And so this is Christmas...

by David Shanahan

Everyone has a favourite Christmas carol or two. Some are older, religious ones, like “Away in a Manger”, or “Joy to the World”. Others are secular and more recent, like “Silver Bells”, or “White Christmas”. For me, every year, when I think of songs for the season, John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” is what comes to my mind. I think it’s the question he asks that really speaks to me: “And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?”

I don’t take this as a threat, or a guilt thing: it just makes me think about the year that has passed and wonder what I have done with it. The years are passing more and more quickly now, and there are not as many left to me as there were, so the question becomes ever more relevant. Each of us have to answer it for ourselves, but there is something about this issue of the Times that is so encouraging for me, and, I hope, for you too.

Look at all the reports of people helping people. All of the support being given to the food banks, the service clubs, those working to make sure that as many people (and their pets) as possible have a happy Christmas. In the world in which we live, good news is sometimes hard to find. Cynicism and pessimism often seem the predominant attitudes, and there are too many times when such negativity seems justified.

Whether you are a Christian or not, Christmas is one time of the year when the negativity can be put aside for a few days or weeks. If you can ignore the commercialism and greed, not always easy to do, there is so much positivity around. People smile more, take pleasure in finding the right gifts for loved ones, and look forward to relaxing away from the day-to-day stresses of life. And that can’t be a bad thing, can it?

People like to talk and write about “the true spirit of Christmas”, but I find that not many seem to know what that is. For Christians, it is easier to define, I suppose. It means that God showed his love for us by being born into human nature and sharing our humanity in order to tell us about himself. More than that, he provided a way for each of us to know him and to discover why we are here, and what the meaning of life really is. That is quite a gift. It always amuses me to think that the birthday of Jesus is celebrated every year by other people receiving gifts. But that is God for you: wise men still seek him.

This is our last issue of the Times before the end of the year. No paper next week, I’m afraid, we’re taking a week off. The next copy will be on January 3, and will be our review of the year issue. That will be quite a job: picking out the main events of 2017, because it has been quite a year. To continue the John Lennon quote: “Another year over, and a new one just begun”. What will 2018 bring? Who could possibly guess, given what we’ve already been through? There will be a Provincial election in June and a municipal one on October 22. Campaigning for the municipal competition starts on May 1, and promises to be a fascinating contest.

I suppose we can’t escape politics, even in this Christmas season, as the articles and letters relating to the Kemptville College story in this issue can attest. After the municipality’s rather intemperate press release in response to an article in this paper about the business group interested in the project, we had to attend Council last Monday to ask for a formal apology and retraction. But the story of that fun-filled evening can wait until the new year, I think. Why spoil the holiday mood with that nonsense!

“And what have we done?” A good question. We have been through tumultuous times. Fake news. Auditor General reports. Hydro rates. Minimum wage increases promised/threatened. New schools in North Grenville. New stores in Colonnade.

Businesses opening and closing. Buildings built and demolished. All the normal life of a small community going about its daily life. We have fought over issues, grieved over losses, rejoiced over successes, and celebrated festivals and accomplishments. It has ever been thus, and will, no doubt, continue to be so in the year ahead.

I hope and pray that we can continue to do so as a community, caring and compassionate usually, but angry and divided on other things. Because that is what life is, the little, day-by-day triumphs and failures. We sometimes take ourselves too seriously, and take others not seriously enough. Or vice versa, even! But, as year after year, Christmas after Christmas, goes by, maybe we can get some perspective on all of that. One day, we will have forgotten much of what we now find so important. One day, we, too, may be forgotten. So let’s not get too worked up over things and try and relax, at least for a few days over Christmas. You may not believe it, but God loves you, and time passes. So, on behalf of all of us at the Times, may I wish you all the best and leave you for 2017 with John and Yoko’s words: “And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun. The near and the dear one, the old and the young. A very Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Let's hope it's a good one, without any fear”. [lyrics © Peermusic Publishing]

Dear Editor:

With interest I am following the conversation about the taking over of the former Kemptville College property and the intentions to turn it into a public business operation.

The enthusiasm on the part of the municipal government, to turn this economic loss to the community into a profitable benefit, is attractive. The steps, some of which have been made public over the last three years, show promising features. Although the initiative by council and staff are commendable, their set-up is deceptive. The mayor's response to Ralph Raina's proposal demonstrates that.

When a citizen enters into business, he/she takes a huge risk. It takes a marketable idea, concept, product, or service. Add initiative, training, and capital. Add facility, administration, hiring etc. If, for any reason, any of these parts don't add up and the business fails, the owner is the only one to be responsible for the loss.

The mayor, council and the staff are going to run the "college" business at arm's length from municipal responsibility they have been elected and hired to run fulltime. In spite of BDO, the world renowned specialists'

Happy

advice, in case of failure they have already been paid and cannot be found to share the loss.

The arm's length business failure will come back solely to the municipality. Meanwhile, the mayor and council have been replaced, the CAO has moved on; however, the taxpayer is still here. If there is justification for the municipality to run the 'college' business, the least it needs to do is get a community vote of support and confidence. That requires that all the cards come on the table, just as Raina proposes, before we are 'on the hook'.

This is a big project, and a previous municipal government worked out a public/ private partnership on another local project which is still functioning. It would reduce risk to the public and raise the possibility of success with experienced business people.

In general, governments are not meant to be in business. They are designed to manage public administration in an open society, with the input of those who elected them to the office of governing. Governments support business in the community with seed capital, providing opportunities for training, networking, preparing commercial and industrial land, providing infrastructure, and more.

In summary, the local initiative is to be commended, the set-up as proposed is unworkable, and irresponsible to the taxpayer.

Harmen Boersma

Dear Editor, I was delighted to read your article on Walter Turnbull. What an exceptional person he was, and I was proud to have known him a little! As a young woman working at the Ottawa Public Library, I met Walter, a frequent library patron. He loved engaging people and made me feel, even as a young person, that I had something interesting to say. He loved to brag that he was 83 but still fit. He would run up the stairs to the 2nd floor of the library, turn around, and just beam with pride. When I moved to the Alta Vista Library branch, which was his local library, I got to know him better, and learned how he was a witness to such important historical events. Years later, when I was hired to research a history of the Department of Finance, Walter was one of my most interesting interviews. Finally, these 30 years later, I find out he is just a few minutes from my home. He was a treat to know.

Michèle LeBlanc Oxford Mills