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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-06-13, Page 4made this past winter. • ' ' • ' 1 [Sentinel Staff Photo) See Our Line Up Of Gift Ideas for Father's Day We Have Gifts That Will Last and Last 8 Track A.M.F.M. Component Set 89.95 Fans a Bug Killers - Radios - Stereos Air Conditioners - Fishing Tackle - Portable T.V.'s Flashlights and Lanterns Electric Razors And Many More Greer T.V. & Electric LUCKNOW • PH -ONE 528-3112 Page 4—Lochnow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 13, 1979 igtry won't stop• absentee ownership. Foreign ownership of farmland in Huron County has gone up about 65 percent in two years, but it still represents less than half of one perebnt of the total acreage in the county, an Ontario agriculture • ministry survey found. Agriculture Minister William Newman on Monday. said he ,doesn't see any reason, based on ,the statistics, to take action to halt the spread of foreign ownership of farmland. He 1said the ministry will continue to keep an eye on the situation. Newman was questioned about the Survey in the legislature by Liberal agriculture critic Jack Riddell, .who asked for an update on • statistics on foreign ownership of farmland in Southwestern Ontario. He asked how the statistics were gathered and, said the information he has been getting from his area is that foreign in- terests are buying up - large tracts -of land. The amount 'of foreign ownership in Kent County has declined from 197.6 to 1978, said Newnan, and while the acreage under foreign ownership has increased in Huron, 'it's less than half of one percent of all the land in Huron County.'! Newman said the in- , formation `was gathered by checking the farm tax reduction rolls for resident addresses outside the country, and registry offices for transfers, numbered companies and part- nerships. Contact was also made with the ministry's regional agricultural represen- tatives, he said. Outside the legislature, • Newman said that of the half -million acres in Kent County, 6,045 acres were In foreign hands in 1976 and that has dropped to 4,483. in 1978. He said be didn't know the reasons for the drop in foreign ownership. In Huron County, the acreage owned by foreigners in 1976 was 2,423 and in 1978 was 3,989 out of a total acreage, of About 841,000. • In .Huron Township in Bruce County, Newman said' his ministry found that -three part elS-01 land totalling 300 acres had been bought by a West Gernian. Newman said his statistics on Huron Township ,weren't complete so he didn't know when the sale of that land occurred. Newman added that the statistics on foreign ownership are based 'on owners who have foreign addresses. He said a few of , those owners may actually be Canadians, living abroad. Newman said his ministry • couldn't sub- stantiate Riddell's statement, made earlier' this year, that -foreign investors were .putting millions of dollars in Huron banks to, buy farmland. The minister said. the ' land that is being pur- chased • in Huron County seems to be going at the - average price of about $1,100 an acre, so it shouldn't be distorting ., the land market in the area. • F'orei1gn buyers would have to pay an additional 20 percent in land tran- sfer tax, he said, and that is -the reason the tax is in place. were especially popular with the vendors themselves. Judy aho sold quilted pillows she • I ocal trustee angry over book BY JEW. SEDDON The Huron County board'of education stood its ground Monday afternoon telling the Concerned'Citizen's Group of Huron County English literature texts had been approved according to board policy and that was that. In a clash with about 1,5 members oldie group trustees defended board procedures used to approve a list of 22 English books and told the patents no changes would be made to the list. • • Not only did the board refuse to alter its decision on the books it told the group. nothing could be gained by sitting down to discuss the controversy and unanimously - chose not to have a special meeting with the group, The board's approval of thelist_ of books was sandwiched between a brief presented y ** the citizen's group expressing • its dissatisfaction' of the board's handling of t issue and IS minute question period sifter the board meeting. The presentation of the brief went smoothly but the question period turned into an angry exchange between parents and trustees. The brief, presented by Burt Grekdanus, told the'board the parents. were Concerned with the morals and ethics in the school system. The parents felt little had been done about complaints made to the board arid that the new board policy used to approve textbooks shifted responsibility. 1 The brief was presented at the outset of the board session and board chairman John Elliott -urged any trustees with anything to say to the concerned group say it. Elliott reminded the board that it would be voting •on approval of the texts during the meeting •and this would be the only opportunity trustees _would have to discuss the issue with the parents prior to that vote. Trustees remained silent. No one asked Oreidanus to expand on the views of the , concerned, parents and one made any attempt to support or oppose the views of the parents. Despite its unified stand in support of its policy after the meeting some trustees were unhappy about the manner in which they were being asked to vote on the textbooks. When it came time to votenn the novels some trusteesfelt the board_had not had enough time to check out the hovels. Wingham trustee Bert Morin told the board trustees had had ample time to sit down with teachers and review the books but added that because trdstees had not understood the policy the Matter could be tabled until the board's August meeting. Goderich trustee Dorothy Wallace said she could stipport a motion to table the books if trustees would give her a guar, antee they would read all the books, anyone thinks going to sit dOwn • and read 22 books between now and next month you can forget it," said separate Turn tAipage 7 ! • • 4, • Two market vendors were selling home bidsing made with health foods at the Farmers ' Market on Saturday moridng.:Judy Thompson, above, ,was rhubarb:ple and sticky • buns aintSid Duggan sold coffee cake, bread and cinnamon loaves. squares .1 • • 1 1