The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

RT ee ------. PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, October 20, 1987 -- 5 iewpoint by John B. McClelland THE YANKEE SHADOW The topic of free trade has me baffled. I've made an honest effort (really) over the past few weeks to read as much as I can on this issue. And frankly, I'm baffled. I plow my way through one long article (in favour) of free trade and come to the conclusion that yes, it will be a good deal for Canada. Then, after another long ar- ticle (opposed) I have second thoughts and begin to wonder if Canada has not bitten off too much. It seems the more I read about this, the more con- fused and fuzzy it becomes. I'm sure a lot of ordinary Canadians like me are in the same quandry: they just don't know if free trade is good or bad. And after reading a number of articles, I suspect that a fair number of the so-called "experts" really don't know, either. Only they hide that fact quite nicely with a lot of mumbo-jumbo and some strcng opinions rooted in their own bias. Of course it doesn't help our understanding when a lot of the nitty-gritty details of the agreement with the United States are yet to be ironed out by the two governments. The opponents of free trade say we are taking the first step to becoming the 51st state; we are selling our sovereignty down the river, in fact we may even be sell- ing the river (and the lakes) as the U.S. is eyeing our fresh water resources, not to mention gas, oil, lumber and minerals. In 20 years, they argue, we will be a part A of the Republic south of the 49th parallel. I'm not so sure that that won't happen, anyway, free trade deal or not. Circumstances in the world may force closer and closer ties with our neighbour to the south over the next couple of decades. The drift to continentalism may be inevitable. We in Canada are 25 million people. We share the continent with 250 million people. But we share a heck of a lot more than that: language, culture, sport, institu- tions, democracy, religion, defense systems, freedom of movement across borders, the dollar currency, and an enormous amount of trade in goods and services of all sorts and description. Oh, sure, we in Canada are pretty smug about a lot of things that we like to think set us apart from the Americans; things like gun laws, crime stats, medicare and so on. But let's face it, these are pretty minor dif- ferences even if we like to think they are not. Where in this world of 1987 does Canada go to find a true friend and ally? Do we go to England, an economic mosquito? How about the other countries of Europe, like Germany, France, Italy, all locked in their own Common Market? Hardly. The Soviet Union? What about the Middle East or Africa? Closer economic ties with Japan are impossi- ble as protectionism runs rampant. Australia and New Zealand are too far away. China, South America and Korea may hold some long term trade possibilities for Canada, but they will be hit and miss at best. Like it or not, we are stuck with the United States as a neighbour, friend, ally and number one trading partner. The rest of the world is too caught up with its own problems ---- economic, military, political ---- to be of too much benefit for Canada. And let's face it. the United States may not be perfect, but we could do a lot worse in this world, as far as next-door rieighbours go. As 1 understand it, the free trade deal is going to be phased in over a ten year period, and to be sure, there will be some dislocation. But does it not make sense for a country of 25 million to have unlimited and unrestricted access to a market of 250 people right next door? If our industry and com- merce is competitive, innovative and tough, it will do fine in this situation. Those industries that are flabby, out-of-date, hide-bound to the old ways and just general- ly sloppy will fall by the wayside unless they shape up. But is that not the way a free market economy should function? In short, I think that closer ties with the Americans are coming anyway in this increasingly insular world we live in. And when that happens, whether it's through a free trade arrangement or a natural process, I don't think it's going to be as bad as some of the doom-sayers are crying. There will be changes in the Canadian fabric, but not dis-integration. : And who knows? We may be surprised to discover over the years that as Americans begin to understand Canada better, they may adopt some or a lot of the Canadian way of doing things. We've lived in the shadows of the American giant since Confederation and several generations of Cana- dians have grown up with a mortal fear of that shadow. Isn't it time that Canada grows up a little, sheds the (Turn to page 8) Letters Yesterday's Memories 70 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 18, 1917 Pte. Randolph Switzer has been awarded the Military Medal for keeping up field telephone communications under terrific shell fire. Sergt. Harry Abbots has also won the Military Medal. Two popular young people in Port Perry were united in marriage on Oct. 11, 1917 - Miss Aileen McCaw to Mr. Harold Emmerson. Mr. Frank Bailey has bought the lot and orchard from Mr. H.E. Briggs in Prince Albert just east of his own property. The barns and pig pens of Mr Wm. Pollack, Seagrave were total- ly destroyed by fire. 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 18, 1942 A military demonstratiion will be staged in Port Perry consisting of 45 Air Force men, 35 Army men, 17 vehicles and 2 Officers. Miss Gladys Joblin, Quebec, spent a few days with her parents, Scugog. The following Blackstock men have gone west to help harvest the grain crop - Lloyd Wright, Dalton Dorrell, Reg Middleton, Er- nie Swain and Bert Hoskins. District Deputy Charles Reesor and his Degree Team of War- riner Lodge, were in Oshawa installing the officers of Corinthian and Phoenix Lodges, Oshawa. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 23, 1952 Harry Harran, veteran angler, Caesarea, caught one of the largest fish of the season, a 26 pounder. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bushby, Greenbank, celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Robert Harris, Uxbridge lawyer, is seeking the Liberal nomination. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Starkey are on an extended visit to Oakland, California. Mr. Charles Venning and Mr. Wilfred Williams are adding a wing on the east side of their garage in Blackstock. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 17, 1957 Port Perry Lions Club pledged $100 in support of Minor Hockey in Port Perry. The Chamber of Commerce also pledged $100 to fur- ther minor hockey in Port Perry. Lion Bert Hutcheson was installed as the first life member of the Lions Club. Port Perry United Church Choir are presenting Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore' in the Port Perry Public School. Sister Grace Love was installed as Noble Grand of Maybelle Rebekah Lodge. 20 YEARS AGO Thursday, October 19, 1967 At 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, the Port Perry fire department was called to a fire on Bigelow Street where an old barn on the property owned by Mr. Herman Midgley was completely destroyed by fire. (Turn to page 6) How a visitor views Port Perry Editor's Note: The following letter appeared in the October 13 issue of the Millbrook Highlighter, a monthly newspaper published in that community. We think our readers may find the let- ter interesting for its references to Port Perry. It's nice to note that visitors to our community notice some of the changes that have taken place recently in the business section. I would suggest that Millbrook's business and property owners treat themselves to a trip to Port Perry. The main business section of Port Perry (being Queen Street) has vir- tually no overhead wires and An honest To The Editor: I have been reading your paper for the past 13 years. A great many newsworthy items are mentioned and it's quite entertaining. .l wonder if you would like to print this note and make a little story that would make our hearts real proud. My husband and I were packing up the car and I left my purse on the roof of the vehicle. We drove away from the house (Purple Hill) and I finally noticed my purse was miss- ing when I got to the Yacht Club in Robinglade. I drove back, retracing the entire trip, getting out and look- ing in the ditches etc, becoming more apprehensive as time went on On my way back to the Yacht Club I stopped at the Police Station and waited for the officers to arrive He had my purse. Mr. David Mount of Prince Albert had found it on the Shirley Road, had handed it in to the Police as soon as he found it. (I pick ed it up 2 hours later). Now the con tents - (all complete and received). 1. All my 1.D.'s including 3 credit cards. 2. A wallet containing roughly $150.00. 3. House & car keys. transformers and such because the town has done away with hydro poles. The effect is a feeling of ad- ditional width and air brought about by the visual access to open sky. There are beautiful dark green fluted steel lamp posts on both sides of the street. Each post has two brackets bearing baskets of well tended flowers. Each post is crown with an attractive urn shaped globe of frosted glass. There are numerous 'old fashion- ed" benches on both sides of the street. These benches are of the type featuring cast iron scroll ends and have well-finished wood backs and seats. deed en It 1s very impressive to find so much honesty these days when a lot of people break and enter and are in- volved in various crimes. | would like you to mention this good deed In your newspaper. Thank you, Mrs. A. Phillips, R R 2, Blackstock. "schemes have been selected with There are a number of heavy cage waste receptacles on the sidewalks. These receptacles feature cast iron counter-balanced lids. They are beautifully designed and are too heavy to be readily moved or vandalized. Many of the business people have clearly gotten together in their determination to upgrade the main street and to in fact, renovate 'with class." Their interior and more im- portantly, their exterior colour great care and consequently reflect the taste and grace of generations past. I'm sure the very people who have undertaken these commen- dable projects would say that they have "only made a start." Dozens, if not hundreds of Ontario towns and villages have programs of this order in the works and are successfully enhancing their com- munities images. It will take a great deal of con- certed effort, vast amount of pa- tience and a long time before Millbrook again displays a measure of its original charm. It is to be hoped that we may be spared the visual assault of tasteless, inap- propriate renovation while we wait. Bent Reinert Millbrook ter to the editor. Letters to the Editor ... our policy It has always been the policy ol this newpspaper to encourage our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely expréss their opinions and view- pots on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters col: umn helps make a better community newspaper. We sist. however, that a letter writer sign his or her name. On rare occasions, we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter writer's name, if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous let- While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must con- tinue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer.