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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-5-24, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2018. Editorials Opinions 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 + 51.81 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 1HO email: info@northhuron.on.ca 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 H0 Ph. 519-523-4792 Phone Fax 519-523-9140 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca ocna ab CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council CMCA AUDITED We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright The councillors' dilemma The current negotiations over the Wingham Police Services budget neatly illustrates the dilemma municipal councillors often face as they try to meet the needs of their employees as well as their taxpayers. North Huron councillors followed the desire that Wingham taxpayers expressed in public meetings to continue with their own municipal police force instead of signing a contract to have the Ontario Provincial Police provide police services. Having committed to a local police force, councillors were then told by Wingham Police Chief Tim Poole that he needs several additional officers to do the job properly, sending the cost of his budget soaring. Since then Chief Poole, the North Huron Police Services Board and township councillors have been trying to find a compromise solution. Municipal councillors work very closely with their staff, whether it be with office workers, the roads department or the police. Since they understand better than taxpayers how hard these employees work and the difficulties involved in their jobs, they want to give them the resources to do the job properly — and to serve the municipality's residents well. But if you're an employee, often you see a need for additional staff or equipment that councillors may resist providing because they, unlike the employees, must answer to the taxpayers. In these days when municipalities receive less financial support from the province but are expected to provide more services, councils often face the prospect of tax increases even if they hold the line on new expenditures. It's a situation that leaves everybody unhappy — employees who don't have the resources they feel they need to do their jobs, taxpayers who only see their tax bills relentlessly climbing each year, and councillors who are stuck in the middle knowing they're the bad guys on both sides. Part of the solution is more revenue for municipalities, either through provincial grants or new revenue -generating opportunities, but even then the old tension between what municipal employees want and what taxpayers are willing to pay for is likely to bedevil municipal councillors for generations to come. — KR They just don't get us As the current campaign for the June 7 provincial election has proceeded, it has become increasingly clear that no matter which of the three main parties forms the new government, the growing gap between urban and rural Ontario is unlikely to narrow. All the party leaders are concentrating on urban voters with promises of more money for subways and transportation utilities but even when they announce policies that affect people province wide, they show their ignorance of rural realities. Take, for instance, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath's promise of free child care for parents earning less than $40,000 a year and much cheaper costs for everyone else. It's a policy that sounds promising until you see it will apply only to licensed public day-care centres. Even in the cities this will mean many people won't be supported because there are too few public day -cares. In rural areas, only a tiny fraction of people send their children to publicly -supported day-care centres. There are few of these centres and working parents in places like Brussels and Blyth must be prepared to drive miles to nearby towns to drop their kids off before they can go to work. What the majority of rural parents need is a plan that cuts their costs despite the fact they use a private child-care provider. The lack of understanding of rural realities seems to undermine the campaigns of all parties. The Liberals long ago alienated the majority of rural voters. Those voters turned to the Progressive Conservatives but they're now led by a Toronto -centric politician who famously said that farms in the Greenbelt were just fields waiting for development. It would nice to see a solution: a leader and a party that could serve both rural and urban voters. Right now that seems unlikely. — KR It's hard to compete One place Canadians might support U.S. President Donald Trump's often -distorted view of the "unfairness" of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would be over wages in the auto industry. After nearly 25 years of NAFTA, the average Mexican auto worker makes about (U.S.) $4 per hour. The average auto worker in Canada makes $35 an hour. U.S. workers earn from $16 to $38 an hour. When automakers can pay workers $4 an hour to make vehicles that sell for $40,000 to Canadians, it's obvious where new auto plants will be built. Trump (and the Canadian Auto Workers Union) want to see wages for Mexican workers raised. That's a problem for the Mexican government which is happy with its current competitive advantage. At $4 an hour, Mexican auto workers are already well paid compared to their neighbours. Give them, say, $20 an hour and they'd be rich. With our high cost of living, our auto workers say they can't work for less. Given that math, auto plants will continue to move south. — KR ?.EMEMBER MIKE HARRIS! REMEMBER BOB RAU fP:" REMEMBER KATHLEEN WYNt4E Looking Back Through the Years May 28, 1958 The possibility of a new school in Brussels was discussed favourably at a recent public meeting. Members of the school board and of Brussels Village Council were in attendance to discuss the proposition, which was crucial because, as Gordon Stephenson, chair of the school board, explained, the cost to renovate the existing school would likely be a larger burden on the taxpayers than building a new school. Brussels United Church was set to hold its annual flower service at the church. The special service was set for Sunday, June 8. May 31, 1978 Over 80 quilts were on display at the Walton Community Hall thanks to the Walton Women's Institute. The Institute hosted the quilt show in hopes of showcasing all of the tremendous talent in the area when it came to crafting quilts. Among the quilts on display was one made by the members of the institute. Blyth Memorial Hall was the setting for the Huron Olde Tyme Festival, which was scheduled for June 2-3. Black Magic, the Canadian stepdancing champion group, would be among those performing at the special weekend in Blyth. The weekend would also include a fiddle competition and a square dancing competition. Blyth's Jimmy Lawrie would be the weekend's master of ceremonies. Several Morris Township youths were thrilled with their capture of a hawk in the area. The hawk had a broken wing and the children were hoping to nurse it back to health and, after a check with the game warden, were hoping to keep it as a pet. May 29, 1991 The official opening of Blyth's new library was set to take place on Thursday, May 30. The library was set to open in the north wing of Memorial Hall in the centre of the village. Several dignitaries were set to be in the village for the special event. Huron County Librarian Beth Ross said that the branch would eventually have 4,500 books, twice as many as it did at the time. In addition, the branch would also be outfitted with new furniture. The Blyth Festival received a special grant from the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Communications in order to help with its capital fundraising program. The grant totalled just over $25,000, which left just under $450,000 left to be raised to pay off the $2.2 million expansion program that would be taken on at the hall over the coming two years. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Brussels as the Brussels Farmers' Market opened for the first time at Brussels Livestock. The first day of the market saw steady crowds make their way to the location throughout the day. Steve Bearss, a craftsman in Blyth, donated a newly -created desk to the new branch of the Huron County Library in Blyth in its new location in Memorial Hall. Bearss won the tender to construct the desk and did so, but, upon delivering the desk to the branch, he announced that he would not be charging for his work and that he was happy to donate it to the branch. May 29, 2008 Kira Isabella of Orleans was the big winner of the AM920 Ontario Open Country Singing Contest, taking home its first Rising Star Award. Isabella was said to be no stranger to performing in front of audiences, as she had been wowing dozens in local halls for over five years before taking part in the competition. For her efforts, Isabella would take home a recording package worth $7,500 in addition to some marketing services to help get her name out into the public. Fire chiefs from Huron East, Blyth and Wingham were due to meet to discuss the potential for boundary changes for all three of the departments within Morris- Turnberry. The meeting was called thanks to new equipment that had been purchased by the Huron East Fire Department, including a new water tanker and rescue truck, that would allow the department to better fight rural fires. The Brussels Cadets were helping residents look their best by holding a special car wash fundraiser. While it's unlikely that he bought the ticket himself, 10 -month-old Braden Hummel was the big winner of the Londesborough Lions Duck Race when a duck purchased in his name was the first across the finish line in the annual fundraiser. The infant, as a result of the generous purchase, was now $500 richer. With the Blyth Barons returning to baseball action in the village, they were off to a hot start winning all three of their first three games in the Huron County Fastball League since returning for the season. The Barons capped off the three - game run with a 9-7 victory over the Walton Brewers, which featured a save by pitcher Trevor Seip.