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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-10-20, Page 7Wednesday,October 20. 1999 Exeter Times -Advocate 7 Opinion&Forum 10YEARS AGO October 18, 1989 - The top competitor in the 1989 Exeter Fall Fair field crops competition was Peter Tudkey. It's official. Exeter households will be joining other area munic- ipalities next year in a blue box recycling program after Exeter council gave thumbs up to the public works recommendation to. join the Bluewater Recyling Association's system. At Friday's annual Commencement exercises at SHDHS, the top award of the Moncur Scholarship went to Brenda Balsdon, Said Osman and David Josephson. 20YEARS AGO October 18, 1979 -Applications for jobs are pour-. ing into Bell Aerospace near Grand Bend following their announcement last week of a contract with the United States army for at least four of their air cush- ion vehicles. The $21 million contract for four vehi- cles contains an option for another eight vehicles which would mean at least an additonal $40 million. "Exeter is really picking up steam." That was the comment of deputy clerk Brian Parsons when he reported that 136 people have been added to the total this year, bringing the current population to 3,668. Cold winds and rain failed to dampen the enthusi- asm of those attending Saturday's Middlesex County plowing match at the farm of Middlesex warden Jack MacNamara. Last year's Queen of the Furrow Penny Hodgins of Lucan proved her selection a good one as she took home three prizes for her plowing. 30YEARS AGO October 18, 1969 - The Dashwood band stayed up' late Monday night to welcome back the Dashwood Tigers after winning the OBA Intermediate "D" title for the second straight year. 35YEARSAGO October 18, .1964 - New organ chimes have been .donated to Main Street United Church by Mrs. W.J. Beer in memory of the Beer and Quance families in honour of the church's 69th anniversary. Guest speaker for the service was Rev. H.J. Mahoney who was minister at the Main street church 15 years ago. One of the' top prices paid at the Huron County Holstein Club sale at Glanworth recently was $420 for a bred heifer consigned by Ross Marshall of Kirkton. The first trailer rolled out of Exeter's Custom Trailer plant on Highway 83 at 4:30 p.m. Friday bringing to completion several months of planning and building of Exeter's newest industry. School bells at three Usborne Township schools sold for more at a public auction Saturday than the three one -room school houses did. 40YEARS AGO October 18, 1959 - The first of two main thor- oughfares in the new eastern development was des- ignated Pryde Boulevard by town council Monday night. The name specifically honours the late Tom Pryde, MLA for Huron for 10 years. Paul Wilson who is attending Victoria College at the University. of Toronto was elected president of the Mid Western Ontario zone of the Christian Young Councillors. Monday night members of Exeter Public School Board viewed preliminary sketches of its proposed three-room addition. SOYEARS AGO October 19, 1949 - The $5,800 cottage won by Jack Drysdale of Hensall at the CNE arrived in Hensall Friday night. The men from the firm which donated the cottage arrived to erect the building on the bowling green. Mr. Drysdale has donated the cottage to the Hensall Chamber of Commerce as a community hall. Rev. F.E. Clysdale of Thorndale, a pastor of Main Street United Church 25 years ago preached the anniversary services Sunday 75 YEARS AGO October 20, 1924 - The Euler Times has taken over the Exeter Advocate, their plant, subscriptions and good will. Beginning next week this.paper will appear as the Exeter Times Advocate. Miss Lila Taylor. a promising young artist from Usborne township has had her work recognized by having one of her pictures. a winter scene. "The Homestead" hung in. the Canadian Academy in Ottawa. ROSS HAUGH BACK wTIME Alzhesrner ribs Societies Set .thanks Dear Editor.. The Alzheimer Society of Huron County would sincere- ly like to thank all our Coffee .Break Hosts and partici- pants for their generous support during our 1999 Coffee Break. The County raised $2.700 for this event. This fundraiser would not have been a success without the participation of the residents of Huron County. Sincerely, Cam Rama& Chapter Coordinator The Arthritis Society would like to take this opportuni- ty to thank all the loyal volunteer canvassers and sup- porters in Lucan and area for their generosity. A grand total of $3,514.50 was raised. Special thanks to the Knights of Columbus for their generous donation. MARGUERITE Mc! oaorrs, Lucan Chairperson Open the lines of communication Dear Editor: .;..The collective voices of all Bruce County citizens con- cerned about the industrial sized swine (hog) barns they find popping up in local neighbourhoods have been heard and are now spared a small amount of time to investigate potential solutions. Interim -Control By-laws are now in effect for a number of municipalities in this county. This has allowed local councils an opportunity to initiate studies that explore land use policies, zoning of environmentally hazardous lands and by-laws to regu- late intensive livestock industries so that producers are held accountable to manage in an environmentally sound manner. Unfortunately, each inddiml municipality now scrambles to organize, -each struggling to create positive solutions in response to growing public pressure. Some councils are proving to be more effective at this task than others. But what has brought on this sudden state of confusion in our agricultural communities? Why do we find our local leaders so literally unprepared? And why is It now so difficult to arrange a meeting with our provincial ministries to discuss our many grievances? A report from Agriculture and Agri -food Canada, 'enti- tled "Investing in Canada's Hog and Pork Industry", states that "governments, provincial and federal, are actively promoting expansion in this industry." This was dated May 1997. In a document prepared by Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture. Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), dated March 26, 1997, the "rising number of complaints" about swine barns is discussed at length: Producers are warned about restrictive bylaws that proactive citizens groups, that were already vocal in 1997, were then proposing. In response, OMAFRA lists "Farm Practices Protection Legislation" (which was enacted in 1997) as part of a "comprehensive" solution. A solution to protect the interests of whom? The legisla- tion in Bill 146 is allowing mega hog barn operations, housing 2,500 pigs on average, to be classified as. "a normal farm practice", weakening the power of local governments to restrict how these matiure factories are built and managed. If our provincial government has known of tflse issues since 1997. why then were their municipal governments not advised of what was coming down the pipe at them? This arouses my suspicion and distrust of a provincial agenda that.would leave unsuspecting communities vul- nerable to the potential for such widespread exploitation of their rural lands. This same Agriculture Canada report showed that Canada's pork industry's processed meat exports to all countries in 1996 had increased by 82 percent since 1993 and that total pork exports reached $1.1 billion (Cdn) in 1996. It. further states that "industry and government are working in partnership - to enhance the international competitiveness of the industry". Has an 'agenda for profit in a global economy glazed the eyes of our elected governments to the point that our natural environment has no voice? Where is the Ministry of the Environment on this issue and why does' it not play a key role ..in the .approval process of all intensive livestock industries? Call your provincial representatives and insist they open the lines of communication with your municipal leaders and the alliance of concerned citizens groups who are avlrafting a date to meet:with them Your voice continues to mad a difference. Be persistent for it is your right to be informed. You are invited to attend the hearing regarding the leaking Acre -T .Barn issue' on November 1 at 9:30a.m..in the Brussels. Community Centre. .. . KATHY Mcf,NtREL.Citizens Actively ting Cardinatrule TORONTO - A cardinal rule for those elected to the legislature is don't slight the people who sent you there and Finance Minister Ernie Eves, the second most pow- erfiil man in the Ontario govern- ment, has forgotten it. The Progressive Conservative minis- ter and deputy premier had the ERIC Muskoka area added to his Parry DOWD Sound riding in the June election A VIEW FROM and has quickly made it known QUEENS PARK he will not be gracing it with his presence as much as its residents would like. Eves told local media self-importantly and bel- ligerently 'I have to make this very clear. If anybody expects the minister of finance and deputy premier of the province to be as accessible as (former Toi6y MPP for the area) Bill Grimmett was, you can forget that right now, because you're not living in the real world.' Local media also asked Eves to send itineraries showing when he would be in the riding, but his spokesperson said he never has and it would be up to organizers of events he attends, if they wish, to make these pt tblic. Locals chart'e Eves was arrogant in saying he is too busy and important to be accessible and their Liberal MP, Andy Mitchell, secretary of state for rural development, is both accessible and provides detailed itineraries of his riding activities. The controversy raises questions about Eves and his future. Ministers have more duties than MPPs which reduce the time they can spend in their rid- ings, but none ever admitted this publicly. They always insist they are there and available to the folks back home who elected them. Past finance ministers like Floyd Laughren, Bob Nixon, Frank Miller and Darcy McKeough would never have accepted for one minute their ministeri- al duties kept them from being around for their constituents. . Eves claims he is burdened by the job of deputy premier, but it is difficult to find out what he does. The post was created by premier William Davis, when he led a minority government in the 1970s, as a obstacle to those pondering challenging him for leader and given first to loyal supporter Bob Welch. Eves gets to be in charge when Premier Mike Harris is out of the province and there is an emer- gency and residents have to be notified where the • bomb shelters are, but such things do not happen often and Harris is a plane ride away, anyway. Eves sounded as if being finance minister includes counting every dollar of revenue by hand, but his main duty is formulating policy and he has a build- ing full of experts and asks them to draw up alter- natives from which he chooses.. Nixon as finance minister a decade ago drove to his home near Brantford every night. Eves is already noted for being less in his finance ministry office than previous ministers, so some of its officials could barely recognize him, but explained he does most of his work in an office in the legislature building. Eves is not kept unduly from getting to his riding because the legislature sits in Toronto, because Harris has called it together for only seven days in the first nine months of this year and only 127 days in 1998. When the legiklature sits, Eves also has often not been in his seat to answer questions. The odd thing about this is Eves is otherwise Harris's most talented minister, effective in imple- menting tax cuts and. when around, more polished and articulate in arguing his party's cause than the premier. There were times, although they were mainly in opposition, when Eves substituted for Harris in the legislature and his performances made some won- der whether the Tories chose the wrong man as leader. Eves, 53. would be considered the natural succes- sor to Harris if he showed interest. He is a more inspiring speaker than Management Board Chair Chris Hodgson, usually called the number one con- tender, whose main asset is smothering complaints so eventually critics give up. But Eves has long been thought anxious to leave politics for business, where he could' have a lucra- tive living as the main mover behind the province's tax cans. He hesitated over running last election, deciding only weeks before It was called, and It will be taken as a sure sign he wID not be around long when he says he does not have time to listen to those who elected him.