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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-11-03, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1999. C itizenTheNorthHuron (♦CNA 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 Press Council P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 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 $27.00/year ($25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A, and $100/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’s the referee1? American competitors play. E ditorial I . • .......... Faced with the possibility that more Canadian hockey teams could move south of the border, the Ontario government agreed to one of the demands of club owners — lower property taxes on arenas. The move takes Canadian teams one step closer to the conditions under which their That’s been the demand of hockey team owners, particular­ ly Rod Bryden of the Ottawa Senators. It’s not fair that Canadians don't have the same rules as Americans, he claims. The demand, then, is to change our rules to the Americans’. But imagine if the shoe was on the other foot. The American govern­ ment would be unlikely to change all its taxation and business rules in order to harmonize their rules with Canada’s. Instead, they’d be taking Canada to the World Trade Organization (WTO) calling on us to alter our rules to fit theirs. Here is a case where U.S. cities were subsidizing their hockey teams by providing taxpayer-supported arenas while Canadian teams put up their own arenas and paid taxes. That’s the kind of government subsidy the Americans would attack if it went to Canadian magazine publishers or farmers. Our federal government doesn’t say a word and wonders, instead, how to find ways to give teams made up of millionaires a tax break so they can compete with the subsidized Americans. Canadians were sold on free trade as a way of protecting our country from U.S. political protectionism. Yet if there has been a case where Canada has actually used the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or WTO to challenge unfair American trade practices, it does­ n't come to mind easily. The number of cases where the Americans have used trade legislation to harass Canadian companies or producers are numerous: the recent decision on dairy exports, the magazine bill. It's not as if the Americans are innocent of bending the rules to favour their own companies (though these wins at WTO will bolster their view that they are the true free traders), it’s just that the Canadian government never seems to have the guts to stand up to the Americans. Even when we win, as in the softwood lumber case, we end up giving the Americans what they want anyway. Recently, the U.S. ruled it would put a duty on Canadian cattle because our producers were “dumping”, selling at less than the cost of production. Canada imports large amounts of U.S. beef as well and it must be selling at less than the cost of production — that’s why the American producers started the whole anti-dumping issue. Why doesn’t our government chal­ lenge U.S. imports? There were concerns when Canada entered a free trade agreement with the U.S. that it was the beginning of the end of our country: that Canada would finally slip into the U.S. embrace we’d been fighting since 1812. With a government that never fights the Americans but simply changes to rules to play their way, eventually no one will notice when we do suc­ cumb. We’ll already be Americans. Canadians elected Jean Chretien in part because they were uncomfort­ able with the way Brian Mulroney cozied up to President Ronald Reagan. Chretien talked a good game at the time but since then has given in to the U.S. on virtually every issue. If we want to have a country, we’ve got to get a government that has a backbone. — KR Dressed for the season Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen All for show Some bureaucrat in Ottawa deserves a medal for the Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance (AIDA) program. It’s the perfect government program: it makes it sound like the government is helping people but it isn’t costing much money since few can qualify. When prairie premiers went to Ottawa last week to plead for more fed­ eral aid to western farmers in the face of disastrously low prices, Prime Minister Chretien was able to stand in front of the microphones and say he’s already given farmers nearly $1 billion in aid this year and there just wasn’t any more money to give. Yet the irony is that while the govern­ ment, with great fanfare, announced the AIDA program last winter, when western grain farmers were reeling from terrible prices and eastern pork farmers were facing bankruptcy from record low prices, few people are getting the money promised. The rules are just too stringent for people to qualify. But is the government about real assistance or just show? The record indicates AIDA’s about politics, not caring. — KR Oct. 31, 1979 Ruth Doherty, Pat Badley, Dorothy Oster and Isabel McClure won the Legion dart trophy for the second year in a row. In honour of the International Year of the Child, the Blyth Centre for the Arts presented a team of professional puppeteers from Toronto with their show The Brick Brothers Circus. Blyth village council presented a weight-run clock to the senior citi­ zens apartment, Queen’s Villa. Registration was up for Blyth’s figure skating club with 63 regis­ tered for figure skating and 18 for power skating. Instructors were Debbie Pettit of Goderich and Julie Twynham of Seaforth. Five townships in Huron County planned to appeal tax equalization factors implemented by the province. They were Tuckersmith, McKillop, Morris, Stephen and Howick. Blyth United celebrated its 119th anniversary. The Knox United Church manse opened. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Blanchard, RR4, Walton and Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Dumin, RR3, Auburn were honoured for their service as foster parents. Nov. 1, 1989 OPP laid 35 charges in a massive Huron County drug sweep. Kevin Wheeler and Michelle Menzies won the bronze medal at the SunLife Skate Canada International competition in Cornwall. The duo skated in the senior pairs free skate division. Callander Nursing Home was to close. In all, 45 jobs were lost to Brussels as the home moved to Wingham. Anne Elliott, Dan Steyn and author Alice Munro were among the performers at the Blyth Festival mystery dinner. Vandals damaged McDonald’s Buildall. New Brussels Brownies were Christa Smith, Treia Teeft, Sarah Little, Nicole Lowe, Elizabeth Ross and Amanda Leger. Joanne King and Marie McIntosh, district managers for the Brussels Area for World Book Incorporated attended the annual international conference in Chicago. Shannon Hallahan and her cham­ pionship calf Weirholme Warden Habby took the Grand Champion award at the Little Royal in Walkerton. Nov. 2,1994 The county narrowed the number of potential landfill sites down to four. An abundance of clear, sunny weather, contributed to a good har­ vest of white beans, soy beans and corn. Morris Twp. residents attended a meeting to hear their candidates’ platforms. The meeting was chaired by Doug Fraser who served on council for 14 years, nine as reeve. The Blyth senior boys cross country team, that finished first at Hulled was Darrell McDougall, Dennis Higgins, Jud Hakkers, Matt Sherred, Jamie Taylor and Jamie Black. The girls Midget team members, who also finished first were Ashley Taylor, Jamie Lewis, Mandy Mason, Rachel deBoer, Jenna Taylor and Charlene Bromley. The Blyth Legion and Blyth Lions presented $ 1,100 to the Blyth Scouting groups.