The Rural Voice, 1990-04, Page 94GREY
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
519-364-3050
• The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey
County Farmers by the GCFA.
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
SEVERANCES:
YES OR NO?
A resolution brought forward at the
Grey federation's annual meeting
prompted the federation to become in-
volved in the severances and planning
issue in Grey County.
The directors had hoped to hold a
public debate on the issue, but County
Council officials declined the invitation
because an environmental assessment
hearing was already taking place in the
county.
Instead of a public debate, the Grey
federation hosted a day for accepting
briefs from groups and individuals.
Members of the executive heard presen-
tations from some 20 people and re-
ceived another 10 briefs by mail.
The task before the Grey federation
now is to review the briefs and put
together a formal paper to be presented
to County Council's Planning Approval
Committee. It is hoped that possibly a
new policy can be drafted and this issue
can be settled.
Views presented ranged from a ten-
dency to support wide-open severances
to support for controlled and restricted
severances. Those who want sever-
ances controlled feel that there is still a
place and a future for farming in Grey
County and that farm land should not be
severed for what they see as a short-term
gain.
On the other side there is a view that
a severance or two on a rough comer of
the farm can be the difference between a
farm's survival and its failure. As well,
those in favour of severances feel that a
landowner should be able to do with his
land what he likes, and they look at a
severance as a retirement or pension
fund.
Considerable support was also
shown for the local elected politicians.
Although some of their decisions may
be questionable, it was felt that local
people were best able to make decisions
regarding local issues, rather than an
outside party.
The implementation of right to farm
legislation received considerable sup-
port. With a growing number of non -
90 THE RURAL VOICE
ATTENTION FARMERS
One of our members has been ordered by the Ministry of the Environment to clean up
a farm dumpsite — at the farmer's expense.
The order was made under Section 39 of the Environment Act, which states, "No person
shall deposit waste upon, in, into, or through any land or land covered by water or in any
building that is not a waste disposal site for which a certificate of approval or provisional
certificate of approval has been issued, except in accordance with the terms and conditions
of such certificate."
Please be advised, if you have a farm dumpsite, that you could be in contravention of the
Environment Act.0
BILL 83 — FARM PRACTICES PROTECTION ACT
Farmers, under Bill 83, are protected from nuisance lawsuits over noise, odor, or dust
caused by normal farm practices. The Farm Practices Protection Board will hear complaints
by individuals. If a nuisance is shown to result from a normal farming practice, the board
will dismiss the complaint. If the board finds that the practice is not proper, it may issue an
order requiring a farmer to cease or modify the practice.
Members of the board are: Robert Waters, chairman, Strathroy; Dorothy Middleton,
vice-chairman, Crysler; William Anderson, Thamesville; Roger Beaudry, Verner; Harry
Bootsma, Brantford; Yollande Laviolette, Foumier; and Warren Wiley, St. Catharines.0
farm neighbours, there is an increasing
risk of having your operation shut down.
If farmers are to survive, they must have
protection from neighbours complain-
ing about odour, noise, and dust, par-
ticularly if the farming operation was in
existence before the non-farm neigh-
bours arrived and built their houses.
Other issues to be dealt with when
putting together a plan are: what is good
farm land? should rough and wet land be
preserved? what risk will severances
have on the environment? can agricul-
ture be maintained in Grey County?
For the next few weeks the Grey
federation will be analyzing these briefs
and trying to draw some conclusions
that will not only benefit the local agri-
cultural industry, but also help county
officials come to some sort of solution to
the land severance issue that will be in
the best interest of all concemed.0
The Grey County Federation of
Agriculture will be celebrating its
50th anniversary this year. A spe-
cial committee has been set up to
plan the celebration, which will be
taking place in July.
George Black
2nd Vice -President
PUBLIC SPEAKING WINNERS
The Grey County Federation of Agriculture crowned the winners of its 45th annual
public speaking competition on February 27 at St. Peter's Family Centre in Durham.
Winners in the junior division (Grades 4 to 6) were: 1st — Alan Reif, St. Vincent-
Euphrasia School; 2nd — Sarah Byrne, St. B as ils, Owen Sound; 3rd — Joy Leith, Egremont
Community School. Senior division (Grades 7 and 8): 1st — Emily Glasspoll, Beavercrest
School, Markdale; 2nd—Michelle Simpson, St. Basils, Owen Sound; 3rd — Trish Unruh,
Sullivan Central, Desboro.
The first -place winners will be invited to give their winning speech at the Grey
Federation of Agriculture's annual Meet the Members Meeting.0
GREY COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
ANNUAL MEET THE MEMBERS DINNER AND TOMMY COOPER AWARD
Saturday, April 14,1990
Annesley United Church, MARKDALE
Dinner 12 noon Tickets $10 per person