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The Times Advocate, 2004-06-02, Page 5Wednesday,June 2, 2004 Exeter Times -Advocate 5 Opinion Forum News ROSS HAUGH BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS AGO June 1, 1994 - South Huron Hospital's emergency room got yet another reprieve this Monday and will remain open 24 hours a day at least for another two weeks. Hay township councillors agreed at a May 16 meeting to go ahead with plans for a new municipal office building in Zurich to be housed on Mill street, just east of the existing building. 25 YEARS AGO June 1, 1979 - Exeter's newest business Anstett Jewellers opened this past week. Established in Clinton in June of 1950 by John Anstett, Anstett Jewellers expanded to Walkerton in 1956 and then to Seaforth in 1959 and now to Exeter. Two students from South Huron District High School placed in the top 10 percent of a nation wide mathematics contest sponsored by the University of Guelph. They are Paul Wein and Paul McAuley. 35 YEARS AGO June 4, 1969 - The Ontario Water Resources Commission has approved a waterworks system for a portion of Stephen township including the summer resort area north of Grand Bend on both sides of Highway 21. Larry Snider, chairman of the Exeter Development Corporation said this week that his group has one "hot prospect" who may establish an industry in Exeter. 40YEARS AGO June 3, 1964 - Don "Chub" McCurdy, a barber in Exeter for the past five years announced this week that he is moving to Hensall to the shop of the late Claire Deneau. Bill Murray, Grand Bend and Dennis Lamport of Crediton copped the senior award in the SDHS science fair with a demonstration of the working parts of an electric motor. 45YEARS AGO June 3, 1959 - The new site for Darling's IGA Market now undergoing extensive renovations will open next weekend. The former Simmons implement building on the corner of Main and Sanders streets has been completely revamped to provide 3,000 square feet for the market. The Sarepta Hotel, one mile east of Dashwood which was purchased by the Ontario Department of Highways has been sold by auction to Andrew Hamilton for $450. 50YEARS AGO June 3, 1954 - Don Tremeer of R.R. 2, Kippen won the grand championship honours for the best calf in the recent Hensall Spring Fair calf club competition. He sold his calf for 35 cents a pound netting $155 after paying for feed and other expenses. 55YEARS AGO June 3, 1949 - Mrs. Pearl Cochrane sold Leavitt's Theatre last week to G.D. Thompson of St. Marys. The sale marked the end of 37 years of entertainment service to district residents by the Leavitt family. Norman Amos has purchased the Kirkton Veterinary Service from Dr. Jose. W.W. Taman who has been in the gents' furn- shing business for the past 48 years has sold to Len McKnight and Norman Walper. Exeter was honoured Friday by a visit from Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent. 60YEARS AGO June 2, 1944 - The building on Main street that for a number of years has been occupied by the Exeter Public Utilities Commission last week sold by tender to Clarence Fairbairn, dealer in eggs and poultry. 80YEARS AGO June 2, 1924 - "Happy John", the corn and rheumatic cure vendor held forth north of Jones and May store Saturday night and did a land- office business. The Central Hotel for the past 35 years owned and operated by W.T. Acheson was sold last Friday to Mrs. Chester Lee of Paisley. 85 YEARS AGO June 1, 1919 - Mr. Fred Wells, late from over- seas has been engaged as the caretaker of the local lawn bowling greens. 'A mug's game' Dear Editor: The federal election approaches so we must get beyond the message. Mr. Martin goes to Toronto and with his Toronto -area liberal members announces great things for the waterfront. Mr. Martin's govern- ment will give $125 million to "kick-start Toronto's stalled waterfront rejuvenation." Unless Toronto voters think carefully, they will be enthused about this gener- ous recognition of their waterfront needs. In 1972, during the federal election, Mitchell Sharpe, a cabinet minister in the Trudeau government, stood where a number of condos now block the view to Lake Ontario and announced the federal government would fund a waterfront park for the people. It never happened. It was never meant to happen. Pork barrelling is the low- est form of campaigning; that it is effective is a sad commentary on voters and not far removed from the days when politicians literally bought individual voters with cash, liquor, and jobs on the highways. When we buy the message, we deserve the results. Gas prices are on the rise. All parties express outrage and promise they will act on behalf of the people. Parties are trying to make mileage of a phenomenon over which they have little con- trol. Canadians believe they have an inalienable right to cheap access to a non- renewable resource. Rather than pander to voters, politicians should tell us higher prices are the reality and we need to develop strategies to better protect this non-renewable resource, oil, that is the cornerstone of our industrial society. Voters serve themselves better if they discount anything said during the election about controlling gas prices. Gas price chatter is a mug's game. It is important for voters to ask what kind of Canada we want. Without that we are vulnerable to the politi- cal salesman at our door or on our TV. For instance, there is nothing dastardly with wanting to have a clos- er military and economic relationship with the United States. There have been Canadians wanting this since Confederation. It is not new. Today, those people have a party to represent them. Mr. Harper will take them there. Because, however, of what is now occurring in the United States and their activities in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Canadian war party, for that is what they are according to their spoken word, wishes to down- play their belligerence for this election. That is unfor- tunate. Though I disagree with the conservative's desire for a closer and more dependent relationship with the United States (a mouse cannot have an inter- dependent relationship with an elephant) I could at least respect them if they categorically set out their policy in this regard rather than fudge it. Otherwise some voters may become confused, not realizing that Mr. Harper and the conservative party want us to march in close step with the United States. Openness would be welcome in an election but with- out it voters need to look beyond the announcements, the ballyhoo, and the deliberate misinformation. Get out and vote but make it an informed vote. There is a better chance not to end disappointed. FRED KIRBY. Please rectify this situation The following letter was sent to Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Maria Van Rommel. Dear Carol and Maria: It has come to the attention of the Greater Grand Bend Community Association, (GGBCA), that Dr. Y. M. Lam has decided to close her Dashwood office, citing fatigue due to excessive administrative and patient loads. The GGBCA, in discussion with the new provincially funded Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre, (CHC), has learned that the CHC has made application to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care for the necessary funding to acquire Dr. Lam's practice as a "satellite operation" of the CHC. This would allow Dr. Lam to be able to continue treating the patients on her register. If this proposed plan is not accepted by the Ministry Dr. Lam's 4000+ patients would be left without a doc- tor thus severely straining the already medically under serviced greater Grand Bend community. As the population of the greater Grand Bend community grows by migration, mostly senior citizens who bring age related health issues with them, this would present catastrophic impediments to the ability of the CHC to provide adequate medical services to all of the residents of, and tourists to, the Grand Bend area. The Greater Grand Bend Community Association urges you to bring whatever influence you have to bear on the Ministry to rectify this potentially serious situation. Thank you, STEPHANIE F. DONALDSON, president Greater Grand Bend Community Association OH IP card renewal process `absurd' Dear Editor: This is in reference to renewing OHIP cards. Last Friday I took off two hours from work to go to Exeter Hospital to renew my OHIP card. I showed the nice lady two pieces of photo ID, one of which was my old OHIP card and I was told that I would need a current up-to-date address for identification. I had just moved two weeks prior to this appointment. What irks me is I showed them not one but two pieces of photo ID, one of which was the old OHIP card and now they want me to pay premiums for OHIP. I can't even get a card. I find this so absurd that because of one little thing like my address I couldn't renew my health card. Now I have to go through this whole charade again which will probably take me two months for another appointment before I can tell the nice government people, "Here is my up- to-date address; now, can I pay you to give me my health card?" TIM LAWRENCE, Huron Park, ON. City life In the past I've probably complained plenty about how it's impossible to live an interesting life as a teenager in a small rural town, but after spending a week in a city like Montreal, I don't think I would have had it any other way. Last week I was one of the students in the South Huron senior concert band who travelled to Montreal to compete in MusicFest Nationals. I think the biggest thing that I took away from that trip was knowing how lucky we all were for being brought up in an area where there were just cer- tain things that you would never have to worry about when you were walking down the street. It was quite a culture shock for a lot of us to see how many people made the city streets and parks their homes and you can't help but wonder what had happened to bring them to where they are today. It's often joked about how in small towns you either know every possible person you pass down the street, or are related to them in some way, but really, why is that such a bad thing? Chances are if a friend or family member were in some sort of trouble you would never let them get into a situation where they were forced to live on the street. It seemed that in a place like Montreal these people were passed on the street as if they were just another part of the scenery. I think we take for granted how privileged we are to live in a place where you don't have to worry about unsafe places to walk or who might be around the next dark corner. Obviously not all of these people are dangerous or should be thought of as criminals or thieves, but with a strong police presence at night time with the sound of sirens often going off, you couldn't help but feel a little anxious. I still think that at some point though everyone should experience living in a city and see some of these things first hand; however, I am glad I was- n't raised in one and don't plan on ever raising a family in a large city like Toronto or Montreal either. A child shouldn't be brought up to think that surroundings like that are a normal part of life or are okay just because they see them every- day. So even though there's often a lack of things to do in a rural area, I think we should be happy that the kinds of surroundings in a large city are just something we can visit instead of having to deal with everyday. DEBRA TOONK