The Brussels Post, 1980-12-30, Page 2EST,
187 11
4Brusseis Past
BRUSSELS
ONE Box. 5Q,
Ontario.
.N0Q1H0
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario
Weekly Newspaper Association and The Audit Bureau of
Circulation.
Established 1872
Serving Brussels and the surrounding cpmm unity
Published at BRUSSELS, ONTARIO
every Wednesday morning
by McLean Bros. Publishers Limited
A Andrew Y. McLean, Publisher
Evelyn Kennedy, Editor
Pat. Langlois, Advertising
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519-887-6641 Behind the.. seene$,.
Maybe we
stayed home"
by Keith
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1980
A pretty good year
1980 was, an exciting year for Canada and one in which 'the country
gained a little pride in itself.
It started off excitingly when Canadians earned brownie points with
the U.S. for rescuing some of the American diplomats out of the hands
of Iran.
This didn't, however, earn-any brownie points for the then ruling
Conservative government who were quickly turfed .out of office by the
'electorate when the election was held February 18.
While all the arguing aobut the Constitution was going on, a young
man named Terry Fox did more to unify the country then any politician
had a hope of doing. His Marathon of Hope to raise funds for cancer
research was watched with an intense passion by Canadians and with
feelings of despair when his dreaded enemy caught up with him once
more and he was forced 'into giving up the marathon. But others who
'continued to carry the torch for him and a telethon on national
television raised $12 million for his cause.
1980 was also the year Holland invited Canadian veterans over for its
35th anniversary ceremonies of their country's liberation from the
Nazi's thanks to the Canadian soldiers.
Also, this past.year our Canadian ski team surprised the Europeans
by setting several records in the world competition.
It was also an interesting year for the Brussels area. Murray Cardiff
won the Progressive-Conservative nomination and then later the
election in the Huron-Bruce riding. Walton got a new recreational
complex with a new library built-in. The Laotian family settled into
their new home in Brussels. Veterans from around this area were
among those who made the trip to Holland. During the election
campaigning the then Prime Minsiter Joe Clark 'made a visit to the
Wingham area.
Morris Township began to make plans for its 125th birthday
celebrations to be held this year and after a long wait, Morris officially
opened the new Martin's bridge.
While the rest of the world struggled, 1980 was a pretty good year
for Canada and Brussels and area. May 1981 bring more of the same.
. This is a rough, time of year to run a
business.
It's a time of year when customers, expect
business as usual but employees expect
holidays and a more leisurely pace when
they are at work. I mean efficiency levels at
most places of business this holiday time of
year must be enough to give an efficiency
exert ap, oplexy. And for the businessman,
who has to face certain operating cost, no
matter whether any business is done or not,
the holdiay period can be a problem unless
the rest of the year has been so successful
that a slack week or two can be taken 'as a
rest period.
It would be wonderful if we could just shut
things down for the week between Christmas'
and New Years every year. The time prior to
Christmas has becpme so hectic nowadays
that there needs to be some time to just sit
back and enjoy life. I know around our place
what with work and shopping and. prepar-
ations and awaiting visitors there wasn't any
relaxation to be found until the day after
Christmas.
The last couple of years I've taken a week
of my holidays in the Christmas-New Years
period and just stayed around home. There's
a nice lazy feeling to things at this time of
the year, a feeling that playing with the kids
or reading a book is as important a thing as
there is to do in the world.
If we could close down the country
between Christmas and New Years every
year I think it might be one of. the most
beneficial things that could happen.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a week without
the worries of work, a week without having
to worry about what they'te up to in Iran, a
week without worrying about Alberta's
threats to break away from the rest of the,
country?
Instead it would be a -week of playing with
the kids, reading good books that you don't
have time to read other times of the year, of
loving your wife or husband, all surrounded
by the ,good feelings of the holiday period.
Ah well, it's a nice thought anyway.
I've never been one to envy the thought of
going south for . Christmasi of trading
Christmas for palm trees and white snow for
brown beaches, but this year was nearly
enough to bring a change of mind.
All day Christmas eve they carried radio
bulletins warning about the frightful weath-
er expected. It meant Ma Bell got rich as we
phoned back and forth to relatives due to
come up from the city for the holiday to try to
figure out what to do. At one time they
decided to come by train,, then wondered
about not coming at all and finally ignored
the weather forecasts and drove.
Of course doing just the opposite to what,
the weather men say is often the safest
course to take and this time it proved right.
The visitors had no trouble at all once they
left a stormy Toronto until they got to our
township concession where the snow
removal crews seemed 'to have taken an
early Christmas vacation. Somehow these
citydrivers, unaccustomed to fighting.
through snowbelt roads, managed to make it
through the first mile and a half of
nearly-blocked' roads only to get stuck a
quarter mile from their destination. Luckily a
friendly neighbour came to their rescue.
Christmas Day the weather men were'
tellingus the storm was over and in early
morning it looked like it. The windy weather
of the day before had even failed to fill our
long lane with 'snow by 9 in the morning.
By about 11 when we had to leave to visit
other relatives for Christmas all that had
changed. The wind had shifted and The lane
was nearly blocked: The highways were
snow-covered and the wind'and snow made
visibility poor. We had toltake two cars to fit
everybody and all the presents in. One of
the cars didn't work properly in the cold
weather.
By the time we reached our destination we
were so exhausted from the nervous strain
and even the wine at the Christmas dinner
couldn't completely calm the tension. As the
snow continued to fall it became a worry
about whether we would be able to get home
safely with our cargo of small children at one
end of the scale and an elderly great-grand-
father at the other. So Christmas celebrat-
ions were cut short and we struggled home
through the snow again before it would get
too dark.
Again the snow plow 'operator on our
concession was taking the holiday spirit to
heart and the road was one mere track that
we managed to follow without getting stuck:
The lane was blown in blit one' "carliiinagecl
to get through by playing billIdozer through
the fluffy snow. The second car, however, .
the one carrying great-grandfather; got
stuck and only became unstuck after
considerable effort. We all stumbled into the
house and collapsed, ready for bed although
it was still only early evening.
The moral of it all seems to be either to
stay home from Christmas with just your
own family, go south for Christmas or
hibernate.
Nov. 19, 1980
LAYING THE WREATHS AND CROSSES—A number of area people
and organizations took part in the Remembrance Day service at the
Brussels Cenotaph last Tuesday by lay ing' wreaths and, crosses in
memory of those who fought in both World Wars. (Photo by Langlois)
Dec. 10, 1980
THE' REINDEER WERE MISSING BUT...-Santa still made .it to
BrUSSOIS on 86turday in fringe topped surrey, pulled by horses. (Photo
by Ranney)