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Times-Advocate, 1979-05-02, Page 12Times-Advocate, May 2, 1979 Selling out Ontario farmland throughout of foreign Heating Systems | of All Types | INSTALLED, MODERNIZED f and MAINTAINED = By JACK RIDDELL MPP Huron-Middlesex My article this week is not about farmers going broke and selling out, not about drought or hard times, but it is about Ontario farmland being sold for record prices. In many cases at prices far above the going rates and being bought by foreign investors. Next to rain it has become the leading topic of con­ versation and concern, not only in rural areas but in the urban areas as well, which was obvious from the calls which I received during a CBC radio talk show I was asked to participate in. This came about after I raised the matter in the Legislature and urging an investigation of foreign investment. I have been contacted by many people, of whom a good number were farmers, concerned that we are selling out Ontario. Small scale farmers are complaining that they are being priced out of the market and larger scale farmers say they simply cannot compete with the special tax advantage that foreign investors have. Yet no one knows how much land foreigners have bought and are buying. Let me make it perfectly clear that by “foreign- owned” I am referring to people non-resident in Canada. I certainly have no objections to foreign people coming to this Province and competing with our own farmers in the purchase and operation of the farmland. For many of these people, PRIDE 2806 The difference between a good year and a great year. Pride 2206 has become a leader in its class. Single cross listed at 2850 CHU. Excellent yields, excellent standability, excellent adapta­ tion to thick planting, ex­ cellent combiner. Let’s talk more about it. Have Pride ■®rO DOUG LIGHTFOOT RR#1 Crediton PH.234-6287 and I may use the Dutch for an example, have made a very great contribution to the agricultyral industry in this country. What I do object to is the foreign capital being trans­ ferred to this country to purchase the'prime farm­ land, which causes me a great deal of worry in that large amounts of foreign investment frequently concentrated in sizable blocks of holdings, raise questions about future control of Canadian resources and communities. I don’t think there is any question that enough non­ resident foreign ownership in any one area, can affect the whole social structure of a community and in this connection I may offer such examples as lack of main­ tenance decreased usage of hospitals, support for local businesses and lack of support for projects such as community arenas. Apart from this, local residents simply cannot compete with foreign capital under the present economic circumstances. The devalued dollar in this country and lower interest rates offered in other countries, put Ontario buyers at a distinct disad­ vantage. We could argue, I suppose, that the foreign investors are considered people who often lease the land back to Canadians and pour in development money to in­ troduce modern small farm techniques. I am more inclined to think that foreign investment will accelerate the demise of the farm family unit and I do know that the rent being charged in most cases for the land which is foreign con­ trolled is unjustifiably high from the standpoint of ever hoping to make a profit on that land. The foreign investors would like to think that they could make five percent on their investment, which means a rental charge of $100 an acre and that is $40.00 an acre more than the tenant farmers could pay in a general farming area and hope to make a profit. Foreign investors will say that their aim is not of buildings, population for schools and limited buying Home-grown vegetables from your own backyard! It’s easy with a John Deere Tiller necessarily to make a profit but rather to preserve capital from the ravages of inflation and the spectre of creeping socialism in their own countries. All see such countries as Canada and the United States as a bullwark of political stability in a changing world. The main objection from farmers is that foreign buyers are paying excessively high prices for the land. That in turn pushes up the value of land owned and prevents young people from entering farming or expanding in the business. What that really means then is that the younger generation of potential farmers would be reduced to nothing more than tenant farmers. Surely, we do not want history to repeat itself in this regard. Some farmers feel that their land is their pension and they would like to be able to sell it for the top dollar, regardless of who will eventually own the land. Their point is well taken if we choose to disregard the future of this country and if our agricultural industry becomes foreign controlled, we find ourselves at the mercy of other countries for the food which we need for our own domestic con­ sumption. Should foreign investment continue to escalate, we could conceivably end up growing crops totally un­ suited to our domestic needs but entirely suitable to foreign interest for their own export purposes, a well known problem which has existed and aggravated conditions in Third World countries. Surely, we have learned a lesson from the energy situation which we find ourselves in today. We are so reliant on the OPEC coun­ tries for oil that we really have very little say in the price or even the assurance that we will continue to get this source of energy which we cannot do without at this particular time. Few people would feel comfortable in arguing that non-nationals should be prohibited absolutely from owning Canadian real estate or farmland but I think much of the concern stems from a lack of knowledge about the extent of foreign ownerships in an area, the source and nature of such large amounts of ready cash, the long term intent of foreign purchases regarding the use of the land and the lack of any effective controls over such pur­ chases. It was with this in mind that I asked the Minister of Agriculture and Food to conduct a survey of foreign investment of Ontario farm­ land. Other jurisdictions have become concerned to the point that Prince Edward Island and the three Prairie Provinces have each taken legislative measures to restrict ownership of farm­ land by non-Canadian residents and last fall the United States Congress passed a law that will force all foreigners to register their land ownership. At least 25 states have enacted constraints of some kind on foreign land holdings. Farmland in Ontario is a prime and limited resource and surely, it is govern­ ment’s responsibility to see that the farming industry does not go the way of other industries Canada. Speaking ownership in general on a national basis, the level of foreign ownership in Canada by 1971 had surpassed that of all of Western Europe combined, including all of Scandinavia, with all of the foreign ownership in Japan thrown in for good measure. In every single year since 1971, the annual growth of foreign ownership in Canada has set new records year after year as it did in 1977, as it did again last year, as it will again this year and again in 1980, not perhaps but for certain. Today non­ Canadians control over 110 billion dollars in Canadian assets at book value. The real market value is of course, very considerably beyond that figure. Today foreigners control 65 percent of all of our combined manufacturing, mining, petroleum and natural gas, 98 percent of our rubber industry, 82 percent of our chemicals, 46 percent of pulp and paper, 61 percent of agricultural machinery, 74 percent of electrical apparatus industry, 59 percent of transportation equipment, 96 percent of the automobile and parts in­ dustry and annually in­ creasing percentage of wholesale and retail business, food processing and agricultural distribution, grain handling, forests products and fishing. Grim as they are, these percentage figures are actuallyunder-estimated. In reality hundreds of im­ portant so called Canadian Corporations are effectively foreign controlled through minority ownership in widely held companies. There is so much talk today about national unity, but how can you possibly have a country if each and every day, you sell off more of your industry, more of your land, more of your resources to the ownership and control of people who live in other countries. I am convinced that we must do things better. I know that we can do things better and I know for certain that if we don’t soon make the necessary changes, then soon we can say goodbye for ever to the dreams and aspirations of so many who have worked for so long and so hard for Canada. We can say goodbye to the dreams of Sir John A. MacDonald and goodbye to the dreams of Laurier, goodbye to the dreams of millions of immigrants and goodbye to the opportunities for children and their children. If we continue “giving away the shop” and giving away the Country, we can say goodbye to the whole idea of Canada. FIRE POSTER WINNERS — The Crediton fire department recently presented trophies to the Stephen Central School winners of the fire prevention poster contest. Winners from the left are Brian Woodburn, Tracey Davis, Scott Miller, Marsha Brand, Grag Becker and Suzanne Finkbeiner. At the back are Stephen Central teacher Jay Skillender and Crediton fireman Doug Lightfoot and chief Charles Browning Jr. T-A photo New swine barn flooring can reduce energy costs A new type of flooring system for swine barns can reduce energy costs and health problems in swine operations, says Garnet Norrish, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food swine specialist. This system, developed in Ontario, combines the old solid concrete floor system with the newer slatted floor. “There have been problems with both of these conventional systems,” says Mr. Norrish. ’’removing manure from solid floor pens is time-consuming hard work. “Slatted floors, although they make manure handling easier, are drafty for the animals. As a result, more energy is required to heat the barn.” The cantilever floor combines the best features of both systems. The front of the stall has a solid concrete floor. The back of the stall has a slatted floor which is suspended over an open gutter. This system makes manure handling simple and inexpensive. Manure falls through the slatted floor into the open gutter. The gutter can be flushed out with water or scraped. ' Gutters can be cleaned easily and quickly using a long scraper designed especially for this flooring system. The scraper, which resembles a long-crooked hockey stick ,is pushed along the edge of the gutter, to scrape under the slatted floor. The only energy required to operate this piece of equipment is a bit of muscle power. The cantilever flooring system also reduces health problems, says Mr. Norrish. Since the front of the pen has a solid floor, the pig can rest comfortably, free from drafts. The slatted floor at the rear of the pen ensures a tidy, dry, disease-free en­ vironment. This type of system can be used for dry sow, farrowing, or weaner areas, says Mr. Norrish. Plan 3801 designed by the Canada Plan Service, supplies detailed con­ struction instructions for cantilever-floored farrowing pens. This plan can be ob­ tained through local offices of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. A l * Don't Miss The Savings SPRING Home-grown vegetables seem to taste extra good. But the work involved with backyard gardening can be extra tough without the proper equipment. And that's where John Deere comes in. John Deere Walk-Behind Tillers are available in compact and heavy-duty models. The 2-hp compact tills a swath 16 inches wide and up to 7Vz inches deep. The heavy-duty 31/2- and 6-hp models have a 13- to 24-inch tilling width and a tilling depth of 7 inches. The compact tiller has a loop handle with full-width control bar that lets you operate the machine from behind or from either side. A unique rear-wheel/depth bar assembly swings down for transport, up for tilling. The heavy-duty models have a reverse gear and a pressure- activated clutch for added safety. John Deere Lawn and Garden Tractors pack the muscle you need for even tougher gardening chores.. Choose a model, 10 to 19.9 horsepower, then add a capacity-matched tiller that tills 22 to 48 inches wide. Visit us soon. We have the equipment you need to make your backyard gardening easier. 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