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Times-Advocate, 1987-07-01, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, July 1, 1987 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 ' Amalgama ed 1924 Imes dvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 4PCNA Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EEDY Publisher $M BECKETT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK IONGKIND Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' Must be better way The popularity some people hold for violence is evidenced by the success of many attractions at the movie theatres and no doubt many are able to fill that need by merely staying at home and wat- ching some of the antics on the post of- fice picket lines. Perhaps even more disconcerting is that the picket line strife was expected in pre -strike comments aired from the Letter Carriers' Union and the post office being equally adamant in saying it was determined to deliver the mail using strike breakers. The volatile situation has led to some frightening incidents .and has placed police in a very delicate position in at- 4f or tempting to ensure that violence is con- trolled to the point of a few tossed rocks, stick -smashing and pushing matches. Current legal rights of the two an- tagonistic sides in any legal dispute ap- pear to establish conditions just short of more bloody warfare and there are those who must wonder whether that too will erupt. There may be no current plausible methods for forcing peaceful negotia- tions when the sides are too far apart in their goals, but it is a matter that deserves more considered input, par- ticularly in postal matters where the lulls between the storms appear so short and infrequent. Through fhe roof The Skydome in Toronto was sup- posed to be built with only $30 million of provincial money from lottery funds, says The Kitchener -Waterloo Record. It is now clear, however, that the provincial contribution is considerably higher. A Toronto newspaper has reported that an additional $6.2 million in loans and grants has been given to the Stadium Corp. The money came from the now defunct Board of Industrial Leadership and Development (BILD) . Watching the ever -rising costs of the domed stadium is or should be a warn- ing to the thousands of people in the pro- vince who will have to foot the bill for the completed project. Few of us begrudge the city of Toronto the. glory of having its own world-class sports centre, but many have certain qualms about the wide- spread support which will be requiredfor the venture. Only a very small percentage of On- tario taxpayers will ever attend a ball game in the Skydome. Wingham Advance -Times Thentackle humans There's a growing moven-fent afoot to prohibit the ownership of pit bull dogs, who have come into considerable pro- minence through the dangerous, and even deadly, incidents in which they have been involved with other animals and humans. Few breeds of dogs have escaped from similar stories of death and injury caused, but none other has probably caused such problems in relation to population numbers. Pit bulls primarily were originally bred for questionable attributes and those traits have followed them through subesquent generations although many current generations although many cur- rent owners have not attempted that and contend honestly that it is not a desire. In fact, many current owners would possibly dispose of their canines if there was any suspicion that. their pets could embark on dangerous pursuits. • The City of Vancouver has put pit bulls into a category of "vicious dogs" and a bylaw requires that they be kept muzzled in public and kept securely con- fined either indoors or in an enclosed pen or other structure capable of preventing the entry of young children. Stiff fines of up to $2,000 and even imprisonment for Look in Since my school is a centre for handicapped children there are often pieces of equipment sitting around which might not be seen in a regular school. For example, there is a waterb- ed in the corner_ of one room. Children who sit in wheelchairs for long periods of time tend to get cold' because of poor circula- tion. The waterbed is warm and solves that problem. it is flexible too and helps move stiffened joints. • Wheelchairs are a common sight as many of the children are not mobile otherwise. We went through an interesting exercise with some of our senior students. FOr a day they could each have a chance to use a wheelchair to go around the • up to two months can be imposed against owners who break the new law. Other cities and even entire pro- vinces are considering similar action in view of seven people being killed in the U.S. last year by pit bulls and that three children have already been mauled to death this•year. It is difficult to argue against such steps to protect the public, and par- ticularly innocent children who do not realize the dangers they may be ap- proaching in their neighborhoods. Most kids are totally unsuspecting and are naturally drawn to four -legged creatures. One Vancouver alderman noted that pit bulls and others in the vicious category have enough evidence against them to show they are a "breed apart" and must be treated as such. Hopefully, communities which follow that example will realize that dogs are a very minor part of the members who are a breed apart and muzzles and con- finement will be written into more stringent laws which protect people from the many humans in their midst who kill and maim because of their vicious ac- tions with guns, vehicles and other possessions by which they cause death and injury. new light school. The only stipulation which they had to agree to beforehand iyvas that if they started in the By the Way by Fletcher wheelchair then tbey Were con- fined to it for the whole morning. The first half hour was always a lot of fun for the students. They kind of liked rolling around the smooth classroom floor and get- ting a little bit of special atten- tion. The next two hours were not always quite as amusing. Arm muscles got. very sore from pushing the chair along. it was awkward for some people sitting up to a table instead of the desk. The regular washroom wouldn't accommodatethem and they had to go to one of the specially equipped ones. They had to find a doorway which had a ramp instead of a step to the outside. They couldn't get across the playing field without some ex- tra help. AN of them felt that they had a new recognition of what it was like to be handicapped and all were sure that they would look at people with special problems in a different light from then on. "IT'S JUST NOT NATURAL - NOW CAN SOMETHING ALL PARTY LEADERS AND PROVINCES AGREE ON POSS1BU BE GOOD FOR CANADA?" Seasons For many people, July 1 marks the real beginning of the summer season, although this year it ap- pears that it has been with us for a number of months already. Few will recall weather condi- tions akin to these for the spring and first couple of weeks of the calendar summer as the beach has been a popular spot for longer than normal as the sun worship- pers have taken on a brozen ap- pearance that will be difficult to extend in the next two months. However, the weather pattern has maintained some consisten- cy, and that is in the fact that it - comes in excesses marked by too much of something or other. - Farmers, in particular, haven't even forgotten the wet weather of last fall and now they're facing the tribulations of watching some crops experience considerable stress and other problems by an extended dry period. In some locations, it would be bordering on the description of being a drought. Unlike last fall's conditions that brought misery to everyone, at least there are still those in the population who can take some en- joyment out of the weather when the excess falls on the side of the sun and the infrequent visits of rain clouds. * * * * * One of the methods used to describe the time of anyone's life is to relate it to the progression of the seasons. Summer is only the second step and we have fall and winter to traverse before any What We had visitors from Finland last month. Their first visit to Canada. They stayed long enough to see some of our sights, meet some Canadians, form some opi- nions Not long enough to unders- tand anything. But they asked some in- teresting questions. For in- stance: "What's the difference between Canada and the United States?" When the question came up over breakfast one Saturday morning, We were able to name a few differences, but we didn't convince our friends. They felt that Canada was very American indeed. And so it is - on the surface. Since our visitors have return- ed to Helsinki, I've been thinking about their question a lot. What is it that sets us apart, not only from the U.S., but from any other country? Only 3 days apart Canada Day is a good time to reflect because it is only three .days apart from the Fourth of Ju- ly. And there lies our main historical difference. Americans celebrate their breakaway from Britain. We celebrate a British Act of Parliament that created a nation. They're a republic - we're ' a monarchy. Their head of state is a President, our's a Queen. But apart form political dif- ferences - aren't we very much alike? Don't we speak the same language, eat the same ham- burgers, watch the same soaps? Hgld it! We have not one, but two official languages plus a host • of the year major ominous signs appear regarding the end of the trip. However, there are those who keep pushing things back to a frightening degree, among them being the situation where the Canada Pension Plan can now be tackled for dividends by those who think that the age of 60 is Batt'n Around ...with The Editor time to embark upon retirement and enjoy the benefits extended. That has brought that time of decision five big years closer in one fell swoop and it is interesting that the change in attitude and dreams can so quickly be mastered. One example is the chap who was looking seven years hence to move into his retirement and almost overnight he has cut that lead time down to only two years. He was in that category of peo- ple who could consider taking ad- vantage of the pension changes. It must, of course, he remembered that there were many others virtually excluded from the benefits of the changes. it must have been a bit of a disap- pointment to those who were counting the days and were on the eve of that memorable occasion, only to wake up on the eventful day to read or hear that their working cohorts who were five years younger could now embark as well, although with reduced benefits. * * * One often doesn't take par- ticular notice of some of the changes being made in age situa- tions when you are not in the favored classifications. There are many in mid-life who probably aren't congizant of the fact that most discounts and special offers for "senior citizens" are now extended to people who have attained the age of 60. Bet you thought it was 65? I was shocked into reality recently by glancing at an adver- tisement offering a special dis- count for seniors and it was noted that the age requirement for that was only 50. Here I had been thinking that the magical kingdom was still some eight or 13 years hence. depending on whether 60 or 65 is the charmed figure and some firm has already given me that status. It does, however, appear that there are those rushing life a lit- tle too quickly and some in the senior citizen category must be a little shocked to find that their grandchildren are on the threshold for the very same title. Here it Ls summer and when that season is considered in aging terms it is coming all too precariously. close to winter. sets us apart? of "heritage" languages. And our English, if you please, is not the same as that spoken south of the border. Even our spelling is'uni- .que; unlike the Americans we keep our "u" in labour, and unlike the British we drive on tires instead of tyres. To call a PETER'S POINT • wrench a spanner is an un - Canadian as to end our alphabet with "zee" instead of "zed". We may have the same Golden Arches as Uncle Sam, but so has the rest of the western world. We happen to be proud of our Cana- dian food, from seal flippers in Newfoundland to unsurpassed B.C. salmon, from sourdough bread in the `Yukon to Leam- ington • tomatoes in southern Ontario. And when it comes to TV or radio, there is nothing - in my humble opinion - op the North American continent 'leccs pare with the CBC. Why, if:it weren't for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, culture in Canada might indeed he in big trouble. More than any other single organization the CBC has helped to make this country unique. 1 could go on and on praising it and the National Film Board and the Canada Council and our great na- tional and regional museums. They all reflect what we are and help to create new cultural substance in every Canadian community. Our society is not a melting pot but an ethnic mosaic and makes for an interesting and colourful mural. We're not without strife, but our difficulties are easier to resolve than those in most other countries. in the past we haven't treated our natives with dignity, but we're learning to respect them, to offer them some corn- pensation for the loss of their lands and their cultures. We are providing better opportunities for all. We have a lot to ,complain about: high taxes, frequent strikes, unemployment, social in- equalities, inadequate care for the very young and the very old, drug-related crime... But most of these pt•oblems we share with other countries. With all its imperfections, i'll take Canada any day. -I can't think of a single country that 1 would rather live in. We may have things in com- mon with others -- why not? But Canadians have managed to create a society that is unique in the world and will continue to develop its distinctive style. We've got a lot to be proud of, and a great deal to be grateful for. 1 am personally convinced that Canada is the best country in the world to live ftnd to bring up a family. And for me that's the difference.