The Brussels Post, 1974-02-20, Page 21Urrid1,1211E0
1172
Wednesday, February 23, 1974
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.
Putfished each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros.Publishers, Limited..
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Tom Haley - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association , and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association.
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada[$6.001a year, Others
$8.00 a year, Single Copies 15 cents each.
Second class mail Registration No, 0562.,
Telephone 887-6641.
nissels Post
MUSSELS
ONTARIO
Improving Brussels.
Some local young people have recently shown
that they care about Brussels and are thinking about
the future of the village..In our January 3 issue John
Rutledge, in a letter to the Business Association,
outlined several low cost ideas---tree planting,
benches on Main Street for example that would help
maintain what he calls the uniqueness of Brussels.
In last week's paper, two other young students
support John Rutledge's ideas and are concerned
that the village neither dies out or becomes a quaint
refuge for city people "with no roots in the area".
We'd like to give these young people a pat on the
back and suggest that their ideas and enthusiasm
should have the support of all of us.
Sewers are undoubtedly the first priority for
Brussels and it is on sewers that money should be
spent before anything else.
But a lot of the things that John Rutledge
suggests do not entail a big expensive program. For
a start 'it would cost nothing to have some public
meetings, decide what we would like downtown'
Brussels to look like and develop some guidelines for
future development. This would all fit nicely into the
Plan being developed for the village by the Huron
County Planning Department and they could
probably be relied on for help and advice. An
advisory committee could be set up to make
suggestions about tree planting, repainting or old
style lamp posts.
If a Brussels merchant decided to renovate his
premises, he could consult with this advisory
committee and find. out how his renovations could
harmonize with and benefit the whole street.
Downtown Stratford has an Architectural Advisory
Committee which works this way and works well.
Preserving the atmosphere of Brussels, indeed of
all Canadian small towns doesn't have to be.
expensive. Government programs like LIP and OFY
could be used to finance some changes and
restorations perhaps.
We don't .have to spend a whole lot of money to
keep Brussels vital and alive and interesting. What
we have to do is realize, like these kids who have
thought about it, that the village needs "a
concentrated united effort from within, to preserve
Brussels as it was and is".
Sir:
As a Journalist, your support is
needed to correct what strikes me
as an extraordinarily dangerous
situation in the Highway Traffic
Act.
Like many citizens I have, for
years, been under the impression
that the regulations required that:
(a) School buses must have
flashing lights operating when
children are being loaded or
unloaded.
(b) School buses must have a sign
Or lettering, indicating "DO NOT
PASS WHEN SIGNALS PLASH-
ING".
(c) Motorists - approaching from
either direction must come to a
full stop until the flashing lights
stop.
Do you realize that in' areas
Where speed lints are not more
than 35 Mites per hour none of
these tegitlationS are
requirements? Indeed, the Act
allows the council of any city to,
exempt highways under its
jurisdiction where speed limits
may be more than 35 miles per
hour.
As a father and citizen, I
submit to you that the protection
provided a child in a 36 tulle per
hour or over zone, is just as vital
to a child in a 35 mile or under
zone.
Being hit by a car at any speed
could indeed cost the precious life
of a youngster.
This week I have written all
meinbers of our Provincial
Parliament asking for intro,
duction of a bill amending these
inconsistencies in the Highway
Traffic Act.
I implore your investigation
and public support as a
Journalist.
Respectfully,
Haigh A. Crothers.
Tottiit6, M41-I 1A1,
Winter field
Sugar and Spice
By Bill Smiley
To the Editor
I've just been reading a book about the
Battle of Britain, written by Peter
Townsend. He was a World War II fighter
pilot and was in the battle himself.
He's also the chap the royal family
wouldn't allow to marry the then Princess
Margaret, because he'd been divorced. He
was probably lucky. Later she married that
pipsqueak photographer called Jones or
Smith or something. He is. now Lord
Something-or-other. His wife is Princess
Northing-or-other.
Anyway, it's an excellent book, for
anyone interested in battles that have
changed the course of history. Townsend
has consulted a mass of material from both
German and British records, and gives a
balanced picture of the B. of B., looking at
it from both sides of the English Channel,
By the way, is anyone interested in the
battles that changed history, besides me
and a few history buffs? There are quite a
few of them, and one must wonder, what
would have happened to history if the
battles had been lost, not won.
At least one of them has 'probably
affected you, personally.
If the Persians hadn't been slowed down
at Thermopylae and trounced at Marathon,
they'd have wiped out the Greeks. Think
what that would have done to the
restaurant business in Canada. Not to
mention Jackie Onassis' $20,000 a week in
spending,, money.
If Drake and his fleet had not beaten the
Armada, half the people in Canada would
be talking Spanish, eating garlic and going
to bullfights.
How would you like to be out at a
bullfight this afternoon (it's 15 below
outside), sitting in the shady side of the
arena, and shouting, "Ole", at a bullfighter
and a bull frozen, literally, into the classic
stance of the bull-ring?
And what about the battle of the Plains
of Abraham? If the Limeys hadn't won that
one, I'd be happily back in Ireland right
now, cutting peat in a bog, instead of
sitting here wondering how iii the name of
energy l'm going to meet my fuel bill.
Go father back. If Joan D'Arc (later St.
Joan), hadn't lifted the siege at Orleans,
thered be no French, no Separatiste Party,
no Canadian problem:
Another dandy was the Battle • of
Culloden, where Bonny (retarded) Prince
Charlie was beaten by the English., Instead
of the Scottish invading thgland iri kilts,
they were forced to invader with their
brains, and they took over the financial
affairs of the British Ernpite, Which, as we
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remarkable.
Queenston Heights, which nobody km , ,,,,A d i ll s
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much about except the reside
Back home again, there's the Battle .-...ttg;idecei:
Queenston, and few of them. But th', •01. rks (
produced a great, pure, Canadian image • tri ti)
,!
Laura Secord chocolates, without whic`,: sil
rotten teeth.
pereits,
Canada could probably not hay,, :toms
maintained its integrity, nationality, a
11 The Yanks have theirs. The Alamo, l' dsto
example. One of the most stupid affairs' .44!,rica c
away your gun and begin running in al
history, (If anyone ever tells you that yi (1-4-cs ,
are going to fight to the last man, am ,
directions, preferably at once.)
There was, of course, the Charage of th,
Light Brigade, which didn't change It.
the British ruling classes. And from th -k;• mai
war we did get the Cardigan sweater 4
course of anything. But it did sery
lasting memorial to the. utter stupidity ' , • .
an
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the Raglan coat., Not to be sneezed at. 1 . 0 st
Perhaps you have sensed my purpose `\.''' ere ti ; ..4 vet
this little essay. Or, perhaps, like me, yi! 40 rch
haven't.
1 Well, like, it's been a bad day, y'knol:',l'C't,;,n viictti
and y'take an' put your average Canadio(.i , , litre ol
up against something,' and he'llcome 'IT Ibiontiil
with something,eh?
, Jisp
what would have happened if we'd lost th,' ,r,„.11,6,iti
Good Show.
tern-is, and divide the known world wit
Battle of Britain. It would have been a JoiF 1, :
Hitler was prepared to make genera
Oh, yeah. I remember, I was wonderill, i:i._iceironlaliobi i)t
• v..1 be
Britain.Pretty good deal, I'd say. ' 1,,
But the obstinate, stupid Britls
decided to fight. And even worse, the!,
won. The Luftwaffe did not destroy t11( i.
B.A.F.,which had the 'privilege of beior
attached to me (or was it the other WI)',;;
around?) during the war. i (Cot
Result, Britain is sliding down the sinief,tk , ci
, 0 , ve
into economic anonymity. Germany 1), •,,L ,: Ip bc
master of Europe, financially ''nec _ r -,
It pays to lose wars: Germany alli. J . 'I m
Japan, the big losers in W.W.II., are riditl • ,,`'ds a
an incredible Winning streak in p acetira
Italy' won a short war in ,.. AbbYies.sgitlusiti:
bombs against arrows, mac
s :
against spears. She's in her usual nest'
France "won" two wars arid is in chaos'.
Britain "won" two wars and coulddt i.,
bor row a quarter for a pint of bitter. 'i
America `won" two Wars and the den%
is about as healthy as a wet'tissue , i
Maybe we should have lost the Battleo
Britain.
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