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The Citizen, 2013-08-01, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013.Editorials Opinions Publisher: Keith RoulstonAssociate Publisher & Director of Sales: Ron Drillen Acting Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny ScottAdvertising Sales: Lori Patterson The CitizenP.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Ph. 519-523-4792 Fax 519-523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. N0G 1H0 Phone 519-887-9114 E-mail info@northhuron.on.ca Website www.northhuron.on.ca Looking Back Through the Years CCNA Member Member of the Ontario Press Council 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; $130.00/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 N0G 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca August 10, 1961 The community’s annual field crop competition was held and sponsored by the East Huron Agricultural Society. The competition was judged by Norman Alexander of Londes- borough, who judged the 14 fields in play. Winning the competition was Harvey Craig of Walton, who finished with 95 points. Coming in second, behind by just one point, was Don McDonald of RR2, Brussels and in third place was W. Lewington, also of RR2, Brussels. Over 80 people were at the Belgrave Community Centre on Aug. 6 to celebrate the first-ever Wheeler family reunion. After the success of the first reunion, it was unanimously decided that a second reunion would be held the following year. It was also decided that Lloyd Wheeler of Brussels would be the event’s president. The Brussels football team was on the field on Aug. 9 and was able to score their first win of the season against Wingham. Brussels won the contest by a score of 3-0. August 3, 1988 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was all smiles as he spent three hours in Goderich in late July. Mulroney signed autographs for dozens of people who came out to meet him and wish him well. Mulroney was in Huron County to celebrate the newly-completed $17 million deep water docking facility. While in Goderich, Mulroney and his family also toured the Huron County Museum. To the surprise of nearly every farmer and elevator operator in the community, both yield and quality of Huron County’s winter wheat crop is above average. Despite the dry weather in the area, the crop came through in top shape. The only potential problem facing the crop going forward was the possibility of too much rain. Glenn Thorpe of Twin County Elevator, just east of Brussels, said that 99 per cent of the wheat brought in before it began to rain the previous Saturday was number one quality. The Township of West Wawanosh became the first municipality in the immediate community to implement a recycling program. The program officially began when a large recycling bin was installed at the municipality’s landfill site, just south of County Road 20. August 3, 2006 The Blyth and District Fire Department celebrated the arrival of its new tanker. Manufactured by C- Max Transportation in St. Jacobs, the truck was said to hold 3,000 gallons of water with a 350- horsepower engine. The new tanker cost $180,000 and replaced a 1976 model. Yvonne Martin of Ethel received the 2006 International Flying Farmers’ Woman of the Year award. Martin travelled to Arizona to attend the awards banquet where she was honoured. Members of the Bunkaza Theatre in Tokyo, Japan, were scheduled to visit the Blyth Festival on Aug. 3 where they would give a 30-minute musical performance of folk songs in the lower hall of Blyth Memorial Hall. The Bunkaza Theatre was said to be one of Japan’s leading theatres with over 65 years of history and over 75 members. Minister of Health George Smitherman was in Wingham where he announced funding to the tune of $250,000 that would mean better ambulatory care, emergency care and diagnostic and surgical services in Wingham. August 2, 2012 As a result of a days-long coroner’s inquest in Goderich in late July, a jury made 14 recommendations to help improve workplace safety in the wake of the death of Murray Nesbitt, Blyth resident and North Huron councillor. Nesbitt was killed in August of 2009 while working at the Sifto Salt Mine when he fell into a chute that sent salt to a trench conveyor system. Nesbitt’s son Jeff said it was a difficult process for him and his family to go through, but in the end, it was worthwhile, as similar deaths could possibly be prevented in the future. Brussels’ 140th anniversary was celebrated with a huge homecoming bash, which, according to all involved, turned out to be pretty special. “I really don’t know how else to describe it other than saying it was fantastic,” Homecoming Committee Co-chair Bob Richmond said. Three girls were ready to vie for the title of Brussels Ambassador. Tori Kellington, Meagan Dolmage and Tilynn Ducharme all hoped to be crowned ambassador on Aug. 11 when the girls would perform their speeches at the Brussels Legion. It was announced that Hensall District Co-op acquired Timmermans Elevators with grain and soy bean facilities located at RR5, Stratford. An appeal blocking the construction of a new fire hall in Morris-Turnberry was withdrawn, allowing the process to go ahead as planned, councillors heard at their July 24 meeting. The Ontario Municipal Board hearing had been scheduled to start one week later. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright One success leads to another One of the most interesting aspects of Sunday’s 14/19 committee announcement about plans to renovate Blyth Memorial Hall and turn the former Blyth Public School into an arts school, is how the village has continued to develop through community projects that build on the success of past community projects. Step one of this three-phase project, is to update both levels of the original Memorial Hall which will mark its centenary in 2020. As was mentioned frequently in Sunday’s presentation, the building was constructed when community residents decided they wanted to build a large hall as their memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I, rather than a statue as most communities erected. It was a huge challenge to raise $25,000 for the building but the community did it. If not for the foresight and hard work of those community activists nearly a century ago, there would be no Blyth Festival, (about to celebrate its 40th season next year) because it is the magnificent theatre they built that makes the theatre possible. With changing shopping patterns which mean that small villages are not service centres for the surrounding area anymore, the crowds drawn to Memorial Hall by the Festival and other events are the main thing sustaining many main street businesses today. The Festival’s national reputation is also the impetus for the second phase of 14/19 project, to turn the old school into an arts training centre, similar to the Banff Arts Centre. This centre would draw artists from across Canada to take lessons and practice their craft. If it comes to pass, it will give Blyth a second education facility, with the Emergency Services Training Centre (first created by the volunteers of the former Blyth and District Fire Department) already bringing thousands of people a year to town for training. A similar example of one Blyth success story leading to other successes is the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion and the Blyth Campground. The Thresher Reunion’s early success led to distant members asking if they could camp on the site so they wouldn’t have to travel back and forth. That led to a larger and larger camping area which, with development support from the Township of North Huron, is now an attraction in itself, bringing thousands to Blyth for events like the Barn Dance Campout earlier in the year and the upcoming Chrome Madness Motorcycle Rally. This kind of group entrepreneurship has been a hallmark of Blyth’s success in the past half-century. It’s not as easy as having large businesses locate and help reshape the community but it shows what a community can do for itself if it’s dedicated enough. That will be the challenge for 14/19 as it goes forward: to get the kind of community support that can make this project another Blyth success story.–KR Who’ll win, lose in trade deal? Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs to push to complete talks on a comprehensive trade agreement with the European Union (EU), Canadian Council of Chief Executives head John Manley said Monday. The question remains as to who will pay the cost of early resolution of the issues that stand in the way of an agreement. Manley suggested that the benefits of greater access to the $17 trillion EU economy outweigh the need to protect the interests of any one sector. The sector he mentioned was the demand from the Canadian beef industry for greater access for Canadian beef to the European market which the EU has stubbornly refused to grant. Of course big business, backed by many urban media outlets, has also argued that in order to get a deal Canada should abandon its dairy and poultry producers by giving up barriers to European imports. Then there’s the fact that the EU is pushing for extended patent protection for drugs which would limit the use of generic drugs in provincial drug plans and cost taxpayers an estimated $2 billion a year. None of those factors matter to the chief executives who pay Manley to speak on their behalf. They see only a delay in increasing the profits of their companies. We can’t sacrifice some Canadians to make the rich richer. –KR & Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise.