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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-07-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2005. Editorials Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Heather Armstrong & Dianne Nonkes 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 S30 00/yeor ($28 04 > $l 96 G S T.) in Canada; $85 00/year in U S A and SlOO/year in other foreign countries Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event ot 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 NO 40050141 PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT.Canada The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM1H0 ' Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9148 PO. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1 HO email: norhuron@scsinternet.com We acknowieagr- the financial support of the Government of Canada 'tirouyh the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs A°cnaS^ ® Member of the Ontario Press Council BEIV We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Creating a crisis In the midst of a summer-long heat wave Ontario is facing an electricity crisis with warnings that if we don’t cut back we might suffer power cuts and even an outage like the massive blackout of 2003. But unlike many emergencies, this is a crisis that isn't really a crisis. We are pushing our electrical system to the breaking point not because of essential need but because of a created need. Where 20 years ago we would grin and bear the heat, todav we insist our comfort is an absolute need. Officials of Hydro One are asking customers to set their air conditioning at 26 degrees but many people are likely to feel this is a totally unreasonable request: they can’t possibly suffer through that kind of discomfort. There are people who can't, of course. Ir heat waves of the era before air conditioning some people with heart or breathing conditions died. For these people, air conditioning is a matter of life and death. For the vast majority of us, however, only our comfort is at stake. And so we push the electrical system to the point of breaking rather than suffer discomfort. In the past, electrical companies never worried about the load in summer. Winter, with its requirement for many hours of lighting, with houses heated with electricity or at the very least with furnaces using fans, was the time for peak demand. The last few years, however, records lor peak consumption have all come in the summer when air conditioners are going tull blast. And it will get worse as more and more homes install jir conditioning People looking at us from another, poorer society would likely compare our demand for constant comfort to the spoiled, rich person who insists he can’t possibly eat an inferior brand of caviar or travel anything but first class. We have created a hardship through our own mindset, and in doing so have created a very real electricity crisis where there doesn’t need to be one. — KR Never again There was a great sigh of relief this week when the First truckloads of live cattle in more than two years crossed the U.S. border following a U.S. appeals court lifting of an injunction that kept Canadian cattle out even when the U.S. government was prepared to let them in. With another hearing later this month before the same judge who granted the original injunction, Canadian cattle and sheep farmers are unlikely to breathe easy yet. If that hearing keeps the border open, however, it's time to begin to look and plan ahead for the first lime in two years. While the short-term effect of bringing buyers from U.S. packing plants back into the Canadian cattle market should be a financial shot in the arm for hard-hit Canadian producers will we show we have learned anything from the crisis? Cattle producers lost an estimated $7 billion because we were so dependent on exports to the U.S. We had started to build new packing plants here so we wouldn’t depend on the U.S. Will we continue, or slip back into our old ways of dependency?—KR Letter to the editor Looking Back Through the Years THE EDITOR, We attended the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association Summer 2005 Feeders Forum held in the Brussels Community Centre on Wednesday. July 13. It was a packed house for the barbecue and the information meeting following with farmers from several counties in attendance. Obviously a great deal of time and effort had gone into planning this event. The beet barbecue was delicious, the arena floor had been appropriately decorated for a farm gathering and several interesting speakers were on the agenda. The politicians in attendance included Ontario’s newly^appointed Minister of Agriculture Leona Dombrowsky, former agriculture minister Steve Peters and Huron Brucc.MPP Carol Mitchell. All three spoke basically applauding each other for the wonderful person he/she was. said nothing new. assured us that agriculture was extremely important io them and the province, made no time tor questions or answers and marched out together as soon as they were Finished speaking. Several speakers were to follow including a representative from the American Meat Institute and several others from Cargill Ltd. We can't help but wonder what impression the Americans had when the Canadian politicians walked out. Maybe this is just our thinking, but if these politicians were as concerned about the closed border situation as they would like us to believe, they would have sat down and listened for awhile. Granted they have busy schedules (don’t we all?), but one more hour would not have inconvenienced them that much. The presentation on the unpopular CAIS program brought questions from the audience. Had the politicians stayed around, they might have heard first-hand the frustrations farmers have with this program and hopefully have answered some of the questions. If anyone shares our feelings wehope you will let your MPP know. James L. Taylor, Doris Taylor July 21, 1948 The mass x-ray survey of the people in Huron County was completed. The number of people x- rayed in Blyth was 634, while there were 1.300 x-rayed in Brussels. An estimated 1,000 spectators attended the grand opening of the floodlights in the Blyth agricultural park and were treated to a full evening of softball by the four leading teams in the Group division. The event was sponsored by the Board of Trade, which fostered the floodlight installation. Proceeds for the evening amounted to $200. The Blyth Lions Club fourth annual frolic promised a full evening of fun and entertainment. Playing at the Roxy in Clinton and the Regent in Seaforth it was Nightmare Alley with Tyrone Power, Joan Biondell and Coleen Gray. At the Capital Theatre in Goderich it was Gentleman's Agreement with Gregory Peck. Dorothy McGuire and John Garfield. And at the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham, Gene Autry was starring in Saddle Pals. On the menu for the Ladies’ Auxiliary raspberry tea was meatloaf, rolls, salads, raspberries, cake and tea. Summer and vacation needs were on sale al R.D. Philp's drug store. Insect repellent was 59 cents, while suntan lotion was selling for 35 and 65 cents. Thermos gallon jugs were $3.99 July 19, 1972 Brussels children were transported by bus to the Seaforth pool for swimming lessons thanks to sponsorship from the Brussels Legion and Lions Club to provide bus transportation. Farmers were experiencing an extremely difficult haying season. Heavy rains left Fields with wet bales which it was feared were ruined. Oldtimers said it had been the worst season for a good -many year. The high winds coupled with the heavy rains caused havoc on some grain fields in the area, llattening many of them. Physical ties that had existed with the Brussels community for more than 100 years were broken when the furnishings of Brussels orange Lodge No. 774 were sold by public auction. The Lodge had members registered as far back as 1852 but the Lodge did not receive a warranty until October of 1856. They purchased a framed building that had served the Anglican Church and which they occupied for nearly a century. Dwindling membership had Brussels amalgamate with Belgrave Lodge. Officers at the time were Immediate Past Master. Harvey Jacklin; Worshipful Master, Gordon Guy; Deputy Master Laurie Black; secretary, Robert Hart; treasurer Glen Smith; chaplain. Emerson Mitchell; lecturers. Harvey Jacklin and Earl Bernard. Morris council accepted a tender of $95,836.50 for the construction of the Clark bridge at the intersection of the centre sideroad and Cone. 5. The new three-span bridge with an overall length of 160 feet would replace the existing bridge built 60 years before. July 18, 1973 The Standard took another step in its expansion program with the installation of a Buckingham offset camera. The new piece of equipment meant that all steps in the production of the newspaper would be done on site, with the exception of the printing. Purchase of the large camera, which took pictures of full-sized pages with negatives the same size, was part of a program of expansion that saw the first steps taken in the spring with the publication of a new monthly magazine called Village Squire. The office also moved to a new building on Queen Street which also included a small book and craft store. Montreal economist Dian Cohen determined Canadian housewives worked an average 99.6 hours per week, putting them into the $20,000- a-year bracket. The St. Augustine store changed hands when Mr. and Mrs Glenn McConnell purchased the business from Gus Devereaux. July 23,1986 Country Arts opened at Blyth Festival. The exhibit featured painting, quilts and woodworking. Quilters, whose work was featured were Bridgitte Wolf, Jop Knechtel and Susan Rankin. Colborne Twp. was set to celebrate 150 years. Ron Vercruyssen was chosen to get a chance at making the top 12 of the Ontario juvenile basketball team. Stalls of fresh produce, homebaked goods, books, plants, good used clothing and more spilled across the lawns of Memorial Hall as part of the annual County Fair of the Blyth Festival. July 22,1998 Come September, students and staff at Seaforth District high School would have new neighbours. The Avon Maitland District School Board decided to relocate most departments and about 60 staff members to new quarters at the school. With the exceptionally hot, dry weather, local villages were struggling with water shortages. The Brussels Barracudas swam to medals at the Goderich meet. Canadian legend Stompin’ Tom Connors delighted some 1,200 people in Blyth with his down-home country charm. He even stayed after the show to sign autographs until the wee small hours of the morning.