The Citizen, 2004-03-25, Page 4Yes, to outsiders the rats increases may seem a little high in view of our 675 %
jump in profits, Mr. Johns... Maybe, then, I can interest you in taking advantage
of our new line of products - insurance against insurance rate hikes.
Looking Back Through the Years
PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2004.
Editorials
Opinio S
Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp
Advertising, Jamtkpeters and Alicia deBoer
Tne Citizen is published 50 times a yeZir ih. Brussels, Ontario by North
Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance
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THE EDITOR,
As enthusiastic users of the North
Huron Wescast Community
complex, we would like to set the
record straight. Many people use the
complex in an effort to age in a
healthy manner or just to enjoy
themselves.
Inexpensive opportunities to
swim, skate, play squash, or work
out at the fitness centre abound.
March break had children doing
some of the above for free as
sponsors had been found to offset
the cost.
We have always found the centre's
staff to be knowledgeable and
helpful, to be truly people friendly.
Two fitness staff are now for
instance taking special courses on
helping seniors to increase their
flexibility, balance and strength as
they age.
The following 2003 statistics were
recently made public:
• fitness centre memberships sold,
856
• number of users of the fitness
centre, 17,214
• group fitness participants, 996
• aquatic memberships, 310
• users of the aquatic centre, 28,002
• users of the arena in ice time,
80,000
• users of the arena in summer,
7,100.
Residents of Blyth and the
surrounding towns and townships
should be proud of the facility and
continue to grow this great
investment in our future. Your body
will thank you for it. (Great seniors'
rates too).
Sincerely,
Jerry and Carol
McDonnell.
March 26, 1959
About 100 friends helped
celebrate the offical opening of the
Maydell Shoppe in Brussels.
There was a good turnout at
Pollard's for a Case Day Clinic.
Brian Prescott of Grey Twp. was
named best improptu speaker in a
district public speaking contest.
March 27, 1969
Nancy and Mary Ellen Knight
were invited to perform a dance
routine for the Brussels
Horticultural Society.
The Horticultural Society hosted
the District Convention at St. John's
Church.
Rev. J. W. Siebert of Stratford
was the guest speaker at the
Horticultural Society's meeting,
where he showed slides on
begonias, dahlias and glads.
It may have been spring outside,
but the final mixed bonspiel was
held by members of the Burssels
Curling Club.
William McArter was the lucky
winner of $50 in the Barrel Over
the Dam contest. The barrel was
placed over the ice above the dam
several weeks earlier by the
Brussels firefighters. It finally went
over and McArter was the one to
guess closest to the right time.
The annual Brussels Minor
Hockey tournament was the best
ever with 207 players participating.
Members of the Melville WMS
agreed to make as many knitted
shirts for Biafran children as
possible.
The Ontario Safety League said
that after the end of March, studded
tires would no longer be allowed for
travel on Ontario roads.
March 22, 1972
Reprentatives of Morris, Grey
and Brussels councils met to
discuss fire protection rates for the
area and concerns were heard
regaiding- recreation for the area.
We acknowledge the financial
support of the Government of
Canada through the Publications
Assistance Program (PAP) toward
our mailing costs.
Hugh Edighoffer, Perth MPP and
environment minister, announced
the approval of a provincial grant of
$5,000 to the Maitland Valley
Conservation Authority for the
Galbifaith Conservation Area.
Mr. and Mrs. Murray Cardiff of
the Brussels area, were startled one
morning while eating breakfast,
when they saw two wolves only a
few yards from their house.
Dan Stuckey of F.E. Madill,
organized two school trips, one to
Rome and the other one to London
and Paris. Stuckey and some
volunteers, along with 27 students,
were able to go.
Wingham OPP officers
investigated a break-in at the Leach
Jewellery Store. The culprits had
entered by removing a pane of glass
from a rear window.
A considerable number of the
stolen items were later recover-
ed.
March 26, 1989
Damage was already extensive
before Bltyh firefighters reached
the scene of a house fire east of
Londesborough. Although fire-
fighters wre able to prevent the
building from being completely
levelled, damage was estimated at
beyond repair.
Howson and Howson Ltd. was
broken into at 3 a.m. despite the fact
that people were working all night
in the flour mill next door.
In a recorded 18-12 vote, Huron
County council gave its approval to
the 1986 budget totalling more than
$18.7 million which included the
controversial Huronview building
project.
Nine area students were among
the 46 students from F.E. Madill
who won a free trip to Expo '86 in
Vancouver.
Ladies from the Ethel Women's
Institute served pancakes and
sausage at the pancake day at Maple
The Citizen
Keys Conservation area near Ethel.
Lisa Boonstoppel of Auburn won
a trip to the United Nations in a
public speaking contest sponsored
by the Oddfellows and Rebekahs in
Clinton.
March 23, 1994
The Blyth Christian Reformed
Church held its annual bazaar and
games night.
The extreme cold weather and the
use of wood stoves may have
added to the increase in fire calls for
the first three months of 1994. Blyth
fire chief Paul Josling said the
department spent 43 hours so far
that year at fire calls and in 1993 the
total number of hours was 53.
Bob and Ruth Ann Volland, along
with their son Rob and his wife
Michelle, opened The Villager
restaurant on the main street of
Blyth.
A St. Patrick's Day luncheon was
held at Huronlea in Brussels, to
promote awareness of palliative
care in the area.
March 31, 1999
With a good number of children
waiting in front of the stage, area
musician Paul Haslam entertained,
sang songs and told stories at a
show held in Ethel.
On April 1, the Huron OPP in
conjunction with other police
services across Ontario, launched a
province-wide initiative, aimed at
making sure all motorists in the
Huron area are buckling up.
Blyth skaters continued to
achieve new levels in their skills
testing. Brett Bean earned Level
Three-Gold in power skating, Laura
Meier completed the highest skills
Level One and Michelle Cook
completed all her senior silver
dances.
The number of dogs at Brussels
Ridge Kennels suddenly doubled
when Jewel, a Siberian husky gave
birth to 11 healthy pups.
With hands tied
Huron County's farm community met with its members of parliament on
Saturday with even more than the usual sense of frustration in the room.
While normally the leaders of the various farm groups must convince MPs
of the importance of the issues they raise and hope the local members can
then get the message through to their governments, they must also deal
these days with the reality that governments are often powerless to provide
solutions.
Top of the list of frustrations this year, of course, is the international
trade embargo on Canadian cattle and sheep because of one cow being
found ill with BSE. With a huge portion of the beef production of
Canadian farms destined for export, everyone, politicians and farmers
alike, is helpless to affect the political decisions of foreign governments as
to when borders will be opened again. Their hands are tied.
Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle raged against the leaders of various
packing companies who had appeared before the parliamentary agriculture
committee that he chairs and denied they are making undue profits from
the BSE crisis even though consumers are paying as much as ever for beef
while farmers are getting a fraction of what they once did. Steckle also
suggested packers control much more of the beef supply, through
ownership and contracts, than they admit. Still, even as chair of a
parliamentary committee, Steckle has no power, in a pro-busines-s
'environment in a country without any real competition legislation. His
hands are tied in dealing with the increasingly powerful companies that
control the industry.
Beef producers called for halting beef imports during this emergency but
Steckle had to tell them that under our international trade agreements
there's a requirement to accept a minimum amount of imported beef or
there could be trade retaliation. The goverment's hands are tied.
On various issues, farm groups called for greater funding from the
federal or provincial governments for various programs. The provincial
government, however, faces a large deficit while the federal government is
facing tighter finances. It has become accepted these days that there can be
no tax increases. In fact tax cuts in the last few years are responsible for
much of the tight financial situation governments now face, a situation that
ties the hands of politicians who might want to help solve problems.
The trend for more than a decade now has been to force governments to
take a smaller role, whether by starving them of money or making them
subject to international regulations that don't allow them to act
independently even within their own borders. Yet at the same time when
people, such as farmers, feel abused and want a sense of justice, they have
only government to turn to. We've created a situation where those who
can't help themselves can't get help from their own government. — KR
A frightening alternative
The absorption of the Progressive Conservative Party by the Alliance
became complete Saturday with the election of Stephen Harper as leader
of the newly-merged Conservative Party.
While the party still has no policies, it seems likely that the softer
policies of the former PCs that Alliance supporters rejected are not likely
to be part of the new platform. After years of dreaming of implementing
their agenda these right-wingers can now see their chance if Canadians
decide to punish Paul Martin for the sins of his predecessors.
It doesn't leave a healthy alternative for voters, though. Just remember,
if Stephen Harper had been prime minister a year ago, we'd have joined
the U.S. in Iraq.— KR
Letter to the editor
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Member of the Ontario Press Council MrUriial
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