HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-04-04, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2001
Editorials
Opinions
Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp
Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil
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The Citizen
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Who needs this?
Provincial Energy Minister Jim Wilson's announcement last week that
electricity charges will go up eight per cent is exactly the news
beleaguered homeowners, farmers and small businesses didn't need.
Rumours are that this is just the first of several price increases we may
face as the electricity market is deregulated and privatized in Ontario.
The privatization of electricity seems to be a victory for the provincial
government's right-wing ideology over common sense. Ontario Hydro
may not have been running as efficiently as possible but it was giving
Ontario homeowners cheaper electricity than their neighbours and giving"
Ontario industry a competitive edge.
Believing implicitly in the value of competition, however, the Harris
government has been determined to pr;vatize power generation. The
problem is nobody wants to take over Ontario's expensively constructed
power plants. So the government must give incentives to private industry
to encourage businessmen to get involved. The Bruce Nuclear Power
Development was leased at much less than its value so British Energy
could hope to turn a profit and invest in refurbishing closed reactors. The
eight per cent electricity rate increase is needed to pay down the debt
faster so that private business will want to get involved in generating
power. And of course a new business coming along will benefit from the
higher price when it tries to build its own power plant.
From California to Alberta there have been major headaches in
privatizing electricity service. In theory, more competitors should mean
lower electricity prices but to attract the competitors, prices have always
gone up. While competition should promise savings, duplication of
service plus the need to create double-digit profit levels to keep
shareholders happy can more than eat up the savings. Let's not forget we
once had competition in electricity in Ontario and the government took
over and set up Ontario Hydro because it made good economic sense.
We need economical power. Outside of the Harris government, most of
us don't care if this is provided by a public or private provider. The
government seems adamant in pushing its private enterprise agenda even
if consumers have to pay more to make it happen. — KR
Democracy gets messy
Our newscasts are going to get nasty as the screens are filled with
protests. This week it was demonstrators in Ottawa who were demanding
the government release the text of its proposals for the Free Trade
Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). Later this month Quebec City will
be the site of international protests against globalization.
Most Canadians will either condemn the protests or not pay attention.
Instead, they should be thankful sombody's fighting for something most
of us can't be bothered sticking up for — democracy.
Take the FTAA situation: shouldn't a government be willing to discuss
an agreement it proposes to sign that can change the lives of people in its
country? Under the new realities of global trade agreements, however,
the demands of other governments for secrecy trump the demands for
Canadians to debate what their government is signing.
Sadly, most Canadians don't care about their democratic rights as long
as the prosperity train keeps delivering new goodies. — KR First blooms Photo by Vicky Bremner
Looking Back Through the Years
April 5, 1950
A feature of the special musical
service at Melville Church was an
organ recital of descriptive music.
This included The Russian Patrol,
when the' organ becomes a bugle
band with marching soldiers.
Narcissus, Trumpet Tune and Air
would be played. The choir sang
Going Home, and a mixed quartette
sing Up From the Grave He Arose.
Miss Grace Stewart was in charge
of the Easter Meeting of Melville
WMS. She was assisted in the
devotional exercises by Mrs. John
Work who read the scripture and
Mrs. Jason S. Armstrsong who led in
prayer. The Old Rugged Cross was
sung by Mrs. Walter Porter.
Mr. Cornish and his staff of the
Singer Sewing Machine centre at
Goderich gave a very interesting,
demonstration on Singer sewing
machine attachments in the Brussels
Town Hall.
All the different attachments were
displayed and participants had the
opportunity of seeing the work being
done and how the machine and each
different attachment could be
adjusted to suit the different
materials. The ladies also were
pleased to see a sample of the work
done by the ladies in charge of the
machines. They demonstrated the
hemmer, showing the different
widths, tucker, ruttier, or pleater,
edge stitcher, bias binder, shirrer,
zigzagger and the button-holer. A
demonstration of darning brought
the demonstration to a close.
Mrs. Harold Thomas won the prize
donated by Mr. Cornish. Mrs. Eldon
Wilson and Mrs. W. Martin served a
tasty lunch to Mr..Cornish and staff
at the close of the demonstration.
April 2, 1986
The historic Ball's Bridge in
Colborne Twp., south of Auburn
would be part of the scenic
landscape for at least another 10
years according to a decision
reached by Huron County council.
The county was still planning a
modern structure to more adequately
meet the heavier traffic needs of the
area, but the new bridge would be in
addition to,. not instead of the old
bridge.
Uncovered for the first time in
recent years with the demolition of
the Queen's Hotel in Brussels was a
very unique classic old shop
window. The window, once the
sample room of the hotel, will be
part of the new Huron County
Pioneer Museum.
It was an unoffical "grand
opening" for the building that would
house Lyle Youngblut Plumbing and
Heating on the main street in Blyth.
The entire roof of the former Blyth
Meat Market building had been
removed and a second story was
being added.
The approval of the Huron County
budget meant the approval of the
allocation for renovations to
Huronview. Scheduled over a three-
year period, the renovations were
meant to make the facility more like
a home and less like an institution.
The Belgrave Squirts completed a
successful hockey_ __season_".by
winning the Tri-County
championship beating Hanover in
the finals. Earlier in the season they
competed in the Walkerton House
League Atom Tournament and won
the B Championship. Team members
were -Kyle Moran, Tim Coultes, Ian
Morton, Robbie Johnston, Jason
Campbell, Mark Robinson, Richard
McKeon, Paul McIntosh, Robbie
Anderson, Jeff Olson, Brad
Robinson and coaches Jim Johnston
and Glen Coupes.
Top herd owners were honoured at
a banquet in Brussels. Allan Martin
got the award for highest herd
average. Bob Vodden of Hol-den
Farms took the award for runner-up
herd average and for greatest
production increase. The awards for
breeding efficiency and highest plus
production cow went to Jim
McKague of Belmore.
April 3, 1996
Senior students from Grey Central
Public School were given the
opportunity to tnteract with the
seniors _at_Huronlea in Brussels. The
pupils regularly visited the facility to
play games, sing songs, chat with
residents and learn from a generation
they may not have contact with.
The Blyth Optimists Club donated
$300 to the young Peacemakers at
Blyth Public School, to the annual
operating cost of the program, April
I. Receiving the donation from
Optimist President Alan Young were
Peacemaker Teag Onn, Jackie Brak,
Staff Advisor Cheryl Cronin,
Elizabeth Ross and Chris Hill.
The Brussels Bulls held their
annual banquet in Brussels this past
Saturday at the Legion. Trophy
winners included were Jamie Taylor,
Cor Bridges, Ryan Wright, Cory
Bragg, Greg Fritz, Josh Alexander
and Brian McNichol.
Four Blyth PS students won prizes
at the Zone Level of the Royal
Canadian Legion's Remembrance
Day contest: Jamie Lewis, colour
poster. junior, Megan Campbell,
essay, junior, Mike Walsh, black and
white poster, junior and Brianne
Schultz, poem. junior.