up in the calendar, a delegation of Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) delegates made their way to Huron County to see potential match sites. Huron County had bid to host the match, which is why OPA representatives were in Huron to see what the area had to offer. Ten committee members were on hand for the Huron tour, which included a stop at Joe Semple’s Grey Township farm and the Murray Cardiff family farm. While there, two landowners and Grey Township Councillor Graeme McDonald spoke to the representatives about drainage at the site and the quality of Huron County land. The Brussels, Morris and Grey Recreation Board was in the final stages of obtaining a permanent liquor sales licence for the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. Giena and Eric Nonkes of RR1, Auburn and Tim and Sally Lawrie of RR1, Blyth were playing host to children from Belarus for seven weeks of summer. The arrange- ment was made to help the children’s immune systems fight the devastating effects of radiation in the wake of the disaster at Chernobyl. Though the disaster had occurred nine years earlier, many children who lived close to the site were still experiencing effects. Those close to the children said it was amazing to see their condition improve after just a few weeks in Canada. Huron MPP Helen Johns, under Premier Mike Harris, had been named Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health. “A campaign focus was the quality of healthcare in the province. I believe that quality healthcare must be sustained and accessible to all people in Ontario,” said the Conservative MPP. July 23, 2009 Blyth-area photographer Carol McDonnell took home one of the top prizes at the Hensall Art Show with a picture she took while on a recent trip to Tunisia. McDonnell said the picture was of a market in Tunis, the capital city. A motorcycle ride from London to Wingham called the Ride for Heroes was set to be held in August. The event aimed to raise money for a scholarship in the name of fallen Wingham soldier Matthew Dinning. Former Brussels resident Gwen Tooth, now a renowned artist, saw her work displayed in Brampton. Her exhibit, entitled “Rhythms of the Sea”, would be up for two weeks at Beaux-Arts Brampton. Tooth said that after years of being featured in other shows, it was refreshing to finally have her own show on a gallery’s walls. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright The solutions begin at home The solution to climate change will come mostly from small steps, so it’s good news that Huron County’s government is ahead of its plans to curtail its energy use. According to a report at a Huron County Council meeting earlier this month, the county government had cut its energy use since 2014 by 3.8 per cent by the end of 2017 when its goal had been 2.5 per cent by the end of 2018. That’s good news for county taxpayers, who will save money, and for the world in general. According to Lily Hamlin, the county’s climate change and energy specialist, much of the reduction was the result of staff awareness and changing practices and attitudes. This is the sort of change that each of us needs to make to play our small part in solving the causes of climate change. That’s the theory behind carbon taxes that have been successful in convincing people to change their habits in many places in the world but remain controversial in Canada, to the point it may be a pivotal issue in October’s federal election. If prices for gasoline, diesel fuel and furnace fuels go up because of the additional tax, people will want to reduce their use of these carbon-dioxide-causing fuels. We might get a more fuel- efficient vehicle or add insulation to our house. Such actions are a win/win situation for Canadians because not only do they save money through cutting energy use because of greater efficiencies, but they get a rebate from the federal government that covers the average cost of the taxes. They’re beating the system. There are big-time solutions to climate change, such as closing coal- fired electrical generation plants as the former Liberal government did in Ontario, or requiring increased fuel efficiency as the federal government has required from car makers. However, many of the improvements will come from small improvements by millions of people. Huron County has demonstrated how changing our habits and attitudes can make those changes happen. — KR All views must be allowed Two independent cinemas last week cancelled screenings of the pro- life movie Unplanned after managers and owners received “serious threats,” that included death threats, according to the Canadian distributor of the movie. No matter whether one agrees with the film’s point of view or not, this is just plain wrong. People who claim they believe in free speech have been active in trying to prevent the movie, the real life story of a Planned Parenthood executive turned pro-life advocate, from being seen. Federal cabinet minister Mélanie Jolly attacked the owner of a Quebec-based theatre chain for allowing the movie to be shown in his theatres. Katie Telford, chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sent several tweets criticizing the movie and suggesting it should not be shown. People picketed outside some of the 56 theatres that did show the movie. That’s perfectly acceptable as long as those who want to see the movie are not harassed on their way in or out. Others disagreed with the content and fact-checked some of the arguments that the pro-choice movie makes. Again, that’s perfectly within their rights. People who claim to live by liberal principles, however, become hypocritical when they try to prevent people from expressing views with which they don’t agree. Ellis Jacob, CEO of the Cineplex movie theatre chain got it right when he wrote in an open letter that he was allowing the film to be shown in his theatres as a matter of freedom of expression. “A country that censors content, opinions and points of view because they are different from our own is not a country that any of us want to live in,” he wrote. Well some people do, apparently. — KR It wasn’t too late Glen Assoun is a free man today, free as you can be after spending 21 years in prison for a murder you didn’t commit. At least he’s still alive to enjoy his vindication. Cases like Assoun’s are the best proof that Canada was right when it abolished the death penalty for those convicted of murder. He, along with other famous victims of injustice such as Donald Marshall Jr., David Milgaard and Steven Truscott, lived long enough to see wrongs righted. In Assoun’s case, his conviction for the 1995 stabbing murder of 28- year-old Brenda Way had been called into question as early as 2003 by an analysis of information in a police data-base system by an RCMP constable. The constable came to believe that another man, already convicted for seven other murders, was a more likely killer. He also identified two other possible suspects who had not been investigated. The constable passed the information on to his superior but not only was the new information not acted upon, but his files were erased. Mistakes will happen in the justice system. At least these days we don’t compound the mistakes by killing innocent people. — KR &