HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-08-30, Page 36Carol Mitchell delivered the good
news to the farmers of Ontario from
a farm near Wingham that the
Ontario government is supporting
them with a three-year pilot Risk
Management Program.
The program will begin with the
2007 crop year. The paperwork
should be ready for farmers to apply
in September and they must enroll
for the full three years, but their
premiums will be waived for the first
year.
The program is set up to benefit
Ontario’s 25,000 grain and oilseed
farmers, a market that is valued at
around $1.7 billion in Ontario alone.
Mitchell said she wanted to avoid
confusion and to make the
announcement as direct as possible.
While Mitchell says this pilot
program is a big step for rural
Ontario, there is still more work to
be done. She said that Ontario has
brought their 40 per cent to the table
and now the task ahead of them is to
get the federal government to bring
their 60 per cent to the table as well.
Mitchell said that of course the
program will need some fine-tuning,
but that a lot of the leg work has
been done already by Farmers Feed
Cities, for which she thanked those
in attendance.
“The Risk Management Program
has been made possible by the hard
work from both the government and
the agricultural sector in Ontario,”
Mitchell said.
“Farmers are the backbone of our
rural communities and we’re
standing behind them so they can
succeed in international markets and
continue to strengthen our economy
and build opportunity in rural
Ontario.”
Mitchell said there will be hurdles
along the way to getting the federal
government on board, but that she’sdedicated to keeping theconversation going.After being asked what thefarmers can do to support theprogram at the federal level,
Mitchell told them to keep having
the conversation.
“When you went down to Queen’s
Park, you said you came for aconversation, so keep having theconversation. It’s a conversation thatI keep having,” she said.She said that right now there aretoo many interests in play and that
regional programs need to be
constructed before a federal program
can be adopted.
However, Mitchell said, with theuncertainty of imported products asof late and the number of ineffectiveimported products reachingCanadian tables, now is the time forCanadian products to take charge.
“People will be thinking about
that. More people are reading labels
now than ever and now more than
ever people are wanting to buylocal,” she said.Mitchell said that Premier DaltonMcGuinty is “pumped”. Mitchelladded that she is impressed with theeffort of Toronto and the results she
has seen. She adds, “and it takes a lot
to impress me. I’ve been in politics
for a long time, so it takes a lot.”
Babies under one month old are at
a higher risk than older babies of
dying from SIDS (Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome) when they are in a
seated position.
A new Canadian study suggests
that babies less than a month old
were almost four times as likely to
die suddenly while seated compared
with older babies. It had previously
been thought that only babies born
prematurely were at higher risk of
sudden or unexplained death.
The study was recently published
in the British journal Archives of the
Diseases of Childhood.
Parents are warned to be careful
when placing younger infants in car
seats or other sitting devices such as
bouncer chairs. “The seat should be
reclined to decrease the chance of a
baby’s head falling forward” says
Josée Cayer, public health nurse at
the Huron County Health Unit.
She also suggests limiting the time
babies spend in a sitting position.
Experts don’t know how long is too
long but other studies show a baby’s
level of oxygen can drop after one
hour in a sitting position. There is
particular concern if the baby’s head
droops forward.
Infants should also never be left in
an infant car seat when adults are out
of the vehicle. The car seat should
not be used as a crib because it
doesn’t meet a crib’s safety
requirements. The purpose of an
infant car seat is to protect the child
in a motor vehicle collision and
should not be used as a sitting device
in the home.
If you have questions about car
seat safety, call the Huron County
Health Unit’s Car Seat Help Line at
519-482-3416 or toll-free 1-877-
837-6143.
FARM SAFETY FACT
Did you know?
(NC) – Animal related incidents
are responsible for one in five
injuries on Canadian farms.
Canadian Agricultural Injury
Surveillance Program.
– News Canada
PAGE 36. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2007.
Big news
Huron/Bruce MPP Carol
Mitchell came bearing big news
over the weekend at a farm just
north of Wingham when she
invited people to celebrate the
Ontario government’s commit-
ment to a Risk Management
Program for Ontario farmers.
While it is still a pilot program
and there is a lot of work left to
be done at the federal level,
Mitchell said this was a great
day for farmers and one that
had been a long time in the
making. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
SIDS linked to babies in seated position
Mitchell delivers good news for farmers
Notice to all
Bused Students
from
1. THE BUS DRIVER IS ALWAYS IN CHARGE!
2. Arrive at your pick up point on time. Bus scheduling is such
that the drivers cannot wait for pupils who are late.
3. Take your seat as directed by the driver and remain in your
seat throughout the trip.
4. You must follow the driver’s directions the first time they are
given.
5. The aisle, front door, and emergency door must be kept clear
at all times.
6. Unnecessary disturbances (opening of windows, wrestling,
eating, smoking, obscene language or any other form of misbe-
havior) will not be tolerated at any time.
7. Stay seated at all times, keeping your hands, feet and nasty
or abusive comments to yourself.
8. Keep the noise level down to a level where the driver can
hear his/her two way radio.
9. Never leave the bus at any stop other than that predeter-
mined by school or parental permission.
10. Riding a school bus is a privilege! This privilege can be with-
drawn.
The Main Rules of the Bus:
NOTE TO ALL DRIVERS:
When you meet a stopped school bus that has its red signal-lights flashing and stop
arm extended, you MUST stop 20 metres before reaching the school bus, and shall
not proceed until the school bus moves or the signal-lights have stopped flashing.
THAT’S THE LAW!
Also, when you are following a school bus that is approaching a railway crossing, the
bus is required by law to STOP. Be prepared.
Remember, by slowing down and STOPPING, you could save the life of someone you
love or the life that someone else loves. What cost do you put on a late arrival to
work?
Gordon T. Montgomery Limited
Serving Your Community with a Full Line of School and Chartered Buses
Lucknow 519-528-2813 Toll Free 1-800-567-2012
STOP
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen