HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1984-08-15, Page 4)
DAVE
SYKES
The awesome flame of the XXIII
Olympiad may have long been extinguished
but the memories, for many, will burn on.
If these garish games of Hollywood taught
us, and the world, anything it was that re
tend to take ourselves too seriously at times.
What was meant to be a showcase for the
Americans, turned into a one-sided battle of.
the United States of America against the
rest of the world.
The success of the games, in the mind of
the American, was only measured in a
patriotic and unparallelled domination or
other athletes. Anything short of al massacre
would not have been regarded as a success.
It's too bad really. The Americans put on a
good show in Los Angeles and the games of
1984 have been distinguished from any of
recent memory. Despite the weak
protestation and subsequent boycott of the
games by the 14 Eastern bloc countries, the
events were remarkably competitive and
interesting.
Canadians, it has been suggested, lack the
self-confidence and patriotic fervor that was
much in evidence in Los Angeles, to relish in
the accomplishments of its athletes with the
same unguarded zeal. That isn't - entirely
true, it's just that the American attitude in
these games bordered on unguarded
arrogance, much of which was a direct
result of manufactured hype.
The Americans were unquestionably
overbearing on their visitors anti played the
role of the brutal and bully host. Surely,
even some Americans grew weary of the
tearful, flag waving victory laps around the
track.
The U.S. fielded an incredibly large and
talented Olympic team and they deserve
much of the gold, silver and bronze heaped
upon their athletes. If they had been a
smidgen more humble and gracious in their
dominance, it would have made the results
much more palatable to everyone.
In spite of that, I can't help but submit
that the games of the XXIII Olympiad
purveyed the true spirit of friendly
competition as espoused in the competitions
of the first games. Whileathletes have a
natural affinity to their team-mates and
country, • they essentially perform for
themselves, they push themselves to
extremes and new heights of achievement.
They challenge themselves to do better and
they challenge other athletes to standards of
excellence.
I think that type of spirit was evident at
the games in a substantive way. A truly
patriotic spirit pervades the games as well,
a healthy spirit that exudes pride in one's
country and the accomplishments of its
athletes.
There is nothing wrong with that but it
should not be repeatedly brought to bear on
viewers at the expense of the performance
of other athletes and countries..
These Olympic games made insomniacs
out of many Canadians and I suggest that
there was a special interest in the exploits of
our athletes for the simple reason that they
were competitive, Our medal haul, 44,
surpassed the wildest expectations of our
Olympic Committee, citizens and perhaps,
athletes.
Our athletes may have over -achieved in
some instances and some will wonder how
many of our medals would have been
gobbled up by Russians, had they
participated.
Regardless, our athletes exalted in their
performances and we can be demonstrably
proud of the performance and
achievements. And if we could just steal a
small page from the American book we
should all participate in a bit of zealous flag
waving. We have arrived.
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Second class
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BLUE
RIBBON
AWARb
1983
THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT
SINCE 1848
Founded in 1848 and published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario. Member of the CCNA, OCNA end ABC
Audit Bureau of Circulations. Subscriptions payable in advance '20.95, (Senior Citizens '17.95 privilege card
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. Classified advertising rates available on request. Please ask for Rate Card No. 14 affective October 1, 1983.
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PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED
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DON HUBICK - Advertising Manager
DAVE SYKES Editor
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INDUSTRIAL PARK
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Welcome expansion
The announcement by Transport Canada Minister
Lloyd Axworthy, and relayed to Goderich via telephone
by Agriculture Minister Ralph Ferguson, that harbour
facilities here will be upgraded and expanded over the
next three.years was most welcome.
Transport Canada will spend over $17 million over a
three-year period ito improve the harbour facility and
create a new harbour and breakwall adjacent to the
Domtar Sifto-Salt mine.
The project, when complete, will mean that Goderich
harbour will have two seaway depth harbours which will
translate into increased shipping capabilities for the
major commercial _users of the harbour, Domtar and
Goderich Elevator.
The contract for the expansion and construction will be
let over the next few months and work could begin as
early as this fall. The economic benefits for the town of
Goderich are obvious as the project will involve more than
1,000 man years of labour and create an estimated 150
permanent new jobs after completion.
But more than that, the federal government will also
realize some direct benefit by investing our talc money in
the Port of Goderich. Renowned as one of the busiest
commercial ports in Canada, Goderich has the distinction
of being the highest revenue producing federal port in
Ontario. And it ranks as high as fourth on the federal
revenue scale.
That's not too shabby. And once Domtar and Goderich
Elevator are able to load vessels to capacity, Transport
Canada will realize a substantial increase in wharfage
fees. More than just an expenditure of $17 million to
upgrade and create new facilities, the government's
commitment here is an investment in Canada. And it
•
ppery.
•
Oaths and curses are considered by most of us to con-
stitute a transgression of the third commandrxient, which
decrees that we shall not take the name of the Lord in
vain.
There are, however, other ways, considerably more
deliberate, in which this same law can be broken. Rex
Humbard, the television evangelist who has an audience
of millions., recently mailed out 300,000 cellophane
packages of salad oil with a message for the gullible. The
faithful were commanded to select their largest hank
notes (or write and sign the largest possible cheque), daub
some of the "holy" oil on the money and send it to -who
else?- Mr'. Humhard.
should prove to be a safe and worthwhile investment that
will produce dividends well into the future.
The announcement by the government, while welcome
and most appreciated, comes as no surprise to town and
industry officials who have worked diligently over the
past two years to turn those, expansion plans into reality.
Countless meetings were held in Ottawa, Toronto and
undoubtedly venues in between, involving representatives
of the town, local industry, Transport Canada, politicans
andregiional department officials.
Their dedication' and effort paid off and will likely have
a marked effect on the future of the town and its
development.
The need for the development, however, was obvious
and study after study recommended that the port of
Goderich be developed. That the harbour here was the
most logical location for the expenditure of federal funds
for harbour development was amply manifested and
demonstrated.
A feasibility study on the port requirements of the Bruce
Energy Centre recommended that Goderich was the most
suitable location for development. A joint study
commissioned by the Ministry of Transportation and
Communication and the federal Department of Transport,
concluded with the same recommendation. The Ontario
Ports Study reaffirmed that position.
The documentation and the presentations were before
Transport Canada officials and the Treasury Board for a
long while. Mayor Eileen Palmer fully expected approval
by spring and summer construction seemed to be well
within the realm of possibility.
The timing of the announcement wouldn't have had
anything to do with the September 4th election. Would it?
The message also promised that the giver's remaining
funds would thus be blessed and would multiply.
The Good News 'Biibte, one of the more recent
translations of the St. James text, words the third com-
mandments thus: "Do not use my name for evil purposes,
for I, the Lord your God, will punish anyone who misuses
my name."
Perhaps Mr. Humbard does not agree that the purpose
for which he used the name of God was evil - but the bla-
tant trickery involved does not appear to be the work of a
modern-day saint.-(Wingharn Advance -Times)
Future farmers
by Dave Sykes
DEAR READERS
SHIRLEY KELLER
It has been fun. During this last 15 years, I've
written a good many columns of this ilk for The
Goderich Signal -Star. But now it has come to an
end. I'm retiring from Dear Readers and turning
it over to another good friend of yours, Joanne
Buchanan.
Through the years, Dear Readers has served
many functions. -When I first came to Goderich,
it was a kind of introductory vehicle ... a tool by
which the community was allowed to get to know
me and to know the type of newspaper I thought
could be produced in this town.
I remember in those earliest columns.
appealing to readers to send in their stories,
their ideas, their comments. And bit by bit, you
responded until today, The Goderich Signal -Star
is jampacked with community news for and
about the people who live in the Prettiest Town in
Canada and the surrounding countryside.
In the next era, I became a bit of a crusader
through Dear Readers. I dealt almost entirely
with the issue about town ... things like youth
drop-in centres, restoring the jail, beautifying
The Square, improving the beach, enticing the
tourists, attracting industry, better and more
varied recreational activities and on and on and
on. -
There were times when I overstepped my
bounds, times when I misread situations, times
when I was fortunate enough to spark some
innovative thinking in Goderich and area folk,
times when I came close to getting run out of
town on a rail.
But through it all, Signal -Star readers and
Shirley J. Keller became well known to each
other. Everyone seemed to recognize we were
members of the same team, fighting for the
same community and hoping for the same
prosperity for this part of Ontario.
Then about five years ago as I began to phase
out of the editor's chair at The Goderich Signal -
Star - when the daily reporting chores in
Goderich fell to others like Dave Sykes and
Joanne Buchanan and Anne Narejko - my
columns began to change.
No longer did I feel comfortable discussing the
town's issues because no longer .did I have the
inside dope on these matters. With my business
life carrying me further away froria , council
chambers and the community halls of the
county, I was not in a position to be an authority.
Dear Readers then became rather
philosophical. It provided more of an overview
from an outsider's point of view than an in-depth
look at things.
For the last while, Dear Readers has been
dealing with all kinds of subjects - everything
from the misuse of the English language to
comments on crime and pestilence. The nation's
newspapers and magazines were my textbooks,
the television and radio my lecturers. I
attempted only to provide a Huron County
opinion on these very topical provincial, national
and international affairs.
But now it's over. It's time to call a halt to my
staid and oft -repeated ramblings. It's time for
fresh ideas, new opinions, younger inlpressions.
Actually since Dave Sykes became editor of
The Goderich Signal -Star four years ago, all I've
been doing for this newspaper is writing Dear
Readers once each week. I've had very little to
do with the prlduction of this particular
newspaper.
Dave and Joanne Buchanan and a series of
juniors have been handling the reporting and
editing chores ... and doing a very creditable job
of it. I'm proud of them as a news team. I'm
proud of the award-winning newspaper they are
producing.
But I must admit that there has been some
confusion in the past ... and there still is
confusion today. Some of our Signal -Star readers
still aren't quite sure what it is that I do here at
the Signal -Star office if I am not working for The
Goderich Signal -Star. Some actually wonder if I
do nothing more than write Dear Readers once a
week.
As most of you know, Signal -Star Publishing
Limited is more than The Goderich Signal -Star.
It involves five other weekly newspapers in this
area, two regional newsmagazines, a South
Western Ontario tourist magazine Leisure Life,
a national magazine for spinners and weavers
Heddle, several other publishing enterprises out
of the area and a staff in all locations numbering
well in excess of 200.
In a company of that size, there are many,
many jobs to be done. I never hqve any shortage
of challenges to keep me busy'and enthused
about SSP.
While much of my work these days'is of an
administrative nature, I keep my hand in by
doing some writing for FOCUS and for its sister
publication TOPIC in Bruce County. I also edit
Heddle and do some writing for that SSP
fledgling.
I'll still be around the office on Huckins Street
in Industrial Park. When you are out this way,
please drop in and say hello.
In the meantime, join me in welcoming Joanne
Buchanan to this spot starting next week. I'm
sure we'll find her comments interesting and
entert ping.
From my kitchen window I have\just wat-
ched a murder scene and I am still feeling
sick with shock and intense sadness.
It was the sudden killing of two stately
walnut trees who -were very much alive and
more than a hundred years old. They grew
on private property in a back yard, the
tallest healthy trees in the green setting of
our neighbourhood gardens where there is
now an achingly empty space. They were
located very close to the.rear property line
and were not in any way Hindering anything.
I noticed that it took just a few hours of
power -saw work to destroy a splendid sight
that had taken longer than a century to
eavacaretcomaronsnma
grow. Are such trees really and truly
private property, to be disposed of at a
whim, considering that human beings come
and go and generally speaking real estate
changes hands quite frequently?
1 respect private property owners' rights,
but in a planned and civilized community it
is an accepted fact that these rights are not
absolute in every respect. The official plan,
zoning and other by-laws, building code and
similar regulations override a whole lot of
property owners' rights concerning things
which can be built and pulled down relative-
ly easily. Why should natural beauty of long
standing remain entirely unprotected?
If you build a garage you need a building
permit. If you pull it down you need a
demolition permit. If your side yard set-
back is two metres short, you need approval
from the committee of adjustment. If you
cut a rare century -old tree, you just need a
saw.
I am not suggesting that every single tree
anywhere at all could or should be spared
forever. I am proposing. that the town coun-
cil seek advice and information from such
municipalities where a successful tree plan-
ning mechanism is in place, to be sure that
thought is given to all aspects of every in-
dividual situation before a healthy big tree
is destroyed on private property.
It is possible to apply certain criteria as to
size and kind. Perhaps a sort of tree com-
mittee of adjustment is needed. Even if no
other solution is found and a tree must come
down, it would leave everybody feeling bet-
ter to know that proper consideration had
take place. From past conversations I
kno that there are others with similar con-
cer s. Does anyone at the town hall care?
If it is eccentric to mourn the untimely
death of a tree, so be it. Those of you who
have read Farley Mowat's "A Whale for the
Killing" would understand what I mean.
ELSA HAYDON