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The Citizen, 2017-02-02, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017. Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith Roulston • Associate Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld 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 $36.00/year ($34.29 + $1.71 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. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050141 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 152 BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1 HO 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 Canada Aocna r . CCNA Member of the Ontario Press Council We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. CMCA AUDITED We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are m Copyright Way to go team! Members of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Recreation Committee recruited a fan recently when their efforts to create a busy community centre impressed Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan. MacLellan expressed enthusiastic support for the Brussels facility after seeing the work that was being done by the local volunteers to attract new users for the community centre. The lesson from the committee's work is that local communities must continue to take ownership if they want to keep these facilities viable. There's a similar example in Bayfield where the Bluewater council was doubtful about the future of the village's arena until a local committee took it upon itself to generate more business to keep it going. Revenue has tripled in the past two years. Maybe it's not fair, but it's a reality that if our villages want to keep their arenas they need to take action to keep them busy while costing as few tax dollars as possible. These facilities were built with that kind of commitment and were sustained by local activists until municipal amalgamation reduced that kind of all-out local effort. It was tempting for volunteers to think amalgamation should provide the resources so they could take a rest. But distancing, both in miles and emotional attachment, reduces the urgency of keeping arenas in outlying communities vital. There are some municipal employees that have the kind of entrepreneurial drive to find new clients but few care as much as local people. So good work BMG committee. We can all learn from you. — KR How cynical can she get? Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's announcement last week that she will prevent Toronto from charging tolls on highways within the city has the same smell of political self -survival as Dalton McGuinty's decision to stop construction of two Toronto -area gas-fired electrical generating plants prior to 2011 provincial election. Wynne is hoping against hope that saving suburban Toronto motorists from having to pay tolls when they go downtown for work or pleasure will save her government in next year's provincial election. The same kind of cynism was behind McGuinty's cancellation of the two unpopular power plants in the western suburbs of Toronto. That decision is expected to cost Ontario electrical consumers almost $1 billion in extra charges due to extra construction and transportation costs. Ironically, one of the reasons for Premier Wynne's current unpopularity is the soaring cost of electricity, though other factors such as upgrading the Ontario power grid also contribute to the higher rates. Who knows what the ramifications of the Premier's banning of road tolls might be. She has promised Toronto a greater share of the gas tax as a replacement for the revenue it expected to generate from tolls. Other municipalities with transit systems are also supposed to get more money — though this doesn't do much for rural areas like Huron County. If the province is giving up gas tax revenue that would have helped to pay its own bills, will this mean even tougher funding cuts than those rural municipalities have suffered through in recent years. One thing seems clear. The provincial Liberals seem to believe they can stay in power if they keep residents of Toronto -area ridings on side, even if they can't win a riding in rural areas. It's not a recipe for building a united province. — KR Are you dangerous? Are you a potential terrorist? If we apply the same logic to Sunday's shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed six people that many apply to other terrorist acts carried out by people with Muslim backgrounds, then all Canadians should be considered as terrorist threats, since the killer was a Canadian whose family dates back generations. To conclude that all Canadians are potential terrorists because one went on a shooting spree killing Muslims would, of course, be ridiculous. Still, that's what many would do if a Muslim killed non - Muslims. Using the logic of U.S. President Donald Trump, all people with French-Canadian names should be banned from entering the United States because they are potentially dangerous. Even if you include every radical fighting for ISIS in Iraq and Syria or Taliban fighter in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we're still talking about a tiny fraction of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims. To suspect all Muslims because of the actions of a relative few is ludicrous. We cannot allow the actions of a few haters, whether Muslim or any other belief, race or nation, to define the world. Donald Trump, the people who support his ban on Muslims from several countries and those in Canada who approve what he's done and wish our government would follow suit, are allowing the haters to win by creating more hate. We will only win when we treat terrorists as individuals, not representatives of their religion. — KR I Diptsifiroonea.Ntrf, STAB HIM IN THE BACK,,. l) TORONTO TOLL ROADS FLIP-FLOP Looking Back Through the Years February 2, 1944 A successful tea fundraiser was held for the Red Cross on Jan. 26 where $19.35 was raised for the charity. The next tea fundraiser was set to be held on Feb. 28. A special night of euchre and dancing was set to be held in the Brussels Town Hall on Thursday, Feb. 3. The event would feature music from the Victory Orchestra. A full-page advertisement in The Brussels Post heralded the ice carnival scheduled for the Brussels Arena on Feb. 4. A number of prizes would be up for grabs at the carnival, including the best clown on the ice and the best historical costume. There would also be a number of races for the event, even including a three-legged race. Admission for the event was set at 25 cents for an adult and 15 cents for a child under the age of 16. A number of year-end statistics for Brussels were now available for 1943. With a population of 730, Brussels saw 12 marriages, 15 births and 22 deaths in 1943. The average age at which death occurred was 70. February 9, 1967 The Huron County Junior Farmers held their annual meeting in Belgrave and, as part of the meeting's business, elected Murray Hoover to be the president of the group for the coming year. Readers of The Brussels Post were warned to keep their eye out for bearded men roaming the community. However, they were told not to worry, because these men were simply growing their beards as part of the village's Centennial celebration and its beard -growing competition. The students of Wingham and District High School were in the midst of preparing to present their annual variety concert, set for the evenings of Feb. 16 and 17. The school's Glee Club was set to perform, as was its drama club, which had prepared two one -act plays. February 4, 1981 Longtime Liberal MPP for Huron -Bruce Murray Gaunt announced he would not seek re- election in the March 19 provincial election which had been announced just days earlier by Ontario Premier William Davis. By way of a press release, Gaunt, who had served the riding for nearly 20 years, said he was seeking a more "normal" life away from the world of politics where he'd be able to spend more time with his family. "This has been the most difficult career decision I have ever made, and one that I make with some regret," Gaunt said in his press release. "My decision is based on personal rather than political reasons." Upon his retirement, Gaunt said he expected there would be a "healthy" race for the local Liberal nomination with many promising names in the mix. The Huron County Roads Department had accumulated a deficit of over $200,000 in the coming year's budget thanks in large part to the construction of the new garage in Auburn. Blyth played host to its annual broomball tournament the previous weekend. The Deemerton Dusters came up just short in the tournament's final game, losing to the Seaforth Dumpers, who were crowned the best team in a field of 32. At the annual meeting of the Auburn Community Hall Board it was reported that the hall had been rented 115 times in 1980, bringing in over $2,100 for operation of the hall. Over 100 women both young and old gathered at the Auburn Community Hall to lend a hand for a benefit for the Penfound family, who had lost their home to fire recently. February 5, 1997 With several changes in government funding to the world of education looming, area teachers were having their say and taking action to protest the proposed changes. At a meeting held on Jan. 30 more than 200 secondary school teachers discussed an action plan to raise public awareness regarding the impact of the pending education changes. Signs would be displayed at high schools throughout the county in the coming weeks and the theme of the inquiries would be "the public deserves to know". The annual Blyth Snowtravellers' snowmobile poker rally was treated to ideal conditions for the event, which showed when it came time to tally participation once the event was all said and done. A total of 398 hands were sold to the 150 participants taking part. The club would take half of the money raised, while the other half would go towards the Blyth Lions Club for community betterment. Glenn Brubacher of Kitchener made his way to Brussels to serve as the interim pastor for the Brussels Mennonite Fellowship. Brubacher would serve in this capacity in Brussels until the end of April. In Brubacher's other capacity, he served as a part-time executive director of Shalom Counselling Services, a Mennonite -supported agency.