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The Huron Expositor, 1979-07-19, Page 2ura Singe 1860, Serving the CommunityFirst Ptgoliatted at SEAFORTH. ONTARIO every Thursd?4)"Marttiug py McLEAN BROS. PUBLISHERS LTD, ANDREW Y, McLEAN, Publisher SUSAN WHiTE. Editor ALICE GIBE, News Editor Member Canadian Community Newspaper Associaton,, / Ontario. Weekly Newspaper Associaton and Audit Bureau of Circulation Subscription Rates: Caaafda (in advance) $13.00 a Year Outside Canada (in advance) $25.00 a Year SINGLE COPIES CENTS EACH Second Class Mail Registration Number 0696. Telephone 527-0240 SEAFORTH, ONTARIO _,_.._-,... � JCJL,Y' ,19,1979 It's your space If you don't agree with us we'd like to hear from you. Now, honestly, how often do you get an offer like that? Our society specializes In keeping dissent quiet. From the short and sweet "stifle" .of Archie Bunker to the Jargon and bureaucratese of our government and educational experts we are good at putting the lid on and if we don't all agree about something, at either keeping quiet or moaning .and groaning to our neighbours or on the street corners. But -we don't very often, in North. America, 1979, publicly take a stand on anything that our governments, our schools or our newspapers or anyone else says. We at the Expositor don't think that's very healthy: And that's part of the reason that this page, and the one opposite it, exist. Up to half' that space, every week, is reserved for our readers. for your letters, your bouquets and your criticisms. For you to promote good ideas and take pot shotsat bad ones. You don't always : use all the space that we hold for your opinions -every week, but we keep hoping. For a healthy town and a healthy society is one, as they say in This Foreign Land, now playing at Blyth, with a lot of choices. Any oris person, including an editor is bound to have a limited' outlook: We research and collect facts, we talk to people and marshal, argumentsthat sometimes end up in editorials. Readers do the same thing, except they don't usually go public with their opinions. We'd' like to see that change. Differences are healthy, variety is stimulating. We doubt very much that the scarcity of letters to the editor on these pages` means that all our readers are delighted with .Seaforth, the province, the county and this newspaper's editorial opinions...to mention but a few potentially contentious issues. You're more likely keeping quiet. because you aren't sure what the. neighbours would think because you're afraid your ideas would be unpopular or because-that.blankety blank newspaper only prints stuff It agrees with anyway. Like we said, there's lots of room on this page and the one beside It, every week, for you What do you say? Behind the Scenes by Keith Roulston. Unity and diversity Two opposing • principalshase been propounded widely in Canada in the last decade or so, both with their advantages but both with their dangers as well. Canadians . have been simultaneously advocating unity and diversity at the same time. We've been promoting national unity and regionalism.' On a more personal level we've been trying to get people to think more of their neighbour and at the same timp pushing for more and more individual rights. Is. IdeallY, maybe we can have the best of both. Unfortunately, we may instead. • have the worst of each. }For the last dozen or so year the push of the federal Bo '""` vernment in Canada has been to build a unity between Canadians. It often' seemed like a hopeless task: There ;were, however, just enoughsuccesses to makepeople hope it could indeed be 'done; that Canadians could develop a sense of togetherness. '' Perhaps the most successfuly of these government promoted unity promotions came in 1967,; Canada's centennial year. When Prime Minister Lester Pearson set. out that year to get Canadians involved in a• celebration of our 100th anniversary, many felt it couldn't be done, that such .a thing couldn't be promoted by the government. Mr. " Pearson's government put" several years of planning into the event which many said would be a flop, but the idea seemed to catch Canadians at just the right time and people took part in the Centennial celebrations in far greater numbers than, anyone predicted. Y Those celebrations and the feeling of patriotism they promoted have done a great deal to change the entire direction of the country. it's hard for us nowto remember accurately just what the country was like before 1967: It was however considerably different. The spirit of "67, the spirt of caring about one's country and promoting being a Canadian has'led to an outburst in such areas as the arts. The idea of having our own local theatres producing plays by Canadians and for Canadians would have been impossible to comprehend before 1967. The "idea of Canadian books outsel- ling imports was ridiculous in the pre -67 days. Yet at the same time Vie were promoting unity we were also pros Toting diversity in Canada. We were praising the fact that Canada was not the "melting pot" concept of the United States but was a place where the various races and nationalities from around the world could co-operate together While still retaining some of their old cultures. In recent years this has developed- into a concept of regionalism' in Canada, %Vlore the differrences between -the Mar- itimes and Ontario, between the. West and central• Canada would beunderstood., and. even fostered. The new government under Joe Clark, won election promising to; promote regional interests even more than they have been. Mr. Clark particularly attacked the former Prime Minister, Mr. Trudeau, for his habit of fighting against provincial premiers who • argued that more power should go to the provinces. Mr. Clark apparently agrees,: feeling that the provincial governments can more easily ,meet specific regional needs better than the federal government. Celebrating our diversity must certainly make Canada different than any other country on earth. It's a daring concept in a: world where people are apt to -distrust an hin strange or :different, If we can Yt 8 g. pull it off, it's'. a marvellous victory, . a victory' for understanding over distrust, of love over hate.;., Yet.. in Canada, a country already burdenedwith handicaps such as different languages, different cultural backgrounds and long differences that keep people from meeting and getting to know each other; it seems something like a death wish Ito promote the very things that separate us. Unity through diversity, an amazing concept. Yet it is a concept: that is so important that it makes it even more important that Canadians keep their coun- try together. If we can make it work, if we can find the delicate balance between our feelings of unity ' and our feelings of regionalism or cultural differences, we havean important lesson of understanding to show the rest of the world. It's a challenge for us alk a chance to put intoe action the teachings of our own religion that we must love our neighbour and tolerate the differences of others. We often downgrade the role of our political leaders in Canada but in giving. us this challenge of building unity through diversity they have given us a chance to be really a great nation not just in the sense that we have power, wealth and influence but in the sense of really contributing something to the world: the example of a place where different people from dif• ,ferent backgrounds, even different lan- guages can still work together to make a united nation. In doing so each of us carries+the burden of promoting, our own cultural background, language or region but in a way that is positive, not negative. While we promote our own uniqueness we must remember our responsibility to be part of a larger 'whole and must fit ourselves in to that whole like a "piece of jigsaw: It's quite a challenge. Can you do your part? SEAFORTH'S MAIN STREET—This. sketch was a feature at the Smilie-Elder reunion, held recently at Seaforth's Lions Parka Family members were asked to colour the sketch, done by a member of the clan, which highlights the unique architecture of Seaforth's Main St: A heritage tour of the street, and an exploration of several interiors is; planned for Sunday afternoon July 29bythe town's LACAG: Winners of. the reunion colouring contest were senior, Grace Peck, Huronview, seven and over, Jeff Gemmell and five and over Ajana McBride. Yn tie years agone watering Main St. in 1879' JULY 25, 1879 There was an immense Orange cele- bration in Goderich on Saturday. Over 600 left Seaforth stationby special train. The excursionists from here returned about .7 p.m. John Mitchill, Robert Laidlaw, and L. Reinke have gone to Chicago where they have secured good positions. The contract for watering main street has been given to new hands)Messrs: Brownwell and Abell. A stranger, who recently travelled over a greater part of Canada remarked that Seaforth was the nicest, liveliest and most business looking little town he had visited on his travels. Thos. Hill of Egmondville met with a very serious accident when a wagon rolled down the gangway with great rapidity. He was carried with it and thrown out onto the .ground. His arm was broken in two places.. John Henderson of McKillop has sold the Newton farm on . the 4th concession to R. McFall for the sum of S6,750. JULY 22, 1904 T. .1. Berry of Hensall, the well known horse importer, is shipping his fine pair of black Clydesdale stallions to the Brandon. fair where they will be exhibited. Dr. James Bell of Hensall has succeeded inassin his state board exams and. is :now P B a raduate dentist. "ThePn uP ils and teacher of Kinburn school deserve many congratulations on the success- ful work of the school at the exams: Four pupils wrote ontrial and four passed. Pound keeper Duncan Tudor of Hensall has completed a new fence. It stands between his lot and the new post office. Thom. Quigley of town has removed his shoe shop to the Dominion Bank block.. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Willis have gone on a trip to Sault Ste. Marie. The contract for the new Methodist parsonage has been awarded to Messrs.•. Tyerman and Sparling. Ernest Adams of Kinburn had a successful barn raising. Contractor Patterson is rushing the build- ing of the new school at Varna. The farmers in the Varna area have almost. wound up the hay crop and are now cutting wheat which is a very light crop. Tuckersmith council is . having a new cement culvert erected on the Mill Road opposite Mrs. Turner's barn. JULY 19, 1929 The ten members of the Hays family were all together for the first time for many years when they came to Seaforth to attend the reunion of S.S. No. 4 McKillop. The first of a series of twilight tourneys was held on the beautiful new greens of the, SeaforthLawn `Bowling Club. The greens • BY`JANE ALLAN The Mennonite church of Tavistock has sponsored a family of Vietnamese refugees who've just gotten settled there. This week the Expositor asked the residents of Seaforth if they thought this would be a worthwhile project for Seaforth and if they would be willing to take part in such a program. This would involve supporting a family from: Viet Nam, in Canada; until they could support themselves. Mrs. Harold Connell of Centre Street thinks it is a great idea and that every town should sponsor a family. were in excellent condition and during the evening play was watched by the largest crowd of spectators ever seen at a tourna- ment here. • With ideal weather, hay making has progressed rapidly and the quality of the crop is first class. The football game between Milverton and Winthrop was a snappy one. The score was 2 to 0 for Winthrop. Alex Foster, Zurich had the misfortune to, fracture his arm while working at a gasoline engine. Messrs. T. Beattie, C. Neely, J. Cardno, B. Wright, F. Kling, R. Allen, H. McLeod, K. Pinkney, L. Pinkney, A.` Calder and E. Gillespie have returned from military camp at Carling Heights, London. A regular air mail service has been. inaugurated between Montreal and Detroit via Toronto, Hamilton, London and Wind= Jack Arnold has , sor. - position on the. taken a staff of the Dominion Bank in Seaforth. E.J. Box of town has engaged James Johnson to run his farm in Harpurhey.• Miss Florence Laidlaw leaves next week for England where she will spend_ a year. JULY 23,1954 Cold weather reduced attendance at the final night of the 19th annual summer carnival of the Seaforth Lions "club. Members of the PUC maintenance staff have completed .installation of a new blinker traffic light at the intersection of Main and Goderich. . A highway crash east of Mitchell resulted in -the death of Gordon Holland and Duncan McNichol of McKillop Twp.. Miss Rebecca Shinen , who is being married next month 'was the guest of honor at a shower held at the cottage of Mrs. J.H. Grant in Bayfield: Mrs. H.E. Smith pre- sented Miss Shinen with an automatic toaster. The residence of . the Misses. Beattie, Goderich St. west was moved to a new location a short distance north of the present site. The foundation on which the house was set was `constructed by Earl Dick of Cromarty. Haying is almost finished in McKillop and - the harvestis coming on fast. The army worm is causing considerable consternation. A group of men numbering about 50 gathered at the farms of Robert Dalton, , Ken Thompson and Wm. Dolmage to mix . poison P 8 bait for these pests. Mr. and Mrs. Herman Axtman of McKil- lop are leaving for Germany where they will spend some time. The annual ham supper of St. Columban church was largely attended. A feature _ of the evening was a draw for a 200 pound sow. which; was won by Steve Maloney. Should Seaforth sponsor a Vietnamese refugee ' family? "We might need the same help some day, you'. never, know,". says Mrs. John Scarrow, also of Centre St. who agrees that it is a good idea. Although she thinks the sponsorship is a worthwhile project for the bigger towns, Mrs. Harold Rice of Church St. mentioned that the program would need a lot of support and she wondered if a l town the size of Seaforth could give that support. "Yes, i sure would be interested,'" said Kurt Stryker of Sparling St. who also agrees that it is a good idea. "Seaforth does a lot of dumb . things," according to Mrs. Larry Horne of James St. • who added that the project "sounds like a typical thing Seaforth would do." As to whether she would personally take part in such a program, Mrs. Horne said she would have to think about it. Mrs. Keith. Eaton of R.R. 4, Seaforth would not take part in the program although she replied, "I guess so," when asked if she thought it was a good idea,. Mrs. Jack McCowan of Isabella St. said that she was "not being cruel" but that it ` ''4 is, hard enough for people to support themselves. That would be her own reason To the �dito� Story on boat people led to T In your last edittion a article entitled Refugees find home in Perth was certainly • +well written by Lise Gunby. It is very interesting how such an article can affect so many people. My paper arrived in Stratford 'as usual On Thursday a.m. Dr. Conrad Van Dyk 'of Tavistock had called me earlier in the week telling me of the family of seven livinin• an apartment across the road. He spent an evening With the boys playing ping pong. Conrad's wife Anna had alerted me earlier to the "Bost People" in their town. So i called David Jutzt co-ordinator for the Tavistock Mennonite Church Commit- tee and I made an appointment to visit. them at 7:00 p.m. July 12 with Conrad as my translator. .,hen 1 arrived at the Van 'W Dyks they were very anxious to read the story. Both remarked on how well it was written. Then across the street in their apartment each refugee saw the article and 1 asked Houng Hue Thank (17) to read it aloud. Later, David Jutzi arrived, and after he read it for not taking part. She added that she was not saying the people can't do it and said that "the means are here, Seaforth is as good as any other town." . The general movement of immigrants into Canada • doesn't make any difference t� Mrs. McCowan as long as there is enough room, food, and work in the country. Mrs. Bradford Smith of Goderich St. doesn't really know if she would take part but does admit that it is a good idea. She mentionedthat since it had been done in. Tavistock she didn't see any reason that Seaforth couldn't do it. • retnarked how well it was put together. My visit took an hour to arrange a, television story of the seven members either at home, working on Conrad's office lawn or on a farm in Amulree, The Beacon Herald, London . Free Press, Huron Expositor, Channel 10 have all done stories on the refugees. So on Friday, CKNX Wingham Channel 8 and on Wednesday ' join next, channel 12 Mitchell will ,pin with Cablecsst 4 Kitchener to make Huron- Perth aware of the "Boat People" and their plight. Show As 1 was leaving the husband Tel (25): spoke out eagerly to Thank (17). He turned tome and remarked in good English that Tai wanted to work with me in television, Sol_ .,_.....' _-.._ �_., i .. answered that l would liter be doing. an:halon f hour televison program on Tavistock t (an. Oxford Community) some time this Summer. Then he Can help m. Gratefully, a subscriber John II. cC`atte l'