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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1998-11-18, Page 4Under ice Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen C Thb North Huron itizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet. Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil COT 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 $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 Mall Registration No. 6968 E ditorial PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1998. Farmers get the short end Murphy's Law must have been invented by a farmer, especially the corollary that says "If you think things arc going well you've obviously forgotten something". Things have been booming in the swine industry in western Ontario in recent years. Despite the odd downturn in prices, the industry was in an expansion mode with huge new barns going up everywhere you looked. Packers were crying for more pigs, saying they needed them to meet the demand for pork in Asia. Feed companies and packers were offering to help farmers finance huge new barns if they signed contracts to buy their feed or consign their pigs to that packer. The first hint of trouble for pork producers came earlier this year when the largest packer in the province decided it had to break its union if it was going to be globally competitive. Ontario pork producers got caught in the middle with fewer places to sell their pigs. Farmers who had signed contracts with the packer as part of their expansion, found the packer didn't have to honour their commitment when something like a strike occurred. Eventually the packer forced its workers to take a $6 an hour cut in pay but pork producers lost too. Farmers were still counting their losses from the strike when the Asian financial crisis hit export markets. The trouble is, all over North America companies had been expanding production to meet Asian demand. Now the pigs grown for export came into the North American market and prices plunged. Many Ontario pork producers can't remember prices as low as they've been in the past two weeks. But as usual when farm prices dip, farmers are the only ones who lose — at least on the surface. Pork prices haven't come down significantly to the consumer, perhaps because that major packer is trying to make back the money it lost in the strike. The workers who built all those hog barns have their money. Farmers' costs for feed and other inputs don't drop in relation to the price they get for their pigs. But in the long run, everyone in rural communities loses when farmers are suffering. If farmers haven't got money to spend the retail sector will suffer this Christmas. Our community will be hurt because farmers won't nave as much to give to their church, as much to give to the poor, as much to spend at the arena. We're all in this together and despite the fact farmers get the short end of these price meltdowns, we'll all share the pain eventually. — KR Payback time for negative ads If there was one delight in the results of the mid-term U.S. elections it was the resounding thumbs down that voters gave to negative advertising. Throughout the elections Republicans, led by Newt Gingerich, refused to listen to the polls that said people didn't want all the attention of the country focussed on the affair between President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Despite the fact the president wasn't even running for office, Gingcrich felt there were big gains to be made if his party kept up ads attacking him. The voters expressed their displeasure by giving the Democrats more seats than they held prior to the election, the first time that had happened for a government in the second term of a presidency in half a century. Under pressure from his own party, Gingerich resigned. Americans have led the way in negative advertising that attacks the candidate rather than the issue. Hopefully the kind of campaign that backfired on Gingcrich might bring an end to that kind of tactic. And hopefully that lesson will take root in Canada before things get any worse than they already are. One would have thought negative advertising would have died quickly in Canada years ago after the public reaction helped sink Kim Campbell's campaign over ads making fun of Jean Chratien's crooked smile. Currently, however, long before any election is in sight, the Ontario Conservatives are running ads attacking Liberal Leader Dalton McGinty over his lack of a clear health policy. Appearing as they are with the government-sponsored (read: your money) ads praising the work the Conservatives are doing in health care and education, it appears that the election campaign is already on. The government is risking the kind of response U.S. voters had to attack ads. Is the age of negative ads over, or just beginning? — KR November 21, 1973 Donald M. Young of RR3, Auburn, was appointed attendance counselor for the Huron County Board of Education. Them Donnellys, a play depicting the massacre of the Donnelly family of Lucan in the 1880s played in the area. Much of the cast had appeared in a play in Blyth (The Farm Show) the previous spring, including Janet Amos, later Blyth Festival Theatre's artistic director. Ontario's unemployment rate dropped down to 5.8 per cent in October from six per cent in September. November 18, 1981 Morris Twp. council met with the Environmental Appeal Board to discuss the township's landfill site. Rev. Charles Swan of Duff's United Church in Walton chaired the Remembrance Day service held at the Brussels cenotaph. At a meeting held at the Brussels Inn, it was decided to look into what could be done about re-string- ing the Christmas lights in the town. Merchants also decided to decorate the outside as well as the inside of their stores for the holidays. November 19, 1997 Parents throughout the county ral- lied to "Hug a School", presenting a unified voice in opposition to Bill 160. On the same day, parents ral- lied in Goderich in support of the march that was taking place at Queen's Park. Bedard, fifth; Michelle Smith, Janet Bosma of the Blyth area sixth; William King, seventh; Evan earned top honours in the Grade 3 Ducharme, eighth; Tamara Koehler, theory examination conducted by ninth and Derek Koegler, 10th. the Western Ontario Conservatory Brussels Army Cadet, Derek of Music. She received a 96 in the Hunt of Seaforth was bestowed a history section and an 83 in harmo- rare honour when he was promoted ny, for the highest provincial aver- to chief warrant officer, the highest age. Her teacher was Gail Lear of rank for a cadet. Londesboro. Encouraging results of 65 per The top fundraisers for the Brus- cent to 75 per cent of Huron County sels Skating Club Skate-a-thon Grade 3 students performed at the were Brittany Thyssen, first; Con- provincial level in the EQAO ner Smith, second; Tanya Franken, province-wide assessment in read- third; Lacey McCall, fourth; Justin ing, writing and math. Letters to the editor Gov't. tactics anger writer THE EDITOR, meaningful decisions at the local In Ontario it seems that we are level. carefully calculated and systematic witnessing and being subjected to a division, running from This is being done by causing attempt to brainwash us. responsibility, and then exposing Millions of dollars are being and ridiculing those same ruins spent by the Mike Harris they, the Harris Gang, have government and the Ontario Tories wrought, while at the same time on advertising. Our taxes are being constantly changing the subject. used, by the government, against us The ads cheapen the to try to lay the foundation for their government's intentions, attacking real agenda: the privatization of our those who are most qualified to health care and education systems, implement any lasting change. It vouchers, charter schools, funded hides behind fuzzy images and private schools, two tier health motherhood statements in order to care, extra-extra billing and the deflect criticism from bad policy, elimination of all powers to make Continued on page 6