HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1998-12-09, Page 4Page 4 — Lucknow S
�icmel, Wednesday, December 9,
998
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Nicole Gateman, ,5,: enjoyed having- breaktaet
with Santa on Saturday morning; The event
was sponsored • by the Optimist 'Ciub of
Lucknow, , and District with proceeds to the
.CPS: Breakfast Club and aocai• foodbank.
(Helm photo)
Group. will ensure
directives are met
Dear editor:
We read about the ' Ian of Donegan Haulage.to reap-
ply for: a itticence'for Lot,16, Concession's of Kinloss
Ta nship
M? •
Having reviewed the decision of .Mr: T. •Yeo at the
Ontario Municipal Board Hearings •regarding a • previ-
ous application at this site, it is our intention to ensure
that all of Mr". Yen's directives are completely adhered to.
f., regarding: reapplication. ,We believe,it will be clearly
demonstrated that there will be a substantial negative
impact not only' on the proper-
ty in question' but on many . a ,> k»
of the surround properties
and the• sensitive watershed
acid • uniquely beautiful
Dickie Creek.
This area has generated
much 'interest and emotion. since. Donegan's , original
attempt to, reclassify its. licence from :"A -1 -Agriculture,
tilt -Z. -Extractive Industrial and E.P,E Environmental
Protection"", to M2 - Extractive Industrial to permit
extraction of aggregate (granular deposit). This in lay-
man's terms means that: there will be littleor no. enforce-
able environmental protection for. this property. Its: flora
_"and�fauna:and-its abundant supply of clean, .freshwater
that supports the delicate balance of wildlife in this area
.will be in jeopardy.
Vire ask again for support in this matter to help protect
what Dr John Plank, an expert witness at the previous
hearing referred' to as 'the real world" ,and •one we
would like to have Our children enjoy.
Randy and Devera Gray. David and Mary Ford,' Pat
McKillop, Tony'and Diane Wartnaby Ray and Ruth
Buehmcier, representatives of H.E.L.P (Huron Kit loss,
Environmental Land Preservation)
Conference: food for thought
Dear editor:
1 recently, attended a conference titled "The Changing
Face of Agriculture" sponsored by. Catholic Rural Life,
Diocese of London.It was a fascinating and exciting'
' conference with three sections, each of which should be
of interest to our communities.
The first was a talk by Dr. William Heffernen, a 'pro-
fessor of sociology and economics at the University of ,
Missouri -Columbia. Dr. Heffernenprovided an overview
of the ever increasing concentration in the food process-
lug
rocessing sector and the impact of vertical integration on rural
communities and the family farm.
He asked the question "In the past; why did rural farm
communities prosper and rural mine 'communities eco-
notnically wither?" He explained that in a family busi-
ness, like a family farm, the profit equals the return to,
labour, management and capital and it stays inthe local
community: In .a corporation, labour is purchased as
cheaply as possible and the profit is the return to man,
agement and capital and it leaves the com-
munity. . .
His description of what occurs with ver-
deal integration and concentration has par-
ticular relevance to hog farmers today.
When four companies control 40 per cent
or, moreof the market you no longer have
price competition, To use hogs as an exam-
ple: when ,one major buyer stops buying,
this is the signal to the others to exit the
market .as well and let the price plummet t' Nom"
The family farmer takes a beating but. the
vertically integrated operation makes up its ,losses on the
sale. of its live hogs.with the increased margin on its
packed and processed Product. 'It reaps, an additional.
bonanza at the expense of family farmers when their
losses in the live market. become its gain at the packing
plant:
Heffernen : ended by saying that transnational .food
corporations have taken over the control and, regulation;
of the -food system from.national: governments.: In the
U.S„ they .are now saying. they only need • 20 to' 30,000
• farmers to run the globalized industrial load system and •
are talking of how to drive.the remaining 720,00 com,
mercial U.S. farmers from ;agriculture in thenext five to
l p years. He said the faith community must get involved,
• and get consumers involved by helping them understand
that this is,a food issue not just a farm issue, `' •
The second'speaker was 'Dennis :Howlett, director, of
Ten Days for. Global. Justice. He said that the faint crisis
is part of a larger global crisis. We are seeing, an appalling
increase in the concentration of wealth and power and the,
resulting social andd.environmental'damage. But there is
an alternative growingwhich traces' its• roots t � the
rn •, vision ho
biblical concept ofJtrbilee. It is becoming a. global move
ment with Jubilee campaigns,'now in" 40. countries Work
Ing :to cancel the debts of the 50 poorest, countries in the
' world. It is: a recognition. that these countries have
already paid back much more than their original loans
but that the monetarist policies of the Reagan and •
Thatcher governments laid an impossible interest burden
on them, As well, much of this debt was incurred by•
wealthy dictators and elites whereas it is the poor and
middle class of these countries. that are now being
squeezed to repay with disastrous social and environment
results. •
• In. Canada the Jubilee movement is an ,ecumenical
project of a number of churches with a 'three year pro-
The theme for the first year is "Release from
Bondage" and seeks to address the slavery of debt
bondage and sweat shops through the • power of con-
sumers to support ethical production practices in addition
to a petition campaign to cancel third world debts. -
In year two "Redistribution of Wealth" tnternationatly.
and in Canada is the focus: They' will be: addressing
.obscene corporate salaries, raising the minimum wage,,
job creation,'sustaining social. programs
and a progressive .tax system. Howlett
said, "It is' not wrong to have abundance,
ouurcreation is able to sustain life in abun-
dance; what is sinful is .great wealth
where abundance is hoarded by the pow-
erful and stolen from the rest,"
In the third year the theme is "Renewal
of the Earth"which will -look at ways to
deal with global climate, change, pollu-
tion. tion• and renevui our coininunities e
are at a crossroads of suffering and hope.
But as apartheid and slavery were ended so to can this be
done," :'concluded Howlett: "
The ,third part:pf the days program was a panel dis-
cussion on "Biotechnology. The Promise and the Peril.
John Langlois moderated the discussion between .pr.
Gordon Surgeoner, Victor Daniel, • Peter Johnson and
myself. -. .
Views ranged from one holding that biotech is just;
another tool :which Can be used to improve yields •and
performance' to calling it a "Tiitanic" misadventure which .•
will lead to. new diseases and major unforeseen problems;
as have earlier technologies. The need for clear and accu-;
rate labeling was :stressed.:
Victor Daniels said people should write Health
Canada and `their MP demanding that they have labeling.
information` which will adequately inform them:
• Concern was also expressed thin 'with the `growing
concentration in 'the• seed industry and the.:terminator
technology that farmers are loosing genetic diversity in
the agricultural system.
During the panel discussion, McQuail suggested, that
one way to work toward a more localized food system
would be. for churches to help fink hog farmers in their
rural' congregations.with consumers SO That both could'
get a fair price.
,(�T
rp
Tony. McQuail
ani Lard's Prayer kepi scoo1
10 years ago
Dec. 7, 1988, '
eep Lord's
prayer - A
United Church
• congregation in Lueknow
has formally requested;-
that the Huron • County
Board of Education keep
the Lord's•Prayer in the
classroom.
The Church's action
came as a result of a con.
troversial court ruling
which stated the promi-
nence of one prayer, such
as • the Lord's Prayer, in ;
schools, discriminates
against non-Christian
students.
20 years ago
Dec, 6.;1978
ire destroys bairn':
Fire caused by
lightning com-
pletely destroyed a barn
owned by Gordon
Anderson of Ashfield
Township on Sunday
night about 6 P.M.:
Firefighters answered
a calf to burning shed in
• Whitechurch,which was
threatening the
Presbyterian Church.
Delegates Clete
Dalton, Mer1�e Gunby,
Torry McQuatl and Peter-
Chandler were delegates
to the. annual ;convention
of the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture in
Hamilton:
Royal winner - Huh
Todd, St. Helens Farms
received: the Fed
Hampton trophy for
Champion Wether Lamb
at the Royal Agricultural
Fair in Toronte. '