HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-12-18, Page 23HAPPY 50TH
ANNIVERSARY
DECEMBER 28,
1946 -1996
GORDON AND LOUISE
BOSMAN
The family of Gordon and
Louise Bosman invite
relatives and friends to Join
us in celebrating this
special anniversary at an
Open House, to be held on
Saturday, December 28,
1996, from 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.,
at the Belgrave Women's
Institute Hall. Best wishes
only.
Love and congratulations
from Allan and Barb, Don
and Cheryl, Dave and
Marg, Joan and Piet, Clayt
and Debbie and all the
grandchildren.
NEW YEAR'S EVE DANCE
December 31
at the Blyth Memorial Hall
sponsored by Blyth Minor Hockey
Dancing from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
) $10.00 per person
Q
tiC
Door Prizes • (1 Prize for best decorated hat ,
Age of majority required
For more information call: Shirley Archambault 523-4538,
Cathy Carter 526-7217, Chris Courtney 523-4476
(Calvin Kerr D.J.)
9/e
"DISNEY MAGIC HAS
DONE IT AGAIN!!"
Breuinvon. AMERICA!, IMO 11.A.1)10 KETI,OFUCC
'6 • 4416f.' it4
FINAL 4 DAYS
FRI. - MON.
DEC. 20-23
CLOSED DEC. 24 @ 25
FRI. & SAT. 7 & 9 PM
SUN. @ MON. 8 PM
SAT. MAT. 2 PM
MONDAY ALL SEATS $4.00
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1996 PAGE 23.
McCall retires from MVCA board after 20 years
Retiring
After almost 20 years as the Village of Brussels'
representative on the board of the Maitland Valley
Conservation Authority, Bruce McCall is retiring. McCall,
who was the drive behind the rejuvenation of the Brussels
dam and park, calls his time with MVCA a wonderful
experience.
FWIO sends 47,000 squares
to Zambian organizations
At the recent annual meeting of
the Federated Women's Institutes
of Ontario, International Convenor
Donna Russett announced that over
47,000 knitted squares (10 cm x
10 cm) have been sent from
Ontario Women's Institute
members to two organizations in
Zambia.
One purpose of this project,
undertaken in the 1994-1997
triennium the Federated Women's
Institutes of Canada, is to assist the
Mazabuka Association for the
Disabled and the Monze Centre for
Rehabilitation by providing gainful
employment for disabled Zambian
women. The women assemble the
squares into blankets, vests and
stuffed toys. This project also
provides funds for purchasing
needed items, such as teaching aids
and wheelchairs.
Mrs. J. Spitteler of Mazabuks
said, "We often fill a Toyota pickup
when we collect them (the parcels
of squares) from the Post Office, so
you can imagine the scale of the
operation."
CAPITOL
THEATRE
Adult (Age 16 & over) $6.00
Child (Age 15 & under) $4.00
Senior $4.00
Tuesday (All Tickets) $4.00
291-3070
LISTOWEL
Dolby Surround Sound Stereo
STARTS FRIDAY
December 20
Closed December 24 & 25
7 & 9:15 P.M.
Matinees December 21, 22, 23
at 2:00 p.m.
101 DALMATIONS •
Parental Guidance
Associated Country Women of
the World (ACWW) President
(Canada Area) Peggy Knapp
announced the success of the
Tweyambe Goat Project and the
United Women's Group Pig Project
at the same meeting. In 1995,
Canadian Women's Institute
members decided to support
families in Uganda affected by
AIDS. One project was to enable
the women in Tweyambe to
purchase a herd of 102 goats to
produce milk for nutrition and to
sell as a means of generating
income. The piggery project is a
source of income for AIDS orphans
and allows them to be contributing
members of the community.
A total of $10,000 was
contributed from across Canada.
FWIO members contributed $6,000
to the projects. This will enable the
ACWW to fund the projects and
monitor them for a two year period.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
He did what any good representa-
tive should — he made a differ-
ence.
But now after almost 20 years as
the representative for Brussels on
the Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority's board of directors,
Bruce McCall is ready to retire.
It was 1978 when then reeve Cal
Krauter approached McCall to see
if he would be interested in being
the village's voice at MVCA.
McCall and his wife Doris owned
property adjacent to the Brussels
dam, on which they were planning
to build that year. "He called upon
me because the dam was such a
mess and he thought I might have a
vested interest in seeing it cleaned
up."
His first submission to the board
as a backbencher, was not taken too
seriously, however. "The feeling
was that the Ministry of the Envi-
ronment didn't believe in small
dams so there would be no funding
for such a project."
McCall tenaciously stuck to his
guns bringing the subject up year
after year. "The saying got to be
'Bruce and his damn dam,— said
McCall.
Funding was eventually received
from the federal Liberal govern-
ment through a Works program to
encourage employment. "I think
what put them over was when
•Brussels council said it would
come up with one-fifth of the cost,
about $60,000. The government
was impressed that a small village
would commit itself to raising that
amount."
After getting the feds on board,
McCall then used old political ties
to lobby the province. "I suggested
it would be bad to see Ottawa
building the dam and not have sup-
port from the province."
Less than a decade after his cause
began, the efforts paid off. The out-
come is a focal point in which the
Royal seeks
items
for archives
In anticipation of our 75th
anniversary, the Royal Agricultural
Winter Fair is looking for any items
of interest to add to its archives.
This would include ribbons,
photos, video footage, old home
movies, news articles, posters, etc.
Any donation would be appre-
ciated.
Make '1997' a great Diamond
Jubilee celebration. Contact Sue
Bunday at (416) 393-6411 to make
a donation.
village takes pride. "We were so
delighted by this project," said
McCall. It was something that
everyone said couldn't be done, and
it was. It proves nothing is impossi-
ble."
McCall knows firsthand what the
dam's rejuvenation has meant.
"Living there I can see it's been a
great thing for Brussels. Every
summer, there are dozens of people
walking across the project on any
given day. I am naturally very
proud."
Another highlight of his tenure
was the organization of the
Wawanosh Education Centre in
1984. McCall, who was then on the
Community Relations Committee
for MVCA, had visited the centre
in Saugeen. "It impressed me so, I
pushed for this one. I knew it
would be a wonderful thing for
everyone."
"That was one of the greatest
accomplishments we have made.
It's good not just for the watershed
but for the education of our chil-
dren. There is no better education
than that which you get on-site."
McCall did sit for some years on
the Maitland Conservation Founda-
tion, formed to raise funds for the
Centre. He credits the community
with tremendous support for the
project.
From 1987 to 1991 McCall was
chairman of the MVCA at a time
which he describes as having, been
"very good."
Those times have changed, which
has contributed to his decision to
retire. "I actually had planned on
retiring last year, but was con-
vinced to stay on. I must admit now
that I am frustrated by the way this
government is operating. They are
destroying the grassroots of many
organizations."
McCall said, "We have a good
base in this country. The waste is
with government, not with the peo-
ple who pay tax dollars. The waste
is with the people who don't have
to earn this money."
With Conservation Authorities
threatened by government cutbacks
and intervention, McCall doesn't
like to look to their future. "I am so
down on the direction we are
going."
The past, however, brings differ-
ent feelings, a sense of satisfaction
and pride. "I enjoyed every minute
of my time on the MVCA board.
We got probably double the value
of our money than we get from the
Ministry of Natural Resources."
"The Conservation Authorities in
this area are protecting the quality
of water for future generations and
teaching our children the impor-
tance of conservation."