Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance Times, 1995-11-08, Page 4*'r je Ind am Shame - timed Published each Wednesday at: Box 390, 5 Diagonal Road, Wingham, Ontario Phone (519) 357-2320 Fax (519) 357-2900 J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 We are: Jim Beckett — Publisher Audrey Currie — Manager Cameron J. Wood — Editor Cathy Hendriks — Ad. Sales Stephen Pritchard — Production Jim Brown — Reporter Margaret Stapleton -Reporter Eve Buchanan — Office Louise Welwood — Office • • • Member of: OCNA CCNA Editorial Viewpoint NE'DNN. pll NNEMNIO`SM.1$9O,. • 4.0 4 cure together onday night's referendum (October 30) was such a slim victory that no: one in Canada should see it as anything else but a clear sig- nal that change must take place. And the onus is on English Canada. The outpouring of love and support that hit Que- bec was like a big juicy apple hitting you on the head and asking to be eaten. But few people in Que- bec saw that last minute support for Quebec as any- thing but fear that the country would disappear. And that, say the separatists, is not their problem — it is Canada's problem. Many here felt that the extended hands from across Canada were empty promises from people who were very afraid of change. Let's hope that's not the case. Let's hope that the outpouring of love felt here last week was finally recognition and understanding of how Quebec feels. Let's hope too that it was fi- nally recognition that Quebec is the heart and soul of Canada — that Canada will be nothing but a shell without Quebec. The question now to all Canadians who asked Quebecers to stay, who asked Quebecers to vote no, is — how badly do you want Quebec? So now that Canada has been given a reprieve — a chance to bring about the change that a majority of Quebecers say they want — it is time for all Canadi ans to take an active part in working towards that change. It will not be easy. Bringing about the changes that will bring Quebec wholeheartedly back into the Canadian family will be the greatest chal- lenge to ever face this country. Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who is very unpop- ular in Quebec, but quite popular in the rest of Cana- da, has his work cut out for him. Ordinary people have a role to play. They must tell their politicians oz {:>r that they do want Quebec — on Quebec's terms. The referendum result shows very clearly that if Canada is to survive, Quebec must be given its just place in • the country. If not, Quebecers may be back at the polls sooner than anyone wants — and the next time round, the answer won't be no. By Karen Macdonald Quebec Chronicle -Telegraph ® '�C ��' 14tH Wog � %�;r.R�'S"% *; f ;-30' A.4 �j;�/9�� f'�!,s�i����'�' .''fir` ime \%%ti\fl\flffi/ \., lt , 3 .--�,, A. reason to smile tilh'7Bftam The arrival of Murray MacLaughlan in Wingham. The popular Canadian singer opens the Wingham Town Hall Heritage Theatre Concert series tomorrow night. The Wingham Advance -Times is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership. Letters Policy All letters to the editor must bear the writer's name, telephone num- ber and address. The Advance -Times wel- comes letters. We re- serve the right to edit, but will endeavor to preserve the author's intent. Deadline for letters is Monday before 10:00 a.m. Some exceptions may apply. Fax: 519-357-2900 or mail to: P.O. Box 390, Wingham, Ontario NOG 2W0. with Margaret Stapleton NOVEMBER 1948 Before the presidential elec- tions in the United States, it seemed to many observers that Harry Truman was the only one confident that Truman would be re-elected. However, he now is ready for another term behind the White House executive desk. Frank Hopper, Charles Cross- ett, Russel Kelly, Harold McCal- lum and Harry Adams left last Tuesday for Parry Sound where they will spend the remainder of the week hunting deer. Rintoul and Miller of Wingham have been awarded the contract for the sanding and finishing of all floors for the 50 new houses ° now being erected in the Hillcrest division. Earl Heywood's Song Book No. 1 soon will be on music stands. The portfolio contains 15 of original compositions of the guitar -playing Mr. Heywood, who already is recognized in Western Ontario as a leading radio singer and songwriter. M. L. "Tory" Gregg was unani- mously re-elected president of the Western Ontario Athletic Associ- ation. NOVEMBER 1961 Peter Vath, a native of Hanover and a veteran of the RCAF, will manage the new Brewers' Retail outlet in Wingham as its only per- manent employee. The store offi- cially opens its doors on Monday, Nov. 13. The Vaths and their six children will move to Wingham as soon accomodation becomes available. The committee appointed by the Huron County Council to award scholarships and bursaries at the University 'of Western On- tario, has announced that John Runstedtler of Wingham has been awarded the scholarship for the boy from Huron to attain the high- est standing, The late model Cadillac driven by Charles Bondi of Wingham was completely wrecked in a spectacular crash last week with a transport truck on the town's main street. Mr. Bondi was hospi- talized with non life-threatening injuries. The nursing staff of the local hospital has donated a new spe- cially -controlled refrigerator for the blood bank John Hanna, MPP for Huron, has announced that new bridges will be built across the Maitland River, where bailey bridges now exist. Two bridges will be built on the new causeway south of Wingham on Highway No. 4 and another at Zetland on Highway No. 86. NOVEMBER 1971 Wingham Reeve Jack Alexan- der, warden of Huron County, was honored by his colleagues on Wingham council at a dinner at Lee's Tavern last Wednesday night. A special meeting of town council was held recently to pass a bylaw authorizing the establish- ment of a day care centre in the town. The Wingham Armouries has been suggested as the location for the centre. NOVEMBER 1981 Faye Ann Forster of Lucknow was chosen valedictorian at com- mencement exercises at the F. E. Madill Secondary School. Lynn Miller, also of Lucknow, finished first over-all in Grade 13. Other Ontario Scholars from Madill in- cluded Marilyn Kieffer, Kathryn Underwood and Debbie Sjaarda. An elderly Wingham woman, Ella Shiell, is in critical condition at Victoria Hospital, London, af- ter she was struck by a pickup truck along Josephine Street last Friday evening. Nancy Schiestel exchanged vows with Don Ross at Teeswater ,late last month. Was alcohol a factor? TORONTO -- Former Ontario pre- mier Bob Rae has broken a taboo by accusing Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau of being drunk in charge of a referendum campaign. If the Quebec premier had not re- signed, it might even have helped force him out the door. The New Democrat opposition leader said on a TV panel that Parizeau appeared to be under the ,influence of alcohol when he blamed the separatists' de- feat on "money and the ethnic vote" with the nasty implication that non- francophones do not have the same place and rights in Quebec. Rae said it was "the most disgraceful speech I have ever heard from any premier of any province, and perhaps alcohol would be an explanation." Rae said later his view that Pari- zeau had been drinking excessively was "a gut reaction to what I saw and based on the usual things. I couldn't smell his breath over the tel- evision, but he seemed flustered and his remarks were in extremely bad taste." Rae said he also noticed, as did other viewers, Parizeau pacing up and down behind a curtain with a glass in his hand, and added that his perception that the premier had over - imbibed was shared by his co - panelists. An allegation by one poli- tician that another drinks too much is extremely rare, although obviously a proportion of politicians like the rest of the population drinks excessively. Politicians probably are under more pressures to drink than the av- erage citizen, because they are under with Eric Dowd tension, spend a lot of time away from home, commonly need to meet people in social surroundings and get plenty of offers of free drinks. Politicians clearly are aware that some of their number drink exces- sively, but shy from raising it public- ly because they fear libel or being thought vindictive or feel they should stick to issues and keep quiet unless they can prove that a politi- cian's drinking is hampering him in his job. They also recognize that there, but for the grace of God, go I. News me- dia for most of the same reasons avoid reporting politicians' drinking excesses. After Brian Mulroney became prime minister, several books men- tioned he had been an excessive drinker before he became PM and because of it got in nasty arguments and even shoving matches. Media re- ported this briefly as an event of the past, but certainly no politician made any allegation against him and the affair was allowed to die. When John Turner was Liberal opposition leader, after he had been prime minister, he was asked by a TV interviewer whether rumors he had a drinking problem were true. Turner replied: "I like a good par- ty and I have enjoyed myself over the years, but I have never allowed any pleasure or distraction to inter- fere with doing the job,' so the alle- gation got on the record and other media reported it and it added to Turner's already deteriorating image. In Ontario, when NDP MPP Mor- ton, Shulman shodked, "the minister is drunk" one day as financial and commercial affairs minister Leslie Rowntree was lashing into the NDP just before the legislature adjourned for lunch, it ended the minister's ca- reer. The hansard record suggests Rowntree spoke as lucidly as the av- erage MPP, but he was known as a heavy drinker, as usual this had nev- er been said publicly, the politician's allegation gave the media an oppor- tunity and they felt an obligation to report and within months Rowntree had gone. Parizeau for some time had been said privately by some in Quebec politics and media to drink exces- sively, but 'the medittshad barely re- ported it and when a Quebec reporter asked if he had been drinking on ref- erendum night, he dismissed the question as insulting. But an allegation by a politician of Rae's stature might have hung on and added to criticism in Parizeau's party that he lacks personal appeal and has a racist streak. Parizeau may be lucky he decided to make it last call.