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The Citizen, 2001-08-29, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2001 Editorials Opinions Don't lose good with bad O.K. MR. ASHTON, SMILE PRETTY FOR THE CAMERA, HAR, HAR... Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil 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 $28.00/year ($26.17 + $1.83 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A. and $100/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 newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. Publications Mail Reg. No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 40050141 The Citizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca ocna *CNA :err- •cs., Member of the Ontario Press Council '11=2#1/11 THE EDITOR, This year's drought and its impacts on crops throughout most of Ontario and Canada has the potential to drastically alter the rural landscape and the lives of the people who grow those crops. Farmers are going to need increased support from our federal and provincial governments to improve safety net and disaster programs if they are to be expected to survive yet another year of bad weather, and commodity prices that continue to fall. Without adequate support, not only will the future of many farmers be placed in doubt, but so will the futures of the businesses farmers work with and the rural communities that rely on their success to sustain them. Declining world market prices only make the situation worse and increase the threat to the future survival of many farmers, the businesses they do business with, and the rural communities where they live. Agricultural economic impact studies have been completed for most areas of the province, and all point to the huge contribution farming makes to these communities - be they in Stormont County or the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). With the national scope of this year's drought, the OFA is hopeful the federal government will be more willing to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and respond with increased funding. Ontario Premier Mike Harris has already stated his government is aware of the problem and will consider improved safety net and disaster packages for our farmers. OFA will continue to work with the province's commodity organi- zations to promote adequate safety net and disaster programs to our governments. We know our farmers need this support and we are prepared to go to the wall on their behalf. Jack Wilkinson, OFA President. Aug. 30, 1950 Ethel and Brussels were competing in a football floodlight game at Victoria Park. Admission was 25 cents. An enjoyable picnic of about 40 members of the United Church Mission Band was held on the church lawns. Games and races were held after which a picnic lunch with chocolate milk was served. A number of parents enjoyed this outing with the children. Miss Addie Cardiff was superintendent with Mrs. C. Buschlen and Mrs. D.A. Rann assistant leaders. Lightning completely destroyed a large frame barn on Conc. 9 in Grey Twp. The farmer was able to remove some chickens that were in the structure. No stock and very little crop was in the barn. A mother and infant son were in critical condition following a two car crash in Morris Twp. Mr. Belvedere Goes to .College,' starring Shirley Temple and Clifton Webb was playing at the Capitol Theatre in Listowel. It was back to school time. F. R. Smith Rexall Drug Store was selling fountain pens for $1, while girls and misses cardigans and pullovers were $1.89 and up at The Arcade Store. Also on sale were girls' blazers for $4.95 and boys' shirts in light prints and plaids for $1.49 and up. Aug. 27, 1986 Five people were injured, two seriously in a spectacular two-car crash at Auburn. It was raining heavily and one car went out of control on the curve. It skidded sideways with the front end going into the eastbound lane. The car collided with a station-wagon containing tour family members, and drove it backward. The impact sent the second car backward and nearly tore the first vehicle in half, leaving the front wheels and engine near the wagon, but sending the rest of the car spinning down the highway. The passenger side, nearly untouched, came to rest more than 100 feet from the scene of the collision. Firefighters from Blyth and Goderich were hampered in their work by large crowds of spectators who had to be shooed away several times while the rescue equipment was in operation. For Blyth firefighters this had been the second call in 24 hours, ending much happier than the tragedy the preceding night. A freak collision west of Walton took the life of a Toronto woman. She had been travelling west when her car collided with two horses. The car went out of control entered the south ditch of the road and came to rest in a cornfield. The driver was rushed to the hospital in London but died the next day. Firefighters described it as a "grisly scene" with both horses killed. One of the horses was pregnant and gave birth to a foal that died as well. Police destroyed a marijuana crop with a street value of $2 million. in a field near Wroxeter. The surge of growth on Brussels main street continued with the opening of a new ladies' wear store. Some Thing Special was the project of Wilma Rathwell and Nella Blake. It featured a full line of ladies' clothing from petite to full figure, as well as Tender Tootsie shoes. This was the third new business on main street that year. Earlier Radford Auto, Farm and Industrial parts opened a new Brussels outlet at the other end of Turnberry Street's business section. In June, the major new EMA food store opened on the site of the former Queen's hotel. Stephen Caldwell took over as manager of the Auburn Co-op. He had worked with the Auburn and Belgrave branches for the previous four years. Aug. 28, 1991 Pastor Tom Warner delivered the sermon at Brussels Mennonite Fellowship. Four charter members of the Walton Women's Institute were present for its 35th anniversary:, Leona McDonald, Alberta Stevens, Maxine Marks and Mary Humphries. Absent were Margaret Craig, Marjories Humphries and Berva Watson. Greg McClinchey,- IS, of RRI, Londesboro returned home after being selected to represent Scouts Canada as of their contingent to the. Jamboree in Korea. McClinchey was a member of the Blyth-Londesboro Venturers. Blyth Festival played host to the directors and senior staff of dozens of summer theatres for the annual conference. Aug. 28, 1996 Agricultural Minister Ralph Goodale attended a barbecue hosted by Huron-Bruce MP Pau,1 Steckle in Varna. Lieutenant-Governor Hal Jackman mingled with Blyth Festival Theatre patrons before presenting a certificate to the theatre marking a $25,000 grant received in December. The Brussels Tigers eliminated Monkton Muskrats from WOAA playoffs with a 7-4 win in the third and deciding game. The Tigers advanced to the championship finals against the Harriston Mercuries of the Bluewater Fastball League. Volunteers and parents worked together to ensure the Walton Public School had a playground before classes began. It didn't take a judicial inquiry to know something went dreadfully wrong in Walkerton in the spring of 2000. The deaths of seven people and the illnesses of 2,000 more made that plain. Trying to find out what went wrong, however, has taken more than a year of judicial inquiry and became a mini-industry for the stricken town. In the coming months Mr. Justice Dennis O'Connor will sift through hundreds of hours of testimony and hundreds of pounds of written submissions to make his recommendations to prevent a similar occurrence. Hopefully in making his recommendations Mr. Justice O'Connor will have ab'sorbed something of the town where he has spent so much time in the past year, a town he called "a truly remarkable place". A sense of the values of that small town might help guide him in not making easy decisions from an urban perspective. For instance in closing submissions Monday, a lawyer for the province's chief medical officer of health said the Walkerton tragedy had occurred because there was a "climate of trust" in the town. Public Utilities Commissioners trusted that their manager was doing his job. Town council trusted the PUC. The people of the town trusted town council. Obviously that trust was misplaced. Our smut l-town way of doing things broke down under an unusual set of circumstances and townspeople paid a terrible human price for their trust. With increased regulations since the tragedy, people in small towns in the rest of the province are also paying a financial price for the errors in Walkerton. For urbanites.like the chief medical officer of health, this climate of trust that existed in Walkerton must seem naive and something that must change. The temptation will be to impose an urban. model because this is the solution people like the chief medical officer of health understand. But while people in small towns and rural areas must not continue the complacency that allowed the Walkerton tragedy to happen, it would be equally tragic if there was no climate of trust. Part of our great gift in rural areas is that people still matter. We haven't turned into faceless numbers. A handshake is still enough of a bond for many people doing business. Because we've known people for many years, we can accept that these people can be trusted without credit checks and police background checks. Now and then we're wrong and our trust is misplaced, but it would be a terrible loss if these values were thrown out because of occasional failures. Our small-town climate of trust broke down in Walkerton. People, from the politicians to the townspeople who probably never attended a council meeting, got lazy and put too much faith in the wrong individuals. -Still, let's hope Mr. Justice O'Connor has the great wisdom to weigh what will be lost and what will be gained by reducing that climate of trust. — KR It'll be a tough sell Ontario's public employees have been feeling pretty sorry for themselves ever since Bob Rae's government imposed a cutback in their wages to fight the deficit. Constant attacks by the Harris government haven't helped either. Workers won't feel any easier seeing MPPs get three per cent raises when they're limited to under two. They'll be livid at the 25 per cent increase promised for after the next election. Hardly a recipe for labour peace. Hardly the leadership we hope for from government. — KR Letters to the Editor Looking Back Through the Years