Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2004-09-23, Page 28Gay Lea tour Ontario Minister of Agriculture Steve Peters, left, talks with Peter Coleman, Teeswater plant manager during a visit to Gay Lea Sept. 15. Centre is Ralph Dietrich, Gay Lea director. Also on the tour were Bruce County warden Ralph Kruetzwiser and Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell. (Advance- Times photo) ******************* 600 HEAD FINISHING HOG BARN :OPEN HOUSE! at Nesbit Farms John & Ann Nesbit r RR #2 Blyth 523-9595 "fttatia _A_ Ter Saturday, September 25 11:00 am- 3:00 pm &Awe & egrjeut eetzatetle 44 et 6el-ea 'E' tun • - Dry manure, natural vented barn with automatic sorting - Dry manure & straw storage barn attached - Large pen concept Turn right, first corner north of Blyth off London Road (Hwy. #4) Second set of buildings on the right 40451 Moncrieff Road '744441 to the Ottem.0441, 644-ege4de4 aril 44 uc 0,04.49 t44.1 Ka0 ciearcere ftwakee. Larry Mayberry Construction Londesboro 523-9479 Dave Franken Concrete Westfield 523-9971 Ryan Construction RR #2 Brussels 887-6916 or 887-2638 Watson Home Hardware Gorrie Building Centre 335-3551 Sun-North Systems Ltd. Seaforth 527-2470 Nesbit Electric Ltd. Kirkton 229-8222 Huron Concrete Supply Ltd. Goderich 524-7361 1-800-265-5199 Seaforth 527-0811 Burnside-Maitland Engineering Wingham 357-1521 Avonbank Farm Equipment Ltd. R.R. #3 Granton 225-2507 Keith Siemon Farm Systems Ltd. R.R. #4 Walton 345-2734 Monoway Farms Ltd. R.R. #4 Brussels 887-6477 Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd. 1-800-265-8858 Bank of Montreal Exeter 235-3374 Howson & Howson Ltd. Blyth 523-9624 ********** ***** **** PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2004. Ag minister includes Belgrave fair on tour By Jim Brown Wingham Advance Times Provincial agricultural minister Steve Peters made three stops in Huron and Bruce Counties last Wednesday. One stop was t Belgrave for the opening of the 84th annual school fair -- the only one remaining in Ontario and possibly the last one in Canada. At Belgrave they were joined by Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle as well as Morris-Turnberry mayor Dorothy Kelly and North Huron deputy-reeve Murray Scott. The agriculture minister commented to Mitchell that maybe they should get the education minister here. to Belgrave for the 85th annual event in order to show how agriculture can work in the classroom. "Agriculture is a way of life here. You should be proud of what you have accomplished," said Peters. Mitchell said agriculture is important not only to Belgrave but to every rural community in the province. "It is through the competition of this fair that children become more aware of what their farm parents have to deal with day after day," she said. MP Steckle said the weather was great for the fair, but noted the farmers need another 30 days of weather like this so they could get their corn and soybean crops off. Kelly and Scott brought greetings from their respective communities. As the top points getter in the 2003 fair, Bradley Haines, a fourth generation farmer, officially opened the fair. Prior to his visit at Belgrave Peters was at the Gay Lea plant in Teeswater, where he toured the plant and spoke with company officials along with Bruce County Warden Ralph Kruetzwiser of the Municipality of South Bruce about funding for a sewage system for the municipality. Peters was accompanied on the trip by Huron- Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell. The Gay Lea plant in Teeswater, formerly known as the Teeswater Creamery is the oldest creamery in Ontario and the second oldest in Canada. Peters said he was visiting the Gay Lea plant because he wanted to be able to balance both sides of agricultural issues. As well as talking with the producers he wanted to talk with the processors, especially those located in small town, rural Ontario. HE was looking to enhance the South Bruce. The cost of such a proposal was around the $21 million mark. Wearing the two hats of South Bruce reeve and county warden he indicated the sewage plant for South Bruce is among the top three priority items on the agenda for Bruce County. According to Kruetzwiser, the first priority for the county is to get two more reactors up and working at the Bruce Nuclear Plant and the second is to get Bruce Packers up and running again. "We have the killing space," said the county warden. "What we need is the freezer space." He believes that a new Bruce Packers plant would help to alleviate these two problems (killing and freezer space) in the beef industry in Ontario. "The third priority would definitely be a new sewage plant for South Bruce," Kruetzwiser said. "In fact, if a second was built around Port Elgin, the whole county could be pretty much looked after." He noted all three are potential job creators, which is important in the rural areas of the province. Kruetzwiser explained the municipality has been partnered by two of its largest employers -- Gay Lea Foods of Teeswater and Brick Brewery of Formosa -- in this venture. ' "Both of these companies have agreed to partner with us (South Bruce)," he said. "We are looking at getting help from you (Steve Peters) and Carol (Mitchell) in bringing the government up to date." When the Mildmay sewage plant was built 25 years ago they received 85 per cent funding from the government. "We are looking at some help from the government," stated Kruetzwiser. "Small communities cannot afford a project of this magnitude." Withbut the government funding, the South Bruce warden said the ratepayers cannot afford a $20,000 to $30,000 hook-up fee. He added they could probably afford a $2,000 hook-up fee. Gay Lea director Ralph Dietrich said Teeswater and Formosa are two proud communities. They feel if the government doesn't help in making this project possible it will take away from the communities. Plant manager Peter Coleman said having these plants located where they are helps to keep the young people in the community. Gay Lea president Andrew MacGillivray said if the project doesn't happen the plants will not be able to grow. "We are just trying to help clean up the communities. We don't want another Walkerton," he said. Kruetzwiser said the water in both communities is pretty good at the present time, but added now would be the time to bring the service up to standard. Both Teeswater and Formosa have artesian wells. "We would prefer to have a standpipe for a back-up," he said. "If we lose 150 jobs from South Bruce, we will be pretty well done," aid Kruetzwiser. Mitchell said it was good to see that the municipality has received the co-operation of these two industries. Kruetzwiser said both are good corporate citizens, making sizeable contributions in fund-raising projects and also sponsoring minor sports teams. , Following the stop in Belgrave, it was on to Clinton's Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food office. relationship between the processor and the producer so that it is a win- win situation. Kruetzwiser was more interested in talking to both Peters and Mitchell about the proposed sewage plant for