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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1998-04-08, Page 20MATT'S PRE-WEDDING SPECIAL for the month of April P235-75R15 extra load sport tire, raised white letters $85.00 installed, balanced with new stem M.G.M. Townsend Tire Londesboro 523-4742 After hours - 523-9190 or 522-1629 easter seal society No down payment, no interest, no payments until lanuary,1999."' Ride Free just got better! 1 Mile North of Seaforth 519-527-0120 CLINTON COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION CHECK OUT THIS RATE FOR 15 MONTHS $500.00 Minimum Annual Interest Paid at Maturity or FOR 6 MONTHS Fixed Rate Term $10,000 minimum for NEW FUNDS Annual Interest Paid at Maturity Call Us For Details We will keep your investment in the community. 48 Ontario Street CLINTON 482-3466 118 Main Street North EXETER 235-0640 SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1952 1/2 PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1998. Fed. of Agriculture's Parliamentarian dinner Huron-Bruce MP hears environmental concerns Farmers concerns with protecting the environment were a major topic as farm groups presented briefs to the local members of parliament Saturday in Clinton. Half the briefs presented to Paul Steckle, MP for Huron-Bruce and Chris Snell, sitting in for Huron MPP Helen Johns, who was recov- ering in hospital following minor surgery, involved aspects of the environment, particularly the con- cerns of livestock farmers. Everet Ridder, vice-president of the Huron Environmental Farm Coalition has received funding from the National Soil and Water Conservation Program toward a $25,000 water quality study by Professor Douglas Joy, of the Uni- versity of Guelph. The local groups involved, including all commodity groups, the Maitland Valley Con- servation Authority, Ausable-Bay- field Conservation Authority, Huron County Planning Depart- ment and Huron County Health Unit will supply $5,000 in cash and an equal amount of "in kind" fund- ing for the study. Young Canadian-born farmers need encouragement and assistance if they are able to compete for land with European buyers, Huron's members of parliament were told Saturday. Dave Linton, presenting a brief for the Huron County Pork Produc- ers Association, raised the issue, saying "these young Canadian farmers should be the lifeblood of our industry." Yet there is little to Ontario Minister of Agriculture. Food and Rural Affairs, Noble Villeneuve accepted March 31 the final report from the members of the Rural Youth Advisory Panel. The report, based on input received during the public consultations, outlines many of the barriers and challenges that impede rural Ontario youth from meaning- ful employment opportunities while making many recommendations to improve the situation. "I would like to thank the panel for the time, diligence and hard work they put into the public consultations and the report," said Villeneuve. "We want to use this information to develop a strategy for rural youth which will be part of the government's overall Youth Opportunities Program aimed at helping young people reach their full potential." The panel members conducted a series of town-hall style public consultations during the first two weeks of February 1998 in Appin, Orangeville, Lindsay, Perth and bilingual sessions in Sudbury. This was a follow-up to the public consultations that OMAFRA conducted last November. Nearly 1,200 participants including employers, individuals and rural organizations were consulted on rural youth issues. "We tried to reflect the opinions and suggestions we heard during our consultations from individuals, communities and businesses," said Co-Chairs, Sandi Shaw and Todd Ramsey. "While we do not feel we Prof. Joy will pull together statis- tics already gathered by water and sewage treatment plants, the con- servation authorities and the health unit to examine changes in the quality of water in the county over the years. Neil Vincent, OFA regional rep, said cutbacks in funding had pre- vented organizations like the con- servation authorities from using the information they had been compil- ing but the study would help this process. Ridder argued that programs like the CURB (Clean Up Rural Beach- es) program should be reinstated.to help the general public participate in environmental rehabilitation. Farmers, as large landowners, can- not afford to pick up the whole cost of programs that benefit all society, he said. Snell replied that the provincial government has committed $1 bil- lion over the next three years to improve groundwater quality. But Mason Bailey, reeve of Blyth and a former president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, encourage young farmers while Europeans are selling out at high prices and coming to Canada, able to pay much higher prices for farms, he said. Linton remembeild being helped by a long-term, fixed interest loan when he wanted to start farming, but those programs aren't there any more. Others also remembered fondly the Junior Farmer Loan program. John Van Beers, representing Hul- have all the answers in this report, we believe we have produced a number of realistic first steps towards sustaining and enhancing the environment and economy for the rural youth in Ontario." wondered if all the efforts to improve the situation in Huron County would have any effect if there isn't an equal concern around the whole Great Lakes region. "We could drive every farmer in Huron County off the land (through tough regulations) and we could still have problems in Lake Huron," he said. "Are the United States con- cerned? If they're not concerned it won't make any difference what we do." Ridder said the upcoming study could show that is a problem. Steckle suggested a way should be found for someone like Ridder to attend a meeting of the Internation- al Joint Commission on the Great Lakes to represent the interests of the region's farmers and bring back information. In the meantime, said John Van Beers, representing Hullett Twp, council, farmers can be proactive in implementing nutrient management plans and going through the Envi- ronmental Farm Plan process. Thousands of farmers have partici- pated in such programs and their story needs to be told, he said. lett Twp. council, called for a new version of the program, adminis- tered through Farm Credit Corpora- tion. But the members of parliament had their doubts. Though express- ing interest in the concept, Paul Steckle, MP for Huron-Bruce, said it would be foolish to subsidize a young farmer buying farmland at $4,000 an acre because a farmer can't make money at that price. Copies of the Rural Youth Advisory Report are available at any local OMAFRA office and on our website at: www.gov.on.ca/ omafra. Having their say MP Paul Steckle and Chris Snell, representing MPP Helen Johns heard presentations from local agricultural leaders'at this years Federation of Agriculture's MP's dinner. It's Just about the best combination of savings you could ask for. And it comes at the best time of year. Nat only do you get a great financing deal, but now Ride Free means you get the best deal, period. Right now, you can buy any 1998 new and unused Ski-Boo snowmobile in stock at the best deal. No, no kidding. But hurry. It ends at the end of April. 0 1495 Eicenbamm. Inc RI rOng mar._ • Iran.. al Ga, A. in. dfax. Pa.* Sales allw Wan rerp99a.en cal peep.. age a.,0 *raga. Croup Sabre. C.A. A gar.. pa gaull y 7/198 A mama. Or &Aga w atll Spear, mmapAla• Wars ad =Aka. cmalfied war. Orem res.. Can W9b1M9e —11Arra • alme ream.. b MO era nag. oa.w Ofr eoc.es lAr. 2 Sma Sea ay. agawng. Mamas cam II Canat 9oeiase 9.nNkay barb., gc Young farmers speak out Minister accepts youth report