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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1998-07-22, Page 4One perfect rose Photo by Janice Becker E ditorial Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen July 25, 1968 Newspaper subscription raze for Canadian citizens was $2. At Brownie's Drive-in in Clin- ton,Cotton Pickin' Chicken Pickers and Country Music on Broadway played together as a double fea- ture. Also paying were, Hombre, Way Way Out, Tony Rome, and The Flim Flam Man. A train ride from Brussels to Toronto cost $4.60 for one-way. Lt. J.D.L. Krauter who was sta- tioned in Gagetown, N.B. visited his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Krauter of Brussels on his way to Edmonton where he joined the Air- borne Division. John Murray Lowe of Brussels and Ruth Louise McTaggart of Kitchener announced their engage- ment. Victor Earl Cardiff of RR 4, Brussels and Shirley Margaret Luckhardt of RR 2, Monkton also announced theirs. July 25, 1973 The subscription rate for the Blyth Standard was $6 per year for Canadian citizens. Single issues cost 15 cents. At Brownie's Drive-in movie theatre, The Godfather, Play it Again, Sam, The French Connec- tion, M*A*S*H, Lady Sings the Blues, and Hannie Caulder were playing. Local children had the opportu- nity to see a play free in Blyth. Shortshrift, was sponsored by Blyth's Little Theatre and was per- formed by members of the youth division of the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. All chil- dren were invited to watch. Local girl Jean Caldwell was taking part in a summer program in Midland. The program included free babysitting while parents went grocery shopping, and running pro- grams to entertain youth most evenings. July 23,1997 Face Off and Men in Black were playing in Listowel at the movie theatre. The latter was in its fourth week there and was also playing at the Park Theatre in Goderich. Nathan Garland of RR 2, Blue- vale spent the week in London training with the regional volley- ball team for the provincials. The region consisted of athletes from Tobermory to Guelph to Hamilton to Windsor. He played for the Midget team. The commemorative plates for Brussels 125th anniversary were shown. The plates were created by Barb Mutter; a resident of the vil- lage. The new signs on the four edges of Brussels were put up in time for the Homecoming in August. Blyth Tykes beat Clinton 30-9 at home. Homeruns were hit by Ash- lee Cook, Nick Dale, Erin Moore, and Anthony Peters. PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1998. C ti n izen aNA The North Huron P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, OM. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOIA tHO NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 norhuron@huron.net Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil The Citizen is published weekly 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 $75.00/year in other foreign countries. 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 newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 So few voices Opportunities to hear a wide variety of voices in the media were dealt a blow this week when a newspaper swap between Conrad Black's Southam Newspapers and Sun Media meant nearly all daily newspapers in southwestern Ontario are now owned by one company. When Sun Media gave Black The Financial Post in Toronto in exchange for the Kitchener- Waterloo Record, The Hamilton Spectator, The Guelph Mercury and The Cambridge Reporter, it meant there is now little opportunity to read a daily newspaper in this part of Ontario that isn't owned by Sun Media. The company already owns the region's biggest newspaper, The London Free Press. It leaves only the independent Stratford Beacon-Herald as an alternative to the giant. And as if Sun Media's control of newspapers in the region isn't strong enough, it also controls, through its Signal-Star Publishing and Bowes Publishing arms, the majority of weekly newspapers in the region and the province's largest farm newspaper, The Ontario Farmer. Simple ownership of a newspaper doesn't mean each newspaper can't operate independently and express local opinions that might be at odds with the management in the Toronto office, but it does make it more likely that, little by little, newspapers will be reshaped to the ideals of the bosses at the top of the organization. There's also the danger that someone directing this huge corporation in the future may choose to set the editorial direction for the entire enterprise, using the power of the media to espouse a political agenda. Aside from this less-likely scenario, however, there's the sheer economic clout of such a dominating media presence in these days when Canada does not have any proper competition laws. As the economy becomes dominated by large companies, even in the small town retail sector, who is likely to get business from a major retailer, the huge chain or little independents like the Beacon-Herald (or for that matter the independent, community-owned North Huron Citizen)? There is no real evidence that bigger is better as far as consumers go, but in the 1990s, in a country without laws that properly protect competition, companies in Canada will continue to grow and economic clout will continue to be concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. — KR True north strong and free? Can a national government act in the best interests of its citizens in a global economy? A decision by the federal government Monday calls the ability of governments to take action into question. After the Canadian government banned the use of MMT in gas in Canada last year, Ethyl Corp., the maker of the additive sued for damage under the North America Free Trade Act. Monday the federal government not only withdrew the ban but agreed to pay Ethyl Corp. $13 million (U.S.) in damages. The government says it will reimpose the ban when it has the scientific proof that the manganese in MMT is dangerous to the health of Canadians. Some scientists say manganese can be toxic when airborne in high levels and have linked it to neurological and motor disorders and Parkinson's Disease-like symptoms. The government promises to reimpose the ban once it has the scientific proof that MMT is dangerous. But how long will that take? Do we end up with a debate of scientists on the two sides of the argument that could go on for years? Until recently, for instance, the tobacco companies have denied that nicotine was addictive. Under NAFTA, could a Canadian government have banned cigarettes in the best interests of Canadians? Would the American tobacco industry have been able to harass the government for years with lawsuits? The Canadian and U.S. governments have banned the use of freon gas in air conditioners because the gas has helped thin the ozone layer in the atmosphere. Still there is a healthy black market in importing the chemical from Mexico (some of it coming originally from Canada). Could the makers of the gas now sue until incontrovertible evidence could be produced that the gas is dangerous? Certainly investors in companies should be protected from unreasonable government action, but when companies can use the international laws to continue to make profits selling materials that are dangerous to the population, then something is wrong. The country belongs to the people, not the corporations. — KR