HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-03-05, Page 4i'ligt 4 Tintes-Advocate, March 5, 1997
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EDITOR] 'U.
Women's Institutes celebrate
100th anniversary
hey didn't look like' feminists
and they didn't act like feminists — at
least not according to modern
dards.' These ladies had home and'
hearth as their primary concern. Chang-
ing thei-rcountry. and the world, for the -
better took second place. -
• At. those first meetings in Stoney -
:Creck.-they didn't talk about bombing
parliament hill but rather about -how to
properly make fruit preserves..Working
for a -safe and nutritious food supply
was important to them - after all,
these were farwomen
m'involved in
-food production..
• They didn't..worry about any national.
civil rights movement but were ex-
tremely. concerned about looking after .
the children. in their community proper-
lv,•and ensuring the safety of all chil-
dren (they are. responsible for warning
lights on school buses. for example).
Yet. they were ,revolutionaries in their
own right.. They fought for education.
nutrition and respect. to better the lot of
rural women- here and around the:
world: And they're. still fighting for the
same things. with-even_'bit of intelli•
-
gence enthusiasm and humor they pos-
sess. They were. and are, the ladies of • -
thc Women's institutes.
Right from the -beginning they were
.determined to find strength in numbers. -
and use- that strength to improve home,
community and country-' in that order.
Firm in their belief that the home was
the cornerstone of the nation. they. rec-
ognized and took pride in their role as -
homemakers and farm women, and
sought educational opportunities and
training in that roleas their right. • '
Last week they celebrated their 100th.
anniversary. a remarkable' achievement
for am organization. At meetings- .
throughout the area. they celebrated
their•rural heritage and their many ac- .
complishments over the years. •
And they have so much to celebrate,
everything from recording local history
which would otherwise he lost, to get-
.. 'ting expiry dates on food in the grocery
stores. • -
-
Each year they give out bursaries and.
support youngsters in the schools. They
are involved in 4-H. And they work on
" whatever issues affect their community.
At the same time; they are consciousof
being -part of a worldwide association of
rural women, and they aren't afraid of
taking on -national or international con-
cerns to protect children, -preserve the
environment and strengthen the position
:of agriculture as an industry.
Like their predectessors, much of what
today's WI members accomplish -is.
done quietly, behind -the scenes. This
tends to create a certain misconception
about the organization. People some-
times think of the WI as behind the
times; and their meetings -as little more
than social gatherings.
Nothing could he further from the
truth. While fellowship -and sharing -of
ideas is very important to the WI. espe-
• cially in areas where: people live some
distance from their neighbors. Women's
Institute members have their eyes on the
future. They are interested in
their organization as progressive and in-
novative as agriculture itself in Ontario.
• Their focus is the same today as it has
always been - first the home. But in
their quiet way. they have managed to -
change the world. And it's wonderful to
see- they have every intention of doing .
the same thing for the next hundred
years.
Women's Institutes - they're the
greatest thing since wrapped bread. -Yes.
plastic wrap on bread is another of their •
.accomplishments: -
Sarigeen Ctrl Nears
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A View from Queen's Park
By Eric Dowd
TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris is part of
the federal. election campaign before it has even
started. - . •
The Progressive Conservative premier has .
. been attacked by no fewer than six members of
the federal Liberal cabinet inside a week, a
record.
Ontario premiers have been criticized by fed-
eral ministers before. but it is unprecedented
for federal spokespersons to be queuing to take
shots. fiarris is a target because he is a domi-
nating -and controversial presence, and at this
stage the only Tory who matters in Ontario,
with his federal party still trying to struggle
from decline.
The premier is consistently high in polls and
the federal Liberals do not want his popularity
helping the feeble federal Tories. Some of his
policies concurrently also are under severe at-'
tack by a large proportion of residents and the
federal Liberals would like to harness this in
their own cause.
One fundau..ntal difference between the fed -
Simple Cruelties
Brenda Burke
Them of birthday blues
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
When you're a little kid. this
phrase means.cake-smothered
faces. pointy party hats and the
• shredding of colorful wrapping
paper to reveal everything
you've always wanted.
As an adult however. it may -
conjure up images of wrinkles.
pot -bellies. prey hair and some
serious planning of wills.
"You're only as young as you
feel." they always say. •
Then why- do we -count -
birthdays at all?
Decade birthdays are a special
challenge. Turning a milestone
40 or 50 can he enough for deep -
depression to furrow permanent
worry lines across the least
perplexed forehead.
And just how many birthday •
cards are out there with no other.
purpose but to jibe someone
about, their age. 'Over the hill'
paraphernalia is abundant and as•
splashy as ever.
When you're over 20. it seems
birthdays come and go like the
seasons - expected and rather
routine. unless someone plans
something really special like
hiring a belly dancer, offering
you. a free trip around the world
or promising to pay your phone
hill for the _next decade:
Some people will go all out to
make you feel special on your
• birthday. Your new • hair dresser
will send you a card. Your •
favorite fast food restaurant will_
offer a free -meal if you can
prove it's your birthday.
Birthdays for kids are centred
around fun whereas many
adult -inspired birthday ideas.
often border on rip-roaring
embarrassment: -
"Let's lock Hank in his '
bathroom -. it's his birthday!
"No. 1 have a better idea. bet's
contact the radio station that
calls you up and makes you
believe you owe major back
taxes.". •
"No. better •yet, let's set his
clothes on fire when he's
swimming naked in the
moonlight down on Bare Bluff s
Beach." •
My own birthdays give me an
odd feeling: 1 walk around
wondering if anyone knows.
disappointed if they don't and •
embarrassed if they do. Few
people want all that attention .
hut some of us would like some
special treatment or at least a
thread of acknowledgment.
Belated hirthda) - celebrations
are no fun at all. Those cards
with goofy faces of animals
pretending to he sad.
"Sony.-l.bloopered on this .
one." •
Open card.
"Forgot your birthday." • ,
Some people actually loathe -
birthdays. -or at -least appear to
he indifferent to them. •
"Do -v u feel am older?"
someone asks. expecting a.
mournful affirmative response
orelse a chirpy. "No: not at all."
When you reply with, "1 feel no
different than yesterday,"then •
they feel real bad.
My grandpa always responds
like this, throwing in a big belly
chuckle and -lop -sided grin to let
you know he's secretly glad you
cared enough to ask.
eral Liberals and Ontario Tories emerged in the
Liberals' budget, which made reducing the defi-
cit their overriding goal. while Harris in cutting
his deficit found room to cut income tax.
Finance Minister Paul Martin said the need is
to complete the journey to a balanced budget
and that cutting taxes now would be irresponsi-
ble. Prime Minister Jean Chretien added that
cutting the federal deficit has forced interest
rates low and enabled consumers to buy and
boost the economy, and lower rates are better
than a tax cut. Both clearly were partly taking a.
stab at Harris.
Harris and his finance minister, Ernie Eves,
have retorted that a tax cut stimulates the econo-
my more and this debideover whose approach
does more to boost theeconomy clearly will be
resumed in an election.
Deputy Prime Sheila Copps joined the attack,
saying Harris's plan to swap responsibilities, so
the province pays for schools and municipalities
pay more of the costs of welfare and child and
long-term care and all the costs of social hous-
Anti-Harris literature at our doors?
ing. will burden larger urban areas which have
more welfare cases and social housing and turn
them into "urban ghettos."
Copps said this is "a sin" and echoed the earli-
er theme that Hams is doing it all merely so he
can give a tax cut to people who do not need
it.
Federal Trade Minister Art Eggleton, a for-
mer mayor of Toronto, said Harris's plan to
force municipalities to pay a higher share of so-
cial programs will create difficulties in Toronto,
"the engine of the economy of this country,"
and create "mega trouble." ,
Public Works Minister Diane Marleau de-
clared that Ottawa has a say in disposition of
social housing which it subsidizes and will not
allow Hams to hand it over to municipalities
unless it is assured they can maintain it.
Harris has complained fairly that one reason
his government is short of funds to maintain
programs is that federal Liberals cut transfer
payments for them, but Marleau pointed out
Harris has gone far beyond this in cutting ser-
vices.
Marleau warned the federal Liberals "will
not let Mike Harris blame any funding short-
falls on us. They better look to themselves."
For some reason the federal Liberals feel they•
have been kind to Harris up to now.
Copps said "we have refrained from taking
shots at Hams, but the premier has been
spreading a lot of mistruths about Ottawa re-
ducing transfer payments and we intend to ad-
dress them."
Environment Minister Sergio Marchi also
said the federal Liberals have been gentle in
treating Harris as a head of government rather
than a political foe and "Liberals are advocat-
ing we take Harris on. A lot of people ace hun-
gryfor bear." '
Federal Liberals are talking even about taking
anti -Harris literature when they canvass door-
to-door. In Ontario this campaign could be as
much federal Liberals versus Harris as federal
Liberals versus federal Tory leader Jean Char -
est.
A