The Citizen, 2002-12-18, Page 4Looking Back Through the Years
PAGE 4, THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2002
Editorials
Opinions
Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp
Advertising, Alan Young, Cindy Smale
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Who's wrong here?
To hear critics of Jean Chretien tell it, the prime minister is causing
problems for both his party and his country and should resign long before
his stated departure of February 2004. One has to ask, hoWever, if Chretien's
opponents aren't causing much of the problem.
Those urging the prime minister to leave early, including Huron-Bruce
MP Paul Steckle, are strong Paul Martin supporters. For many of them, it
seems, every day Chretien stays is a day that denies the rightful prime
minister his place in history. Even though there has been no leadership
convention, it's such a foregone conclusion Mr. Martin will win the party
leadership, that his supporters are chafing to get on with the inevitable
government he will form at least for the duration of the current
_government's mandate. Supporters worry the current infighting in Ottawa
might damage the chance of Mr. Martin winning his own election and
carrying on his leadership.
Surely Canada must be experiencing one of the strangest situations in its
long history. We have, in effect, a government in waiting. So sure is Alberta
Premier Ralph Klein that Mr. Martin will ewrite the Kyoto Accord, for
instance, that he decided not to pursue his promised court challenge to the
federal government's right to sign the agreement, Everybody keeps
wondering what Mr. Martin thinks of every issue and whether he'll reverse
government policy when he takes over. Government backbenchers openly
revolt against government policies. sure that their opposition will not offend
the future prime minister.
If the country is to be paralyzed by the Martinites' unwillingness to
support a prime minister who helped them win three elections, then perhaps
it's indeed in the best interests of the country that Mr. Chretien go early. One
has to wonder, however, what the voters are going to feel in the long term
about Mr. Martin if he is seen as undermining his own leader and preventing
him from trying to finish his agenda in his last few years of office. Nobody
but the opposition parties is benefiting from the current mess. — KR
Racism doubly bad
THE EDITOR,
It's a sad fact that more fire deaths
occur during the winter than any
other time of year, December
through March is without a doubt
the deadliest time of the year.
The-two young children and their
mother who perished as a result of a
fire in Brantford in late November
are a horrific warning of what can
happen to you and your family.
I am urging everyone in our
community to wrap up fire hazards
this month to survive the holidays
and the winter.
Simple prevention and protect
steps include:
I. Make sure you have a working
smoke alarm on every level of your
home and outside sleeping areas.
Never remove the batteries except
to change them and test smoke
alarms once a month.
2. Create and practise a home
escape plan with every member of
your family. Know two ways out of
all areas in case your main exit is
blocked.
3. Smokers' materials are one of
the main causes of fatal fires —
make sure all cigarettes, cigars,
pipes and matches are properly
extinguished. Keep matches and
lighters out of sight and reach of
children, preferable in a locked
cabinet.
4. People who smoke and cook
while under the influence of
alcohol cause many fires. Drink
responsibly and keep an eye on
those who don't.
The tire service is determined to
reduce fire deaths and injuries. Let's
learn from the past and take some
extra precautions to avoid another
deadly winter season.
Have a fire safety holiday season.
Sincerely,
Paul Josling, Fire Chief
Blyth & District Fire Department
Dec. 22, 1960
It was reported that the new
Brussels school would open for
classes on the first school day of the
new year.
Wayne Low was the winner of the
East Huron Centennial committee
draw for a mantlepiece.
Winners of the home and business
Christmas decoration competition
sponsored by the Brussels
Horticultural Society were:
homes— first, Mrs. E. Shurrie;
second Mrs. Jos. Brewer; third, Mrs.
Jack Lowe; businesses — first,
BM&G Telephone Co.; second,
Wood's Store; third, Scotch Thistle
Restaurant.
Queen Elizabeth pulled the lever
to launch Britain's first nuclear
submarine, the Dreadnought, at
Barrow-in-Furness.
Newly-elected WMS officers
were: Mrs. Elston Speiran, Mrs.
Mac McIntosh, Mrs. Carman Baker,
Mrs. Cliff Morrow, Mrs. Everett
Robinson.
The WA was led by Mrs. Herman
Whitfield with Mrs. Leslie Lake as
first vice-president and Mrs. Leslie
McKay as secretary-treasurer.
Dec. 17, 1986
For the eighth year in a row, Blyth
Festival ended the year in the black.
Brian McBurney, reeve of
Turnberry Twp. was acclaimed as
warden of Huron County at the
inaugural session of county council.
McBurney was the youngest warden
in history at only 35.
Huron County educators received
a retroactive salary increase. The
minimum and maximum secondary
school principal's salary was
$59,280 and $64,480. For vice-
principals the figures were $52,000
and $56,160, while teachers were
paid $21,740 and $48,300.
Bill Stephenson received an award
for long years of service on Brussels
main street.
Conrad Bos, 11, of RR3, Blyth
was the winner of the Blyth Vet
Clinic trophy for showing the top
pre-4-H calf during the season as
well as placing second in the pre-4-
1-1 showmanship class. • Vic Stackhouse resigned his seat
on Hullett Twp. council
Victor Stackhouse was installed as
worshipful master of Hullett
Masonic Lodge A.F.&A.M. 568.
Other officer were Murray Nesbitt,
Dave Lee, William Vincent, Robert
Anderson, Gordon Shobbrook, Jack
Lee, Lorne Snell, George Nesbitt,
Clare Vincent, Robert Shaddick,
Robert Thompson, Bruce
S hillinglaw, Alan Caldwell, William
Leiper.
Audrey Bos, RR3, Auburn, was
the winner of the congeniality award
at the Hallrice 4-H dairy club's
awards night.
Arthur Bos, RR3, Blyth was a
double winner. He took home the
Kennairn Farms trophy for the Top
Jr. calf as well as the UCO Belgrave
trophy as top junior showman.
Lisa Boonstoppel, RR I, Auburn,
was named top senior showman.
Brussels Lions presented a 20-
year pin to Henry Exel, a 10-year pin
to Jack Knight and a five-year pin to
Dave Hastings.
Dec. 19, 1989
Blyth Festival's most successful
season ever at the box office turned
into its biggest deficit ever when the
financial report for the season was
presented. The Festival attracted
47,000 people during the summer,
averaging 72.67 per cent paid
attendance for every performance. It
brought an increase in box office
revenues of nearly $93,000, but
reduced government grants and
unexpected expenses left the
organization with an accumulated
deficit of $74,892 at the year end.
An organizational meeting for a
new Toastmasters Club in Brussels
was planned.
A Blyth man was credited by
police for preventing what could
have been a more serious accident
when a spooked horse, dragged a
buggy carrying three Amish people
into the side of his transport truck.
Robert Brak was jack-knifed the
trailer into the snow filled ditch.
Lionel Wilder was named new
Huron County warden.
Dec. 19, 2001
Former Brussels resident Janet
Cardiff and her husband George
Bures Miller were named to
Maclean's 16th annual honour roll.
Each year the news magazine
celebrated the achievements of 12
Canadians chosen because of the
way all have "enriched the country
with their creativity, intelligence and
passion to make a difference."
Cardiff, the daughter of Jack and
Audrey, RR5, Brussels has created a
stir in the art world, both at home an
dabroad.
New Brussels Brownies were
Lauren Stewart, Emily Baker, Tylnn
Ducharme and Jessica Bentley.
A group of volunteers in Ethel
built an outdoor rink.
Wingham and District Hospital
board member Bob Pike announced
his resignation.
Radford's added auto repair
service to its existing business.
Ontario Provincial Police arrested
two young men in connection with
the murder of an Ashfield Twp. man.
Proposed road name changes for
Brussels because of 9-I-1
regulations were Church Street to
McCutcheon Drive, James to Arena,
John to Walnut, Market to Flora,
Mill to Orchard Lane, William to
Myers Drive, Walnut to Workman
Drive.
Flu immunizations were up.
Lord of the Rings and Jimmy
Neutron were playing at the Park
Theatre in Goderich.
A native Canadian elder created a storm across the country this week
when he justified the extermination of Jews under Nazi Germany, but the
racism didn't stop there.
David Akenakew, former chief of the Assembly of First Nations, a
member of the Order of Canada said totally unacceptable things and
should have to answer for them. But newscasts across the country Monday
were focussing on his Indian heritage. CBC's The National said native
leaders were scrambling to "distance themselves" from Mr. Akenakew.
But why should they?
Surely Mr. Akenakew being native and saying racist things should not
suggest that other native leaders are racist by association. Those of us who
are white, after all, get tired of being branded as racist just because our
ancestors or those with our skin colour treated people of other skin colours
badly, so why should other Indians feel guilt because of the rantings of one
individual.
If this incident does anything it should be to expose racism as something
that affects individuals of all races. There's been a tendency in our media
and politically correct circles to treat racism as something that only
happens as white anglo-saxon protestants against people of other races and
creeds. Mr. Akenakew shows those who class themselves as victims of
racism can also be racist. — KR
Letters to the Editor