Times Advocate, 1999-11-10, Page 66
Exeter 'Times -Advocate
igah
Editorit1&Opinion
Wednesday,November
lTIMES
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
Jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Don Smith
Deb Lord
General Manager Production Manager
Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited
424 Main Street Sootth, P.O. Box 850
. Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (519) 235-1331
EDITORIAL
We must
never forget
Remembrance Day brings with it a rich
mix of mental images - the shiver up
the spine as the lone piper plays the
lament;, the catch in the throat as the flag is
lowered; the visual impact of crimson pop-
pies pinned on dark overcoats; the expres-
sion of pride on young faces as Scouts,
Guides and Cadets march with crisply uni-
formed soldiers, and dignified war veterans,
to the cenotaph.
Mixed with these are other, more personal
images - the sensation of breathless anticipation as
tiny puffs of white parachutes blossom from the
low-flying aircraft; the rough -textured feel of khaki
puttees wrapped around a little 'girl's shoe and
ankle.
Richest of all is the vision - the memory - of
fields of lovely red poppies rippling gracefully in the
wind amidst row on row of white crosses. In itself,
this image is a dramatic one, unforgettable because
of its beauty, but also because of the sudden real-
ization that each of those crosses carries a name.
The memory hits like a blow to the stomach,
even after all these years, of the feeling that came
when a bit of mental arithmetic revealed how
young some of those people were when they died.
At that moment .they ceased to be just names, and
became living human beings, people with hopes and
dreams. At that moment, the tragedy we call war
hit with almost physical intensity.
Many years have passed since a seven-year-old
girl stood in that cemetery in Flanders, looking at
all those crosses, and glancing every now and then
at her father. He was a soldier, and had been here
during the war. The names on the crosses belonged
.to people he had known - people who had been his
friends and cohorts. He could so easily have been
one of them.
Like him, all of those young soldiers had mothers
and fathers, siblings and friends. Some had sweet-
hearts they would have married and loved and
raised children with.
Some memories dim with time; a few grow
stronger. This memory is one of the latter.
It is fed and strengthened each Remembrance
Day by the poppies - small reminders of the real
flowers that blossom in the military cemeteries in
Europe and mark the graves of Canadians who died
so far from home; by the sound of the Last Post; by
the expressions on the faces of the war veterans - it
is the same look that little girl saw on her father's
face, a hint in theeyes of unshed tears, a tightening
of the jaw as they remember.
Each of them prays the children watching them
march will never see what they have seen, will
never know the ravages of war.
They understand too well why we must remem-
ber. They know that war is more than old news
clips, pages in a history book, names on a monu-
ment.
To them, war is a smiling young face, obliterated
in an instant by a sniper's bullet; it is icy, driving
rain and fields of mud; it is a widow whose only
comfort is a bundle of letters and a few faded pho-
tos; it is hungry, homeless children seeking shelter
in bombed out ruins; it is the rumble of the guns.
that haunt an old man's dreams.
They cannot forget, and for that reason, we must
not. As those immortal words penned by John
McCrae say, we must take up the torch and hold it
high... we must not break the faith with those who
died.
We must remember.
by Pauline Kerr, editor Saugeen City News
s.
Lucan Biddulph keeps things exciting
For a small township, Lucan Biddulph and its council Another decision council will have to make is what to
know how to keep things interesting. While spending do with its hydro — keep it or sell it for an estimated
an evening at a three-hour council meeting may not be $1 million to $1.2 million. My advice to council is — to
everybody's cup of tea, sitting through a Lucan paraphrase the Steve Miller Band — take the money
Biddulph meeting isn't as bad as it sounds because and run. Well, don't run, but sell the hydro commission
there are usually a couple of exciting orcontroversial and use the money for the benefit of the ratepayers in
decisions to be made. Lucan Biddulph. Otherwise, the township will have to
Last week's meeting was no exception, with a pre- . try to run the commission as a business and compete
sentation from the Ausable Centre on their wishes to against other companies. Consultant KPMG thinks the
move into the former Village of Lucan office. The commission will make between $35,000 to $40,000 a
Ausable Centre wants the township to lease the build- year if council decides not to sell. The decision seems
ing to the centre for 15 years at $1 per year. It also easy to me -- sell.
wants the township to foot the bill for any needed Also of interest in Lucan Biddulph is the new library
repairs to the building's roof and heating, ventilation being added on the side of the Lucan Community
and cooling for the first eight years of the deal Memorial Centre. The building was supposed
and share the expenses for the remaining seven to be built nearly a year ago, has seen one
years. They also want an option on extending architect fired and is costing more than
the lease for another 10 years. planned. Council learned last week the build -
The offer was a change in tune for the Ausable ing plans didn't allow for any ventilation for
Centre, who earlier in themeeting wanted a 25 the library basement, meaning it couldn't be
year lease with the municipality paying all roof 'Y; used for anything but storage unless council
and heating expenses for the full lease.; allowed the extra expense of ventilation.
While council will discuss the proposal at its Council went ahead with the ventilation
next meeting on Nov. 16, the decision should and the cost was estimated to be less than
not be made lightly. Before the Ausable Centre SCOT $5,000, but it's still another snag in the
asked to lease the old village office in the sum- NIXON building's construction.
mer, council had already made a motion to sell AND ANOTHER So, council has a number of things on its
the building and estimated the municipality THING plate right now, not even mentioning the
could get $60,000 for it. Selling the building would also much -delayed Granton sewer project, which won't see
mean getting rid of the responsibility of owning the construction until the spring. There's also the matter
building. Leasing the Ausable Centre for 15 years of Airport Drive, which property owner Fred Lewis
would basically mean giving the building away but also wants maintained by council. That matter could go to
having to pay for any potentially expensiverepairs to the .courts, as Lewis and council argue over whose
the building's roof and heating. responsibility it is as the road hasn't been maintained
That building isn't exactly new and -who knows how at all in decades and doesn't see much use.
many repairs it will need. Council should consider sim- There must be something .in the water in Lucan
ply selling the building and absolving itself of all Biddulph that keeps big issues coming up because
responsibilities. While everyone recognizes the value many of the other communities in. the T -A's coverage
and the importance of the services the Ausable Centre area -- Hensall, Zurich and Grand Bend — can't hold
brings to the community, council can help the centre a candle to Lucan Biddulph in the excitement depart -
out in ways other than handing a building over to ment.
them.- Here's hoping Lucan Biddulph continues to entertain.
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