Grand Bend, Ontario community newspaper and entertainment events guide. Also serves Zurich, Dashwood, Port Franks, Exeter, Parkhill. Casey Lessard photos.
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I wanted to briefly discuss the Olympic torch relay and the debate over how best to solve the human rights crises caused by China. While Tibet has been the prime concern for Western activists, we can’t forget that Darfur continues to be an unsolvable problem at the United Nations Security Council because of China’s oil interests in Sudan.
So what do we do? Boycott the Olympic Opening Ceremonies or the Games? Avoid the Olympic media machine? Keep working on the diplomatic front? Or do we expect our athletes – who have worked for years to stand on the podium – to represent the concerns of Canadians and boycott the games?
Don’t forget Ontario’s trade mission to Beijing this weekend, which forced the Liberals to pass the buck to the federal government, saying it’s not the provincial government’s job to speak up on national issues.
It’s everyone’s responsibility to speak up for human rights. For now, I’ll be speaking with my wallet and avoiding anything Made in China. If you have a better solution, drop me a line.
Tempers are flaring in Haiti, Egypt and elsewhere around the world as grain prices rise out of reach. Haiti’s prime minister was fired Saturday and the government introduced a rice subsidy aimed at defusing the hungry rage that has triggered violence and looting.
A scarcity of supply is one of the main reasons for the price increase, and the move to replace fossil fuels – which contribute to global warming – with “cleaner” biofuels is one of the key factors in making food scarcer. The move to biofuels has increased the demand and price for biofuel sources, including corn, wheat and soybeans, and monopolizes on land used to grow other food products.
To the Readers of the Grand Bend Strip,With the ever increasing need for fundraising dollars to support community initiatives, those less fortunate and a multitude of other charitable services, now is the time to get involved and make a difference. For as little as a few hours a month, you can donate your time to [...]
Advice from MomBy Rita Lessard As some of you may know, I celebrated my 67th birthday on April 5, and although I’m aging, it’s really not so bad. As long as I am able to get up in the morning and take nourishment, it all works out; the prunes help a lot, too.My young friends [...]
Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Lessard In April of 1968, Rita and I moved our family from London to Huron Park. There were five of us from 1 RCR who moved at the same time, and we were told that we could choose any house that we wanted. A one-and-a-half storey house rented for $58 per [...]
Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Lessard For some reason, I had driven myself to work at Wolseley Barracks in London instead of travelling with my normal carpool (five of us from Huron Park usually rode together).It started to snow in the morning and by noon, reports coming from the radio indicated the weather was going to [...]
Advice from MomBy Rita Lessard Brr! It’s been a long time since we’ve had a winter this cold. Perhaps that accounts for the bad mood many people have been in. It seems people have more to complain about when the weather is so nasty.My mother never appreciated our foul moods or our whining and complaining. [...]
Anniversary a time to reflect on the joys of life Advice from momBy Rita Lessard February is the month for love and sweethearts as we celebrate Valentine’s Day this week. February is also the month Tom and I celebrate our anniversary, celebrating 45 years February 8th. I imagine in this day and age, that’s quite [...]
Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Lessard Many years ago, I had the good fortune of working for a window and door company on Highway 4 southeast of Centralia. At one time during my employment, I was given the task of building plastoramic picture windows. My department was very large in area because I needed room to [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard I hope your Christmas went well. Tom and I were fortunate to celebrate on two occasions: once at our son’s place, whose wife is a great cook; and at my brother’s home, where we had another good meal and lots of fun. Of course, that’s what Christmas is about: family [...]
Advice from MomBy Rita Lessard I really love Christmastime. Unfortunately, we celebrate it in a season that, at times, is not so pleasant, especially when the snow is flying and the visibility is so bad you end up in the ditch, which is what happened to my sister and me on Monday, December 3. Fortunately, [...]
Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Lessard, CD I spent Christmas 1967 stationed at Lizard Flats outside Nicosia, Cyprus, which had at one time been used during the Jewish exodus from Germany to Palestine. It was pretty run-down and in a way reminded us of Ipperwash.A sergeant oversaw the junior ranks canteen. During the holidays, he would [...]
Advice from MomBy Rita Lessard I don’t know how everyone else feels about winter, but as far as I’m concerned I am not really looking forward to it. I’m not sure when this all came about, but it probably started when I realized that those fancy high-heeled shoes had to be replaced with the more [...]
“I’m going to walk over on my artificial leg. And maybe get up and do a slow dance with somebody.” Benefit and dance for Tom LessardSaturday, November 3 – 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.Crediton Community CentreSponsored by Centralia-Huron Park Lions Club. Age of majority required. Lunch provided.Entertainment by Li’l Audrey.Admission: $5.Tickets: Corry Price (519) 228-9907 [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard With all of this nice warm weather we’re experiencing, you would think that a winter sport such as hockey would be the last thing on our minds but since we usually spend money for the kids when they go back to school, we might as well add to that the [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard Thanksgiving – what a great holiday. This is a wonderful time of year to celebrate and reflect on all the many gifts and blessings we have received throughout the years. Since I’ve lived quite a few years, my blessings have been numerous.I am especially thankful for my neighbours, my first [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard Fall – what a great time of the year. Not too hot, not too cold. Standard time is approaching and thus we’ll fall back an hour. The word fall is used in so many ways, for example, fall in love, fall out, fall from grace, fall back, etc. This column [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard Absent-mindedness: I’m quite sure you’ve had occasion to experience this malady at some time or other in your lifetime. This problem has no age barrier – it happens to everyone.Last garbage day is an example of my experience with preoccupation. I work at night now, so I put out the [...]
Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Lessard, C.D. At 27 C.O.D. (the Central Ordnance Depot on Highbury Avenue in London), the only physical training I ever did was playing hockey in the London industrial league. Every Friday afternoon we had a practice at the fairgrounds arena. Our coach was an Indian sergeant who enjoyed his wine. We [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard Laundry problems – I’m sure we’ve all had them to some degree or other.For instance, how is it that we always seem to lose one sock or forget to take things out of the pockets? And how in the drying process do socks and underwear end up in your pant [...]
Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Lessard In 1953, I was having a difficult time at my high school, St. Jerome’s in Kitchener. It was an all boys’ school. My grades were bad. I missed a lot of classes and didn’t appreciate the teachers. I’d rather hang out at the pool halls or be caddying at the [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard Nurses deserve a lot of credit. They’re doing the best they can. Sometimes I’m sure their patience is stretched with some of their patients. I say, keep up the good work. A model patientSince Tom has been in and out of the hospital for the last five months (eventually losing [...]
Keeping the PeaceBy Tom Lessard About 14 years into my military career – by this point the late 1960s – I was working in the quartermasters stores in Wolseley Barracks as a clerk for the RCR. I’d just come off a court martial, got a $25 fine and was promoted to corporal rank – back-dated [...]
Advice from momBy Rita Lessard I hope you’re all enjoying your summer holidays. I suppose you’re out there swimming and playing different kinds of outdoor games and sports. Not to be a nag, but I truly think it would be a good idea for you to take a break now and then from the physical [...]
