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The Citizen, 1998-08-26, Page 4Snuggled in Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years Aug. 29, 1968 After 43 years, Brussels business man D.M.. MacTavish retired. He had arrived in the village from Wroxeter in 1925 to manage the Farmers' Co-operative Store. He later opened his own busines. Gerald Gibson won the firefight- ers' motorbike draw held after a game of donkey baseball between the firefighters and Lions Club members. Huron County Warden Cal Krauter of Brussels announced that council would create its own plan- ning board as well as 11 school sections for the first school board. Mrs. James Armstrong captured first at the Brussels Horticultural Society flower show. Kindergarten classes were held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. each morning at the Blyth, Belgrave and Brussels schools. A one-way train ticket to Toron- to from Brussels cost $4.60. Aug. 29,1973. - Huron County Pork Producers Secretary Lloyd Stewart an- nounced the construction of a new 116g assembly yard in Blyth. It was to be operated by Ed Watson. The Blyth Agricultural Society's Fun Day was planned for the com- ing weekend. Construction began at the new Huron Tractor Maintenance Depot in Blyth. Rev. Stanley McDonald of Lon- desboro United Church was elected High Chaplain of the High Court of the Canadian Foresters for the Dominion of Canada. The Ontario Wheat Producers set the price of 1973 seed wheat being sold to dealers at $3.18 per bushel. Six Walton area boys attended hockey school in St. Mary's. There were John Huether, Neil Mitchell, Bradley Knight, Steven Huether, Jim McDonald and Steven Knight. A three-ring binder cost 66 cents. and North Huron Citizen Aug. 27, 1997 Grey Twp. Deputy-Reeve Robin Dunbar warned that the provincial dumping of services would cost taxpayers. Municipal politicians predicted huge jumps in property tax rates from 22 per cent in Blyth to 81 per cent in Grey Twp. Blyth councillors continued their campaign to have education taxes removed from property taxes as they prepared for the annual Asso- ciation of Municipalities of Ontario conference. Brad and Maureen Montgomery of Blyth hosted an exchange stu- dent from the Dominican Republic. Brussels 1 U-8s finished tops in the soccer C division while Brus- sels 1 U-10s took the runner-up position in division C. The Walton Brewers fastball team ended the regular season in first place with 13 wins and three losses. Craigs bought the Walton Inn. From the files of the Blyth Standard, Brussels Post Letters THE EDITOR, Are we the prettiest village in Huron? Well if you could take a look at the sidewalks on Queen Street East and Turnberry Street North, no. We pay taxes north of the river but get few repairs. The last time we got sidewalks it was black top poured on the ground. Now that is something to see for the people driving into town and we do have a busy street. Greg, (Councillor Wilson) maybe you will think about us next time there is money for sidewalks. We have had two or more accidents caused by sidewalks which could have cost your money. Oh yes, maybe when elections come around we could get a lady to run, then we would have the prettiest village in Huron. M. Wheeler. THE EDITOR, As Fire Marshal of Ontario, I deal with the impact and tragedy of fire on a daily basis. The fact is, approximately 70 per cent of fire deaths occur in homes that are not protected by working smoke alarms. It is particularly tragic when fire strikes our most vulnerable groups — children and older adults. The Ontario Fire code now requires that all homes in Ontario have working smoke alarms. Failure to comply is a provincial offence and subject to a set fine of $200. This new regulation is intended to emphasize to the public just how vitally important it is to have these lifesaving devices in all homes. Smoke alarms are also crucial to the safety of our firefighters. In a number of incidents where people died in fires, there was no evidence of working smoke alarms in the homes. As a result, the fires may not have been detected quickly enough and the occupants were Continued on page 17 C The North Huron itizen Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil E-mail norhuron@scsinternetcom The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable In advance at a rate of $27.00/year ($25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year In U.S.A. and $75.00/year In other foreign countries. 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 newscrlpts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 a n E ditorial PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1998. Living in a global world For Canadians who already felt a lack of control of their lives, this week's continued plunge in the value of the Canadian dollar can only add to the sense we have no more power over our economic situation than we have over the clouds that tease us with rain but pass over. The loonie this week is suffering because of troubles in Russia. With the devaluation of the ruble because of the economic mess in Russia, currency speculators reasoned that Russian exports of natural resources like wood and minerals would become cheaper, reducing Canadian exports and slowing the economy. Financial troubles in Venezuela, another major supplier of natural resources, also hurt the Canadian dollar. Earlier it was problems in Asia that caused the dollar to drop as currency traders figured markets for Canadian resources would decline. All this comes after Canadians have paid a terrible price over the past decade to supposedly put our house in order. The restructuring of the Canadian economy to meet new free trade realities and the slashing of government programs to balance budgets, has taken a terrible toll on ordinary Canadians. It would seem there should have been a reward for now having a balanced budget, an economy that is growing (even if few ordinary people seem to be benefiting from that growth) and a lean, mean private sector that has already facpd the new competition of free trade. Instead, there seems to be only new reasons to drive the living standard of Canadians downward. What should have become evident by now is that in the global economy we will never prosper until everyone prospers. In a competitive world where business can move to the cheapest market for labour or buy supplies from the most distressed supplier, the hardships of the poor in the world will be shared by us all. For instance, western countries, after decades of wanting to see Communism fail in Russia have pretty much sat back and watched as free enterprise tried to find its legs in that huge country. Now with the Russian economy in deep trouble and democracy threatened by a return of the Communists if the country's economic problems aren't solved, we are all paying a price. We're paying the price for problems in Asia and South America too. So it's foolish for people like the Reform Party to rant against aid for foreign countries that need a hand up. We can pay now to help these countries become stronger Or we can pay later in terms of lost jobs and a sagging dollar as the world market shifts resources to take advantage of the weak economies. We're part of a global village and we can't ignore others' problems any longer. —KR A world all their own It sometimes seems that the separatists in Quebec already live in a different country but with the release, last week, of the Supreme Court's judgement on Quebec's right to separate, it seems like Lucien Bouchard and his friends live in a different world. It's a world a bit like Alice's in Through the Looking Glair where everything you see is backwards. First of all, Bouchard claimed the Supreme Court had no right to interfere with the rights of Quebecers to separate from the rest of Canada. In his imperious way Bouchard wouldn't even argue his case before the Supreme Court, as if Quebec wis already a separate country even without a referendum win. But when the Supreme Court decision said that in the event of a vote by a clear majority of Quebecers on a clear question of separation, the rest of Canada would be obliged to negotiate terms of separation, Bouchard bounced on this one small part of the decision to say Quebecers could now get what they always wanted. But Bouchard ignored all the parts of the decision he didn't like, and no doubt will argue that the Supreme Court justices have no right to impose those conditions on Quebec. The justices said other Canadians have rights in the possible break-up of the country — something Bouchard has always denied. They said dissolving a country would be messy and difficult. He's always made it sound easy. They said negotiations might include changes to the Quebec boundaries that Bouchard has always claimed couldn't be changed. Hopefully the people of Quebec hear all the details before buying Bouchard's warped version of reality. The pain that could come later because of false hopes of easy separation could be terrible for all concerned. — KR