The Times Advocate, 2008-05-07, Page 44
Times—Advocate
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
OC
Editorial Opinion
TIMES ADVOCATE
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Doug Rowe -General Manager, Southwestern Ontario Division
EDITORIAL
Nobody left
Atnd then there were none.With the unfor-
unate (or fortunate, depending on your
utlook) ousting of the Montreal
Canadiens from this year's NHL playoffs over
the weekend, there are no Canadian teams left
to cheer for. Only three of the six Canadian
teams made the playoffs, with the Habs the only
team to make it to the second round. Dreams of
a 25th Cup returning to Montreal were dashed
by the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday night.
Once again, a U.S.-based team will hoist Lord
Stanley's famous mug this spring. The smart
money here says it will be the Detroit Red
Wings, but Dallas and Pittsburgh shouldn't be
discounted. The Philadelphia Flyers are a long
shot at best.
But whatever team wins it all, 2008 will mark
15 years since the last Canadian team, the
aforementioned Canadiens, won the Cup. And
that's discouraging for a nation so passionate
about its hockey. We'll look with some interest
to the World Championships being played in
Quebec City and Halifax, but our interest in that
tournament has always been distant — we'd
rather see a Stanley Cup come back to the
Great White North.
And while Canadians will continue to watch
the NHL playoffs, television ratings will plum-
met. The Red Wings have a strong following in
Southwestern Ontario, but not one that com-
pares to Canadians rallying around one of our
own teams in hopes of winning the big prize.
We can take solace in the fact many of the
game's best players remain Canadian and this
country continues to be dominant in interna-
tional play, but 15 years since a Canadian
Stanley Cup is too long to bear. Edmonton,
Calgary and Ottawa have all been close in the
last few years, only to lose in the end.
Maybe Canadians should just adopt that old
mantra used by so many Toronto Maple Leafs
fans — there's always next year.
'AND WITH EVERY
F1LL-IJ1 You CAN
PURCHASE A 1.OAF
OF BREAD FOR
JUST 5DouARS,w
Distributed by Canadian Artists Syndicate
ust do up your belt
Since I was a teeny, weeny little tot, I've always taken
riding in the car very seriously.
I remember sharing my disappointment with my
mother once before when I was about four -years -old —
she was drinking and driving. Mind you it
was only coffee, but I wasn't impressed.
Now years later I remain unimpressed.
In between boozing it up and taking the
wheel, using the cellphone, reading and
some of the other antics done behind the
wheel, there really isn't anymore room for
poor judgement if you plan to arrive from
Point A to Point B safely.
So why exactly are people not buckling up?
To me this seems to be the most common-
sense move. You get in you car, you strap on
your belt and you throw in the AC/DC.
Instead, many people are gambling with
their lives everyday. At least if you're doing
some of the stupid things people do behind
the wheel, you won't also have to worry about being
thrown from your vehicle if you have your seatbelt on.
I actually knew a woman who died this way.
This lady was on her way home from work, didn't
buckle up, was ejected from her vehicle, which actually
landed on her, killing this poor woman instantly.
That's not exactly the way I'd like to go when it's my
time.
Recently a carload of five 15 -and 16 -year-old youths
were in a car crash on Mill Road in Bluewater.
Between inexperience, alcohol and not buckling up,
this could have been a recipe for disaster.
They were all sent to local hospitals with non -life
threatening injuries, although one 15 -year-old female
was ejected from the car because she wasn't wearing
her seatbelt.
Hopefully this scare will make them think twice
about their lives.
They're very lucky.
And don't get me wrong, it's not just the
younger generation leaving their belts undone,
but others too.
While the Huron OPP were conducting their
Spring Seatbelt Safety campaign recently, a
province -wide initiative, I was sent out to take a
picture.
So there I was on Main Street, watching the
OPP pull people over, giving them warnings or
tickets.
Let me tell you, the excuses people had were
pathetic at best.
Just do up your belt, people!
This week the Huron OPP have been at area high
schools all week, including South Huron District High
School.
I think it's a great thing, encouraging everyone to
buckle up, because I think strapping on your belt really
gets taken for granted, something that gets pushed aside
frequently.
But in fact, according to the OPP, since 1976, when
the seatbelt legislation was first introduced in Ontario,
an estimated 8,000 lives have been saved and more
than 300,000 people have walked away from collisions
because they were wearing their seatbelts.
NINA
VAN
LIESHOUT
KICK THIS
AROUND
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