HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-02-21, Page 1?uality time
Students of Grey Central School in Ethel had the opportunity to go one-on-one with their
parents this past Saturday during the family activity day, which was part of the Families in
Motion project happening throughout February. The focus is to get families up and moving.
Here, A.J. McLellan shows his dad, Grey Twp. Councillor Al McLellan just how it's done.
The month of participaction wraps up.this Friday morning with an assembly in the school
auditorium.
Feature
Local business salutes
area Scouting,
Guiding groups
See inside
Education
First in series shows
how students are
preparing for global future
See page _8
Sports
Blyth Juveniles
take on Cayuga
in playoff series
See page 10
The North Huron Area unionists
itizen share views on
Harris agenda
By Cameron J. Wood
The Advance-Times
Criminals single-minded, sense-
less, jurassic.
To those working in. the public
/ sector and unions throughout
Ontario, that's how best to describe
the Harris government, according
to unionists in the Huron-Bruce
region. At a meeting held in
Wingham last Thursday, about 25
area residents, public sector
workers and union leaders gathered
to share their views on the Mike
Harris agenda and receive input on
what direction they should be
going.
The meeting could have easily
been confused with an NDP riding
association session, complete with
membership recruitment and
further digs at both Harris and
members of his government.
However, the main focus of the
session was trying to get members
of the unions to join together to
battle "Harrasic Park".
David Trumble, president of the
Grey Bruce Labour Council, said
the Harris government's sole
objective is to provide a 30 per cent
tax rebate to residents, despite the
cost involved.
"Let's be perfectly clear. Two-
thirds will go to the top 10 per cent
of earners. Are you aware that most
corporations stopped paying tax on
Jan. 25? I know that everyone here
will be paying taxes a whole lot
longer than Jan. 25," Thimble said.
Trumble said that if anyone
believes this is responsible
government, they had better think
It's official. With the site for the
1999 International Plowing Match
and Farm Machinery Show set in
Huron County, Graeme Craig of
Walton, has been chosen as the
overall chair.
The location of the match will be
on the farm and surrounding lands
of the Earl Becker farm, Hay Twp.,
just north of Dashwood.
With the announcement made
Feb. 12, the Huron County Plow-
men's Association quickly orga-
nized a meeting for Feb. 16, at
which time a chair for the show
was discussed.
Craig was selected due to his
experience in the competitive field
of plowing as well as his many
years as secretary-treasurer for the
Plowmen, involvement in politics,
farming, church work, the insur-
ance business, 4-H leader and
school board trustee, says Neil
McGavin, Plowmen Association
member.
To begin the search for 1,000
people needed to volunteer for the
more than 30 committees required
to run an international plowing
match, the Plowmen's Association
again.
For example, he said, the debate
on Bill 26, the Omnibus Bill, was
"cut shoit". Six weeks of public
hearings took place, with a two
week hiatus in the middle for
Christmas. Bill 26 will affect 44
provincial statutes.
Trumble said that under the new
law, for example, the Minister of
Health can provide citizen's health
record to anyone. He said with
debate on privatization of health
insurance, this essentially means
the government could provide
American insurers with a list of
names to approach.
In terms of health care cuts,
Trumble attacked the government
for cutting the home oxygen
program, stating the $10 million
reduction is a "death sentence" for
people who rely on oxygen service.
The Minister of Social Services,
David Tsubouchi, also came under
attack for his diet plan for those
coping with welfare payment
reductions.
"This diet is illegal under the
Geneva Convention for prisoners of
war."
Trumble further criticized the
government for their propaganda
on welfare reform, claiming it
echoed the kind of pre-World War
Two goading of the Jewish people
by Adolph Hitler's Nazis.
"These defenseless people are
being blamed for society's ills,"
Trumble said. "To rebuild the
economy, we have to ensure that
the people at the bottom of the
Continued on page 18
will be holding a meeting at Walton
Community Hall, 8 p.m. on March
6. Everyone is welcome.
Speaking at the meeting will be
Jack Cumming, the past chair of
the very successful 1983 Bruce
County International Plowing
Match and Machinery Show.
The county was able to raise
$500,000 to be used for health care
in their communities, McGavin
says.
Another recent announcement is
that the preparations are well
underway for the 1996 Internation-
al Plowing Match and Country Fes-
tival to be held in Haldimand-
Norfolk, from Sept. 17 to 21, along
the north shore of Lake Erie
between Tillsonburg and Dunn-
ville.
The themes of the match will be
Fields of Friendship and Country
Festival.
Hoping to draw more than
125,000 visitors to the 100-acre
tented city, there will be over 600
exhibitors as well as crafts, child-
care facilities, entertainment, food
and picnic areas.
For further information on the
1996 match, call 1-800-699-9038.
Vol. 12 No. 8" Wednesday, Feb. 21 1996
61c+4eGST 650
Walton man IPM chair