HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-10-15, Page 1hano studoot,..1Vor
A young university student from, Ghana is Ghana has large government 'farms which
spending five' months on Ontario farms as, use advanced teehnology but servicing the
part of an exehange with Canadian Cross- equipment on these farms is not easy
roads international through the Ontario because parts are not readily available. T9
Federation of Agricultnre. get, parts, the Ohana govertirnent,MuSt work
Gliana7 A-bolany major; he-is-interested-in_hd_watits_withott.t4mying_it As icing_as, nQ
farmers to store their crops.. He would, like to begin to Crop it 'provided he has the Man
Work with the ministry of agriculture in his power and the time to work additional land.
own country when he finished his thesis.
He is currently spending two weeks with Canadian CrOSsroads international is a
Merle and $heila GlmbY on their Ashfield non-Profit Organization which sends young
farm; men and . Women to Work in ,Third World
Countries, In recent years the organization
Farming methods in Canada are very h'as been sending people from the Third
clifferent from those in Ghana,' Michael's Wotld Countries to work and gain exper-
father has 10 acres of land where he farms ience TheY work in agriculture,
millet, rice, peanuts and garden vegetables.
His livestock consists of between six and Th eight cows. Michael's older brother helps his "b7
father with the farm.,They grow vegetables
during the dry seasormsing dams for irriga
tort and their , other crops. during the rainy
season froin mid-May to November. They
work the land with hand tools and oxen.
Michael hopes to visit an Amish farmer
while he is in this area to see how their
methods compare to those used by his.
father. 24 PAGE
community and social work and on construe,'
tion projects,
Michael observes that many Canadians
are not interested in what is happening in
Third World Countries whereas the youth of
• . , • ' •
involvement befween " wearthritationrmand
Third World countries, but he wants wealthy
nations to stop interfering in the politics of
Third. World countries, The involvement of
some nations with Third World countries is
an ongoing process to disrupt the govern-
ment, exploit the resources, Manipulate the
people and create chaos in the Third World
nation, These nations want Third World
countries to be their perpetual appendages,
he` says.. Michael Abity
the capital Of Upper Region in Ghana, is from a Canadian, comy, out A •
• associating ,i wth the ywuth of ail
. Michael would like to, see an' open
the storage • methods used.by Ontario w one else is orkirig the land, a farmer can
preparing his thesis at the Univerist§ of Michael's father can farm as much land as countries,
Michael Abity of Bawku near I3olgatanga, through the Canadian,consul to order parts Ghana, 'he says, are interested in reaching
pan
Horon..fede::totion..ineefs.. with ageietature minister
A delegation from tlie Huron Federation
of Agriculture met with Ontario's minister of
agriculture, Lorne Henderson, Thursday in
Toronto to demand a freeze on the purchase
of Ontario farm land, by, absentee faeign
--buyer& The delegation,_whiclimas accom-
panied by Ontario Federation of Agriculture
president, Ralph Barrie, called• for legisla.
tion to prevent foreign investors from buying
up. Ontario farm land. They told Henderson
if he was not prepared to place such
legislation before the legislature, they
wanted an immediate freeze on the purchase
of Ontario farm land by' foreign interests.,
Huron County representatives included
Grant Curran, vice-piesident of the Ashfield
Federation of Agriculture; John Van Beers,
regional director for Huron East Central;
Rob Robinson, president of the McKillop
Federation of Agriculture and Merle GUnby,
president 'of the Huron Federation of
Agriculture.
Henderson, told ,the delegation "his hands
were tied" because he cannot act until a bill,
now before the house, is passed. This bill.
would .require absentee foreign owners to
register with•the governMent and companies
with off-shore interests purchasing farm
land in the province to declare themselves.
The bill would only be in effect for one year,
however.
The, minister did suggest that the Huron
Federation approach their county council to
requesi the govermilent to-pasi- a hilt placing
a freeze on the purchase of farmland in the
county by foreign absentee owners. Since
the-bill would-only-pro led-Huron County-and
not the . entire province, the federation
representatives decided against this action.
Following their meeting with Henderson,
the Huron delegation met with Jack Riddell,
Huron MPP and Liberal agriculture critic in
the legislature and Murray Gaunt, MPP for
Huron-Bruce. They also met with the New
Democratic Party's. agriculture critic, Donald.
MacDonald. •
Riddell and Gaunt told the delegation the
minister is not preventeil from taking action
by the bill now before the legislature. It is
very simple they said, to attach an amend-
ment to the bill placing a freeze on the
purchase of Ontario farm land by foreign
non-resident interests for the time period
covered by the bill.
Huron Federation of Agriculture presid-
ent Merle Gunby, said there are tenative
plans to take .a resolution to the Ontario
Federition of Agriculture asking the OFA to
request dfreeze on the sale of Ontario farm
land to foreign absentee owners, The Huron
federation hopes the clout of a resolution
from the provincial organization may have a
greater effect on the minister.
Gutiby said the Ontario agriculture min- ,
ister finally admitted at the Thursday
meeting, there is a problem with foreign
absentee ownership in Huron County at
least. Last month, the Huron Federation
called for the resignation of the minister
unless he took immediate action to curb the
sale of Ontario's farm land to foreign
absentee interests.
Henderson's response to the call for his
resignation Was to quote yet again the
results of a ministry of agriculture study
which says land belonging to foreign
absentee owners in the province is less than
one per cent. He did invite representatives
of the Huron Federation to meet with him
which brought about Thursday's meeting.
The federation was prompted to renewed
action following the sale of over 1,000 acres
of farm land in McKiliop Townihip to
foreign absentee interests 'during the
summer. Another. 500 to 800 acres of
Car hits 'boy
-on bicycle
A West Wawanosh youth was injured
Saturday morning when a car struck the
bicycle he was riding on Huron County Road
1 just south of concession 2, < West
Wawanosh. Paul Pentland, 13, is in satisfac-
tory condition in St. Joseph's Hospital,
London following the mishap which occurred
on Saturday morning about 7.30 a.m.
Paul was riding his bicycle along the
shoulder of the road when he was struck
from behind by a car driven by Claude
Daoust of Dungannon. Goderich detachment
of the Ontario Provincial Police investigated.
Autumn is a time for long walks through the trees amid coloured leaves; a• time for reflection
and a time for looking ahead to new beginnings. Summer takes its last breaths in days of
Indian summer and early morning frost warns of the 'winter to come. IN a time to pause after
the busy seasons of spring and summer and a time of preparation for the new seasons ahead.
[Sentinel Staff Photo]
McKillop farm land is a prospective
purchase by foreign absentee owners at this
time. In Colborne Township considerable
acreage 'was sold over the summer to the
same type of buyers.
The Huron Federation of. Agriculture has
been working closely with the Rural
Development. Outreach Project, University
of Guelph (RDOP), in studying foreign
ownership. The RDOP is presently involved
in the second phase of the study, looking at
the effect of foreign ownership on com-
munities..
The first phase of the project was
completed and presented to, federation
Turn' to page 2*
Three
injurer
in accident
Two Ashfield men are in hospital fol-
lowing a two car collision in Ashfield
Township Saturday afternoon.
Peter Hendricks, 18, of Ashfield Town-
ship, driver of one car, is in critical condition
at Victoria Hospital, London. Morris Milten-
burg, 19, also of Ashfield Township, driver
of the second car, is in satisfactory condition .
at St. Joseph's Hospital in London. A
passenger in the Hendricks ear, Kim
Shewfelt, 16, of Goderich was treated at
Wingham and District Hospital and has been
released.
The accident occurred at the corner of
concession 6 .! 7 and the Ashfield Township
Division Line about 4 part. Saturday
afternoon,
The Goderich detachment of the Ontario
Provincial Police are investigating.