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Huron Expositor, 2014-12-24, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, December 24, 2014 afortli lon Expositor PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 P.O. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK IWO phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca MAXWELL BICKFORD Advertising Rep. max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca WHITNEY SOUTH Multimedia Journalist seaforth.news@sunmedia.ca MARIE DAVID Sun Media Group Publisher Grey Bruce Huron Division 519-364-2001 or 519-372-4301 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GSI) 2YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) SENIORS 60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT RO. Box 69 Seaforth ON NOK IWO For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-527-0240 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. We acknowledge the financial support of the Govemment of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. CanadW editorial Time we cleaned up own hazardous mess The abrupt cancellation of plans to ship hazardous waste to Canada from Love Canal, N.Y., reminds us that in a world obsessed with its carbon footprint, too many places still refuse to dirty their hands handling the worst of their own waste in their own backyards. One of the most notorious U.S. toxic- waste dumps, Love Canal was a partly -built waterway that was filled with byproducts, including cancer-causing substances, from Hooker Chemical's operations near Niagara Falls, N. more than half a century ago. Eventually capped, with homes built nearby, the area became a 1970s poster child for environmental horrors when contaminants from the dump began seeping into homes amid mounting health problems for the resi- dents. Hundreds of families were forced to move. In the fallout, the U.S. passed its sweeping Superfund legislation to deal with the cleanup of hundreds of heavily -polluted industrial sites in the nation. Love Canal's witch's brew was all but forgotten until a plan recently surfaced to ship 80 truckloads of its con- taminated soil from a landfill near there to a hazardous waste landfill and incinerator in Southwestern Ontario, in one of Canada's richest farm belts. Only after a stink was raised by rural neighbours and Mayor Mike Bradley of nearby Sarnia, a petrochemical city that's no stranger itself to environmental nasties, did the hazardous waste site's operator, Clean Harbors, nix the plan to import the waste. There are more than a few uncomfortable truths here, starting with the fact that waste is a commodity shipped far and wide. Nor are Canada's hands clean. Mega -city Toronto, for example, for years exported its trash to Michigan until it bought a landfill 200 kilometres away. Still, it's also true ours is a world with growing onus — witness the push for a global treaty to fight climate change — to get serious about our worst environmental problems at home. Just as we wouldn't expect American towns to take tailings from Alberta's oilsands or fertilizer plants, or Ontario's nuclear waste, we shouldn't be surprised that Love Canal's carcinogen -laced dirt was given a cold shoulder. Out of sight no longer means out of mind. www.seaforthhuronexpositorcom Keeping it crafty Yesterday I went to a mall. And not surprisingly, so did everybody else. A packed parking lot fol- lowed by hot and crowded hallways, screaming children and cranky shoppers; no doubt Christmas Day would soon arrive. Luckily I wasn't there to shop, but to hide from the onslaught of rush hour traffic, which was - at the time - plaguing the urban streets of London. As I watched people rush around from store to store with bags and bundles in tow, cheeks flushed and dripping with sweat, I realized maybe - just maybe - I had made a smart decision this year. You see Christmas 2013 was going to be very different for me. This was the year I decided not to buy presents; I was going to make them. After all, isn't this the sea- son of giving? When it's really the thought that counts? Right? Also, like many others, I'm kinda broke. And so, a couple weeks ago I started with a grand plan to create several one -of -a -kind pieces of art to give to family and friends. Let me tell you, it's a lot harder than you'd think. After all, we're not talking macaroni pictures with glitter here - don't get me wrong, I love those things - I'm talking about full-fledged Pinterest stuff here. That's right, hardcore. First problem was time. Believe it or not, the average Column Whitney South Huron Expositor week for a lonely reporter isn't just sitting on the couch eating bon bons. Second problem was keep- ing it all a secret. The Internet has a strong pull, especially for a photo bug like me. I just wanted the world to know each time I fin- ished something. Maybe the paint fumes were getting to me. Lastly, whenever I get crafty, I tend to get messy. I can't even tell you how badly I need to tidy up my living room. Um, I mean art studio. Glitter in the carpet, paint in the sink and canvases everywhere. I guess you could say I had a pretty bad 'art attack.' But in the end, despite bit- ing off way more than I could chew, I made it - I got them all done. Pay no attention, dear reader, to the fact this column had to be written six days before the paper actually came out due to holiday deadlines. Seven days before Christmas. I mean, I'm sure I got them all done.. .positivity is key. And with that I wish you all the glitter and macaroni you can handle, not to mention a very merry Christmas. seaforthhuronexpositorcom SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR - HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-527-0240 • FAX: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com