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The Citizen, 1999-08-18, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1999. C itizenTheNorthHuron >cna (♦^NA P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1 HO Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil M»mb*r Ontario Pr«i Council E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com 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 S27.00/year (S25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A, and $100/year in other foreign coun­ tries. 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: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 1374990 A community resource Brussels residents and the business community in a recent survey said the number one priority in the town was to clean up the main street area. The question is, will anything happen, or will main street be like the weather with everybody talking about it but nobody doing anything? Main streets are complicated things. They are a collection of individually-owned buildings but as a whole they reflect their community and are, in a way, a community asset or a community liability. Drive through any towm and you make a judgement on the whole town by the appearance of its main street. One can only imagine the judgement visitors make looking at Brussels' main street these days. The problem is Brussels has too much main street for the current economic climate. All those beautiful Victorian buildings were constructed for the 1890s business climate, not the 1990s. Brussels then was a prospering industrial centre that was also the service centre for a bounteous farming community Today there is no industry and the farm population has dwindled. But all those empty buildings on main street can be a problem, or an opportunity. They will be a problem as long as the community feels it’s up to someone else — the building owners, to find a solution. Imagine, however, if the community looked at its main street in the same way as it did its arena or its medical-dental building. Brussels has a history of working together to build those two excellent community assets. Imagine if people put the same kind of fundraising effort into buying some of the vacant buildings. Imagine if the best creative efforts of the community were put together to find ways to make all that vacant space an asset to support the existing businesses, whether by recruiting new tenants or filling the buildings with something that will attract people to town. Could buildings be used for community attractions like a local museum or art gallery or a gigantic indoor play area for the children of shoppers coming to town (perhaps in conjunction with a community daycare)? There could be lots of ideas. Yes, people do judge a town by its main street. The Brussels community has an opportunity now to put its best face forward. It will be a measure of the current state of its spirit and imagination whether Brussels finds creative, community-building ways to make use of the space in all those beautiful buildings or lets them continue to deteriorate until they collapse in ruins.— KR Why won’t we pay for food? Unrest continues to sweep the prairies as western grain farmers protest the lack of government assistance in helping them survive low wheat prices. Here in Ontario the protests are not as loud but the effect of record low pork prices earlier in the year still lingers. Added to that are low prices for corn and soybeans and just about every farm commodity. It’s easy to say that farm commodity prices are cyclical and they are currently in the trough of the price cycle, but the sad reality is that even at the best of times prices are never so high that they give fanners the margin to put away a lot of money for the bad times. And it would seem society, or at least our corporations and, to some extent, our governments, want it that way. There are only small sectors of the farm economy that have a stable income situation that allows people to plan ahead — the supply-managed industries of milk, eggs and poultry. Yet from consumers associations to processing companies, many forces want to abolish the supply-management system and return these sectors to the vagaries of the open market that is hitting other farmers so hard. Already supply management has been undercut by the last round of trade talks which turned border controls into tariffs which must be reduced over the coming years, making it easier in the future for others to flood Canada with cheap dairy and poultry products. Sometimes it seems the governments which once tried to help farmers earn a decent living, now see farms as a cheap source of raw materials for industry. In 1996 for instance, the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission told the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board that it must allow its members to negotiate directly with the packers, thereby undercutting the collective power of the board and giving more power to the packers. Farmers produce one of the essentials of life, our food. They can be forgiven if they think they’re taken for granted. — KR In pretty profusion Photo by Bonnie Gropp Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post and North Huron Citizen August 15, 1979 Mitchell’s Family Market in Londesboro was robbed. Thieves took a large number of groceries and a small amount of cash. The break-in was discovered while in progress by a driver from T. B. Allen Mill. A call to the Goderich police led to the arrest of a Seaforth man. Patrons had a last chance to see This Foreign Land at the Blyth Summer Festival. A benefit perfor­ mance was scheduled with all pro­ ceeds going to the Actors’ Fund of the Canadian Actors Equity Association. Actors, technicians and adminis­ trative staff volunteered time and service to make the performance a success. Chris McNall of Blyth had the highest marks in the class for inex­ perienced florists at the graduation banquet of the Flowers Canada Floral Design School. James Roy moved on after serv­ ing as Blyth Festival’s artistic director for five years. A liquor vote was in the offing for West Wawanosh. East Wawanosh and Morris Twps. agreed to share 50 per cent of the operating costs for the Belgrave Community Centre. This was one of several proposals brought forth as a way to offset the $2,000 deficit. Clare Vincent resigned as Hullett clerk. The Blyth Vees were eliminated in WOAA playoffs losing to Ripley. August 16, 1989 Fifteen people turned up to leam more about the dissolution of old plans of subdivision in Grey Twp. villages. Two young Blyth cyclists cap­ tured prizes from the bike rodeo draw, Brad Anderson and Adam Blair. Mennonites moved an Auburn house to St. Helens. East Wawanosh council granted $3,000 to the Walton Hall board. Grey council designated the Moncrieff Knox Church as an his­ torical building. Westfield Church marked its 100th anniversary. The Brussels Bulls moved to Junior C. Six Junior Farmers visited from the United Kingdom, three of whom stayed with families in the area. Hosting were Robert Hunking, RR1, Auburn, Ross McIntosh, RR4, Seaforth and Debbie Craig of Blyth. August 17,1994 The Ark in Brussels began plan­ ning for the Terry Fox Run. Toxic fumes were the biggest concern for Blyth firefighters when a fire broke out at a chicken bam in Hullett Twp. Workers were clean­ ing out one of the bams when a hydro panel shorted out, starting a wall, covered in polyurethane foam on fire. Walton geared up for its annual motocross races. Amber Ruttan and Kara Pepper of Brussels participated in the provincial qualifying novice ball tournament in Chatham as mem­ bers of the Seaforth team. Rev. Stephen Huntley became the new pastor at Blyth United Church. Amy Thomas of RR1, Ethel com­ peted in the American Majorette Championships in South Bend, Indiana. Pat Bernard of RR3,. Walton opened a summer computer school. Crops in the area were generally looking good.