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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1980-10-23, Page 2alqW BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1980 • Slnce 1860, Serving the giiMibbnity Flrst fished fiti•SOAVOKTI4 ONTARIO OVOrilrbursdaYMOM ,*ketaPtBROS,, PUBLISHERS LTD. • ANOREWt144110LEAMOnhIlaher •• •stISAN„yrirgrE,,Eilltor.,,: 'MACS 018Blie*o.a`Ettitor , int$PF ,CAPAullanComOranity Newspaper Association • Oetattin, Weekly Newspaper Association And Audit Bureau of Circulation 'Sabacrip!lett Itateat Canada (in advance) $14.00 a Year Outside Canada (in advance) $30.00 a Year' SINGLE COPIES —35 CENTS EACH • Second Class Mail 'Registration Number 0696 Telephone 527-0240 _SEAFORTH; ONTARIO, OCTOBER 23, 1980 n praise of regular meetings Seaforth's Pulp! ic Utilities Commission has every right to be proud of the new well it officially opened last week. Seaforth citizens in the future could be thankful that our PUC and its staff were farsighted enough'to make sure there'll be no water shortages here. And the job was done Without extensive borrowing and using regular PUC. staff wherever possible. Current PUG members (all of whom, mayor John Sinnamon, chairman Gord Pullman and Doug Fryett are running for office again) deserve credit for that. We wish we could say the same about the way the PUC has conducted what are supposed to be . monthly public meetings over the last two years. Before the present commission took office, the PUC met regularly on the second Wednesday of each month. Nearly always a press reporter was present, and the public got, we hope, a fair and full account of all the commission's business, public business. But early in the term one commissioner left his_ Seaforth job to work in Toronto. And that, unofficially at least, is the explanation for the fact that PUC meetings are now held at unscheduled times, on very short notice. It depends on when the Toronto member, Doug Fryettican be present. At last week's council meeting the mayor, giving his report on the PUC,said he himself wasn't sure whether the meeting had been a • Tuesday or Wednesday. Despite repeated requests that The press be informed when meetings are about to be held (we can live with short notice if we have to) the call never comes. And when we make regular monthly inquiries to the PUC to ask about the meeting, usually it's just happened and our readers get only He Minimal information that's available after the fact. We don't think the puc has am/thing to hide from the consumers of Seaforth water and hydro who pay its bills. We think, in fact, that a body that's been able to shepherd throubh the new well project would be open and proud of its accomplishments.. And maybe there'll be a change of heart, or at least regularly scheduled meetings that anyone, press or public, can attend, when the new commission takes office. But politicians of all sorts are more interested in answering the public's questions now, before an election, than they'll be afterwards. Seaforth's ratepayers' meeting next Tuesday night is the time and the place to ask them. - Often we hear complaints and grumblings that Seaforth's PUC bills ,are much too high. The PUC could probably put an excellent case forward that they actually save us money with projects like the new well. - But they won't dolt by holding meetings that no one but a select few knows about ance to ask questions Unhap because the town's sewers backed up m your basement last spring ad you don't think anyone showed enough concern', It makes y u mad as heck that one group in town got some financlai help for RS recreation and your favourite group despite a well supported request to council, got sweet nothing? Perhaps you live near Seaforth's outskirts and are worried to death a small shopping plaza will be built next door, as has happened in other small towns?' Or you turn red and purple on the day that your water bill arrives and just can't understand why your brother-in-law pays less for a house twice as big? Maybe you're that individual, quiet and serene, who's perfectly satisfied with the way Seaforth's been run for the past two years You've always meant to give the hard working individuals who serve on our'council and PUC a pat on the back but just never got around to it somehow. Fit any of the above? Then you'd better gel out to the one chance you'll have Pn the next two years to publicly question and praise the politicians. new and old. hold them accountable for their actions Or lack of them, and try to get commi tments on their plans for the future. We're talking about the ratepayers' meeting coming up Tuesday night at the town hall at 8:30. Municipal government is not simple_ and no one can expect our elected officials to have ail the answers or to satisfy everyone But Tuesday night, October 28 is our chance to at least ask those who want to govern us exactly where they stand. We believe that's a -better way to judge a candidate's worth than choosing the one with the biggest smile or the friendliest spouse. It's the only chance we gel to,judge and influence all the ,candidates In public. For after the election on November 10 the winners will be with us for two long years, for better or worse. Expositor asks: Do you think Canitdian • BY DEBBIE RANNEY With the recent actors' strike in the United .States, more and more Canadian programs have been brought to viewers' attenfion. With that in mind. Expositor Asks asked, "Do you think that Canadian television programs have improved in recent years?'" Mary Longstaff of 18 Adam St., Seaforth said. "Oh, yes. Most definitely. (They've improve/d) in fact and content. They're just TV has improved?'4 much more interesting." Atli -tough she didn't think all Canadian shows are up to par with American programs which she said were more showy and flashy, Mrs. Longstaff did Oink the Canadian programs had improved Some Canadian programs she watches include Wintario, WS. Front Page Chal- lenge, The Beachcombers and King of Kensington. Please turn to page 1 , . cocww-pg22,1080 The cold,snap•atul snow storrn On Sunday . antlVionday will cause farmers to think about taking up their roots. . Mr. Counter has ,. 'presented , the ..Auction sales have been OniTletOns and congregation of St. Thomas' ,Church a this well attended in St, Columban of late, / townwith a beautiful church elock. The foundation' for ,the new rink in Owingto the high cost -of coal this year Seaforth has been completed; a quantity -of several of 'OW -Citizens are abandoning the other material is on the grounds and work is use of coal stoves and are Lying them being pushed forward as rapkily as possible. replaced by stoves that burn wood s Thursday next being Thanksgiving Day , Twelve street lights have been ordered for will of course be observed as a f101iday in the .tovart of Seaforth. . town. Those who shipped apples to Mamma. Thanksgiving ,day there will be. 4 football 'this season last money on -them as a few car match between the employees of the loads glut the market. ,Furniture Factory and the Engine works on We hope to see a good attendance of the recreation grounds. ladies at Sir Richard Cartwright's meeting in OCTOBER 24, 1930 Cardno Hall tonight. Mettle), was under a blanket of snow for A great many farmers in this locality are three days, but -the moisture is not enough to engaged in making 'cider. , 'put out the swamp fires, and the water At the last meeting of the Mckillop famine still continues.; Council it was reperted that the Roxboro Wesley James Bissett, chief constable of bridge had been campleted, in accordance Exeter, died suddenly at 8 o'clock_Monclay__ with the plan. • . ., morning in his 78th year. Despite the fact , On Sunday night snow fell in Brussels to that Mr. Bissett had been feeling miserable the depth of two inches. ' for several weeks he kept on with his duties OCTOBER 20, 1905 - as chief constable. Many of the farmers of this vicinity are Rarely since the war has our community this week taking up their roots and potatoes received such shocking news as that of the while others are leaving their orchards of death of Alan MacKenzie at the hands of an apples and thus, all are making preparations assassin in Cuba. He was the son of the late for the coming winter. Roderick MacKenzie and Mrs. Margaret There is what almost can be called an MacKenzie of Brimfield. epidemic of dysentry in Bluevale. There Ti -p • . . -, , s of Hensa- ll. Loage are ...--- have been two deaths from it and many have Iooki g forward 'th ,- . pleasure and been very ill. inte est to their fiftieth anniversary. Wed- nesday evenittg, Petaber 29. Hensell coal merchants with the pr ent cold snap are meeting with r ewed demand. • •ocroDER 21, 1955 The second dance of the school year was held in the gym of 5.1),H,S, •The dance was a" Sadie Hawkina Affair and WO a Sell out, Letters from former residents which each day reach J.E, Keating, treasurer of the Liens Pool Campaign, tell of the broad interest there is in ensuring that the pool canipal0 is. a success, The most valuable Award to be wen by "$nnth Huron District High SOW, Exeter ,graduate has been given to Mary Elpon, 18, of Resell, • . 0,A. Whitney, Seitforth on Tuesday was elected secretary of the Conte& Funeral Services Association diking tile final ses-, sions of the Association's convention in Niagara NIS. Clinton's twat fathers do not *pet to a Hallowe'en party for the kids in the Torn., Hall, but they do object to the youngsters making the, night of fun last for 3 weeks. Already the soaping of windows has begun. You're A ratepayers meeting will' _be ,held at the town hall in Seaforth , October 28 at 8:30. Children are invited to attend the annual Halloween Party at •Seaforth Branch Library on Saturday, October 25th at 1:30 p.m. Free admisison. Family entertainment at its best! Sutherland, Gordon and Bird, the Canadian inv There is free admission to the musical, trio, from Guelph, are appearing at the Seaforth Public School on Thursday October 23, 1980 at 2:15 p.m. 'The group performs a variety of musical styles on an equally wide range of instru- ments. The show contains original material peraWmance. Everyone is welcome to attend. Seaforth Agriculture Society Ladies Division invites you to attend their display, °etch& 29 at 8:00 p.m. at the Seaforth Public School. a film "Patterns of Love" (the art of quilting) will be shown and a draw on ere quilt Will be made. Seaforth hockey before there I was happy to see Jack Malwain's excellent letter in last week's paper on the hockey coverage and calibre of hockey now played in Seaforth. Going back to the early 50's,"Ja ck was a member of the best Midget teams Seger& produced and he, along with my son, Ken,. could have obtained higher goals had they wanted to accept the offers presented to them. 1" always had (and still have) a keen interest in sports, and going back to my teens I carried my equipment, (the bit I had) to scrimage with Cooney Weiland, when we would break into the old palace arena where he left his on his way to school in the morning. This was unknown to my father who was against me playing in sports of any kind at that time, and we lived 4 miles from Seaforth and in those days (unlike today you were obliged to obey). Yes! Seaforth over the years. produced some great hockey teams, and I witnessed many games, and very few if any fights. These were the days of Joe Sills. the Read brothers. Mun McGeogh, Ott and Memories To the editor: Tom Dick, Cooney Weiland, Heck and Gordon Hayes, "Musty" Read. Frank Cadnist,LBAMontgoinery_F_erg Mulland- and T think Nelson Governlock from Winthrop. , Remember those were the days of natural ice, no red line, no body checking in centre ice. A defence man was penalized for body checking if he stepped over the blue line. There was only one ref, no linesmen. I realize the red line was introduced to speed up the game and produce more goals, but I always say it took good stock handling and puck control out of the game. Since Bobby Hull introduced that terrible slap shot the players now have more proteetive gear than thc old days of combat with swords. Oh! I have forgotten to mention farmer McFadden, F. Sills. Bill O'Shea and perhaps others I cannot remember. Coaches Jim Willis and Lorne Dale certainly had done a great job for hockey. was a Speaking of bush league, in the 30's a farmer's league was formed which I was part of. The -late -T. -McMillan -then M.P.-for Huron, donated a trophy. Tuckersmith tile yard. Winthrop and St. Columban were the first teams involved. In those days no one had money. if they had they held onto it. If you wanted poney from a bank, you had to almost prove you didn't need it, '? So we had to make the best of what we had. Chas Holpfes owned the rink and he was glad to rent it for Saturday night hockey. We formed a committee, drew up a schedule with three games a night and from the beginning we filled the old arena. Some were hanging on the rafters and all for .15. We had little or no equipment. There was (at times) some hard hitting. the fans loved it, and Seaforth stoles were often open until after midnight. but I cannot recall onc fight. red line Later this became an industrial league and more professional. Getting back to Jack's comment on.Jr. D. I witnessed a few games last year with Mitchell and to me theitockey, was ,vetar_ _ good. One has to remember you cannot lose two or three key players and put together something overnight. And it was unfortunate a so-called sports writer over looked this, and misinteipeted Some of his interview. I think anyone will agree we have an excellent crop of teenaged boys and girls with the desire to obtain a good education and prepare themselves for a successful future and it is unfortunate that they are judged by a few that do not have that.. desire. I regret that 1 have used up so much of your valuable paper, and overlooked some 'famous names, but if' it's the last of my writing, I wanted to express my feelings towards the high standards of hockey in Seaforth and wish them every success in the future. Vincent .1. Lane St. Columban of the flag debate help perspective For an idealistic young nationalist it was a frightening time. Just as a feeling of Canadianism was growing. it appeared the country' might be torn apart completely It was the early Ic160's. The shock -w ayes from Fl Q terrorist bombs were being felt across the country. Catia-dians who had alv.ays taken the country for granted suddenly started to worn Some people thought something had to be done Among them was the Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. winner of the Nobel Pease Piste for his work at the United Nations. Loitle did he know that in the coming months he anuld nearls need the United Nations to bring pease in Canada The Prime ?Yin -sister felt (anadians needed things to pull them together. to breed a sense of nabonalism. One solution was the planning of massive celebrations in the country for the centennial year in Ic16-. but that was still far off What was needed quickly was some kind of symbol. He decided it was time Canada has its own flag It %%as hardhe felt. for mans Canadians not of British descent to base much feeling for the Red Fnsign. with its. Union Jack in the upper cornet. What was needed %%as something tnil% Canadian In the corning months this attempt to find a unifying s‘mbol almost tore the ountrv apart John Diefenbaker, who blended a fiene sense of Canadianism ith Behind the scenes by Keith Roulston an equally fierce lo yalty to Britain and the Queen, saw in the government plan everything he detested about Liberals and Pearson in particu)ar. He rallied monarch- ists. oid soldiers, and traditionalists behind tom in a holy war against the proposal for the flag. The young and the growing group of nationalists generally backed the Prime Minister The fighting was fierce and dirty and seemingly went on for months. The question was. would the country he torn apart by the very thing supposed to unify it? When the government finally pushed through its bill adopting the new flag there were bomb threats against the people who whipped the flag up their flagpoles. The Royal Canadian Legion refused to fly the new flag for years. WHAT FUSS? Today it's hard to believe all the fuss. lt•s a decade and a half since the fight eruptedit seems faintly funny to look back on it. We've had since then re cessions' and near depressions, referendums and soaring inflation. all of which seem far more teal and threatening than the flag debate could have heeti. TIJ ese memories have come back to me in r cent weeks as a way of putting in per pective the current bitterness over th constitution and the federal govern- nrs plans to bring it to Canada from ritain despite the opposition of more than half the provinces. I remember listening to the closing session of the last consititutinnal conference on my car radio as 1 travelled that Saturday a month or s45 ago and worrying about the future of the country. 1 still worry when 1 hear the dire warnings that Canada could be torn apart by the government's actions. 1 hear people talking about Western separatism if the government doesn't cave in to the wishes of Premiers Lougheed and Bennett and Lyon and 1 worry will the country every recover? Then 1 remember the flag debate and the feelings of the time that the country could never recover from such bitterness. This country. it seemsis destined always to go through bitter controversies. The flag debate was just a minor skirmish in our history of wrangling. I wasn't old enough to remember the great pipeline debate but the country survived it. 1 wasn't born when the cqnscription crisis split the country, a split for once that was to affect the country for years to corn, - In fact you can go back to The very beginnings of the country to see how often it seemed the country couldn't survive its birth pains. Canada became a coast-to- coast nation because of the building of the CPR. but if you go back to the history books, particularly books like Pierre Ber- ton's The National Dream. you'll see the fighting and bickering went on for years. Sir John A. Macdonald. revered as a great nation builder today. was a drunkard, idiot and scoundrel to many in those days. Instead of building a nation he was tearing a young country apart. this sense of perspective is important in living through everyday life. We often feel that we- are..at a lime of crisis such as has never been seen before. We worry about the crisis in Afghanistan and forget that we, lived through the Cuban &fissile Crisis. We worry about the arms race and forget we managed to survive the Cold War of the fifties. It's not to say we shouldn't be concerned about today's crises because only by being concerned, by being ready to do what we can to avert dangevan we keep a country going. The wise person. however, keeps things in perspective. What's all this buliroar .about the „constipation? 'What's all this here builIrnar about repatnatIng the ;anadtan Conctipat“,0,- .demanded the rather helicose (hap at the next bat -stool Some; hat 1imid1%. I replied ti don't like bar -room brawlq unless somebod, els( is them. "1 think the word is constitution. not Constipation..., And in a little attempt to ease the tension. added. "Wv has( enough of that non .'' not Meaning constitution He didn't Ot it. He snorted. "Constitootion? I'm in great shape.- giving his beer -belly a sma( k and hawking up a few gobs after inhaling deeply on his White Owl cigar.. Well. I was getting a bit nettled 1:1) nom a troublemaker or a flag-way-er. but I'm a goad Canadian. I didn't have to listen to this beery bore'. 1.began quietly enough. The word is not repatriationbut rtnation The suffix "re" means 'back.' as in 'return.' If %e repatriated the comtitution. it would mean thai-wc were bringing it back' to Canada. ut it 'has never been here inthe first place. So we use the word !patriation.• meaning uh..." He was not impressed bs. ms quite lu id explanationnor my obvious education • Patriotism. that's the stuff. There's t($. many of these rottenlong-haired punks in this country, who wouldn't fight for it if they hadda," I rolled my.eyes. figuratively, heaved at inaudible sigh. and asked the im Sugar and spice By Bill Smiley happy enough to change the sutler( "What outfit were you with in World War it?" I knew that's what he was leading up to. "Outfit? Outfit?" and he laughed a deep gargly, belching rumble. "I was in Intelligence. I was intelligent enough lo get a job in the shipyards and maim a bundle.'' I was more than nettled by non, I was more like poison ivy. I almost snapped. "Good for you! You were mating a bundle while the enemy was firing shells and mortars and machine-guns at your old school friends! "What old school friends? You mean them jerks that went on to high school and volunteaied to go and get thernsebees shot in some oreign country. They were no friends of mine. They were suckers" Seething, 1 tried another tackunable to believe this was a fellow-canadian. hut willing to give him a third ohance. !took three deep breaths, then explained calmly. "A constitution is the backbone of a democratic country. It sets out the rights and obligations of its citizens. Aren't you interested in that" Would you like to live in a co • ntry where you had no rights?"' I thought that might stir some smoldering spark of love of country. But he wasn't so dumb He was crafty. in fact. • "Why shvuld 19 I live in this country. where 1 got a right to vote for any dummy I want to. write a letter to the newspaper saying what I thii k of the government. belly up to the bar on Friday night, and call in sick Monday. What more do ya want?" I retorted with some asperity. "And whaf about obligations? Don't you think a good citizen has obligation? The word means things that you should do" His reply: "Then I'm a hell of a good citizen.1 got more obligations than 1 can handle: nine kids, a crabby wife, a boss who has a slight stroke every tinI ask for a raise,avid.govment trying to gfab one out of every three bucks 1 make. And 1 come in here for a quiet drink and I gotta talk to turkeys like you about constipation. Don't . talk to me about obligations." Desperately, I tried another tack. There must be some decent thing in this man. a fellow Canadian. 'But surely there are some things you'd like to see down in black and white, • ornething solid and dependable, in a truly C inadian constitution. comething you could fall back on?" "1 nearly always fall back on the bed.. • But you're right. There's a few thing at should be wrote into sornething. even though the lawyers would always find a way around them." "What did you have in mind?" 1 asked eagerly. There was a spark! He was not a' total ash. 'Well, 1 gotta few things that might help out Trudeau and them other peacocks and barnyard geese that make up our leaders. First. there's that thereWomen's Lib. I'd stamp them out, with ho bnails. Then there's that there French. If God had wanted a man to speak French, he woulda had him born in France or Kuebec, right?" "Go on," 1 said grimly. "Well. there's the pill, right? That's Ct,.K. But the constitootion should have it somewhere that a woman can't speak while her husband is drinkin' his coffee and tryna • read the paper. They could call it a gobstopper. And it should be in there that welders get paid more than feachers. And that old people should live in classy homes, like hotels. I nsteada them dumps. Right? "And dope peddlers should be stran- gled. And people should be buried decent, wrapped in a blanket. insteada two thousand bucks wortha junk. And...•• But it was too much for me, 1 hurriedly slapped down my usual 20 cent tip and fled. Not before he got his last word in" 'Take it easy. Constipation." —