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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-08-01, Page 8, 1 •:; • .4 01 Page- 13-,44elxiow Sentinel, Wednesday, August 1, 1979 Ashfield federation d Clete Dalton elected resident The annual meeting and election of officers was held on July 26th at St. Joseph's School, Kingsbridge with about 90 people in atten- dance. The minutes of the last annual meeting and bpn- quet were read by the sec- retary. Tinie Logtenberg and adopted by Larry Pentland and seconded by Grant Cur- ran. The financial report. was given and adopted on a ' motion by Jim West and seconded by John Andrew. - President Derk Logten- berg, who chaired the meet- ing, thanked everyone who came and also Marion. Zinn for auditing the financial statement. Merle Gunby, Huron Countv president, in making his report stressed that there was more participation need- ed. at County meetings, and also the new medical plan needing an additional 40% more support or it would dropped. A question riod was given. The electio chaired by Merle •Gu y were as fol- lows: president, Clete Dal- ton; vice president, Grant Curran; directors, Mr. and Mrs. Jim West, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Martyn, Mr. Francis Hogan; secretary treasurer, Mary Louise Dal- ton. Clete Dalton then intro- duced the guest speakers. Ron White, second vice pres- ident of Ontario Federation of Agriculture and also Jim McGuigan M.P.P. Kent and Ess0 County. They both 6ke on Foreign Ownership and stated that it is a slow process to get legilsation passed to curb such matters. In a question and answer, period, Ashfield Township farmers revealed -a deep -con- cern in stating their views. Grant Curran thanked the guest speakers for giving their time addressing the meeting. Merle Gunby had the mp problem brought for- ward which Warren Zinn replied on being looked after. Cliff Robb also commented on :the meeting's good turn out. . The meeting was adjourn- ed by Vince Austin. 4shfie.14-frotie seefast action • I void page 1 Ontario farmland by foreign invesiers. Jack \Riddell, MPP Huron -Middlesex - Liberal, introduced a private members bill in the legislature, the Agriculture investment Act,. calling for •foreign owners to register the , ownership, of land in Ontario or face tines. The bill died mitthe order paper at the end of the last sessibn. but will: be reintroduced by the Liberals at the fall session. White told the federation as important as they may, consider the issue, in a neighbour- ing township where there is no foreign O ownership of land, the farmers won't be concerned. He Said the democratic process is slow: "It's like pulling teeth." He pointed out the federation should gather all the statistics available to support their theory about foreign investment in their •township. A report by agriculture minister Bill Newman released in. June said, less than 1 per cent of Ontario's farmland is owned by foreign interests and stated there was no ' need for legislation to curb foreign owner- ship of land in the province at the present Merle Gunby, president of the Huron Federation of Agriculture, called the report, "a bucket of whitewash". He commented that from the time the report's lerms of reference were publicized, farmers knew it was going to mean nothing To pass legislation stopping foreign investment in Ontario farmland will require cabinet support. said White. He told the members the Ontario federation will have to show the government their report is not an accurate picture of foreign ownership in the province.. He said the federation is. a respected lobby group and has tremendous political impact. Various local federations have disclosed • • . • A new 'executivewas elected at the Ashfield Township Federation of Agriculture annual '.meeting at .Kingsbridge Community School on July 26, From the left,"front.rOW are, president, • Clete" Dalton; secretary, Mary . Loulse Dalton; so more will live ! figures. 'showing many more acres are pwmed by foreign interests than is indicated in the government: study, according to Jim McGuigan, MPP Kent -Elgin - Liberal who also spoke to the meeting. He said the Liberals are asking for legislation to deter- mine who does own this land because neither the government nor -the federation know how major it is. Marvin Scott of Ashfield told the members he was approached by a real estate broker from London who came to his farm last week. The broker said he had flown a plane of German investors over Huron. County farmland because they are interested in purchasing some 1,250 acres of land. He told the meeting identifying the: foreign interests won't stop them from: investing. He said he asked the broker what the Ashfield fanners are to do with their sons who want to farm. "Will we send them out to work for the foreign landlords?"' Yet, this man (the broker) Owned his own business, he said. He wanted something for himself to call his own, commented Scott. Real estate broker; Lloyd Hutton, Kincar- ine, said he knows of -a real estate broker who recently hired four men to go out ,and hunt -for farms for sale. "And these men weren't even agents," ' he stated. He said the problem. is escalating. He O recently appraised the value of a farm property and there was a $60,000 difference between his appraisal and the money 'available to buy the property, O John Austin told -the federation he feels they should put pressure On the government to make money more available. He said he knows of five young men in Lucknow who could not get money from the Farm Credit Corporation and yet foreign investors can get first morgages. vice-president, Grant Curran; back row, directors; Francis Hogan, Doug Martyn and Jim West. [Sentinel Staff Photo] Metric -- measure for measure, it's a better way to measure AD '