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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-03-01, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018. Editorials Opinions Could we do it here? President: Keith Roulston • Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld • Heather Fraser The Citizen is published 50 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $38.00/year ($36.19 + $1.81 G.S.T.) in Canada; $160.00/year in U.S.A. and $205/year in other foreign countries. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Mon. 2 p.m. - Brussels; Mon. 4 p.m. - Blyth. Canada MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca The 2018 Winter Olympics have ended after introducing Canadians to many sports like ski cross and big air snowboarding they barely knew about. Here in flat Huron County we're unlikely to adopt many of the mountain -slope sports but there was one exciting activity that seems perfect for local kids to take up: short -track speed skating. The sport has been around for more than a century in Canada and the United States but its home in Canada for many years has been on the hockey rinks of Quebec. Many Olympic medal winners have begun their careers in small towns across that province, but Ontario's small towns have seldom picked up the sport. Today many of our arenas need more users. The high cost of equipment and the violence of hockey has discouraged many parents from enrolling their children, leading to the number of teams declining, fewer hours of ice rentals and lower revenues to keep arenas economically viable. Increasingly municipalities are suggesting some arenas may need to close. Might it be possible to explore short -track speed skating as an additional activity in local arenas? Both equipment costs and the threat of injury are reduced compared to hockey. At a time when young people need more physical activity and something exciting enough to make them lay down their cell phones, might this sport be worth a look? — KR Maintain your faith The mess the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party finds itself in just three months before June's provincial election is not helping foster faith in democracy across the province. It's already too easy for people to shrug and say they don't want to vote in any upcoming election because politicians are "all the same" and they want no part of participating in a flawed system. Now, with a Liberal government that's deeply unpopular and which recently saw a high official in former Premier Dalton McGuinty's office convicted of destroying files in the gas plant closure scandal, voters desperately need a trustworthy alternative they can turn to. Until the fiasco over sexual misconduct allegations against former PC Leader Patrick Brown, people seemed set to elect the PCs. Now, with Brown's resignation, then his decision to run for his old job against four contenders, followed then by a second resignation, instead of a government in waiting, the party looks like a feud at a family Christmas. This does not let voters off the hook. Abstaining from voting is no option. Once the campaign begins do your homework. See then which party seems to offer the best government and vote for it. — KR Can youth power tame guns? It's too early to tell but wouldn't it be deliciously ironic if the youth movement set off by the most recent Florida school shooting could push aside the once -idealistic babyboomers in U.S. politics who have sold their souls to the National Rifle Association (NRA). Certainly U.S. businesses have taken notice of the rise of articulate young survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that took the lives of 17 and wounded 14 more. From airlines to car rental companies to insurance companies and banks, these companies have broken ties with the NRA which has held incredible power in the U.S. for many years. None of the companies publicly announced why they are changing course but businesses are always incredibly aware that young people are their future customers. They are also future voters. Already politicians who have taken financial support from the NRA are being branded "bought and paid for" because they have adamantly refused pressure for greater control of assault rifles after shooters used the infamous AR -15 assault rifle for previous mass murders. If they see a generation of young people who will avoid voting for them if they take NRA funding, politicians may finally get some backbone. In many ways, the motivation of today's young activists is similar to that which created the youth revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Back then young Americans saw thousands of their generation dying as cannon fodder for those who wanted to fight Communism in Vietnam. They protested to stop the carnage. Today's youth have seen far too many people like them dying in mass killings and they want it to stop. The forces against them are great. Though there are only 5 million members of the NRA, the organization has offered a powerful carrot or stick proposition for U.S. politicians: support us and we'll give you money; oppose us and we'll do everything we can to defeat you. Still, the young activists have already created more change than has come from any previous mass shooting. And even if they don't turn the tide on the gun culture this time, if they remain committed to the cause they'll become a force that cannot be ignored as they become voters in the years ahead. — KR We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1 HO Ph. 519-523-4792 Phone Fax 519-523-9140 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca �ocna M Member CMC AUDITED CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Greatest Canadian Moments on Ice Looking Back Through the Years March 5, 1958 John Bowman's rink, which included teammates Sam Sweeney, Tom McDonald and Harold Thomas, brought home the Carling Trophy as the top team at the annual Listowel bonspiel. Two dances were scheduled to take place in Brussels on March 7-8. First, The Brunettes, the all -girl orchestra, would be on stage at Brussels Town Hall on March 7. Their show would be followed by a hockey dance on March 8, featuring the music of Smith's Orchestra. Admission was set at 50 cents each. Cousins Cottage Cheese of Brussels was advertising the virtues of the 5 -in -2 cottage cheese diet that took off pounds quickly, but kept you full of plenty of vitamins, minerals and energy for "sustained pop and vitality." March 1, 1978 With tumultuous contract negotiations coninuing between the Huron County Board of Education and its teachers in a very public manner, both sides claimed they had the support of the public. With the teachers talking about a strike and the board talking about locking out the teachers, both said the public was behind them and what they were trying to prove throughout the process. John Elliott of Blyth, chair of the board, said that he couldn't comment on the ongoing situation at the time, but did say that he felt a strike by the teachers would hurt all the wrong people. "Certainly I think any strike is harmful to any sector, but the innocent party in this case happens to be the students," he said. Shirley Weary, negotiator for the local teacher's federation said there still hadn't been any formal plans to continue negotiating. "We're still willing to meet with the board if they're willing to meet with us. There have been no formal requests for negotiation," she said. She disagreed with Elliott, however, that a strike would harm the students. "I suppose if [a strike] goes on for a long period of time it will [harm the students], but at the moment, I don't think there should be any real problem." Two Blyth grant applications were approved through Ontario lottery proceeds. Grants of nearly $13,500 were approved throughout the county by the provincial government. In Blyth, it was a grant for $487 to the Blyth Centennial Committee and for $1,385 to the Blyth Industrial Hockey League that were approved. The Wingham Minor Hockey Association was also approved for $2,326 in order to purchase new equipment and awards for its 13 teams. The Blyth Standard was urging residents not to throw out their newspapers ahead of the morning of Saturday, March 11. The Londesborough Lions Club was hosting a paper drive and they felt all that excess newspaper could certainly help them reach their goal. March 6, 1991 The Blyth Festival received the Toronto Drama Bench Award in recognition of its "distinguished contribution" to Canadian theatre. Artistic Director Peter Smith was on hand in Toronto to accept the award on behalf of the Festival. The Huron County Junior Farmers held their annual banquet in Holmesville, during which Debbie Craig was named the group's next president. In addition, the group's ambassador was also crowned that night, with Melissa Logtenburg taking the honours. Blyth Village Council voted to approve a grant to the Blyth Festival of $1,900, deciding to increase the amount of the grant, but holding off paying the grant until a use agreement could be signed with the theatre in regards to moving the Blyth branch of the Huron County Library into the former box office of Memorial Hall. While he agreed with the comments of Councillor Dave Lee, who said he was "sick and tired" of waiting for a use agreement to be signed, Councillor Steven Sparling said he felt it was important for council to approve the grant. "I feel very strongly we should continue our support," Sparling said. March 6, 2008 Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle was publically critical of the new federal budget announced by Prime Minister Steven Harper's Conservative government. Steckle said that while there were some good ideas in the budget, those were all "simplified" ideas from the Liberal Party's playbook repackaged for the Conservatives' budget. The OPP was out in full force watching for those driving while under the influence and that watchful eye extended to those driving snowmobiles. Police were on patrol just outside of Blyth when they found a Morris- Turnberry man who was under the influence of alcohol, driving too fast and who then struck several trees when he lost control of his machine. When police found the driver to have twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system, they charged him with Impaired Driving.