HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-03-20, Page 1ESTABIJSMO 1877 11,7,
I found one!
The Blyth Christian Reformed Church Bazaar had these two girls searching through a paper
haystack on March 12, for that all important prize. Onlookers couldn't tell whether they had
more fun searching for their prizes or making a parent approved mess. (David Blaney photo)
Heart & Soul hosts open house
NORTH HURON PUBLISHING COMPANY INC
Inside this week
Pg. 2
Pg. 6
Girl gets academic
honour
Federation hosts
annual MP's dinner
Pg.
Ny Taylor innovative
rg. / farmer of the year
Pg. 18
Pg, 19
Hockey teams in
OMHA finals
Legion helps out
local family
e Citizen
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 18 No. 11
Wednesday, March 20, 2002 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST)
Sap
running
well
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
While a few have indicated it's
been slow going, recent days have
been good for most local maple
syrup producers.
While some, like the Boyd Taylor
family outside Blyth have found
this year's-sap to be running slowly
Susan Robinson of Robinson's
Maple Syrup Products at RR2,
Auburn, said the cool nights and
warming days of last week have
really contributed to a good quality
sap for a nice light syrup.
"We are dong quite well. The
temperature has been just perfect."
Continuing the frosty nights, and
spring-like temperatures will revive
the flow. "If the sap turns off-
yellow that's when you get the dark
syrup. As long as you get the cold
nights, you get a good crop," said
Robinson.
This year's start date has been a
nice bonus as well for Robinsons.
While it was March 14 last year
when they started boiling, things
were flowing this year by Feb. 23.
"And we could have started earlier,
but the tap holes heal over. It's
better to wait until the middle of
February to get a six-week season."
Though a lot depends on the
weather, of course, Robinson
estimates they are about three-
quarters of the way through the
season.
On the other hand, producers
further inland from Lake Huron
began tapping later and expect to
run for about two weeks longer
than Robinsons. Ray Storey of the
Winthrop area said their trees have
been "running excellently". Some
in the area who have reported
otherwise, may, he feels, have
tapped too early.
Generally, however, producers he
knows have been pleased. March
14 was "a long day of running
because it didn't freeze. We're just
getting started and it looks like a
very good season. Most others I've
spoken with are saying much the
same thing," said Storey.
The Blyth and District
Community Centre Heart and Soul
Committee invites everyone to an
open house on Saturday, March 23
at the Blyth and District Community
Centre from 3 - 5 p.m.
The open house is taking place in
order to provide a viewing of the
building renovation plans and time
to talk with the builder, Paul
Jackson.
This week, every resident to Blyth
and district should have received an
information package in the mail
regarding the planned community
centre renovations.
Organizers would also like to
mention that there will be a workbee
held at the arena on Friday, March
29 and Saturday, March 30
beginning at 8 a.m. Help is greatly
needed and would be very much
appreciated.
For more information regarding
this contact Gary Courtney at 523-
9305.
• In addition to the Heart and Soul
open house on Saturday, there are
fundraisers taking place for the
Blyth Midget Bulldog hockey
team which will be travelling to
Montreal.
The ABCDD Gals Hockey team
has agreed to play the 1972 All
Ontario PeeWee Champions at 5
p.m.
The Midget hockey team is also
hosting a silent and live auction
which will begin at 6 p.m.
Many hockey memorabilia items
and _other added features are
available to be bid on.
OMFRA,
MOE
face off
over NMPs
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
The debate on whether it will be
the Ministry of Agriculture Food and'
Rural Affairs or the Ministry of
Environment that will enforce the
regulations of Bill 81 the Nutrient
Management Act is still ongoing.
says Helen Johns, MPP for Huron-
Bruce.
"It's a tough battle I'm running
right now to keep it in OMAFRA.'
Johns said, speaking at the annual
Members of Parliament Meeting of
the Huron County Federation of
Agriculture, March 16. Johns said
she hasn't been thrilled with dealing
with MOE officials because they
take longer to respond and don't
work Saturdays or Sundays.
Either way, it will mean more
employees will be hired and the
environment ministry has promised
to hire inspectors with an
agricultural background, she said.
MOE estimates it will take 76 full-
time equivalent positions to carry out
the inspections needed when the bill
is finally passed and its
accompanying regulations are
announced. "I've seen the dollars
required (for inspectors)," Johns
said. "We're not just taking people
off the street."
Johns said she's been promised
some of those inspectors will be
stationed in Huron County.
On the suggestion from one
municipal councillors that "manure
police" were needed to make sure
farmers didn't spread too much
manure on their land, Johns said
science will be the basis of
enforcement. "As I understand it
OMAFRA would be setting up a
science-based. regulation," she said.
Soil testing would be used to see if a
nutrient management plan was
actually working. Enforcement
officers would go out if the soil tests
showed there was a problem.
Ron -Bonnett, vice-president of the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
said a local peer review committee
would be the first to receive
complaints about farmers not
following their NMP, determining if
it's a legal matter or just a
misunderstanding. "The last thing
we need is a force of storm troopers
running around with measuring
sticks," he said.
These committees would include
both farmers and non-farmers.
Bonnett said. To help the committee
members make informed
judgements, "We're asking that the
government spend some money
training the committees," he said.
Representatives of several
livestock commodities at Elk
meeting expresseJ concern about
biosecurity from inspectors going on
farms.
Huron Federation .7;ce-President
Neil Vincent also worried iltai
Continued on page 6