HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1980-06-11, Page 4DVAACE TI
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One nation or ten nothings?
Monday's meeting of provincial
premiers in Ottawa was but the open-
ing round of the battle to save a nation.
The question to be decided Over the
next year or two Is whether we live in a
united• country or in a geographical
parish.
It was no easy task for the Fathers
of Confederation to put this nation to-
gether. From the very firs? there was
bitter dissension between the partici-
pants. In fact the process of unification
stretched from the year 1867 over the
following 82 years, when the tenth
province, Newfoundland, entered con-
federation. Manitoba waited three
years, until 1870; British Columbia
joined Canada in 1871; Prince Edward
Island in 1873 and it was not until 1905
that Alberta and Saskatchewan be-
came provinces of the dominion.
The birth of our nation was
achieved only afferserious thought and
heated debate, but ultimately because
dedicated leaders could foresee the
great future which lay ahead for a
single country which would be able to
offer its people, from ocean to ocean,
the benefits of its vast resources, no
matter where they might be found.
In this 114th year of our nationhood
it seems quite possible that the old
greed for localized power and wealth
may well cast the entire Canadian
dream onto the scrapheap of history.
We are faced with the question of
whether we are Canadians or merely
residents of a collection of small
Liberal, Conservative, and NDP and
PQ principalities. Since our fate and
that of our childrenand grandchildren
is likely to be determined by the pres-
ent reigning princes, each determined
to inject his own personality and
prejudice into the drama, it is time for
all Canadians to choose their way of
life. The recent referendum In Quebec
has proven, if nothing more, the truth
that a leader with a loud voice and a
flare for the dramatic, does not neces-
sarily speak for all the people in his
particular realm.
Surely the -men and women who
have fought and died for this nation
when it was threatened by foreign op-
pressors did -not pay that price merely
to guarantee that the profits from
Western oil would stay in the West; or
that Ontario would continue forever as
the industrial giant, or indeed, that
every cultural enclave in the land
would have special rights and privi-
leges. They died in the confident belief
that their sons and daughters would be
able to live in a land that was not only
free, but strong and independent.
What has happened to our national
pride? Where, along the way, did we
forget that Canada, as a united nation,
holds one of the earth's most generous
promises of progress and prosperity.
Whatever killed the sense of good
neighborliness that welds a mosaic of
strong people into a powerful land of
brothers and sisters?
Let our leaders'know that we want
to think and act like Canadians.
Shaky trigger finger
release buttons and allied nations of the
western team were being alerted to the -
imminent danger.
Thank God the error was discov-
ered
in time. Imagine the holocaust
which was sitting there, only seconds
from reality.
Though we may turn steadfastly to
the happier aspects of life, this one
crisis is enough to remind us of the thin
lip of extinction on which we hover
every day. It may well be true that the
big nations were never less inclined to
intentional warfare, but that grim pos-
sibility of fatal accident hangs above us
like a black and ever-present- cloud.'
How about this for your shudder of
- the week?
On Tuesday last a slight malfun-
ction in the American early warning
system caused the red signals on the
cornputer board to light up, indicating
that the Soviet Union had launched a
missile attack on the United States.
The red alarm lasted only three
minutes. The electronic errorwas
isolated and the alert cancelled.
In those three munutes, however,
aircraft crews were scrambling to
action stations, defensive rnisslle
crews, their weapons aimed at the
he*'1 'cif the USSR, were fingering' the.
The public should know
A few years back when workers',
strikes were .isolated to a particular
employer and the labor force which
was out for better pay or working con-
ditions, the vital statistics were not
really a matter of public concern: The
dispute was a comparatively narrow
one, confined to the company's profits
and the workers' pay cheques.
1n more recent times many strikes...
are aimed not so much at the employer
directly as they are calculated to make
the public suffer in the hope that opin-
ion will' force the employer to capitu-
late. That being the case, the public,
which is expected'to respond one way
or another to the crisis of interrupted
services, is entitled to know the stakes .
involved.
Perhaps the media are to blame in
certain degree for not making suffi-
cient effort to learn the facts, but it has
become a"general rule that no informa-
tion is forthcoming during negotiations,
concerning the demands under discus-
sion. If labor expects public support,
present wages and demands for the
future should be a matter of public
knowledge.
If, say, a group of public servants
are out on strike, we, the people who
pay their wages and are, in fact, the
Actual employers, should know how
'much the strikers have been getting
arid how• much more they want. How
can the,pyblic be expected to form any
opinion of the justice or injustice of
demands, if there` is no information
available? Are the strikers actually
living close to the poverty line? is their
present wage level totally inadequate
on the basis • of their educational
achievement? ,.
Last week, after one of the plum-
bers' and pipefitters' unions agreed on
a final settlement itwas\disclosed that
with a $2.52 per hour wage increase
total earnings would be $17.52 an hour,
or $700.80, for. a 40 -hour week. Would
public opinion have supported their
demands had those figures been known
in advance. Doubtful.
Better approach needed
We have a great deal of sy ajhy
for young people who are out
for. jobs these days. It is hard enough
for the youngsters who are trying to
enter the work force on a full-time
basis, but even more so for students
who seek summer employment. They
have yet to acquire the finished skills
which will make them valuable em-
ployees and with today's minimum,
wage rates .many businesses simply`
cannot afford to take on extra em-
ployees who will require guidance and
training. The Ontario government will
subsidize salaries of young people, but
they must be employed in "new" jobs,
ones which did not exist previously.
Our schools should be doing a bet-
ter job for these students before the
young people go out to face job inter-
views. All too many of these potential
workers lack any basic knowledge of
how to approach an employer or what
tp say when they are granted an inter-
view. So many of them have never been
taught the basics of intelligent com-
munication. They're spoken sentences
are fraught with hesitation, "umtns"
and "ahs" and nervous giggles. Most
sensible adults realize that it is indeed
nervousness and not lack of intelli-
gence which creates this barrier to
communication, but there is no doubt
that a smoother delivery would help
greatly as far as the student is con-
cerned.
Employees, even those who have
been working for year, are increas-
ingly urged to attend seminars and
practice sessions- in order to improve
their diction and delivery. Communi-
cation is all-important in this world of
ever -exp ding ideas and technologies.
Such skills uld be fostered long be
fore student leave their schools for the
big, competitive world of business.
THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES
Publi,twdat E5'ingharn. Ontario. h' Hanger Finn I.imitPd
Barry Wenger President
Kober' ( ) anger Sec Trea,
Member Audit Rureaunf (lrrula'uma
Member (anadran ('ommuntty Newspaper 1,",+
` ebeert.Y uxn OS 00 ter Year
Second Class Mail Registration No '082i
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Items from Old Files
JUNE 1933
•
Miss Mary King, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. King,
has started her university
career with great honor as
she won the Board of
Governor's Scholarship for.
first year honor classics.
The Federal Minister of
Finance has made provision
in legislature to exempt
farmers' cheques, money
orders and postal notes of
less than five dollars from
the three -cent stamp tax.
This means that farmers'
cheques for eggs, poultry,
milk and cream are now free
of the stamp tax.
The annual meeting of the'
Maitland Horseshoe Pit-
ching Club was held on their
court on Diagonal Road. Ed
Small was elected president,
Charles Elliott `vice
president and J. H. McKay
secretary -treasurer.
W. A. McKibbon and W. T.
McFadzean, local boys who
are taking the medical
course at Western Univer-
sity, were both successful at
their examinations.
Miss Alexandria Hamilton
has accepted a position as
telephone operator at Gorrie
central,
JUNE 1945
Back from the prison
camps of Germany, Flight
Lieutenant Darrel Biggs
received a great ovation as
he dismounted from the train
here Monday afternoon.
First to greet him were his
parents. Mr. and Mrs Percy
-Biggs. and his brother,
Donald.
Mrs. W. H. Gurney was
hostess to about 50 friends of
Miss Betty Lloyd when they
presented her with a
miscellaneous show4"r.
The W. T. Booth home on
Patrick Street has been sold.
We understand that Harry
Spry andtfamily will occupy
this house on his release
from the army.
After' many years of
having no greenhouse in the
village of Wroxeter, Lorne
Kaake has purchased the
property formerly owned by
Harry Chamrtber1a n and
rebuilt part of the
greenhouse operated by the'
former owner.
The chairman of the
United- States Rubber
Company predicted that it
would be 1945 or 1946 before
motorists will be able to get
new tires for passenger cars.
JUNE 1956
An invitation is extended
to all farmers, their families
and friends of Belgrave .and
the surrounding community
to attend the official opening
of the Belgrave Co -Operative
store at the new location in
Belgrave.
The Wingham Lions. Club
presented a television set to
the Wingham General'
Hospital for use of the
patients. It has been insta-
lled in the hospital day room.
The , completion of a
microwave link with the
television network of the
Canadian Broadcasting
corporation was announced
this week by Scott Reid of
CKNX-TV. A vastly im-
proved picture on network
shows is expected as a result
of the new setup.
Whit Grose's Brunswick
Hotel underwent a face
lifting last week as workers
repaired the roof and wall.
The Junior Auxiliary of St.
Paul's Anglican Church,
Wingham, has again been
awarded first place in 'the
annual .competitions, for
Junior Auxiliaries in the
Diocese of Huron. This is the
third consecutive year the
group has taken the honors.
Individual prize winners
from the local group were
Brenda Hall, Wendy Cronk-
wright. Alma Jane Elliott
and Elizabeth 'Parker.
Whitney Grose was elected
president of the Wingham
Lions Club at its regular
meeting at the Brunswick
Hotel Other officers include
Jack Reavie, W. B. Conron,
Dr. W A, Crawford, Floyd
Blakely and N, J. Welwood.
JUNE 1966
The new coin-operated car
wash is nearing completion
and should -be ready foi
operation within ac
week or
ten days J C. Mclntyre is
the owner
Roger west was elected
President of . the western
district Ontario -- Young
Conservatives at the general
meeting in London. Mrs.
John Lloyd of Wingham is
secretary of the
organization.
The Wroxeter Telephone
Co. Ltd. voted at the annual
meeting to sell to the
Wightman Telephone
System of 'Clifford, the
changeover to take place
October 1.
Ruth Hotchkiss, daughter
of Mrs. George Hotchkiss,
graduated last Saturday
from Kitchener -Waterloo
Hospital school of . nursing.
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Letrs to *1.
Senior tswimming . .
program it p sed
Dear Editor,
We are inow starting to set
up our summer program for
the Wingham and District
Centennial Swimming Pool:
Since our main function is to
serve ,all members of the
community as fully as
possible, we try to include a
wide range of aquatic ac-
tivities so as many people as
Possible an participate.
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However we now realize
that we may have left out
two groups of people in the
community. These people
are th$ senior citizens and
those' people with ' mental or
physical disabilities.
Although these two groups of
people are always welcome,
they may not feel com-
fortable or be able to attend
when there are a lot of people
,ref j,r
M the .tel suh as',
publics -
For Ibis reason ,h4o
make mol time available i
these pee*if bete,
sufficient ilnterest.'We Would
appreciate hearing . from
anyone interestedir'' Senior
Citizen Swimming' of ' Che
Ability Swim' by, pboag or
writing therecreationoffice,
357-1208 or Box 862,
Wingham.
Rennie Alexander,
Director of Recreation
Carl Lee,
Pool Coordinator
8
Zehrs delighted with welcome
Dear Editor,
We at Zehrs Markets have
just opened our 40th super-
marketin Wingham and are
delighted to report that
never before have we ex-
perienced such a warm and
friendly welcome as we did
on Tuesday, June 3.
The- residents and business
people of Wingham and area
have welcomed us not as
visitor but, it would seem,
more as a new , family
member. We are very -
grateful for all of -the kind
thoughts and wishes ex -
Confederate
wins awards
in national
competition
The Mount Forest Con-
federate has won two awards
in . the 1980 Better
Newspapers Competition
Sponsored by the Canadian
Community Newspapers
Association.
The newspaper received
first place for its editorial
page for -newspapers across
the country with the same
•eirpulatione,. 'Second .:.p�llace,,
went to 'The- Ganarloque
Reporter . and The North
Essex News .from. Belle
River, Ontario was third.
The Confederate ,:also
received a: Blue Ribbon
Award for achieving 80
percentor more of the first
place mark awarded in the
circulation category.
Managing Editor David
Wenger will be presented
with the awards when the
annual Canadian Com-
munity Newspapers
Association convention is
held in Edmonton next
month.
The Confederate is
published by Wenger
Brothers Limited, as well as
The Wingham Advance -
Times, Listowel Banner,
Crossroads and Farming
Today.
Vaughan Douglas has been
hired as the editor of, the
Mount Forest Confederate
and Farming Today,
Wellington Edition.
A number of people in the
area will remember Mr.
Douglas as the former farm
director of CKNX Radio and.
Television in Wingham. In
additon, he spent several
years at the University of
Guelph with the Press Radio
and T.V., Services for the
Ministry of Agriculture and
Food. He also .worked with
The Winnipeg Free Press as
the eastern livestock editor
of Report on Farming for a
number of years, coverning
sales in both Ontario and
Quebec.
In his new postion ,he will
be working closely with farm
organizations in Wellington
County and getting involved
with activities in Mount
Forest and area.
Mr. Douglas presently
lives in Guelph but will be
moving to Mousit Forest in
the near future.
tended to us during our first
week in Wingham. The
response to our grand
opening was, inr' no small
part, due to the sense of
community which ap-
parently is shared by every
resident here.
Our wish for Wingham and
its friendly. people is that it
will • continue to grow and
prosper in, .every way. We
trust that we will become a
valued member of this
community in the years
ahead. -
Harvey Heinmiller
Store Manager, Wingham
New Books
in the Library
ACRES OF MEMORY by
Don Campbell
Here is the complete
collection of 65 short stories
exactly as narrated by the'
author on radio.
CHILDREN'S SECRETS
by Thomas J. Cottle
Children are family ex-
perts. They watch closely the
encounters between
members of the family and
their observations usually
are keen and perceptive. Let
a child speak and a wealth of
detail pours forth.
Psychologist Thomas Cottle
talks to children and listens
to their recounting of family
secrets and finds that the
gap between the myths of the
happy family and reality is
quite wide.
BUCKS COUNTY ID11II.L
by Robert J. Seidman
It should have been the
perfect vacation: a year at a
rambling, country estate in
the ' fel-inland of Bucks
County in a magnificent
house with a pool, a well -
stocked wine cellar and
other luxurious amenities,;
not to mention one of the
finest art collections in the
country. However for Nick
Young and Stephanie.,
Harrold this particular
sojourn would be a night
marish test of their wits and
stamina, a'threat' to their
relatiorii3lrip , . and to their
lives.
FOR THE CHILDREN
DRAMA ON THE.
SPEEDWAY by Ross R,
Olney
MUSEUM
MIJSINGS
By John Pattison
In 1873 the store now used
by the Waxworks Boutique
was built to be used as a post
tjffice. It eves owned and
operated by the two sisters of
Peter Fisher, the Post-
master. The goverment had
approved the location and
the building. The previous
post office was located at the
north east corner of Victoria
and Leopold Streets. As
more business moved onto
Josephine a more central
location was required.
'The town continued to
grow northward, as time
went on, especially after the
coming of the railways. By
1892 some of the citizens took
up a petition to have the post
office moved into the next
block between John and Pat-
rick Streets. As a result P.O.
Inspector Hopkirk visited
Wingham in July of that year
to investigate the situation.
However since there was no
suitable site north of John
Street, nothing was done.
Five years later another
petition was circulated to
have the office moved north
to larger quarters. .The
Fishers enlarged the office
by eliminating the shop used
by W. H. Wallace and re-
decorated the premises. On
April 2, 1897 Inspector Hop -
kirk returned to Wingham to
chair a meeting in the Coun-
cil Chambers. He referred to
the previous petition and his
visit to the town. The 1892 re-
port said the post office was
poor but there was no other
place to put it.
Dr. Tamlyn opposed
moving the post office. It
was convenient to the people
of Lower Wingham, who had
to walk in for their mail.
Farmers from within 2 miles
of Whitechurch, 11 miles of
Belgrave and P/2 miles of
Bluevale had to come there
for trail. It was at the junc-
tion of the roads to Wingham
and the business portion of
the town was at the south
end. He thought the people
complained more about the
sized rather than the v
location.
Lawyer J. A. Morton also
opposed moving the office.
He pointed out that the
location of the greater public
convenience did not mean
the geographical centre of
the town, He considered the
business centre of the town
to be one store north of the
Brunswick Hotel and he did
. not think it worth all the fuss
to move the post office one
hundred yards.
John Neelands pointed out
most business was done be-
tween Victoria and John. Mr.
Thomas Bell and Mr. John
McLean from the north ehd
did not want it moved.
Mr., A. Roe wanted it
moved because the present
location was almost outside
the corporation. The people
at the south end thought it
was an advantage to them
but it was time the people at
the other side of town got
some benefit from it. John
Hanna said while the mayor,
Mr. Morton, did not want it
moved, the council did. This
was refuted by someone else.
The inspector promised to
see other signers on the -peti-
tion and report his findings
at a later date. Word -was re-
ceived in early May of 1
that the post office would be
moved. Many were unhappy
With the decision and asked
that it be left as before. By
June it was official that the
location would be changed.
In October 1898 the post
office was, moved to the
north single store in the
Macdonald Block.
(Wingham Bargain Store). It
was smaller and darker but
as usual the government had
the last, word. From then
there was a constant
struggle to obtain a new
federal building. This finally
became reality in 1907 when
the pot office opposite the
town hall was opened.
i4t