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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2004-09-02, Page 1Inside this week Pg. 3 Pg. 7 Pg. 8 Pg. 10 Bannerman launches Blyth book Armstrongs celebrate 50th Local on silver- medal rugby team Area girl named Furrow Queen Company prepares 2 Pg. for 'Passion' e Citizen erving the communities of Blyth7rd Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 20 No. 34 Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004 $1 (93c + 7c GST) Fiery farewell It was a 'warm' goodbye to a piece of Brussels history on Monday night as firefighters did a controlled burn on what remained of the once majestic Crystal Palace. The building was constructed in time for the 1906 Brussels Fair. The ceremony, which attracted nearly 2,000 people was held on the Palace's balcony. Long-time residents remember fondly attending fall Lairs and dances at the building. Used for almost eight decades, the building sat vacant after the fair was moved to the new community centre in 1984. It was torn down this past weekend. Many residents stopped to watch Monday night's spectacle and to pay tribute to the past. (Bonnie Gropp photo) Daer wins By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor A recent, though well-known arrival to Blyth, was selected in Monday's by-election to fill the vacant North Huron council seat. Edgar Daer will replace former Blyth ward councillor nigh DeVries. Daer moved to Blyth from his East Wawan. osh home located just outside the village, this spring. His 'association with the community is strong, most notably for the many years he has been involved with the Huron Pioneer Threshers. He is currently past president. He received 175 votes over opponents Dave Pattison with 114 the for former Blyth clerk Helen Grubb with 86. In a phone interview Tuesday morning Daer said he was "overwhelmed by the support." "I'd like to thank people for the support and the kind remarks I received while campaigning. It's a good feeling." Daer, who will be sworn in at the Sept. 7 meeting of council said he will follow the learning curve of municipal politics for a time, but promises to be a strong voice for Blyth residents. "I'm pretty dedicated to this village." Office open Monday Monday is Labour Day and while people throughout the readership area are enjoying the unofficial end to summer, staff at The Citizen will be working. The Blyth office will be open its usual hours, however, copy for advertising and editorial must be received by noon. The Brussels office will be closed, but information can be slipped under the door for pick-up at noon. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor It has been 15 months since one cow in Canada tested positive for BSE and it may soon be the end of an industry if something doesn't change. Ross Procter of the BrusSels area, who organized a meeting with Ross McCall of Brussels for concerned family farmers, expressed his concern that the beef industry cannot hold on much longer. "This is the most serious thing I've seen in agriculture in 77 years." The idea of the meeting, he said, was not because they had the answers, but rather that they need some. "I don't know of any other outfit that could suffer like this for this long." How much suffering was made evident at the meeting when 22 of those present submitted their lost equity as a result of BSE. The total for the room was $15,109,800, an average of $686,772 per person. "It's a big deal. This is very serious," said Don Procter, one of five co-chairs of the meeting, along with his father, McCall, Len Gamble and Charlie Gracey of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. Putting a personal perspective on the crisis, he explains that he has lost (the value of) a whole farm plus equity. "If something's not done I'm going to have to sell." Gamble said many are getting tired of the fight. "There are a lot saying they aren't going to buy this fall until they see if the border opens. There's nothing we can do until America opens the door. They have the key." Gracey sees another response to that suggestion, however. He feels the time has come for legal action. "The notion that America has the key is a limp-wristed excuse. Can we not stand up for ourselves? That's why we have free trade." He strongly supports the Chapter 11 challenge launched by the Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade out of Lethbridge, Alberta. They have since received the support of the Alberta Beef Producers. The challenge is to go after America suggesting they have violated the spirit and intent of the North American Free Trade Agreement by keeping the border closed. He admits that the group thinks the move could be a long shot, but feels it's worth the try. "It is foolish to sit around and wait for the border to open. If it doesn't work I won't be embarrassed. They are testing the rules and putting NAFTA on trial." The uncertainty does concern the already overstrapped producers who could join the fight. "I have looked into it, but nowhere can I find out who pays the legal costs if the challenge is lost," said Don Procter. "I can't afford to lose money. But I am in favour of what they're doing." Gracey, who accompanied the western cattlemen to Washington in June and may have a minor role as an industry advisor to their counsel, said the idea of using the tools under NAFTA and the World Trade Organization have not been talked Boundary issue plagues council By Dale Newman Special to The Citizen The Moncrieff boundary issue is back on the Huron East council agenda. Solicitors for James and Cindy Moyer have brought notice of claim to ownership of land which is to be served on the Corporation of the Municipalities of Huron East. At the recent council meeting Clerk Administrator J.R. McLachlan said he felt no action was required at this time with regard to the notice of claim to ownership. Municipal lawyers for Huron East have contacted the applicant's lawyer and advised him that in March 2004 a deed was prepared clearing up the title to property and also that the original document indicated a walkway from one parcel of land to the other. He has also forwarded a letter to the applicant's solicitor advising that since it is a walkway, then it is the legal title of the municipality and cannot be claimed through right of possession. Councillor Alvin McLellan felt council had already spent a lot of time and money on the ongoing boundary dispute and "this was just another stab in the back against council". Council passed a motion directing James and Cindy Moyer to remove all their property off the four-foot walkway and any other municipal property by Sept 30, 2004. about enough. "An important role of both is to ensure that trade is fair, predictable and transparent, but that has not been used. A year later and there has been no immediate relief out of the process." The time for "sabre-rattling", is here. "If America is listening they could begin to think that this could cost them big time. Also it would be an embarrassment for them trying to explain why they're treating this issue as science based, when it's process based." "If it was science-based, there would be no reason why the border wasn't open." According to the guidelines from the international organization for epizootic diseases, Gracey said Canada's beef could have been back on the market in June or July of 2003. "They said we are a standard for the world in July. In December they said the world was not treating Canada fairly." On the shortest end of that stick Continued on page 14 BSE continues to ravage industry