The Citizen, 1990-06-13, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1990.
Riddell says agricultural ambassador needed
Continued from page 1
province deserve more attention at
Queen’s Park. He said it was hard
to get attention for the agriculture
ministry from a government that
was predominantly concerned with
urban and greater Toronto issues.
Riddell wouldn’t comment on the
performance of his ministry suc
cessor, David Ramsay. He sug
gested he would have a better idea
after the minister’s agricultural
strategy was announced Tuesday.
“It's a question you would have
to ask the farmers,’’ said Riddell.
Riddell said future decisions on
GATT and Free Trade are going to
have a profound effect on the
Ontario farm industry. He said a
five-year commitment is needed to
offer some direction to farmers. “I
hope we will see that in Mr.
Ramsay’s strategy,’’ he said.
Riddell said that while he had no
idea who would step up as Huron’s
next provincial Liberal candidate,
he was sure there would be a
strong showing of nomirees.
Riddell did suggest he would
discuss with Premier Peterson an
idea he has that Ontario needs an
“agricultural ambassador’’ to
smooth over the introduction of
Free Trade with the United States.
“The Americans don’t fully
understand what our marketing
boards are all about," said Riddeli,
noting that the boards are gener
ally perceived as some kind of
subsidy south of the border. A lack
of interest and ignorance regarding
the Canadian agricultural industry
characterizes the U.S. approach to
Free Trade, he argued.
Farm chemicals
pose danger
BY LISA HARWOOD
CO-ORDINATOR, GROWER
PESTICIDE SAFETY COURSE
OMAF, GUELPH
I grew up on a tobacco farm.
Midsummer weather often called
for an insecticide application to
control the growing aphid popula
tion.
The sprayer would be pulled up
to the pumphouse - the one water
source for family and farm needs.
For convenience, the most fre
quently used pesticides were stor
ed on shelves within the pump
house. It made sense - fewer steps,
more efficient.
I would watch my dad mix up the
load after a glance at the label. The
extent of protective clothing and
equipment worn was whatever he
happened to be wearing that day.
Lunch was limed to allow for a
refill of the tank. We watched the
tank, often forgetting and allowing
the water to sp’ll over. Often we
would play in the puddle until it
seeped into the soil around the
well. At the end of the spray day,
clothes were removed and thrown
into a bin with other clothing. No
special precautions were taken to
keep pesticide-contaminated cloth
ing separate.
Twenty years later this same
scenario, or parts of it, are viewed
by more farm kids than we would
care to admit. Take a step bafk
from your farm and reflect on the
past spray season.
Were you as careful as possible
with pesticides for the sake of your
health and your family's? Was your
storage area locked, and were
children kept away from the spray
operation? Did you properly dis
pose of empty containers, not
allowing them to become play
objects? Most parents take the time
to teach their children about the
dangers of medicines, but how
many teach their children about
pesticides?
Clearly, the farm community
wants to learn more about pesti
cides. This is evident from the
tremendous response to the mini
stry’s Grower Pesticide Courses.
“They don’t care if they disrupt
the whole agricultural industry
with their products," claimed
Riddell. “They just want access to
our markets.”
When speaking of his idea for an
“ambassador” to enlighten the
Americans, Riddell said he would
“bounce it off the Premier". He
did not say if he was interested in
the job himself.
Riddell claims he is not privy to
any information on when the next
election would come and thus end
his political career, but he suggests
the possible resolution of the
Meech Lake crisis will leave the
Premier time to dwell more on
provincial matters.
“I don’t know what I would
rather have done than served in the
political arena," observed Riddell,
but said it was time to spend more
time travelling, reading, and with
his. family. He said he was planning
to “slow down a bit” and would
relish not having to face the weekly
commute to Toronto.
“All things considered, I believe
it’s time to get out of politics," he
said. Riddell suggested he might
have been running again in the
next election if he had still been
Minister of Agriculture, but “it
was easier after the Premier made
his move.”
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