BY JOHN B. McCLELLAND The Committee for an Independent Canada, an assortment of Canadian nationalists and flag-wavers of varying degrees and political leanings had a get- together in Thunder Bay last week to outline and discuss the battle plans for Canadian independence. As near as I can determine they didn't accomplish much, other than toss around gloomy warnings, predictions and reports on how Canada is doomed as a politically and economically independent nation etc., etc. They did manage to instill Conservative party trumpeteer and fund raiser Eddie Goodman as new Committee Chairman, replacing publisher Jagk McClelland. And a study group managed to table a report -outlining what steps are necessary to reverse the: trends of foreign economic domination. Among other things, the report calls for the "'tran- sfer of control of Canadian companies and resources from foreign to domestic hands." Also recommended is. the abolition of tax privileges for such foreign-owned publications as Readers Digest and Time Inc. Canadian investors, says the report, should be urged to put their money into domestic development programs, --And it stresses that Canadian writing, theatre, film and art must be more fully expanded. Without a doubt, these are excellent proposals. And anybody can see that if they were to be implemented completely, Canada would be on the road to some kind of independence.But somehow I feel I have heard that some same tune before, and something is still missing. What's missing is the same thing that has been missing from most of the Canadian independence proposals and reports that have flooded the media since the current nationalist kick came into Yogue, How. That's what is missing. How. . How, for example can Canada gain control of oil production that is 99 percent foreign owned?-How, can a Canadian, with his fat savings account, and his sheaf of Canada Savings Bonds, and a history and tradition of conservatism in money matters be persuaded to take a flyer on a gold mine in Ungava, or an oil rig off Nova Scotia simply because they are all-Canadian ventures? How can this same person be persuaded not to invest in General Motors, IBM, "Canadian" Kodak, |- General Electric, or any other blue chip enterprise that insures the safety of -his money, and guarantees a yearly dividend to boot? The Canadian arts is confronted with similar problem. What is the last Canadian book you have read? Have you ever seen a full-length Canadian film, or a completely Canadian theatrical performance? Is Marcus Welby your favourite television program? Can you name a Canadian painter, other than a member of the Group of Seven? Have you read any contemporary poetry by a Canadian recently? All of which brings up another question; one that has been argued, debated, written about, ignored and denied since prior to Confederation. Namely, what is the Canadian identity? Does such a thing exist? What IS Canadian? Each and everyone of us I'm sure has thought a about this at one time or another, and I'm equally as sure that none of us has been able to determine what the elusive Canadian identity is. Maybe I'm wrong. , Maybe somebody has got the answers. ~ Being something of a flag waver, and since nobody yet has told me, I myself have tried to determine just exactly what Canadian is. My conclusions are both (continued on page 5) PORT PERRY STAR COMPANY, LIMITED Serving Port Perry, Reach, Scugog and Cartwright Townships P. HVIDSTEN, Publisher - Editor JOHN B., McCLELLAND, Associate Editor WM. T. HARRISON, P. HVIDSTEN, Jr, Plant Manager. Advertising Manager Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association Member of the Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assiciation Published every Wednesday by The Port Perry Star Co. Ltd., Port Perry, Ontario. Authorized as second class maill by the Post Office - Department, Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cash Second Class Mail Registration Number 0266 Subscription Rates: In Canada $4.50 per yr., Elsewhere $6.00 per year. Single Copy 10¢ oH, £5 ESA > ree: Sa Te J ST Te Af LETT or LL TURIN LLLP. AM A ML ey i AA oq it, veotg | [rmmas wine \ PE TI RRURELE 1 ean own ipa #00 WAT a oe-- pracy > rarer 50 YEARS AGO Thursday, Jan. 29, 1921 On Scugog Counci the fol lowing were elected, Reeve George Sweetman, Council. lors, James Crozier, Johna. thon Aldred, Frank Dowson' and Clarence Hood. Mr, Harold Jackson who is attending Medical School in Toronto was home for Christ- | mas. "Mr. Philip" the Farmers Union Milling Co. Mr. Clarence Medd of Sonya, sold his team of hor- ses to McMillan Bros. for a handsome price. The formal opening of the -new skating rink at Port Perry will take place on Mon. Jan. 2nd. The rink will be opened by the Pres. of the rink committee Mr, George Jackson. a * i J 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 26, 1946 day of free chest X-ray sur- vey sponsored by the Lions Club 3280 residents of Port Perry and surrounding com- munities received examina- tions. -Rev, Harley Balfour of Hearst officiated at the christening in the Anglican + Church of Kenneth Wayne Lade, son of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Lade of Toronto. Miss Jean Crosier, R.N. of ° London, Ontario s spent Christ- "mas with Her parents Mr. and HOW TO SAVE A GIRL FROM LOVE By Bill Smiley : New Year's resolutions seem rather point. less, when one looks back over the past year and realizes what | a mess one made of it. But hope springs eternal in the human beast (note to ed. -- that's beast, nat breast), and most of the time I feel as though I'm still animal, though I have a lot of calcium in the wrong places -- not teeth, but elbows, knees and shoulders --, and there are moments when I feel pure vegetable, maybe a withered turnip. So here goes. The very first thing I'm going to do in "72 is-get my rake and lawn chairs out of the backyard and into the basement. Pro- vided I can find them under the snow. Same goes for my woodpile, which has been sitting there, "drying out", since August. The second thing I'll do is stop listen: ing to my wife and make her start listen- ing to me. She is eternally getting into jams because she won't listen to me be. cause she never has because she thinks she knows more than I about practically anything you can name. And she is for- éver getting me into jams because I lis- ten to her because she thinks ete. . . . That will clear a lot of the fog in our domestic air. I know. You think that's like a mouse bragging that he's going to straighten out an elephant. And it is. But it's also a fact that we mice have been known to panic a whole herd of elephants, Anyway; it'll be fun--trying. That old Mypirit of adventure, you know. Even if it'does cost me a broken nose or a couple of thick ears. - Another thing I'm going to do is stop worrying. I'm a terrible worry wart. Some weeks I worry a total of twenty- seven minutes, about something I can't do a thing about. I'm going to cut that down "written-during the year. {0 twenty-seven seconds, do it once a week, and get it over with. fm going to give up late nights, must work next day. No more of those. Except on exceptional cases, such as Fri- _day and Saturday nights and anytime we go to a party or have one. Dr. anyiing I "really like staying up. -I'm going to put a stop to my daughter falling in love. This will be one of the trickier assignments. I just get nicely adjusted to the fact that she's deeply in love and settling down when I get word that it's off with the old and on with the new, and this time it's "real". In the past year she's been in love with an English professor, an American (im- agine.), student; twice engaged -to the same guy, name of Joe; and is current! head-over-heels with a sculptor. How much does a struggling sculptor make? I don't really care, but I don't fancy the old idea that two can live as cheaply as one, if I'm paying the bills. I don't know what technique I'll use to stop her, but mo a Thursday, December 28, 1961 come up with something fiendish that will guarantee her a long spinsterhood. I'm going back into the arms of the church for a long-awaited (on her part) embrace. I am steadily growing more . sinful, just like the rest of vou, but it's time to start straightening the accounts. Well, that's enough to keep me going for a year. A nice mixture of physical and psychological problems. In closing, thanks to all those who have haven't answered yet. Have a good year. And a special wish to all those in trouble; Western farmers, the unemploy- €d, the old, the mentally ill. Keep your chin up. Things can only get better. And remember, somebody is thinking about you. Maybe Edgar Benson won't, but I_ will. The Argyle Syndicate They take a terrible toll on a fellow when he Forgive me. if 1... Mrs. J. T. Crosier, Utica, and her sister 'Mrs. 'Bruce Beare, Port Perry. "Mr. M. M. Boyd of Ottawa' High School of Commerce Staff is spending Christmas with his family. Mr. R. Breckle and Mr. Dickson of Lacomb, Sask, visiting Mrs. Everett Pren- tice of Scugog. J [J * 15 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 27, 1956 The 1956 Council of Port Perry Honoured two mem- - bers of the 1906 Council, Mr. H. G. Hutcheson and Mr. W. L. Parrish, both of these people have given a great deal of time to the progress and growth of the village. The delegates to the An. nual Soil and Crop Improve- ment Convention to be held in Toronto are Murray Holt- by and Roy Ormiston. 'Earl Redman of Port Perry suffered two broken ankles, a broken nose and minor in- juries when he was struck by a car on King St. e 10_ YEARS AGO. Morley Davidson of Black- water was elected President "of Port Perry Junior Farm- ers. . The Ontario County Junior Farmers under the direction of Mrs. Elsie Dobson were heard on a CBC broadcast on on the program Country Calendar. __Mr.-and-Mrs; R.-B. Small- man of Port Perry celebrated their 50th wedding anniver- sary at a family gathering in their home and a dinner at Flamingo Restaurant. Mr. Robert Baird was elect- ed President of the Ontario Ploughman's Association, ® 'w "Figary has = bought the soal business of * ~~ At-the--close-of-the final § ) . phe 1