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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-11-04, Page 4:THE BLYTH STANDARD) y Page 4 —CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987 The Clinton News -Record Is published each Wednesday at P.O. Dos 39. Clinton. Ontario. Carmelo. NIM 1LO. Tel.: 483-3443. Subscription Rate: Canada • 831.00 Sr. Citizen . 418.00 par year U.S.A. foreign *60.00 per year It Is registered as second Gloss mail by the post office under the permit number 0017. The News -Record Incorporated In 1924. the Huron News -Record, founded In 1881, and The Clin- ton News Era, founded in 1865. Total press runs 3,700. Incorporating ANNE CHISHOLM - Editor FREDA McLEOD - Office Manager SHELLEY McPHEE-HAIST - Reporter DAVID EMSLIE - Reporter GAYLE KING - Advertising SANDRA BELL - Circulation/Classified GARY HAIST - General Manager &A MEMBER MEMBER Display advertising rates available on request. Ask for Rate Cord No. 15 effective Oc- tober1, 1984. Public awareness is helping battle drinking and driving The slogans, the stiffer penalties and public awareness seems to work- ing in the battle against drinking drivers. A report recently released by Ontario Traffic Safety contains statistics which show that less than 50 per cent of drivers killed in accidents in 1986 were found to be alcohol involved. This finding is looked upon as a con- siderable improvement over the late 1970s and 1980s when the percentage was over half. Minister of Transportation, Ed Fulton, is quoted as saying, "The fin- dings (of a survey) indicate there is still much to be done to remove im- paired drivers from Ontario's highways. However, I am extremely en- couraged by last year's improvements. Ontario motorists are taking a more responsible attitude towards driving and we must continue to strive toward even greater levels of public awareness." Programs such as The Alcohol Drug Awareness Program for Today ( ADAPT) which is currently being held at the local secondary schools, must be given credit for promoting public awareness of what alcohol and drug abuse can do to a person's life as well as that person's family and friends. Last week and this week, groups have been visiting the various high schools, telling the students what can happen to their lives if they become addicted. In the many outstanding presentations, the students get infor- mation from those who have been addicted to one substance or another or who have been injured because of this. The presentations are thought provoking to say the least. In only a week or so, the festive season will be officially upon us. Christmas parties are all ready planned with menus and the bar well looked after. If we are to help the drinking and driving death toll decline, students need to keep what they have learned through the ADAPT project in mind. As well, adults need to keep the slogan, "If you drink, don't drive" in their minds. Let's make it a safe and happy Christmas season. If you're not concern- ed about yourself, think about the other guy. - by Anne Chisholm. Looking at the future or returning to the past? Dear Editor: A massive advertising campaign by Canada Post, costing millions of dollars, has recently been launched to sell Cana- dians on the Corporation's Plans for the future. It is ironic that emphasis is being put on the theme of "Taking Canada Post into the 21st Century" when the plans for rural Canada will take those citizens back to the 19th Century. The early history of rural postal service shows the struggle that rural postmasters went through providing service to the com- munity, while being paid a pittance, in the form of commission, for their efforts. Ser- vice had to be provided far in excess of any normal work -week; even on Sundays and Holidays. When assistants were needed to perform the work, their wages were paid by the postmaster out of a meagre com- mission. or as a subsidy from the postmaster's pocket. Additional respon- sibilities or work -loads were added by the Government without consultation or addi- tional renumeration. Despite the postmaster's dedication to service and ac- ceptance of these hardships, he was never sure of keeping his job. Jealousy, competi- tion and political patronage resulted in the turn -over of many postmasterships. It only required an accusation by a Member of Parliament that a postmaster had engag- ed in "political partisanship" to bring about a dismissal. In 1938, there were 363 dismissed across Canada, for this reason. Smaller postmasterships were recognized as part of the spoils of political victory. It took sixty years for the Government to finally realize the value of the rural post offices and the people who staffed them. Farsighted men, like Deputy Postmaster - General Walter Turnbull, recognized this. He said, "postmasters should break away from the notion of being retail merchants, selling on commission, and become full- time, salaried employees". Others, like William Hamilton, followed that example. He stated, "The postal service has been built, and will always remain based, on human beings - people. We can never get a ma -chine to go down the street and deliver letters to individual houses. We can never find a machine which will stand behind the wicket in a revenue post office and do the variety of work which you do in your everyday routine." More recently, Andre Ouellet stated, "In villages and small towns across Canada, the Post Office re- LattQrs mains one of the most frequently visited places by citizens of the community. The Post Office has, over the years, become a much needed resource centre. Members of the community know where to go in order to obtain information on a variety of sub- jects. The federal Government is everywhere in Canada and the post office is still the most familiar place which br- ings information to people. The Postmaster is foremost, a person of trust, goodwill and one who is willing to listen to everyone's needs. The post office is a meeting place for all and creates a bond between the members of the community. It is a unifying force which gives one the feeling of belonging." Yet today, as we approach the 21st cen- tury, Canada Post plans to take you back to the "good old days". Bowing to the pressure from the Govern- ment to balance the budget, their answer is to abandon the responsibility of pro- viding this vital service. It will be franchiz- ed out to a local business, which will be paid a small commission to do the job. No longer will the dedicated postmaster be there to serve a variety of functions, in ad- dition to the postal duties. Instead, an overworked store clerk or corner -store owner will try to serve your postal needs while managing the main business, which pays the bills. In many towns, the only representative of the Federal Government will disappear, as have all the other government services, like the railroad, the airport and small schools. Rural Canadians do not expect to receive all the benefits enjoyed by city residents. However, they pay the same federal taxes as do their counterparts in those cities. The postal system is one federal ser -.rice used by all Canadians. Is it asking too much to insist that this one ser- vice be maintained as a public, Govern- ment service in rural Canada? Canada Post and the present Govern- ment say "Yes, you expect too much." What do you say? H.L. Johnson National President Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association Winning essay Even though our Rernebrance Day issue won't be out until next week, I thought we should give the readers a little food for thought this week. Each year, the Royal Canadian Legion holds a contest for essays, poems and posters. Each year the News -Record only seems to have room for one of these win- ners, so this year, I thought I'd use some of the space usually reserved for my rambl- ings to give the readers more. The intermediate essay writer is Marc Cotie from St. Bruno, Quebec. He entitled his work, To Those Who Died... It reads: I have gazed out at the pleasant coun- tryside of France from the summit of Vimy Ridge. It looks peaceful now, 70 years removed from the war that devastated this area of Europe for four years. Grass covers ground that was churned to mud from cons- tant bombardment. The green shell -holes hold no hint of violence. There is no whistl- ing overhead, no explosions. The soft bluff is only broken by the tower- ing twin pylons of the Memorial. It is an im- pressive construction commemorating the war dead of the Great War. Visitors ex- perience an awed silence as they gaze upon the figures boldly carved in stone. They are moved; a spirit of Remembrance hangs over the strategic ridge where the combined efforts of brave Canadians overthrew Ger- man control so many years ago. The fallen servicemen of Canada - each one immortalized in the shape of a tree in the park at Vimy - make felt their presence and hold their ground just like the victorious battalions held their's in 1917. Many memories of the fighting are kept alive by the park; a part of the underground system used by the Canadian soldiers is maintained and tours are available to visit its gloomy depths. A section of the trenches is also maintained. The deep shell -holes bet- ween them are bare of grass, but this time the ground is churned by the innocent feet of children. The cemeteries are rarely visited, seclud- ed, but well -kept parts of the park. The headstones are captivating; the names and ages seem to resist time, suspending the soliders forever in the flower of vollth amid the chaos and confusion of the war that tore them apart. The brave soldiers of the Canadian Ex- peditionary F'orce sacrificed their lives to achieve greatness and victory. Their efforts are sometimes scoffed at by some of the members of the youngest generation of Canadians and unknown to others; but France and Flanders, their valor is both remembered and honored by almost all. There, the people respect Canada and feel indebted to. This can perhaps best be shown in my ex- perience in Ypres, where Canadian soldiers' sacrificed their lives to repulse the German troops, who used gas for the first time. When my family and I found our way to the town's muesewn, we were met, by a friendly door- man. As my father was searching for change to pay for the admission, the man said, "Are you Canadians?" "Why, yes," we replied, taken aback by his question. "Then," he said, "You can go in for free." There, they remember our war dead best by repecting the living. Perhaps we should do the same. With their thinking caps on... Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 at Huron Centennial school were using hats to enhance their studies. Pictured above with their hats on are Derek MacDonald (left) and Toby Phillips. In the larger picture, back row (left) are David McKay, Tanya Currah, Michelle Kinsman, Janet Tra- quair. Front, left, Michelle Vanstone and Dana Taylor. (Anne Chisholm photos) GDT AN OPINION? rite a letter French peaking people are becoming favored few Dear Editor: With Bill 8, the French Language Services Act, now being implemented and Official Bilingualism just around the corner, On- tario's 5 percent Francophone minority will soon enjoy a very privileged position in our society; only they will qualify for up to 40 percent of positions in the public service. (Bill 8's Implementation Procedures Manual indicates that two positions in five may be classified as bilingual.) Fran- cophones will be awarded these positions while bilingual English-speaking Ontarians will not because Francophones will b.a the better bilinguists. This anomaly will be due to the different language learning en- vironments experienced by English- speaking and French-Canadian citizens; the latter is usually immersed in English in everyday life while the former usually only encounters French in a classroom for a few hours a week. Also, and most important, the Federal government, through the Secretary of State's office, is generously funding (well over $1,000,000 per year) such militant organizations as )'Association Canadienne- francais de )'Ontario (AFCO) and the Cana- dian Parents for French to lobby ag- gressively for more and more Francophone services and Francophone employment in the public domain. The ramifications of the above factors for English-speaking Ontarians is frightening. Particularly frightening is that Fran- cophones will be greatly advantaged in ac- quiring jobs in the public service and in ris- ing to positions of power in any hierarchy encompassing Official Bilingualism. One has only to observe what is happening on the Federal scene to appreciate the truth in the previous statement. And one need only read Bill C-72, a Bill to revamp the Official Languages Act, to appreciate the expansive nature of Official Bilingualism. Bill C-72, not yet in force but has had first reading in the House on June 26 this year, has among several other equally incredible provisions to beef -up the Act, these: a recognition of the primacy of the Act over all other Federal laws; the right of public servants to work in their own language; the equal par- ticipation of both official language groups in the public service. If Ontario adopts Official Bilingualism then future premiers, governe- ment leaders; public service heads, etc. will in a few years have to be fluently bilingual (thus, most likely, Francophones). Is that what we Ontarians really want? Fellow Ontarians, I strongly urge you to acquaint yourselves with Bill 8 and learn about this Draconian law that is now a part of Ontario's history, a law that was passed ) when only 55 members of the 125 member legislature were present to vote, a law that when fully implemented in 1989 will be short of Official Bilingualism only in name. Once acquainted with Bill 8 you will he shocked that our government is subjecting us to this heavy-handed, exorbitantly expen- sive, and discriminatory legislation to placate a declining 5 percent minority population, mostly fully bilingual, which has no more claim to language rights than any other ethnic group in Ontario. If you think as I do, then please contact your elected representatives, provincial and municipal, and demand that they start work today on your behalf to have Bill 8 repealed. Donald F. Deeprose Elimination of tobacco ads improve Canadian health Dear Editor: The Canadian Medical Association I CMA believes that the health of Canadians would be improved by speedy passage by Parlia- ment of Bill C-51, the Tobacco Products Con- trol Act. The Bill, introduced last spring by the Hon. Jake Epp, Minister of National Health and Welfare, would eliminate adver- tising of tobacco products and introduce other measures to reduce smoking. There is no doubt in the minds of physi- cians that smoking, that is responsible for more than 35,000 deaths every year, is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Canada. The CMA which supports efforts to eradicate this killer, has asked Canada's 56,000 physicians to contact their MPs to voice their support for Bill C-51 as a citizen and as a health care professional. While I believe it is the responsibility cf the medical profession to show leadership on this important health issue, 1 think every Canadian should express their opinion on Bill C-51 to their elected representatives. I urge readers to join the doctors of Canada and make their views on prohibiting tobacco advertising known to their MP and this newspaper. Information on who your MP is, the correct address and telephone number is available by calling the toll-free number 1-800-267-3800. Yours truly, I)r. Athol L. Roberts, President. "Straight from the heart" Dear Editor: "Voluntarism is an action straight from the heart, a way of forging links between people, a way of guaranteeing greater humanity and a solid foundation for civilization and social innovation". We can all agree with these words of Patricia Fulton, President of the Canada Volunteer Award, National Selection Committee. Each year Federal Health & Welfare Canada search in all communities to honor individuals who have made a remarkable and continuing contribution in promoting health and social services in their com- munity. They need your help' I was fortunate to receive this award in 1984, thanks to the Goderich Legion for submitting my name. That year most of the recipients were from rural communities. The selection committee is uniquely made from the volunteer sector across Canada and give careful consideration to each nomination. I have a copy of the ap- plication form for this award, and would welcome calls regarding the criteria in- volved for submitting a name. Nomina- tions must be submitted to the Canada Volunteer Award Secretariate before December 1 each year. Voluntary organizations, community groups, in- dividuals interested in submitting a nomination, please write to the Secretariate, Department of National Health & Welfare, Brooke Claxton Building, Rm. 534, Tunney's Pasture, Ot- tawa, Ontario K1A OK9. Connie Osborn 524-7184 Goderich