HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1997-03-05, Page 4411.4$N MOON 1131P0saos, MSM* s, iw
Your Community Newspaper Sina 1860
TERRI-LYNN DALE General Manager
8 Advertising Manager
KEVIN CARDNO • Advertising Sales
PAT ARMES • Office Manager
DIANNE MCGRATH - Subscriptions
& Uauifieds
PAVUCOTT • Eciaor
G GSR c m&
- Reporter
MILE=
• distribution
A Bowes Publishers Community Newspaper
511QS(RIPTHON RATES tOCAt - 32.50 a year, in advance, plus 2.28 G.S.T.
SENIORS 30.00 o year, in odvonce, phos 2.10 G.S.T.
USA 4 foreign 28.44 o year ,n advance, plus 578.00 postage, G.S.T. exempt
5UBSCRiPTION RATES
Published weekly by Signol-Ston Publishing 01 100 Main St., Seaforth. Publication
moil registration No 0696 held at Seaforth, Ontario Advertising is ocospird On
condition that in the event of a ypographucal error, the advertising spots occupied
by Ilse erroneous item, together with o reosonoble ollowance 10 signoMxe, will not
be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable
rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at o
wrong price, goods or services may not be sold Advertising is marsh/ on oiler
sell and may be withdrawn at any time The Huron Expositor is not responsible for
Ole bis or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for
reproduction purposes Changes of address, orders for subscriptions and undeliv-
erable copies ore b be sent b The Huron Expositor
Wednesday, March 5, 1997
Editorial and Business Offices - 100 Main Street.,Seaforlh
Telephone1519) 527-0240 fax 1519) 527-2858
Mailing Address - P.O. sax 69,
Seaiorlb, Ontario, NOK 1 WO
Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper
Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association
and the Oniono Press Council
Views expressed on our opinion page(s) don't
necessarily represent those of The Huron
Expositor or Bowes Publishers. The Huron
Expositor reserves the right to edit letters to the
editor or to refuse publication.
Editorial
Ontario Hydro could learn
lesson from public utilities
How can a small puhlic utility balance its books when it
only gets to keep 15 per cent of the rate it charges to cus-
tomers for hydro and 85 per cent goes to Ontario Hydro'? And
how can Ontario Hydro be billions of dollars in debt?
Last May, the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy
(MOEE) released the Macdonald Report which is a frame-
work for competition in the province's electricity system. It
recommends that Ontario Hydro (OH) be absorbed into the
local utilities and the distribution of power be reorganized at
the local level. This could be good news for rural customers
paying high rates for hydro.
The group of 17 Huron -Perth PUCs recently decided on hav-
ing a single utility for each of the two counties. A recently
commissioned report by the Huron -Perth group revealed the
opportunity to save money and reduce hydro rates anywhere
from 16 to eight per cent with the inclusion of customers now
being served by OH in the two counties. That decision and
report is being forwarded to the MOEE. No action is likely to
happen until OH can be brought into negotiations..
What this all boils down to is the small utilities have been
working EFFICIENTLY with LESS for years, keeping their
rates low and their customers happy. Utilities in the two
neighbouring counties have been purchasing as a group for
several years as well. Compared to health and education in
Huron and Perth, the utilities are light years ahead in effective
cooperation.
If the Ontario government really does have any common
sense. it will adopt the recommendations of the Macdonald
Report and begin the long process of making Ontario Hydro
accountable for its internal gluttony. And give rural customers
a well-deserved break on rates after years of unnecessary dis-
crimination. - DWS
Letters to the Editor
Player deserving
of more coverage
Dcac Editor:
Congratulations to the
Seaforth Do -It Centre. They
seem to be the only ones in
the town to acknowledge the
accomplishments of Kathy
Devereaux on their sign out-
side thc store.
1 was quite disappointed to
see what little coverage
Kathy received in last week's
edition of the Huron
Expositor in comparison to
that which hockey players
have received in the past.
Few people in the town know
of Kathy's achievements for
after one quick glance at the
paper, her article could have
easily been overlooked.
Kathy survived cuts from 360
players from across the
province to thc team roster
who competed in P.E.I. She
also averaged a point a game
to help the Ontario team win
a silver medal at the Midget
Nationals for women's hock-
ey. This success story surely
deserved more than one small
article in the middle of the
community sports page.
It is true that we have a lot
of hockey talent to be proud
of in this town -Driscoll,
McLlwain, Watt, Devereaux,
Murray, et al. Now I think it
is time we add, another
Devereaux to the list. Way to
go Kathy, we ARE all proud
of you.
Yours truly,
Susan McLachlan
Editor's Note: Kathy
Devereaux had not yet
returned from the Maritimes
as of last week's press dead-
line.
The Huron Expositor was
the only paper in the atva to
carry the story until last
Saturdays (March 1) edition
of the London Free Press,
which carried just one para-
graph on Ontario's silver
medal win.
For the love of hockey in 1923
Of all the wonderful stories
Pat Bennett recently shared
with me, one that really
struck a heart -felt chord was
the story .of her brother
Vincent, who died at the
young age of t7 near the end
of February 1923.
Vince was a year and a half
older than Pat but the two
were about the same size and
shared their first pair of
skates - blades rivetted to a
pair of Vince's old shoes.
They also both shared a love
for the game of hockey.
Vince, a fiery red-headed
youth, quit school at the age
of 16 and went to work for
the Bank of Commerce. He
was well known and popular
in business and the social life
of the younger set and took a
great interest in athletics,
according to the large tribute
in the Expositor following his
death. He was active in both
lacrosse and hockey for
Seaforth.
It was his love of hockey
which led to his untimely
passing.
Popularity of Hockey,
Hockey was hot in Seaforth
at the time. Seaforth player
Bill Montgomery was play-
ing in the Western Pro
League and Ted Bullard, also
from town, was on the Notre
Dame university team. New
leagues were being formed
and there was a lot of enthu-
siasm amongst the young
players.
Like Vince, Cooney
Weiland also abandoned his
studies at Seaforth Collegiate
Institute the year before, in
1922. Weiland was then play-
ing for the Owen Sound
Greys, who would go on to
win the Memorial Cup that
1923 season. (He was about
four years away from the
beginning of a Hall of Fame
NHL career).
Game in Brussels
Nets Govenlock and Kenny
Bennett (Pat's future hus-
band) knew Vince was a
good hockey player and a
game was coming up against
Brussels, a hard team to play.
"How 'bout getting Vince?
We'll have a better chance of
beating Brussels then," Pat
recalls Kenny saying.
Vince was so anxious to get
going after work he just ran
in the door, threw down his
papers from work and told
his mother and two sisters,
'1'm away to Brussels to play
hockey with Kenny and Nels.
And I don't know whether
we're coming home tonight
or tomorrow."
Cutter Ride to Game
Being a typical headstrong
17 -year-old, Vince didn't
think of bringing a change of
clothing or an extra sweater
to keep hien warm on the trip.
They rode to Brussels in a
horse and cutter and played
in the open air on the river. -
Sadly, they lost the game.
From a combination of sweat
and snow, Vince's clothes
were wringing wet by the end
of the match. The trio loaded
up the cutter and headed back
south.
From Brussels to Walton,
Vince didn't say too much,
he was too busy shivering.
Ken Bennett knew someone
they could stay with in
Walton. He roused the
Johnston household with a
knock on the door and the
hockey players spent the
night in warm, dry surround-
ings.
"The next day they had to
drive him back into Seaforth.
He had an awful cold.
Mother said why don't you
stay at home and get rid of
that cold. Oh no, he was
alright."
Moccasin Dance
Although he should have
been in bed resting, Vince's
destination that Friday was
the moccasin dance.
The February 16, 1923
Expositor announced the
event simply as follows:
"Local Briefs - A moccasin
dance will be held in the
Palace Rink, Seaforth, on this
Friday evening. Music will
be furnished by the
Highlanders Band."
At an event like this, people
would wear moccasins and
dance on the ice surface of
the rink to the music of a live
band. Many dances then
didn't have a definite closing
time. Some advertisements
for dances simply stated:
"Dance will end when the
band stops playing."
Vince had a girlfriend in
Egmondville and nothing
was going to prevent him
from going out.
"Of course a cold couldn't
stop you from going to a
moccasin dance. So he went
and danced all night on ice,"
says Pat.
Then he walked her all the
way home.
His girlfriend told the fami-
ly afterwards, "you know
Vince spit up blood that
night."
"He came home after the
dance and said, 'you know, 1
think I'II stay in bed and try
to get rid of this cold.' So
mother never called him
Saturday. Sunday came
around. He had to go see his
girlfriend Sunday night,"
says Pat.
"You try and tell a 17 -year-
old he can't go. You couldn't
tell him anything."
Monday morning there was
no response when his mother
went to call him.
Temperature of 103
He could hardly talk. The
family called immediately for
Dr. McKay. Vince had a tem-
perature of 103.
"You're not going any-
where," he was told.
"Everyday his temperature
kept going up. They brought
him downstairs so mother
wouldn't have to climb up
the stairs. There was no air
conditioning then. They'd
raise the window just a hit.
As soon as they did he'd
know it. When he'd go to
sleep, they put the window
down every so quietly. Then
five minutes later he couldn't
get his breath."
- On Thursday. he developed
pneumonia. He died Saturday
morning.
"That a boy, strong and ath-
letic, in the morning of life,
CONTINUED on page 5
Disappointed with Stratford Hospital
Dear Editor:
1 wish to convey my feel-
ings about the whole health
care system in Stratford. I
feel I should do this at this
time as many small hospitals
in towns such as Seaforth are
losing out to the big time
wasters iri Stratford. More
should be invested into keep-
ing small town Ontario
healthier closer to home than
forcing people to go all the
way to the "big city".
I would first like to address
the psychiatric services
department of the Stratford
General Hospital. As some-
one who has had family
members involved in this
shamble of a system, I am
left feeling very angry and
concerned. The psychiatrist
my family members have had
has been doing a fine job. My
anger lies with the nurses and
staff who work there. Instead
of helping people, they are
more. of a hinderance.
Listening to- what -many peo-
ple have been put through is
appalling. Instead of making
mental illness accepted. they
make it something to be
ashamed of. That sounds
pretty prejudicial in my
books. People who go to the
daycare program must suffer
every day; Instead of treat-
ment they are treated like
children. Often, many people
are too scared to complain
and that is not right.
In the area of physical
health, things don't seem to
be any better or any more
efficient. Someone I know
was told they had cancer late
last year and to this day noth-
ing has been done to treat
them. Their doctor said the
cancer could be dissolved,
why has this not been done?
They are left on the edge of
their seat wondering what
they should do. Another per-
son I know was told they had
diabetes and not told what to
do in the way they eat or
monitor their blood sugar.
This same person was told
that in a few years they will
be practically crippled. Now
what kind of bedside manner
is that?
We have become so sick
and tired of what is going on
with doctors in Mitchell that
we have started to sec a doc-
tor in Seaforth. Now I see the
Huron -Perth Health Council
is limiting the Seaforth hos-
pital's role. We will not go to
Stratford for medical treat-
ment of any kind. No one
outside the city should he
made to have to go there
when in most cases they send
you to London anyways if
things are really bad. But for
most medical needs, the
small town hospitals need to
be there for all of our medical
needs.
Randy White
Mitchell, Ont.
Train marooned near Kippen in 1947
FROM THE PAGES OF
THE HURON EXPOSITOR
MARCH 19,1897
ANOTHER PIONEER
PASSED AWAY - Mr. Robert
Barbour, sr., of Seaforth,
passed peacefully away to the
better home at the residence
of Mrs. Yeo, Egmondvillc, on
Saturday, March 13th, after
an illness of only six days.
Mr. Barbour was born at Old
Glenless, Parish of Kells,
Kiroudbrightshire, Scotland,
in the month of June, 1817,
and was the second son of thc
late James Barbour, of the
farm of Ringower, Parish of
Kclls. In 1841 he was mar-
ried to Jane McGhie, of the
Parish of Borguc,
Kiroudbrightshire, Scotland,
and on April 4th, 1845, he
emigrated to Canada with his
wife and two children.
MARCH 10,1922
Hockey Season Closes -
The Junior hockey tcam jour-
neyed to Stratford by motor
in a sea,of.mud to complete
their Northern League fixture
with the Midgets. Hockey
was out of the questions; it
was a scramble in slush and
water. Stratford managed to
bat in six goals, while our
bathing beauties notched
three. Stratford thus contin-
ues in the race for the cham-
pionship by two goals over
our boys. The greatest credit
must be given to the mem-
bers of the Junior Hockey
Club for the brand of hockey
they have displayed this sea-
son, and Seaforth is justly
proud of their efforts •to
J
In the Years Agone
uphold the old tradition that
we have one of thc hest
sporting towns in Ontario,
bar none.
THE TELEPHONE - Thc
inconvenience caused by the
severe ice storm of last week
on the telephone lines, shade
trees, apple orchards, etc.,
has been partially relieved by
thc satisfaction we men of
,Tuckcrsmith get from the fact
that the women talk to us
more this week than former-
ly.
It's an old-time saying that
the men get too much talking
from the housewife; but
there's a great deal of satis-
faction in coming into the
house and finding your wife
looking over Eaton's
Catalogue or Ladies' Home
Journal, than to find her quar-
relling over the telephone
with her next d neighbor
about her hens, r telling her
how she's goi g to trim her
last year's hat for the coming
season. Usually, while she
talks your dinner is burning
on the stove. On the other
hand, if she's talking to you
there is always a chanceof
getting an occasional word in
and reminding her of how
you like your dinner. •
MARCH 14,1947.
'twenty-nine dog-tired rail-
way mon Thursday fought
their way to London down
the Huron and Bruce line of
the CNR from a 20 -foot drift
north of Hensall which had
marooned their plow since
Monday of last week.
Nine of them were
Londoners, the crew of a
CNR combination of plow,
two locomotives and a
caboose. Thc others were
Hensall and Clinton district
section men.
With scarcely a break, these
men - and others - shovelled
snow into the boilers of two
locomotive tenders after
water was exhausted. To
dump fires in the freezing
weather would have ruined
both engines.
While they fought their
three-day round with
Ontario's worst storm, an
elderly farm couple. Mr. and
Mrs. James Mustard, of
Kippen, fed at least nine men
at every meal.
The crow slept in fits and
starts, two hours here and
there, until boilers required
more snow.
. Monday morning the train
swung out of London and
punched its way through
growing.drifts north into
Clinton.
A dozen times the .crew
tried to free the equipment
and snow gradually drifted.to
the caboose roof. Doors
couldn't be opened; the only
entrance -Was the cupola on
the roof.
MARCH 16, 1972
Plans to preserve and reno-
vate the Van Egmond proper-
ty in Egmondvillc have
advanced a stage with the
announcement that a charter
incorporating the Van
Egmond Foundation had
been issued by Ontario
Minister of Financial and
Commercial Affairs.
Activity in connection with
the proposal has been carried
on by a committee named at
a puhlic meeting last
December. Preliminary con-
sideration concerning thc
property was given by provi-
sional committee which was
appointed at an initial meet-
ing called by Seaforth and
Tuckcrsmith and held here
last October. Reeve John
Flannery headed the provi-
sional committee while
James Doig of Tuckcrsmith is
chairman of the present com-
mittee and one of the three
provisional directors named
in the charter. The other two
arc Dr. Roger Whitman and
Mrs. Edith Baker of Seaforth.
CAT TROUBLE - A power
blackout affecting about
10,000 area hydro customers
resulted when a cat climbed a
transformer at the Ontario
Hydro Station , cast of
Seaforth, early Monday.
In addition to Seaforth..dis-
ruptions also occurred in
Clinton, Brussels, Blyth,
Walton and surrounding rural
areas from 12:30 to I a.m.,
Walter Palmer, manager of
the Clinton Ontario Hydro
station said.