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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2004-10-13, Page 5News Jason Middleton photo Fire Safety Week Huron East Fire Chief Marty Bedard stands behind St. James Grade 3 student Robert Campbell as part of an activity during fire safety week, which ran Oct. 3 to 9. The students also learned the importance of checking batteries in smoke detectors and making a fire escape plan in cof a fire at their homes. New signs meant to bring attention to crosswalk By Jason Middleton Expositor Staff After a three and a half year battle to cross Seaforth's main intersection, a visually impaired Egmondville resident hopes that a set of "yield to pedestrian" signs will help him cross the road safely. Ever since Bob Fisher started losing his vision to a condition called central retinal vein occlusion and after dealing with weekly encounters with careless drivers not looking for pedestrians. he has been wary of crossing at the intersection. "I'm scared to death. I usually have an occurrence weekly where someone turns in front of me or cuts me off," said Fisher. "For three years I I have never crossed unless I'm 100 per cent sure," Fisher said. "I'll wait four or five lights. 1 don't care. I don't want to be a fender ornament." Nearly three weeks ago, Fisher's battle to cross the street almost came to an end when he ended up on the hood of a car making a rolling right at the intersection. In a letter the Huron East council, Fisher explained his situation and asked council to have "yield to pedestrian signs" placed onthe poles at the main intersection. Last Tuesday, four florescent orange signs were put up at the intersection of Goderich Street and Main Street. At last Tuesday's council meeting, Huron East council unanimously agreed with putting up the signs. Huron East Public Works Coordinator John Forrest said that although the signs are not a regulatory sign, he suggests drivers pay added attention in that intersection. "What we're hoping to accomplish (with these signs) is to get the people to stop," said Forrest. "We don't want to eliminate making a turn on a red light. We want people to stop and yield to the pedestrians before they enter the intersection instead of just pulling around the corner and keep going. Right now they don't stop." "They're not looking for people walking across the intersection," said Forrest. Throne speech passes without incident By Matt Shurrie Goderich Signal -Star Editor Concern that an amendment to last week's federal throne speech might overturn a minority Liberal government proved futile on Oct. 7 when a last-minute compromise was reached. The deal, finalized just moments before the House of Commons was to vote on the throne speech. saved a potential lethal vote that could have put an abrupt end to the governing Liberals. "There was some debate going into the throne speech that we had accommodated the wishes of the opposition parties," Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle said. "I guess in the end all parties did agree." In praising the throne speech. Steckle highlighted the government's commitment to finalizing deals with cities and communities and the creation of a national child care program. He also praised the forward thinking of his party for developing tax breaks for those who support disabled Canadians. "I think so many times the people who are disabled in our country have family members who take care of them but there's no recognition for the kind of work they do," Steckle said. "When people do it free we should be willing as a government to recognize that service and give a tax credit for that kind of thing." Steckle also praised the country's recent health care deal that will see Ottawa provide additional funding over the next 10 years. "The implementation of a 10 -year health plan was certainly the pivotal point which I think all of us agreed was the most important issue on the agenda of all parties." Steckle said. "Given that the provinces got considerably more — they also dropped a tremendous amount of dollars from where they started off." Steckle said the government's — and his own — biggest concern remains accountability and whether or not the government is getting its best bang. "I have had every assurance given to me not only by the minister. but by a number of other people who were very close to this issue that we have achieved that," Steckle said. "We hoped, of course, to get out of it with putting less money on the table but by the same token you can't ask for commitments to meet certain targets if you haven't got the money to do the program." Steckle defended the throne speech and its limited references to the ongoing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis saying the government remains committcd to find alternative markets for Canadian beef. "(The border) is not an issue at the moment that I think we can take to a different level until this election is over," Steckle said of next month's presidential election in the United States. "1 know a number of things I'm not at liberty to talk about but I do know there's some thing that just aren't going to happen before the Paul Steckle election. "There's a certain particular person they hope will not he re-elected and doing anything on this particular issue right now would assure his re-election. I'd like to see that particular person gone and I'm not talking about the president but someone down the chain of command." Steckle reaffirmed his previous position that Canada must do everything in its power to find alternative markets for this country's beef — something that should have been happening prior to May of 2003. "We should have the ability to market into the Middle East and the Pacific Rim — countries that .we know have huge consumption demand — and we should be there right now," Steckle said. "We have to put ourselves in a position where we have the safest product in the world and the best record. "Once people come to know that — and I think many people do know that but we haven't been exploiting that potential — then we'll be able to compete worldwide." Steckle said the time has come to "do what we have to" in order to ensure Canada's beef is the safest product in the world. "We have come a long way and we're a long way ahead of the Americans but if it means going to the DNA side to finalize this element as far as doing the ultimate in testing then we need to do that as well." Steckle said. "I'm saying lets go and do what we have to do and lets go a step further than anyone else has gone and done because we want to claim these markets. ";No one can go after us hecause we've made a product safer than theirs. It means they have to come up to a standard or level that we're at in order to compete with us and it will take (the Americans) a long time to do that." Given the Liberals new minority - something new to Steckle, a four -time MP who served under three straight majority governments — the atmosphere in Ottawa is somewhat different this time around as opposition members continue to hint they could call a confidence vote to topple the government. "I think Canadians will ultimately judge whether or not this government has worked well or has not worked at all," Steckle said. "We may be allowed to do government for a considerable amount of time or we may not. "If the election is called on the basis of something being really stupid and the opposition has decided the government should fall that party will pay a huge price at the polls." "The same is true if we, as the government, don't act responsible and we drive the country to a point where the opposition will votq. against us then we're going to pay a huge price. 1 think it's a balance between the house and the opposition parties. "Ultimately the final judge is the people and they will judge us accordingly for right or for wrong." Steckle said despite the shift in atmosphere. he believes the opposition wants to work with the government in order to make Canada prosper. Provincial BSE aid 'a drop in the bucket' compared to loss from BSE By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor While the. recently announced $30 million in provincial aid to Ontario beef fanners will help keep some producers in business a little longer, it's still "a drop in the bucket in. comparison to the loss in BSE," said Huron County Federation of Agriculture president Neil Vincent. "I have neighbours who lost a third of $1 million last year. It's (the aid package is) a quarter or a third of what is needed to bring it back up to what they were making two years ago," said Vincent. Last week's announcement that ' the province will provide up to $30 million to help the cattle industry recover from the fallout from BSE aimed to help farmers feed and maintain cattle that are being held back from slaughter, said a press release from the Premier's office. "We're investing• in a national strategy that will help ensure the health of the beef industry in Ontario and across the country . We know that cattle producers are suffering through no fault of their own, and we're working hard to give them the help they need," said Premier Dalton McGuinty in the press release. Vincent said he was concerned that the $30 million was coming out of the agriculture budget at the expense of other agricultural programs. "They've already knocked enough out of the budget to cripple many programs. Unless this is new money, I'm not sure how far it will go in helping anyone," he said. Vincent is particularly concerned about a provincial market revenue program that helps grain and oil seed producers, when they are facing dropping prices this. year. "Corn and soybean prices arc in a disastrous position right now. There's going to be some big losses in a number of cash croppers' books," he said. "It's easy to, say the beef sector is the worst hit but if people start getting less than $3 a bushel for corn, the whole farming sector is on its ear then," said Vincent. While he doesn't know of anyone going bankrupt, Vincent said some local beef farmers have been selling some of their assets and consolidating their operations while others are entering a custom feeding arrangement with other farmers since they can't afford to buy feed themselves. "I know some producers who have been .told by the banks that they're hot getting any more money to buy cattle again," he said. "And, a number aren't filling the barns or the yard quite as full as they used to." • ••••••- T.T. THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Oct. 13, 2004-5 Copies Copies Copies Available at 11 Main St.Seaforth 527-0240 Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S1 (Established in 1876) Provides Full Insurance Coverage for Farm Properties New Applications Are Welcomed DIRECTORS & ADJUSTORS Joe Chafle. R.R. 5 Mitchell 348-9705 Ron Feeney, R.R. 2 Dublin Larry Gardner, R.R. 2 Stara Jade Hodgef, R.R. 1 Kukton Michael O'Shea, R.R. 3 Granton Moms Mows. R.R. 2 St. Pauls AGENTS Wayne Maver. Exeter David Moore, Dublin Barb Worden, Dubin Joseph Urtiat. Mitchell Head Office, Exeter 345-2360 345-2678 229-6152 225-2600 393-6548 235-1915 345-2512 345-2512 348-9012 235-0350 McTaggart Wettlaufer INSURANCE BROKERS INC. • AUTO • HOME • FARM • TRAVEL • COMMERCIAL • LIFE INSURANCE BROKERS Paul Wettlaufer Amy Siemon Suzanne Zehr - Bill Siemon Ken Hutchison 68 Ontario Rd. 348-9150 Mitchell 1.800.561-0183 DRAI NAGE Specializing in: Plastic Tile lesWbtios decibel Domer Seseke TraitletalliAltenetke Systems! For Quality, ExpeAence, & Service, call Wayne Cook 23f ® 7390 PARK ®PARKER L M I -r E O R.R. 411 2, Zurich, Ont www,hay.net/Ndtski tpet When It Comes To Protecting Your Assets.... Turn to the Professionals at GRAY INSURANCE BROKERS INC. 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Church Services BEREAN COVENANT CHURCH A CHURCH PLANT OF GRACE TRINITY COMMUNITY CHURCH Orange Hall, Seaforth 527-0029 10 em Family Sunday School 11 em Worship Service 7 pm Prayer Meeting Pastoral Team: Pastor Bob Penhearow Pastor Ron Matthews Pastor Royal Hamel You are invited to attend these area churches St. Thomas Anglican Church A Congregation of the Parish of The Holy Spire Jarvis St. Seaforth F r Michael Atkins Parish Office 527-1522 Sunday, October 17 The 20th Sunday alter Pentecost Sunday Worship - 9:30 am Mondays• Prayer Group at 7 pm Growers Group at 7:30 pm Everyone Welcome Catholic Church St. James RC Church 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth 527-0142 Weekend Masses: Sat 5:15 pm Sun. 11:00 am St. Columban RC Church Saturday Mass at 7:30 pm Father Lance Magdziak Bethel Bible Church An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 527-0982 Sunday Worship Hour 11 am Sunday School 9:45 am Jim Wyllie - Pastor Egmondville United Church Sunday, October 17 Worship Service at 11 am Sunday School • Ages 6 & up • 10 am Steve Hildebrand Lay Pastoral Minister In Training Everyone Welcome ' • Turkey Supper Wed. Oct. 27 - Sugar Plum Tea & Bazaar • Saturday November 13 10 em -4:30 pm NORTHSIDE - CAVAN UNITED CHURCHES Cavan 9:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Northside Winthrop 54 Godedch St. W Minister Rev. John Gould Sunday, October 17 Northside Church 11:00 a.m. 140th Anniversary Reflections and Special Music First Presbyterian Church Goderich St. W., Seaforth Minister Rev. Henry Huberts SUN., OCTOBER 17 11:15 am Service (Sunday School & Nursery Provided dunng service)