The Rural Voice, 1977-11, Page 20r•1•1•IN/ •_•MD•111111•MID •MD•GO
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7
grow them in Ontario.
This year, Professor Southwell and his
team are determining the energy costs of
transportation associated with Ontario
agriculture.
Fight at Hanover
saves top farm
The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) has
saved one of the best dairy farms in Grey
County in its recent decision denying the
town of Hanover the right to annex 275
acres southeast of the town says the
Christian Farmers Federation.
Dairy farmer, Orland Magwood, his wife
and son were elated to learn that the OMB
.tad supported them in their fight to save
their century farm. The Magwoods fought
the annexation because it would soon
result in a road through the centre of their
farm, leaving half their land and their farm
buildings inside Hanover. They produce
about 900,000 pounds of fluid milk per
year; enough to supply half the population
of Hanover.
Hanover wanted to annex 275 acres from
Bentinck Township. But the board denied
the annexation request, ruling that the
properties are good agricultural land. The
OMB then directed Hanover to annex
about 200 acres northwest of the town -half
from Brant Township and half from
Bentinck - land not asked for by Hanover.
But the OMB points out that this land is
"not farmed successfully".
The Magwoods were supported in their
appeal by Bentinck Township.
"We were really helped by Elbert van
Donkersgoed, Executive Director of the
Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
I (CFFO)," said the Magwoods when asked
I how they had presented their case to save
c t their farm at the OMB hearings this
summer. "He argued convincingly that
ft once our farm is annexed, it would soon be
h lost to agriculture."
w In its decision, the OMB cites Mr. van
R Donkergoed's evidence, "that once a farm
: operation is within the Town boundaries,
then the farm is outside agriculture. The
-ax market value of developable lands far
h exceeds the farmland values. The farmer
'a soon loses his incentive to improve
'a productivity and make the necessary
h: improvements knowing that the money
ei expended is wasted because of impending
h. urbanization. Herein lies the inevitability
11 after annexation, not before." (emphasis
sr by the OMB).
:a "I have a lot of respect for a farm family
it; willing to put a year's dairy profit on the
Id line in an effort to save the farm from
in urban encroachment," said Elbert van
1-1 Donkersgoed in an interview at the CFFO's
>y office in Drayton. "Agriculture in Ontario
e is in good shape because there are people
tK with the Magwood's kind of commitment to
the industry. They've made it a way of life.
' Annexation would change their land value
.. PG. 20. THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEMBER 19
from the present $1,000 per acre as farm
land to probably about $8,000 per acre as
industrial sites. It takes courage to stick by
your way of life and refuse society's big
speculation dollars."
Mr. van Donkersgoed summarized his
testimony before the OMB as follows. "I
agree that the Ontario Municipal Board
should make its decision on the basis of
good planning. But good planning is not
just planning for urban types of
development. It must also be good
planning for agriculture and for rural types
of developments."
"In this case," argued Mr. van
Donkersgoed, "the proposed planning for
Hanover was obviously bad planning for
agriculture and the agricultural community
in the surrounding area. Therefore the
OMB had to decide what was best for all
concerned, not just Hanover's urbanizing
interests. It concluded rightly that they
could not endorse the destruction of a
significant part of the agricultural
community when the town has other
options.
"I think this decision will be recognized
as a significant precedent," says Mr. van
Donkersgoed. "Those of us in rural
Ontario who want to preserve our food land
can take more encouragement from this
decision than from the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food's Green Paper on
Planning for Agriculture: Food Land
Guidelines (1977). The Green Paper
provided no commitment to preserve food
land. This decision contains a two -fold
commitment.
"The OMB has recognized that good
planning also means planning for
agriculture and that once you annex food
land to an urban municipality it is
inevitably lost to the Agricultural commun-
ity."
Mayor Alan Fisher of Hanover, incensed
by the OMB decision, said legal advice is
being sought on an appeal.
Hydro planning
third line
from Bruce plant
Space has been reserved Int Ontario
Hydro for another high-tension power line
from the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
at Douglas Point to Bradley junction.
Hydro spokesman David Patriquin of
Hydro's route selection committee:
attended the October meeting of tsruce
county council. At present there are three
routes either built or laid out from Bradley,
south through Seaforth to Kitchener, east
through Milton and northeast to Owen
Sound:
Greenock township reeve Wilfred
Houston wanted Mr. Patriquin to tell him
what Hydro's future plans are and where
the new line would go. "What about the
space between the other two lines from
Bradley?" he asked. "Before we have any
77.
Huron County
Farmers!
Invest in your own future.
Become involved in the
Federation of Agriculture.
COME OUT
TO THE MONTHLY
MEETINGS.
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MITCHELL'S
FAMILY MARKET
LONDESBORO, ONTARIO
See us for your
custom cutting,
wrapping and
quick freezing
••••
Beef For
Your Freezer
Grade A
sides, fronts, hinds
••••
Groceries, fresh fruits,
fresh vegetables
Phone -
Blyth 523-4478
Clinton 482-9951