HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2009-01-14, Page 5The Huron Expositor • January 14, 2009 Page 5
With reference to your paragraph
in a letter sent to me from Huron -
Bruce MP Ben Lobb, December 10,
2008:
("For more than 140 years, one
political party has almost never re-
ceived 50 per cent of the popular
vote (this has happened only twice -
by Conservatives in 1958 and 1984).
Despite this fact, our parliamentary
system has produced stable and le-
gitimate governments. In my view,
this is not a weakness of our system.
It is an enviable record of balancing
three principles necessary for any
successful electoral system - democ-
racy, legitimacy and stability.") .,
riiarnent shows i
i:poIitics to gr�
I was heartened to hear leading
journalists in a year-end review
session on CBC, hosted by Peter
Mansbridge, including the editor of
Macleans magazine and other re-
spected journalists suggest how out
of sync the Canadian parliamentary
system was with the current rea
--
i . of diversity in Canadian society,
•For generations both Liberals ana
Conservatives have fought for a
pluralistic society which has built a
tangled web of multiple interests in
our country:
These distinguished and informed
Canadians suggested that the one
immediate change needed in our Ca-
nam parliamentary . system was
a shift to some form of proportion-
al representation. Our democracy
would be better served if elected rep-
resentation reflected the wishes of
the people in a multiparty system.
We are a multi-party system. We
are no longer a two-party democracy.
That system will never return. -
Far better tter that we seek a more -
mature and responsible system.
Your call for "democracy, legitimacy
and stability" would be better served
by restructuring our parliamentary
system to a contemporary arrange-
ment that reflects. the reality of Ca-
nadian political structures in the
21st century. In a system that gives
a separatist arty 49 seats with 10
per cent of t e vote and the Green
Party Zero representation with 7 per
cent, there is something drastically
wrong. (I voted for neither.)
Surely there isroom for concilia-
tory compromise in our political de-
cision-making . in 2009 and beyond.
The philosophy of "your way" or
"my way" leads to conflict and dis-
cord and wastes millions of dollars
of money that would be better spent
on addressing glaring shortfalls in
matters like child - poverty or envi-
ronmental. disregard. Witness the
debacle of the last two months in the
Canadian Parliament.
Surely it is time for Canadian poli=
tics to grow up..
Paul caiiroll
Goderich
causin
Ilen
in
January 4, 18
Mr. James Graham has so
farm on the fourth concession.. of
McKillop to his- neighbor: Mr.
John Hogg four $6;600. The farm
contains 100 acres and- Mr. Hogg
now has a magnificent estate of
225 acres.
On- Friday forenoon .last the
alarm of fire was sounded, and it
was soon.discovered that the wool-
len mill of Mr. A.G. Van-:Egmond,
adjoining this town was on fire.
The fire originated in the mill of-
fice, a wooden structure .attached
to the main building, which }was
brick.s{=oAeje: eYt:y+#j'a+:r tisT + .
The firemen were soon on the
spot, but it was found that the
hydrant was frozen. In little more
than three-quarters of an hour
from when the alarm was first
given, the whole place was in ru-
ins. Mr. Van Egmond's loss will be
in the neighborhood of $30,000.
The suspension of the works will
be much felt in town as employ-
ment was given to a large number
of operatives, many of whom can
ill afford to be thrown out of em-
ployment at this inclement season
of year.- -r.=
January 1, 1909
Mr. George Farquhar of the fifth
concession of Hullett had two
horses, a yearling and a two-year-
old killed by a freight train the
other day. He had gone back on his
ithroug which the railroa
runs, and in someway the: horses
got out and ran down the track.
Christmas Day passed over qui- -
etly but pleasantly in Seaforth.
The Weather was fairly agreeable.
and gave people a chance to 'move
about. In. the morning the owners
of fast horses were out in force and
there were some exciting spurts
along main street There was also
curling and skating at the rink.
Christmas Day passed pleasant-
ly in Hensall with fair sleighing
and fine weather. A large crowd at-
tended the Christmas tree enter-
tainment in the Methodist church
where an. excellent programme
was carried out, principally by
the .children who acquitted .t em -
selves most crediably, while the
church orchestra surpassed their
usually fine efforts.
January 5,1984
John D. Buchanan,. scan of Mr.
and Mrs. Alex Buchanan of near
Hensall was honored recently by
his election to the presidency of
the London Board of trade. He is
a graduate of &Worth Collegiate
Institute and University of To-
ronto. Thday he is acts of the
London Life Insurance Company.
The Seaforth Beavers hockey
Wait. played its first game at New
Hamburg on Tuesday evening and
were defeated 5-2. It was a clean
hard game all the way through
;with both teams playing a steady
but cautious game.
It is worth seeing the New Ham-
burg team in action and a large
turn out will be on hand when
they play the return game here.
With the crack of dawn on the .:
first working day of the New Year,
Public Utility Commission men
stripped the large community
Christmas tree at the corner of
Main and Goderich Streets, of its
bright array of coloured lights,
cut the guy wires and shoved over
the tree. Main street has again re-
sumed its staid dignity.
January 2, 1959
The Watson and Reid insurance
company was purchased this week
by John A. Cardno from the estate
of the late M.A. Reid. Mr. Cardno,
who had been associated with Mr.
Reid for some time prior to his
death, is a member of a pioneer
Seaforth family widely known in
the area.
McKillop electors showed favor
with the manner in which town-
ship affairs had been run dur-
ing the past year by acclaiming
'the council and reeve for another
term at the nomination at ,Win-
throp Hall on Monday. Daniel
Beuermann will head the council
as reeve for his twelfth term.
Reeve Ivan Forsyth of Tucker -
smith was retuned by acclama-
tion for his third term as a result
of nominations held 1` in Seafo
Monday afternoon. About 50 rate-
payers were in the hall during the
hour in which Clerk E.P. Chesney
received nominations and for the
public meeting that followed.
.t
qt-; .. �Y+.+;�ih �'';aT-'�. .?-'i' t;"at.r yiii-S.el-sr.
January 4, 1984
The recent stormy weather has
prevented Seaforth police from
doing spot checks for impaired
drivers but talk about the checks
has been enough to keep many
people out of local hotels.
Qver the last three weeks, busi-
nese has.- been down 90 per cent at
the Commercial Hotel, says owner
Rene Dupuis.
Although a number of cars have
been left in the parking lot of the
Commercial, Mr. Dupuis wonders
if -that hasn't been caused by the
weather as much as the checks.
The excessive snowfall of the
Christmas weekend storm caused
40 by 60 foot section of a barn roof
on the farm of Bill VanNes, Ethel,
to collapse on Thursday. The roof
trapped about half of the 90 head
of dairy cattle in the barn.
If Christmas sales: in Seaforth
are any indication, the economy
`is picking up for. 1984. Most local
businesses enjoyed an increase in
December sales compared to last
year despite stormy weather the
week before Christmas.