Loading...
Times Advocate, 1995-11-08, Page 2`.`Regional wrap up Page 2 Times -Advocate, November 8, 1995 Two injured in main intersection collision LONDESBORO - Two driv- ers were taken to Clinton Public Hospital last Monday after their vehicles collided at the main in- tersection, reported the Clinton News -Record. Matthew Townsend, 22, of Londesboro, was heading south- bound on Highway 4 in a 1990 Ford pick-up truck when he at- tempted to make a left turn onto County Road 15. The truck col- lided with a 1983 GMC pick-up, driven by Rick Gilbert, 29, of Clinton, headed northbound on Highway 4. Both vehicles were severely damaged in the collision and To- day's Variety and General Store also sustained damage, accord- ing to the Record. The Goderich O.P.P. reported both drivers were taken by am- bulance to Clinton Hospital. Townsend was treated and re- leased and Gilbert was trans- ferred to hospital in London. Townsend, the driver of the blue Ford, was charged under the Highway Traffic Act. Seaforth returns to OPP policing SEAFORTH - After nearly four decades of town policing, Seaforth has returned to an On- tario Provincial Police force. A new facility on Main Street officially opened last Monday with a swearing-in ceremony. Mayor Irwin Johnston said the new building is a big improve- ment on the former municipal police station where citizens had to enter through a back alley, re- ported the Huron Expositor. Fire started on Devil's Night BRUSSELS - Pranksters in the Village of Brussels couldn't resist participating in Devil's Night last Monday. Thirty large bales of straw piled in a field be- side the road were set ablaze. At approximately 9:30 p.m. volunteers from the Brussels Fire Department were called to the property of Jack Cardiff north of the village, reported ,the North Huron Citizen. Fire Chief Murray McArter told the Citizen the straw, val- ued at $300, had been sold to an- other party but had not been picked up. Although no suspects have been named, a firefighter told police he saw five youths walk- ing into Brussels from the north end of town. Cuts could mean the end for CHuMs CLINTON - Funding cuts from the provincial government may mean the end for CHuMS, the Central Huron Mobility Ser- vice for the physically chal- lenged, if municipalities decide not to fund the service, reported the Clinton News Record. Fifty per cent of the operating grant has been cancelled under the Harris government. The CHuMS mobility service has been in the planning stages for the last two years and without full funding, the money will not be available to operate a mobili- ty bus. Municipal members met at Clinton Town Hall Thursday to discuss the options to imple- ment the system without 50 per cent of the grant or municipal tax dollars. Time -to move ahead Prime Minister must honor promises made to Quebec before vote Heather Mir T -A staff EXETER - The Quebec Ref- erendum is over anti with a narrow win by the 'No' side, the first order of business for Prime Minister Jean Chretien is to honor the promises he made in the days leading up to Oct. 30. According to Huron -Bruce M.P. Paul Steckle, in order to dem- onstrate good will to Quebec, the federal government must be sen- sitive to the 2,308,028 people who voted 'Yes' to sovereignty. How- ever, whatever the government does for Quebec cannot be different from what they would do for other provinces in this country. "We do have overlap. There may be devolution of some of the pow- ers we (federal government) have now. Perhaps we shouldn't be in some of these area," said Steckle told the T -A last Tuesday. Although he was pleased with the outcome of the vote, the govern- ment must deal quickly with the is- sues the Prime Minister spoke about in the campaign. Chretien promised change and the onus is now on the federal government to deliver on their pledge. Steckle added it wasn't the politicians in Ottawa that necessarily won this vote. In fact, he said, they may have had very little to do with it. "I think the outpouring of the Ca- nadian spirit last week in those peo- ple who took time from their sched- ules to journey to Montreal and to take part in the mass rally was the culmination of the kind of goodwill Canadians had towards their French neighbors in Quebec and I believe that was a turning point. I say thank you to those people back at home for becoming involved," said Steckle. The Wednesday before the vote, the 'No' side was trailing by seven per cent and without the rally, the outcome may have been very dif- ferent. Bloc Quebecois leader Lu- cien Bouchard is already preparing Quebecers for the next referendum and promises "the next time will be the right one." O'Brien says no vote final - yes vote illegal LONDON - In the event of a no vote in the Quebec referendum Patrick W. O'Brien, member of Parliament for London -Middlesex, believes that the Federal Government must explore every avenue to ensure that no such referendum is ever held again in the future. O'Brien said "this attempt to break up Canada by one province simply can't be allowed to continue. It is illegal in my view and the question is certainly dishonest. We must not allow a repeat of such a farce. At this point it seems obvious that the vote will be extremely close, probably with a "No" result. Clearly Canada faces important decisions as we attempt to change and improve our country in the near future." In the event of a yes vote in the Quebec referendum, O'Brien believes that the Federal Government on behalf of the people of Canada must chal- lenge this vote at the Supreme Court of Canada. I am confident that the Courts will rule that this entire process has been ultra vires. There is no provision in our Constitution for the separation of any province from Can- ada. However, if the court rules that the referendum is legal then the Federal Government should put a single, honest, straight forward question to the people of Quebec - Do you want Quebec to separate from Canada, yes or no? Opinion Community pitches in to help In a community gesture for the late' Raphael Devlaeminck, who passed away on September 4, a group of people spent the day Thursday plowing 131 acres for his family. GDCI implements pilot project The project will monitor cost recovery for the day school adult education program in anticipation of grant cuts CLINTON - A cost recovery pilot project at GDCI in the day school adult education program raised discussion at Monday's regular Huron County Board of Education meeting. The goal of the project is to tighten up the econ- omy of adult education through a more rigorous fi- nancial plan. A target reduction of $50,000 has been established in order to match ordinary day school expenditures. "Is it the pilot's project's goal to reach no cost?" asked Trustee Norman Pickell. Superintendent Chuck Rowland replied that al- though this was the original goal it is an "im- possible dream" aimed at trying to maximize the impact of the project while maintaining the phi- losophy of life-long learning. GDCI was chosen as the location of the pilot pro- ject because Superintendent Rowland credits the staff of the adult eduction program with the creativ- ity and innovation required to reclaim costs. Adult eduction is a program that cannot control the rate at which students produce lessons to he marked. In the self -study correspondence program, it costs ap- proximately $14 for each lesson to be marked. Tet}chers are paid between $25 and $30 per hour, marking approximately two lessons per hour. GDCI has already established a tracking devise for the adult day school which monitors how many lessons are done, how many are marked and at what cost. The goal, to be as cost efficient as pos- sible, will evaluate how close the program can come to the target over the next months. In anticipation of reductions in provincial grants, the director prepared an overview of the Adult Ed- ucation Programs. The recommendation from the executive team was the implication of a pilot pro- ject to ascertain if the cost of the program could be significantly reduced. GDCI Vice -Principal Deb Homuth is monitoring the program that will con- tinue until the end of December. The program weighs wage costs against the number of lessons marked. • ow can we ever forget? emember? Of course we remember! w can we ever forget stalwart lad in his country's suit 'And him not twenty yet! The look in his eyes as he said good-bye Was enough to melt a stone While his mother stood like a graven thing And his father wept alone. He wrote of little tender things: An English sumer dawn, A flock of geese by a farmer's pond, Dew on a stranger's lawn. He tried to cheer us thebest he could But he was just a lad... All we can say to Canada: We gave the best we had. Distinct Society is not a blank cheque for Quebec Pat O'Brien London -Middlesex M.P. OTTAWA - On Monday, Octo- ber 30, in a very close vote, the people of Quebec voted for the sec- ond time in 15 years to reject sepa- ratism and to remain a part of Can- ada. The vote was 50.6 per cent No and 49.4 per cent Yes. However, this vote is misleading and needs to be analyzed carefully. Of those Quebecers who votes Yes/Oui, 30 per cent have stated that they are not separatists. They were voting for what they were told would be economic and political negotiations between the federal government and Quebec. They were lied to pure and sim- ple by Lucien Bouchard and Jacques Parizeau. They were lied to when they were told their Canadian citizenship, passport and other rights would be guaranteed even if they voted Yes/Oui. So, where do we go from here? Prime Minister Chretien has made it clear that our government wants to recognize the obvious. Quebec is a different society,.a "distinct socie- ty", where the predominant lan- guage and culture is French. It is not superior or inferior to any other part of Canada, it is simply differ- ent or distinct. Why will this be done? Certainly not to appeal to the hard-core separatists - 25 per cent of the Quebec population. Nothing will satisfy them but the separation of Quebec from Canada. The fact is that there are special arrangements in place right now with several provinces. For exam- ple, Prince Edward Island, with a population of only 120,000 people was guaranteed four Members of Parliament and four Senators when it joined Confederation in 1873. When Newfoundland joined Can- ada in 1949 special transportation arrangements were agreed upon. Therefore, we can also make some special arrangement with Quebec to consider their unique situation. We must appeal to those Quebec- ers who want to stay in Canada, but who simply ask that Canadians rec- ognize and accept that Quebec is a unique place, distinct from any oth- er part of Canada and that they have the right to work for the pres- ervation of the French language and culture. I have no problem with this at all! It is a small price to pay to win their support. But "distinct society" does not and will not mean a blank cheque to Quebec for any powers that it claims it needs. Some powers have already been shifted to Quebec as to other prov- inces and we can shift more be- cause it makes sense to do so. But, the government of Jean Chretien will always ensure a strong federal government to keep Canada united from coast to coast. A buddy wrote of his bravery On a death -swept foreign shore. (He wanted to be an organist But his country wanted more.) So the bands will play, the veterans marc Red poppies will bloom again. On the coats of a generation Who scarcely knew the men. Who bought their f We'll play expected parts. Remember? Of course we remember! It's carven on our hearts. Author unknown Cadet De-ann Railings and vet Ray Snell display some of the poppies they were selling during the Legion's annual Poppy Campaign Thursday evening. Forty cadets from Hu- ron Park, Hensall, Centralia and Exeter assisted legion veterans sell the poppies, raising $1,078 for the Chil- dren's Bursary Fund and the Charitable Foundation.