The Goderich Signal-Star, 1967-12-21, Page 2. 9
t EditQrial - •
this is •Christmas
• ,, rd • • • .
How shall we approach it? "Chrit-
mas is here again," in a tired, resigned
frame of mind; or, "Christmas- is here
again," .in 'a responsive, REJOICING
ATTITUDE of soul? This is the question..
What shall' we do with 'it nbw that' it'w
is almost upon us?
Let me dare suggest a proper ap-
proach. All may not agree, but them
we:ere free to accept or reject, -are •wed
nat? I. would say that the mainstay of
Christmas is the fact of God, Jesus
Christ and our relationship to the God-
head. Too, often we . isolate the deep
happiness of Ch.:istmas (which is good)
and do not reflect- on its, application in
our day to day living. Love is the true
spirit of Christmas. It may sound too
idealistic to 'many.
"Be realistic," they say, "look at
the world—racial discrimination, inter-
national tensions, man's inhumanity to
many, demagoguery, hate and lust."
But—THIS IS CHRISTMAS! Can we not
afforda little'idealism?
This brings us to •a point; have we
really tried God's way? Haunting ques-
tion, isn't it? Do you remember when
Jesus turned to the people one day and
said, "Have faith!" It is still the neces-
sity We can intellectualize the Gospel
-to death and be no further ahead. It
comes down to a simple, confident
trust. THIS IS CHRISTMAS! "Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved."
Just go back a bit and think of
what happened. On the first Christmas
Night, God came into the world in
Person. He did not send a deputy, a
substitute, a proxy. No; He came Him-
self (is this not what Immanuel means—
"God with us?"). God, in Christ, in-
vaded the world of men. This invasion
was no threat to us --in fact, it was
a boon. There was purpose behind it.
"I- am come to seek and to save the
lost." He was, and is, searching for
you and me. He is calling us in our
present condition to a better condition.
He looks upon the world and sees the
troubles that afflict His creation:It was
not meant to be so. He had ordained
otherwise.
But, .it went amiss: Man was made
free and this freedom has cursed so
many of our actions—even to the cut-
ting asunder of the, bond which Gaal
meant to bind us as Father • and sons.
The model of perfection was wrecked
because of self-indulgence. However,'
we are given a free waryback—and God
is responsible for it. THIS IS CHRISTMAS!
How can we escape the wonderful
which.
To the publisher of this newspaper,
it seems a reasonable assumption that
it is the duty of our police department
to prevent crime and traffic mishaps
before they occur.
This being the case, we ask where
they have been in the last three or four
months:
At least a dozen times a day the
police cruiser travels 'through the Five.
Points "intersection, proceeding from
The Square down Kingston Street
We also go through this lighted
intersection almost as many times a
day.
In a period of three or four months,
we have _ seen out-of-town cars go
through this busy intersection on the
Elgin Avenue green light. This is not
hard to understand, since to a stranger
the corner is confusing.
Recently, we saw a car do this and
manage to navigate . the intersection
safely, thanks to dry 'pavement and
alert driving by motorists who did have
the light in their favour.
"It could easily, have been a tragic
takenly took the Elgin Avenue green
Christmas for that motorist. who mis-
light as his licence to move safely
through The intersection."
tSaWlal+�i
INS
e,e,
conclusions of the Season? God wit-
nes'sed our plight and moved in love
to allay our pain. We are separated and
God acts to heal this• separation. THIS
IS CHRISTMAS! There'is, in fact, a Divine
Outreachtoward man and this has been
going .on for nearly '2,000 years now.
It is present with us in 1967 and will
be with us in 1968. THIS IS CHRIST-
MAS! •
It all happened in Bethlehem of
Judea. Not much of a place: a small
village with nothing particularly to com-
mend it. Yet, it was a chosen' place. It
was selected of God to be the location
of the greatest happening on earth:'
God's total imrpersionih the affairs of
man. THIS IS CHRISTMAS!
Bethlehem was surrounded with
dynamic achievement: a host of angelic
singers who filled the sky with the
Good News, "Glory to God in the high-
est, and on earth peace, goodwill to-
ward man."
There was a star in the heavens
that Night of Nights: this was the prov-
ing ground of a continuing fact—God
is indeed the Light' of the world and
proves it in His Son. It will go 6n from
age to age calling men from ,.darkness
into the brilliance of His face. "THIS IS
CHRISTMAS! " `
Three Wise Men came, Oriental
potentates, in search of the King of the
Jews to show that the heights of wis-
dom are only scaled as we find rest
in Him.. A goodly number of shepherds
found their way to the Inn to reveal an
ideal rampant in our'day:. all men are
welcome, the high and the low, the
proud and the humble. THIS IS CHRIST-
MAS!
0 yes, Herod is present too.
"Herod the Great" history calls him, a
killer of.children, of one wife and two
favourite sons. Fine fellow! Why does
he intrude? To tellus of this world's
wickedness in separation from God!
We need that diabolical note to give
us the reason why. Only God's love in
Jesus Christ can overcome the world.
THIS IS CHRISTMAS!
So—love is the , true., spirit of
Ch r istm a s%,4t-iso the ,p wer''that makes -
the wheel turn, that -changes lives, that
can bring on a better world, It is born
in 'the action of our God — "and they
shall call his name JESUS, for he shall
save his. people." Can we get to know
Him better?
THiS • iS CHRISTMAS!
REV. G. L. ROYAL,
Knox Presbyterian Church.
Iig'ht?
In a courtof law, he would un-
doubtedly have been found guilty of
making an honest mistake, but would
be found in the wrong nonetheless. •
In our opinion, the guilt should
be shared by town council and our
police department..
Any alert person can see that this
intersection is serious traffic hazard.
What should be done?
If it is legally possible, as we are
reasonably sure it is,. a shield should
put on the Elgin Avenue lights so
that they cannot be seen by traffic on
Kingston Street. This will eliminate any
mistake by Qoderich motorists not quite
as alert as they might be, and by visi-
tors unaccustomed to this corner.
Why have we not mentioned this
before?
Because every week we have ex-
pected to see a shield on the lights.. But
even this is not an adequate excuse.
, To a degree, even this newspaper
has not done its duty in looking after
the citizens of Goderich.
But regardless of past negligence,
let undetermine to get, the ' job done
properly in the immediate future.'Yes,
even before Christmas, with its flood
of first- time visitors to our town.
(finberiril- i real- tar
I 1
Goderick Ontario wry Thursday wierelas by
Publishing
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1231, Year st
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Redcoats' advance on Metes in the• Battle of -
Batoche, 18a5. in 1884; Louis Riel: was per-
suaded to return from exile in the U.S. -
where he was teaching in Montana - to champion
the cause of the pioneer white settlers, Mitis
and Indians once again, this time in Saskat.
chewan, after leading their first uprising in
Manitoba in 1869.70. He tried to uphold the
interests . of the settlers and preserve their
lands by constitutional means. against federal
government encroachment, blit to no avail. The
building of the CPR• across the prairies in.
'evitably would break the transportation monopoly
of the Metis Red River carts; and it brought
land speculators and new settlers who threatened
to wipe out the peaceful community farm'system
they had established along the river ban)ts.
The federal government failed to grasp the ur-
gency of these worries, .which were intensified
by the fact that the buffalo, on which the. Metis
had depended for a nomadic living, had dis.
appeared from the _plains: the farms of these
English • and French half-breeds -• tnostly
descendents of the fur traders - had become
their only way of surviving.
Riel set up a rebel provisional governmont
at Batoche, on the South Saskatchewan. If Riel
had given his brilliant general, Gabriel Dumont,
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From the Imperial Oil Collection
-` who was a hero of the great buffalo hunts,
a free hand to lead guerilla harassment of the
militia on their long trek from the end of the
railway toward Batoche, history might -have
takers a different course. But Dumont's forces
held in check.
A detachment of North West Mounted Police
sent to nip the rebellion in the bud was defeated
by, Dumont's Metis at Duck lake on March
26. A trial of strength became inevitable and
was complicated by Indian -uprisings against
the N.W.M,P. Eventually Riel, Dumont and
Cree Indians under Big Bear and Poundmrker
fought a series of brave and brilliant battles
against greatly superior federal arms. The out-
numbered rebels finally mat defeat at Batoche
on May 12, and.Edmf,'iton on July 12.
R lel was captured,. found guilty of high treason,
refused to _plead insanity - which might have'
saved his life - and was hanged in the police
barracks at Regina. in November 1885. Eight
Indian leaders were also hanged; Poundmaker
and Big Bear were jailed for three years
and died broken in spirit. Dumont fled to
M )ntana, starred in wild west shows, and was
- eventually allowed to return to Batoche, where
he married a Scottish half-breed, and lived
out his life peacefully.
Down Memory
55 YEARS AGO 1912
Lane
TEN YEAS ARA 1957
w t i fie " somal meeting of the
Alex. Davidson of SeafQrth,
,► � byterian Church was pox �resR
has received .a home ?rule A bur Circle : o
rifle from his cousin; Thomas held in the
VY rte, of Dublin ireiand. It church parlpr Monday evening
is a blackthorn baton, shaped with Mrs. Jaines Bisset; prem•
like a, cane, about two feet long dent presiding. After 'viewing -
with a knob on one end and a•
leather thong of the other. Its
weight" is about one and one.
half pounds.
Robert Ross ; Johnston and
Son, of the Dominion House,
Zurich, have sold a fancy span
4f steppers to a Port Arthur
man for $500. One of the ani.
mals, a carriage horse, took
first prize at Bayfield, Seaforth-
and,Exeter fairs last fall.
BENMILLER - A Giant
Felled: A monster red oak tree
was cut down by William Hill
and Son's men in the Vanstone
bash last Saturday, It measured
three -feet, nine -inches across
the stump. As to length it will
make five, 12 -foot and one ten.
foot logs - seventy feet of
timber. There are not many
of these big fellovvs left in the
woods around here.
For . the better accommoda.
tion . of patrons at the skating
rink a gallery is being built
along the north side about ° 15 -
feet above the ice. So far this
season there has been no skating
owing, to the mildness of the
weather.
The Signal's 1913 calendars
are much admired. There is one
for each subscriber who pays
his subscription in advance for
the com ing year.
Messages from
The Word
By the Rev. Glen D." Wright,
Dungannon United Church
POVERTY
A Sign Of Christmas
Signs of Christmas fill our
streets and store windows, our
churches and homes, our m'iSjg
and our minds. Colour alit,
cards, creches and 7.ca 4
mercialism make urs aware
we are to celebrate sdih
special. •
Signs of Christmas are not
peculiar to -our century or cud.
tore. In fact, even at the birth
of Christ there was a sign;
"This shall be a sign untoyou"
said the angel. "You will, find
the Babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes and lying in a man.
ger.”
The first signs then were
swaddling clothes and, a man-
ger; signs of poverty and op.
pression that spoke of the birth
of a Saviour.
Can we imagine the angel say.
ing, "This shall be a sign unto
you two-thirds of the world's
population hasn't enough to eat'
and one .in five in Canada is
living in poverty." - probably
not. And yet oppression and pbv.
erty • were not only signs at
Jesus birth but marked Him as
the awaited Messiah at the be.
f_ ening of his ministry.
"I 'have come", He said, "to
each good news to the poor;
to proclaim release to the caps
Hues... and to set at liberty
those. who are oppressed." -
This surely is the signifi.
cance of His coming. .
How easily we miss the signi-
ficance as we once more salve
our consciences by knocking the
commercialism and lauding the
carols and the nativity creches.
Both may' be a part of the
same world: a world that does
not begin to fathom the won.
der ofwhatChrist'sbirth me?ans,
Poverty and oppression; t1 e
seemingly hopeless situation
LETTER
TO THE
EDITOR
Sir: Your are no doubt aware
that some time ago I iriade a
plea in the Committee ofSupply
in the House of Commons for
implementation of the repairs
to the north pier in Goderich,
which has been estimated for in
the '61-'68 estimates.
With the cutting down of
government expenses in some
cases, I was concerned that this
project should, not be one of
the ones postponed..
You have 'no doubt received
a press release that the contract
for this project 'of $222,483.80
was awarded to Dean Construe.
tion Company Limited _ of
Tecumseh Ontario, and the work
is to be completed by Septem.
ber 10, 1968.
Kindest re?ards.�
Yours sincerely,
R. E. -McKinley, MP
Huron
AWARD
MEDAL
David Faulkner, of Goderich,
has been named Huron County
scholarship winner in the fall
undergraduate awards announ.
ced this week by the Univer-
sity of Western Ontario. '
pie award, was announced by
the Scholarship Commitee of
the Arts and Science, based on
academic performance,in 1966.
67.
David, a second -year student
in Honours Chemistry, •is the
son of Mrs, Betty Faulkner, 118
Trafalgar Street.
,***
Mr. and Mrs. William Long.
mire,; Sr., of R. R. 2 Goderich
received word last week from
their son, 'Jim, . that. he had re.
ceived a Centennial Medal.
Jim enlisted in the Navy in
1961 and is stationed at C.F.S.
Ladner, Ladner B.C.
He is married and has one
Son.
2 memo FROM THE. editor -
It is good to see the Christmas spirit of giving so enthuslastically
embraced by students of Goderich District Collegiate Institute
during their fund-raising activities over the weekend. Their
efforts .are thrice rewarded: by the joy they will bring to the
recipients of the gifts purchased by the money they raised; by
the interest shown by the .community in their efforts; and by the
enjoyment they obviously had in carrying out their various projects.
Well done, kidsd
still 'should make us think ,of
Christ's birth. These are the
signs of Christmas. And here
we can praise God; for .His
coming means to these situ.
ations the glory of hope.•
ze7 •P 414'i -POP t•• ArMr t sal 4- -.V
15 YEARS AGO, 19'52
The Men's Club ofKnoxPres.
beterian Church entertained
-their ladies' and the members
of the Ladies' Aid Society at
a banquet Friday night in the
lecture hall. A sumptuous tur.
key dinner was served „cafe•
teria• style to the 200 persons
present. '
New Canadians who had ar-
rived in Canada within the past
two years were "guests at the
fifth annual Christmas party
sponsored by the Maple Leaf
Chapter, IOD, in the Legion
Hall, Friday evening. There
were,over 100 adults present,
Who had come from ten different
countries. Among the nationals.
ties represented were Ger.
mans, Hollanders, Italians, Es.
thonians, YugoSlavakians,
Czechoslovakians, Aus.
trians, Latvians, Poles and Eng.
li shm en.
On Monday, Mathieson Boat
a filin, secured by Mrs, W.
'Reed, from CARE organization,
each member Contributed her
annual Christmas donation to
Haat Organization.
Many minor hockey players
have registered for town league
action here this- winter. More°
are needed, though, to fill out
all the, teams, stated Ted. Wil.
liams,"`recreatlon director.
Seventy-seven' boyshave,
registered for the LegionSquirt
Hockey League, being handled
by Howard Carroll.- From this ,
number, six house leagues will
be made.
A delegation from Goderich
went to Toronto yesterday to
discuss sewage disposal with
Dr.. A.E. Berry, general mana.
. ger of Water Resources. The
delegation included Reeve E.C.
Fisher, mayor -elect for 1958;
Councillors Frank Walkom and
C. M. Robertson andTown Clerk
S.H. Blake.
The annual election of of.
ficers at Branch 109, Canadian
Legion last Thursday night saw
William A. Skinner elected as
president. He Succeeds Eric C.
Johnstone. sr
ONE,. YEAR AGO, 1966 _
Improvement of small boat
mooring facilities and more
local control of Goderich harbor
- has been- promised ' by the
federal department of public
wort G and transport.
Mayor -elect Dr, Frank Mills
says these are the main items
coming out of discussions with
officials of the two departments
in Goderich last -week.
Goderich fishermen, Norman
MacDonald and his son Chester
found a life preserver off the
Daniel J. Morell, which sank
in Lake Huron off Harbor Beach,
November 29. The life preser.
ver was okt.scovered three miles
southwesf Goderich with an
uncoiled. 45 -foot line attached.
Eight lake boats have arrived
at their winter berths in God.
erich harbor. They are - the
Bricoldoc, Mondoc, Douglass
Houghton, Maunaloa II, Victor.
ious, C.A. Bennett and Mani.
tobk.
Goderich Siftos will be out •
Works launched the largest all for revenge this Friday night.
steel vessel 'ever constructed when they .rpeet the Preston,
here. The new draft, named. Legionnaires at the Goderich
"The Rambler", was built for Arena. Last Saturday the Siftos
Parr Brothers of Parry Sound last a "'game, 7.5, to Preston
who will use it for their corn. that they feel they should have.
"mercial fishing business. won.
r
Out of our. yesterdays come the Yuletide
traditions of happy greetings and cordial ?
hospitality. In this spirit, we extend to
all our good friends, a wonderfully warm
b 1
and truly old-fashioned "Merry Christmas!"
9, * *
Welcome home to the twenty-three arca persons who officially
made Canada their new home country at the C itizenship Court held
Thursday evening in Goderich.
liiiikditor
T. • PRIME & SON
�.. Merigortals
Anest + Cil '+ lid
�. !� W+Qi'IRip
Frank Mcllwain a REP sEN Y1'VE
.5241861 - ' 200 Gibbons St. —
MAPLE LEAF
LEAN
BACON
SWEET PiCKLED - SAVE 20c LB.
Cottage Rolls
WE HAVE A LARGE SELECTION OF
LB.
LB.
*FRESH
CHICKENS - TURKEYS
GEESE - DUCKS
ATTRACTIVELY PRICED
OPEN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
OPEN THURSDAY • FRIDAY' Mt 9 P.M.
FEATURING Homo Dressed Inspected Meats
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