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The Citizen, 2004-06-24, Page 4Looking Back Through the Years PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2004. Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Jamie Peters and Alicia deBoer The Citizen 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 $30.00/year ($28.04 + $1.96 G.S.T.) in Canada; $80.00/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. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NC,. 40050141 PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIA N ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0 email: norhuron@scsinternet _om We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our moiling costs. - Canada Aocna *CNA :& 0,0 Member of the Ontario Press Council We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are m Copyright 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 norhuronescsInternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca Vote for the Canada you want It's interesting that Canadians go to the polls next Monday to exercise the freedom that the soldiers who risked their lives as they stormed the beaches 60 years ago on D-Day, an event we celebrated only three weeks earlier, fought for. While it's all very well that we celebrate the sacrifices of our soldiers. airmen and sailors with parades and monuments, the way we can best honour them is by taking proper advantage of the democracy they fought to preserve. It's become fashionable to scorn politics but we need to rem- ember what happened in countries like Germany when people gave up on being involved and took the easy way out by letting others think for them. Exercising the democracy our veterans fought for means more than just voting on Monday. It means voting with intelligence. We need to think about the Canada we want in the future and select the candidate or party which comes closest to being able to deliver that vision of Canada. We'll never agree with every policy of any one party. We also need to realize that every politician is human, with faults just like our own and will make mistakes. We can only choose on the basis of the principles of the party and its leader and see which is most likely to deliver the kind of Canada we want to build. It's difficult for people who only pay attention to politics in the waning days of an election campaign to make an intelligent decision. Campaigns are the "silly season" of politics. Like Parliament's question period, they are the times when politics is at its most partisan and least intelligent. As the campaign goes on it just becomes more silly with backroom experts trying to smear their opponents to make us fear voting for them, rather than telling us why we should vote for their own candidate. All this makes it too easy for us to write off politicians and decide not to vote. But remember, nearly every politician got involved in public life because they wanted to accomplish something. They had a vision and a goal. They often just get sidetracked in telling us what we want to hear so we'll elect them so they can do what they want to do. It's in our own best interests for us to get past the surface stupidity and viciousness of an election campaign to see what the politician and his or her party really stands for. It's those core values that will have the most influence on the future direction of the country, not election promises. So as election day approaches, remember why we fought for democracy in the past. Take the time to think about your selection and to vote. Don't regret in future that you stayed on the sideline or that you voted for, or against, someone because of lack of information. — KR Some friend! Canadian farmers are learning the hurtful reality these days 'that no matter how much countries may talk about free trade, when it comes to choosing between free and fair trade and the interests of people who vote in their country, governments like that in the U.S. will favour voters. Canadian beef, dairy and sheep farmers are caught in the middle of a tight presidential election in the U.S. where the government wants to keep as many voters as possible happy. The closure of the border to Canadian cattle and sheep imports has driven up prices and made cattle producers in particular, happy. The lobby group R-CALF has taken legal action to block any small cracks in the ban on Canadian live cattle. All this comes, of course, after one cattle beast in Canada was found to have BSE, or mad cow disease, more than a year ago. No more cattle in Canada have been found with the disease but one cow in the U.S. has, and unfortunately it was born in Canada. But if there's any doubt that the border closure now has more to do with politics than science, take a look at the rigidity with which the regulations are enforced and the failure to apply any common sense to the issue. If cattle producers are hurt and bruised by the border closure over a single sick cow, they can look at the even more ridiculous situation with sheep producers. Sheep don't get BSE. They do get a similar brain- wasting disease called scrapie but Canada has done a better job of controlling scrapie than the U.S. which has several outbreaks a year. The U.S. is in no danger from Canadian sheep but the border stays closed. Even more bizarre is the situation with specialty producers like breeders of alpacas. These South American animals are raised for their soft fleece, not for their meat so no one is in danger of becoming ill from them. Yet they can't cross the border. The U.S. portrays itself as Canada's friend but when it comes to political gain at home, friendship goes out the window. — KR Letter to the editor THE EDITOR, home and enjoy. Brussels Public School is looking Please call the school or e-mail me for families to adopt the Earth if you are interested and I will put Friendly Gardens for just one week you in the schedule. at a time in the summer. Thanks so much. All you have to do is water it and Diana Dolmage, pull some weeds. If any of the School Secretary, produce is ready you can takeit Diana_Dolmage@femail.amdsb.ca June 25, 1952 Rev. A.C. Wishart of Vancouver, returned to Brussels to visit with friends. He was pastor of Melville Presbyterian Church from 1906- 1912 before he moved to Calgary to become a pastor for Grace Presbyterian Church. The Majestic Women's Institute scheduled its annual picnic and took a tour through CKNX. Grace Stewart travelled to Battleford, Sask. to spend the summer with relatives. June 28, 1972 The Centennial program began with a ball game in Victoria Park followed by a ceremony at Brussels Public School when a plaque was. unveiled. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Wood sold their dry-goods business and property, which they had owned since 1935, to Mr. and Mrs. Hacklark of Kitchener. A 1964 black Pontiac sedan, owned by William Stevenson, was stolen from his home. Opposition leader Robert Stanfield came to Huron County. Connie McWhirter of Brussels, designed and crafted china ash trays and bon bon dishes for the Brussels Centennial headquarters to be used as souvenirs for the event. After several hours of discussion the Huron-Perth County Roman Catholic Separate School board in Seaforth decided to keep the board offices in Seaforth. Gideon Perrie, a Brussels-area man, who was born in Scotland, became the World heavyweight wrestling champion. The last Gold Cord presented in Canada was given to Stephanie Watts by Commander Gertrude Kellington at a ceremony in the United Church. June 25, 1986 Patrick J. Coyle, Canadian Consul in Detroit, and his wife Lorraine were among the guests at a special tourism night held at the Blyth Festival. - More than 100 people from across Huron `County .and southwestern Ontario who were involved in tourisrri, attended the preview performance of Another Season's Promise as part of the Blyth Festival's promotion program. Ross Daily, agriculture and business editor of CFPL television in London, told 150 people at the opening night dinner of the Blyth Festival, that Canadians should be very watchful of the potential cost of free trade to the country. He said politicians make promises they can't deliver in regards to free trade. Concerns were expressed at the 79th annual meeting of the Wingham and District Hospital in regards to the closing of 16 hospitals beds throughout the summer. Also there was discussion because one woman had mentioned she heard the chairman of the hospital's board, Hans Kuyvenhoven, say that the hospital may face a loss financially due to the expansion of the Ambulatory and Emergency wing of the hospital. A new EMA supermarket opened for business in Brussels where the former Queen's Hotel was. Rhonda Badley of Blyth, graduated from London Regional School of Nursing Assistants. A farewell party for Ken Scott, principal of Brussels Public School was held at the school. He received a school bell and was to become the principal at East Wawanosh Public School. Bev Elliott and Marilyn Forbes opened a new store, Christmas and Country, in Blyth. There were many mixed feelings regarding the Bluevale drain debate at a Morris council meeting. The drain was to go in in 1978, but the plans never went through. Former Grey Twp. reeve Leona Armstrong presented a gold watch to Ross Stephenson for his 30 years of service to the Grey Twp. Fire Department. June 22, 1994 Wingham OPP were investigating the break-in which occurred at the Blyth office of The Citizen. Entry was gained through a back door and the thieves looked through several drawers and filing cabinets before stealing a small amount of cash. Once again, the raccoon population of the area was booming. Many residents reported that the animals were invading barns and homes. Hwy 4 reconstruction hit the downtown of Blyth. While things seemed to proceed fairly smoothly in the beginning, a heavy rainfall caused some problems. Don and Mary Vair of Belgrave began a new venture, the creation of marionettes in the home-based business, Personality Plus Puppets. The couple travelled, to local schools to show the children the art of puppetry. June 30, 1999 About 282 people packed into the Blyth Community Centre for the gala dinner opening the 25th season of the Blyth Festival. The imitators were in town as Spice Power, an imitation band of the former Spice Girls, performed to a huge crowd at the Blyth arena. After two decades, a Walton man and his son Eddie, then of Australia. were reunited. Walton Public School held its annual fun carnival where pupils had the opportunity to go fishing and golfing or challenge each other to the obstacle course.