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The Citizen, 1999-09-01, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1999. C itizenTheNorthHuron Aocna PO. Box 429. BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil Member Ontario Preen Council E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com 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 S27.00/year (S25.24 + S1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; S62.00/year in U.S.A, and S100/year in other foreign coun­ tries. 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 newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 1374990 Where to now ? E ditorial Months of meetings and hard slugging are over for the members of many Huron County municipal councils and draft amalgamation proposals are being presented to Huron County Council in time for Thursday’s meeting. The remaining question is whether the county, and the provincial government, will go along. It will test the flexibility of the minds of legislators at the higher levels of government to accept the proposals. The I........................................................._J proposed new municipalities range from very large units in the southern part of the county to small, two-township groupings in the case of Morris and Turnberry and Ashfield and West Wawanosh. to the orphan municipality of Howick Twp., left out all on its own. Some of the new groupings seem geographically united, such as Ashfield and West Wawanosh, but others stretch over huge areas, such as the Grey, Brussels, McKillop, Seaforth and Tuckersmith grouping which stretches from the village of Hensall in the southwest to Molesworth in the northeast. Despite the vast differences in the proposals, these are the groupings that people are apparently comfortable with. Will the county and the province accept that, or will they seek to impose their own ideas of w'hat should happen. The province, in particular, has suggested in the past that it wanted local solutions. Such solutions are now on the table. It will be interesting to find out if the province will still agree with its own policy.— KR Positive signals welcome Despite his criticisms that the new school year is about to begin without course outlines for the new curriculum the government wants secondary school teachers to deliver, Earl Manners, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation seemed to hold out an offer of peace to new education minister Janet Ecker when they met this week. “I believe that our meeting in general was a positive one,” Manners said. “This is not something that has happened in the past.” For the sake of students, parents and teachers, let's hope this is the beginning of a new era of co-operation in the education system which has been wracked by turmoil for four years. With the Harris government elected for a new term, teachers’ unions don’t seem to have much point in continuing their militancy in the hope of having the government defeated. On the other hand, the province must bring some stability to the classroom if they hope to deliver the kind of quality education they claim to favour. Curriculum development is a case in point. It’s easy to make speeches about the wonderful plans you have for revamping education (putting more emphasis on science, math, English and Canadian history). It is the teachers who must deliver on the promise and they need to know what they must teach. Manners says teachers in semestered school have lesson plans that only take them to the beginning of October. Though it is to be expected that there will always be tension between the head of a major teachers’ union and the government, hopefully Ecker and Manners will build a new era of co-operation in the name of everyone involved in education. Certainly the era of confrontation hasn’t done anything to help students learn. — KR So what’s ‘a people’ The NDP at its national convention in Ottawa this past weekend, said Quebec should be recognized as “a people” in the constitution. Great, but what does it mean? Nationalists in Quebec know what it means for them. It means the descendants of the original Quebec habitant families are “a people”. Many could agree with the fact that this unified group with 400 years of history is “a people”. But nationalists also want the definition broadened to include a geographic area, and that makes no sense. Quebec, in itself, is not “a people”. It has English speaking people who have been there for nearly 200 years. It has many recent immigrants which have no 400-year history on the land. Some of northern Quebec wasn’t even included in its boundaries when it joined confederation. Quebec is a political compromise, just like the rest of Canada. — KR Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen Aug. 29, 1979 Carol Gross of Blyth competed at the Canadian Ladies Champion Arm Wrestling Competition at the CNE in Toronto. She was declared the champion. Part of her prize was an expense paid trip the World Championship in Kansas. Fond farewells and best wishes were extended to James and Anne Roy, founders of the Blyth Festival, who left for Toronto, Playing at such local theatres as Brownies Drive-In, Clinton, the Park Theatre, Goderich, and the Mustang Drive-In, were Bill Murray’s Meatballs, as well as Dracula, and Star Wars. Aug. 30, 1989 Two hundred guests gathered at Londesboro United Church to help Edwin and Hattie Wood celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Streams and rivers in the Maitland Valley watershed were failing the pollution test, a techni­ cian with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority told the Soil and Water Conservation Day held at the Morris Twp. farm of Peter and Brian Oldridge. At the general meeting of the MVCA, the Awards for Conservation were presented to five individuals and two groups. The Conservation Award of Distinction was presented to Bruce Shillinglaw, a conservation farmer from the Londesboro area. Plans for a public meeting to dis­ cuss a new township hall in Hullett had been postponed until a survey or community interest had been held. Building had commenced at Brussels Public School to construct additions for the year’s increased enrollment. Two local 4-H clubs were pitted against each other when the “Go for the Gold” Competition was held. Cranbrook represented by Gerald Knight, Darren Hemingway, Ann Uhler and Peter Workman took on the Hallrice team made up of Conrad Bos, Fred Peel. Donna Lynn Armstrong and Lori Armstrong. Honey I Shrunk the Kids was held over at the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham, while Turner and Hooch played in Goderich. Aug. 31, 1994 The Huron County Plowing Match came to an end for another year. The Queen of the Furrow competition boasted nine contes­ tants. Shannon Craig, daughter of Graeme and Helen Craig of RR1, Walton was crowned the queen for 1994-95. Letters Letters to the editor are a forum for public opinion and comment. The views expressed do not neces­ sarily reflect those of this publica­ tion. THE EDITOR, With regards to the council of the Village of Brussels supporting a resolution made by the Twp. of Front of Leeds and Lansdowne to have prayer and/or Bible readings reinstated in public schools, I am requesting that you print the letter of response that was received from the Ministry of Education. I think this information may be of interest to your readers and the general public. Thank you. Lori Pipe. Dear Lori M. Pipe, Thank you for your letter of July 12 to the Honourable Janet Ecker, Minister of Education, about the resolution passed by the Corporation of the Township of Front of Leeds and Lansdowne, which council supported at its July 5 meeting. I am pleased to respond to your letter. The issue of Bible reading and prayer in Ontario’s public schools has been considered by the courts. The reigns of the Huron County Dairy Educator was passed to Kim Baan of RR3 Walton at the Belgrave Women’s Institute Hall. CJS Arena, just north of Brussels, was hosting the Ontario National Barrel Racing Finals. Jim Carrey starred in The Mask at both the Lyceum and the Park Theatres. The Blyth Bainton Gallery was sponsoring a non-juried community art show. Please be advised that the courts have ruled that public schools are to be secular. A single religion can no longer occupy a position of pri­ macy in Ontario’s public schools. Section 4 of Ontario Regulation 296 (“the Regulation”) neverthe­ less permits pupils to have a moment of silence during opening or closing exercises during which they are able to reflect upon their own personal or religious beliefs. Schools are also permitted to provide scriptural readings includ­ ing prayers, which represent a vari­ ety of religious beliefs. These read­ ings are to be representative of Ontario’s multicultural society. As well, under section 29 of the Regulation, school boards may per­ mit a person to conduct religious exercises, comprising Bible read­ ing and prayer, before or after the school’s instructional program. Thank you for writing to the Minister about this matter. Sincerely, Alan Wolfish Director Legal Services Branch. THE EDITOR, It has been brought to my atten­ tion that there are rumours circulat­ ing regarding the Huron Adult Day Centre moving into the building (Jonnymores) recently purchased by Town and Country Support Services. I would like to set the record straight and dispel these rumours, as not being factual. We are NOT in the process of moving. On the other hand, I don't want Continued on page 6