HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1966-04-21, Page 2Since. 1860, Serving the Community First
Published at SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, every Thursday morning by McLEAN BROS., Publishers Ltd.
ANDREW Y. MCLEAN, Editor
Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association
;► Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association
Audit Bureau of Circulation
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SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, APRIL 21, 1966
Lots of Problems
This is Chamber of Commerce Week
across Canada, but apparently the word
didn't reach Seaforth in time for a C
of C meeting Tuesday night. –
Called a week ago to discuss a num-
ber of matters concerning the com-
munity and the part the C of C could
play-, the meeting attracted exactly four
people—including three members of the
executive.
Perhaps there hadn't been, enough
notice and, of course, the meeting was
competing with a NHL game. Still,
four people seem a rather small per-
centage of the businessmen, the teach-
ers, the clergy, the professional men,
and all the others in Seaforth who, we
like to think, are interested in ways
of advancing their community.
It is not as if all Seaforth problems
were solved. We would find added in-
dustry and the jobs that would result
most helpful; we have empty stores;
despite, a number of approaches after
more than two years we have no Cen-
tennial project' under way; we face
major decisions regarding provision of
storm and sanitary sewer facilities;
there is the necessity of ensuring that,
we'are ready to welcome the thousands
who -in less than six months, ,will visit
the International Plowing Match here;
we have failed to provide the I protec-
tion to householders and industry alike
which only can come through zoning ;
we have given no thought' to. how we
_will mark Canada's birthday. -- -
These are problems, yes, but prob-
lems that can be met and bested, pro-
vided we as individuals are interested
--
Little Interest
• and are given the necessary leadership.
And one of the best vehicles through
which such interest can be indicated
and support channelled is the Chamber
of Commerce. .-
Perhaps there can be some solace,
but certainly no benefit, in the fact that
similar situations exist in other towns.
The Clinton News -Record last week
with becoming modesty, pointed out
that "there are not many things wrong
with Clinton," and then went on to
qualify the statement in these words:
"but one thing is wrong, and continues
to be that way despite the efforts of a
number of people who have tried
throughout the years to correct it.
"We do not have a thriving, support-
ed, and appreciated Chamber of Com-
merce."
The Clinton editor told of a meeting
called in that town wheni the attendance
was limited to eight.
Suggesting possible reasons for the
lack of interest, the News -Record asks:
"Is it leadership that is missing? Or:
is it lack of a defined purpose? Or just
sheer acceptance of things as they are,
and laziness .on the part of nearly ev-
ery businessman in town?
"We look at this `problem of the dy-
ing Chamber' and wonder if Clinton is
just over -organized (too many meet-
ings or too many organizations), or
whether we're:just prosperous and sat-
isfied, - - -- — - -
"We don't know the answer," the
Clinton editor concludes, and we must
admit neither do we. -
.�,y�• $/� 1,/' F / � /
CANADA'S CENTURY
A news background special on .
the Centennial of Confederation
A Natio.
Of Many
Orighis
(Second Of A Series)
By WALT McDAYTER
Although Britain and France
are recognized as Canada's two
founding. nations, neither coun-
try can claim credit for being
first to set foot on our shores.
The Norsemen of Scandinavia
were the first Europeans to step
upon our soil, about 1,00 A.D.
It took another • 500 years for
Britain to plant its flag in Catta-
da, but even then ,it was done
not by a Briton, but by an Ital-
ian. He was' Giovanni Caboto
(John Cabot), who sailed for
Henry' VII in 1497, landing at
New Found Land and claiming
it for the English king.
Jacques Cartier is often called
the first man to explore New
Fr an c e, although the credit
here too must go to an Italian.
Giovanni da Verrazano led the
expedition to Cape Breton in
1524, with Cartier merely ac-
•,pocnpanying him, and Verra alio
*rote "Galli Nova" (New
Fiiince) on the map of the
world for the first thne. •Not un-
til. 10 years later did Cartier
lead his awn ship into the St.
Lawrence.
But if 13ritain and Prance
were not the first to arrive here,
they were the two who did most
to build our country, to give us
our laws and customs. For this
reason they alone are consid-
ered Canada's two trot erlatids,
though we recognize the contri-
bution ntade by Many ether
ethintrieti to ortr Cultural mosaic.
In 1887, of Canada's 31/3 Mil-
lion population, only about ft per
cent, was of other than British
(61 per tient:} or Pooch (81 pct•
tent,)" origin. rn our lost nation
*1 'tousok 1961, the IWtisli{ ratio
llad 'Shrunk* 4 e por cont., the
•
y0
Costumes of Canada'.. , these pretty girls wear the national
costumes of three of Canada's language groups. From left, the
traditional dress of 'Latvia, Ukraine (with traditional Ukrainian
instrument, the 'bandura), and Hungary.
French hovered at 30,4 per
cent:, while .people of foreign
origin now represented an im-
pressive 25 per cent.
Of this figure, Germans com-
prise the largest group, totalling
5.8 per cent., and could date
their presence in Canada back
to 1753, when a group of 1500
settled at Lunenburg, N.S.
Ukrainians Make tip the next
largest racial gip, and have
added almost 'h million people
to our population since the first
two Ukrainian pioneers, Vasyl
Eleniak and Ivan Pylypin, ar-
rived here in 1891.
Icelanders were even earlier •
immigrants, with 150 settling in
Ontario as far back as 1873, and
soon after established a thriving
corninunity at Lake..Winnipeg,
Mennonites Settled' ,in Manitoba
in 1874, and after 1880 carne a
welcome flood of Hungarians,
Nerweglans and Swedes into the
Canadian. West. s •
Proal Italy, Netherlands, Po.
land, Uussia, Austria ... from
every tomer of the world they
camel'
Orantod, Our Asiatic °.pepltlti�
tion 3s slight. In 1900, British
Columbia excluded Asiatics
from the province by law, but
this was revoked by Ottawa. Ot-
tawa, in turn, discouraged Or-
ientals by imposing a head tax
of 5500 for each Chinese. immi-
grant. Fortunately, our immi-
gration laws were revised in
1962, placing stress for entry on
education and skills, 'rather than
race or color,.)
Canadians are proud of their
origins, and unlike the United
States, do not boil away the tra`
ditions and customs of their an-
cestors in a massive melting
pot. Canada ia, one of the few
countries in the world, if not the
.only one, which still -tabulates
racial origin in its national cen-
sus. '
Yet 'Canadians are equally
proud of their distinct Canadian
identity and heritage. And since
Jan. 1, 1947, they have' had a
common tie that binds them to-
gether. From that date on, for
the first tittle in our history we
could proudly call ourselves ...
"Canadian Citizens." •
Throat* t`elearam News Service-
'
ervice
' CtIP AND SAVE
•
theKerslake
Sugar and Spice ..
-- By Bill Smiley —
If You Want a Laugh
For teachers on the verge of
suicide, puzzled parents, and
anyone else who, worn by win-
ter, needs an injection of
warmth and humor, I have a
spring tonic. Buy a copy of "Up
The Down Staircase", paperback
95 cents, and read it. I came
across it on the weekend and
changed my inind about quit-
ting the teaching _profession.
It's called a novel, but isn't.
It's a record of the first term
of a young, pretty high school
teacher in a huge New York
secondary school.
It's tender and touching and
utterly hilarious. And beneath
the fun is a shocked and often
bitter indictment of what the
educational system is doing, or
failing to do, for the vast mass
of teenagers. As educators and
others have pointed out„ the
cream of the crop will rise to
the top. The bottom ten per
cent is having millions of dol-
lars, Spent to help them. It's
the great mob in the middle
that gets the dirty end of the
stick.
• Conditions in the school de-
scribed are much worse than
those in the average Canadian
hi h h 1 b t
draw
theirfat
Expositoron.
-
sul
in-
volved
para e s
are - there.
Avalanches of paper, most of
it unnecessary. Crowded condi-
tions everywhere. The admini,..
stration thinks, discipline more
important- than learning. The
librarian doesn't like the .lib-
rary used because the kids don't
put the books back .on the
shelves straight. The nurse isn't
allowed to dispense even an as-
pirin. And the counsellor tries
to analyze all the kids with
phony Freud.
And the teachers are there:
the workhorses, the whiners,
the beaten, those who don't like
kids, -and those who, in spite of
it all, know they're doing the
most important job' in the
world.
But it is, not basically a bit-
ter book. And most of the 'hum-
or comes from those . fascinat-
ing animals, the kids them-
selVes. -
The teacher asks the kids to
tell briefly why we study an-
cient myths and the Odyssey.
One answer: "I'm sure there
are many reasons why we study
these things, but I missed it
due to absence."
Another: "Because everybody
in high school at one time or
another had to read it, and now
it's our turn."
Another: "We read it because
it's a classicle."
The, young teacher has a
"suggestion box" where her stu-
dents were allowed to drop
ideas, anonymously. Some were
scurrilous, , some threatening,
some funny.
Samples: "My another has
been living with me for 16 years
but she still insists on cross-
examining me."
"Don't worry, " we're behind
you 85 per cent.'.'....
"Get lost and stay there.
Singed, Poisen."
"Having sprained my ankle,
the nurse gave me a cup of tea.
Is that supposed to:help my an-
kle? Athalete."
"This is the first class I en-
joyed failing because of look-
ing at you."
What emerges from the book?
Several things. First and most
important, the yearning of the_
young for some contact with
some one who respects them as
people. This is the age-old in-
dividual demand for respect and
human dignity.
Second: the requisites of a
good teacher: physical tough-
ness; understanding; mental and
emotional vitality; a genuine
liking for fellow humans, es-
pecially kids; and, of course,
something to teach: you can't
fool kids with games and gim-
micks.
Third, the massive, frustrat-
ing task of educating the mass-
es. The money; the, things:
chalk, paper, steel and stone;
the teachers: only the best is
the aim, but it's too laden with
trivia to attract the best.
Ah, well, read the book. It'll
do you good: Last sample of its
flavor is a cartoon the teacher
had on the bulletin board. It
went:
Teacher: "There are two
words in -the %English language
you must never use. They are
"swell" and "lousy '
Pupil: "O.K. What are they?"
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"Yeu're getting cold again."
"Why don't you get lost on the beach like other,k4ids?"
THE HOME TEAM
"The'earldey Streetpole vault competition aris officially
closed r