Canada not exempt from over-corrections

accountability on the part of the school boards, the students themselves and, in most cases, the parents of the students involved.

1 Mountain Street, Grimsby, ON, L3M 3J6 Ph: 289-235-9500 Ph: 289-235-7848

Lots of feedback on last week’s column, all has been appreciated. There were many good points made, not all I agreed with, but they were well-made just the same and that’s a very good thing.

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Friendliest game in town

Brenda King delivers a bowl Saturday at an open house for the Grimsby Lawn Bowling Club located at 30 Livingston Ave. behind the Livingston Activity Centre. Her teammates included (L-R) Marion King, Trina Inglis and Helen McHenry. Called the friendliest game in town, the season runs from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving with play most afternoons and several evenings. For more information contact Bill at 289-235-8072 or Sandra at 905-309-6493. grimsbylawnbowlingclub.ca McDonald - Photo

Passing of a FORT friend

It was a sad day in the office last week when we learned of Craig Bivand’s passing. Craig has been a long-time friend, a downtown Grimsby stalwart at his family’s Grimsby Glass and a cornerstone of what became FORT (Foundation of Resources for Teens). He loved his family and his community. He will be sorely missed. M.W

Key among them, why did I use mainly U.S. contentsee “why was I picking on the U.S.”

Now, I prefer to think I was not picking on anyone, rather, simply highlighting high-profile instances of political correctness gone awry.

BUT, there are tons of Canadian examples, too. There was no attempt to overlook or insinuate that Canadians cannot take every opportunity to come up brain dead just like our friends south of the 49th.

Case in point, Kew Beach Junior Public School in Toronto’s Beaches community; the school posted on its message board at the street, “Life does not come with a manual, it comes with a mom” in recognition of Mother’s Day. Somehow, some way, that was deemed politically insensitive by a handful of people. The school board caved and had the sign altered to sooth the uprising.

I guess recognizing moms on Mother’s Day triggers some now.

Then, on a national scale, you’ve got the feds white washing passports by removing religious symbols and historic figures.

Sure, dissolve arguably Canada’s most historic military stand at Vimy Ridge.

And like I noted last week, should the families of those soldiers who died for all of us to have the freedoms we enjoy today get a reparation payments as well for the sacrifice they made at Vimy?

I don’t want to go down the reparations rabbit hole as that is not the point at all. The point is, thousands upon thousands of people have been impacted by mortal danger and varied a trocities over centuries.

It is in the past. It should be learned from or we are doomed to repeat it, but it should stay there...in the past.

The root of many of these incidents comes from a very small minority who strategically drop a pebble in a pond and by the time it works its way across across the body of water it can become a social tidal wave.

This week, you’ve got the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario claiming an uptick in violence in schools is a result of underfunding schools.

The heart of that issue all around is the lack of

This was a crock from the get go, but, as happens, Premier Doug Ford is asked for comment. Like anyone with a parent who maintained a disciplined home with a stern hand, Ford said he would never have considered striking a teacher because he would have gotten it 10 times worse when he got home...and he agreed with that style.

So the conversationwhich should be safety in schools for teaching professionals - devolves into Ford approves of child abuse.

Let me tell you, there is nothing wrong with a little fear to keep a kid on the straight and narrow. And no, nobody would, could or should espouse child abuse, but a “smack bottom” (thanks Shrek) is a great attention getter.

While that is not much of a deterrent for teens, it is the roots of the approach which would flourish by the time a youngster reaches that age so that nothing physical is ever in play and respect is the rudder which keeps a kid on the straight and narrow.

In our house, if Dad went for his belt, you ran for the hills. It sure worked for us.

This is another topic I could go on forever and in the span of a week there is usually 3-4 new instances that pop which just leave me shaking my head. I’m tired of it.

Below: Cousins Lincoln Stouck, left, and Clayton Lyons, ride a 1941 John Deere H tractor that has been passed down to them from their grandfather, Cal Loney, of Beamsville. The “new” purchase price for this model was $650.

Fairgrounds hosts Farm Day

There was lots to see and do Saturday at the Niagara Farm Day organized by the Niagara Federation of Agriculture at the West Niagara Agricultural Centre and Fairgrounds. The family event included farm

Pony Paradise brought their sweet riding ponies to the delight of sisters Elise, 3, and Olivia Hepburn, 6.

Photos By Joanne McDonald

animals, agriculture booths, demonstrations by the Niagara dairy producers, the Niagara Antique Power Association and the Niagara 4-H travelling food booth serving their famous milkshakes and back bacon on a bun.