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The Citizen, 1992-06-24, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24,1992. Grey accepts tenders The Other Side ByKeithRoulston Those were the days Reading a a recent article on the reminiscences of some of the guides who worked at Ontario's pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal brought back memories of those glorious days of 1967 when Canada marked its centennial with celebra­ tions all over the country. It was a glorious time, that sum­ mer of 1967. Maybe it was just that a whole lot of us were just reaching our adulthood with the dreams and idealism that brought, but it was a time of optimism and good will. Anything seemed possible. Nearly every community in Canada did something to celebrate the Centennial. Parks got built. Concert halls were opened. Plaques were unveiled. Old-fashioned cos­ tumes were manufactured or dug out of the bottom of old chests. Parades took place all over the place. I know: I was a student reporter for the Huron Expositor in Seaforth that summer and had to hurry from one event to another to take it all in. The crowning event, of course, was Expo '67. Everybody wanted to go there. The urgency of getting there was increased by the tales of wonder from all your friends and neighbours who had been there. The televised events, including shows like Ed Sullivan, helped con­ firm that this was a once-in-a-life- time event that you'd be sorry if you missed. I missed most of it, but that fall, back at college, I managed to latch onto a tour by our soccer team to Quebec City to a game against Laval. On the way back, the bus would stop in Montreal for a day and we'd get our chance to see Expo. There was one hitch: Mon­ treal was in the middle of a transit strike. I don't remember how we got out to the Expo site. I do remember doing a whirlwind tour, looking for the pavilions with the shortest line­ ups so we could see as much as possible in the few hours we had. I do remember seeing the radical Habitat apartment complex, made of cement boxes piled one on the other like building blocks. Getting back to catch our bus proved a problem. With the strike on, we started to walk. We were halfway across a bridge when a big car came hurtling toward us, horn blaring. It pulled to a stop and the woman driving motioned us hur­ riedly to get in, then drove us back to our bus. It was this Montreal res­ ident's way of helping out visitors to her city. The tensions that still grip our country were still new then. The Quiet Revolution in Quebec had been punctuated by bomb blasts of radicals. While we were in Quebec city there was a convention which led, if I recall, to the formation of the Parti Quebecois. We were worried, yet it was mostly a time of hope. If we just had goodwill and recognized, and tried to right, the wrongs that had been done to Quebecers, then the country would be all right. There was a feeling that at 100, our coun­ try was just growing up, ready to step out from under the shadow of Britain and the U.S. Greatness was just around the comer. One of the great things that Expo and the Centennial did was set peo­ ple travelling across their country as never before. There was a joy of discovery as people who have never seen the Maritimes or the Rockies, saw for the first time the beauty of their vast land. Is it just that my generation, so full of hope in young adulthood, has reached cynical middle age, or has the country lost something along the way? People seem to be so busy flying to Europe or the U.S. or even Australia today that they're not visiting distant parts of their own country anymore. In doing so, we've lost the wonder of our country, and lost a reason to hold it together. Quebecois who love the Rockies, or Albertans who discovered the beauty of the Gaspe, are going to fight harder to remain a part of this continent-wide coun­ try. Few people seem to have much confidence that we can hold the country together. The sense of goodwill, that we can solve our problems by giving a little, has evaporated. Lines seem to have hardened. Satisfying the aspirations of many Quebecois has gone beyond recognizing past wrongs and trying to end them. Instead of 1967's feeling that all problems can be solved, there seems to be a feeling of resigna­ tion, that some things are too big for us. Instead of a feeling that greatness is just ahead for our country, there's the feeling, promot­ ed by our government, that we can't stand on our own. but must bend to the rules set by others, particularly the giant to the south. If I could give this country any gift for its 125 th birthday, it would be to recapture something of the spirit of hope and excitement that carried Canadians to euphoria in 1967. I'd like to see us travelling and rediscovering the country, to meet people from across the coun­ try again and feel part of a whole nation, not just one small comer. We lost something precious when we lost the spirit of Expo and the Centennial. If we don't act fast we may lose a country as well. Grey Township Council held its regular meeting on June 15 and accepted tenders for two road projects. The tender of R. Farrish Construction for the crushing and stockpiling of 15,000 cubic yards A” gravel at $1.07/cubic yard was the lowest of six tenders received. The tender of Lloyd Jacklin Construction for the loading and hauling of 5,000 cubic yards “A” gravel and 35,000 cubic yards “B” gravel to the road reconstruction of sideroad 20-21, concession 6-7, amounting to $33,758.50 was the lowest of six tenders received. Construction is expected to commence before the end of June and residents are urged to exercise caution in this area. Council endorsed a resolution from the Township of Hullett with respect to its concern about the effect of the restructuring of CKNX Broadcasting Limited. Council resolution from the Ontario Association of Road Superinten­ dents requesting the province to not take any action and the local MPP to not vote on any legislation pertaining to the disentanglement of municipal road funding until both the province and local MPP's have directly consulted with all municipal councils. Council has given permission to Canada Post to place temporary community mail boxes in front of the Ethel Library. Council will be tendering to have the Ethel Library removed from its present location by the end of August. After the library building is removed, Canada Post will place the community boxes on the site in a permanent manner. also endorsed a WI celebrates 90 years On Sunday, June 7 the Huron East District W.I. celebrated 90 years of accomplishments for home and country. Howick Central School was tastefully decorated with fresh flowers in keeping with the W.I. colours of blue and gold. Over 100 former members, dignitaries and families registered. Margaret McMahon, past president of Huron East District and Marjory Humphries, board director for Subdivision II, greeted the guests as they arrived and gave them name tags. Leone Foerter, president of the District presided over a programme provided by each of the seven branches contributing skits, readings, songs, piano solos and duets. Greetings were brought from Murray Cardiff M.P., Robert Fisher, Warden of Huron County, Paul Klopp M.P.P. and Henrietta Klaus on behalf of Howick Jr. W.I. The history of Huron East District was given by the Tweedsmuir Curator, Clara Gibson. Jean Wilson, first vice-president introduced the guest speaker for the afternoon, Peggy Knapp, past F.W.I.O. president. Peggy likened the Women's Institute to the construction of a heritage quilt starting with the members as the pieces through to the finished product at A.C.W.W. Sharon Agla, second vice-president of the Guelph area, thanked Peggy and presented her with a gift. Past presidents of the district were honoured and presented with a mug and scroll. Board Directors were acknow­ ledged too, also a minute's silence remembered those members who had passed away. continued on page 27 r I iii i 4 II L You have a choice Cut this down, or cut this out SAVE $1 SAVE $1 The golden filter fora greener future. 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