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For Garfield Wright First to be nominated in 1976 for this newspaper’s Absurd Bird of the Year Award is Garfield Wright, York region council chairman. Several Toronto businesses, or businessmen â€" I’m not sure just what they’re supposed to be â€" have taken out a full-page ad in several newspapers across the land, denouncing the prime minister for remarks he made in a year-end interview on CTV. The ad also included a handy format at the bottom of the page â€" which almost made me quit reading right then and there â€" for the reader to fill in, thus reassuring those who placed the ad that their $25,000 or so hadn’t been spent for nought. ' It then goes on to give its réasons for thinking so. His term, “just society”, it seems was a sophism. “Now, after eight years of your hapless, reckless, increasingly irresponsible tinkering with our lives, we are face to face with the truth. We were wrong, and we were deceived in your intentions." Viewpoint from the regional desk “Mr. Trudeau,” the ad is headed, “you are a national catastrophe.” Later on, it says “We are shuddering to an economic and social halt because you have already imposed an un- bearable burden of government exâ€" 10101 Yonge Street. Richmond Hill. L4G 4Y6 Ontario PUBLISHER J. G. VAN KAMPEN EDITOR HAROLD BLAINE ublishing Limited â€" The Liberal is published every Wednesday by Metrospan P North Division, which also publishes The Banner in Aurora-Newmarket and the Woodbridge Vaughan News. Hi, ,7,, 7, ,,,A__._-.‘. .n-u- Norm's reflections BYJIM IRVING Who says Canadians want to watch grown programming Canadian content TV? Not me that‘s for sure! Panel Shows 5‘" Unless you’re a sportsman, out- Hume.rs' ws‘. Front doorsman, patron of the arts, or self Quesuon Permd’ U.' professed literary master, Canadian OmbUdsman have g“ content TV has little to offer. “"3” .553“- With the high admission charge for shows today, I prefer to enjoy an evening of exciting stories on the boob tube. At the moment, I am not on cable and the lead wire from the roof antenna has snapped. My television reception by “rabbit ears" is limited to channels 3, 5, 9 and 11 . . . all Canadian. How exciting! My choice for this week’s Canadian entertainment includes such delights as This Land, tracing the influence of the land on Canada‘s earliest peoples. Then there is Musicamera which is going to recreate the deeds and dances of the forefathers of the Ksan Group, recorded in British Columbia. You know, I really waé qtiite con- cerned about that aspect of my en- vironment! If I get too worked up by these programs I could turn to The Canadian Realists, a portrait of three Canadian painters, or the prepaganda shows which try to sell the public on new legislation such as Human Collision, the use of seat belts in cars Canadian content TV has little to offer Region Chairman Wright Would close committee doors by Norman H. Matthews Absurd Bird nomination mhe liberal WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 14, 1976 Wright should put away his muzzle and write a letter to the editor like any other good citizen, if he has something to complain about. V And, as tfie king was wont to say in The King and 1: “Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.” penditure upon us” I was given a copy of this ad â€" I hadn’t seen the interview â€" and from the subsequent hysteria in the news media regarding Mr. Trudeau's ad- dress, I thought the outcry was probably justified. . After All, a dozen or so whining people couldn’t all be wrong. Why, just look at the Metro school teachers. Which I did. And maybe that’s why I thought I’d better wait until I found just exactly what theNPM did rsrayr. r Happily, the full text of his interview was run in The Globe and Mail the next day, and I was able to read it over lunch at one of those instant hamburger places. - As it turned out, 'I‘rudeau‘s speech was far the easier of the two to digest. In fact, the more I read it, the more I felt my assurance in the man grow; the more I felt the country was in good hands; the more I felt here was a man, who wasn’t just latching on to the nearest hack phrase and party palaver. There seems to be three different categories or “doses” of our home Forgive me! I‘m one of those slobs who enjoys a bottle of beer and such Yankee shows as Police Story, Emergency, Cher, Invisible Man, Medical Centre and movies, movies, movies. Panel shows such as Headline Hunters, W5, Front Page Challenge, Question Period, Under Attack, and Ombudsman have given us more hosts than stars. And for sports we can absorb Sports Probe, NHL Hockey, Sportsweek, Canadian Snowmobile Test, Meeker’s Hockey School, Roller Derby, Wrestling. WHA Hockey. Canadian College Sports, Canadian College Basketball, TV Bonspiel, Curling Classic and of course Red Fisher. We mustn‘t forget our third category, being our attempt to get the Canadian viewer from watching American humour like Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Burnett for such laughable shows as Trouble With Tracy. I‘m sorry if I‘m showing the wrong spirit. I’m really quite loyal to our flag and I‘m glad that we have the Mounties and Eskimos. But after a mind stimulating day of business administration the last thing I want to do on my own time is to listen to someone debate the affect of dogs on hydrants in terms of the environment of the people. Denouncing Trudeau Dear editor We as participants in the Richmond Hill Santa Claus parade would like to say thanks to Charles Brown of The Plumbing Mart, Richmond Hill, for a one man job well done. . To elaborate a bit we understand he did the venture on his own with very little assistance or donations from other sources with the exception of the following A 8: W, MacDonald’s, Steer Inn and Harvey’s, who provided some drinks for the participants. Also Branch 375, Canadian Legion, provided a bus to take people from the end of the route back to the beginning which was Bayview Secondary School. In fact: not once did he use those old favorites, “thrust”, “structured”, and “priorities”, which so many politicians feel they must work in six or seven times an evening to show they‘re politically hep. Or is it hip; I never could remember. The school charged $50 for the use of their small gym, which was paid for by Worked hard on Santa Claus parade Instead, despite the fact he was on national television, he spoke as if he were in the comfort of his own living room chatting with some old and true friends. Not chatting as a prime minister, but just as any concerned citizen might, offering his solutions to a problem he feels the government â€" and society, too â€" have been unable to handle properly. So the man changed his mind somewhat over the years. Is that really a backward step, or something called progress? “You’ve heard me say pretty im- patient things about the way Parliament is working now. I think it’s working very badly, but I don’t think I would want to see it replaced by any form of corporation", the prime minister pointed out at one stage. Of cour'se, the main worry about the ad placers was Mr. 'I‘rudeau's use of controls. How dare he intrude on free en- terprise that way. How dare he suggest these controls, which have been set for three years, will have to continue if people don’t try to loosen their minds and tighten their belts in the interim. “The only answer to the wage-price Spiral is the one that has {or so long been dismissed as disreputable . . . . . to have wage and price con- trols . . . J. K. Galbraith â€" The Affluent Society â€"â€" 1970). “I’m not as wise and as experienced as Galbraith,” the PM told his in- terviewers, although not quoting the above, “but there’s no doubt his thinking has permeated my thought and that of a lot of other people. “Perhaps where I would not want to make the statement he makes about these controls being permanent is that perhaps I'm less of a pessimist than he, or perhaps even less of a realist." Trudeéu then went on to say they would have to “keep the controls on in one way or another". In faét. he said, “we may have more if people don’t begin to realize the situation we’re in." Trudeau said he viewed the control period as ‘_‘breat_hing §paAcg". I He hoped, at the end-of three years, they.would be able to “decontrol a great deal of sectors and a great deal of people . . ,But it was also likely at the end of three years, “we will have to retain control on those who either haven‘t played ball, or on those who haven’t demonstrated that given a decontrolled economy we will have acquired the new virtues of self-discipline and self- restraint and living within our means". Ah â€" living within our means. How quaint. And how unaccustomed we've all become to this rather archaic notion, whether we’re hockey players or school teachers, and, yes, Mr. Trudeau, even politicians, who are often the most “figger” happy of all. So be it. None of us is innocent in that department. But as Mr. Galbraith says, the Town of Richmond Hill Outside of these very few people, nobody wanted to render any help or monies whatsoever. So we feel even though it was not a large parade, it was a large success due to the efforts of this one man Mr. Brown. Thanks again. Also the people of Richmond Hill did not show their appreciation to the extent we felt they should. It was a cold énd windy day, we know. But if 4 and 5â€"yearold majorettes can march and perform for some 3 miles, surely the people could come out of their houses and give these kids some applause for their efforts and en- durance. “The test of economic achievement is not how much we produce, but what we do to make life tolerable or pleasant". Trudeau is right in asking we practise some restraint. And in a further extension of this, he suggests we slow down in another area â€" that of immigration. “It may give us a chance to develop a better society with less intensive move toward the city and more and better distribution of the population toward the rural areas and less developed parts of Canada. “We’d be able to make a choice of better things rather than once again breathlessly trying to produce more cars and Frigidaires . . . " Closer to home, shortly after coming from a session with Provincial Treasurer Darcy McKeough, in which he asked regional mayors to help the government control spending, Mayor Evelyn Buck of Aurora said something the same thing as the Prime Minister during a discussion of our York region Central Trunk Servicing System, or “Big Pipe". Mayor1 Buck urged fellow members to “stand fast” in its current population allocation. ’IVvo of the church spires which have been a feature of Richmond Hill‘s skyline for almost a century are seen in the above sketch of the west side of Yonge St. just south of Major Mackenzie Dr. ’At the right is the old manse of the Presbyterian Church, built WLMEWWNEWQ§ ALCOHOL KILLS ...... 1880 and 1872 spires 19th century Anglican and Presbyterian churches Nothing knocks your pride more than to march down a deserted street, especially a main street, and find nobody watching, as was the case in many spots on Markham Road. Yonge Street and Crosby Avenue. This is one parade which should be a family affair, as the children all look forward to the Old Man in the Red Suit coming to town. We think a little more effort all around could mean just a little more to a lot of children. So Thanks again Mr. Brown. The Executive, Richvale Lions Majorette Corps, 31 Spruce Avenue, Thornhill, Ont. a sigh, whereas the PM's resulted in a full-page ad decrying his words and policies. 7 Does that mean Trudeau was right all along? Or, does it just mean life is simpler here in the boondocks and we refuse to panic so easily? Of course, life here is also cheaper, because if you wanted to put a full-page ad in The Liberal decrying Mayor Buck's stand, you could do it for about $370. Whereas the same thing in a Toronto paper would be‘$l,260 or more. about 1845, the outer walls being constructed of planks laid one on top of the other and faced with shiplap. Next is the Presbyterian Church with its square steeple. built in 1880 to replace the area’s first church built in 1821. Below is another in a series of historic drawings being published in this newspaper. The Liberal has exclusive rights to Richmond Hill artist Helmut Haessler's drawings in two gift sets of six prints each. size 81/2" x11”, suitable for framing. They are on sale at The Liberal office. 1010] Yonge Street. for 82.50 MDMDMNHWD§ Historic drawing series C ouncillor Cha teauvert dons black knight armor I read, once again. where Councillor Andy Chateauvert has mounted his black charger, donned his black knight’s armor and striven forth to oppose yet another issue in which he has little knowledge. Dear editor Mr. Chateauvert’s opposition to changing the drinking age back to 21, because some youths will always abuse the privilege. because 18 is the legal age for contracts and because 18-year-olds are mature enough to be legally responsible, could be fortified by fact. However. it is obvious the lower age for consuming liquor has affected age groups.much younger than the legal age of 18. Where has Mr. Chateauvert been hiding the last few years as the in- cidents of illegal drinking with 12 to 17- year-olds increased drastically? “‘ Where has Mr. Chateauvert been when high school field trips of 14 and 15- yearolds have been cancelled because booze is smuggled aboard the bus? Where has he been when public school pupils think it big time to show up at school dances bombed out of their skulls? ' Where has he been when summer parties at the Mill Pond are not com- plete without pot and bopzef A > When was the last time knightly Andy visited one of our popular water holes and determined who was 18 and who was 15 and 16'? Where has Mr. Chateauvert been when summer house parties. while parents are away, flow freely of booze and everyone is welcome, regardless of age? Where has he been when juvenile offenders are released with warnings and are back looking for the big bash the very next week? “Chahging the law back and forth like a teeter-toner is not going to solve the problem,” said saintlyrAndy. I may then suppose Mr. Chateauvert is opposed to changing any law, no matter how detrimental to the public good. Andy, my friend, I object to a councillor of my town shooting his mouth off while his head is stuck in a bucket of sand. The only thing missing from your latest game of political posturing is the paper tail, pin and blindfold. You have already supplied us with the target. Andy, I may be laid low by a heart attack, but I can always summon enough strength to strike out against misâ€"informed egoists. In absolute disgust of your actions, ROBERT'Q. THOMPSON 173 Traybom Drive ‘ Richmond Hill, Ont. (Editor's Note: In the interest of fairness. we would remind readers Councillor Chateauvert was not the only one on council to oppose raising the drinking age. In fact, he was among a clear majority. with Councillor William Corcoran casting the only vote in favor of a higher age limit.) per set. In set one are Anglican. Presbyterian and United churches. Old High School. Palmer House and Crosby Hall. In set two are Burr House. Newbury House, Stockdale House, St. John's Anglican. modern Yonge St. and Yonge St. at St. Mary's Catholic at the turn of the century. To the south is the “new” Presbyterian manse built in 1877. Then comes the former St. Mary’s Anglican Church erected in 1872 and now used as a chapel, with the new church built in 1964 being shown on the extreme left of the sketch.