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The Citizen, 2003-11-05, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2003. Editorials & Opinions Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Jamie Peters and Alicia deBoer 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 $30.00/year ($28.04 + $1.96 G.S.T.) in Canada; $80.00/year in U.S.A, and $I00/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, 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.ca >222*jjpcna®<* > Member of the Ontario Press- Council Say thanks by voting Seldom have the benefits delivered to society by those who gave their lives for their country been as closely linked to the honouring of their sacrifice as this year when municipal elections come the day before Remembrance Day. They fought to preserve democracy and this year people in areas where there is an election have an opportunity to show their appreciation by taking advantage of the rights for which these veterans fought. Canadians haven’t been particularly good at honouring the sacrifices made by those in two world wars, Korea and various peacekeeping operations since. Our penny-pinching has left our current soldiers understaffed and under-equipped. Our schools’ ignoring of history has created generations of people who hardly know what our veterans did, instead feeling second-rate compared to the glory of U.S. military history played out over and over again in popular media. But most of all we as individuals have squandered the gift of democracy we have been bequeathed by the valiant warriors of past generations. Every election the number of people voting seems to drop. People are too busy with essential activities like shopping to pay much attention to frivolous sidelines like civic affairs. When people do vote, they’re more likely to choose on the basis of what a candidate looks or sounds like than what he or she stands for. Come Remembrance Day, many people seem to think if they’ve bought a poppy they’ve done their duty for our veterans. It’s harder than that. We need to appreciate not just the sacrifices they made, but the gifts they gave us of freedom and democracy. We need to honour them by not taking democracy for granted, by getting involved — if not by seeking office then at least by taking the time to be informed and then voting. So by all means, wear a poppy as Remembrance Day approaches but take the honouring of our veterans to a greater depth. If you have an opportunity to vote on Monday, take it. — KR So what did we vote for? With the revelation of a provincial deficit that’s even larger than had been rumoured. Premier Dalton McGuinty signalled last week that the Liberal government may carry on the Conservative government’s spending limits until the budget can be balanced. It must make people wonder why they voted for change. Certainly no one wants to see the province return to reckless spending that created the massive deficits of the early 1990s. but people are also tired of seeing schools underfunded and hospitals short of staff because of the cuts of the Harris/Eves government. Voters rejected the supply-side economic theories of the previous government that claimed that the more tax cuts they made, the more money government would take in, because they could see that the standard of public services was declining. But the previous government wanted to control the agenda even after it left office ano so they made it illegal to run a deficit without permission of the voters. Mr McGuinty, wanting to prove he was no spend-thrift, made a great show of agreeing to keep the promise not to run a deficit or raise taxes. This, plus the deficit left by the Eves government, in effect means the government that voters rejected is still calling the shots. We may be looking at even more cuts in government programs in the name of balancing the first Liberal budget. At least Mr. McGuinty has agreed to throw the switch on the electricity rate freeze which was draining government revenues at alarming rates. No doubt voters will not be happy when they see their hydrp bills increase, but it was foolish economics for the government to be spending hundreds of millions of dollars needed for schools and hospitals to subsidize electricity so consumers wouldn't be upset. Hopefully the new government will phase in new rates so that the increase is more reasonable than the earlier abrupt shift to the open market but the hard reality is that eventually we’ve got to pay the going rate for power. Not only does the government need to save money but we’ll only conserve power when we have an incentive. The current situation will test Mr. McGuinty’s ingenuity. Hopefully he has a plan to deliver on his promises, not be a defacto Ernie Eves.— KR Looking Back Thro ugh the Years Letters Policy ________ Nov. 5, 1958 James Mair of Brussels was re­ elected as zone chairman of the Agricultural Society, Huron-Perth for a second year. About 400 friends and family gathered at the Ethel Community Centre to celebrate the marriage of Harvey and Margaret Clarke. Lois Bone and John Austin announced their engagement. Nov. 7, 1968 Brenda Shaw and Lome McDonald announced their engagement. Mr. A. Vandevries, a student minister from Kitchener, conducted the service in the Knox Church. Obstructions and fires on the streets, an iron bar placed at the CNR tracks that triggered the crossing bell and flasher sign and opened fire hydrants were the damages done on Halloween night in Brussels. Students received $11,000 in awards at commencement at Seaforth District Secondary School. The national accident fatality rale showed a decline in 1967 as compared with 1966. Nov. 7, 1973 Reeve Robbie Lawrie said Blyth was on the list for planning aid from the Huron County Planning department. As a request from the Huron County Health Unit, Blyth village council passed a by-law calling for licensing of all restaurants, snack bars and lunch counters in the village. Norm Shaw, Blyth village clerk, tendered his resignation because of the lack of planning for the future on the part of local officials. Postal officials and the Goderich police were investigating the vandalism at the East Street Post Office in which an attempt was made to set fire to mailing bags containing the Oct. 25 edition of the Goderich Signal-Star. Fern Guindon, labour minister, announced an increase of 20 cents in the gerneral minimum Ontario wage to take the rate of $ 1.80 to $2. The Blyth Branch and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion had a good turnout at the Remembrance Day service in Knox United Church. Triple K Restaurant opened in Blyth. Nov. 2, 1988 There was wide-ranging discussion, but little fire when the four candidates in the Nov. 21 federal election in Huron-Bruce faced nearly 200 people at an all­ candidates meeting in Clinton. Efforts were underway to revive the Brussels Stockyards after it was closed when its owner disappeared leaving unexplained discrepancies involving the payments for cattle ordered from Western Canada. Blyth Public School held an open house for parents to see the work their children were doing at school. An overnight snowfall dropped more than four inches of sopping- wet snow on Blyth. Friends and family threw a surprise birthday party for Margaret Taylor. Elizabeth Thorpe, Bernice Gross and Mary Douma were inducted into the Federation of Women Teachers’ Association of Ontario at the Huron Women Teachers’ Associations annual banquet. Blyth United Church celebrated its 26th anniversary. Nov. 3, 1993 Janet Amos returned as artistic director for the 20th anniversary 1994 season of the Blyth Festival. An East Wawanosh youth was in satisfactory condition in Wingham and District Hospital after being injured in a single car accident. A fire at the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority park in Brussels destroyed the out­ house. A Brussels-area youth escaped injury after losing control of his car on an icy bridge surface in Morris Twp. Walton Public School was one of six Huron County elementary schools which would offer junior kindergarten. A skate-a-thon at the Blyth and District Community Centre had children raising money to support figure skating and to pay for ice time. Students at Hullett Central Public School were shown how to make masks of their faces. Harvey and Margaret Craig celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Just under 300 Womens Institute members from parts of Perth, Huron, Waterloo and Wellington Counties attended the 54th Guelph Area District Convention in Brussels. * Margaret Baechler celebrated her 80th birthday. Nov. 4, 1998 The Avon Maitland District School Board trustees passed a motion to delay approving a list of schools for closure. Brussels and Grey Twp. councils passed a motion that the two municipalities begin the process of amalgamation. Concerns over safety and fire risks prompted Grey Twp. council to agree to the purchase of the old General Store. Vandals set fire to a Halloween decoration on a residential porch in Brussels. Neil McGavin accepted the Brussels Citizen of the Year award from The Citizen representative Sheila Richards.