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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-08-02, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2000. E ditorials & Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil 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 327.00/year ($25 24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada. $62.00/year in U.S.A and $100/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 newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs Publications Mail Reg. No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 1374990 The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Xocna^sNA Member of the Ontorio Press Council ■OW '■uTc' Picking the toughest course Ontario Environmental Commissioner Gordon Miller lashed the provincial government last week for its failings in protecting public safety by making sure we have safe drinking water. Miller’s report came in the same week that a list was released of municipalities that had deficiencies in their water management practices, including both Blyth and Brussels. “What the government has done is remove its obligation to be environmentally responsible,” Miller said in part. That should not be a surprise to anyone who’s been watching and listening in the last five years. Over and over again this government has distanced itself from responsibility for various sectors of society, at the same time as it retains the power to impose its will. Take a look at education, for instance, where local trustees still bear responsibility for balancing budgets under penalty of the law, but have no input on the funding they receive. But the implications go much further than politics. The whole reasoning behind the Common Sense Revolution (and the mandate of the Alliance party federally), is that government is largely unnecessary, that people should have freedom to act according to their own conscience. In an ideal world, this thinking is absolutely right. If every individual accepts their responsibility to behave wisely and morally, we don’t need any laws at all. We don't for instance, need an army to protect our country. We don’t need police to protect the possessions of the wealthy. The problem, as Walkerton’s tragedy has pointed out, is that in a complex society like ours, such idealism is naive. Somebody, one individual or a group of individuals, goofed and six other people paid the price with their lives. Up to 2,000 other people got sick. The economy of the town has been ruined. The reputation of Walkerton has been set back to the point it’s known all over North America as that place with water that kills people. Premier Harris is right in saying the ultimate responsibility lies with the individuals who screwed up. The problem is, no matter how much the guilty accept their responsibility, nothing can put the pieces back together. The vision of the new right is that rules, regulation and enforcement are unnecessary but that only works if society is society is remolded so that every individual takes his or her responsibility seriously. Even then, mistakes will be made. We either have to accept that more Walkertons will take place or we need to admit there must be a system of checking up on people so their mistakes can be caught before tragedies happen. Not having checks in place through provincial government regulation and enforcement also places responsibility on each of us to be involved and aware of what is going on at the municipal level — if not, we could pay with out lives. Lately people have been more apt to ignore local politics completely than to stay on top of local government. Accepting the load of bearing personal, individual responsibility is a load many of us just aren’t prepared to shoulder. — KR Playing monopoly Sometimes watching today’s business world bears a distinct resemblance to the days of ancient Greece or Rome where ordinary mortals felt there were uncaring gods playing games with the lives of humans. Today the business gods are forever buying and selling like a gigantic game of Monopoly, oblivious to the effect their actions have on their employees and customers. This week’s announcement that Canwest Global will purchase the newspaper and internet assets of Conrad Black’s Hollinger is one more case in point. Hollinger had spent years buying up newspapers to create a powerful chain, then shocked the country by deciding to sell the whole thing. The Hollinger holdings were split into blocks and offered for sale because it was thought nobody could buy the whole company but suddenly a television company buys it lock, stock and half of The National Post. Now, instead of one company controlling 40 per cent of the daily newspaper circulation in Canada, we have one company that controls much of our television and 40 per cent of newspaper circulation. Nobody, whether a right winger like Conrad Black or a Liberal like Canwest Global head Izzy Asper, should have so much power. — KR Letters to the Editor Lumped together Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years THE EDITOR, What a shame to see another business on our main street closed. Maybe with some support and encouragement the Fishers could be convinced to try opening the bake shop again. 1 have talked to several people who also miss the bake shop, the bread, rolls, donuts, etc. 1 know we miss the whole wheat bread. The bake shop did attract out-of- towners too, especially when we had our butcher shop which is also missed. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning cottagers would stop for meat, then dash across the street to the bake shop for rolls and bread. Some visitors to our home this week on their way to Lake Huron, were very disappointed to see it was closed. Maybe we could hear from some more citizens who care about our village and what it has to offer. A concerned citizen. Aug. 2, 1960 A one-pint jar of Pure P-Nut Butter cost 39 cents at Grewar’s Groceria. Eleven boys of the Brussels Cub Pack were holidaying at Camp Crehwyn. They were: Neil McTaggart, Dale McTaggart, David Hastings, Bruce Edgar, Doug Leach, Allan Bridge, Harold Bridge, Doug Logan, Jack Higgins, Ben Bridge and David Kennedy. The Arcade Store of Brussels was selling Girls Blue Overalls with matching blouses for $1 each. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture in a telegram to Huron County farmers suggested that farmers who were buying feed at that time should consider the possibility of purchasing Ontario winter wheat in place of more expensive Western Canadian grain for feeding of poultry and hogs. July 31, 1974 The Blyth Memorial Hall issue was likely to get a new airing at the next regular Blyth council meeting. Since council turned down the tenders that had been submitted for reconstruction of the Hall roof at a special meeting two new proposals had been submitted. The first was from a specialist who claimed he could strengthen the roof without replacing it, the second from a group of Amish workers. Ontario Provincial Police patrols increased in Blyth in the previous weekends and residents of the village found the nights to be quieter along Queen Street. Brussels was more than likely to have a Senior Citizen’s club house. The unused CNR station was officially purchased by Brussels council from CN for the legal fee of $1. No senior citizens organization had yet officially agreed to take over the use of the building but Reeve McCutcheon said that many older people he had spoken to were enthusiastic about a meeting place of their own. Aug.l, 1990 Citing personal reasons Ken Brown resigned his position as councillor for the village of Blyth. Canada Post and the proprietors of the Walton Tea Room had reached an agreement to establish the new retail postal outlet in the Tea Room. Earlier in the summer the Belgrave and District Kinsmen announced their plans to replace the existing front of the Belgrave arena with a new community centre. It was to be a joint venture with the township of East Wawanosh who were in need of a new municipal office. The club had undertaken some preliminary design work and developed a proposal. Despite insuring the expanded Blyth Memorial Hall for an additional $600,000 the Blyth village tax bill was not to increase. Aug. 2, 1995 On July 27 officers from Waterloo Regional Police responded to a complaint of a noisy party. When they arrived they recovered 30 of the 90-100 leather jackets stolen from Baintons Old Mill, Blyth on July 26. The 1995 Citizen of the Year for Brussels was Frank Thompson, who had recently retired from Thompson’s Meat Market. Amy Thomas, an 18-year-old Brussels-area girl achieved top 10 finishes in all the events she entered at the National World Open Championships for baton at Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana. Her finishes included first in two baton, third in x-strut, sixth in solo baton and flag and eighth in hoop baton.