The Citizen, 2006-02-16, Page 4Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp
Advertising, Ken Warwick & Ruth Dobrensky
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;
$90.00/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. PUBUCATIONS MAIL
AGREEMENT NO. 40050141
PAP REGISTRATION NO. 09244
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO
CIRCULATION DEPT.
PO BOX 152
BRUSSELS ON NOG 1H0
email: norhuron@scsinternet.com
Canaa
We acknowledge the financial support of
the Government of Canada through the
Publications Assistance Program (PAP)
toward our mailing costs.
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
Webslte vnvw.northhuron.on.ca
Aocna +M►CNA
Member of the Ontario Press Council
We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscrlpts or
photographs. Contents of The Citizen are e Copyright
Looking Back Through the Years
PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2006.
Editorials
Opinions
THE EDITOR,
Can you imagine a Canada where
effective, state-of-the-art cancer care
would be dependent on where you
live?
Is a British Columbia resident
more worthy of cancer care than any
other Canadian resident? This
country has huge gaps in care and
the Cancer Advocacy Coalition in
Canada report card confirms it.
The problems run deep in the rich
province of Ontario. Currently
Ontario residents are writing health
minister George Smitherman's
report card and he's failing. He
could step up to the plate and
address a gap in care by putting an
equivalent Section 8 process in place
that would allow patients the newest
and most up-to-date IV cancer drugs
available.
Some of Ontario's hospitals are
administering the new IV cancer
drugs without the promise of
financial reimbursement from the
Ontario government, while other
Ontario hospitals are not.
Don't all cancer patients deserve
access to the newest and best
treatments? What is an extra year or
two of life worth?
Mr. Smitherman has stated
"We are changing the health care
system in this province. The status
quo is not acceptable and we all
know that. We will happily discuss
all of the various proposals that are
bound to come along, keeping in
mind always that the ultimate goal
has to be better care for all
Ontarians, rich and poor. Surely we
can sustain a debate about these
things that advances beyond labels
and name-calling to actual points of
principle."
I would almost bet that taxpayers'
dollars go towards costs of extended
health coverage for Queen's Park
employees.
Bruce Coleman,
Exeter
Feb. 19,1969
The Blyth fire brigade was called
to the farm home of Mr. and Mrs.
Arthur Clark, Hullett Twp. The fire
had broken out in the building from
which Mr. Clark conducted his
upholstery business.
The Blyth Lions Midgets finished
a sweep of their group semi-final
series as well as the group
championship in five straight
games.
The semi-final series was a two-
out-of-three contest with Brussels.
Blyth polished off the team i.i two
straight games.
The Huron Grill offered a shrimp
chow mein dinner for $1.60, pork
spareribs for $1.25 and egg rolls for
20 cents.
A "tame, deodorized, house-
broken skunk" was advertised for
sale in the classified section.
Feb. 19, 1986
It was announced that
Brussels would lose a hotel
and gain a supermarket. Village
council approved a bylaw to sell the
historic Queen's to McLaughlin-
Inland International Inc. of London
which would develop the property
into a 6090 square foot
supermarket.
Closing date for the sale was Feb.
21, 1986.
A powerful look at the human
cost of the current farm crisis was
the subject of the play opening the
twelfth season of the Blyth
Festival.
Oldfield Pro Hardware had items
on sale for $1. They included paint
brushes, masking tape, screw-
drivers, electric tape, plastic pails,
appliance bulbs, hacksaw blades
and four cakes of toilet
soap.
Iron Eagle a movie about a son
who takes revenge for his father's
wrongful conviction, was playing at
the Lyceum Theatre in Wingham. It
starred Lou Gossett.
Feb. 18, 1987
Blyth village council announced
they would fill the seat left vacant
after' Tom Cronin resigned as
councillor ,and would be accepting
nominations.
The Canadian Pacific Rail
claimed that the line from Goderich
to Guelph was losing money and
requested to close it. Blyth village
council questioned CP rails
statistics.
Artistic director of the Blyth
Festival , Katherine Kaszas announ-
ced the new season for 1987 calling
it the most exciting season ever.
Girls in the Gang, Bordertown
Cafe, Miss Balmoral of Bayview,
Bush Fire and Another Season's
Promise made up the playbill for
the season.
Weber's General Store in Ethel
was selling raspberry and
strawberry jam from Aylmer for
$1.85, Quaker ready-to-serve
oatmeal for 98 cents and Mazola oil
for $2.25.
The Park Theatre in Goderich was
showing Over the Top starring
Sylvester Stalone, "Some fight for
money...some fight for glory...he's
fighting for his son's love."
Firewallcer starring Chuck Norris
and Lou Gossett was playing at the
Lyceum theatre.
There was a benefit dance at the
Blyth Community Centre for a
couple who who lost their barn to
fire.
Device was entertaining at the
Commercial Hotel in Seaforth.
Feb. 15, 1995
Three area men decided to throw
in their hats into the race for Liberal
party leader in the provincial
election. John Jewitt of
Londesborough, Doug Garniss of
Wingham, and Rick Mclnroy of
Walton announced their intention to
seek the nomination.
A blizzard that swept through
the area caused two accidents,
one on Hwy. 86, two kilometres
west of the CNR in Morris Twp.,
and the other on County Rd. 16 in
Grey.
The presence of smoke detectors
in the home helped save a Morris
Twp. family in the early morning
hours of Feb. 13.
Writer Laurie Fyffe and musician
Beth Bartley were in Blyth on the
weekend to workshop the new play
Ballad of a Rum Runner's
Daughter.
Popular country entertainer Terry
Sumsion and the renowned Carlton
Showband were both scheduled to
make appearances in Blyth with
performances in March and
February respectively.
Leah Hood and Rick Fedorick
were recently welcomed to the staff
of Blyth Festival.
Hood was the new director of
communication while Fedorick was
the ,assistant development co-
ordinator.
Two former East Wawanosh
Public School students were
members of an improv team from
F.E. Madill Secondary School who
hope to compete in the Canadian
Improv Games in Ottawa.
Micah and Manny Hussey, with
others of the eight-member team
sent a video of an improv
performance to the selection
committee.
The Blyth boys volleyball team
captured first place at the
tournament in Clinton. Team
members were: Dean Wilson, Joe
Schmit, Tyler Stewart, Drew
Cornell. Sean Bromley, Nathan
Hubbard, Jamie Taylor, Adam Blair,
Jamie Black and Jeremy Van
Amersfoort.
Hard or soft?
The expression says "You can attract more flies with honey than
vinegar" but what does it take to get political action.
That question is dividing the farming community as evidenced by the
meeting between leaders of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and
local farmers in Blyth, Friday. The farmers were angry with their leaders,
demanding less politeness in dealings with government. OFA president
Ron Bonnett and vice-president Paul Mistele argued that it was better to
argue with politicians and bureaucrats in the privacy of a conference
room than to humiliate them in public.
Farmers present, however, argued the quiet approach isn't getting
results. Farmers are in one of their worst economic crises in history. This
is a government-created crisis. The U.S. and European governments pay
subsidies to their farmers which lower the market price of corn, soybeans
and other crops. Canadian governments argue they can't afford to do the
same thing, and that it would contravene World Trade Organization rules.
They put in place the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS)
program which meets WTO guidelines, but isn't helping the vast majority
of farmers in trouble.
Farmers have been complaining about CAIS for years. Politicians and
bureaucrats have been promising action for years, but it hasn't come.
Anger with the lack of action probably played a part in the number of
rural seats the federal Liberals lost to the Conservatives in the Jan. 23
election (even to the precipitous loss of support for Paul Steckle in
Huron-Bruce).
If you study the history of farm movements such as James Power's A
Record of Achievement (and why don't we study farm history more?) it's
evident farmers often had to overcome resistance from governments and
bureaucrats to get their ideas accepted. There was a 15-year battle in the
1940s and 1950s before the pork producers got the right to sell all their
pigs through a farmer-run auction (and this slipped away under
bureaucratic decision in the 1990s). Politicians and bureaucrats often
seem to understand the point of view of processors more than farmers.
Compare the reaction of farm leaders to those of the Canadian Union
of Public Employees this week who were prepared to go on an illegal
strike because they're unhappy with a plan to change their pensions. Over
pensions! Not their very future, the problem farmers are facing.
Perhaps farm leaders need to dig up a slogan from the past, used by
the OFA in the 1970s: "As responsible• as possible, as militant as
necessary." — KR
Playing with words
There are clever words used by journalists to make a story when there
otherwise wouldn't be. One of those surfaced last week when Wayne
Gretzky was "linked" to a scandal about illegal gambling.
There was no evidence Gretzky is involved in the scandal except that
his assistant coach is accused of being involved and Gretzky's wife may
have made bets with the ring.
But like the highest point in a lightning storm, the famous Gretzky
became the focus of the entire story. There's something in the Canadian
media that wants to tear down anyone who stands out. Wayne Gretzky
may represent what is best in Canadians but some people won't be
satisfied until he is soiled, even if only by association. — KR
Letter to the editor