The Wingham Advance-Times, 1967-06-29, Page 20One Hundred Years of Nationhood
The cloy alfter tomorrow, July 1st, is
our birthday, Our one hundredth IDirthdayi
The edition of The Advance-Times you
are readi ng hals been assembled over the
past sev oral weeks with this centennial
event in mind, as a tribute to the builders
of our rlation, as it is represented in this
particular corn munity-the place which is
ours tc) care for and to develop.
Mo st of us accept the changes which
take place around us with little thought.
The f act that history is in the making
mean s very lit tie to us individually as the
week s and yeerrs go by. But on this cen-
tenn ial occasion we can look back over the
tota I results of 100 years of hard work
and, see how Var our nation has come from
its rugged beginnings.
In one oantury, we have leaped from
th e status of a pioneer country of impov-
er ished settl ers into the space age. No
o entury in the long history of mankind
Has seen a fraction of the changes which
I -lave been 'witnessed in our nation's first
phase. From the ox-cart and the birch
bark canoe to the earth satellite and the
moon probe rocket represents an advance
so startlinc) that we can scarcely compre-
hend its s ignificance.
Let us not, however, believe that all the
important advances have been made by the
scientists in the world's great universities.
People in smaller places such 'as our own
community, have contributed their share
to the development of this thriving nation.
Few of the scientists would have been af-
forded the funds with which to work had
it not been for the toil and the taxes
provided by the "little" people of the land.
The solid tasks of building an economically
sound country have all been accomplished
by the farmers, the factory workers, the
merchants and professional people of Ca-
nada's predominantly rural population.
Wingham's people and those who live
in the country area around the town have
played a part in all this development-
just as important as any place in Canada.
That is why we have presented to you this
week a review of the past and a sugges-
tion that the future is interesting indeed.
We hope that, rn particular, the young
people will read this edition of the paper,
and that they will grasp something of the
spirit which permeated their predecessors.
Such tremendous challenges lie before this
emerging generation!
May the next 100 years be even more
glorious than the past century as our child-
ren lead us into the great unknown.
Expo-A Great Accomplishment
Somewhat belatedly, perhaps, we have
paid our first visit to Expo 67. What a
tremendous achievement it is! Canada may
be truly pr(Dud of this great international
exposition.
Out of the multitude of varying im-
pressions gained in a few days at the fair
it is difficult to sum up its essential mean-
ing. However, our own strongest impres-
sion w as that on the two man-made islands
in the St. Lawrence Canada has fostered a
meeti ng of the nations which will have a
!astir ig effect on the course of the world's
history. People of all races are mingling
and talking, comparing products and cus-
torr is. They are becoming more intimately
acquainted - and perhaps the shadow of
wi,ir is receding slightly from man's con-
SC iousness.
For those of us who are familiar with
t'ne hurly-burly of big fairs, such as the
f:anadian National Exhibition, Expo is a
surprise. Not a single scrap of paper
litters the beautiful grounds in all their
1200 acres. The maintenance crew un-
obtrusively cleans up whatever is dropped,
and the public reacts to this air of tidiness
by putting the great percentage of its litter
in the ever-present containers placed for
that purpose.
Another pleasant surprise is the com-
plete absence of unnecessary noise. There
are no barkers crying their wares. There
are no loud speakers blaring commercial
messages. The only noise is the rumble of
the Expo Express as it carries the multi-
tudes of fair-goers from place to place; the
drone of a British hovercraft skimming
upstream over the St. Lawrence rapids, and
the buzz of human conversation.
Movement of the thousands of visitors
to the fair is so efficiently handled that
there is very little sense of crowding except
in the line-ups which form before the most
popular pavilions and at the express sta-
tions.
As for interest and entertainment -
there is a great deal for everyone - from
the gourmet to the scientist and from the
teen-ager to the grandmother.
Expo is Canada's proof to the world at
large that we are people who can do
things on the grand scale. It will raise
our nation's status for all time to come.
The People Behind the Scenes
So much that takes place in any worth-
while community is the result of unselfish
effort by those who are working away be-
hind the scenes. Two events take place
on Friday of this week which are cases in
point.
At eight o'clock on Friday morning 150
Boy Scouts and their leaders will assemble
at Walkerton and leave on a three week
trip to Ottawa, Expo and on to the Mari-
time Provinces to re-tread the path of early
Canadian history.
It will be a memorable trip for the
boys, but few of them, or their parents
for that matter, may realize that the trip
is only possible because a committee of
planners has been devoting endless hours
to the project for some two and a half
years. Meeting not less frequently than
once a month, some of the members drove
as far as 60 or 70 miles for each of these
sessions. No one received a cent in mone-
tary compensation-and each of them has
paid his $125 share of the expenses to go
along as leaders.
At 2:30 Friday afternoon another im-
portant event will take place at the Wing-
ham and District Hospital when the Hon-
ourable Charles MacNaughton will officially
open the new and renovated areas of that
building.
Once again, this- ceremony would be
pointless had it not been for the dedicated
group of people who have given up hun-
dreds of hours of their time to attend the
dozens of meetings such a building pro-
gram entails. Again something over two
and a half years of time has been necessary
- and the committee members are all
voluntary servants who give their time for
the benefit of the community at large.
We often think of situations like this
when the critics sit back and complain that
the town should be doing this, that or the
other thing.
The rewards for public service are few
indeed. There is the ever-present danger
of attracting the criticism and derision of
those whose only contribution is talk. Only
the satifaction of community betterment is
left after the jobs have been done.
This Much at Least
A heading in Monday morning's daily
paper somewhat gloomily declared "Desire
for world peace only summit agreement."
The reference was, of course, to the meet-
ing between the world's two most power-
ful leaders, President Johnson of the United
States and Soviet Premier Kosygin,
Naturally the world held its breath in
fervent hope as the two men met face-to-
face at Glassboro, N.J. The hope was that
they would emerge from their discussions
44.41444mi
arm-in-arm with an announcement that
friendship and brotherly love had won the
day.
That, of course, was pure wishful think-
ing. The two men failed to agree on the
next steps to be taken, but at least they
did talk to each other and agree that war
must be ended for all time. If that same
spirit can be maintained for a few more
years the earnest desire for peace may
well lead to the mutually acceptable paths
by which it can be attained.
THE WINGHAM ADVANCE s TIMES
Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Vlienger Bros. Limited,
W. Ektery Wenger, President - Robert 0, Wenger, Seeretary-treasurer
Member Audit Bureau of Circulation
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Page 12 Wine sham Advartee-Times. Thitrgiay, June 29* 2,961
(5110°,
MISS REYNOLDS' room in Wingham Public School, 1911.
First row: Mildred Walker, Alice Imlay, Sam Lockridge,
Harry Angus, Cecil Merkley, Harvey Robinson, Henry
Aitchison, Reg Smith, Joe Saint, Stanley Bell, Laurie Dun-
kin, Charlie Lloyd, - Johnston, Second row: Elizabeth
Hamilton, Etta Sturdy, Ruth Anderson, Catherine Adams,
Sara Brown, 011ie Hamilton, Evelyn Angus, Ella Dobie, Mae
Passmore, Florence Hinscliffe, Ken Nichol, - Showers,
George Fryfogle, Percy Joynt. Back row: Cora Baker,
Thelma Sanderson, Aileen Kennedy, Velma Johnston, Edna
Musgrove, L.. McCraight, May Allen, Jim Dobie, Len Jar-
vis, Charlie Pocock.
zieK2/ ooar
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ilser ./.'s,54.4' •/".0.., A!..1., • '`..•7'21,..49-.'
SUGAR
AND SPICE
by Bill Smiley
It's a great country
REMINISCING
JUNE 1910
The Methodist ministers to
occupy pulpits in the Wingham
district for the ensuing year are
as follows: Wingham, E. F.
Armstrong, B.D.; Lucknow,R.J.
Garbutt, LL.B.; Brussels, W. B,
Stafford, D. A,; Teeswater, Q.
R. Durrant; Fordwich, F, E„
Clysdaie; Gorrie, Geo, J. Kerr;
Wroxeter, Frederick Stride;
Bluevale, W. Burgess; Ashfield,
Robert C. Coupland, B. A.;
Whitechurch, Duncan McTavish
and Belgrave, Sidney Davison.
Mr. W. H. Houser, M.A.,
for the past four years teacher
of Mathematics in the London
Collegiate Institute has been
engaged as principal of the
Wingham High School.
Miss Lillian Longman has
been engaged in Fordyce school
for another year at an increased
salary.
Some idea of the acuteness
of the labor problem may be
understood by the fact that a
young high school girl, living
with her widowed mother on a
Carrick farm, volunteered to
go out and drive the team to
haul gravel to put in their stat-
ute labor. The only son on the
farm had been drafted, but the
daughter was ready to do her
part.
JUNE 1932
All the teachers of the high
school staff were re-engaged
with the exception of Mr.W. A.
Collins, who resigned. Mr. P.J.
Bigelow, Orono, Ont., was en-
gaged to fill the vacancy on the
staff caused by Mr. Collins'
resignation. All the teachers
re-engaged are accepting a re-
duction in salary which no doubt
will please the ratepayers.
Several students from the
Whitechurch district left on
Monday to write their Entrance
Examinations. Among them
were; Olive Garton, Russel Ross,
J. C. Reed, Jack Gillespie, Isa-
bel Coulter, Janet Coulter and
Flora Coulter.
Mr. and Mrs. James Breck-
enridge have returned home af-
ter spending their honeymoon
trip with friends in Michigan
and Sarnia. They will reside •
on the groom's farm, just east
of Bluevale.
Four of our local men,
Messrs. John Hanna, Gordon
Buchanan, Harcourt Mundy and
A. M. Crawford will leave
Quebec on Saturday, July 2nd,
on the Empress of Britain, for a
six-week trip to England, Scot-
land and France.
JUNE 1942
As her sister in Vancouver is
very ill, Miss C. Isbister left
Friday for an extended visit in
Vancouver.
Mrs. Elmer D. Bell and Mrs.
Henry Jenson have received
word that their husbands have
arrived in England. Capt. Bell
is second in command of the
99th Battery and has gone to
England to take a course. Mr.
Jenson is a member of the Or-
dinance Corps.
Miss Edna Procter, who has
taught in the Bluevale Public
School this year has tendered
her resignation and Mrs. M.L.
Aitken has been engaged as
teacher. Mrs. Aitken is no
stranger having taught here for
a number of years before going
to Hollen and her home is in
the village.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. N. Ro-
bertson of Bluevale, announce
the engagement of their only
daughter, Jean Lauretta, to Al-
lan G. Griffith, son of Mr. and
Mrs. R. D. Griffith of Wroxeter.
The marriage to take place in
July.
JUNE 1953
Frank Eidt, of the CKNX
staff, has accepted a position
with the Oshawa radio station,
CKLB, and will commence his
duties on July 6th.
On Sunday morning, June
28th, at 11 o'clock at Sacred
Heart Church, Wingham, Rev.
R. J. Durand, pastor of the
parishes Of Sacred Heart, Wing-
ham, and St. Ambrose, Brus-
sels, will offer a solemn high
mass of thanksgiving on the oc-
casion of the 25th anniversary
of his ordination to the holy
priesthood.
Harvey Bride, Fordwich, has
accepted a position on the new
high school staff at Lucknow, to
teach Vrench and Latin,
At Bluevale United Church
on Sunday morning, the rite of
baptism was administered by
Rev, It. A. Brook. Children
baptiZed were Kathleen Oau,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Scott
McLennan and Warren fames,
son Of Mr, and Mrs. Sam.
Thyline.
Dear Sir:
I am not a senior citizen. I
am one of the over-burdened
taxpayers and often disgruntled,
but it is not the senior citizens
that make me grunt.
I agree with Disgruntled Tax-
payer that there has never been
a generation taxed to the de-
gree of the present generation.
I admit senior citizens receive
pensions made up of our taxes
and youngsters are being educat-
ed on our money, But who is it
that demands the roads, parks,
bridges, recreation programs,
schools and all the other things
for which federal and provincial
grants are to be paid -- out of
the taxpayer's pocket? We want
all these things, plus pensions
for old age at not much more
than middle age, insurance
against sickness and unemploy-
ment, and we would like to do
this on a shorter work week with
higher wages. I believe the
GODERICH- A slight de-
cline in total population and,
at the same time, an increase
of close to one million dollars
in over-all assessment of the
county, featured in the report
of County Assessor A. A. Alex-
ander to Huron County Council
in Goderich last week.
Total population again has
dropped from 49,279 to 49,
234, a decrease of 63 for the
whole county. These figures
do not include those living in
defence housing, hospitals nor
institutions.
The over-all assessment has
increased by $979,250 in the
past year, whereas it was up
$1,025,495 in the previous
year. Proposed county equal-
ization is $67,544,939, made
up as follows; farm land, $22,-
085,616; farm buildings, $14, -
795, 580; residential land, $2,
278,447; residential buildings,
$18,786, 675; commercial
land, $1, 492, 280; commercial
buildings, $5, 858, 340;business
assessment, $2, 248, 001.
Mr. Alexander said that
more work was required where
defence establishments and cot-
tages are located, as all ten-
ants in P.M.Q. housing, and
Wives of all cottage owners, who
are Canadian citizens, are re-
quired to be entered on the as-
sessment rolls.
He pointed out that at least
24 counties of the 38 in Ontario
are now in the Assessment Com-
missioner System, as well as
five districts in Northern On-
tario, It appeared to him that
all countle8 will be required to
accept this system within a few
years.
The report indicated that ten
of the 26 municipalities in the
county showed increases in pop-
ulation during the past year,
while everyone of the 26 had an
increase in total assessment.
Six of the 16 townships were
up in population: Ooderich,
present generation of taxpayers
make the demands.
What's this about senior citi-
zens asking for more and more?
What have senior citizens in
Wingham asked for in many
years? Nothing, really, that I
can think of except a suggestion
a few weeks ago that benches
could be placed on back streets
to facilitate their getting down-
town in the brief months of
summer, and perhaps a rest
room at street level. 'One of
Many" stated that senior citi-
zens have paid taxes to the
town for the past 50 years and
their parents paid taxes for 50
years previous, all helping to
bring the town to its present
state of prosperity. Couldn't
we spare them a few benches
without the suggestion that they
are draining us of our life's
blood -- money?
ALSO a Taxpayer.
Howick, Stephen, Turnberry,
Usborne and East Wawanosh;
two of the five towns: Clinton
and Goderich;, and two of the
five villages: Hensall and Zur-
ich (one).
Comparative population and
assessment figures are as fol-
lows, with the 1966 figure first,
the 1967 figure and the increase;
Ashfield, 1,476, 1,474,
$46, 489; Colborne, 1,248, 1, -
215, $7,950; Goderich Twp.,
1,956, 1,968, $32,840; Grey,
1,864, 1,843, $7,330; Hay,
1,858, 1,850, $77,575;How-
ick, 2,723. 2,736, $10,321;
Hullett, 1,860, 1,831, $36, -
483; McKillop, 1.613, 1,591,
$18, 201; Morris 1, 633, 1, 522,
$8,423; Stanley, 1,568, 1,555,
$32,290; Stephen, 2,553, 2, -
604, $51,275; Tuckerstnith,
2,074, 2, 0681 $40,128; Turn-
berry, 1,318, 1,345, $24,246 ;
Usborne, 1,475, 1,533, $43, -
450; Wawanosh, East, 1,011,
1,087, $3,908; Wawanctsh,
West, 1,202, 1,176, 1,850.
Township Totals; 27,432, 21,'
398, $442,759.
Clinton, 3,185, 3,196, $34;
999; Exeter, 3,151, 3,109,
$67,496; Goderich, 6,626, 6, -
711, $233,024; Seaforth, 2, -
249, 2,192, $6,845; Wingham,
2,924, 9,915, $96, 100. Town
Totals; 18,135, 18.123. $438, -
464.
Bayfield, 469, 467, $14,'
100; Blyth, 752, 740, $12,415;
Brussels, 863. 846, $4,915;
Hensall, 920, 933, $59,125;
Zurich, 726, 721, $6,753.
Village Totals; 3,730, 3,713,
$58,028,
Summarizing; Townships,
21,428, 21,398, $442,159
TOwns, 18,135, 18,128, $438,-
464; Villages, 3,730, 3, 718,
$98,028.
County Of Huron grand to-
tals, 49,219, 49,234, $919, --
251,
Since we are 100 years old
this week, I should be grinding
out an Ode to Canada. But it's
so hot, the very thought of it
makes me feel about 100
years ode. (Come on, Smiley, it
ain't that hot.)
Instead, let's have an honest
look at ourselves, to find out
what kind of a tribe those ten
decades produced.
Trying to pin down the Ca-
nadian national character is
like trying to thread a needle
in the dark, blind-folded and
half-stoned. Trouble is, any
way you add up the individual
characteristics, they come out
spelling schizophrenic.
For example, the experts tell
us that we are an extremely
inarticulate people. That
means we don't talk much.
Maybe it's because we haven't
anything worth saying and are
too proud to show our ignor-
ance. But at the same time, we
are the world's champion
yakkers. According to the tele-
phone companies, Canadians
spend more time on the blower
than any other nation, propor-
tionately. Yes, Jack, my wife
does too. Undoubtedly this is a
backlash from pioneer days,
when women often went for
weeks without a chance for a
good talk with another woman.
They're trying to catch up.
Another contradiction, In
pioneering, exploring, wars, we
have shown. ourselves bold, ad-
venturesome, brave. Yet we
Parents attend
graduation at
Toronto hotel
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Thorn-
ton and Cindy attended the
Commencement Exercises of the
Patricia Stevens Career College
on June 25 in the Maple Leaf
room of the Westbury Hotel,
Toronto, for the 1967 Centen-
nial class in Fashion Merchan-
dising. Their daughter Jill
Anne Thornton was one of the
graduates.
Rev. M. P. Lacey, rectorof
St. Michael's Cathedral gave
the invocation and inspiration-
al message to the graduates.
American Beauty roses and Pa-
tricia Stevens emblems were
presented to the young ladies
by Mrs. Hildegarde Norrie, a
member of the faculty. Diplo-
mas were conferred by Louis J.
Pugen, the president of the col-
lege.
Jill has accepted a position
as receptionist for the executive
of the Star Group Insurance
Company in the Toronto t)o-
minion Bank Towers.
The clear juice of a lemon
taken without sugar every
morning for a week is slated by
good Medical authority to be
unequalled at this season of the
year when the system is more
or less clogged by the winter
foods, Wingham Times 1893,
This week plate glass Win-
are being put into the
stores in tne Stone Block. --
Wingham Times 1893.
are timid about investing our
money in Canada, and we also
buy more insurance, per capi-
ta, than any other country.
Why this caution, this desire
for security? There's some-
thing Freudian about it: moth-
er-country; breast-fed too long;
return to the womb or some-
thing. But we haven't time to
figure that one out today.
We are as materialistic as
we could be, and with some
reason. It takes more than a
century to get from sod shanty
to sonata, from barn-raising to
ballet. At the same time we are
extremely culture-conscious,
and are secretly delighted with -
the Stratford Festival and thel,
National Ballet and our sprink-
ling of symphony orchestras.
As long as we don't have to
attend.
Despite our reverence for
culture, we refuse to read. The
quickest way to lose your shirt
in Canada is to open a book-
store. In a population of 20
million, a new book that sells
10,000 copies is a runaway
best-seller. It must be a hang-
over from the pioneer attitude
that a person should be "doing
something" and that reading
doesn't come in this category.
Or is it because we liaNe too
much money and too many
toys?
Something else we refuse to
do is walk. Europeans enjoy
walking. Englishmen love it.
Why won't we? Our trouble
probably is, in equal parts: too
far to anywhere; wanting to
get there in a hurry; car-
worship; and plain laziness.
We are heavy boozers, as the
statistics show, and can't hold
our liquor, as a glance around
at the next party will show.
Why? Do we drink so much
because we are so dull we can't
stand each other without the
grape? Or is it because drink
has always been associated
with sin in this country, and
man is born to sin?
Yes, we play hard, and most
of us work hard. The sad thing
is that the only reason we
work hard is to enable us to
get the things with which to
play hard: boats and barbecues
and built-in bars; cottages and
cars and curling memberships.
Are we a religious people?
Well, we have vast numbers of
churches of every conceivable
denomination, most of them
tottering on the brink of bank-
ruptcy. But we are decent
enough to leave God in church,
where he belongs. He is rarely
mentioned on weekdays, and
usually then only as a prefix
for another word.
We are without prejudice
and have laws to prove it. But
let's go on being honest, and
admit the nation is riddled
with prejudice based on race,
religion, language, color, poli-
tics and money. Don't agreelki ,
Just try joining one of thostelki
exclusive Jewish clubs if you
happen to be a Black Muslim.
Or getting a teaching job in" a
French convent school if
you're a Jewish Eskimo.
We have a few other little
quirks, but I wouldn't trade
my Canadian citiZenship for
four million in gold bullion.
Row about you?
There's a topic Tot yout
guest column, in our Coriten-
Mal Save.Siniley Contest. Prize
is now 550 cash. Oet craekine.
Huron's population down;
assessment is increased