The Citizen, 1995-08-16, Page 471111111111111111:AGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1995.
The North Huron
C fp
Publisher, Keith Roulston
Editor, Bonnie Gropp
Sales Representatives,
Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell
The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing
Company Inc.
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We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs.
Contents of The Citizen are (0 Copyright.
Publications Mail Registration No. 6968
P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152,
BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont.
NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0
Phone 523-4792 Phone 887.9114
FAX 523.9140 FAX 887.9021
+ CNA
Jobs through job cuts
IA ringer
Photo by Janice Becker
Looking Back Through the Years
From the files of the Blyth Stan-
dard, Brussels Post and the
North Huron Citizen
50 YEARS AGO
AUG. 15, 1945
After an announcement at the
Blyth Lions Club meeting that the
war was over, the group began to
plan a program for the following
day.
Unable to advertise because of
the short notice the fire bell was
sounded and the new fire truck was
taken on a tour of the village with
the siren wailing.
The commotion had the desired
effect of not only bringing before
the public the proceeding of the
next day, but touched off a sponta-
neous demonstration of relief and
joy which raged on until almost
midnight.
Bill Watson and George McNall
led a square dance on main street.
Reeve W. H. Morritt declared
Wednesday and Thursday a public
holiday in view of the cessation of
hostilities in the Pacific Theatre of
War.
Twelve head of cattle, including
seven milch cows, could be pur-
chased for $600.
7 YEARS AGO
AUG. 17, 1988
Blyth council made a move to
close a loop hole in its dog bylaw.
The phrase "running at large"
would be interpreted to mean a dog
not under the control of any person.
Stephen Souch of Blyth, left on a
year-long exchange to Norway as
part of the Rotary Youth Exchange
program.
The growth of the Blyth Festival
had the theatre looking at expan-
sion plans for Memorial Hall and
The Garage.
Audrey Bos of Auburn was
crowned Queen of Dungannon
Fair.
A 1987 4x4 Dodge Dakota could
be purchased for $12,900 and a
1987 Aerostar went for $18,600.
THE EDITOR,
Attorney General Charles
Harnick will have to find an
effective way to ensure the survival
of Legal Aid. We doubt that the
government's current proposal to
lower the financial eligibility
requirement is the best way to
reduce the cost.
The purpose of Legal Aid, which
was established by the PC
government of Premier John
Robarts in 1966, is to enable people
who cannot afford urgently-needed
legal services to obtain justice.
Unfortunately, the Legal Aid
Plan has suffered abuse by a few
litigants and repeat offenders, who
are indifferent about the cost so
long as they are not paying for it
1 YEAR AGO
AUG. 17, 1994
Amber Ruttan and Kara Pepper
were members of the Seaforth
Novice II girls ball team and partic-
ipated in the Ontario qualifying all
tournament. The girls team placed
first.
The Brussels Mite girls ended
their season with nine wins and two
losses.
Blyth United Church welcomed
new pastor Stephen Huntley, to the
community.
and by a few lawyers (1.4 per cent
of the 6,000 who provided Legal
Aid), who have made Legal Aid the
mainstay of their practices.
The economy has also devastated
the Plan by reducing funding while
increasing the need for legal-aided
services.
Typically, lawyers are helping
Ontario's vulnerable and oppressed
who require legal services. As a
group, lawyers have made a very
large contribution to Legal Aid, by
reducing fees to a fraction of
private market rates and by
contributing to the funding and
administration of the Plan.
The existing judicare system,
under which a client who qualifies
Continued on page 5
Letter to the editor
Taking the "less is more" philosophy to the extreme, the Mike
Harris government is attempting to convince Ontarians that by cutting
thousands of civil servant jobs, we'll actually gain jobs. Interesting
mathematics, addition by
subtraction.
While it can be argued that
these cuts are regrettable but
necessary because of the
deficit, to make them a virtue
seems stretching a point. Though most people don't care one way or
another about the plight of civil servants to be laid off, it could matter
to many more than those directly affected. In fact, at least in the short
run, the layoffs can be counter-productive.
With the federal government in the midst of a huge layoff of federal
civil servants and the province planning large layoffs of its own, we
will be adding thousands to the unemployment roles in the coming
months. This will increase government spending on things like
Unemployment Insurance and, if these people fail to find jobs, welfare
when the UI runs out. At the same time governments try to cut their
costs in one area, they're increasing them in others.
But the ramifications of government cuts go farther. If 40,000
people or more in Ontario lose jobs through these cuts, it means 40,000
families not spending on cars and furniture and meals in restaurants and
all those other activities that fuel the economy and create private sector
jobs. Even civil servants not laid off will likely cut back their spending
for a while, further hurting the economy. What growth there has been
in the Canadian economy in the past couple of years has come almost
completely from export-oriented companies because consumer
confidence has remained low in Canada. Afraid of the future, and
having done without a raise for years, many Canadians just aren't in a
spending mood.
Balanced against this is the dream of the Harris government that tax
cuts will put us in a spending mood, that we'll take those former tax
dollars and go out and spend. Some people, at the low end of the pay
spectrum, may do so, if they're not worried about their future and
putting the money into savings. The people who will benefit the most
from the cuts, however, are the upper income Ontarians. You can only
buy so much food, so many appliances and houses no matter how much
money you have. More likely these people will invest their money and
the hot investments seem to be in off-shore mutual funds these days.
Given the state of federal and provincial deficits, staff cuts are
inevitable but be warned: these cuts may only make current problems
in the economy worse, not better. — KR
Leave your problems at home
With thousands of people in the former Yugoslavia homeless and
trapped in the hell of continuous war, Canadians cannot turn their backs
on the plea from the United Nations to accept more refugees. It would
be nice to be able to persuade these people to leave their hatred behind,
however.
The UN has a contingency plan to resettle 50,000 refugees from the
Balkans in several countries, including Canada. With atrocities on all
sides ensuring old hatred will be refueled for decades to come, many
people in Bosnia and Croatia — Serbs, Croats and Mdslims — will
want to leave their land forever. But it will be difficult to leave behind
the bitterness the last few years have fostered.
Unfortunately, when these refugees land in Canada they are likely to
gather in a few concentrated areas like Toronto. Even before the split of
Yugoslavia there were tensions between the Serb and Croat
communities in Toronto. Some young men, born in Canada, went back
to take part in the armies of the various factions. Given acts of cruelty
in the current war, the newcomers are likely to support old prejudices
in their new country.
It has always been so, of course. Some Irish immigrants brought
their hatred of the English along with their meagre household goods
more than a century ago. Ukrainians and Estonians brought their
distrust of Russia to Canada. There are tensions within the East Indian
community because of events in the past and hall kworld away.
The miracle of Canada is that, given we have taken dispossessed
people from around the world, we have built as peaceful a land as we
have. New refugees and immigrants should be made aware of that
tradition and reminded to leave their grievances behind. — KR
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