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The Citizen, 2003-08-20, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2003. Editorials & Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Alan Young, Patty Van der Meer 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; $80.00/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 Mall Reg. No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 40050141 The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1 HO Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.caJpcnaOvA Member of the Ontario Press Council Ernie’s a handy scapegoat Premier Ernie Eves, already in trouble because of the failures of his government and his predecessors, seems to be taking much of the blame for the blackout that plunged Ontario, along with New York, Ohio and Michigan into the dark. Politicians make such handy scapegoats. With the Conservative government having been in power for eight years now, it’s tough to blame the current electricity shortage on the previous government, as has been the habit of Eves and Mike Harris before him. Still, the previous Liberal and NDP governments, though they had relatively short terms, did little more than the Conservatives to head off the problem we’re now facing. And we, the people, have continued to increase our consumption of electricity despite warnings we needed to conserve. Eves is now taking hits for his decision last year to freeze electricity rates instead of letting the price reflect the true cost, which might have promoted more conservation. Accusers need to remember, however, that Eves was playing politics in the true sense of the word: responding to what the people were telling him — that they didn’t want higher electricity rates. Now, of course, many of those who complained about that increase arc ready to turn around and blame the government for the current mess. We all share blame for this crisis, not just governments. We all have increased our electrical use with a constant drive for more comfort and convenience. Air conditioning, once reserved for public buildings, is now becoming a “necessity” in private homes. The conservation ideals we adopted during the energy crisis of the 1970s have long since been abandoned. We all, individuals and industries alike, want unlimited power and electrical security without paying the price necessary to get it. It’s wrong to blame Premier Eves for the problems that caused this blackout. The true measure of the premier on this issue will be in what he does now that the Ontario public has been awakened to the fact that the status quo isn’t good enough. Now’s the time to see if Eves can seize this opportunity to mould a new energy culture in the province. — KR Life with a parallel government Canadians have never experienced a coup d’etat but in our own quiet way, we seem to be going through one these days. A large group of backbenchers, including our own Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle, are threatening revolt against their leader Prime Minister Jean Chretien on more and more issues. At the Liberal party caucus meeting this week many MPs will threaten to vote against a bill that would extend the right to marry to homosexual couples. Meanwhile The Globe and Mail reports some backbenchers went outside the country to enlist the help of powerful U.S. drug authorities to bring pressure on the government not to legalize marijuana. With the next leader of the Liberal party virtually already chosen, because of Paul Martin’s insurmountable lead among delegates to this fall’s leadersnip convention, many MPs, including Steckle, see little need to obey Chretien, the leader who gave them three successive majority governments. Chretien has brought some of this on himself by his lack of respect for the MPs who don’t sit around the cabinet table. He has continued a trend toward an executive form of government in which decision making has been reserved for officials in the prime minister’s office, or perhaps the cabinet, but not the House of Commons. It’s not something that Chretien introduced himself. This is a growing trend that has been plaguing federal and provincial governments alike for 30 years. While it’s tempting to dismiss all this as internal fighting of the Liberal party, it should be of concern for all Canadians. Our government is not functioning the way it should. Policy is not going upward from the people through MPs to the government, but coming down from the top. It may be efficient in getting things done, but it’s not efficient in having the ideas and the will of the people put into action. One can only hope that the result of the current party war will be a more responsive future government.— KR Letters to the Editor Looking Back Through the Years THE EDITOR, My grandparents were Cecil McFadden and Hazel McFadden (Oakes). They lived in Brussels for many years and Cecil was the barber there until he retired. Cecil died in 1980 and Hazel died in 1973 and they are both buried in the Brussels Cemetery I was wondering if anyone had any information as to their lives there, i.e. when they arrived, etc. I know my grandfather was president of the Lions Club in 1962-63. Everyone in our family who would know anything has passed on so it is a little tough learning new info. I live in Grande Prairie, Alberta now, but I loved Brussels as a child and have many wonderful memories there. Unfortunately I do not have the opportunity to go there myself to look all this up so I would appreciate it very much if anyone could either give me some info or advise as to websites that 1 might try. Thank you. Kathy Kameka (McFadden) 9435-69 Avenue Grand Prairie, Alberta T8V 5W6 email: dkameka@cablerocket.com August 20,1958 Savage shoes to size three, in lace oxford or strap slipper were on sale as a back-to-school special at Grant Shoes and Men’s Wear for $4.95 a pair. Saddle shoes were selling for $2.95, while blue denim dungarees for men were $2.98. At the Llashmar Drive-in Theatre in Listowel, playing for one week, was the winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, The Bridge on the River Kwai with William Holden, Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins. The weekend feature at the Capitol Theatre was Walt Disney’s Bambi and Ma and Pa Kettle on the Farm. For $4, adults could take a bus trip to the CNE. Rumours of the Arcade Store in Brussels going out of business, a report in The Post noted, were false. August 22,1968 Murray Hoover was the winner of the Brussels field crop competition for barley, while Douglas Fraser took the top honours in the mixed grain category. The competition was judged by Norman Schmidt of Mildmay. Mr. and Mrs. Bob McFarlane of Langdon, North Dakota, visited at the home of Graham and Marg Work. Mr. McFarlane was a grandson of Elizabeth (Work) Dunford, who was a daughter of the couple who homesteaded the Work farm. Mr. McFarlane was interested in finding his grandfather Harry Dunford’s home. You could support the local firefighters when a team of donkey baseball players challenged the skill of the local Lions Club and Legion members. A Brussels-area man became the fourth member of his family to die was the result of a car crash, when his vehicle was involved in a head- on collision just south of Brussels. The man’s father was killed in a two-car crash in November of 1965, while his sister and brother both perished when their car was struck by a CPR train in London in 1964. Local Tadpoles passing their swimming tests at the Seaforth Lions pool were David Stephenson, Femie Elliott, Jackie McWhirter, Louise Alcock, Scott Bridge, Paul Humphries, Debbie McClure and Kevin Nichol. A ship in a bottle, brought in by Margaret McCutcheon, was on display in The Post’s office window. Aug. 22,1973 The Blyth Agricutlural Society was planning a pork barbecue and fun day. A Toronto film company was in Huron County to film the people and events surround The Farm Show, which was based on local people and events. The film was shot by Michael Ondatje. One of Canada’s top auto thrill shows, the all-new Imperial Hell Drivers were coming to the Clinton Racetrack, under the sponsorship of the Huron Central Agricultural Society and the Clinton Kinsmen. To start off the performance drivers including Paul Riddell, Natch Miller, Buddy Young and Doug Brett, put the fleet of shiny new 1973 Dodge and Plymouths through their paces. Featured would be Danny Ford, the “motorcycle maniac”. Playing at Brownie’s Drive-in Theatre on the weekend was Sounder, along with Robert Redford and George Segal in The Hot Rock. Aug. 17, 1988 The heat of summer, the cold of winter and the rapid growth of the theatre had the Blyth Festival looking at expansion. Audrey Bos of Auburn was queen of the Dungannon Fair. Belgrave Squirts won the year-end tournament. Team members were: Jason Rich, Shawn Fair, Trevor Machan, Joel Pegg, Mark Carson, Mark Olson, Pete Gusso, Brandon Coultes, Kris Krieger, Kevin Procter, Aaron Coultes. Walton Hall marked its 50th anniversary. August 18,1993 It was a close call for several people when the plane they were travelling in crashed in Grey Twp. The pilot from McKellar Twp. and three passengers were enroute from Parry Sound to Sarnia when the plane experienced engine trouble. The pilot made an emergency landing in a field. August 19,1998 Jason Lucio of Blyth came out a winner at the 24th annual jGulf- South Championship Wildfowl Festival in New Orleans. Lucio won first prize for his lifesize, waterfowl carving and $10,000 in prize money. To receive the cash award, however, he had to give up owemship of the carving. Ten thousand people attended the motocross races in Walton. When it came to cooking chili, Brussels reeve, Ralph Watson, was hot stuff. Watson bested eight other reeves and mayors in the first annual chili cook-off at the Blyth Festival. The Brussels Bulls Jr. C hockey team opened its training camp with approximately 60 young men from across the region trying out. Among this number were dozen from Brussels. Howard and Judy Morton of Belgrave were in Toronto to see a performance of the play Hospital, which was written and directed by their daughter, Heather. The Toronto Star said Hospital was “a cut above the grad school fare that forms the staple of Summer-Works”. Heather was a graduate of F.E. Madill.