Editorials - Nov. 8, 2024

Critics of the plan to give out $200 to every Ontarian that was recently announced by Premier Doug Ford have called it a stunt and a gimmick to curry favour with voters in the lead-up to the expected early election announcement. The proposal would cost taxpayers around $3.2 billion, and what would it accomplish? Yes, there are families who are struggling with the high cost of rent and the ever-increasing grocery bill, but would a single cheque even make much of a dent in their budget? 

 

If the government has billions of dollars at its disposal, perhaps it could be looking at an infusion into rural emergency departments. Maybe the excess funds that Ford’s government seems to need to throw about could go toward some affordable housing units. Since Ford has more money than he knows what to do with, can we fund some more rehabilitation programs in an effort to save the lives of addicts before their addiction kills them?

 

Throwing money around in the run-up to an election is to be expected, but let’s take that money and put it where it would do the most good. A voter is more apt to vote Conservative if their emergency room reopens than if Ford buys them dinner. – DS

If you read this page of the newspaper last, you will already know that Linda Stewart, Dan Fritz and Don Dodds have been named the 2024 Citizens of the Year for Blyth, Brussels and Huron County, respectively. If you read this page first, well, now you know.

The first two citizenship awards are as old as this newspaper, while the latter award has only been added in recent years as The Citizen’s coverage area has continued to expand over time. These three are great additions to the pantheon of community-minded winners who have been honoured over the course of the newspaper’s near-40-year history.

 

When The Citizen filled the gaps left by the closure of The Blyth Standard and Brussels Post, founder Keith Roulston felt it was of the utmost importance to recognize and honour the people who made the communities The Citizen serves great. Now, as The Citizen’s reach has extended into regions like Clinton, Seaforth, Wingham and beyond, the Huron County award will serve the same function, honouring the hard-working, dedicated volunteers with awards whose winners are chosen by readers and voted on by past winners. This is truly the community choosing to recognize its best - The Citizen is just the middle man. 

 

While some recent democratic processes - no need to name names - may elicit everything from a somber shake of the head to a sense of existential dread, the Citizen of the Year process is a joyful one; a time to recognize those who go above and beyond and, unfortunately, turn away many, many worthy nominees. Every nominee could be a winner, which makes the process tough, but, ultimately, worthwhile.

 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone and thank you to the past Citizen of the Year Award winners for taking the time to review the submissions and to make a considerate decision. Congratulations to Linda, Dan and Don; your communities are all that they are because of the work you and countless others do. – SL 

As Remembrance Day approaches, the quiet echo of past conflicts reverberates louder than ever. There are fewer than 10,000 Canadian veterans remaining who served in the Second World War and the Korean War. They’ve been, for so many decades, the living testimonies to the darkest chapters of our shared history, their presence a reminder of the unacceptable costs of war. Today, as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East rage on and tensions mount across the globe, we find ourselves with fewer first-hand witnesses to the past century’s chaos and disarray. We must ask if this shifting international landscape is, in some way, tied to the dwindling presence of those who fought and suffered in that era.

 

The global order built in the wake of World War II, upheld by international co-operation, stability and democratic principles, was not crafted by accident. It was shaped by the men and women who knew war personally. For decades, their presence helped fortify an international resolve against the horror of large-scale war. But now, as their memories pass into history, we see the cracks emerging.

 

Escalating violence in Ukraine and the Middle East reflects the risks of a world where past lessons have faded. In a time of shifting allegiances and heightened instability, we must question whether we have absorbed enough of our veterans’ wisdom to carry it forward. Have we internalized the lessons of sacrifice and resilience deeply enough to steer us away from the same devastating mistakes?

 

Let this Remembrance Day serve as a reminder that peace is not simply the absence of war, but the continual, intentional act of building a fairer and more just world. Let it also remind us that as we lose our last World War II-era veterans, we must work harder to ensure their stories resonate within our collective consciousness. – SBS