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CitizenNorthHuron
Vol. 15 No. 22 Wednesday, June 2, 1999 70C + 5c GST 750
Campaigning
It was thumbs up from Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty as he made a campaign stop at
a Huron County farm with candidate Ross Lamont, right, last Wednesday.
McGuinty visits riding
By Scott Hilgendorff
Huron Expositor
A strengthened Ministry of Agriculture and an
annual premier’s conference with the farming com
munity were two major announcements affecting the
rural community made by Liberal party leader
Dalton McGuinty in a campaign stop at a farm near
Seaforth last Wednesday.
“The ministry is merely a former shadow of itself,”
said McGuinty of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs.
This was the first McGuinty had addressed the
agricultural issues of his campaign.
He came to the farm of James and Brenda
McIntosh to make those announcements because the
Huron-Bruce riding is one of the only completely
rural one in Ontario, said local Liberal candidate
Ross Lamont.
McGuinty said Harris cut $17 million from agri
cultural areas in the past four years and that the
Ministry of Agriculture needs to be a stand-alone
ministry at the provincial cabinet table.
He then promised there would be an annual con
ference between himself and leaders of the agricul
ture communities to identify issues and goals for
each year with a plan in place to work toward them.
“I think that’s an important initiative to develop in
Ontario,” he told a crowd of more than 100 Liberal
supporters from on top of a tractor in a building at the
McIntosh farm. The stop was kept small with people
invited by word of mouth for a barbecue lunch and a
chance to talk with McGuinty. “I want to help our
farmers stay on the cutting edge,” he said.
He pointed to agriculture as the second largest
industry in Ontario. “It’s part of the foundation of
our economic strength,” he said, adding people have
forgotten there was a time when all of Ontario was
rural and that, as communities grew, the rural values
became a part of the province, such as the need to be
able to rely on each other and a person’s sense of
community. He wants to keep those values a part of
the province.
He also said he’d like to offer a tax rebate to new
farmers to help them get started.
He identified health care and education, the two
issues that have been the foundation of his campaign
against Premiere Mike Harris, as rural issues. “Are
they not the foundation of a strong rural communi
ty?” McGuinty asked.
He referred to plans that would see medical stu
dents practicing in a rural community before they
could graduate and a promise to pay their $44,000
medical school costs if they agree to practice in rural
areas for five years.
He mentioned that tax cuts Harris has made and
said for the average person, the amount to a jar of
loonies. “What do you do with a jar of loonies when
your rural school is shut down?” he asked, stressing
the importance of rural schools to their communities.
Lamont said while health care and education are
major issues in this election provincially, they remain
important to this riding because of the impact school
and hospital closures have on its rural communities.
He also said this area produces some of the high
est quality products and there is a need to help mar
ket those goods. “We can be exporting agricultural
products all over the world,” he said.
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Billion dollar rain
benefits area crops
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
With the gentle, prolonged rain
fall this region received last week,
farmers and gardeners alike got
some timely help for their crops.
“Generally, the crops are looking
excellent,” said Brian Hall, soil and
crop advisor with OMAFRA.
“They are doing a lot better than
even the week before.”
Hall said the rain was worth a lot
of money to farmers as the soil was
drying out and the wheat and spring
grains such as barley were begin
ning to show stress.
“It was a billion dollar rain.
There was not one crop that didn’t
benefit.”
On a crop by crop basis, Hall
said the winter wheat is in good
shape with little disease thus far.
The crop is advanced with heads
starting to emerge. Some fields
could be ready by mid-July, as
much as 10 days early.
Com crops are in excellent shape
with many emerging.
Most of the soybeans have been
planted with some emerging.
The first cutting of hay is now
coming off with fairly good results.
There have been some incidents
of alfalfa weevil with minor dam
age. However, it is to be watched
on the regrowth.
Overall, the area is about five
days behind in heat units compared
to this time last year, but that is still
ahead of normal, said Hail.
It has generally been a good
spring with good work days.
There is now a lot of work to be
done as the rain has also helped the
weeds emerge.
Windy conditions earlier in the
month may have delayed weed
control application.
Police arrest man
for assault, theft
A Wingham man has been arrest
ed in connection with an assault on
retired OPP commissioner Archie
Ferguson.
Huron OPP and the Huron Coun
ty Crime Unit, with the assistance
of the Metropolitan Police Service
apprehended Michael John Beld-
man, 27 at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday
morning on Queen Street in Toron
to.
A warrant was issued for Beld-
man on May 27 following an inves
tigation, which began after police
were contacted by Ferguson on the
evening of May 25.
According to police, Ferguson,
70, was at his cottage in Amberley
Beach when a male came to the
door. He said his vehicle had bro
ken down and asked for assistance.
Ferguson went with him and
while he was looking under the
hood, the man struck hin several
time in the head. Police said Fergu
son was knocked to the ground as
he grappled with the suspect. He
was kicked several times in the
upper body area.
After the suspect fled in his vehi
cle, Ferguson went to a neighbour’s
for help. He was later taken to Kin
cardine Hospital where he was
treated for lacerations to his face
and bruising to his upper body
before being released.
During the investigation police
also discovered that two cottages
south of the commissioner’s had
been broken into.
Tips were received through
Crimestoppers leading to the sus
pect’s identity.
The commissioner’s Ford
Explorer was recovered.
IPM debuts shuttle
The last plowing match of the
century will be the first
International Plowing Match &
Farm Machinery Show to offer a
free shuttle service around the site.
This unique service has been
arranged for anyone who would
find walking, the entire tented city
difficult.
Ten golf carts will follow a
designated route, around the tented
city, through the Antique
Machinery Display, and around the
Machines In Motion exhibits.
The circuit has 12 scheduled stops
and pickup points including each of
the main entrance gates.
Each pick up point will be
marked by a shuttle sign and
furnished with a park bench for
travellers waiting for the next
scheduled tour.
The carts are clearly marked with
‘SHUTTLE’ signs and flags. The
golf carts are all generously
sponsored by various golf courses
in Huron County and the
surrounding area. The carts make
continuous circuits all day, every
day with each driver on a four hour
shift.
There are now 100 volunteer
drivers enlisted from the
Huron/Perth Retired Teachers
Organization, the Grand Bend
Continued on page 21