HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-12-28, Page 1511Ne+nasy, December 28, 1978-44010 13
November December
Agriculture - a branch plant industry
If foreign ownership of
farmland in Ontario is allow-
ed to continue without con-
trols provided by provincial
legislation, agriculture is on
its way to becoming a branch
plant industry, says Ashfield
farmer, Merle Gunby, pres-
ident of the Huron Federa-
tion of Agriculture.
"It may tie in that foreign
ownership is a reflection of
the Canadian philosophy to
import industry rather than
develop it here," says Gun -
by. "Canada has sold off her
resources to make a fast buck
and then imported the finish-
ed product. The result is a
branch plant economy. Now
they're trying to do the same
thing with agriculture."
In Ashfield Township,
close to 1,600 acres of farm-
land is owned by a German
chemical company. The com-
pany is owned by a wealthy
German family who wants a
place to invest their money.
The first two miles east of
Kingsbridge, along the sixth
and seventh concessions of
Ashfield, was once a thriving
community of family farms
but it, is now a stretch of
neglected property.
Barns show gaping holes,
because rotten boards have
not been replaced; houses
and barns need freshening
with a new coat of paint;
lawns and gardens are patch-
es of weeds and at one farm a-
huge pit . silo has been
allowed to grow over.
Farmers in Ashfield are
concerned about absentee
owners who invest their
money in farmland and lease
it back to farmers who live in
the area. They do not live on
the land or farm it themselv-
es, and as .a result, they take
no interest in the upkeep of
the property. Buildings stand
empty and deteriorate and
the productivity of the land
decreases because of poor
drainage.
The property and assess-
ment committee of the Ont-
ario Federation of Agricul-
ture has set up an action
committee, to present a brief
background on the subject of
non-resident foreign owner-
ship, at the federation's
annual convention this
month.
Man found dead in bush
A Lucknow man was re-
ported missing and later
found dead in a wooded area
on the 12th concession of
Kinloss Township last Thurs-
day morning.
John Wraith, 69, an avid
hunter, had gone hunting in
a wooded area on the farms
of Glen Haldenby and Jack
Barr on Wednesday. When
he did not return home, his
wife phoned the Haldenby
farm to ask if his truck was
still parked at the back of
their farm. Mrs. Wraith and
her son, Rod, from Wingham
went out to the Haldenby
farm around 9 p.m. because
the truck was still there and
Mr. Wr,aith had still hot
returned.
Mr. Haldenby and a neigh-
bour, Don MacEwan, organ-
ized a search by neighbours
and Mr. Wraith was reported
missing to the Ontario Prov-
incial Police in Kincardine,
who later joined the search.
A search dog arrived after
midnight and the search
Todds win
Premier Sheep
Breeder again
St. Helens Farms took the
Premier Sheep Breeder and
Premier Sheep Exhibitor
Banners at the Royal Agri-
cultural Winter Fair in Tor-
onto for the second year in a
row.
Hugh and Wayne Todd, R.
2 Lucknow, won various
trophies and championships
during the event.
They received the Royal
Bank Award and the Fred
Hampton Trophy for Cham-
pion Market Lamb. For
breeding stock showing
Southdowns, they took first
and second for yearling
rams; second and third for
yearling ' ewes; second and
fourth for ram lambs; first
Kinahan
elected
chairman
Bill Kinahan, R. 2 Luck -
now, was elected chairman of
the Huron -Perth Roman Ca-
tholic Separate School Board
at their inaugural meeting in
Dublin, 'Monday night.
Kinahan was vice-chair-
man of the board last year
and has served on the board
for 4 years. Ron Marcy of
Stratford was electedvice-
chairman.
and second for ewe lambs as
well I as the Breeder and
Exhibitor 'ribbons.
They also took a first for
three lambs get of sire and a
first for four sheep in flock.
Kingsbridge
gets grant
St. Joseph's School,
Kingsbridge, has received a
$10,000 community school
grant from the Ministry of
Education to further the use
of the school in the com-
munity.
The grant will help the
school develop further in re-
creational, cultural and edu-
cational activities. It will en-
courage frequent access to
the school And help the
school meet the ' needs of
people in the community.
Fire destroys,
barn
Lucknow District Firemen'
answered three calls in rapid
succession, in the past two
days.
Fire caused, by lightning '
completely destroyed a barn
owned by .Gordon Anderson
of Ashfield. Township, on
Sunday evening around 6
p.m.
continued through the night.
The dog located the body
on Thursday morning at
8.10, about a mile from Mr.
Wraith's truck.
An autopsy showed Mr.
Wraith died of heart failure
after suffering .a broken, hip
and ribs in a fall.
He is survived by his wife,
Fanny, and two sons, Rod,
Wingham and Eldon, Sarnia..;
The funeral was held 'Sun-
day from the MacKenzie and
McCreath Funeral Home.
Bruce
.education
conference
The conference, Education
in Bruce '78 and Beyond,
sponsored by the Bruce
County Board of Education,
was a two way opportunity
for the public and the board
to hear each other.
The Board presented infor-
mation in four clinics and the
public gave back their reac-
tion.
Approximately 310 educa-
tors, representatives of var-
ious community organiza-
tions, students, parents and
interested citizens attended
the day long conference held
at Walkerton District Sec-
ondary School on Saturday.
The OFA action is based
on increasing concern about
higher land prices, the lower-
ing of interest in the social
structure of the community
and non-resident foreign in-
vestors gaining on the lower
value of the Canadian dollar.
Corporate investors com-
peting for.farmland drives up
the price of the land and
large blocks of land bought
up by absentee -landowners -
causes disintegration of the
community and allows deter-
ioration of the farm buldings.
The OFA concern about
non-resident ownership orig-
inated in. Huron County
where Turnberry and Ash-
field Townships have large
blocks of land owned by
non-residents who invest
their money in farmland.
Vincent Austin of Kings-
bridge, who once owned one
of the farms on the 6th
concession, wants govern-
mental legislation, to prevent
anyone from buying farm-
land, unless they plan to live
on the land and farm it.
Should absentee owners be
allowed to continue buying
up farmland, he worries
there will be no good farm-
land left in the township for
Incumbent
reeves
returned
Reeve GeorgeJoyntof
Lucknow and Reeve Warren
Zinn of Ashfield were re-
turned in Monday's municip-
al election. Joynt defeated
councillor William (Bud)
Hamilton and Zinn won over
former deputy -reeve Finlay
MacDonald.
In West Wawanosh Jim
Aitchison, Marybelle Cran-
ston, J. D. Durnin and Joe
Hickey won council seats.
Carl Seeger was defeated.
Cranston and Hickey were
incumbents and Aitchison
and Durnin have served on
council previously.
There was a 65 per cent
voter turnout in Lucknow
where Joynt took 379 votes to
Hamilton's 274, a majority of
105,
In Ashfield Zinn's margin
was 194 taking 529 votes to
MacDonald's 335..
Johnston Bros.
(Bothwell Ltd.)
• Dungannon, Ontario
New Gravel Prices
° - Cash & Carry
Effective immediately
Fill
Stone' Dust
Sand
Crushed Gravel
Cement Gravel
Drainage Stone
Oversize Stone
Pit Run Gravel
Vpitui b#1110 ,
Ton
. 15c
.95c
.90c
. 95c
• .95c
1.75
. 95c
. 40c
Dungannon Pits Only
'524=7947
sons in the community to
buy, when they start fann-
ing.
He wonders what will
happen to villages like Luck -
now and Kingsbridge, if it
continues, because there will
be no people on the farms to
support the villages.
Productivity on this land is
not as high as it should be,
says Austin, because these
owners do not drain the land
and on one farm in the area,
owned by a German investor,
the crop of corn is not worth
taking off, because it is so
wet.
Austin wants provincial
controls like those in other
Canadian provinces. In Man-
itoba and Prince Edward
Island, a non-resident owner
cannot own more than 20
acres. In Saskatchewan, a
non-farm corporation cannot
own more than 160 acres and
if it does, the company must
sell the acreage exceeding
the limit.
Hoping you and your loved
_. ones_wi1Lhe_.snowed _wnder
with peace and prosperity!
Lots of good luck and thanks.
Char -Man's Work Clothing
LUCKNOW
investment
Opportunity
Lucknow Co-op Members
Special
Member Loans
For new projects
5 year member lean 91/2% .mswaliy
10 year uuu.b.r lo.. 10% Genially
15 year member leans 101/2% ',ea
20 'year member h . 11% wee*
Information available from yo.r
directors or Coop office
I .. ... Apr I I . -O ... 0. ♦. ...... .r S ,.
Lucknow District Co=op,
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